Yes / The continuing COVID-19 pandemic and social restrictions have impacted on the cognitive decline and mental health of people with dementia. Social isolation and loss of activities due to social restrictions may also have implications as to sense of identity for people with dementia. As part of the INCLUDE (Identifying and Mitigating the Individual and Dyadic Impact of COVID-19 and Life Under Physical Distancing on People with Dementia and Carers) component of the IDEAL (Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life) cohort study, the overall aim of this subtle realist qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of people with dementia on living through the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of the ‘post-vaccine’ period and the national lockdowns in England and Wales; and to determine perceived challenges to and facilitators of ‘living well’ during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as restrictions were eased. In addition, the study findings are considered in relation to understandings of identity in dementia which the broader accounts of living through the pandemic have highlighted. Seven people with mild-to-moderate dementia were interviewed and themes were derived using framework analysis. Themes suggest interviewees' stoic acceptance of the pandemic and social restrictions but also fear of decline related to the temporality of their condition as well as loss of self-confidence to re-engage with the world. Interviewees managed threats to social identity by striving to maintain social and emotional connections, where the importance of a shared, social identity, particularly for people with young-onset dementia, was also apparent. Unlike in previous studies during the pandemic, the relevance of occupation for identity was observed, where maintaining previous or new activities or occupations was important to facilitate identity as well as to keep a sense of purpose. Therefore, as well as supporting people with dementia as the pandemic eases, future research into occupation and identity in dementia is of potential value. / ‘Identifying and Mitigating the Individual and Dyadic Impact of COVID-19 and Life Under Physical Distancing on People with Dementia and Carers (INCLUDE)’ was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC; grant number ES/V004964/1).

Ce travail de thèse a porté sur l’étude d’activités enzymatiques virales impliquées dans la réplication de deux genres viraux : les Flavivirus et les Coronavirus. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié des activités enzymatiques impliquées dans la formation de la structure coiffe des ARNm viraux. En effet, du fait de leur cycle réplicatif cytoplasmique, ces virus n’ont pas accès à la machinerie de formation de la coiffe cellulaire et expriment donc une machinerie dédiée. Le processus canonique de formation de la coiffe fait appel à quatre activités enzymatiques, une ARN 5’-triphosphatase, une guanylyltransférase et deux méthyltransférases.Chez les flavivirus, nous avons développé des outils permettant d’identifier l’activité guanylyltransférase ainsi que des essais enzymatiques nécessaires à la caractérisation des activités méthyltransférases. Ces outils nous ont notamment permis d’évaluer l’effet inhibiteur de molécules choisies par des méthodes de criblages virtuels sur les deux activités méthyltransférases de la protéine NS5 nécessaires à la formation de la coiffe.Chez les coronavirus, nous nous sommes intéressés à une activité méthyltransférase impliquée dans la formation de la coiffe et notamment à sa régulation par un partenaire viral. Nous avons démontré que le processus de méthylation de la coiffe suit un ordre obligatoire, initié par la méthylation de la position N7 par la protéine nsp14. Dans une seconde étape, les structures coiffe-0 (7MeGpppA) sont converties en coiffe-1 (7MeGpppA2’OMe) par la protéine nsp16 en complexe avec nsp10. Nous avons démontré que l’activité 2’O-méthyltransférase portée par la protéine nsp16 nécessite une interaction spécifique avec la protéine nsp10 qui joue probablement un rôle d’échafaudage.Dans un second temps, nous avons démontré que l’activité exoribonucléase portée par la protéine nsp14 est également régulée par la protéine nsp10. La stimulation de l’activité passe par une interaction directe entre les deux protéines et il semble que les surfaces d’interaction de nsp10 avec nsp14 et nsp16 soient chevauchantes. Enfin, la caractérisation de l’activité exoribonucléase confirme la possibilité de son implication dans un mécanisme de réparation des erreurs incorporées lors de la synthèse d’ARN par la polymérase virale. / This work focused on enzymatic activities of two RNA virus genera, Flavivirus and Coronavirus.We first studied the mRNA cap synthesis machinery of these viruses. Indeed, as they replicate in the cytoplasm of the infected cell, these viruses encode their own mRNA cap-forming enzymes. The canonical mechanism of cap synthesis uses four enzymatic activities, a RNA 5’-triphosphatase, a guanylyltransferase and two methyltransferases.We tried to identify the guanylyltransferase activity involved in this process for flaviviruses and we developed enzymatic assays to characterize both guanylyltransferase and methyltransferase activities. We used the methyltransferase assay in order to test the inhibitor effect of molecules, selected by virtual screening, on the methyltransferase activities of the NS5 protein involved in the capping process.Concerning coronaviruses, we first focused on the methyltransferase activities of the nsp14 and nsp16 proteins. We have reconstituted the complete SARS-CoV mRNA cap methylation in vitro. We showed that mRNA cap methylation requires a third viral protein, nsp10, which acts as an essential trigger to complete RNA cap-1 formation. The obligate sequence of methylation events is initiated by nsp14, which first methylates capped RNA transcripts to generate cap-0 7MeGpppA-RNAs. The latter are then selectively 2′O-methylated by the 2′O-methyltransferase nsp16 in complex with its activator nsp10 to give rise to cap-1 7MeGpppA2′OMe-RNAs. Then, we took interest in the exoribonuclease activity of the nsp14 protein and found that this activity is also regulated by the same cofactor, the nsp10 protein. The interaction between the proteins is required to observe the stimulatory effect and it seems that the surface areas of nsp10 interacting with nsp14 and nsp16 overlap. The in vitro characterization of the nuclease activity of nsp14 is according with its potential implication in RNA proofreading mechanism.

