Climatic Factors Driving Invasion of the Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) into New Areas of Trentino, Northern Italy

Background:The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), vector of several emerging diseases, is expanding into more northerly latitudes as well as into higher altitudes in northern Italy. Changes in the pattern of distribution of the tiger mosquito may affect the potential spread of infectious diseases transmitted by this species in Europe. Therefore, predicting suitable areas of future establishment and spread is essential for planning early prevention and control strategies.Methodology/Principal Findings:To identify the areas currently most suitable for the occurrence of the tiger mosquito in the Province of Trento, we combined field entomological observations with analyses of satellite temperature data (MODIS Land Surface Temperature: LST) and human population data. We determine threshold conditions for the survival of overwintering eggs and for adult survival using both January mean temperatures and annual mean temperatures. We show that the 0°C LST threshold for January mean temperatures and the 11°C threshold for annual mean temperatures provide the best predictors for identifying the areas that could potentially support populations of this mosquito. In fact, human population density and distance to human settlements appear to be less important variables affecting mosquito distribution in this area. Finally, we evaluated the future establishment and spread of this species in relation to predicted climate warming by considering the A2 scenario for 2050 statistically downscaled at regional level in which winter and annual temperatures increase by 1.5 and 1°C, respectively.Conclusions/Significance:MODIS satellite LST data are useful for accurately predicting potential areas of tiger mosquito distribution and for revealing the range limits of this species in mountainous areas, predictions which could be extended to an European scale. We show that the observed trend of increasing temperatures due to climate change could facilitate further invasion of Ae. albopictus into new areas. © 2011 Roiz et al.Peer Reviewe

A case for systematic quality management in mosquito control programmes in Europe

The recent spread of invasive mosquito species, such as Aedes albopictus and the seasonal sporadic transmission of autochthonous cases of arboviral diseases (e.g., dengue, chikungunya, Zika) in temperate areas, such as Europe and North America, highlight the importance of effective mosquito-control interventions to reduce not only nuisance, but also major threats for public health. Local, regional, and even national mosquito control programs have been established in many countries and are executed on a seasonal basis by either public or private bodies. In order for these interventions to be worthwhile, funding authorities should ensure that mosquito control is (a) planned by competent scientific institutions addressing the local demands, (b) executed following the plan that is based on recommended and effective methods and strategies, (c) monitored regularly by checking the efficacy of the implemented actions, (d) evaluated against the set of targets, and (e) regularly improved according to the results of the monitoring. Adherence to these conditions can only be assured if a formal quality management system is adopted and enforced that ensures the transparency of effectiveness of the control operation. The current paper aims at defining the two components of this quality management system, quality assurance and quality control for mosquito control programs with special emphasis on Europe, but applicable over temperate areas

A case for systematic quality management in mosquito control programmes in Europe

The recent spread of invasive mosquito species, such as Aedes albopictus and the seasonal sporadic transmission of autochthonous cases of arboviral diseases (e.g., dengue, chikungunya, Zika) in temperate areas, such as Europe and North America, highlight the importance of effective mosquito-control interventions to reduce not only nuisance, but also major threats for public health. Local, regional, and even national mosquito control programs have been established in many countries and are executed on a seasonal basis by either public or private bodies. In order for these interventions to be worthwhile, funding authorities should ensure that mosquito control is (a) planned by competent scientific institutions addressing the local demands, (b) executed following the plan that is based on recommended and effective methods and strategies, (c) monitored regularly by checking the efficacy of the implemented actions, (d) evaluated against the set of targets, and (e) regularly improved according to the results of the monitoring. Adherence to these conditions can only be assured if a formal quality management system is adopted and enforced that ensures the transparency of effectiveness of the control operation. The current paper aims at defining the two components of this quality management system, quality assurance and quality control for mosquito control programs with special emphasis on Europe, but applicable over temperate areas

Global and regional cortical thinning in first-episode psychosis patients: relationships with clinical and cognitive features

