scholarly journals Evaluation of pigmentation gene knock-outs by CRISPR as potential targets for the genetic engineering of Culex quinquefasciatus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuechun Feng ◽  
Lukas Kambic ◽  
Jared H.K. Nishimoto ◽  
Floyd A. Reed ◽  
Jai A. Denton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Genetic Engineering ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Targeted Mutagenesis ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Animal Pathogens

AbstractCulex mosquitoes are a globally widespread vector of several human and animal pathogens. Their biology and behavior allow them to thrive in proximity to urban areas, rendering them a constant public health threat. Their mixed bird/mammal feeding behavior further offers a vehicle for zoonotic pathogens transmission to people, and separately, poses a conservation threat to insular bird species. The advent of CRISPR has led to the development of novel technologies for the genetic engineering of wild mosquito populations, yet research in Culex has been lagging compared to other disease vectors, with only a few reports testing the functionality of CRISPR in these species. Here we use this tool to disrupt a set of five pigmentation genes in Culex quinquefasciatus that when altered, lead to visible, homozygous-viable phenotypes. We further validate our approach on two distinct strains of Culex quinquefasciatus that are relevant to potential future public health and bird conservation applications. Lastly, we generate a double-mutant line, demonstrating the possibility of combining multiple such mutations in a single individual. Our work provides a platform of five validated loci that could be used for targeted mutagenesis for research in Culex quinquefasciatus aimed at the development of genetic suppression strategies for this species. Furthermore, the mutant lines generated here could have widespread utility to the research community using this model organism, as they could be used as targets for transgene delivery, where a copy of the disrupted gene could be included as an easily-scored transgenesis marker.

Urban Greening and Human-Wildlife Relations in Philadelphia: From Animal Control to Multispecies Coexistence?

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Hunold
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Runoff ◽  
Urban Wildlife ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Animal Control

City-scale urban greening is expanding wildlife habitat in previously less hospitable urban areas. Does this transformation also prompt a reckoning with the longstanding idea that cities are places intended to satisfy primarily human needs? I pose this question in the context of one of North America's most ambitious green infrastructure programmes to manage urban runoff: Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters. Given that the city's green infrastructure plans have little to say about wildlife, I investigate how wild animals fit into urban greening professionals' conceptions of the urban. I argue that practitioners relate to urban wildlife via three distinctive frames: 1) animal control, 2) public health and 3) biodiversity, and explore the implications of each for peaceful human-wildlife coexistence in 'greened' cities.

scholarly journals Using Bayesian Belief Networks to assess the influence of landscape connectivity on ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies in urban landscapes in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Karimi ◽  
Jim A. Harris ◽  
Ron Corstanje
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bayesian Belief Networks ◽  
Belief Networks ◽  
Patch Area ◽  
Trade Offs

Abstract Context Landscape connectivity is assumed to influence ecosystem service (ES) trade-offs and synergies. However, empirical studies of the effect of landscape connectivity on ES trade-offs and synergies are limited, especially in urban areas where the interactions between patterns and processes are complex. Objectives The objectives of this study were to use a Bayesian Belief Network approach to (1) assess whether functional connectivity drives ES trade-offs and synergies in urban areas and (2) assess the influence of connectivity on the supply of ESs. Methods We used circuit theory to model urban bird flow of P. major and C. caeruleus at a 2 m spatial resolution in Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, UK, and Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) to assess the sensitivity of ES trade-offs and synergies model outputs to landscape and patch structural characteristics (patch area, connectivity and bird species abundance). Results We found that functional connectivity was the most influential variable in determining two of three ES trade-offs and synergies. Patch area and connectivity exerted a strong influence on ES trade-offs and synergies. Low patch area and low to moderately low connectivity were associated with high levels of ES trade-offs and synergies. Conclusions This study demonstrates that landscape connectivity is an influential determinant of ES trade-offs and synergies and supports the conviction that larger and better-connected habitat patches increase ES provision. A BBN approach is proposed as a feasible method of ES trade-off and synergy prediction in complex landscapes. Our findings can prove to be informative for urban ES management.

scholarly journals Cooling tower plume abatement and plume modeling: a review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo Li ◽  
M. R. Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Cooling Tower ◽  
Plume Rise ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Moist Air ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Plume Modeling ◽  
Dry Cooling Tower ◽  
Dry Cooling

AbstractVisible plumes above wet cooling towers are of great concern due to the associated aesthetic and environmental impacts. The parallel path wet/dry cooling tower is one of the most commonly used approaches for plume abatement, however, the associated capital cost is usually high due to the addition of the dry coils. Recently, passive technologies, which make use of free solar energy or the latent heat of the hot, moist air rising through the cooling tower fill, have been proposed to minimize or abate the visible plume and/or conserve water. In this review, we contrast established versus novel technologies and give a perspective on the relative merits and demerits of each. Of course, no assessment of the severity of a visible plume can be made without first understanding its atmospheric trajectory. To this end, numerous attempts, being either theoretical or numerical or experimental, have been proposed to predict plume behavior in atmospheres that are either uniform versus density-stratified or still versus windy (whether highly-turbulent or not). Problems of particular interests are plume rise/deflection, condensation and drift deposition, the latter consideration being a concern of public health due to the possible transport and spread of Legionella bacteria.

