A regional One Health approach to the risk of invasion by Anopheles stephensi in Mauritius.

Background: Anopheles stephensi is an invasive malaria vector in Africa that threatens to put an additional 126 million people at risk of malaria if it continues to spread. The island nation of Mauritius is highly connected to Asia and Africa and is at risk of introduction due to this connectivity. For early detection of An.

E-cadherin interacts with EGFR resulting in hyper-activation of ERK in multiple models of breast cancer.

The loss of intercellular adhesion molecule E-cadherin is a hallmark of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which tumor cells transition into an invasive phenotype. Accordingly, E-cadherin has long been considered a tumor suppressor gene; however, E-cadherin expression is paradoxically correlated with breast cancer survival rates. Using novel multi-compartment organoids and multiple in vivo models, we show that E-cadherin promotes a hyper-proliferative phenotype in breast cancer cells via interaction with the transmembrane receptor EGFR.

Classifying stages in the gonotrophic cycle of mosquitoes from images using computer vision techniques.

The ability to distinguish between the abdominal conditions of adult female mosquitoes has important utility for the surveillance and control of mosquito-borne diseases. However, doing so requires entomological training and time-consuming manual effort. Here, we design computer vision techniques to determine stages in the gonotrophic cycle of female mosquitoes from images.

Global mosquito observations dashboard (GMOD): creating a user-friendly web interface fueled by citizen science to monitor invasive and vector mosquitoes.

Background: Mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit pose a significant public health threat worldwide, causing more fatalities than any other animal. To effectively combat this issue, there is a need for increased public awareness and mosquito control. However, traditional surveillance programs are time-consuming, expensive, and lack scalability.

Three-dimensional visualization of predatory gastropod feeding teeth with synchrotron scanning.

Several families of neogastropod mollusks independently evolved the ability to drill through mineralized prey skeletons using their own mineralized feeding teeth, sometimes with shell-softening chemical agents produced by an organ in the foot. Teeth with more durable tooth shapes should extend their use and improve predator performance, but past studies have described only the cusped-side of teeth, mostly overlooking morphologies related to functional interactions between teeth. Here, we describe the three-dimensional morphology of the central drilling tooth (rachidian) from four species of the neogastropod family Muricidae using synchrotron tomographic microscopy and assemble a three-dimensional model of a multitooth series in drilling position for two of them to investigate their dynamic form.

A new species of the fish louse genus Dipteropeltis Calman, 1912 (Crustacea: Branchiura) from Peru.

Dipteropeltis is a poorly described genus of fish louse endemic to South America. In a small blackwater region within Loreto, Peru, 13 adult and juvenile specimens of an unidentified species of Dipteropeltis Calman, 1912, as well as one adult specimen of D. hirundo Calman, 1912, were observed and collected.

A Habitat Model for Disease Vector Aedes aegypti in the Tampa Bay Area, FloridA.

Within the contiguous USA, Florida is unique in having tropical and subtropical climates, a great abundance and diversity of mosquito vectors, and high rates of human travel. These factors contribute to the state being the national ground zero for exotic mosquito-borne diseases, as evidenced by local transmission of viruses spread by Aedes aegypti, including outbreaks of dengue in 2022 and Zika in 2016. Because of limited treatment options, integrated vector management is a key part of mitigating these arboviruses.

Spatial evaluation of healthcare accessibility across archipelagic communities of Maluku Province, Indonesia.

The Maluku Province is an underdeveloped region in Indonesia with over 1,340 scattered islands. Due to the limited health facilities and transportation infrastructure, access to healthcare is very challenging. Here, we combined data from various sources to locate the population clusters, health facilities, roads, and ports/docks, and then utilize geographic information systems (GIS) to estimate distances from residents to health facilities.

Citizen Science as an Approach for Responding to the Threat of in Africa.

Even as novel technologies emerge and medicines advance, pathogen-transmitting mosquitoes pose a deadly and accelerating public health threat. Detecting and mitigating the spread of in Africa is now critical to the fight against malaria, as this invasive mosquito poses urgent and unprecedented risks to the continent. Unlike typical African vectors of malaria, breeds in both natural and artificial water reservoirs, and flourishes in urban environments.

Artificial intelligence versus natural selection: Using computer vision techniques to classify bees and bee mimics.

Many groups of stingless insects have independently evolved mimicry of bees to fool would-be predators. To investigate this mimicry, we trained artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms-specifically, computer vision-to classify citizen scientist images of bees, bumble bees, and diverse bee mimics. For detecting bees and bumble bees, our models achieved accuracies of and , respectively.

Integrating Global Citizen Science Platforms to Enable Next-Generation Surveillance of Invasive and Vector Mosquitoes.

Mosquito-borne diseases continue to ravage humankind with >700 million infections and nearly one million deaths every year. Yet only a small percentage of the >3500 mosquito species transmit diseases, necessitating both extensive surveillance and precise identification. Unfortunately, such efforts are costly, time-consuming, and require entomological expertise.

The developing bird pelvis passes through ancestral dinosaurian conditions.

