scholarly journals Swarming Behavior in Anopheles gambiae (sensu lato): Current Knowledge and Future Outlook

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowida Baeshen
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae S.L ◽  
Swarming Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Swarm Size

Abstract Effective management of insect disease vectors requires a detailed understanding of their ecology and behavior. In Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) (Diptera: Culicidae) mating occurs during swarming, but knowledge of their mating behavior under natural conditions is limited. Mosquitoes mate in flight over specific landmarks, known as swarm markers, at particular locations. Swarms consist of males; the females usually approach the swarm and depart following copulation. The number of mating pairs per swarm is closely associated with swarm size. The shape and height of swarm markers vary and may depend on the environmental conditions at the swarm’s location. Male–male interactions in mosquito swarms with similar levels of attractive flight activity can offer a mating advantage to some individuals. Flight tone is used by mosquitoes to recognize the other sex and choose a desirable mate. Clarifying these and other aspects of mosquito reproductive behavior can facilitate the development of population control measures that target swarming sites. This review describes what is currently known about swarming behavior in Anopheles gambiae s.l., including swarm characteristics; mating within and outside of swarms, insemination in females, and factors affecting and stimulating swarming.

scholarly journals Assessing the acoustic behaviour of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) dsxF mutants: implications for vector control

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Su ◽  
Marcos Georgiades ◽  
Judit Bagi ◽  
Kyros Kyrou ◽  
Andrea Crisanti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Gene Drive ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae S.L ◽  
Female Genotype ◽  
Female Specific ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dose Dependent

Abstract Background Release of gene-drive mutants to suppress Anopheles mosquito reproduction is a promising method of malaria control. However, many scientific, regulatory and ethical questions remain before transgenic mosquitoes can be utilised in the field. At a behavioural level, gene-drive carrying mutants should be at least as sexually attractive as the wildtype populations they compete against, with a key element of Anopheles copulation being acoustic courtship. We analysed sound emissions and acoustic preference in a doublesex mutant previously used to collapse Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) cages. Methods Anopheles rely on flight tones produced by the beating of their wings for acoustic mating communication. We assessed the impact of disrupting a female-specific isoform of the doublesex gene (dsxF) on the wing beat frequency (WBF; measured as flight tone) of males (XY) and females (XX) in homozygous dsxF− mutants (dsxF−/−), heterozygous dsxF− carriers (dsxF+/−) and G3 dsxF+ controls (dsxF+/+). To exclude non-genetic influences, we controlled for temperature and wing length. We used a phonotaxis assay to test the acoustic preferences of mutant and control mosquitoes. Results A previous study showed an altered phenotype only for dsxF−/− females, who appear intersex, suggesting that the female-specific dsxF allele is haplosufficient. We identified significant, dose-dependent increases in the WBF of both dsxF−/− and dsxF+/− females compared to dsxF+/+ females. All female WBFs remained significantly lower than male equivalents, though. Males showed stronger phonotactic responses to the WBFs of control dsxF+/+ females than to those of dsxF+/− and dsxF−/− females. We found no evidence of phonotaxis in any female genotype. No male genotypes displayed any deviations from controls. Conclusions A prerequisite for anopheline copulation is the phonotactic attraction of males towards female flight tones within mating swarms. Reductions in mutant acoustic attractiveness diminish their mating efficiency and thus the efficacy of population control efforts. Caged population assessments may not successfully reproduce natural mating scenarios. We propose to amend existing testing protocols to better reflect competition between mutants and target populations. Our findings confirm that dsxF disruption has no effect on males; for some phenotypic traits, such as female WBFs, the effects of dsxF appear dose-dependent rather than haplosufficient.

scholarly journals ICU nurses’ knowledge, attitude and behavior about ICU acquired weakness

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Mingming Li ◽  
Yanbin Pan
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Attitude Score ◽  
Previous Exposure ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Icu Acquired Weakness ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

Background and objective: Intensive care unit (ICU) acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is muscle weakness caused by neuromuscular dysfunction, which can cause muscle mass and muscle strength decline, and is one of the common complications of ICU. ICU-AW can affect patients' daily activities and long-term quality of life. We sought to understand the current knowledge, attitude and behavior of ICU nurses relative to ICU-AW, and analyze the factors influencing the knowledge, attitude and behavior.Methods: Design: A cross-sectional survey. A survey was conducted of 236 ICU nurses using a self-designed questionnaire.Results: The knowledge, attitude and behavior scores of ICU nurses were 17.05 ± 6.003, 17.47 ± 5.538 and 19.84 ± 5.100, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that education level, previous exposure to ICU-AW and ICU-AW-related knowledge were the three factors affecting ICU nurses' knowledge of ICU-AW. Education level and previous exposure to ICU-AW were the two factors affecting attitude. Education level and ICU-AW-related knowledge were the factors influencing nurses’ behavior (p < .05).Conclusions: ICU nurses have a lower knowledge and attitude score on ICU-AW and a higher score on ICU-AW intervention practice. Relevance to clinical practice: ICU nurses need to acquire more theoretical knowledge and deepen their understanding of ICU-AW, so as to prevent the incidence of ICU-AW.

