What does not kill them makes them stronger: larval environment and infectious dose alter mosquito potential to transmit filarial worms

For organisms with complex life cycles, larval environments can modify adult phenotypes. For mosquitoes and other vectors, when physiological impacts of stressors acting on larvae carry over into the adult stage they may interact with infectious dose of a vector-borne pathogen, producing a range of phenotypes for vector potential. Investigation of impacts of a common source of stress, larval crowding and intraspecific competition, on adult vector interactions with pathogens may increase our understanding of the dynamics of pathogen transmission by mosquito vectors. Using Aedes aegypti and the nematode parasite Brugia pahangi, we demonstrate dose dependency of fitness effects of B. pahangi infection on the mosquito, as well as interactions between competitive stress among larvae and infectious dose for resulting adults that affect the physiological and functional ability of mosquitoes to act as vectors. Contrary to results from studies on mosquito–arbovirus interactions, our results suggest that adults from crowded larvae may limit infection better than do adults from uncrowded controls, and that mosquitoes from high-quality larval environments are more physiologically and functionally capable vectors of B. pahangi. Our results provide another example of how the larval environment can have profound effects on vector potential of resulting adults

Perturbations in neuroinflammatory pathways are associated with paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer survivors.

Paclitaxel is a common chemotherapy drug associated with the development of chronic paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). PIPN is associated with neuroinflammatory mechanisms in pre-clinical studies. Here, we evaluated for differential gene expression (DGE) in peripheral blood between breast cancer survivors with and without PIPN and for neuroinflammatory (NI) related signaling pathways and whole-transcriptome profiles from other experiments. Pathway impact analysis identified 8 perturbed NI related pathways. Expression profile analysis found 15 experiments having similar whole-transcriptome profiles of DGE related to neuroinflammation and PIPN. These findings suggest that perturbations in pathways associated with neuroinflammation are found in cancer survivors with PIPN

Impacts of fungal entomopathogens on survival and immune responses of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens mosquitoes in the context of native Wolbachia infections

Microbial control of mosquitoes via the use of symbiotic or pathogenic microbes, such as Wolbachia and entomopathogenic fungi, are promising alternatives to synthetic insecticides to tackle the rapid increase in insecticide resistance and vector-borne disease outbreaks. This study evaluated the susceptibility and host responses of two important mosquito vectors, Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens, that naturally carry Wolbachia, to infections by entomopathogenic fungi. Our study indicated that while Wolbachia presence did not provide a protective advantage against entomopathogenic fungal infection, it nevertheless influenced the bacterial / fungal load and the expression of select anti-microbial effectors and phenoloxidase cascade genes in mosquitoes. Furthermore, although host responses from Ae. albopictus and Cx. pipiens were mostly similar, we observed contrasting phenotypes with regards to susceptibility and immune responses to fungal entomopathogenic infection in these two mosquitoes. This study provides new insights into the intricate multipartite interaction between the mosquito host, its native symbiont and pathogenic microbes that might be employed to control mosquito populations

Wide-angle scanning active transmit/receive reflectarray

A highly integrated phased array transmit/receive architecture is presented. Multilayer microstrip antennas with a scanning potential up to 60° are combined, on a common manifold, with SiGe MMICs including four RF channels each, together with the necessary digital control circuits. Power distribution and combining are realised by the concept of a folded planar reflectarray. This study also includes the necessary solutions for multilayer interconnects and efficient heat removal from the active circuits. To prove the concept, passive arrays with different fixed beam positions have been tested successfully; followed by a first active array demonstrating excellent scanning performance up to 60° both in E- and H-plane

Assessing United States county-level exposure for research on tropical cyclones and human health

