Article
Mathematics, Applied
Doaa M. Fawzy, A. Elsaid, W. K. Zahra, Ayman A. Arafa
Summary: This study proposes a non-smooth Filippov model to examine the interaction between wild and sterile mosquitoes. By simulating the conditions for releasing sterile mosquitoes and adjusting model parameters such as the threshold value, our findings suggest that lowering the threshold value to an appropriate level can enhance the control of wild mosquitoes, and employing SIT with a threshold policy control can improve economic outcomes while inhibiting disease spread.
Article
Parasitology
Danilo O. Carvalho, Rachel Morreale, Steven Stenhouse, Daniel A. Hahn, Maylen Gomez, Aaron Lloyd, David Hoel
Summary: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the sterile insect technique in suppressing the population of Aedes aegypti and identifies the biological parameters for the technique. The findings provide a foundation for the operational phase of mosquito population suppression.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Yongzhuo Chen, Hui Pan, Jing Li, Deng Pan, Pengcheng Liu, Haoyuan Hu
Summary: The reproductive behavior of D. suzukii was studied, revealing mating frequency and duration. The study found that the mating sequence and irradiation dose significantly affected offspring production. A dose of 90 Gy was found to be optimal in producing sterile males.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Muhammad Misbah-ul-Haq, Danilo O. Carvalho, Lucia Duran de la Fuente, Antonios A. Augustinos, Kostas Bourtzis
Summary: The introduction of the Ae. aegypti red-eye genetic sexing strain (GSS) and recombination suppressing inversion (Inv35) into the Pakistani genomic background was evaluated. The sexing features and recombination suppression properties were not affected, but some biological traits of the newly constructed strains were affected. Quality control analysis is necessary before applying GSS in sterile insect technique (SIT) field trials or applications.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Evan D. Esch, Rachael M. Horner, Dustin C. Krompetz, Nathan Moses-Gonzales, Melissa R. Tesche, David Maxwell Suckling
Summary: The study found that releasing sterile codling moths from drones was more efficient than traditional ground release methods, leading to an increase in recapture rates. Released insects were mostly recaptured in a 50-meter-wide swath under the release route.
Article
Entomology
Harilanto Felana Andrianjakarivony, David Damiens, Lucie Marquereau, Benjamin Gaudillat, Nausicaa Habchi-Hanriot, Louis-Clement Gouagna
Summary: The potential interference of releasing millions of sterile male Aedes albopictus on the reproduction of female Aedes aegypti has been studied using a marking technique. The results showed that in small experimental cages, the mating rate between sterile male Aedes albopictus and female Aedes aegypti was very low, indicating that in the field, the frequency of heterospecific mating would be very low.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Antonios A. Augustinos, Katerina Nikolouli, Lucia Duran de la Fuente, Muhammad Misbah-ul-Haq, Danilo O. Carvalho, Kostas Bourtzis
Summary: This study investigates the effect of genomic background on the efficiency of the sterile insect technique (SIT) using Ae. aegypti genetic sexing strains (GSS). The results show that the genomic background does not negatively affect the inversion result, indicating that the key elements of the GSS can be introgressed into the local genomic background. This finding has implications for improving the application of SIT and addressing regulatory concerns.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Rafael Homem, Zeus Mateos-Fierro, Rory Jones, Daniel Gilbert, Andrew Mckemey, Glen Slade, Michelle Fountain
Summary: The study demonstrates that the sterile insect technique (SIT) can effectively control the population of spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in field conditions without physical barriers. By releasing 99% sterile male insects into the area where everbearing strawberries are grown, the study achieved season-long control with a suppression rate of up to 91% compared to untreated control sites. This research suggests that SIT may be a highly effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to chemical insecticides for managing spotted wing drosophila.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elahe Parvizi, Manpreet K. Dhami, Juncong Yan, Angela McGaughran
Summary: Invasive species such as the brown marmorated stink bug pose a threat to ecosystems and agriculture due to their rapid adaptation and expansion. This study reveals the genomic mechanisms behind the global invasion success of the brown marmorated stink bug. The findings suggest a complex invasion scenario with multiple bridgehead events, and highlight the potential for the evolution of insecticide resistance. The study emphasizes the need for sustainable and targeted management strategies.
