Revisiting Alkali Metals As a Tool to Characterize Patterns of Mosquito Dispersal and Oviposition.

Mark-recapture methods constitute a set of classical ecological tools that are used to collect information on species dispersal and population size. These methods have advanced knowledge in disparate scientific fields, from conservation biology to pest control. Gathering information on the dispersal of mosquito species, such as Aedes aegypti, has become critical since the recognition of their role as vectors of pathogens. Here, we evaluate a method to mark mosquitoes that exploits the rare alkali metals rubidium (Rb) and caesium (Cs), which have been used previously to mark adult insects through feeding. We revised this method by adding Rb and Cs directly to water in which the immature stages of Ae. aegypti were allowed to develop. We then assessed the effect of Rb- and Cs-enriched water on fitness, survival and bioaccumulation in both adult females and their eggs. Results indicated that Cs had adverse effects on Ae. aegypti, even at low concentrations, whereas Rb at low concentrations had no measured effects on exposed individuals and accumulated at detectable levels in adult females. The method described here relies on passive uptake of Rb during immature stages, which has the benefit of avoiding handling or manipulation of the dispersive adults, which enables purer measurement of movement. Moreover, we demonstrated that Rb was transferred efficiently from the marked females to their eggs. To our knowledge, Rb is the only marker used for mosquitoes that has been shown to transfer vertically from females to eggs. The application of Rb rather than more traditional markers may therefore increase the quality (no impact on released individuals) and quantity (both adults and eggs are marked) of data collected during MR studies. The method we propose here can be used in combination with other markers, such as stable isotopes, in order to maximize the information collected during MR experiments

The unquenched Upsilon spectrum

We describe the bottomonium spectrum obtained on the UKQCD dynamical ensembles and its comparison to quenched results. We include a determination of alpha_s and m_b from the dynmaical results.Comment: Lattice 2000 (Heavy Quark Physics

Deglacial Variability of Antarctic Intermediate Water Penetration into the North Atlantic from Authigenic Neodymium Isotope Ratios

Understanding intermediate water circulation across the last deglacial is critical in assessing the role of oceanic heat transport associated with Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability across abrupt climate events. However, the links between intermediate water circulation and abrupt climate events such as the Younger Dryas (YD) and Heinrich Event 1 (H1) are still poorly constrained. Here, we reconstruct changes in Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) circulation in the subtropical North Atlantic over the past 25 kyr by measuring authigenic neodymium isotope ratios in sediments from two sites in the Florida Straits. Our authigenic Nd isotope records suggest that there was little to no penetration of AAIW into the subtropical North Atlantic during the YD and H1. Variations in the northward penetration of AAIW into the Florida Straits documented in our authigenic Nd isotope record are synchronous with multiple climatic archives, including the Greenland ice core δ18O record, the Cariaco Basin atmosphere Δ14C reconstruction, the Bermuda Rise sedimentary Pa/Th record, and nutrient and stable isotope data from the tropical North Atlantic. The synchroneity of our Nd records with multiple climatic archives suggests a tight connection between AAIW variability and high-latitude North Atlantic climate change

Problematic Internet Use in early adolescence: The role of attachment and negative beliefs about worry

AbstractBackground and aimsProblematic Internet Use (PIU) might be a potential mental health problem. Few studies have investigated the relative contribution of individual and family factors in the development of PIU in early adolescence. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between attachment styles, negative beliefs about worry, and PIU in early adolescence.MethodsFive hundred and thirty-eight Italian early adolescents (51% females, M age = 12.7 years, SD = 0.87) were included in this study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis.ResultsResults showed that avoidance (mother) and anxiety (father) were directly associated with PIU. Anxiety (mother) and avoidance (father) were indirectly associated with PIU via negative beliefs about worry.Discussion and conclusionsOverall, our findings show that attachment toward mother and father are differently linked to PIU and that negative beliefs about worry may play a mediating role in the association between attachment and PIU. Findings are discussed within clinical and preventive implications