Current Status of Knowledge and Awareness of Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asirvatham Alwin Robert ◽  
Ahmad Dakeel Al Awad ◽  
Mohamed Abdulaziz Al Dawish
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
The Government

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease, and the complications may be life-threatening; however, with proper treatment and control measures, it can be very well-managed. Self-management training and education of diabetes are critical in diabetes care and management. It is essential that patients with diabetes must have a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the disease, risk factors, complications, and possible treatment modalities to attenuate the complications. Over the last few years, DM in Saudi Arabia has been rapidly growing at an alarming rate. It has affected around one-fifth of the adult population, and by 2030, the numbers are predicted to rise further and exceed more than double the present number. An estimated tenfold increase has been reported over the past three decades in Saudi Arabia. However, there has not been much research focusing on understanding the knowledge and awareness of DM in Saudi Arabia as compared to developed nations. This review aims to present an overview of the current knowledge and awareness level of DM among the population of Saudi Arabia through an extensive review of the currently available literature. The review findings could be of immense assistance to the government, healthcare systems, educational institutions, and researchers to develop evidence-based programs, policies, and guidelines towards increasing the knowledge and awareness about diabetes and its management, so that early detection and management can be ensured to control the escalating burden of diabetes, in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals Neuronal Cytoskeleton in Intellectual Disability: From Systems Biology and Modeling to Therapeutic Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 6167
Author(s):  
Carla Liaci ◽  
Mattia Camera ◽  
Giovanni Caslini ◽  
Simona Rando ◽  
Salvatore Contino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Systems Biology ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Pathological Condition ◽  
Hierarchical Arrangement ◽  
Worldwide Population ◽  
Id Genes ◽  
Effective Network ◽  
And Behavior

Intellectual disability (ID) is a pathological condition characterized by limited intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors. It affects 1–3% of the worldwide population, and no pharmacological therapies are currently available. More than 1000 genes have been found mutated in ID patients pointing out that, despite the common phenotype, the genetic bases are highly heterogeneous and apparently unrelated. Bibliomic analysis reveals that ID genes converge onto a few biological modules, including cytoskeleton dynamics, whose regulation depends on Rho GTPases transduction. Genetic variants exert their effects at different levels in a hierarchical arrangement, starting from the molecular level and moving toward higher levels of organization, i.e., cell compartment and functions, circuits, cognition, and behavior. Thus, cytoskeleton alterations that have an impact on cell processes such as neuronal migration, neuritogenesis, and synaptic plasticity rebound on the overall establishment of an effective network and consequently on the cognitive phenotype. Systems biology (SB) approaches are more focused on the overall interconnected network rather than on individual genes, thus encouraging the design of therapies that aim to correct common dysregulated biological processes. This review summarizes current knowledge about cytoskeleton control in neurons and its relevance for the ID pathogenesis, exploiting in silico modeling and translating the implications of those findings into biomedical research.

scholarly journals Effect of naturally occurring Wolbachia in Anopheles gambiae s.l. mosquitoes from Mali on Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (47) ◽  
pp. 12566-12571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio M. Gomes ◽  
Bretta L. Hixson ◽  
Miles D. W. Tyner ◽  
Jose Luis Ramirez ◽  
Gaspar E. Canepa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Malaria Transmission ◽  
Deleterious Effect ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria ◽  
Anopheles Coluzzii ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae S.L ◽  
Cat Fleas ◽  
Sporozoite Infection

A naturally occurring Wolbachia strain (wAnga-Mali) was identified in mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex collected in the Malian villages of Dangassa and Kenieroba. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequence of two 16S rRNA regions showed that wAnga-Mali clusters with Wolbachia strains from supergroup A and has the highest homology to a Wolbachia strain isolated from cat fleas (Ctenocephalides). wAnga-Mali is different from two Wolbachia strains previously reported in A. gambiae from Burkina Faso (wAnga_VK5_STP and wAnga_VK5_3.1a). Quantitative analysis of Wolbachia and Plasmodium sporozoite infection in field-collected mosquitoes indicates that the prevalence and intensity of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite infection is significantly lower in Wolbachia-infected females. The presence of Wolbachia in females from a laboratory Anopheles coluzzii (A. gambiae, M form) colony experimentally infected with P. falciparum (NF54 strain) gametocyte cultures slightly enhanced oocyst infection. However, Wolbachia infection significantly reduced the prevalence and intensity of sporozoite infection, as observed in the field. This indicates that wAnga-Mali infection does not limit early stages of Plasmodium infection in the mosquito, but it has a strong deleterious effect on sporozoites and reduces malaria transmission.

scholarly journals Multiple insecticide resistance mechanisms in Anopheles gambiae s.l. populations from Cameroon, Central Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Nwane ◽  
Josiane Etang ◽  
Mouhamadou Chouaїbou ◽  
Jean Claude Toto ◽  
Alphonsine Koffi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Insecticide Resistance ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae S.L

Studies on multiple feeding by Anopheles gambiae s.l. in a Sudan savanna area of north Nigeria

1979 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.F.L. Boreham ◽  
J.K. Lenahan ◽  
R. Boulzaguet ◽  
J. Storey ◽  
T.S Ashkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anopheles Gambiae ◽  
Anopheles Gambiae S.L ◽  
Multiple Feeding ◽  
Sudan Savanna
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document