Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lisa Couper, Andrew J. MacDonald, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in temperate zones, and climate change is expected to significantly impact disease incidence, particularly in the Northeast of the United States. Projections indicate a substantial increase in cases in the Northeast by 2050, but other regions are not projected to experience significant changes. The results emphasize the need for improved preparedness and public health interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change on Lyme disease burden.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Julia R. Brennan, Samantha Boychuck, Anthony John Washkwich, Henry John-Alder, Dina M. Fonseca
Summary: Forest thinning is a management practice used to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and manage wildlife. This study found that forest thinning resulted in warmer and drier microclimates, leading to a significant reduction in tick abundance. The results suggest that forest management strategies can effectively lower the risk of tick-borne diseases. Rating: 8/10.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna R. Pasternak, Subba R. Palli
Summary: Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, is increasing in prevalence each year. A study conducted in Kentucky, a non-endemic area, revealed a more than 300% increase in reported human cases from 2010 to 2019. Monitoring the distribution of infected ticks is crucial for effective prevention strategies and disease surveillance.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Entomology
Lucy Gilbert
Summary: Ticks are widespread and carry pathogens, impacting by climate change; tick-borne disease systems are complex with diverse drivers, modeling can help understand changes; future research should focus on assessing the resilience of ticks and tick-borne pathogens to climate change.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY, VOL 66, 2021
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Benjamin W. Borgmann-Winter, Kelly M. Oggenfuss, Richard S. Ostfeld
Summary: The study found that peak densities of nymphal black-legged ticks were strongly synchronous in oak and non-oak forests between years, while larval population dynamics were weakly synchronous between the two forest types. This suggests that factors influencing immature tick density in oak-dominant forests may also impact tick population fluctuations in the surrounding landscape.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jeff Hamik, Travis J. J. Bourret, Halie Smith, Molly Herman, Rachael Birn, Tammy Dawdy, Mona J. J. Zuffante, Matthew A. A. Donahue
Summary: In August 2021, two cases of Lyme disease were reported in Nebraska, with patients having local exposure to wooded areas. Epidemiological investigations confirmed that the two patients were exposed to ticks in adjacent wooded sites. Environmental investigations collected 12 ticks, identified as black-legged ticks, and found that 58.3% of them tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., the bacterium causing Lyme disease. This study documents the presence of I. scapularis ticks and the occurrence of local transmission of Lyme disease in Nebraska for the first time, highlighting the need for continued surveillance and monitoring.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Erin Hassett, Maria Diuk-Wasser, Laura Harrington, Pilar Fernandez
Summary: This study is important for understanding the risk of tick exposure and tick-preventative behavior among park visitors in Staten Island, New York City. The findings indicate a mismatch between areas with higher tick density and areas more frequently used by visitors. Additionally, visitors' tick prevention behaviors were closely related to their knowledge and perceived risk.
Article
Immunology
Evan M. Bloch, Jonathan R. Day, Peter J. Krause, Anne Kjemtrup, Sheila F. O'Brien, Aaron A. R. Tobian, Ruchika Goel
Summary: The incidence of babesiosis is increasing in the United States, with a higher prevalence in males and older patients. The disease is seasonal and primarily affects the Northeast and Midwest regions. Despite a higher severity of illness in a significant proportion of hospitalized patients, the mortality rate remains low.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam J. Replogle, Christopher Sexton, John Young, Luke C. Kingry, Martin E. Schriefer, Marc Dolan, Tammi L. Johnson, Neeta P. Connally, Kerry A. Padgett, Jeannine M. Petersen
Summary: Borrelia spirochetes are causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and relapsing fever, but isolation in culture has become rare. The development of BSK-R media has allowed for the isolation of new pathogens and various borreliae, indicating its broad efficacy in in vitro culture recovery.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Lu Zhang, Delong Ma, Chao Li, Ruobing Zhou, Jun Wang, Qiyong Liu
Summary: In this study, the potential distribution and future trends of Ixodes scapularis under climate change were projected and analyzed using the maximum entropy model. It was found that precipitation plays a key role in the expansion of suitable areas for this tick species.
Article
Immunology
Joy E. Chiu, Isaline Renard, Santosh George, Anasuya C. Pal, P. Holland Alday, Sukanya Narasimhan, Michael K. Riscoe, J. Stone Doggett, Choukri Ben Mamoun
Summary: This study found that a mutation in the Babesia microti mitochondrial cytochrome b gene confers resistance to an anti-Babesial drug, but reduces parasite fitness in the arthropod vector. Mutant parasites developing in the tick vector are genetically unstable, possibly leading to the reemergence of the wild-type allele during the nymphal stage. The presence of this mutation in Babesia microti parasites may be decreased by passage through the tick vector, but could persist in the environment if present when ticks feed.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Djamel Tahir, Btissam Asri, Leon Nicolaas Meyer, Alec Evans, Thomas Mather, Byron Blagburn, Reinhard K. Straubinger, Valerie Choumet, Frans Jongejan, Marie Varloud
Summary: The ex vivo feeding technique using DPP showed high efficacy in blocking the acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi and killing ticks, without exposing animals to pathogens or vectors. This method could be a promising approach for tick control and disease prevention.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Jeremy S. Gray, Nicholas H. Ogden
Summary: The distribution and activity of primary ixodid vectors of human babesiosis are impacted by global warming, leading to northwards expansion of tick populations. Models predict an increase in cases of human babesiosis further north, although no concrete evidence of the disease being affected by global warming currently exists.