Presence and fate of microplastics in the water sources: focus on the role of wastewater and drinking water treatment plants

Microplastics are nowadays considered as ubiquitous pollutants since have been found widespread in all environmental compartments, particularly in the water sources. In the urban water cycle, the drinking water treatment plants and the wastewater treatment plants are the first and last barriers to microplastics pollution, respectively. The present work aims at presenting the information available on microplastic presence in the urban water cycle, reporting and linking what is known at the different stages. Focus is on the water sources and on the role of the water treatment plants as source and control of microplastics pollution. Aspects evaluated are microplastics abundance, characterization in terms of morphology, size and polymer composition, spatial and temporal variations, factors influencing their distribution and abundance, effects of treatments on their removal. Up to now there is no common framework for microplastics collection, sample pre-treatment, identification, quantification and classification. Data comparison is hindered due to the various analytical protocols implemented; hence the conclusions driven are mostly indicative or of very local significance. The available information is not evenly distributed among the urban water cycle components. For the establishment of proper microplastics pollution control strategies, the relative role of wastewater and drinking water treatment plants needs to be better deepened in terms of both quantity and quality effects. All these aspects are afforded in the present review which is based on the more recent data published by the specialized literature

High prevalence of anti-hepatitis e virus antibodies among blood donors in central Italy, february to march 2014

Prevalence of anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibodies is highly variable in developed countries, which seems partly due to differences in assay sensitivity. Using validated sensitive assays, we tested 313 blood donors attending a hospital transfusion unit in central Italy in January and February 2014 for anti-HEV IgG and IgM and HEV RNA. Data on HEV exposure were collected from all donors. Overall anti-HEV IgG prevalence was 49% (153/313). Eating raw dried pig-liver sausage was the only independent predictor of HEV infection (adjusted prevalence rate ratio = 2.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.23–3.74). Three donors were positive for either anti-HEV IgM (n = 2; 0.6%) or HEV RNA (n = 2; 0.6%); they were completely asymptomatic, without alanine aminotransferase (ALT) abnormalities. Of the two HEV RNA-positive donors (both harbouring genotype 3), one was anti-HEV IgG- and IgM-positive, the other was anti-HEV IgG- and IgM-negative. The third donor was positive for anti-HEV IgG and IgM but HEV RNA-negative. HEV infection is therefore hyperendemic among blood donors (80% men 18–64 years-old) from central Italy and associated with local dietary habits. Nearly 1% of donors have acute or recent infection, implying potential transmission to blood recipients. Neither ALT nor anti-HEV IgM testing seems useful to prevent transfusion-transmitted HEV infection. © 2016, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Social anxiety and Internet gaming disorder: The role of motives and metacognitions

AbstractBackground and aimsIn recent years, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has been recognized as a mental health problem. Although research has found that social anxiety, motives, the preference for online social interactions (POSI), and metacognitions about online gaming are independent predictors of IGD, less is known about their relative contribution to IGD. The aim of the current study was to model the relationship between social anxiety, motives, POSI, metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD.MethodsFive hundred and forty three Italian gamers who play more than 7 h a week (mean age = 23.9 years; SD = 6.15 years; 82.5% males) were included in the study. The pattern of relationships specified by the theoretical model was examined through path analysis.ResultsResults showed that social anxiety was directly associated with four motives (escape, coping, fantasy, and recreation), POSI, and positive and negative metacognitions about online gaming, and IGD. The Sobel test showed that negative metacognitions about online gaming played the strongest mediating role in the relationship between social anxiety and IGD followed by escape, POSI, and positive metacognitions. The model accounted for 54% of the variance for IGD.Discussion and conclusionsOverall, our findings show that, along with motives and POSI, metacognitions about online gaming may play an important role in the association between social anxiety and IGD. The clinical and preventive implications of these findings are discussed

Alpha-enhancement in the MW: results from the SDSS spectroscopic stellar database

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