The impact of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) on enclosure populations of house mice (Mus domesticus)

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. N. Farroway ◽  
G. R. Singleton ◽  
M. A. Lawson ◽  
D. A. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Fertility Control ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Young Mice

Feral house mice are a significant agricultural pest in south-eastern Australia. Fertility control is favoured as a long-term control strategy, using murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) as a viral delivery system for an immunocontraceptive. We examined the impact of one and two non-sterilising field strains of MCMV on populations of house mice housed under semi-natural conditions. MCMV had no effect on the proportion of females pregnant or lactating or on the number of placental scars per female. However, females in enclosures with two strains of MCMV produced fewer litters. No impact of MCMV was detected on adult survival, with high survival (>95%) detected in all enclosures. Similar numbers of the first cohort of young entered the trappable population of all enclosures. There was no significant impact of MCMV on survival of young mice, although there was a trend for reduced numbers of the second cohort of young and less successful recruitment in enclosures with two strains of MCMV. The two cohorts of young mice in enclosures with MCMV had poorer body condition. These impacts of infection on young mice imply that MCMV may have negative effects on survival only when the host immune system is not fully developed or the host is immunocompromised. Overall, there was no effect of MCMV on the rate of increase of the mouse populations. Therefore, the effects of MCMV were minor at a demographic level, confirming the suitability of an Australian field strain of MCMV as a vector for an immunocontraceptive of mice.

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infections in house mice: a matter of age or sex?

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Jacob ◽  
Duncan R. Sutherland
Keyword(s):  
Fertility Control ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Agricultural Pest ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Old Mice

The murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) may be used as a vector for fertility control in house mice, which are a significant agricultural pest in south-eastern Australia. The transmission of MCMV can be density dependent and is mostly subclinical in its effect on mice; however, little is known about which individual parameters influence whether an animal is likely to be infected or not.We examined the impact of age and reproductive history on seroprevalence of MCMV in house mice during the breeding season. MCMV seroprevalence was density dependent and there was a linear increase in seroprevalence with increasing age, starting at 25% for 1-month-old mice and 100% for all individuals older than five months. There was no clear indication that the number of previous pregnancies was related to MCMV seroprevalence.The high prevalence of MCMV among adult female house mice (84%) implies that an Australian field strain of MCMV could be a promising vector for an immunocontraceptive for house mice.

Predicting the effect of immunocontraceptive recombinant murine cytomegalovirus on population outbreaks of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) in mallee wheatlands

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Arthur ◽  
R. P. Pech ◽  
G. R. Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Single Strain ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Population Outbreak ◽  
Successful Control

Virally vectored immunocontraception using a modified murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is being developed for the control of house mice in Australia. In this paper, we develop disease–host models using a combination of laboratory and field data. We then combine these models with a model of a previous mouse population outbreak to explore the likely effectiveness of modified MCMV for controlling mice. Models of homogeneous mixing with and without vertical/pseudovertical transmission provided reasonable fits to field serological data collected during the onset and development of a mouse population outbreak in south-eastern Australia. Both models include the high transmission rate of MCMV suggested by the data. We found no strong support for non-linear contact rates or heterogeneous mixing. When applied to a past outbreak of mice both models gave similar results and suggested that immunocontraceptive MCMV could be effective at reducing agricultural damage to acceptable levels. Successful control was still possible when lags in the development of infertility of up to 10 weeks were added to the model, provided high levels of infertility were achieved. These lags were added because mice can become pregnant just before becoming infertile – the resultant litter would not emerge for 6–7 weeks. Trade-offs between two parameters that could be altered by engineering strains of MCMV – the level of infertility in infected mice and the virus transmission rate – were explored and suggest that a variety of parameter combinations could produce successful control. Our results are encouraging for the future development of virally vectored immunocontraception control of house mice, but future work will need to consider some of the assumptions of these single-strain models.

