Improved performance of nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse norovirus surveillance.

Nucleic acid-based assays, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that amplify and detect organism-specific genome sequences are a standard method for infectious disease surveillance. However, challenges arise for virus surveillance because of their genetic diversity. Here, we calculated the variability of nucleotides within the genomes of 10 human viral species in silico and found that endemic viruses exhibit a high percentage of variable nucleotides (e.g., 51.4% for norovirus genogroup II). This genetic diversity led to the variable probability of detection of PCR assays (the proportion of viral sequences that contain the assay's target sequences divided by the total number of viral sequences). We then experimentally confirmed that the probability of the target sequence detection is indicative of the number of mismatches between PCR assays and norovirus genomes. Next, we developed a degenerate PCR assay that detects 97% of known norovirus genogroup II genome sequences and recognized norovirus in eight clinical samples. By contrast, previously developed assays with 31% and 16% probability of detection had 1.1 and 2.5 mismatches on average, respectively, which negatively impacted RNA quantification. In addition, the two PCR assays with a lower probability of detection also resulted in false negatives for wastewater-based epidemiology. Our findings suggest that the probability of detection serves as a simple metric for evaluating nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse virus surveillance.IMPORTANCENucleic acid-based assays, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that amplify and detect organism-specific genome sequences are employed widely as a standard method for infectious disease surveillance. However, challenges arise for virus surveillance because of the rapid evolution and genetic variation of viruses. The study analyzed clinical and wastewater samples using multiple PCR assays and found significant performance variation among the PCR assays for genetically diverse norovirus surveillance. This finding suggests that some PCR assays may miss detecting certain virus strains, leading to a compromise in detection sensitivity. To address this issue, we propose a metric called the probability of detection, which can be simply calculated in silico using a code developed in this study, to evaluate nucleic acid-based assays for genetically diverse virus surveillance. This new approach can help improve the sensitivity and accuracy of virus detection, which is crucial for effective infectious disease surveillance and control.

The Impact of Variation in the Toll-like Receptor 3 Gene on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in Illinois Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) leads to high mortality in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and is caused by a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) plays a role in host immune detection and response to dsRNA viruses. We, therefore, examined the role of genetic variation within the TLR3 gene in EHD among 84 Illinois wild white-tailed deer (26 EHD-positive deer and 58 EHD-negative controls). The entire coding region of the TLR3 gene was sequenced: 2715 base pairs encoding 904 amino acids. We identified 85 haplotypes with 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 45 were synonymous mutations and 32 were non-synonymous. Two non-synonymous SNPs differed significantly in frequency between EHD-positive and EHD-negative deer. In the EHD-positive deer, phenylalanine was relatively less likely to be encoded at codon positions 59 and 116, whereas leucine and serine (respectively) were detected less frequently in EHD-negative deer. Both amino acid substitutions were predicted to impact protein structure or function. Understanding associations between TLR3 polymorphisms and EHD provides insights into the role of host genetics in outbreaks of EHD in deer, which may allow wildlife agencies to better understand the severity of outbreaks.

Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial of fistula vs. graft arteriovenous vascular access in older adults with end-stage kidney disease on hemodialysis: the AV access trial.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) with hemodialysis requires surgical creation of an arteriovenous (AV) vascular access-fistula (AVF) or graft (AVG)-to avoid (or limit) the use of a central venous catheter (CVC). AVFs have long been considered the first-line vascular access option, with AVGs as second best. Recent studies have suggested that, in older adults, AVGs may be a better strategy than AVFs. Lacking evidence from well-powered randomized clinical trials, integration of these results into clinical decision making is challenging. The main objective of the AV Access Study is to compare, between the two types of AV access, clinical outcomes that are important to patients, physicians, and policy makers. METHODS: This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial in adults ≥ 60 years old receiving chronic hemodialysis via a CVC. Eligible participants must have co-existing cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, and/or diabetes mellitus; and vascular anatomy suitable for placement of either type of AV access. Participants are randomized, in a 1:1 ratio, to a strategy of AVG or AVF creation. An estimated 262 participants will be recruited across 7 healthcare systems, with average follow-up of 2 years. Questionnaires will be administered at baseline and semi-annually. The primary outcome is the rate of CVC-free days per 100 patient-days. The primary safety outcome is the cumulative incidence of vascular access (CVC or AV access)-related severe infections-defined as access infections that lead to hospitalization or death. Secondary outcomes include access-related healthcare costs and patients' experiences with vascular access care between the two treatment groups. DISCUSSION: In the absence of studies using robust and unbiased research methodology to address vascular access care for hemodialysis patients, clinical decisions are limited to inferences from observational studies. The goal of the AV Access Study is to generate evidence to optimize vascular access care, based on objective, age-specific criteria, while incorporating goals of care and patient preference for vascular access type in clinical decision-making. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is being conducted in accordance with the tenets of the Helsinki Declaration, and has been approved by the central institutional review board (IRB) of Wake Forest University Health Sciences (approval number: 00069593) and local IRB of each participating clinical center; and was registered on Nov 27, 2020, at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04646226).