BackgroundThe thickness of the cortical mantle is a sensitive measure for identifying alterations in cortical structure. We aimed to explore whether first episode schizophrenia patients already show a significant cortical thinning and whether cortical thickness anomalies may significantly influence clinical and cognitive features.MethodWe investigated regional changes in cortical thickness in a large and heterogeneous sample of schizophrenia spectrum patients (n=142) at their first break of the illness and healthy controls (n=83). Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans (1.5 T) were obtained and images were analyzed by using BRAINS2. The contribution of sociodemographic, cognitive and clinical characterictics was investigated.ResultsPatients showed a significant total cortical thinning (F=17.55, d=−0.62, p0.53). No significant group × gender interactions were observed (all p’s>0.15). There were no significant associations between the clinical and pre-morbid variables and cortical thickness measurements (all r’s<0.12). A weak significant negative correlation between attention and total (r=−0.24, p=0.021) and parietal cortical thickness (r=−0.27, p=0.009) was found in patients (thicker cortex was associated with lower attention). Our data revealed a similar pattern of cortical thickness changes related to age in patients and controls.ConclusionsCortical thinning is independent of gender, age, age of onset and duration of the illness and does not seem to significantly influence clinical and functional symptomatology. These findings support a primary neuro-development disorder affecting the normal cerebral cortex development in schizophrenia

Comparison of Transcriptomic Changes in Survivors of Exertional Heat Illness with Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptible Patients

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is an occupational health hazard for athletes and military personnel–characterised by the inability to thermoregulate during exercise. The ability to thermoregulate can be studied using a standardised heat tolerance test (HTT) developed by The Institute of Naval Medicine. In this study, we investigated whole blood gene expression (at baseline, 2 h post-HTT and 24 h post-HTT) in male subjects with either a history of EHI or known susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia (MHS): a pharmacogenetic condition with similar clinical phenotype. Compared to healthy controls at baseline, 291 genes were differentially expressed in the EHI cohort, with functional enrichment in inflammatory response genes (up to a four-fold increase). In contrast, the MHS cohort featured 1019 differentially expressed genes with significant down-regulation of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). A number of differentially expressed genes in the inflammation and OXPHOS pathways overlapped between the EHI and MHS subjects, indicating a common underlying pathophysiology. Transcriptome profiles between subjects who passed and failed the HTT (based on whether they achieved a plateau in core temperature or not, respectively) were not discernable at baseline, and HTT was shown to elevate inflammatory response gene expression across all clinical phenotypes

Multi-center MRI prediction models: Predicting sex and illness course in first episode psychosis patients.

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies have attempted to use brain measures obtained at the first-episode of psychosis to predict subsequent outcome, with inconsistent results. Thus, there is a real need to validate the utility of brain measures in the prediction of outcome using large datasets, from independent samples, obtained with different protocols and from different MRI scanners. This study had three main aims: 1) to investigate whether structural MRI data from multiple centers can be combined to create a machine-learning model able to predict a strong biological variable like sex; 2) to replicate our previous finding that an MRI scan obtained at first episode significantly predicts subsequent illness course in other independent datasets; and finally, 3) to test whether these datasets can be combined to generate multicenter models with better accuracy in the prediction of illness course. The multi-center sample included brain structural MRI scans from 256 males and 133 females patients with first episode psychosis, acquired in five centers: University Medical Center Utrecht (The Netherlands) (n=67); Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London (United Kingdom) (n=97); University of São Paulo (Brazil) (n=64); University of Cantabria, Santander (Spain) (n=107); and University of Melbourne (Australia) (n=54). All images were acquired on 1.5-Tesla scanners and all centers provided information on illness course during a follow-up period ranging 3 to 7years. We only included in the analyses of outcome prediction patients for whom illness course was categorized as either "continuous" (n=94) or "remitting" (n=118). Using structural brain scans from all centers, sex was predicted with significant accuracy (89%; p<0.001). In the single- or multi-center models, illness course could not be predicted with significant accuracy. However, when reducing heterogeneity by restricting the analyses to male patients only, classification accuracy improved in some samples. This study provides proof of concept that combining multi-center MRI data to create a well performing classification model is possible. However, to create complex multi-center models that perform accurately, each center should contribute a sample either large or homogeneous enough to first allow accurate classification within the single-center

Interference of functional dual-tasks on gait in untrained people with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls: a cross-sectional study