The transmission rate of MCMV in house mice in pens: implications for virally vectored immunocontraception

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 386 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Arthur ◽  
C. J. Krebs ◽  
R. P. Pech ◽  
L. N. Farroway ◽  
G. R. Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Wild Mouse ◽  
Fertility Control ◽  
Murine Cytomegalovirus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Recombinant Viruses ◽  
Economic Thresholds ◽  
Rapid Transmission ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Free Ranging

Pest mammals have severe economic, environmental and social impacts throughout the world. Fertility control could reduce these impacts. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is being considered as an immunocontraceptive vector to control outbreaks of house mice (Mus domesticus) in Australian grain-growing regions. For successful control, a modified MCMV must transmit at a sufficient rate to keep populations of house mice below acceptable economic thresholds. We used disease models developed previously by using observations of free-ranging wild-mouse populations to assess the transmission rate of two laboratory strains of MCMV (N1 and G4) collected in a previous experiment. Mice contained in pens were deliberately infected with the N1 strain only, or with the N1 strain followed by the G4 strain. If we assume density-dependent transmission, which is the more likely mode of transmission, we found the N1 strain of MCMV transmitted at a rate ~1/300 of the rate of field strains, and hence too slowly for successful virally vectored immunocontraception (VVIC). If transmission was frequency-dependent, the rate of transmission was ~1/3 of the rate of field strains, and hence may allow successful VVIC. The G4 strain transmitted at least as slowly as the N1 strain, and possibly much more slowly; however, we could not determine whether this was an inherent property of the G4 strain or whether it was caused by competition with the N1 strain. Given the reliance of successful VVIC on rapid transmission, we recommend that future work in any VVIC system explicitly quantifies the transmission rate of recombinant viruses relative to field strains, both in the presence and absence of competing strains.

scholarly journals Mouse eradication is required to prevent local extinction of an endangered seabird on an oceanic island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Jones ◽  
Michelle M. Risi ◽  
Alexis M. Osborne ◽  
Peter G. Ryan ◽  
Steffen Oppel
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Gough Island ◽  
Invasive Mammals ◽  
Population Trajectory ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPetrels (Procellariidae) are a highly diverse family of seabirds, many of which are globally threatened due to the impact of invasive species on breeding populations. While predation by invasive cats and rats has led to the extinction of petrel populations, the impact of invasive house mice Mus musculus is slower and less well documented. However, mice impact small burrow-nesting species such as MacGillivray’s prion Pachyptila macgillivrayi, a species classified as endangered because it has been extirpated on islands in the Indian Ocean by introduced rodents. We use historic abundance data and demographic monitoring data from 2014 to 2020 to predict the population trajectory of MacGillivray’s prion on Gough Island with and without a mouse eradication using a stochastic integrated population model. Given very low annual breeding success (0.01 fledglings per breeding pair in ‘poor’ years (83%) or 0.38 in ‘good’ years (17%), n = 320 nests over 6 years) mainly due to mouse predation, our model predicted that the population collapsed from ~3.5 million pairs in 1956 to an estimated 175,000 pairs in 2020 despite reasonably high adult survival probability (ϕ = 0.901). Based on these parameters, the population is predicted to decline at a rate of 9% per year over the next 36 years without a mouse eradication, with a 31% probability that by 2057 the MacGillivray’ prion population would become extremely vulnerable to extinction. Our models predict population stability (λ = 1.01) and a lower extinction risk (<10%) if mouse eradication on Gough Island restores annual breeding success to 0.519, which is in line with that of closely-related species on predator-free islands. This study demonstrates the devastating impacts that introduced house mice can have on small burrowing petrels and highlights the urgency to eradicate invasive mammals from oceanic islands.

Fertility control of mammal pests and the conservation of endangered marsupials

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. E. Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Intrinsic Rate ◽  
Fertility Control ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Intrinsic Rate Of Increase ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Birth Rates ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Average Size

Populations are bounded by negative feedbacks operating through fertility or mortality, termedpopulation regulation. If fertility is artificially reduced, the average size of the population is also reduced, but only under certain conditions. If (i) juvenile survival or (ii) adult survival improve due to lower fertility, or (iii) territoriality limits populations, the effects of lower birth rate will not change population size unless such reduction exceeds the effects of these processes. Published data on population trends and birth rates have allowed a comparison among species of instantaneous rates of change. The intrinsic rate of increase, rm, and population variability are both related to body size, because birth rates and survivorship are also related to body size. These rates are trade-offs as adaptations. Populations of species in exotic habitats may fluctuate more than when they are in their indigenous habitats. Fertility control could reduce such fluctations. Marsupials have lower birth rates than eutherians, and so rely more on survivorship, perhaps as an adaptation to unpredictable environments. Compromising survival by either habitat change or increased predation will affect marsupials more than eutherians. This explains why many marsupial populations are declining towards extinction.