Living birds (Aves) have bodies substantially modified from the ancestral reptilian condition. The avian pelvis in particular experienced major changes during the transition from early archosaurs to living birds. This stepwise transformation is well documented by an excellent fossil record; however, the ontogenetic alterations that underly it are less well understood.

Virtual and augmented reality: New tools for visualizing, analyzing, and communicating complex morphology.

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) are new technologies with the power to revolutionize the study of morphology. Modern imaging approaches such as computed tomography, laser scanning, and photogrammetry have opened up a new digital world, enabling researchers to share and analyze morphological data electronically and in great detail. Because this digital data exists on a computer screen, however, it can remain difficult to understand and unintuitive to interact with.

Evidence corroborates identity of isolated fossil feather as a wing covert of Archaeopteryx.

The historic fossil feather from the Jurassic Solnhofen has played a pivotal but controversial role in our evolutionary understanding of dinosaurs and birds. Recently, a study confirmed the diagnostic morphology of the feather's original calamus, but nonetheless challenged the proposed identity as an Archaeopteryx covert. However, there are errors in the results and interpretations presented.

Ultraviolet light illuminates the avian nature of the Berlin Archaeopteryx skeleton.

The question of whether the iconic avialan Archaeopteryx was capable of active flapping flight or only passive gliding is still unresolved. This study contributes to this debate by reporting on two key aspects of this fossil that are visible under ultraviolet (UV) light. In contrast to previous studies, we show that most of the vertebral column of the Berlin Archaeopteryx possesses intraosseous pneumaticity, and that pneumatic structures also extend beyond the anterior thoracic vertebrae in other specimens of Archaeopteryx.

Spray-dried plasma deficient in high-molecular-weight multimers of von Willebrand factor retains hemostatic properties.

Background: Dried plasmas can overcome logistical barriers that prevent fresh frozen plasma (FFP) usage in acute resuscitation, but processing of these products can detrimentally alter the composition. Spray-dried plasma (SpDP) from single units is deficient in high-molecular-weight multimers of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a critical facilitator of platelet adhesion and thrombus formation. We hypothesized that converting high-molecular-weight multimers to smaller-molecular-weight multimers would retain vWF's capacity to mediate platelet adhesion.

Single-donor spray-dried plasma.

Background: Dried plasma is logistically superior for hemostasis management because it can be transported and stored under nonfrozen conditions and quickly reconstituted at the point of care, enabling prehospital administration. Velico Medical has developed a spray-drying system to be integrated into routine blood center work streams for spray drying single donor plasma units. This study compared the quality of the spray-dried plasma (on-demand plasma [ODP]) with fresh frozen plasma (FFP).

sternal and shoulder girdle mobility increase stride length during high walks.

Crocodilians have played a significant role in evolutionary studies of archosaurs. Given that several major shifts in forelimb function occur within Archosauria, forelimb morphologies of living crocodilians are of particular importance in assessing locomotor evolutionary scenarios. A previous X-ray investigation of walking alligators revealed substantial movement of the shoulder girdle, but as the sternal cartilages do not show up in X-ray, the source of the mobility could not be conclusively determined.

Molecular composition and ultrastructure of Jurassic paravian feathers.

Feathers are amongst the most complex epidermal structures known, and they have a well-documented evolutionary trajectory across non-avian dinosaurs and basal birds. Moreover, melanosome-like microbodies preserved in association with fossil plumage have been used to reconstruct original colour, behaviour and physiology. However, these putative ancient melanosomes might alternatively represent microorganismal residues, a conflicting interpretation compounded by a lack of unambiguous chemical data.

New evidence on the colour and nature of the isolated Archaeopteryx feather.

Archaeopteryx has been regarded as an icon of evolution ever since its discovery from the Late Jurassic limestone deposits of Solnhofen, Germany in 1861. Here we report the first evidence of colour from Archaeopteryx based on fossilized colour-imparting melanosomes discovered in this isolated feather specimen. Using a phylogenetically diverse database of extant bird feathers, statistical analysis of melanosome morphology predicts that the original colour of this Archaeopteryx feather was black, with 95% probability.

Early warning system for West Nile virus risk areas, California, USA.

The Dynamic Continuous-Area Space-Time (DYCAST) system is a biologically based spatiotemporal model that uses public reports of dead birds to identify areas at high risk for West Nile virus (WNV) transmission to humans. In 2005, during a statewide epidemic of WNV (880 cases), the California Department of Public Health prospectively implemented DYCAST over 32,517 km2 in California. Daily risk maps were made available online and used by local agencies to target public education campaigns, surveillance, and mosquito control.

Efficacy of aerial spraying of mosquito adulticide in reducing incidence of West Nile Virus, California, 2005.

Epidemic transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) in Sacramento County, California, in 2005 prompted aerial application of pyrethrin, a mosquito adulticide, over a large urban area. Statistical analyses of geographic information system datasets indicated that adulticiding reduced the number of human WNV cases within 2 treated areas compared with the untreated area of the county. When we adjusted for maximum incubation period of the virus from infection to onset of symptoms, no new cases were reported in either of the treated areas after adulticiding; 18 new cases were reported in the untreated area of Sacramento County during this time.