O parvovírus canino (CPV-2) e o coronavírus canino (CCoV-II) são considerados os principais patógenos responsáveis pela gastroenterite viral aguda em cães filhotes, causando, em alguns casos a alta morbidade e mortalidade, sobretudo em função da capacidade de potencializar infecções por outros agentes. Esses vírus estão distribuídos mundialmente na população canina, sendo responsáveis por diversos surtos em muitos países, sobretudo onde ocorre grande concentração de animais, como em abrigos e canis. O CPV-2 e o CCoV-II foram identificados a partir da década de 1970 e desde então, têm sido detectados em animais clinicamente saudáveis, assim como em cães que apresentam vômitos e diarreia severa. A presente tese tem como objetivo a identificação desses agentes na população canina do Brasil, sendo constituída de dois capítulos distintos: Capítulo 1- Caracterização de cepas de parvovírus canino circulantes no Brasil entre 2008 e 2010 e o Capítulo 2 - Caracterização do coronavírus canino pantrópico no Brasil. No Capítulo 1, foram analisadas amostras de fezes de 144 cães pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) das amostras foram positivos. Das 42 amostras positivas, 71,4% (30) dos cães tinham sinais de gastroenterite hemorrágica. O sequenciamento de 583 pb do gene VP2 das amostras positivas, identificaram 78,6% (33/42) como CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) como CPV-2b e 2,4% (1/42) como tipo de 2a. A análise filogenética dos CPV-2 encontrados nas amostras brasileiras mostrou que elas são muito semelhantes às de outros países e o CPV-2c tornou-se predominante no Brasil. No Capítulo 2, foram analisadas amostras de órgãos de cinco cães jovens pela transcrição reversa (RT-PCR) para os genes M e S de CCoV-II, sendo que três cães foram positivos para CCoV-II e CPV-2, um foi positivo apenas para CCoV-II e um para o CPV-2 e o outro foi negativo para todos os agentes pesquisados. O sequenciamento dos produtos de amplificação identificou que eles eram CPV-2c e CCoV-IIa. A análise filogenética dos CCoV-IIa circulantes na população canina da região Sul do Brasil mostrou que são semelhantes aos encontrados em outros países. No entanto, os espécimes brasileiros tendem a agrupar-se em um único clado, sugerindo um ancestral comum. Os sinais clínicos e lesões causados pela nova variante de CPV-2 e do subtipo pantrópico CCoV-II foram muito semelhantes entre si, sendo de grande importância a inclusão do diagnóstico diferencial entre esses dois agente virais. Esta foi a primeira caracterização do subtipo CCoV-IIa em cães no Brasil. A detecção e caracterização do CPV-2 e do CCoV-II, que estão circulando atualmente, são essenciais para o entendimento da evolução viral e para o desenvolvimento de medidas de controle e prevenção. / Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and canine coronavirus (CCoV-II) are considered the major pathogens causing acute viral gastroenteritis in puppies, in some cases with high morbidity and mortality, especially in terms of ability to potentiate infections by other agents. These viruses are distributed worldwide being responsible for outbreaks in many countries, especially where there is high concentration of animals, such as shelters and kennels. The CPV-2 and CCoV-II were identified from the late 1970 and since then have been detected in clinically healthy animals, as well as in dogs with vomiting and severe diarrhea. This work aims the identification of these agents in the canine population of Brazil, comprised by two distinct chapters: Chapter 1- Typing of canine parvovirus strains circulating in Brazil between 2008 and 2010, and Chapter 2- Characterization of pantropic canine coronavirus in Brazil. In chapter 1, stool samples of 144 dogs were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) of them were positive. Of the 42 positive samples, 7,4% (30) of the dogs had signs of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The sequencing of 583 bp VP2 gene of the positive samples identified 78,6% (33/42) as CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) as CPV-2b and 2,4% (1/42) as type 2a. Phylogenetic analysis of CPV-2 found in the canine population of Brazil, has shown that they are very similar to those of other countries and CPV-2c has become prevalent in Brazil. In Chapter 2 organ samples of five puppies were analyzed by reverse transcription (RT-PCR) for CCoV-II M and S genes, of wich three dogs were positive to CCoV-II and CPV-2, one was positive only to CCoV-II and one for CPV-2 and the other was negative for all the agents searched. The sequencing of the amplification products identified that they were CPV-2c and CCoV-IIa. Phylogenetic analysis of circulating CCoV-IIa in canine population in southern Brazil showed that they are similar to those found in other countries. However, the Brazilian specimens tend to group together in a single clade, suggesting a common ancestor. Clinical signs and injuries caused by the new CPV-2 variant and of pantropic subtype of CCoV-II are very similar to each other, being of great importance for the diagnosis including the differential diagnosis of these two viral agents. This was the first characterization of subtype CCoV-IIa in dogs in Brazil. The detection and characterization of CPV-2 and CCoV-II, that are currently circulating, are essential to understanding the viral evolution and to the development of more effective control and prevention measures.