County-wide assessments of Illinois white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) prion protein gene variation using improved primers and potential implications for management.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, highly infectious prion disease that affects captive and wild cervids. Chronic wasting disease is the only known transmissible spongiform encephalopathy affecting free-ranging wildlife. In CWD-positive deer, some haplotypes of the prion protein gene PRNP are detected at lower frequencies as compared to CWD-negative deer, as are some variants of the prion protein PrP. Here, we examined wild, hunter-harvested CWD-negative white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine whether there were geographical or temporal differences in the PRNP haplotypes, PRNP diplotypes, PrP proteoforms, and in the proportion of deer with at least one protective haplotype. We sampled 96-100 hunter-harvested deer per county at two time points in the Illinois counties of Jo Daviess, LaSalle, and Winnebago, chosen based on their geographic locations and known occurrence of CWD. The entire coding region of PRNP was sequenced, with haplotypes, diplotypes, and PrP proteoforms inferred. Across time, in Winnebago there was a significant increase in PrP proteoform F (p = 0.034), which is associated with a lower vulnerability to CWD. In every county, there was an increase over time in the frequency of deer carrying at least one protective haplotype to CWD, with a significant increase (p = 0.02) in the Jo Daviess County CWD infected region. We also found that primer combination was important as there was an 18.7% difference in the number of the deer identified as homozygous depending on primer usage. Current Illinois state management practices continue to remove CWD infected deer from locally infected areas helping to keep CWD prevalence low. Nonetheless, continued research on spatial and temporal changes in PRNP haplotypes, PrP proteoforms, and levels of deer vulnerability among Illinois deer will be important for the management of CWD within the state of Illinois and beyond.

Impact of landcover composition and density of localized deer culling sites on chronic wasting disease prevalence.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the prion disease of the Cervidae family, has been managed in Illinois deer since it was first detected in the Fall of 2002. Management uses a state-sponsored localized focus culling (LFC) program, implemented as close as possible to previously identified CWD-infected locations (TRSs (township/range/section)). We used hunter-harvest and LFC deer from 4621 and 435 unique TRSs, respectively, over 16 years of surveillance and management (2003-2017). We divided the study area into groups of TRSs with similar landcover types (SPLT) to assess CWD hunter-harvest prevalence at LFC and non-LFC sites by landcover composition. We also evaluate the importance of the month when LFC was implemented and determine whether the density of LFC sites or the total number of deer removed by LFC predicts hunter-harvest CWD prevalence. The percentage of CWD positive samples from hunters was lower than for LFC samples (for the study area and SPLTs). The probability of CWD increased by 5.24% for all the SPLT groups combined in the study area, by 4.6% from areas without an LFC nearby, and by 1.21% for areas with a prior LFC nearby. For all the TRS in the study area, low CWD odds (<1) in hunter-harvest deer were found in three SPLTs, in two SPLTs within TRSs with non-LFC, and five in five SPLTs within TRSs with LFC. The results suggest the importance of accounting for landcover composition to implement and sustain management in habitats with a higher risk of CWD. Our findings support that hunter-harvest alone cannot control CWD and the critical need for continued LFC intervention. For the whole study area-regardless of landcover composition-LFC in January was more important in decreasing hunter-harvest CWD prevalence than when LFC was conducted in March. However, the LFC conducted in January, February, and March were equally important when evaluating the month per habitat. Furthermore, the density of LFC sites in proximity to known infected areas is a better predictor of CWD than the number of deer removed by LFC, suggesting that increasing the density of LFC sites has a greater impact on CWD. The proximity of LFC to infected areas helps control CWD. Ultimately, landowners' and hunters' collaborations with the CWD surveillance and management programs are critical to protecting the Illinois wild deer herd; this study demonstrates their ongoing and valuable contributions to protecting this natural and public resource.

Application of neighborhood-scale wastewater-based epidemiology in low COVID-19 incidence situations.