[EN] Background In Parkinson's disease (PD) population, performing secondary tasks while walking further deteriorates gait and restrict mobility in functional contexts of daily life. This study (1) analyzed the interference of functional cognitive and motor secondary task on untrained people with PD and (2) compared their walking with healthy subjects. Methods Forty people with PD (aged 66.72 [7.5] years, Hoehn and Yahr stage I-II-III, on-medication) composed the PD group (PDG) and 43 participants (aged 66.60 [8.75] years) formed the group of healthy counterparts (HG). Gait was evaluated through spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic outcomes in five conditions: single task (ST) and visual, verbal, auditory and motor dual-task (DT). Results The velocity, stride length, and braking force performance of both groups was statistically higher in the ST condition than in verbal, auditory and motor DT (p.05). Conclusions: In untrained participants with PD, verbal and motor secondary tasks affect gait significantly, while auditory and visual tasks interfere to a lesser extent. Untrained people with PD have a poorer gait performance than their healthy counterparts, but in different grades according to the analyzed variables. Trial registration The data in this paper are part of a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial and correspond to the evaluations performed before a physical rehabilitation program, retrospectively registered with the number at clinicaltrial.govNCT04038866.San Martín Valenzuela, C.; Dueñas Moscardó, L.; Lopez Pascual, J.; Serra-Añó, P.; Tomás, JM. (2020). Interference of functional dual-tasks on gait in untrained people with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 21(1):1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03431-xS111211Jankovic J. Parkinson’s disease: clinical features and diagnosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2008;79:368–76.Soh S-E, McGinley JL, Watts JJ, Iansek R, Murphy AT, Menz HB, et al. Determinants of health-related quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease: a path analysis. Qual Life Res. 2013;22:1543–53.Tan D, Danoudis M, McGinley J, Morris ME. Relationships between motor aspects of gait impairments and activity limitations in people with Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2012;18:117–24.Kelly VE, Eusterbrock AJ, Shumway-Cook A. A review of dual-task walking deficits in people with Parkinson’s disease: motor and cognitive contributions, mechanisms, and clinical implications. Parkinson’s Disease. 2012;918719.Sofuwa O, Nieuwboer A, Desloovere K, Willems A-M, Chavret F, Jonkers I. Quantitative gait analysis in Parkinson’s disease: comparison with a healthy control group. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2005;86:1007–13.Beauchet O, Berrut G. Gait and dual-task: definition, interest, and perspectives in the elderly. Psychologie et NeuroPsychiatrie du Vieillissement. 2006;4:215–25.Raffegeau TE, Krehbiel LM, Kang N, Thijs FJ, Altmann LJP, Cauraugh JH, et al. A meta-analysis: Parkinson’s disease and dual-task walking. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2019 May;62:28–35.Eric R. Kandel, James H. Schwartz, Thomas M. Jessell, Steven a. Siegelbaum, A. J. Hudspeth. Principles of neural science. Fifth edition. McGraw-Hill Medical: United States of America; 2013.Eisinger RS, Cernera S, Gittis A, Gunduz A, Okun MS. A review of basal ganglia circuits and physiology: application to deep brain stimulation. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2019 Feb;59:9–20.Isella V, Mapelli C, Morielli N, De Gaspari D, Siri C, Pezzoli G, et al. Validity and metric of MiniMental Parkinson and MiniMental state examination in Parkinson’s disease. Neurol Sci. 2013;34:1751–8.Morris ME, McGinley J, Huxham F, Collier J, Iansek R. Constraints on the kinetic, kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters of gait in Parkinson’s disease. Hum Mov Sci. 1999;18:461–83.Brauer SG, Morris ME. Can people with Parkinson’s disease improve dual tasking when walking? Gait & Posture. 2010;31:229–33.Baron EI, Miller Koop M, Streicher MC, Rosenfeldt AB, Alberts JL. Altered kinematics of arm swing in Parkinson’s disease patients indicates declines in gait under dual-task conditions. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2018;48:61–7.Rochester L, Galna B, Lord S, Burn D. The nature of dual-task interference during gait in incident Parkinson’s disease. Neuroscience. 2014;265:83–94.Logan D, Kiemel T, Dominici N, Cappellini G, Ivanenko Y, Lacquaniti F, et al. The many roles of vision during walking. Exp Brain Res. 2010;206:337–50.de Luna RA, Mihailovic A, Nguyen AM, Friedman DS, Gitlin LN, Ramulu PY. The Association of Glaucomatous Visual Field Loss and Balance. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2017 May 22;6(3):8.Suarez H, Geisinger D, Ferreira ED, Nogueira S, Arocena S, Roman CS, et al. Balance in Parkinson’s disease patients changing the visual input. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2011;77:651–5.Wu T, Hallett M. Neural correlates of dual task performance in patients with Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2008;79:760–6.Canning CG. The effect of directing attention during walking under dual-task conditions in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2005;11:95–9.Wu T, Liu J, Zhang H, Hallett M, Zheng Z, Chan P. Attention to automatic movements in Parkinson’s disease: modified automatic mode in the striatum. Cereb Cortex. 2015;25:3330–42.de Roiz R. M, Cacho EWA, Pazinatto MM, Reis JG, Cliquet a. Barasnevicius-Quagliato EMA Gait analysis comparing Parkinson’s disease with healthy elderly subjects Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2010;68:81–6.Grabli D, Karachi C, Welter M-L, Lau B, Hirsch EC, Vidailhet M, et al. Normal and pathological gait: what we learn from Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2012 Oct;83(10):979–85.Anna C, Serena F, Maurizio F. Del Sorbo Francesca, Romito Luigi M., Elia Antonio E., et al. quantitative gait analysis in parkin disease: possible role of dystonia. Mov Disord. 2016;31:1720–8.Morris M, Iansek R, McGinley J, Matyas T, Huxham F. Three-dimensional gait biomechanics in Parkinson’s disease: evidence for a centrally mediated amplitude regulation disorder. Mov Disord. 2005;20:40–50.Peterson CL, Kautz SA, Neptune RR. Braking and propulsive impulses increase with speed during accelerated and decelerated walking. Gait Posture. 2011;33:562–7.Chiu M-C, Wang M-J. The effect of gait speed and gender on perceived exertion, muscle activity, joint motion of lower extremity, ground reaction force and heart rate during normal walking. Gait & Posture. 2007;25:385–92.Muniz AMS, Liu H, Lyons KE, Pahwa R, Liu W, Nobre FF, et al. Comparison among probabilistic neural network, support vector machine and logistic regression for evaluating the effect of subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson disease on ground reaction force during gait. J Biomech. 2010;43:720–6.Chastan N, Do MC, Bonneville F, Torny F, Bloch F, Westby GWM, et al. Gait and balance disorders in Parkinson’s disease: impaired active braking of the fall of Centre of gravity. Mov Disord. 2009;24:188–95.Perneger T. What's wrong with Bonferroni adjustments. BMJ. 1998 Apr 18;316(7139):1236–8