scholarly journals Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) survivorship following the ingestion of bird blood infected with Haemoproteus sp. parasites

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dayvion R. Adams ◽  
Andrew J. Golnar ◽  
Sarah A. Hamer ◽  
Michel A. Slotman ◽  
Gabriel L. Hamer
Keyword(s):  
Survival Time ◽  
Median Survival ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Median Survival Time ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Negative Controls

AbstractArthropod vectors are frequently exposed to a diverse assemblage of parasites, but the consequence of these infections on their biology and behavior are poorly understood. We experimentally evaluated whether the ingestion of a common protozoan parasite of avian hosts (Haemoproteus spp.; Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) impacted the survivorship of Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae). Blood was collected from wild northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) in College Station, Texas, and screened for the presence of Haemoproteus spp. parasites using microscopic and molecular methods. Experimental groups of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were offered Haemoproteus-positive cardinal blood through an artificial feeding apparatus, while control groups received Haemoproteus-negative cardinal blood or domestic canary (Serinus canaria domestica) blood. Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes exposed to Haemoproteus infected cardinal blood survived significantly fewer days than mosquitoes that ingested Haemoproteus-negative cardinal blood. The survival of mosquitoes fed on positive cardinal blood had a median survival time of 18 days post-exposure and the survival of mosquitoes fed on negative cardinal blood exceeded 50% across the 30 day observation period. Additionally, mosquitoes that fed on canary controls survived significantly fewer days than cardinal negative controls, with canary control mosquitoes having a median survival time of 17 days. This study further supports prior observations that Haemoproteus parasites can be pathogenic to bird-biting mosquitoes, and suggests that Haemoproteus parasites may indirectly suppress the transmission of co-circulating vector-borne pathogens by modulating vector survivorship. Our results also suggest that even in the absence of parasite infection, bloodmeals from different bird species can influence mosquito survivorship.

scholarly journals Engaging general population: Vaccine confidence, communication and mandatory law

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P L Lopalco
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Vaccine Confidence

Abstract Hesitancy is defined as the reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated even in case of vaccine availability and is included by the WHO among the top ten threats to global health. Vaccine confidence is an essential component of the hesitancy. Fear of adverse events and lack of trust in vaccine efficacy discourage the public and drive them toward the choice of refusal. Misinformation and lack of effective communication strategies may seriously jeopardize vaccination programmes. Providing effective communication requires specific competencies that often are not part of the common core competencies of those involved in vaccination programmes. In particular, the rapid evolution of the communication environment due to novel technologies makes the task even more difficult. The general population in order to comply with the official vaccine recommendation throughout the life course is therefore a complex task. In the presence of worrying signals of lack of vaccine confidence, public health decision can be driven by emergency decisions rather than investing in mid-terms communication programmes. Vaccination mandates are public health measures that are proven to be effective in increasing vaccine uptake. Increasing anti-vaccine sentiment may be a potential negative trade-off. For this reason, the introduction of vaccination mandates should be combined with a structured communication strategy. In addition, vaccine sentiment should be actively monitored when any change in vaccine offer policy is implemented.

The consequences of selective logging for Bornean lowland forest birds

1992 ◽  
Vol 335 (1275) ◽  
pp. 443-457 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Forest Birds ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Dipterocarp Forest ◽  
Logged Forest ◽  
Lowland Dipterocarp Forest

In lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah, Malaysia, most primary forest bird species were present in areas selectively logged eight years previously. However, certain taxa, notably flycatchers, woodpeckers, trogons and wren-babblers, became comparatively rare. In contrast, nectarivorous and opportunistic frugivorous species were significantly more abundant. Few species appeared to change foraging height, but netting rates suggest that the activity of some species had increased, or that some birds ranged over larger areas after logging. Although there is still much to be learned about the survival of birds in logged forest, large areas of this habitat are important for bird conservation. However, the susceptibility of logged forest to fire, and our present incomplete understanding of bird behaviour and population dynamics in logged forests mean that they should not be considered by conservationists as alternatives to reserves of primary forest.

