Polyphenolic Characterisation of Vranac, Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L. cv.) Grapes and Wines from Different Vineyard Locations in Montenegro

In Montenegro, red wines are produced predominantly, and Vranac accounts for nearly 80% of thesewines, followed by Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon. In order to characterise polyphenols in red varieties,grapes were sampled from representative vineyards at harvest time during 2011 and 2012. The contentand distribution of extractable anthocyanins, low-molecular mass proanthocyanidins (LMP) and highmolecularmass proanthocyanidins (HMP) in the seeds and skins of the grape berries were evaluated byapplying a five-day extraction method using ethanol:water (12:88) as extraction solvent. On average, thehighest content of LMP (2 006 and 1 690 mg/kg of grape fresh mass in years 2011 and 2012 respectively),HMP (2 705 and 2 805 mg/kg in years 2011 and 2012 respectively) and anthocyanins (1 035 mg/kg in theyear 2011) was found in the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The highest content of anthocyanins (1 113 mg/kgin the year 2012) and the lowest content of LMP (1 103 and 846 mg/kg in years 2011 and 2012 respectively)was found in Vranac grapes. Kratosija grapes had the lowest anthocyanin content (456 and 517 mg/kg inyears 2011 and 2012 respectively), and levels of LMP were similar to Vranac. The percentage distributionsof LMP between skins and seeds were 34:66, 39:61 and 49:51, whereas the distributions of HMP betweenskins and seeds were 67:33, 62:38 and 64:36 for Vranac, Kratosija and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively.All varieties had more LMP in the seeds and more HMP in the skins of the grapes. The results obtained areimportant to better understand the polyphenolic potential of Montenegrin red grape varieties

Invasive mosquito species in Europe and Serbia, 1979 – 2011

People’s increased mobility and international trade play important roles in the dissemination of vectors and the pathogens that they could transmit. Climate change is likely to become another important consideration in the near future. The responses of insects to these changes (in addition to potential for increased vector capacity) could allow for a broadening of their colonized areas and the invasion of new sites. In the last couple of years a number of pathogen introductions into Europe have been recorded. The latest (Ravenna, Italy, 2007) was caused by the tropical Chikungunya virus, which is transmitted by the “Asian tiger mosquito”, a species introduced into Europe in 1979 (Albania), and then Italy in 1990. Invasion continued to France in 1999 and until present, Belgium, Montenegro, Greece, Switzerland, Croatia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Germany, Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey have been invaded. Deciphering the true cause of changes in the distribution of mosquitoes is difficult and complex and depends, to a great extent, on the availability of data obtained by monitoring. In order to assist in vector-borne disease preparedness, distribution of the most important invasive species St. albopicta in Europe and particulars of findings in Serbia are conferred

Geographic distribution of the V1016G knockdown resistance mutation in aedes albopictus. A warning bell for Europe

Background: Colonization of large part of Europe by the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is causing autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue exotic arboviruses. While pyrethroids are recommended only to reduce/limit transmission, they are widely implemented to reduce biting nuisance and to control agricultural pests, increasing the risk of insurgence of resistance mechanisms. Worryingly, pyrethroid resistance (with mortality < 70%) was recently reported in Ae. albopictus populations from Italy and Spain and associated with the V1016G point mutation in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene conferring knockdown resistance (kdr). Genotyping pyrethroid resistance-associated kdr mutations in field mosquito samples represents a powerful approach to detect early signs of resistance without the need for carrying out phenotypic bioassays which require availability of live mosquitoes, dedicated facilities and appropriate expertise.Methods: Here we report results on the PCR-genotyping of the V1016G mutation in 2530 Ae. albopictus specimens from 69 sampling sites in 19 European countries.Results: The mutation was identified in 12 sites from nine countries (with allele frequencies ranging from 1 to 8%), mostly distributed in two geographical clusters. The western cluster includes Mediterranean coastal sites from Italy, France and Malta as well as single sites from both Spain and Switzerland. The eastern cluster includes sites on both sides of the Black Sea in Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia as well as one site from Romania. These results are consistent with genomic data showing high connectivity and close genetic relationship among West European populations and a major barrier to gene flow between West European and Balkan populations.Conclusions: The results of this first effort to map kdr mutations in Ae. albopictus on a continental scale show a widespread presence of the V1016G allele in Europe, although at lower frequencies than those previously reported from Italy. This represents a wake-up call for mosquito surveillance programs in Europe to include PCR-genotyping of pyrethroid resistance alleles, as well as phenotypic resistance assessments, in their routine activities

Feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions against infectious diseases among crisis-affected populations: a scoping review

BACKGROUND: Colonization of large part of Europe by the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is causing autochthonous transmission of chikungunya and dengue exotic arboviruses. While pyrethroids are recommended only to reduce/limit transmission, they are widely implemented to reduce biting nuisance and to control agricultural pests, increasing the risk of insurgence of resistance mechanisms. Worryingly, pyrethroid resistance (with mortality < 70%) was recently reported in Ae. albopictus populations from Italy and Spain and associated with the V1016G point mutation in the voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene conferring knockdown resistance (kdr). Genotyping pyrethroid resistance-associated kdr mutations in field mosquito samples represents a powerful approach to detect early signs of resistance without the need for carrying out phenotypic bioassays which require availability of live mosquitoes, dedicated facilities and appropriate expertise. METHODS: Here we report results on the PCR-genotyping of the V1016G mutation in 2530 Ae. albopictus specimens from 69 sampling sites in 19 European countries. RESULTS: The mutation was identified in 12 sites from nine countries (with allele frequencies ranging from 1 to 8%), mostly distributed in two geographical clusters. The western cluster includes Mediterranean coastal sites from Italy, France and Malta as well as single sites from both Spain and Switzerland. The eastern cluster includes sites on both sides of the Black Sea in Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia as well as one site from Romania. These results are consistent with genomic data showing high connectivity and close genetic relationship among West European populations and a major barrier to gene flow between West European and Balkan populations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this first effort to map kdr mutations in Ae. albopictus on a continental scale show a widespread presence of the V1016G allele in Europe, although at lower frequencies than those previously reported from Italy. This represents a wake-up call for mosquito surveillance programs in Europe to include PCR-genotyping of pyrethroid resistance alleles, as well as phenotypic resistance assessments, in their routine activities

Superconducting spintronics

The interaction between superconducting and spin-polarized orders has recently emerged as a major research field following a series of fundamental breakthroughs in charge transport in superconductor-ferromagnet heterodevices which promise new device functionality. Traditional studies which combine spintronics and superconductivity have mainly focused on the injection of spin-polarized quasiparticles into superconducting materials. However, a complete synergy between superconducting and magnetic orders turns out to be possible through the creation of spin-triplet Cooper pairs which are generated at carefully engineered superconductor interfaces with ferromagnetic materials. Currently, there is intense activity focused on identifying materials combinations which merge superconductivity and spintronics in order to enhance device functionality and performance. The results look promising: it has been shown, for example, that superconducting order can greatly enhance central effects in spintronics such as spin injection and magnetoresistance. Here, we review the experimental and theoretical advances in this field and provide an outlook for upcoming challenges related to the new concept of superconducting spintronics.J.L. was supported by the Research Council of Norway, Grants No. 205591 and 216700. J.W.A.R. was supported by the UK Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust through an International Network Grant (IN-2013-033).This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v11/n4/full/nphys3242.html