Le coronavirus humain 229E (HCoV-229E) est responsable de rhumes mais peut entraîner de graves complications respiratoires chez les personnes âgées ou atteintes d’une maladie Chronique. Les coronavirus sont des virus enveloppés avec un génome à ARN positif simple brin. Trois protéines virales sont ancrées dans l'enveloppe virale : la protéine spike (S), la protéine de membrane (M) et la protéine d’enveloppe (E). Les protéines M et E sont impliquées dans l'assemblage viral et la sécrétion. La protéine S s'assemble en trimères à la surface des virions et joue un rôle-clé dans l’entrée du virus dans sa cellule-cible. Elle est constituée de deux domaines, le domaine S1 responsable de la liaison du virus à son récepteur et le domaine S2 responsable de la fusion de l’enveloppe virale avec une membrane cellulaire. La fusion est activée par des protéases cellulaires par clivage de la protéine S. Dans un premier temps nous avons caractérisé ce mécanisme. Pour cela, nous avons d'abord cloné la protéine S d’un isolat circulant de HCoV-229E. Nous avons analysé le clivage protéolytique de la protéine S par des sérine-protéases de type trypsine conduisant au processus de fusion à l’aide de particules pseudotypées rétrovirales. Les Résidus arginine, sites potentiels de reconnaissance par les protéases et présents au niveau de la jonction S1/S2 ou de la région S2’ ont été mutés individuellement (R565N, R679N, R683N ou R687N) afin d’étudier leur rôle lors de l'activation de la fusion. Contrairement à d'autres coronavirus, l'activation permettant la fusion de HCoV-229E semble être un processus en une seule étape. En effet, seule la mutation R683N inhibe l’infection médiée par des sérine-protéases et le clivage à l'interface S1/S2 ne semble pas être un pré-requis. Les protéines S de coronavirus sont fortement N-glycosylées et constituent la principale cible des anticorps neutralisants. Nous avons analysé le rôle de la N-glycosylation du domaine S1 dans les mécanismes d'entrée et dans la neutralisation par des anticorps. L'analyse de la séquence de la protéine clonée montre la présence de 33 sites potentiels de N-glycosylation, dont 18 dans le domaine S1 qui ont été numérotés de N1 à N18. Ces 18 sites de N-glycosylation ont été abolis individuellement par mutagenèse dirigée. L’effet des mutations sur l'infectiosité virale a été évalué en utilisant des particules pseudotypées rétrovirales. L'infectiosité des mutants N6, N7 ou N9 est diminuée tandis que deux mutants N12 et N15 montrent une augmentation de l'infectiosité. Nous n'avons détecté aucune différence d'interaction de ces mutants avec une forme soluble du récepteur, l'aminopeptidase N (APN). Des expériences d’activation de la fusion virale à la surface cellulaire par la trypsine suggèrent que les glycanes présents aux positions 6, 7 et 9 sont impliquées dans la fusion virale, cependant nous n’avons détecté aucune différence de clivage de ces mutants par la trypsine. Pour le mutant N17 uniquement, la diminution partielle de l'infectiosité pourrait s'expliquer par une diminution de l'incorporation de la protéine S dans les pseudoparticules, due au mauvais repliement de la protéine, comme le montre le profil du mutant en western blot en conditions réductrices ou non.Nous avons ensuite évalué si les N-glycanes pouvaient moduler la reconnaissance de la protéine S par des anticorps neutralisants. Des pseudoparticules contenant les différents mutants ont été produites et utilisées pour infecter des cellules en présence d'anticorps neutralisants. Nos données montrent que les mutants N4, N10, N11, N12, N15, N16, N17, N18 réduisent la sensibilité des pseudoparticules à la neutralisation des anticorps. Dans ensemble, nos résultats suggèrent que les N-glycanes de la protéine S jouent un rôle important dans l'entrée virale et modulent la reconnaissance de la protéine par des anticorps neutralisants. / The human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) is a causative agent of common colds and can lead to severe respiratory complications in elderly persons and those with underlying disease. Coronavirus are enveloped viruses with a single stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. Three viral proteins are anchored in the viral enveloppe : the spike (S) protein, the membrane (M) protein and the enveloppe (E) protein. The M and E proteins are involved in viral assembly and secretion. The spike proteins assemble into trimers at the surface of the virions and play a key role in the early steps of viral infection. The spike protein comprised two domains, the S1 domain responsible for receptor binding and the S2 domain responsible for fusion of the viral enveloppe with the host cell membrane. Coronavirus fusion is activated by the proteolytic processing of the spike protein. First, we charaterized the proteolytic processing of the HCoV-229E spike protein by trypsin-like serine-proteases. To do so, we first cloned the spike protein of a circulating isolate of HCoV-229E. To investigate the role of the S1/S2 junction and the specific role of the 3 arginine residues located in the S2’ region in the proteolytic activation of HCoV-229E