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Sally Eden - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • individual environmental responsibility and its role in public environmentalism
    Environment and Planning A, 1993
    Co-Authors: Sally Eden
    Abstract:

    Individual environmental responsibility has been used by business and government in promoting public environmentalism through, for example, green consumerism, passive membership of environmental groups, and domestic recycling. Such responsibility has not yet been adequately addressed in academic work, although associated concepts of environmental concern, values, and behaviour have been studied in the last two decades. The author therefore looks at the role of environmental responsibility in public environmentalism and particularly at how this notion is articulated by individuals involved in a range of pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental responsibility is shown to be most significant where an individual believes in the efficacy of their pro-environmental behaviour and where the self is perceived to be a Responsible Agent compared with other social Agents. The translation of this environmental responsibility into consistent behaviour proves to be complex and dependent upon the individual's social context as well as upon organised environmentalism.

  • individual environmental responsibility and its role in public environmentalism
    Environment and Planning A, 1993
    Co-Authors: Sally Eden
    Abstract:

    Individual environmental responsibility has been used by business and government in promoting public environmentalism through, for example, green consumerism, passive membership of environmental groups, and domestic recycling. Such responsibility has not yet been adequately addressed in academic work, although associated concepts of environmental concern, values, and behaviour have been studied in the last two decades. The author therefore looks at the role of environmental responsibility in public environmentalism and particularly at how this notion is articulated by individuals involved in a range of pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental responsibility is shown to be most significant where an individual believes in the efficacy of their pro-environmental behaviour and where the self is perceived to be a Responsible Agent compared with other social Agents. The translation of this environmental responsibility into consistent behaviour proves to be complex and dependent upon the individual's social c...

A C Scoging - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • toxigenic strains of bacillus licheniformis related to food poisoning
    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 1999
    Co-Authors: Mirja Salkinojasalonen, Riitta Vuorio, M Andersson, Peter Kampfer, M C Andersson, T Honkanenbuzalski, A C Scoging
    Abstract:

    Toxin-producing isolates of Bacillus licheniformis were obtained from foods involved in food poisoning incidents, from raw milk, and from industrially produced baby food. The toxin detection method, based on the inhibition of boar spermatozoan motility, has been shown previously to be a sensitive assay for the emetic toxin of Bacillus cereus, cereulide. Cell extracts of the toxigenic B. licheniformis isolates inhibited sperm motility, damaged cell membrane integrity, depleted cellular ATP, and swelled the acrosome, but no mitochondrial damage was observed. The Responsible Agent from the B. licheniformis isolates was partially purified. It showed physicochemical properties similar to those of cereulide, despite having very different biological activity. The toxic Agent was nonproteinaceous; soluble in 50 and 100% methanol; and insensitive to heat, protease, and acid or alkali and of a molecular mass smaller than 10,000 g mol(-1). The toxic B. licheniformis isolates inhibited growth of Corynebacterium renale DSM 20688(T), but not all inhibitory isolates were sperm toxic. The food poisoning-related isolates were beta-hemolytic, grew anaerobically and at 55 degrees C but not at 10 degrees C, and were nondistinguishable from the type strain of B. licheniformis, DSM 13(T), by a broad spectrum of biochemical tests. Ribotyping revealed more diversity; the toxin producers were divided among four ribotypes when cut with PvuII and among six when cut with EcoRI, but many of the ribotypes also contained nontoxigenic isolates. When ribotyped with PvuII, most toxin-producing isolates shared bands at 2.8 +/- 0.2, 4.9 +/- 0.3, and 11.7 +/- 0.5 or 13.1 +/- 0.8 kb.

Arun K Nalla - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • metagenomic analysis reveals clinical sars cov 2 infection and bacterial or viral superinfection and colonization
    Clinical Chemistry, 2020
    Co-Authors: Vikas Peddu, Ryan C Shean, Hong Xie, Lasata Shrestha, Garrett A Perchetti, Samuel S Minot, Pavitra Roychoudhury, Meei Li Huang, Arun K Nalla
    Abstract:

    Background More than 2 months separated the initial description of SARS-CoV-2 and discovery of its widespread dissemination in the United States. Despite this lengthy interval, implementation of specific quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 tests in the US has been slow, and testing is still not widely available. Metagenomic sequencing offers the promise of unbiased detection of emerging pathogens, without requiring prior knowledge of the identity of the Responsible Agent or its genomic sequence. Methods To evaluate metagenomic approaches in the context of the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, laboratory-confirmed positive and negative samples from Seattle, WA were evaluated by metagenomic sequencing, with comparison to a 2019 reference genomic database created before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Results Within 36 h our results showed clear identification of a novel human Betacoronavirus, closely related to known Betacoronaviruses of bats, in laboratory-proven cases of SARS-CoV-2. A subset of samples also showed superinfection or colonization with human parainfluenza virus 3 or Moraxella species, highlighting the need to test directly for SARS-CoV-2 as opposed to ruling out an infection using a viral respiratory panel. Samples negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR were also negative by metagenomic analysis, and positive for Rhinovirus A and C. Unlike targeted SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR testing, metagenomic analysis of these SARS-CoV-2 negative samples identified candidate etiological Agents for the patients' respiratory symptoms. Conclusion Taken together, these results demonstrate the value of metagenomic analysis in the monitoring and response to this and future viral pandemics.

