Explore the vast range of titles available.

\"The nature of terrorism is the subject of ever-increasing scrutiny and there are many lessons to be learned from India's borderlands. Terrorism, fostered at first by post-colonial resentments, took root in the region because of an increased sense of cultural identity and perceived discrimination and exclusion by the Indian state. This book examines the long-term effects of terrorism on the population of North East India - where the best-known conflict is the Naga tribe's ongoing campaign for a greater Nagaland - as well as its international consequences.\" \"India's fragile borderlands traces the development of terrorist groups within the region from small domestic groups to internationally connected and financed organizations. This comprehensive and penetrating study examines three major components of terrorism: the causes of terrorism, in their national, global and historical context; the nature and manifestations of this phenomenon in India's north-eastern frontiers; and trends within counter-terrorism and security and their effectiveness, both within the region and internationally.\" \"India's Fragile Borderlands offers a comprehensive study of the nature, origins and history of terrorism in India's North East within an international perspective. Sharing borders with China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar (Burma) and Bhutan, the region abounds in nationalist, separatist and even religious organizations that have used terrorism as a strategy to achieve their aims. Archana Upadhyay explores the complex and specific ideologies of these groups while highlighting the cross-border links and connections with organized crime that fund the violence in the region. This book includes many insights into the nature of terrorism in India's north-eastern frontiers and will be invaluable for students of Politics, History and International Relations.\"--BOOK JACKET.

The various strains and mutations of SARS-CoV-2 have been tracked using several forms of genomic classification systems. The present study reports high-throughput sequencing and analysis of 99 SARS-CoV-2 specimens from Western Uttar Pradesh using sequences obtained from the GISAID database, followed by phylogeny and clade classification. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Omicron lineages BA-2-like (55.55%) followed by Delta lineage-B.1.617.2 (45.5%) were predominantly circulating in this area Signature substitution at positions S: N501Y, S: D614G, S: T478K, S: K417N, S: E484A, S: P681H, and S: S477N were commonly detected in the Omicron variant-BA-2-like, however S: D614G, S: L452R, S: P681R and S: D950N were confined to Delta variant-B.1.617.2. We have also identified three escape variants in the S gene at codon position 19 (T19I/R), 484 (E484A/Q), and 681 (P681R/H) during the fourth and fifth waves in India. Based on the phylogenetic diversification studies and similar changes in other lineages, our analysis revealed indications of convergent evolution as the virus adjusts to the shifting immunological profile of its human host. To the best of our knowledge, this study is an approach to comprehensively map the circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains from Western Uttar Pradesh using an integrated approach of whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. These findings will be extremely valuable in developing a structured approach toward pandemic preparedness and evidence-based intervention plans in the future.

Background Dirofilariasis, the disease caused by Dirofilaria spp., and in particular by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in canines, occurs frequently in canids and felids, and occasionally in humans, in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions globally. Although highly effective, safe and convenient preventive medicines have been available for the treatment of dirofilariasis for the past three decades, the disease remains a major veterinary and public health concern in endemic areas. The insect vectors, host-parasite relationships and interactions of Dirofilaria spp. have received little attention in China, and there is very little information in English regarding the prevalence of dirofilariasis in animals and humans in the country. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the status of canine dirofilariasis in China based on the available literature in English and in Chinese. Methods We systematically searched five databases for epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in China and finally selected 42 studies eligible for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model in the meta package in R v4.2.1. Results The random effects model gave a pooled and weighted prevalence of Dirofilaria infection among dogs in China in the past 100 years of 13.8% (2896/51,313, 95% confidence interval 8.2–20.4%) with a high level of heterogeneity ( I 2  =  99.5%). Conclusions Our analyses indicated that the prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in China has gradually declined, but that the range of Dirofilaria spp. has expanded. Older and outdoor dogs presented a higher rate of positive infection. The findings indicated that more attention should be paid to host factors for the effective control and management of this disease. Graphical Abstract