spike protein, the arginine residues present at these positions were mutated individually (R565N, R679N, R683N or R687N). Our results show that unlike other coronaviruses, HCoV-229E fusion activation appears to be a one step process. Indeed, the cleavage of the S1/S2 interface does not seem to be a pre-requisite, and the fusion activation strongly relies on the S2’ region, with R683 acting as the cleavage site.The spike protein is highly N-glycosylated and is the main target of neutralizing antibodies. We analysed the role of S1 domain N-glycosylation in the entry functions of the S protein and in neutralization by antibodies. Analysis of the sequence of the cloned protein shows the presence of 33 potential N-glycosylation sites, 18 being located in the S1 domain (numbered from N1 to N18). We mutated the 18 N-glycosylation sites of S1 individually by site-directed mutagenesis and studied the effect of the mutations using retroviral pseudotyped particles. Infectivity of the spike proteins with mutation either at the N6, N7 or N9 glycosylation site was strongly impaired. We did not detect any difference of interaction of these mutants with the soluble form of the receptor, the aminopeptidase N (APN). Results obtained by inducing the fusion of pseudoparticles at the cell surface with trypsin suggest that N-glycans located at the position N6, N7 and N9 are involved in viral fusion. However, the proteolytic processing of the protein required for fusion activation does not seem to be affected. Two mutants N12 and N15 show an increase of infectivity. Mutation of the N-glycosylation site N17 induces a partial decrease in infectivity. Indeed a decrease of spike protein incorporation into pseudoparticles was observed likely due to misfolding of the protein as shown by the profile of the mutant in western blot under reducing and non-reducing conditions. We next assessed if N-glycans can modulate the recognition of the spike protein by neutralizing antibodies. Pseudoparticles harbouring the different mutants were produced and used to infect cells in presence or absence of neutralizing antibodies. Our data demonstrate that mutants N4, N10, N11, N12, N15, N16, N17, N18 reduce the sensitivity of pseudoparticules to antibody neutralization. Taken together our results suggest that N-glycans of the S protein play an important role in viral entry and modulate the recognition of the protein by neutralizing antibodies.

O parvovírus canino (CPV-2) e o coronavírus canino (CCoV-II) são considerados os principais patógenos responsáveis pela gastroenterite viral aguda em cães filhotes, causando, em alguns casos a alta morbidade e mortalidade, sobretudo em função da capacidade de potencializar infecções por outros agentes. Esses vírus estão distribuídos mundialmente na população canina, sendo responsáveis por diversos surtos em muitos países, sobretudo onde ocorre grande concentração de animais, como em abrigos e canis. O CPV-2 e o CCoV-II foram identificados a partir da década de 1970 e desde então, têm sido detectados em animais clinicamente saudáveis, assim como em cães que apresentam vômitos e diarreia severa. A presente tese tem como objetivo a identificação desses agentes na população canina do Brasil, sendo constituída de dois capítulos distintos: Capítulo 1- Caracterização de cepas de parvovírus canino circulantes no Brasil entre 2008 e 2010 e o Capítulo 2 - Caracterização do coronavírus canino pantrópico no Brasil. No Capítulo 1, foram analisadas amostras de fezes de 144 cães pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) das amostras foram positivos. Das 42 amostras positivas, 71,4% (30) dos cães tinham sinais de gastroenterite hemorrágica. O sequenciamento de 583 pb do gene VP2 das amostras positivas, identificaram 78,6% (33/42) como CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) como CPV-2b e 2,4% (1/42) como tipo de 2a. A análise filogenética dos CPV-2 encontrados nas amostras brasileiras mostrou que elas são muito semelhantes às de outros países e o CPV-2c tornou-se predominante no Brasil. No Capítulo 2, foram analisadas amostras de órgãos de cinco cães jovens pela transcrição reversa (RT-PCR) para os genes M e S de CCoV-II, sendo que três cães foram positivos para CCoV-II e CPV-2, um foi positivo apenas para CCoV-II e um para o CPV-2 e o outro foi negativo para todos os agentes pesquisados. O sequenciamento dos produtos de amplificação identificou que eles eram CPV-2c e CCoV-IIa. A análise filogenética dos CCoV-IIa circulantes na população canina da região Sul do Brasil mostrou que são semelhantes aos encontrados em outros países. No entanto, os espécimes brasileiros tendem a agrupar-se em um único clado, sugerindo um ancestral comum. Os sinais clínicos e lesões causados pela nova variante de CPV-2 e do subtipo pantrópico CCoV-II foram muito semelhantes entre si, sendo de grande importância a inclusão do diagnóstico diferencial entre esses dois agente virais. Esta foi a primeira caracterização do subtipo CCoV-IIa em cães no Brasil. A detecção e caracterização do CPV-2 e do CCoV-II, que estão circulando atualmente, são essenciais para o entendimento da evolução viral e