Mosquito longevity, vector capacity, and malaria incidence in West Timor and Central Java, Indonesia

The aim of this paper was to relate anopheline mosquito longevity to malaria incidence in two areas in Indonesia: West Timor and Central Java. We estimated the physiological age of females captured landing on humans or resting inside and outside buildings. The estimate was based on the state of the ovaries and was used to estimate longevity. The results showed that there were large differences between the two areas surveyed. In West Timor the longevity of the anophelines ranged from 13 to 23 days, sufficient for completing the intrinsic incubation cycle and for malaria transmission, whereas in Central Java the longevity was only 3 days, insufficient both for incubation and for transmission. We concluded that the West Timor study area had a greater risk of malaria transmission than that of Central Java and this was supported by village survey data that showed greater malaria incidence in West Timor than in Central Java

Total incombustible (mineral) content of Cherax quadricarinatus differs between feral populations in Central-Eastern Australia

Cherax quadricarinatus has been widely translocated within Australia, and a number of self-sustaining feral populations have established, and persisted, in central-eastern Australia for over 20 years: however, the biology and ecology of feral populations remain poorly understood. Using the loss-by-ignition method, this study investigated differences in the total content of incombustible material (as a proxy for total mineral content), between feral C. quadricarinatus populations in southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. A total of 102 C. quadricarinatus were ignited, and percent total incombustible material was not proportional to the body size, or gender of the crayfish. Incombustible content was however, significantly different between some locations of capture (i.e., waterbodies). The site where incombustible content in crayfish was atypical, Lake Ainsworth, is a naturally acidic coastal lake, and we suggest that acidity and low concentration of calcium in that waterbody are likely responsible for the difference in mineral content detected in that population. Mechanism(s) driving the difference detected in the Lake Ainsworth population are unknown, but we suggest the acidic environment could directly impact maintenance of internal calcium reserves in the crayfish (intermoult), during recalcification of the cuticle (postmoult), or both. Limited calcium availability in the lake may also be a direct, or indirect, contributing factor. The ability of C. quadricarinatus to occupy acidic habitats while managing biomineralization challenges possibly could enable additional range-expansion of the species, and potential impacts on both endangered ecological communities and other biota occupying the acidic coastal habitats of Eastern Australia

Relationships between anopheline mosquitoes and topography in West Timor and Java, Indonesia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria is a serious health issue in Indonesia. Mosquito control is one aspect of an integrated malaria management programme. To focus resources on priority areas, information is needed about the vectors and their habitats. This research aimed to identify the relationship between anopheline mosquitoes and topography in West Timor and Java.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Study areas were selected in three topographic types in West Timor and Java. These were: coastal plain, hilly (rice field) and highland. Adult mosquitoes were captured landing on humans identified to species level and counted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eleven species were recorded, four of which were significant for malaria transmission: <it>Anopheles aconitus, Anopheles barbirostris, Anopheles subpictus </it>and <it>Anopheles sundaicus</it>. Each species occupied different topographies, but only five were significantly associated: <it>Anopheles annularis, Anopheles vagus </it>and <it>Anopheles subpictus </it>(Java only) with hilly rice fields; <it>Anopheles barbirostris, Anopheles maculatus </it>and <it>Anopheles subpictus </it>(West Timor only) with coastal areas.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Information on significant malaria vectors associated with specific topography is useful for planning the mosquito control aspect of malaria management.</p

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

SARS-CoV-2 infects the human kidney and drives fibrosis in kidney organoids

Kidney failure is frequently observed during and after COVID-19, but it remains elusive whether this is a direct effect of the virus. Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 directly infects kidney cells and is associated with increased tubule-interstitial kidney fibrosis in patient autopsy samples. To study direct effects of the virus on the kidney independent of systemic effects of COVID-19, we infected human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived kidney organoids with SARS-CoV-2. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicated injury and dedifferentiation of infected cells with activation of profibrotic signaling pathways. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 infection also led to increased collagen 1 protein expression in organoids. A SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor was able to ameliorate the infection of kidney cells by SARS-CoV-2. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect kidney cells and induce cell injury with subsequent fibrosis. These data could explain both acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients and the development of chronic kidney disease in long COVID