Includes bibliographical references (pages 067007-12-067007-13).Background: Tropical cyclone epidemiology can be advanced through exposure assessment methods that are comprehensive and consistent across space and time, as these facilitate multiyear, multistorm studies. Further, an understanding of patterns in and between exposure metrics that are based on specific hazards of the storm can help in designing tropical cyclone epidemiological research. Objectives: a) Provide an open-source data set for tropical cyclone exposure assessment for epidemiological research; and b) investigate patterns and agreement between county-level assessments of tropical cyclone exposure based on different storm hazards. Methods: We created an open-source data set with data at the county level on exposure to four tropical cyclone hazards: peak sustained wind, rainfall, flooding, and tornadoes. The data cover all eastern U.S. counties for all land-falling or near-land Atlantic basin storms, covering 1996–2011 for all metrics and up to 1988–2018 for specific metrics. We validated measurements against other data sources and investigated patterns and agreement among binary exposure classifications based on these metrics, as well as compared them to use of distance from the storm’s track, which has been used as a proxy for exposure in some epidemiological studies. Results: Our open-source data set was typically consistent with data from other sources, and we present and discuss areas of disagreement and other caveats. Over the study period and area, tropical cyclones typically brought different hazards to different counties. Therefore, when comparing exposure assessment between different hazard-specific metrics, agreement was usually low, as it also was when comparing exposure assessment based on a distance-based proxy measurement and any of the hazard-specific metrics. Discussion: Our results provide a multihazard data set that can be leveraged for epidemiological research on tropical cyclones, as well as insights that can inform the design and analysis for tropical cyclone epidemiological researc

Proof-of-concept method to sanitize a feed mill contaminated with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

Citation: Huss, A. R., Schumacher, L. L., Cochrane, R. A., Poulsen, E., Bai, J. F., Woodworth, J. C., . . . Jones, C. K. (2016). Proof-of-concept method to sanitize a feed mill contaminated with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus. Journal of Animal Science, 94, 102-103. doi:10.2527/msasas2016-217Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) has been linked to transmission by livestock feed or ingredients. Measures to exclude pathogens, prevent cross-contamination, and actively reduce the pathogenic load of feed and ingredients are being developed. However, research thus far has focused on the role of chemicals or thermal treatment to reduce PEDV RNA in feedstuffs, and has not addressed potential residual contamination within the manufacturing facility that may lead to continuous cross-contamination of finished feeds. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the use of a standardized protocol to sanitize an animal feed manufacturing facility contaminated with PEDV. Environmental swabs were collected throughout the facility during the manufacturing of a swine diet inoculated with PEDV. To monitor facility contamination of the virus, swabs were collected at 5 decontamination steps: 1) baseline before inoculation, 2) after production of the inoculated feed, 3) after application of a quaternary ammonium-glutaraldehyde blend cleaner, 4) after application of a sodium hypochlorite sanitizing solution, and 5) after facility heat-up to 60°C for 48 h. The feed mill was contaminated and decontaminated 3 separate times for a total of 3 replications. Collected swabs were analyzed via RT-qPCR and categorized by surface (plastic, rubber, concrete, and metal), type (equipment and structural), and zone (1, 2, and 3). Decontamination step, surface, type, zone and their interactions were all found to impact the quantity of detectable PEDV RNA (P < 0.05). As expected, all samples collected from direct feed contact surfaces (zone 1) contained PEDV RNA after production of the contaminated feed. Additionally, all swabs collected directly adjacent to direct feed contact surfaces (zone 2) were positive following production of the contaminated feed. Of the remaining swabs collected (zone 3), outside of zones 1 and 2, 88.9% had detectable RNA, emphasizing the potential role dust plays in cross-contamination of pathogens throughout a manufacturing facility. Application of the cleaner, sanitizer, and heat were effective at reducing PEDV RNA (P < 0.05), but did not completely eliminate it. Specifically, 29.6%, 14.8%, and 7.4% of zone 1 swabs had detectable PEDV RNA after decontamination with the cleaner, sanitizer and heat, respectively, during only replication 2. Due to this, decontamination was repeated with no PEDV RNA detected from subsequent swab collection. These findings do provide a method for facility decontamination of PEDV, however, the use of liquid cleaners, sanitizers, and/or facility heat-up may not be applicable for most commercial feed manufacturing facilities