Article
Biology
Chantelle Wimms, Evan Aljundi, Samniqueka J. Halsey
Summary: The article discusses the current knowledge of tick and tick-borne pathogens in an undersurveilled region of the United States, and explores the impact of landscape shifts and climate change on tick vector dynamics and expansion. It emphasizes the importance of conducting basic science to understand tick distribution and pathogen prevalence.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jaqueline Matias, Yingjun Cui, Xiaotian Tang, Andaleeb Sajid, Gunjan Arora, Ming-Jie Wu, Kathleen DePonte, Hiromi Muramatsu, Ying K. Tam, Sukanya Narasimhan, Norbert Pardi, Drew Weissman, Erol Fikrig
Summary: Animals can develop acquired resistance to ticks when repeatedly exposed to them. A recent study found that guinea pigs immunized with an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine (19ISP) encoding 19 proteins from Ixodes scapularis showed resistance to ticks. The researchers discovered that a lipid nanoparticle containing 12 specific mRNAs, including the targets that elicited strong immune responses, was able to induce robust resistance to ticks.
Article
Agronomy
Liang Zhang, Zhiyu Zhu, Fangfang Chen, Yueqing Zhu, Xiaocan Guo, Minjie Fu, Jiahong Chen, Jianguo Wu, Zhujun Zhu
Summary: In this study, distant hybridization between radish and kohlrabi was successfully achieved using tissue culture and chromosome doubling technology, resulting in the production of xBrassicoraphanus allotetraploids. The allotetraploid hybrids exhibited normal morphology and fertility, providing a basis for the production of new radish germplasm and serving as a bridge for gene transfer between Brassica and Raphanus vegetable species.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CROP AND HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Akang Dan, Shasha Zhang, Zhongliang Chen, Jinghan Dong, Wenjun Zheng, Yuxin Tu, Zian Lin, Zongwei Cai
Summary: A simple and highly selective analytical method for phthalate monoesters (mPAEs) was developed using Cu2+-immobilized magnetic covalent organic frameworks. The method showed wide linear ranges, low limits of detection, and good correlation coefficients for the detection of mPAEs. The method was successfully applied to the sensitive detection of mPAEs in mouse plasma samples.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jianguo Wu
Summary: This study used fuzzy set-based classification, Monte Carlo scheme, and climate shift data to determine the risk of reduction in distributional ranges of alpine graminoid species. The results showed that the main factor leading to range shifts was changes in the temperature index. Adaptation measures are needed to cope with future climatic conditions.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yue Shen, Sheng-Di Wu, Yao Chen, Xin-Yue Li, Qin Zhu, Kiyoko Nakayama, Wan-Qin Zhang, Cheng-Zhao Weng, Jun Zhang, Hai-Kun Wang, Jian Wu, Wei Jiang
Summary: This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection-associated liver diseases (HBV-CLD) and evaluate their effects on peripheral immunity. The results revealed that disease progression and antiviral treatment were the two main factors contributing to the shift in microbiome and metabolome composition in HBV-CLD patients.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yinchun Fang, Jianguo Wu, Guojie Ma, Qufu Wei
Summary: Polylactic acid (PLA) fibre is a renewable and biodegradable synthetic polymer that has gained attention in textiles. However, its dyeing process faces challenges, and a waterless dyeing method using disperse dyes is being explored as an alternative. This study investigated the waterless dyeing of PLA fibre using different disperse dyes and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) as the medium. Optimal dyeing process conditions were determined, and it was found that disperse dyes with a monoazo structure were most suitable for PLA waterless dyeing. The research provides a basis for developing suitable dyes for waterless dyeing of PLA using D5.
COLORATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yan Ding, Dongqi Wang, Guanghui Zhao, Shu Chen, Taihu Sun, Hechen Sun, Chenyang Wu, Yizhe Li, Zhongjie Yu, Yu Li, Zhenlou Chen
Summary: Plant litter input is a crucial factor in the turnover of soil/sediment organic carbon (SOC). This study investigated the effects of leaf litter and stem litter input on SOC dynamics using the 13C isotope technique. It was found that both leaf and stem litter input facilitated SOC accumulation, with leaf litter having a higher contribution. However, leaf litter input also promoted SOC mineralization more than stem litter input. Overall, litter input led to a net increase in SOC accumulation but accelerated the loss of native SOC.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yu Song, Jiayi Wei, Rong Li, Ruifeng Fu, Pei Han, Heming Wang, Guangcong Zhang, Shuyu Li, Sinuo Chen, Zhiyong Liu, Yicheng Zhao, Changfeng Zhu, Jimin Zhu, Shuncai Zhang, Hao Pei, Jiefei Cheng, Jian Wu, Ling Dong, Guangqi Song, Xizhong Shen, Qunyan Yao
Summary: TrkB is decreased in liver fibrosis and its overexpression can inhibit the activation of TGF-beta/SMAD signaling and alleviate hepatic fibrosis, making it a potential therapeutic target.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ruiyu Xu, Song Huang, Zheren Song, Yuanyuan Gao, Jianguo Wu
Summary: This article proposes a deep mixed-effects modeling approach for anomaly detection in additive manufacturing. It captures the relationship between the melt pool temperature and other sensing data using a deep neural network, and incorporates random-effect and residual terms to account for variations and autocorrelations. Control charts based on T2 and generalized likelihood ratio statistics are developed for online monitoring.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guodong Cao, Wei Wang, Jing Zhang, Pengfei Wu, Han Qiao, Huankai Li, Gefei Huang, Zhu Yang, Zongwei Cai
Summary: para-Phenylenediamine quinones (PPD-Qs) are newly discovered transformation products derived from para-phenylenediamine (PPD) antioxidants. Their occurrence and fate in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) need further investigation to improve pollutant removal efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Imali Kaushalya Herath, Guitao Shi, Qian Zhao, Yilan Li, Danhe Wang, Su Jiang, Yangjie Li, Zhenlou Chen, Roberto Bargagli
Summary: This study analyzed the sources and cycling of nitrate (NO3-) in Antarctic soils. The research found that NO3- concentrations and isotopic values were consistent across the latitudinal gradient, with the majority of NO3- derived from nitrification process. Atmospheric deposition contributed minimally to the NO3- budget, and there was evidence of denitrification and cycling between NO3- and nitrite (NO2-). These findings provide new insights into the nitrogen cycle in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Alejandro Gallegos, Jianzhong Wu
Summary: The study aims to develop a predictive model for describing the electrostatic behavior of amino acids in aqueous solutions. A three-bead coarse-grained model is proposed, and a thermodynamic model accounting for nonideality effects is developed to capture how the interaction varies with solution conditions.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING DATA
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Haiyan Li, Keerthi Subramanian Iyer, Lei Bao, Jiali Zhai, Jiao Jiao Li
Summary: Granular microporous hydrogels made of non-spherical microgels show enhanced characteristics compared to traditional nanoporous hydrogels, promoting cell viability, migration, and tissue regeneration. These hydrogels have higher macroporosity and improved mechanical properties, allowing for better alignment and differentiation of cells in anisotropic tissue. The development of these hydrogels is gaining increasing interest in regenerative medicine.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Yinchun Fang, Jianguo Wu, Shuo Chang, Lingshuang Wu
Summary: This study used bio-based phytic acid (PA) and gelatine (G) to improve the flame retardancy and anti-dripping properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric. The coated PET fabric showed a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value greater than 29.5% and no dripping phenomenon, indicating significant improvement in flame retardancy and anti-dripping properties. The PA/G coating altered the decomposition stability and degradation process of PET fabric, promoting the formation of a stable char. The coating formed an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system on PET fabric, functioning through the IFR mechanism.
SURFACE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Chen, Cheng Jin, Li Xie, Jian Wu
Summary: Succinate, an intermediate of the TCA cycle, is crucial in mitochondrial metabolism, energy production, and is also considered a signaling molecule in metabolism and hepatic diseases. Its downstream signaling pathway through GPR91 leads to various intracellular responses, including succinylation, ROS production, HIF-1 alpha stabilization, and significant impact in cellular metabolism due to its role in the TCA cycle. Understanding the signaling mechanisms of succinate in hepatic fibrosis, metabolic reprogramming, inflammatory or immune responses, and carcinogenesis is of great interest. This review aims to provide the current understanding of succinate in mediating metabolism, inflammatory and immune responses in liver diseases, with the aim of establishing a molecular basis for therapeutic strategies.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2024)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Marco Tosato, Xue Zhang, Jianhong Wu
Summary: We investigate the behavior of solutions to a scalar Delay Differential Equation (DDE) with periodic switching between two constant values. This equation naturally arises in structured vector populations involved in the spread of various vector-borne diseases in a periodically changing environment. We examine the influence of two different time lags and the switching time on the existence and patterns of periodic solutions, with a specific focus on multi-cycles within the prime period.
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
(2023)