Nitrogen rate and timing effects on growth and yield of drill-sown rice

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (11) ◽  
pp. 1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. W. Dunn ◽  
T. S. Dunn ◽  
B. A. Orchard
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
N Recovery ◽  
Rice Varieties ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Yield Increase ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
The Impact

Eight rice experiments were established at two sites in the Riverina district of south-eastern Australia in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons. Two semi-dwarf rice varieties were drill-sown and nitrogen (N) fertiliser (urea) was applied at different rates at the 4-leaf stage before permanent water (pre-PW) and at panicle initiation (PI). The research assessed the impact of timing of N application on grain yield, compared the apparent N recovery of N fertiliser applied at the two stages, and determined an application strategy for N to obtain consistently high grain yields for current, semi-dwarf rice varieties when drill-sown. The apparent N recoveries achieved were 59% for N applied pre-PW and 25% for N applied at PI, averaged across years, sites, varieties and N rates. Grain yield increased significantly with increased rate of N applied at both stages, but the rate of increase from N applied at PI decreased as the rate of N applied pre-PW increased. The grain yield increase for N applied pre-PW was due to increased number of panicles at maturity and increased number of florets per panicle. Nitrogen applied at PI increased dry matter at maturity and number of florets per panicle. Application of N at PI increased grain yield over that when no N was applied; however, at low PI N-uptake levels, application of N at PI is not enough to achieve high grain yields. Therefore, sufficient N should be available to the crop from a combination of soil- and pre-PW-applied N for the crop to reach a level of N uptake at PI whereby high yields can be achieved. Nitrogen applied at PI did not appear to increase the potential for cold-induced floret sterility as much as pre-PW-applied N. Further research is required to confirm this in other seasons and for other rice varieties.

scholarly journals Cognitive decline in patients with prostate cancer: study protocol of a prospective cohort, NEON-PC

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e043844
Author(s):  
Natalia Araujo ◽  
Samantha Morais ◽  
Ana Rute Costa ◽  
Raquel Braga ◽  
Ana Filipa Carneiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Cardiovascular Complications ◽  
Androgen Deprivation ◽  
High Survival ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionProstate cancer is the most prevalent oncological disease among men in industrialised countries. Despite the high survival rates, treatments are often associated with adverse effects, including metabolic and cardiovascular complications, sexual dysfunction and, to a lesser extent, cognitive decline. This study was primarily designed to evaluate the trajectories of cognitive performance in patients with prostate cancer, and to quantify the impact of the disease and its treatments on the occurrence of cognitive decline.MethodsParticipants will be recruited from two main hospitals providing care to approximately half of the patients with prostate cancer in Northern Portugal (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto and São João Hospital Centre), and will comprise a cohort of recently diagnosed patients with prostate cancer proposed for different treatment plans, including: (1) radical prostatectomy; (2) brachytherapy and/or radiotherapy; (3) radiotherapy in combination with androgen deprivation therapy and (4) androgen deprivation therapy (with or without chemotherapy). Recruitment began in February 2018 and is expected to continue until the first semester of 2021. Follow-up evaluations will be conducted at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. Sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics, anxiety and depression, health literacy, health status, quality of life, and sleep quality will be assessed. Blood pressure and anthropometrics will be measured, and a fasting blood sample will be collected. Participants’ cognitive performance will be evaluated before treatments and throughout follow-up (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Cube Test as well as Brain on Track for remote monitoring). All participants suspected of cognitive impairment will undergo neuropsychological tests and clinical observation by a neurologist.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospitals involved. All participants will provide written informed consent, and study procedures will be developed to ensure data protection and confidentiality. Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation in scientific meetings.

scholarly journals Impact of aging on gene expression response to x-ray irradiation using mouse blood

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantinos G. Broustas ◽  
Axel J. Duval ◽  
Sally A. Amundson
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Differentially Expressed Genes ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Gene Expression Response ◽  
X Ray ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Old Mice ◽  
Radiation Biodosimetry ◽  
Young Mice