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), an emerging approach for community-wide COVID-19 surveillance, was primarily characterized at large sewersheds such as wastewater treatment plants serving a large population. Although informed public health measures can be better implemented for a small population, WBE for neighborhood-scale sewersheds is less studied and not fully understood. This study applied WBE to seven neighborhood-scale sewersheds (average population of 1471) from January to November 2021. Community testing data showed an average of 0.004 % incidence rate in these sewersheds (97 % of monitoring periods reported two or fewer daily infections). In 92 % of sewage samples, SARS-CoV-2 N gene fragments were below the limit of quantification. We statistically determined 10-2.6 as the threshold of the SARS-CoV-2 N gene concentration normalized to pepper mild mottle virus (N/PMMOV) to alert high COVID-19 incidence rate in the studied sewershed. This threshold of N/PMMOV identified neighborhood-scale outbreaks (COVID-19 incidence rate higher than 0.2 %) with 82 % sensitivity and 51 % specificity. Importantly, neighborhood-scale WBE can discern local outbreaks that would not otherwise be identified by city-scale WBE. Our findings suggest that neighborhood-scale WBE is an effective community-wide disease surveillance tool when COVID-19 incidence is maintained at a low level.

Evaluating the ability of a locally focused culling program in removing chronic wasting disease infected free-ranging white-tailed deer in Illinois, USA, 2003-2020.

In northern Illinois, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter referred to as "deer") in 2002. To reduce CWD transmission rates in Illinois, wildlife biologists have conducted locally focussed culling of deer since 2003 in areas where CWD has been detected. We used retrospective spatial, temporal and space-time scan statistical models to identify areas and periods where culling removed higher than expected numbers of CWD-positive deer. We included 490 Public Land Survey "sections" (∼2.59 km2 ) from 15 northern Illinois counties in which at least one deer tested positive for CWD between 2003 and 2020. A negative binomial regression model compared the proportion of CWD positive cases removed from sections with at least one CWD case detected in the previous years, "local area 1 (L1)," to the proportion of CWD cases in adjacent sections-L2, L3, and L4-designated by their increasing distance from L1. Of the 14,661 deer removed and tested via culling, 325 (2.22 %) were CWD-positive. A single temporal CWD cluster occurred in 2020. Three spatial clusters were identified, with a primary cluster located at the border of Boone and Winnebago counties. Four space-time clusters were identified with a primary cluster in the northern portion of the study area from 2003 to 2005 that overlapped with the spatial cluster. The proportion of CWD cases removed from L1 (3.92, 95% CI, 2.56-6.01) and L2 (2.32, 95% CI, 1.50-3.59) were significantly higher compared to L3. Focussing culling efforts on accessible properties closest to L1 areas results in more CWD-infected deer being removed, which highlights the value of collaborations among landowners, hunters, and wildlife management agencies to control CWD. Continuous evaluation and updating of the culling and surveillance programs are essential to mitigate the health burden of CWD on deer populations in Illinois.

Spatial analysis of chronic wasting disease in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Illinois, 2008-2019.

Understanding the geographic distribution and clustering of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations can inform disease management practices. We used a retrospective analysis of surveillance data to evaluate CWD's spatial and temporal dynamics within 16 CWD-infected northern Illinois counties. Of 42,541 deer samples collected and tested for CWD from recreational hunter harvest between 2008 and 2019, we recorded 359 (0.84%) CWD-positive samples. We observed variability in CWD cases over time and space. By county, the median CWD-positive proportion was 0.84%, varying from a minimum of 0.14% in McHenry County to a maximum of 6.28% in Boone County. Across years, there were differences among CWD-positive proportions with a median of 0.90%, ranging from a minimum of 0.27% in 2012 to a maximum of 1.60% in 2019. We used a retrospective discrete Poisson scan statistic model to evaluate the space-time clustering of CWD-positive deer. We identified a statistically significant (p < .001) primary cluster C1 (area = 23.59 km2 ; RR = 10.48), occurring from 2010 to 2015 in the north-central part of the study area, and a secondary cluster C2, occurring from 2014 to 2019 (area = 9.27 km2 ; RR = 3.88) in the north-west of the study area. Detected CWD-positive space-time clusters suggest that the risk of CWD is not random. Space-time clusters of CWD can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Illinois CWD management programme. The area surrounding the older C1 cluster has undergone longer and more intense CWD management compared with C2. Currently, the older C1 cluster is no longer as high risk compared with the newer cluster C2, suggesting that management efforts in C2 should be increased. However, all CWD clusters should be targeted with surveillance, prevention and management programmes, including reducing deer densities to limit further spread of CWD.

Structure-based Hamiltonian model for IsiA uncovers a highly robust pigment-protein complex.