Domination of ground cover by a single invasive plant species does not provide a habitat inferior to a native cover mosaic in terms of invertebrate assemblages

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Multiple stylopisation of a paper wasp, Ropalidia romandi (Le Guillou) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Figure 1 shows a vespid wasp, 'Ropalidia romandi' (Le Guillou, 1841) bearing three extruded, parasitic stylopids (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae). It is not absolutely clear from the photograph if these are all adult females or include male pupae, although given the host's behaviour it seems most likely that at least one female is present. The photograph was taken on 8 February 2010 in Southport, Queensland. The wasp was behaving strangely, crawling to the top of a blade of grass, falling off and the climbing another one. It is possible the female parasites manipulate the host's behaviour so that it climbs to a good position to encounter males

Temporal dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in the surface soil and forest floor under different prescribed burning regimes

Prescribed burning has been widely used in the management of forests for reducing wildfire risk, and can have significant effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and their temporal changes. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of different burning frequency regimes on the temporal dynamics of C and N in the topsoil and forest floors. The experimental site was a 39 year old wet scherophyll forest prescribed burning trial at Peachester, southeast Queensland, Australia, with treatments of no burning (NB) since 1969, 2 yearly burning (2yrB) and 4 yearly burning (4yrB) since 1972. Each of three burning treatments had four replications and these plots were randomly distributed over an area of the forest with similar vegetation and soil characteristics. Soil (0–10 cm) and forest floors were sampled monthly for 6 months prior to the next scheduled burning for both burning treatments to minimize the effects of fire recency. Prescribed burning significantly (P &lt; 0.01) affected most C and N variables in both soils and forest floors. The 2yrB treatment had significantly lower (P &lt; 0.01) soil total C, total C:N ratio, microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), MBC:MBN ratio, dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON), NO3−-N, inorganic N and L layer total N, DON and NO3−-N, compared with the NB and 4yrB treatments. However, there were no overall significant differences in these variables between the NB and 4yrB treatments. Sampling month significantly (P &lt; 0.01) affected C and N variable in both soils and forest floors except for soil total C and N and F layer MBC. Temporal dynamics of most of these labile C and N variables were highly related to soil and forest floor moisture content, seven day mean air temperature (MAT) and cumulative rainfall prior to sampling date. However, fire effects were independent of sampling month, as there were no significant interactions between them for most response variables measured. This study has clearly demonstrated that more frequent burning (2 yr burning) had negative impact on soil and forest floor C and nutrient pools. Insignificant differences observed in soil C and N and forest floor N pools between less frequent burning (4yrB) and NB treatments highlighted that the prescribed burning at four year interval gave sufficient time for recovery of these soil and forest floor nutrients to pre-burn levels

The effect of stress and stress hormones on dynamic colour-change in a sexually dichromatic Australian frog

Rapid colour changes in vertebrates have fascinated biologists for centuries, herein we demonstrate dynamic colour change in an anuran amphibian, the stony creek frog (Litoria wilcoxii), which turns from brown to bright (lemon) yellow during amplexus. We show this by comparing the colour of baseline (unpaired males) and amplecting (paired) males. We also investigate the possible role of stress and stress hormones on this colour change. Frogs were subjected to four different levels of stressors (handling, toe-clipping, saline injection and adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH] injection) and the colour change was measured using digital photography. A comparison of baseline colour and stress hormone (corticosterone) levels was also conducted to give further insight to this topic. From the images, the Red Blue Green (RGB) colour values were calculated, and a principal components analysis (PCA) was used to create a single colour metric (the major axis) as an index of colour in the visible spectrum. A moderate stressor (toe-clipping) led to a significant change in colour (within 10. min) similar to that of amplecting males. Surprisingly, neither a mild stressor (handling and saline injection) nor the maximum stressor (handling and ACTH injection) led to a lightening response. This study confirms that the dynamic male colour change in this species in response to medium stressors adds new knowledge to the understanding of the functional mechanisms of dynamic colour change in amphibians