Theileria spp. are a group of parasites primarily transmitted by ticks and can pose a significant threat to domestic and wild animals globally. The main objective of this study was to understand the epidemiology of Theileria spp. in goats of Hainan Island/province, which is the only tropical region of China, and to study their hematological profiles in naturally infected goats. A total of 464 blood samples were collected from randomly selected local adult goats ( Capra hircus , local domestic breed with black hair), from six cities and eight counties of Hainan, from November 2017 to October 2020. Blood smear microscopy of the sample and a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) targeting the 18S rRNA gene combined with DNA sequencing were used to detect piroplasm infections in goats. Data analysis of the obtained sequences revealed that all the sequences were highly similar to the Theileria luwenshuni 18S rRNA gene sequence from the database. This result is consistent with the microscopic examination. In the hematological test, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin of the goats naturally infected with T. luwenshuni significantly increased, while mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were significantly decreased. Results showed that T. luwenshuni could cause macrocytic, hypochromic anemia in goats. This study provides reliable and comprehensive information about the epidemiology of the parasite infections and hematological profile of the infected goats in Hainan, which encourages further investigations to develop practical control strategies for Theileria spp. infections in tropical areas. Les Theileria spp. sont un groupe de parasites principalement transmis par les tiques qui peuvent constituer une menace importante pour les animaux domestiques et sauvages dans le monde. L’objectif principal de cette étude était de comprendre l’épidémiologie de Theileria spp. chez les chèvres de l’île/province de Hainan, qui est la seule région tropicale de Chine et étudier les profils hématologiques des chèvres naturellement infectées. 464 échantillons de sang ont été prélevés sur des chèvres adultes locales sélectionnées au hasard ( Capra hircus , race domestique locale à poils noirs), dans 6 villes et 8 comtés de Hainan, de novembre 2017 à octobre 2020. L’étude microscopique du frottis sanguin de l’échantillon et la réaction en chaîne par polymérase nichée (nPCR) ciblant le gène de l’ARNr 18S combinée au séquençage de l’ADN ont été utilisées pour détecter les infections à piroplasmes chez les chèvres. L’analyse des séquences obtenues a révélé que toutes les séquences étaient très similaires à la séquence du gène de l’ARNr 18S de T. luwenshuni de la base de données. Le résultat est cohérent avec l’examen microscopique. Dans le test hématologique, l’hématocrite, le volume corpusculaire moyen et l’hémoglobine corpusculaire moyenne des chèvres naturellement infectées par T. luwenshuni ont augmenté de manière significative, tandis que la concentration moyenne d’hémoglobine corpusculaire et la largeur de distribution des globules rouges (RDW) ont été significativement diminuées. Les résultats ont montré que T. luwenshuni pouvait provoquer une anémie macrocytaire et une anémie hypochrome chez les chèvres. Cette étude fournit des informations fiables et complètes sur l’épidémiologie des infections parasitaires et le profil hématologique des chèvres infectées à Hainan, ce qui encourage des investigations supplémentaires pour développer des stratégies pratiques de contrôle des infections par Theileria spp. dans les zones tropicales.

Anaplasmosis is a serious infection which is transmitted by ticks and mosquitos. There are very few reports and studies that have been carried out to understand the prevalence, distribution, and epidemiological profile of Anaplasma spp. infection in dogs in Hainan province/island. In the present study, we have tried to understand the prevalence, distribution, and occurrence of Anaplasma spp. infections in dogs (n = 1051) in Hainan Island/Province to establish a surveillance-based study. The confirmed positive samples by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were subjected to capillary sequencing for further strain-specific confirmation, followed by the construction of phylogenetic trees to determine their genetic relations. Various statistical tools were used to analyze related risk factors. There were three species of Anaplasma detected from the Hainan region; namely, A. phagocytophilum, A. bovis, and A. platys. The overall prevalence of Anaplasma is 9.7% (102/1051). A. phagocytopihum was prevalent in 1.0% of dogs (11/1051), A. bovis was found in 2.7% of dogs (28/1051), and A. platys in 6.0% of dogs (63/1051). Our surveillance-based study conducted to understand the occurrence and distribution pattern of Anaplasma spp. in Hainan will help in designing effective control measures along with management strategies so as to treat and control the infection in the area.