The iron stress-induced protein A (IsiA) is a source of interest and debate in biological research. The IsiA supercomplex, binding over 200 chlorophylls, assembles in multimeric rings around photosystem I (PSI). Recently, the IsiA-PSI structure from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was resolved to 3.48 Å. Based on this structure, we created a model simulating a single excitation event in an IsiA monomer. This model enabled us to calculate the fluorescence and the localization of the excitation in the IsiA structure. To further examine this system, noise was introduced to the model in two forms-thermal and positional. Introducing noise highlights the functional differences in the system between cryogenic temperatures and biologically relevant temperatures. Our results show that the energetics of the IsiA pigment-protein complex are very robust at room temperature. Nevertheless, shifts in the position of specific chlorophylls lead to large changes in their optical and fluorescence properties. Based on these results, we discuss the implication of highly robust structures, with potential for serving different roles in a context-dependent manner, on our understanding of the function and evolution of photosynthetic processes.

The drivers of West Nile virus human illness in the Chicago, Illinois, USA area: Fine scale dynamic effects of weather, mosquito infection, social, and biological conditions.

West Nile virus (WNV) has consistently been reported to be associated with human cases of illness in the region near Chicago, Illinois. However, the number of reported cases of human illness varies across years, with intermittent outbreaks. Several dynamic factors, including temperature, rainfall, and infection status of vector mosquito populations, are responsible for much of these observed variations. However, local landscape structure and human demographic characteristics also play a key role. The geographic and temporal scales used to analyze such complex data affect the observed associations. Here, we used spatial and statistical modeling approaches to investigate the factors that drive the outcome of WNV human illness on fine temporal and spatial scales. Our approach included multi-level modeling of long-term weekly data from 2005 to 2016, with weekly measures of mosquito infection, human illness and weather combined with more stable landscape and demographic factors on the geographical scale of 1000m hexagons. We found that hot weather conditions, warm winters, and higher MIR in earlier weeks increased the probability of an area of having a WNV human case. Higher population and the proportion of urban light intensity in an area also increased the probability of observing a WNV human case. A higher proportion of open water sources, percentage of grass land, deciduous forests, and housing built post 1990 decreased the probability of having a WNV case. Additionally, we found that cumulative positive mosquito pools up to 31 weeks can strongly predict the total annual human WNV cases in the Chicago region. This study helped us to improve our understanding of the fine-scale drivers of spatiotemporal variability of human WNV cases.

Culex Flavivirus During West Nile Virus Epidemic and Interepidemic Years in Chicago, United States.

Culex flavivirus (CxFV) is an insect-specific flavivirus infecting Culex mosquitoes, which are important vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). CxFV and WNV cocirculate in nature and coinfect Culex mosquitoes, including in a WNV "hotspot" in suburban Chicago. We previously identified a positive association between CxFV and WNV in mosquito pools collected from suburban Chicago in 2006. To further investigate this phenomenon, we compared the spatial and temporal distribution of CxFV during an interepidemic year (2011) and an epidemic year (2012) for WNV. Both viruses were more prevalent in mosquito pools in 2012 compared to 2011. During both years, the CxFV infection status of mosquito pools was associated with environmental factors such as habitat type and precipitation frequency rather than coinfection with WNV. These results support the idea that WNV and CxFV are ecologically associated, perhaps because both viruses respond to similar environmental drivers of mosquito populations.

A Systematic Review of the Acute Effects of Exercise on Immune and Inflammatory Indices in Untrained Adults.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of global mortality. Although the incidence may be reduced with regular exercise, the health benefits of a single bout of exercise on selected CVD risk factors are not well understood. The primary objective of this review is to consider the transient effects of exercise on immune (neutrophil count) and inflammatory (interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]) markers in untrained adults. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Sports Discus and Cochrane were searched for relevant studies published from January 1946 to May 2013. Randomised controlled or crossover studies which measured any of these parameters in untrained but otherwise healthy participants in the 48 h following about of exercise, less than 1 h in duration were included. RESULTS: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The results indicate a single bout of aerobic or resistance exercise of moderate to high intensity promotes an increase in IL-6 (145 %) and neutrophil counts (51 %). It appears that 30-60 min of moderate to high intensity exercise is necessary to elicit such changes although variables such as the mode, intensity and pattern of exercise also affect the response. The acute response of CRP within the included studies is equivocal. CONCLUSIONS: Although responses to CRP are inconsistent, a single bout of exercise can increase the activity of both circulating IL-6 and neutrophil counts in untrained adults. These immune and inflammatory responses to a single bout of exercise may be linked to a range of health benefits.

