Viral Etiology of Influenza-Like Illnesses in Antananarivo, Madagascar, July 2008 to June 2009

In Madagascar, despite an influenza surveillance established since 1978, little is known about the etiology and prevalence of viruses other than influenza causing influenza-like illnesses (ILIs).From July 2008 to June 2009, we collected respiratory specimens from patients who presented ILIs symptoms in public and private clinics in Antananarivo (the capital city of Madagascar). ILIs were defined as body temperature ≥38°C and cough and at least two of the following symptoms: sore throat, rhinorrhea, headache and muscular pain, for a maximum duration of 3 days. We screened these specimens using five multiplex real time Reverse Transcription and/or Polymerase Chain Reaction assays for detection of 14 respiratory viruses. We detected respiratory viruses in 235/313 (75.1%) samples. Overall influenza virus A (27.3%) was the most common virus followed by rhinovirus (24.8%), RSV (21.2%), adenovirus (6.1%), coronavirus OC43 (6.1%), influenza virus B (3.9%), parainfluenza virus-3 (2.9%), and parainfluenza virus-1 (2.3%). Co-infections occurred in 29.4% (69/235) of infected patients and rhinovirus was the most detected virus (27.5%). Children under 5 years were more likely to have one or more detectable virus associated with their ILI. In this age group, compared to those ≥5 years, the risk of detecting more than one virus was higher (OR = 1.9), as was the risk of detecting of RSV (OR = 10.1) and adenovirus (OR = 4.7). While rhinovirus and adenovirus infections occurred year round, RSV, influenza virus A and coronavirus OC43 had defined period of circulation.In our study, we found that respiratory viruses play an important role in ILIs in the Malagasy community, particularly in children under 5 years old. These data provide a better understanding of the viral etiology of outpatients with ILI and describe for the first time importance of these viruses in different age group and their period of circulation

Hemispherical Differences Between Feeling of Knowing and Tip-of-Tongue Metacognitive States for Laterally Presented Faces

Feeling of knowing phenomenon and tip of the tongue state research currently address these metacognitive states as failed attempts of information retrieval. Because direct access to memory is unsuccessful in both of these states we must ask the question of how and where these functions are processed in the brain. Because we know that each hemisphere of the brain processes specific functions, we can then hypothesize that FOK and TOT are processed separately in different hemispheres of the brain. FOK will be will be more accurate when processed in the right hemisphere, and TOT states will occur more often in the left hemisphere. Contrary to our hypothesis, our data suggest that FOK is a left cerebral function as FOK are higher when faces are presented in the right visual field (e.g. left hemisphere). It is believed that this is a result of greater activation of semantic information associated with the face in the left hemisphere. If so, our data support Koriat\u27s Accessibility Model

The first tetrapod from the mid-Miocene Clarkia lagerstätte (Idaho, USA)

The Clarkia lagerstätte (Latah Formation) of Idaho is well known for its beautifully preserved plant fossils as well as a fauna of insects and fish. Here we present the first known tetrapod fossil from these deposits. This specimen, recovered from the lower anoxic zone of the beds, is preserved as a carbonaceous film of a partial skeleton associated with a partial lower incisor and some tooth fragments. The morphology of the teeth indicates that the first tetrapod reported from Clarkia is a rodent. Its skeletal morphology as well as its bunodont and brachydont dentition suggests that it is a member of the squirrel family (Sciuridae). It is a large specimen that cannot be assigned to a known genus. Instead, it appears to represent the first occurrence of a new taxon with particularly gracile postcranial morphology likely indicative of an arboreal ecology. This new specimen is a rare glimpse into the poorly known arboreal mammal fossil record of the Neogene. It supports a greater taxonomic and ecological diversity of Miocene Sciuridae than previously recognized and offers new lines of inquiry in the paleoecological research enabled by the unique preservation conditions of the Clarkia biota