Biosafety and Health最新文献

Climatic factors are closely associated with the occurrence of vector-borne diseases, and they also influence the distribution of vectors. The occurrence of plague is closely related to the population dynamics of fleas and their host animals, as well as climatic conditions. This study focused on Xilingol League, utilizing climatic and flea index data from 2012 to 2021. Spearman correlation and "Boruta" importance analysis were conducted to screen for climatic variables. A generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to investigate the influence of climatic factors and rodent density on the flea index. GAM analysis revealed distinct trends in flea index among different rodent hosts. For Meriones unguiculatus, the flea index declined with increased density and with higher humidity, yet rose with greater lagged sunshine duration. For Spermophilus dauricus, an initial increase in flea index with density was observed, followed by a decrease, and a rise in the index was noted when ground temperatures were low. This study reveals the nonlinear interactions and lag effects among climatic factors, density, and flea index. Climatic factors and density variably influence the flea index of two Yersinia pestis hosts. This research advances the prediction and early warning efforts for plague control, providing a theoretical basis for rodent and flea eradication strategies.

In recent years, as the infectious diseases caused by pathogens such as novel coronavirus and mpox (formerly called monkeypox) spread globally, the significance of identification, preservation, and sharing of pathogenic resources become prominent. Along with the rapid development of biorepositories, it is imperative to evaluate their operation in a scientific manner. By using the literature review and modified Delphi method, this study develops a benchmarking tool for the comprehensive evaluation of the operation of biorepositories for pathogenic resources. The effective response rates of both rounds of expert surveys were 100 %. The authority coefficients (Cr) were 0.82 and 0.85, respectively, manifesting the reliability of consultation results. In the second-round survey, the Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (Kendall’s W) of all indicators ranged from 0.09 to 0.31 (P < 0.001), the comprehensive score ranged from 4.02 to 4.94, the standard deviation ranged from 0.21 to 0.77, and the coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 0.04 to 0.22, indicating that the expert opinions reached consensus. The final benchmarking tool was composed of 4 primary indicators, 12 secondary indicators, and 65 tertiary indicators. The weights of the four primary indicators allocated through the rank-sum ratio method, namely organizational structure, management requirements, biobanking capacity, and sharing capacity, were 30.50 %, 30.08 %, 25.45 %, and 13.97 %, respectively. The benchmarking tool established in this study provides references for the comprehensive evaluation of the operation and puts forward advice for the sustainable development of biorepositories for pathogenic resources.

In the wake of the largest-ever recorded outbreak of mpox in terms of magnitude and geographical spread in human history since May 2022, we innovatively developed an automated online sewage virus enrichment and concentration robot for disease tracking. Coupled with an artificial intelligence (AI) model, our research aims to estimate mpox cases based on the concentration of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in wastewater. Our research has revealed a compelling link between the levels of MPXV in wastewater and the number of clinically confirmed mpox infections, a finding that is reinforced by the ability of our AI prediction model to forecast cases with remarkable precision, capturing 87 % of the data’s variability. However, it is worth noting that this high precision in predictions may be related to the relatively high frequency of data acquisition and the relatively non-mobile isolated environment of the hospital itself. In conclusion, this study represents a significant step forward in our ability to track and respond to mpox outbreaks. It has the potential to revolutionize public health surveillance by utilizing innovative technologies for disease surveillance and prediction.

Synthetic biology is a crucial component of the “cyber-biological revolution” in this new industrial revolution. Owing to breakthroughs in synthetic biology, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the storehouse of hereditary material in biological systems, can now be used as a medium for storage (synthesis) and reading (sequencing) of information. However, integrating synthetic biology with computerization has also caused cyberbiosecurity concerns, encompassing biosecurity and information security issues. Malicious codes intended to attack computer systems can be stored as artificially synthesized DNA fragments, which can be released during DNA sequencing and decoding and attack computer and network systems. As these cyberbiosecurity threats become increasingly realistic, spreading awareness and information about how they can be prevented and controlled is crucial. This review aims to address this need by offering crucial theoretical backing for cyberbiosecurity research and raising awareness of risk mitigation and control measures in information security, biosecurity, and national security.