Taming of the shrewd: novel eukaryotic genes from RNA viruses

Genomes of several yeast species contain integrated DNA copies of complete genomes or individual genes of non-retroviral double-strand RNA viruses as reported in a recent BMC Biology article by Taylor and Bruenn. The integrated virus-specific sequences are at least partially expressed and seem to evolve under pressure of purifying selection, indicating that these are functional genes. Together with similar reports on integrated copies of some animal RNA viruses, these results suggest that integration of DNA copies of non-reverse-transcribing RNA viruses might be much more common than previously thought. The integrated copies could contribute to acquired immunity to the respective viruses

Reply to: New Meta- and Mega-analyses of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Schizophrenia: Do They Really Increase Our Knowledge About the Nature of the Disease Process?

This work was supported by National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Grant No. U54EB020403 (to the ENIGMA consortium)

Status of ART-XC/SRG Instrument

Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) is an X-ray astrophysical observatory, developed by Russia in collaboration with Germany. The mission will be launched in March 2016 from Baikonur, by a Zenit rocket with a Fregat booster and placed in a 6-month-period halo orbit around L2. The scientific payload consists of two independent telescopes - a soft-x-ray survey instrument, eROSITA, being provided by Germany and a medium-x-ray-energy survey instrument ART-XC being developed by Russia. ART-XC will consist of seven independent, but co-aligned, telescope modules. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is fabricating the flight mirror modules for the ART-XC/SRG. Each mirror module will be aligned with a focal plane CdTe double-sided strip detectors which will operate over the energy range of 6-30 keV, with an angular resolution of less than 1, a field of view of approximately 34 and an expected energy resolution of about 10 percent at 14 keV