Diversity, status and habitat usage of avifauna at sadar upazila, magura, Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-456
Author(s):  
Ashikur Rahman Shome ◽  
Md Mahabub Alam ◽  
Md Fazle Rabbe ◽  
Mohammad Mijanur Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Firoj Jaman
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Common Myna ◽  
Rural And Urban

A study on diversity, status, and habitat preference of avifauna was conducted from November 2017 to October 2018 in Magura Sadar upazila, Magura. Data was collected through direct field observations using line-transect method. Field surveys were made for three days per month in both rural and urban sites. A total of 140 species of birds belonged to 18 orders and 48 families were reported. Among the total species, 55% (77 species) were non-passerines and 45% (63 species) passerines with the highest individuals were counted under order Passeriformes. Resident bird species were dominant (106 species, 75.71%) over migratory (34 species, 24.28%) species. Species richness was the highest in the rural areas (124 species, 88.57%) and occurrence was the highest in winter season (97 species, 69.29%). The maximum species were recorded from trees (87 species, 62.14%) as preferred habitat. In this study, in total 4,060 individuals of birds were counted and among them, 51.55% (n=2093) were observed in the rural areas and 48.45% (n=1967) were in the urban areas. The highest number of birds was found in December (10.34%, n=432) and seasonal abundance was the highest in winter (40.15%, n=1630). Abundance was the highest for Common Myna (5.76%, n=234) among all recorded species. Diversity indices showed that the bird species were the most diverse in the rural areas in the winter season and in July. Habitat diversity indices were the highest for trees and birds used different types of habitats at different times for roosting, breeding and feeding. Regarding the observation status, 29.28% species was very common, 4.28% common, 31.42% fairly common, and 35% were few. This baseline data indicate that this study site is significant from the ecological and conservation point of views. Therefore, further research is necessary to understand how this avian diversity is maintained in this ecological setting. Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 441-456, 2020

scholarly journals Africanized honeybees in urban areas: a public health concern

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Zaluski ◽  
Samir Moura Kadri ◽  
Edison Antonio de Souza ◽  
Valdinei Moraes Campanucci da Silva ◽  
Juliane Reis Campanucci da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Africanized Honeybees

scholarly journals Rise-Up mist-netting (RUM): a mobile protocol for trapping wary territorial birds

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. e20216110
Author(s):  
Paulo Sérgio Amorim ◽  
Mariana Fonseca Rossi ◽  
André de Camargo Guaraldo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
General Public ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Limited Space ◽  
Trapping Methods ◽  
Visual Impacts

Many bird species avoid traditional traps such as mist nets, thus alternative trapping methods are often needed. The Rufous Hornero (Furnariidae: Furnarius rufus) is one such species that was captured so far using conventional mist netting in rural areas or using nest-targeted traps, which risk nest damage and abandonment. Here we describe the novel rise-up mist-netting (RUM) protocol and its catchability for the wary and territorial Rufous Hornero in an urban area. The RUM trap allowed us quickly capturing 40 Rufous Hornero individuals even in paved parking lots and streets during the bird’s breeding period. The RUM is an active and targeted protocol that demands a single and quickly trainable field assistant. Therefore, it should also enable the capture of many understudied territorial but wary species. Moreover, it has enough mobility to fit studies in urban areas, and whenever researchers may deal with limited space and, at the same time, should reduce negative visual impacts to the general public of birds’ capturing and banding procedures.

scholarly journals REGIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ALCOHOLIC DEPENDENCE SYNDROME

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85
Author(s):  
Raisa Ya. Khamitova ◽  
D. V. Loskutov
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Chronic Alcoholism ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Alcohol Dependence Syndrome

Introduction. There are variable patterns of alcohol consumption in Russia that differ significantly between the regions. Awareness and knowledge of those regional differences are key to the effectiveness of measures to prevent and minimise possible damage to public health caused by alcohol consumption. The purpose. To identify regional characteristics of the dynamics of alcoholism and alcoholic psychosis and dependencies with indicators of the implementation and consumption of alcohol in Mari El in 2006-2017. Material and methods. In a retrospective analysis, they included state statistics and bulletins of the Office of Rospotrebnadzor on RME on the primary incidence and prevalence of alcohol dependence syndrome, chronic alcoholism, AP, acute alcohol poisoning, sales of alcohol through a distribution network in 2006-2017. Results. In the reported period of 2006-2017 there was a decline in determination coefficient (R2) from 0.76 to 0.96 for newly diagnosed cases of alcohol dependence in general, alcoholic psychosis and alcoholism in Mari El. There was a significant decline from 221.6 to 47.5 per 100 thousand in the range of values between regions, but higher rates remained among the rural and urban areas (p = 0.0002). The dynamics of the prevalence of alcoholic psychotic disorders and alcoholism were also on decline. Conclusion. The direction and extent of changes in the medical consequences of alcohol consumption (such as primary morbidity and prevalence of alcohol dependence syndrome, alcoholic psychosis and alcoholism, average duration of the course, number of alcoholic psychosis) in the region and indicators of the implementation and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the reported period can be evaluated as positive. It is crucial to ensure the positive trend in the alcohol consumption pattern and impact on public health in the region becomes a long-lasting one. At the same time, it is necessary to increase attention to the assistance and treatment provided to drug users patient.

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