para o desenvolvimento de medidas de controle e prevenção. / Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and canine coronavirus (CCoV-II) are considered the major pathogens causing acute viral gastroenteritis in puppies, in some cases with high morbidity and mortality, especially in terms of ability to potentiate infections by other agents. These viruses are distributed worldwide being responsible for outbreaks in many countries, especially where there is high concentration of animals, such as shelters and kennels. The CPV-2 and CCoV-II were identified from the late 1970 and since then have been detected in clinically healthy animals, as well as in dogs with vomiting and severe diarrhea. This work aims the identification of these agents in the canine population of Brazil, comprised by two distinct chapters: Chapter 1- Typing of canine parvovirus strains circulating in Brazil between 2008 and 2010, and Chapter 2- Characterization of pantropic canine coronavirus in Brazil. In chapter 1, stool samples of 144 dogs were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) of them were positive. Of the 42 positive samples, 7,4% (30) of the dogs had signs of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The sequencing of 583 bp VP2 gene of the positive samples identified 78,6% (33/42) as CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) as CPV-2b and 2,4% (1/42) as type 2a. Phylogenetic analysis of CPV-2 found in the canine population of Brazil, has shown that they are very similar to those of other countries and CPV-2c has become prevalent in Brazil. In Chapter 2 organ samples of five puppies were analyzed by reverse transcription (RT-PCR) for CCoV-II M and S genes, of wich three dogs were positive to CCoV-II and CPV-2, one was positive only to CCoV-II and one for CPV-2 and the other was negative for all the agents searched. The sequencing of the amplification products identified that they were CPV-2c and CCoV-IIa. Phylogenetic analysis of circulating CCoV-IIa in canine population in southern Brazil showed that they are similar to those found in other countries. However, the Brazilian specimens tend to group together in a single clade, suggesting a common ancestor. Clinical signs and injuries caused by the new CPV-2 variant and of pantropic subtype of CCoV-II are very similar to each other, being of great importance for the diagnosis including the differential diagnosis of these two viral agents. This was the first characterization of subtype CCoV-IIa in dogs in Brazil. The detection and characterization of CPV-2 and CCoV-II, that are currently circulating, are essential to understanding the viral evolution and to the development of more effective control and prevention measures.

O parvovírus canino (CPV-2) e o coronavírus canino (CCoV-II) são considerados os principais patógenos responsáveis pela gastroenterite viral aguda em cães filhotes, causando, em alguns casos a alta morbidade e mortalidade, sobretudo em função da capacidade de potencializar infecções por outros agentes. Esses vírus estão distribuídos mundialmente na população canina, sendo responsáveis por diversos surtos em muitos países, sobretudo onde ocorre grande concentração de animais, como em abrigos e canis. O CPV-2 e o CCoV-II foram identificados a partir da década de 1970 e desde então, têm sido detectados em animais clinicamente saudáveis, assim como em cães que apresentam vômitos e diarreia severa. A presente tese tem como objetivo a identificação desses agentes na população canina do Brasil, sendo constituída de dois capítulos distintos: Capítulo 1- Caracterização de cepas de parvovírus canino circulantes no Brasil entre 2008 e 2010 e o Capítulo 2 - Caracterização do coronavírus canino pantrópico no Brasil. No Capítulo 1, foram analisadas amostras de fezes de 144 cães pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) das amostras foram positivos. Das 42 amostras positivas, 71,4% (30) dos cães tinham sinais de gastroenterite hemorrágica. O sequenciamento de 583 pb do gene VP2 das amostras positivas, identificaram 78,6% (33/42) como CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) como CPV-2b e 2,4% (1/42) como tipo de 2a. A análise filogenética dos CPV-2 encontrados nas amostras brasileiras mostrou que elas são muito semelhantes às de outros países e o CPV-2c tornou-se predominante no Brasil. No Capítulo 2, foram analisadas amostras de órgãos de cinco cães jovens pela transcrição reversa (RT-PCR) para os genes M e S de CCoV-II, sendo que três cães foram positivos para CCoV-II e CPV-2, um foi positivo apenas para CCoV-II e um para o CPV-2 e o outro foi negativo para todos os agentes pesquisados. O sequenciamento dos produtos de amplificação identificou que eles eram CPV-2c e CCoV-IIa. A análise filogenética dos CCoV-IIa circulantes na população canina da região Sul do Brasil mostrou que são semelhantes aos encontrados em outros países. No entanto, os espécimes brasileiros tendem a agrupar-se em um único clado, sugerindo um ancestral comum. Os sinais clínicos e lesões causados pela nova variante de CPV-2 e do subtipo pantrópico CCoV-II foram muito semelhantes entre si, sendo de