Evolution of predator dispersal in relation to spatio-temporal prey dynamics : how not to get stuck in the wrong place!

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Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes

Zoonoses are major contributors to emerging infectious diseases globally. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonosis caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses. In Europe, Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) carried and shed by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), is the most common cause of HFRS. We explore the relationship of PUUV infection in bank voles, as measured by PUUV antibody detection, with habitat and landscape scale properties during two successive vole cycles in boreal Sweden. Our analysis revealed that PUUV infection in the population was not uniform between cycles and across different landscapes. The mean density index of PUUV antibody positive and negative bank voles were highest in old forest, second highest in cut-over forest (approx. 0-30 years old) and lowest on mires. Most importantly, old forest was the core habitat, where PUUV antibody positive bank voles were found through the low density phase and the transition between successive vole cycles. In spring, occurrence of antibody positive voles was negatively related to the proportion of cut-over forest in the surrounding landscape, suggesting that large scale human induced land-use change altered the occurrence of PUUV infection in voles which has not been shown before. Dependence of PUUV infection on habitat and landscape structure, and the variation in infection load within and between cycles are of importance for human risk assessment

Spatial and temporal variation of hantavirus bank vole infection in managed forest landscapes

Zoonoses are major contributors to emerging infectious diseases globally. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a zoonosis caused by rodent-borne hantaviruses. In Europe, Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) carried and shed by the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), is the most common cause of HFRS. We explore the relationship of PUUV infection in bank voles, as measured by PUUV antibody detection, with habitat and landscape scale properties during two successive vole cycles in boreal Sweden. Our analysis revealed that PUUV infection in the population was not uniform between cycles and across different landscapes. The mean density index of PUUV antibody positive and negative bank voles were highest in old forest, second highest in cut-over forest (approx. 0-30 years old) and lowest on mires. Most importantly, old forest was the core habitat, where PUUV antibody positive bank voles were found through the low density phase and the transition between successive vole cycles. In spring, occurrence of antibody positive voles was negatively related to the proportion of cut-over forest in the surrounding landscape, suggesting that large scale human induced land-use change altered the occurrence of PUUV infection in voles which has not been shown before. Dependence of PUUV infection on habitat and landscape structure, and the variation in infection load within and between cycles are of importance for human risk assessment

Synthesis of novel 2,5-diarylselenophenes from selenation of 1,4-diarylbutane-1,4-diones or methanol/arylacetylenes

This work is funded by the EPSRC UKReaction of 2,4-bis(phenyl)-1,3-diselenadiphosphetane-2,4-diselenide [PhP(Se)(mu-Se)](2) (Woollins' reagent, WR) with one equivalent of 1,4-diarylbutane-1,4-diones 1a-g in refluxing toluene affords the corresponding 2,5-diarylselenophenes 2a-g in excellent yields (up to 99%). Alternatively, the 2,5-diarylselenophenes (2a and 2b) can be obtained in 70-80% yields from the reaction of arylacetylene with an equivalent of O-methyl Se-hydrogen phenylphosphonodiselenoate; the latter was derived from WR and methanol. The first X-ray structure of 2,5-diarylselenophenes is presented along with characterisation of their redox properties.PostprintPeer reviewe