Article
Entomology
Peter L. Lo, David J. Rogers, James T. S. Walker, Bruce H. Abbott, Timothy F. Vandervoet, Anna Kokeny, Rachael M. Horner, D. Maxwell Suckling
Summary: This study compared the recapture rate of sterile moths released by different methods, with the hexacopter having the highest recapture rate followed by bicycle, vehicle, and plane. Wind-borne horizontal drift was investigated as a possible explanation for the difference in recaptures between the two aircraft delivery systems. The advantages and disadvantages of each moth delivery method were discussed.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Shehzad, Imran Bodlah, Junaid Ali Siddiqui, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, Ammara Gull E. Fareen, Waqar Islam
Summary: Insects are highly successful and diverse, but they pose a significant threat to agriculture, with potential losses of up to US$470 billion. Plutella xylostella, a devastating pest that attacks cruciferous vegetables, alone causes monetary losses of around US$4-5 billion worldwide. Insecticides have protected plants effectively, but their use comes with environmental and mammalian hazards, and insects are developing resistance to them. Understanding the mechanisms behind this resistance is crucial for addressing the issue and improving the effectiveness of insecticides.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Shehzad, Imran Bodlah, Junaid Ali Siddiqui, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, Ammara Gull E. Fareen, Waqar Islam
Summary: Insects pose a significant threat to agricultural crops, resulting in potential losses of up to US$470 billion. Among these pests, Plutella xylostella is a devastating insect that attacks cruciferous vegetables, causing approximately US$4-5 billion in monetary losses worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms of insecticide resistance is crucial for developing effective management strategies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Edwin Ramirez-Santos, Pedro Rendon, Georgia Gouvi, Antigone Zacharopoulou, Kostas Bourtzis, Carlos Caceres, Kenneth Bloem
Summary: The study documents the development and characterization of a new genetic sexing strain (GSS) for A. ludens to enhance the efficacy of the sterile insect technique (SIT) against this pest species.
Article
Biology
Yusuke Ikegawa, Koichi Ito, Chihiro Himuro, Atsushi Honma
Summary: Research has shown that in different mating systems of insects, bisexual release is most effective for swarm-type mating systems, while for scramble-type mating systems, it depends on the difference in female searching ability between sterile and wild males. The net impact of sterile females depends on the difference in sexual performance between wild and sterile males.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Nguyen Minh Chi, Duy Long Pham, Nong Phuong Nhung, Nguyen Thi Hai Hoa, Truong Tat Do, Tran Thi Le Tra, Vu Van Loi, Pham Thi Thu Thuy, Nguyen Duc Hai, Duong Xuan Tuan, Pham Quang Thu, Bernard Dell
Summary: Vietnamese plantations of Chukrasia tabularis A. Juss are susceptible to attack by Hypsipyla robusta Moore. An integrated pest management approach was used to evaluate damage extent and control measures. Manual and biological control methods significantly reduced damage index, highlighting the value of IPM in managing the shoot-tip borer.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Agnes Backhausz, Istvan Z. Kiss, Peter L. Simon
Summary: The structure of disease transmitting contacts plays a key role in the transmission of infectious diseases. In this study, we develop a theoretical epidemic model on a multilayer network based on the Hungarian population data during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate the sensitivity of the model to different contact layers and find that epidemics on multilayer network lead to higher peak prevalence, increasing the risk of overwhelming the health care system.
PERIODICA MATHEMATICA HUNGARICA
(2022)
Article
Biology
Saige Andreychuk, Laith Yakob
Summary: Releasing mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia has been a successful strategy for controlling arboviruses, and now researchers are adapting it for malaria control. However, antagonistic interactions between Wolbachia and naturally resident Asaia bacteria in malaria vectors may pose challenges. A mathematical model was developed to assess the feasibility of this strategy, and the findings suggest the need for further laboratory experiments.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
T. Zerenner, F. Di Lauro, M. Dashti, L. Berthouze, I. Z. Kiss
Summary: This study predicts the future course of ongoing SIS epidemics on different networks using a surrogate model and incorporates uncertainty through Bayesian parameter inference. The results show that the surrogate model captures the intrinsic stochasticity of the epidemic and the prediction intervals adequately quantify the uncertainty.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Laith Yakob, Wenbiao Hu, Francesca D. Frentiu, Narayan Gyawali, Leon E. Hugo, Brian Johnson, Colleen Lau, Luis Furuya-Kanamori, Ricardo Soares Magalhaes, Gregor Devine
Summary: An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus in Southern Australia has caused concern as it has spread to multiple states, resulting in 30 confirmed cases and 6 deaths. The article discusses the drivers behind the outbreak and estimates the potential size of the at-risk population.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Laith Yakob
Summary: This study used SARIMA models to investigate CHIKV transmission in Brazil. The results showed that transmission had transitioned from sporadic and explosive to become more predictable, enabling improved control targeting and site selection for interventions.