grande importância a inclusão do diagnóstico diferencial entre esses dois agente virais. Esta foi a primeira caracterização do subtipo CCoV-IIa em cães no Brasil. A detecção e caracterização do CPV-2 e do CCoV-II, que estão circulando atualmente, são essenciais para o entendimento da evolução viral e para o desenvolvimento de medidas de controle e prevenção. / Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and canine coronavirus (CCoV-II) are considered the major pathogens causing acute viral gastroenteritis in puppies, in some cases with high morbidity and mortality, especially in terms of ability to potentiate infections by other agents. These viruses are distributed worldwide being responsible for outbreaks in many countries, especially where there is high concentration of animals, such as shelters and kennels. The CPV-2 and CCoV-II were identified from the late 1970 and since then have been detected in clinically healthy animals, as well as in dogs with vomiting and severe diarrhea. This work aims the identification of these agents in the canine population of Brazil, comprised by two distinct chapters: Chapter 1- Typing of canine parvovirus strains circulating in Brazil between 2008 and 2010, and Chapter 2- Characterization of pantropic canine coronavirus in Brazil. In chapter 1, stool samples of 144 dogs were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for CPV-2, 29,2% (42/144) of them were positive. Of the 42 positive samples, 7,4% (30) of the dogs had signs of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The sequencing of 583 bp VP2 gene of the positive samples identified 78,6% (33/42) as CPV-2c, 19% (8/42) as CPV-2b and 2,4% (1/42) as type 2a. Phylogenetic analysis of CPV-2 found in the canine population of Brazil, has shown that they are very similar to those of other countries and CPV-2c has become prevalent in Brazil. In Chapter 2 organ samples of five puppies were analyzed by reverse transcription (RT-PCR) for CCoV-II M and S genes, of wich three dogs were positive to CCoV-II and CPV-2, one was positive only to CCoV-II and one for CPV-2 and the other was negative for all the agents searched. The sequencing of the amplification products identified that they were CPV-2c and CCoV-IIa. Phylogenetic analysis of circulating CCoV-IIa in canine population in southern Brazil showed that they are similar to those found in other countries. However, the Brazilian specimens tend to group together in a single clade, suggesting a common ancestor. Clinical signs and injuries caused by the new CPV-2 variant and of pantropic subtype of CCoV-II are very similar to each other, being of great importance for the diagnosis including the differential diagnosis of these two viral agents. This was the first characterization of subtype CCoV-IIa in dogs in Brazil. The detection and characterization of CPV-2 and CCoV-II, that are currently circulating, are essential to understanding the viral evolution and to the development of more effective control and prevention measures.

Les dernières décennies ont été marquées par l’émergence ou la réémergence d’un nombre croissant de virus pathogènes. Malheureusement, les antiviraux actuellement sur le marché ciblent un nombre restreint de virus ; il y a donc un besoin urgent de développer des antiviraux à large spectre. Les cyclophilines sont des protéines cellulaires impliquées dans un grand nombre de processus biologiques, qui possèdent une activité enzymatique peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomérase (PPIase). Elles sont également impliquées dans la réplication de virus appartenant à des familles éloignées et constituent donc une cible de choix pour le développement d'antiviraux à large spectre. Toutefois, les inhibiteurs de cyclophilines disponibles possèdent de nombreux inconvénients qui rendent leur utilisation clinique difficile.Par une stratégie de "fragment-based drug design", nous avons généré une nouvelle famille d'inhibiteurs de cyclophilines, les SMCypI ("Small-Molecule Cyclophilin Inhibitors"), complètement différents de tous les inhibiteurs de cyclophilines existants. La cristallographie de ces composés a montré qu'ils se fixaient dans les deux poches voisines du site actif des cyclophilines et qu'ils inhibaient leur activité PPIase. Ces composés n’étaient pas immunosuppressifs et bloquaient in vitro l'infection par le VIH, le VHC et les Coronavirus.L'activité anti-VHC du C31, composé le plus actif sur l'activité PPIase des cyclophilines, a été caractérisée. Le C31 était un inhibiteur pan-génotypique du VHC, doté d’une haute barrière contre la résistance et présentant une activité additive avec les inhibiteurs du VHC approuvés. Nous avons montré que le C31 bloquait l'infection par le VHC en rompant l'interaction entre la protéine virale NS5A et la cyclophiline A de façon PPIase-dépendante. Enfin, le C31 était actif sur la réplication des virus zika, de la dengue, de la fièvre jaune et du Nil Occidental.L'activité des SMCypI a été caractérisée sur l'infection par le Coronavirus 229E. De manière intéressante, l’inhibition de l’activité PPIase était nécessaire, mais pas suffisante pour l’activité