Pavitra Roychoudhury - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • metagenomic analysis reveals clinical sars cov 2 infection and bacterial or viral superinfection and colonization
    Clinical Chemistry, 2020
    Co-Authors: Vikas Peddu, Ryan C Shean, Hong Xie, Lasata Shrestha, Garrett A Perchetti, Samuel S Minot, Pavitra Roychoudhury, Meei Li Huang, Arun K Nalla
    Abstract:

    Background More than 2 months separated the initial description of SARS-CoV-2 and discovery of its widespread dissemination in the United States. Despite this lengthy interval, implementation of specific quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 tests in the US has been slow, and testing is still not widely available. Metagenomic sequencing offers the promise of unbiased detection of emerging pathogens, without requiring prior knowledge of the identity of the Responsible Agent or its genomic sequence. Methods To evaluate metagenomic approaches in the context of the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, laboratory-confirmed positive and negative samples from Seattle, WA were evaluated by metagenomic sequencing, with comparison to a 2019 reference genomic database created before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Results Within 36 h our results showed clear identification of a novel human Betacoronavirus, closely related to known Betacoronaviruses of bats, in laboratory-proven cases of SARS-CoV-2. A subset of samples also showed superinfection or colonization with human parainfluenza virus 3 or Moraxella species, highlighting the need to test directly for SARS-CoV-2 as opposed to ruling out an infection using a viral respiratory panel. Samples negative for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR were also negative by metagenomic analysis, and positive for Rhinovirus A and C. Unlike targeted SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR testing, metagenomic analysis of these SARS-CoV-2 negative samples identified candidate etiological Agents for the patients' respiratory symptoms. Conclusion Taken together, these results demonstrate the value of metagenomic analysis in the monitoring and response to this and future viral pandemics.

Ghazi A Damanhouri - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • efficient inactivation of sars cov 2 in human plasma with amotosalen and ultraviolet a light treatment
    Transfusion, 2020
    Co-Authors: Esam I Azhar, Marcus Picardmaureau, Salwa Hindawi, Sherif A Elkafrawy, Ahmed M Hassan, Ahmed M Tolah, Thamir A Alandijany, Qossay Abunada, Ghazi A Damanhouri
    Abstract:

    Background/Case Studies: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in January 2020 as the Responsible Agent for COVID-19 First recognized in late 2019, the COVID-19 epidemic developed into a pandemic with, as of July 23, 2020, more than 15 million cases and 600,000 deaths reported globally SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in blood samples and blood components from asymptomatic blood donors including frozen plasma units and platelet concentrates This suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may be a potential bloodborne pathogen and pathogen reduction offers potential to reduce the risk of transfusion transmission We investigated the efficacy of amotosalen/UVA light to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in human plasma Study Design/Methods: Five pools of whole-blood derived human plasma units (630-650 mL each) were inoculated with a local clinical isolate (SARS-CoV-2/ human/SAU/85791C/2020) with a 1:100 dilution Spiked pools were used to evaluate the efficacy of amotosalen/ UVA treatment (INTERCEPT® Blood System, Cerus Corporation, Concord, U S A ) to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in plasma Infectious and genomic viral titers were assessed by plaque assay and quantitative PCR (Altona Diagnostics, Hamburg, Germany), respectively, in spiked and treated samples in parallel with positive and negative controls Results/Findings: Treatment of spiked plasma (titer of the viral stock: 5 6±0 2 log10 pfu/mL) with amotosalen/ UVA light resulted in complete inactivation of infectious viral titer with mean log reduction of >3 3±0 2 log10 pfu/mL No viral replication or cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed in cells inoculated with inactivated samples even after 9 days of incubation and three successive passages Evaluation of genomic titer expressed in genome equivalent (GEq/mL) in inactivated samples showed equivalent reduction to the limit of detection of 7 10±0 2 log10 GEq/mL Conclusions: Complete and efficient inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 was observed with amotosalen/UVA light treatment of spiked human plasma units suggesting that treatment of plasma with this pathogen reduction technology could reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted SARS-CoV-2 infection These findings are consistent with prior inactivation data with amotosalen/UVA for other human-pathogenic coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV) in platelets and plasma