AbstractAs a radiation biodosimetry tool, gene expression profiling is being developed using mouse and human peripheral blood models. The impact of dose, dose-rate, and radiation quality has been studied with the goal of predicting radiological tissue injury. In this study, we determined the impact of aging on the gene expression profile of blood from mice exposed to radiation. Young (2 mo) and old (21 mo) male mice were irradiated with 4 Gy x-rays, total RNA was isolated from whole blood 24 h later, and subjected to whole genome microarray analysis. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed young mice responded to x-ray exposure by significantly upregulating pathways involved in apoptosis and phagocytosis, a process that eliminates apoptotic cells and preserves tissue homeostasis. In contrast, the functional annotation of senescence was overrepresented among differentially expressed genes from irradiated old mice without enrichment of phagocytosis pathways. Pathways associated with hematologic malignancies were enriched in irradiated old mice compared with irradiated young mice. The fibroblast growth factor signaling pathway was underrepresented in older mice under basal conditions. Similarly, brain-related functions were underrepresented in unirradiated old mice. Thus, age-dependent gene expression differences should be considered when developing gene signatures for use in radiation biodosimetry.

scholarly journals Coastal flood risk within a peri-urban area: SUSSEX Inlet district, SE Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. F. Asbridge ◽  
D. Low Choy ◽  
B. Mackey ◽  
S. Serrao-Neumann ◽  
P. Taygfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Extreme Rainfall Events ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Planning Strategies ◽  
Natural Resource Managers

AbstractThe peri-urban interface (PUI) exhibits characteristic qualities of both urban and rural regions, and this complexity has meant that risk assessments and long-term planning for PUI are lagging, despite these areas representing new developing settlement frontiers. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by modifying an existing approach to quantify and assess flood risk. The risk triangle framework was used to map exposure, vulnerability and biophysical variables; however, in a novel application, the risk triangle framework was adapted by presuming that there is a variation in the degree of exposure, vulnerability and biophysical variables. Within Australia and globally, PUIs are often coastal, and flood risk associated with rainfall and coastal inundation poses considerable risk to communities in the PUI; these risks will be further exacerbated should projections of increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and accelerating sea-level rise eventuate. An indicator-based approach using the risk triangle framework that maps flood hazard, exposure and vulnerability was used to integrate the biophysical and socio-economic flooding risk for communities in PUI of the St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet catchments of south-eastern Australia. Integrating the flood risk triangle with future scenarios of demographic and climate change, and considering factors that contribute to PUI flood risk, facilitated the identification of planning strategies that would reduce the future rate of increase in flood risk. These planning strategies are useful for natural resource managers and land use planners across Australia and globally, who are tasked with balancing socio-economic prosperity for a changing population, whilst maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services and values. The indicator-based approach used in this study provides a cost-effective first-pass risk assessment and is a valuable tool for decision makers planning for flood risk across PUIs in NSW and globally.

scholarly journals The Microbiotic Highway to Health—New Perspective on Food Structure, Gut Microbiota, and Host Inflammation

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Hansen ◽  
Anette Sams
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Gut Hormones ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Inflammatory Conditions ◽  
Food Structure ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

This review provides evidence that not only the content of nutrients but indeed the structural organization of nutrients is a major determinant of human health. The gut microbiota provides nutrients for the host by digesting food structures otherwise indigestible by human enzymes, thereby simultaneously harvesting energy and delivering nutrients and metabolites for the nutritional and biological benefit of the host. Microbiota-derived nutrients, metabolites, and antigens promote the development and function of the host immune system both directly by activating cells of the adaptive and innate immune system and indirectly by sustaining release of monosaccharides, stimulating intestinal receptors and secreting gut hormones. Multiple indirect microbiota-dependent biological responses contribute to glucose homeostasis, which prevents hyperglycemia-induced inflammatory conditions. The composition and function of the gut microbiota vary between individuals and whereas dietary habits influence the gut microbiota, the gut microbiota influences both the nutritional and biological homeostasis of the host. A healthy gut microbiota requires the presence of beneficial microbiotic species as well as vital food structures to ensure appropriate feeding of the microbiota. This review focuses on the impact of plant-based food structures, the “fiber-encapsulated nutrient formulation”, and on the direct and indirect mechanisms by which the gut microbiota participate in host immune function.

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