antivirale. Une étude de la relation structure-activité des composés a révélé qu'un groupement chimique situé à l'interface entre les deux poches du site actif des cyclophilines jouait un rôle clé dans l'effet anti-coronavirus. Le F836 a été identifié comme le composé le plus actif, qui bloquait l'effet cytopathique et la quantité d'ARN du HCoV-229E avec la même efficacité que l'alisporivir, sans toxicité associée. Ce composé bloquait l'entrée du HCoV-229E après l'attachement du virus à la surface cellulaire, et était également actif sur l'entrée des HCoV-OC43 et du MERS-CoV. Nous avons par la suite démontré l’association de la cyclophiline A avec les particules virales. Par l'utilisation de la technologie CRISPR-Cas9, des cellules invalidées pour la cyclophiline A ont été générées. La cyclophiline A apparaissait nécessaire pour l'infection par HCoV-229E et la cible de l'effet antiviral du F836.Les SMCypI constituent un outil pour la compréhension des mécanismes par lesquels les cyclophilines modulent les infections virales et représentent des candidats crédibles pour le développement futur d'antiviraux à large spectre. / Over the past decades, an increasing number of viruses has emerged or re-emerged in humans. Unfortunately, currently approved antiviral drugs target a small set of viruses. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.Cyclophilins are cellular proteins involved in a large number of biological processes, and in different viral lifecycles from unrelated families. They appear as a potential target for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral approaches. However, currently available cyclophilin inhibitors have drawbacks which limit their clinical use.By means of "fragment-based drug design", we generated a new class of small-molecule cyclophilin inhibitors (SMCypI), unrelated with those already available. Cristallographic studies revealed that the SMCypIs bind to two close pockets of the active site and inhibit cyclophilin PPIase activity. These compounds do not bear immunosuppressive properties and inhibit the replication of HIV, HCV and coronaviruses in vitro.We characterized the anti-HCV activity of C31, the most potent inhibitor of cyclophilin PPIase activity. C31 had pan-genotypic HCV inhibitor properties, with a high barrier to resistance and additive effects with currently approved anti-HCV agents. C31 blocked HCV replication by disrupting the interaction between the nonstructural viral protein NS5A and cyclophilin A in a PPIase-dependent manner. Finally, C31 was active on zika, yellow fever, dengue and West-Nile virus infections.The antiviral activity of the SMCypIs has then been characterized on HCoV-229E infection. Interestingly, PPIase inhibition was necessary, but not sufficient for antiviral effect. A structure-activity relationship study identified a key moiety in the SMCypIs at the interface between the two cyclophilin pockets. F836 has been identified as the most potent compound which inhibited both the cytopathic effect and the intracellular RNA of HCoV-229E without associated cytotoxicity and as potently as alisporivir. This compound targeted HCoV-229E entry at a post-attachment step and was also active on HCoV-OC43 and MERS-CoV strains. We then demonstrated that cyclophilin A was associated with viral particles. By means of CRISPR-Cas9, cell lines depleted for cyclophilin A were generated. Cyclophilin A was identified as a proviral factor for HCoV-229E and was partially involved in F836 antiviral effect. Cyclophilin A expression level was drastically decreased by infection.SMCypIs represent a unique tool to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which cyclophilins interfere with viral lifecycles, as well as drugable compounds that could find an indication as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.

This diploma thesis examines how the first, spring wave of the coronavirus pandemic and its associated aspects were presented by Czech media, specifically by the opinion sections of reputable mainstream online media in three three-days intervals in different phases of this period. Its main premise is that the way media refer to a social reality can significantly influence this reality, its theoretical part is therefore focused on the reciprocal relationship between media and society, mainly the social construction of reality and discourse, besides also describing the pandemic itself and the trends in the usage of media during the analysed period. The research itself was made using the discourse analysis method. The central chapter of the thesis presents key findings in ten subchapters focused on the main discursive tendencies, common language elements and social phenomena being referred to. The interference of the COVID-19 discourse with the ones about the government restrictions, economic development and the assumed Chinese origin of the virus was salient, the parallels with other diseases or historic events or eras were also common. Metaphors, neologisms, fallacies or metadiscourse reflections appeared in the analysed texts as well. The dynamics of the discourse that was varying depending on the...