Due to emergence and re-emregence of various infectious diseases across human, animal, wildlife, and environmental sector, there is rapid expansion of high containment Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories in India under National One Health Mission. Although, the strong regulatory framework for BSL-3 laboratories exists in India, there is no standard tool to assess the compliance of these laboratories to biosafety and biosecurity parameters, assess staff competencies, sample archival & disposal and reporting processes. In view of this, the critical need was realized to develop a standard assessment tool to periodically assess the performance of BSL-3 laboratories. The tool includes specific sections with reference to a scoring checklist that assesses staff and training, sample handling and transportation, sample processing and testing procedures, data management and reporting, biomedical waste management, emergency preparedness and response, as well as general biosafety. The tool has been developed based on the strategies of the DBT-ICMR guidelines for establishment and certification of BSL-3 laboratories, International Health Regulations and Global Health Security Agenda. It is aimed to evaluate the preparedness of BSL-3 laboratories for safe and prompt testing during outbreaks ensuring the standards of biosafety and biosecurity are followed with the efficient sample processing and reporting. It has a potential to be adopted and used globally by various BSL-3 laboratories and auditors across the world.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a unique technique in molecular biology and biotechnology for amplifying target DNA strands, and is also considered as a gold standard for the diagnosis of many canine diseases as well as many other infectious diseases. However, PCR still faces many challenges and issues related to its sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and turnaround time. To address these issues, we described the use of unique ZnO nanoflowers in PCR reaction and an efficient ZnO nanoflower-based PCR (nanoPCR) for the molecular diagnosis of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs). A total of 1 mM of an aqueous solution of ZnO nanoflowers incorporated in PCR showed a significant enhancement of the PCR assay with respect to its sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of two important CVBDs, Babesia canis vogeli and Hepatozoon canis. Interestingly, it drastically reduced the turnaround time of the PCR assay without compromising the yield of the amplified DNA, which can be of benefit for veterinary practitioners for the improved management of diseases. This can be attributed to the favorable adsorption of ZnO nanoflowers to the DNA and thermal conductivity of ZnO nanoflowers. The unique ZnO nanoflower-assisted nanoPCR greatly improved the yield, purity, and quality of the amplified products, but the mechanism behind these properties and the effects and changes due to the different concentrations of ZnO nanoflowers in the PCR system needs to be further studied.

Purpose - This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design methodology approach - This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.Findings - Organizations compete to succeed in a continuously changing business scenario. It is obvious that as an organization, they need to learn continuously, develop their competencies and adapt to the changes in business environment, thus becoming a learning organization. However, it is important that the individual and collective learning of the organization is such that it contributes to accomplishing strategic business results and the organization's vision. This can be achieved through the Balanced Scorecard as it clearly highlights in the \"Learning & Growth\" perspectives, the competencies and organizational capabilities that need to be built. The Balanced Scorecard thus links the learning endeavors of the organization with its strategy and vision.Practical implications - The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Originality value - The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to digest format.

Cancer cells differ from normal cells in their response to chemotherapy. We exploited this dissimilarity by identifying and targeting tumor-specific, cell-surface proteins whose expression is induced by the chemotherapeutic irinotecan (CPT-11; Camptosar). A cytotoxin-armed antibody reactive with one of these drug-induced surface proteins, the LY6D/E48 antigen, originally identified as the target of a monoclonal antibody reactive with squamous cell carcinomas, caused complete regression of colorectal tumor xenografts in mice treated with CPT-11, whereas either agent alone was less effective. These results suggest that a positive therapeutic index may be generated for other drug combinations by immunotherapeutic targeting of chemotherapy-induced antigens.