Cancer is a multifactorial disease and virus-mediated carcinogenesis is one of the crucial factors, which is poorly understood. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpesvirus and its components have been evidenced to be associated with cancer of different tissue origin. However, its role in cancer remains unknown. Here, we identified a conserved herpesviral tegument protein known as pUL48 of HCMV, encoding deubiquitinase enzyme, as having a key role in carcinogenesis. We show using deubiquitinase sufficient- and deficient-HCMV that HCMV deubiquitinase is a key in inducing enhanced cellular metabolic activity through upregulation of several anti-apoptotic genes and downregulation of several pro-apoptotic genes expression. Furthermore, HCMV deubiquitinase acquires pro-tumor functions by inhibiting PRR-mediated type I interferon via deubiquitination of TRAF6, TRAF3, IRAK1, IRF7 and STING. Taken together, our results suggest that HCMV infection may promote oncogenesis by inhibiting innate immunity of the host.

Objective. This study was carried out to examine professional and ethical values related to the profession from nurses' perspectives. Methods. This was a cross-sectional survey carried out among 124 randomly selected nurses working at a tertiary care hospital in South India. The data was collected using Nursing Professional Values scale (NPVS-3). This tool consisted of 28 items to assess nurses’ professional values in three domains namely; Caring (10 items), activism(10items), and professionalism (8items). The maximum range of scores is 28–140. The higher the score, the stronger the nurse’s professional value orientation. Results. The mean total score of the Professional Value scale was high (121.07±15.32). The mean score of the participants was higher in the caring domain (44.02±5.75) than activism (42.19±6.33) and professionalism domains (34.86±4.27). Pearson correlational analysis revealed that nurses with less experience had greater mean professional values score than nurses with higher experience (p<0.01). Conclusion. The present study showed that nurses have high professional and ethical values, although they perceive that the most important values are those related to direct patient care. Continuing education programs should be designed so that nurses understand that nonclinical professional values are also equally important in promoting the nursing profession.

Introduction Babesiosis is a tick-borne hemo-parasitic disease of domestic and wild animals. Parasites causing babesiosis are considered to infect only specific hosts but some sporadic reports in recent past are in strong disagreement with their host specificity. This is the first report of a domestic cat being naturally infected with a novel Babesia sp. in India. Methods Blood samples collected from dogs (n = 6) and a 3-month-old cat, with clinical symptoms of babesiosis, were submitted to two different laboratories for hematology analysis, light microscopical examination, and molecular confirmation of Babesia sp. using PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. Results Hematological alterations noticed in canine and feline samples were severe anemia and thrombocytopenia. Pearshaped merozoites were visualized on light microscopic examination of both canine and feline blood smears. Size of the merozoites in feline blood sample was smaller when compared to canine samples. Molecular analysis using Babesia speciesspecific primers showed that all canine samples were positive for B. vogeli and feline sample was negative for B. canis, B. rossi, and B. vogeli infecting dogs. Amplification and sequencing of full-length ssrRNA using universal apicomplexan primers followed by molecular and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Indian domestic cat was infected with a novel Babesia sp. Conclusion This work presents the first molecular and phylogenetic evidence of a novel Babesia sp. causing feline babesiosis in a naturally infected domestic cat in India. We propose to name this novel species as Babesia panickeri sp. nov.