Introducción. El COVID-19 y la gestación es una nueva intercurrencia en la valoración de riesgos para la atención de la gestante. Desde el inicio de la pandemia en el país, los casos han ido en aumento. El primer caso atendido en el Hospital San Bartolomé fue el 12 de abril. Desde los primeros reportes de gestantes COVID+ en China, a la fecha, se tiene cada vez mayor información, siendo importante para fines del manejo de la gestante COVID+ que se conozca su epidemiología y los resultados perinatales. Objetivo. Determinar la epidemiología y resultados materno perinatales de COVID-19 en las gestantes del Hospital Nacional Docente Madre Niño San Bartolomé, Lima, Perú. Método. Estudio observacional de corte transversal, en los meses de abril a julio 2020. Se incluyó a todas las gestantes que llegaron a la emergencia obstétrica del Hospital San Bartolomé, a las cuales se les realizó una prueba de inmunocromatografía para IgM/IgG, para determinar la seroprevalencia de COVID-19. Las variables obstétricas y perinatales fueron recolectadas en una ficha de datos al ingreso a la emergencia. Resultados. Se realizó prueba rápida para SARS-CoV-19 a 345 gestantes que se hospitalizaron para atención de parto. La edad promedio fue 27 años, con 10% de adolescentes y 16% de mayores de 35 años; 60% tenía 2 a 4 embarazos, 38% de los partos fue vaginal, 15% de ellos pretérmino; 1,2% de las gestantes fue sintomática y 0,2% ingresó a la unidad de cuidados intensivos. El 61% de los recién nacidos pesó entre 2 500 y 3 500 g, 53% fue sexo masculino, 94% tuvo Apgar mayor de 7 al minuto, 3,3% con hisopado positivo dentro de las primeras 24 horas. Se presentaron 3% de óbitos. El 48% de las gestantes provino del Cono Norte de la ciudad de Lima. Conclusiones. Casi 100% de las gestantes fue asintomática y solo 0,2% tuvo complicaciones respiratorias. La culminación del parto por vía cesárea fue baja en relación a otras publicaciones; el motivo de cesárea fue por indicación obstétrica. Escaso número de neonatos tuvo hisopado positivo. Hubo mayor incidencia de óbitos en julio 2020. El mayor porcentaje de pacientes provino del Cono Norte de Lima. / Introduction: COVID-19 and pregnancy is a new intercurrence in risk assessment for the care of the pregnant woman. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the country, cases have been increasing. The first case attended at the San Bartolomé Hospital was on April 12. Since the first reports of COVID+ pregnant women in China, to date, there is more important information on epidemiology and perinatal results for the management of the COVID+ pregnant woman. Objective: To determine the epidemiology and maternal perinatal outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women at the Hospital Nacional Docente Madre Niño San Bartolomé, Lima, Peru. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study, from April to July 2020. All the pregnant women who arrived at the obstetric emergency at Hospital San Bartolomé were included, and they underwent an immunochromatography test for IgM / IgG, to determine the seroprevalence of COVID-19. Obstetric and perinatal variables were collected in a data sheet upon admission to the emergency room. Results: Rapid test for SARS-CoV-19 was performed in 345 pregnant women who were hospitalized for delivery care. The average age was 27 years, with 10% adolescents and 16% over 35 years; 60% had 2 to 4 pregnancies, 38% of deliveries were vaginal, 15% of them preterm; 1.2% of the pregnant women were symptomatic and 0.2% were admitted to the intensive care unit. 61% of the newborns weighed between 2 500 and 3 500 g, 53% were male, 94% had an Apgar score greater than 7 at one minute, 3.3% with a positive swab within the first 24 hours. There were 3% fetal deaths. 48% of the pregnant women came from the Northern Cone of the city of Lima. Conclusions: Almost 100% of the pregnant women were asymptomatic and only 0.2% had respiratory complications. The mode of delivery by cesarean section was low in relation to other publications, all had obstetric indication. A small number of neonates had a positive swab. There was a higher incidence of fetal deaths in July 2020. The highest percentage of patients came from the Northern Cone of Lima.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur gymnasielärare har upplevt de sociala och psykologiska aspekterna av distansarbete och distansundervisning, i och med den snabba omställningen för att förhindra smittspridningen av coronaviruset. En kvalitativ metod har tillämpats och datainsamlingen har gjorts genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. I studien deltog fem respondenter, varav fyra var kvinnor och en man. Deltagarna valdes ut genom ett bekvämlighetsurval med inslag av snöbollsurval. Intervjuerna har transkriberats och analyserats med hjälp av tematiska analys. Genom den tematiska analysen framkom tre olika teman vilka var: den digitala undervisningen, hemarbetets positiva och negativa aspekter samt vikten av socialt stöd. Resultatet visar på att respondenterna har upplevt det som utmanande att undervisa på distans, då upplägget har behövt förändras. Men det jobbigaste har varit den förlorade sociala interaktionen med eleverna, vilket också gjort att undervisningens kvalité upplevts som sämre. Respondenterna är mer produktiva i hemmet men är mycket sämre på att ta pauser och raster som vanligtvis kommer naturligt på arbetsplatsen, därmed blir de mer stillasittande. Det sociala stödet har varit av stor betydelse för alla parter och en anledning till att distansarbetet och distansundervisningen fungerat så bra. / The purpose of the study was to investigate how high school teachers have experienced the social and psychological aspects of distance work and distance education, since the rapid adjustment to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. A qualitative method has been applied and data collection has been done through semi-structured interviews. Five respondents participated in the study, four women and one man. The participants were selected through a convenience selection with elements of snowball selection. The interviews have been transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Through the thematic analysis, three different themes emerged which were: the digital teaching, the positive and negative aspects of homework and the importance of social support. The results show that the respondents have experienced it as challenging to teach at a distance, as the structure has had to change. But the hardest part has been the lost social interaction with the students, which has also made the quality of teaching perceived as worse. The respondents are more productive at home but are much worse at taking breaks that usually come naturally in the workplace, thus they become more sedentary. Social support has been of great importance to all parties and a reason why distance work and distance education have worked so well.