Article
Biology
Istvan Z. Kiss, Peter L. Simon
Summary: Modelling epidemics on networks is an important departure from classical compartmental models. Mean-field models provide a good approximation incorporating network properties, but there has been limited work on using them for inference purposes. This paper explores the problem of parameter identifiability in network-based mean-field models and finds that except for the simplest model, parameters cannot be uniquely determined, indicating practical unidentifiability.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonios Kolimenakis, Demetrios Tsesmelis, Clive Richardson, Georgios Balatsos, Panagiotis G. Milonas, Angeliki Stefopoulou, Olaf Horstick, Laith Yakob, Dimitrios P. Papachristos, Antonios Michaelakis
Summary: The study evaluates the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of different societal groups regarding targeted community-based mosquito surveillance and control interventions in different citizenship regimes. The results show differences in knowledge levels among the groups and different priorities to consider in the implementation of community interventions. The study highlights the importance of preparedness by public authorities to address public health challenges related to migration and mosquito-borne diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Kasim Allel, Jennifer Stone, Eduardo A. Undurraga, Lucy Day, Catrin E. Moore, Leesa Lin, Luis Furuya-Kanamori, Laith Yakob
Summary: This study quantifies the excess mortality, length of hospital stay, ICU admission, and economic costs associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria bloodstream infections (ARB BSIs) compared to antibiotic-sensitive bacteria (ASB) among adult inpatients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The findings show that ARB BSIs are associated with higher mortality, longer hospital stays, ICU admissions, and increased economic costs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesco Di Lauro, Wasiur R. KhudaBukhsh, Istvan Z. Kiss, Eben Kenah, Max Jensen, Grzegorz A. Rempala
Summary: This article presents a new method called dynamic survival analysis (DSA) for analyzing stochastic epidemic models. The method utilizes a simple yet powerful observation that approximates population-level trajectories with individual-level times of infection and recovery. Extensive numerical analyses confirm the accuracy and versatility of the method in analyzing epidemic data and estimating parameters. The accompanying software package provides a practical tool for users.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
N. L. Edelman, P. Simon, J. A. Cassell, I. Z. Kiss
Summary: This study investigated the transmission dynamics within single parent households during lockdowns in England and found that the formation of giant components, which accelerate household transmission of COVID-19, is more dependent on households with different-parentage single parents. The study suggests that public health guidance should include supportive measures for mitigating transmission risk in these households, and future research should examine the independent and combined impact of policies.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Laith Yakob
Summary: A study analyzed Zika virus cases in Brazil from 2017 to 2021 to identify transmission trends and forecast future infection hotspots. The results can be used for targeted interventions to reduce transmission.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Automation & Control Systems
Francesco Di Lauro, Istvan Zoltan Kiss, Daniela Rus, Cosimo Della Santina
Summary: This paper proposes a simple solution to the optimal flattening problem, and validates the method in a Covid-19 scenario, particularly focusing on Codogno in Northern Italy. Through nonlinear closed loop tracking of the nominal solution, the method aims to ensure close-to-optimal performance under uncertain conditions.
2021 AMERICAN CONTROL CONFERENCE (ACC)
(2021)
Correction
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Deniz Eroglu, Thomas K. DM. Peron, Norbert Marwan, Francisco A. Rodrigues, Luciano da F. Costa, Michael Sebek, Istvan Z. Kiss, Jurgen Kurths
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Francesco Di Lauro, Istvan Zoltan Kiss, Daniela Rus, Cosimo Della Santina
Summary: During the Covid-19 pandemic, policies aimed to flatten the curve of infected people. This letter discusses the challenge of enforcing this goal using control theory, presenting a simple formulation of the optimal flattening problem and providing a closed form solution. Validation of the method was done through extensive and realistic simulations in a Covid-19 scenario, particularly focusing on the case of Codogno in Northern Italy.
IEEE CONTROL SYSTEMS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
J. Bell, G. Bianconi, D. Butler, J. Crowcroft, P. C. W. Davies, C. Hicks, H. Kim, I. Z. Kiss, F. Di Lauro, C. Maple, A. Paul, M. Prokopenko, P. Tee, S. Walker
Summary: The workshop aimed to bring together scientists interested in network science and epidemiology to inform public policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey conducted during the workshop summarized perspectives on the subject and identified fruitful areas for future research.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-COMPLEXITY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jorge Pena, Aviad Heifetz, Georg Noldeke
Summary: Cooperation usually becomes harder to sustain as groups become larger, but in some cases, increasing group size can increase the probability of cooperation. The expected payoff and the probability of provision of the public good vary with the cost of cooperation.
THEORETICAL POPULATION BIOLOGY
(2024)
