Le rôle de l’alfabeto dans le développement de la pensée harmonique en Italie, 1600-50

The role of alfabeto musical notation in the development of harmonic thought in Italy, 1600-5

Virulence, drug sensitivity and transmission success in the rodent malaria, Plasmodium chabaudi.

Here, we test the hypothesis that virulent malaria parasites are less susceptible to drug treatment than less virulent parasites. If true, drug treatment might promote the evolution of more virulent parasites (defined here as those doing more harm to hosts). Drug-resistance mechanisms that protect parasites through interactions with drug molecules at the sub-cellular level are well known. However, parasite phenotypes associated with virulence might also help parasites survive in the presence of drugs. For example, rapidly replicating parasites might be better able to recover in the host if drug treatment fails to eliminate parasites. We quantified the effects of drug treatment on the in-host survival and between-host transmission of rodent malaria (Plasmodium chabaudi) parasites which differed in virulence and had never been previously exposed to drugs. In all our treatment regimens and in single- and mixed-genotype infections, virulent parasites were less sensitive to pyrimethamine and artemisinin, the two antimalarial drugs we tested. Virulent parasites also achieved disproportionately greater transmission when exposed to pyrimethamine. Overall, our data suggest that drug treatment can select for more virulent parasites. Drugs targeting transmission stages (such as artemisinin) may minimize the evolutionary advantage of virulence in drug-treated infections

Machine learning reveals singing rhythms of male Pacific field crickets are clock controlled

Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous in nature and endogenous circadian clocks drive the daily expression of many fitness-related behaviors. However, little is known about whether such traits are targets of selection imposed by natural enemies. In Hawaiian populations of the nocturnally active Pacific field cricket (Teleogryllus oceanicus), males sing to attract mates, yet sexually selected singing rhythms are also subject to natural selection from the acoustically orienting and deadly parasitoid fly, Ormia ochracea. Here, we use T. oceanicus to test whether singing rhythms are endogenous and scheduled by circadian clocks, making them possible targets of se lection imposed by flies. We also develop a novel audio-to-circadian analysis pipeline, capable of extracting useful parameters from which to train machine learning algorithms and process large quantities of audio data. Singing rhythms fulfilled all criteria for endogenous circadian clock control, including being driven by photoschedule, self-sustained periodicity of approximately 24 h, and being robust to variation in temperature. Furthermore, singing rhythms varied across individuals, which might suggest genetic variation on which natural and sexual selection pressures can act. Sexual signals and ornaments are well-known targets of selection by natural enemies, but our findings indicate that the circadian timing of those traits’ expression may also determine fitnes

Advice for journalists covering Covid-19: Welsh NHS confederation

The outbreak of COVID-19 is placing an unprecedented strain on health services in Wales and across the world. At the same time, coverage of the outbreak is essential, and there is a great demand from media organisations and their audiences to receive information about the outbreak and its frontline. This can put additional pressures on health care organisations and staff and may in certain cases interfere with their operations in dealing with the outbreak. This document has been prepared by Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Cardiff University, to support the work of the Welsh NHS Confederation. It draws on input from leading academics, journalists and PR practitioners (full list of contributors on p. 9). The document provides a number of suggestions for media organisations designed to facilitate coverage in and around healthcare facilities in Wales. The experts involved in preparing this document are independent from the NHS, and the document does not reflect official NHS policy. Here is a summary of our advice: 1. Responsible, detailed, and accurate reporting of COVID-19 is an essential public service. 2. Use credible experts as sources and be wary of unverified rumour 3. News organisations should use pooled materials whenever possible. 4. If looking for information verification, check other sources first before contacting NHS. 5. Ensure compliance with procedures for risk assessment and consent. 6. Enforce social distancing and ensure safe use of equipment. 7. Ensure risk assessments have been carried out prior to hospital visits and face-toface interactions with NHS staff. 8. Obtain consent from anyone interviewed or filmed. 9. When making requests for interviews or information, be specific about who you need to speak to, and where, what and how the information will be used

Adaptive periodicity in the infectivity of malaria gametocytes to mosquitoes

Daily rhythms in behaviour, physiology, and molecular processes are expected to enable organisms to appropriately schedule activities according to consequences of the daily rotation of the Earth. For parasites, this includes capitalizing on periodicity in transmission opportunities and for hosts/vectors, this may select for rhythms in immune defence. We examine rhythms in the density and infectivity of transmission forms (gametocytes) of rodent malaria parasites in the host’s blood, parasite development inside mosquito vectors, and potential for onwards transmission. Furthermore, we simultaneously test whether mosquitoes exhibit rhythms in susceptibility. We reveal that at night, gametocytes are twice as infective, despite being less numerous in the blood. Enhanced infectiousness at night interacts with mosquito rhythms to increase sporozoite burdens four-fold when mosquitoes feed during their rest phase. Thus, changes in mosquito biting time (due to bed nets) may render gametocytes less infective, but this is compensated for by the greater mosquito susceptibility

Advice for journalists covering Covid-19: Welsh NHS confederation

The outbreak of COVID-19 is placing an unprecedented strain on health services in Wales and across the world. At the same time, coverage of the outbreak is essential, and there is a great demand from media organisations and their audiences to receive information about the outbreak and its frontline. This can put additional pressures on health care organisations and staff and may in certain cases interfere with their operations in dealing with the outbreak. This document has been prepared by Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Cardiff University, to support the work of the Welsh NHS Confederation. It draws on input from leading academics, journalists and PR practitioners (full list of contributors on p. 9). The document provides a number of suggestions for media organisations designed to facilitate coverage in and around healthcare facilities in Wales. The experts involved in preparing this document are independent from the NHS, and the document does not reflect official NHS policy. Here is a summary of our advice: 1. Responsible, detailed, and accurate reporting of COVID-19 is an essential public service. 2. Use credible experts as sources and be wary of unverified rumour 3. News organisations should use pooled materials whenever possible. 4. If looking for information verification, check other sources first before contacting NHS. 5. Ensure compliance with procedures for risk assessment and consent. 6. Enforce social distancing and ensure safe use of equipment. 7. Ensure risk assessments have been carried out prior to hospital visits and face-toface interactions with NHS staff. 8. Obtain consent from anyone interviewed or filmed. 9. When making requests for interviews or information, be specific about who you need to speak to, and where, what and how the information will be used