Exercise-associated DNA methylation change in skeletal muscle and the importance of imprinted genes: a bioinformatics meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetics is the study of processes--beyond DNA sequence alteration--producing heritable characteristics. For example, DNA methylation modifies gene expression without altering the nucleotide sequence. A well-studied DNA methylation-based phenomenon is genomic imprinting (ie, genotype-independent parent-of-origin effects). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to elucidate: (1) the effect of exercise on DNA methylation and (2) the role of imprinted genes in skeletal muscle gene networks (ie, gene group functional profiling analyses). DESIGN: Gene ontology (ie, gene product elucidation)/meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: 26 skeletal muscle and 86 imprinted genes were subjected to g:Profiler ontology analysis. Meta-analysis assessed exercise-associated DNA methylation change. DATA EXTRACTION: g:Profiler found four muscle gene networks with imprinted loci. Meta-analysis identified 16 articles (387 genes/1580 individuals) associated with exercise. Age, method, sample size, sex and tissue variation could elevate effect size bias. DATA SYNTHESIS: Only skeletal muscle gene networks including imprinted genes were reported. Exercise-associated effect sizes were calculated by gene. Age, method, sample size, sex and tissue variation were moderators. RESULTS: Six imprinted loci (RB1, MEG3, UBE3A, PLAGL1, SGCE, INS) were important for muscle gene networks, while meta-analysis uncovered five exercise-associated imprinted loci (KCNQ1, MEG3, GRB10, L3MBTL1, PLAGL1). DNA methylation decreased with exercise (60% of loci). Exercise-associated DNA methylation change was stronger among older people (ie, age accounted for 30% of the variation). Among older people, genes exhibiting DNA methylation decreases were part of a microRNA-regulated gene network functioning to suppress cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Imprinted genes were identified in skeletal muscle gene networks and exercise-associated DNA methylation change. Exercise-associated DNA methylation modification could rewind the 'epigenetic clock' as we age. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42014009800.

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Tick-Borne Disease Cases among Humans and Canines in Illinois (2000-2009).

Four tick-borne diseases (TBDs), anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease (LD), and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), are endemic in Illinois. The prevalence of human and canine cases of all four TBDs rose over the study period with significant differences in geographic distribution within the state. Among human cases, there were associations between cases of RMSF and LD and total forest cover, seasonal precipitation, average mean temperature, racial-ethnic groups, and gender. Estimated annual prevalence of three canine TBDs exceeded human TBD cases significantly in each region. There was concordance in the number of human and canine cases by county of residence, in annual prevalence trends, and in time of year at which they were diagnosed. To account for multiple environmental risk factors and to facilitate early diagnosis of cases, integrated surveillance systems must be developed and communication between veterinarians, physicians, and public health agencies must be improved.

Dispersal of adult culex mosquitoes in an urban west nile virus hotspot: a mark-capture study incorporating stable isotope enrichment of natural larval habitats.

Dispersal is a critical life history behavior for mosquitoes and is important for the spread of mosquito-borne disease. We implemented the first stable isotope mark-capture study to measure mosquito dispersal, focusing on Culex pipiens in southwest suburban Chicago, Illinois, a hotspot of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission. We enriched nine catch basins in 2010 and 2011 with 15N-potassium nitrate and detected dispersal of enriched adult females emerging from these catch basins using CDC light and gravid traps to distances as far as 3 km. We detected 12 isotopically enriched pools of mosquitoes out of 2,442 tested during the two years and calculated a mean dispersal distance of 1.15 km and maximum flight range of 2.48 km. According to a logistic distribution function, 90% of the female Culex mosquitoes stayed within 3 km of their larval habitat, which corresponds with the distance-limited genetic variation of WNV observed in this study region. This study provides new insights on the dispersal of the most important vector of WNV in the eastern United States and demonstrates the utility of stable isotope enrichment for studying the biology of mosquitoes in other disease systems.

Influence of landscape factors and management decisions on spatial and temporal patterns of the transmission of chronic wasting disease transmission in white-tailed deer.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been reported in white-tailed deer at the border of the US states of Illinois and Wisconsin since 2002. Transmission of infectious prions between animals and from the environment has resulted in spatial and temporal structure observable in the spatio-temporal patterns of reported cases. Case locations of 382 positive cases from 28,954 deer tested between 2002 and 2009 provided insight into the potential risk factors and landscape features associated with transmission using a combination of clustering, generalised linear modelling and descriptive evaluations of a risk map of predicted cases of CWD. A species distribution map of white-tailed deer developed using MaxEnt provided an estimate of deer locations. We found that deer probability increased in areas with larger forests and less urban and agricultural lands. Spatial clustering analysis revealed a core area of persistent CWD transmission in the northern part of the region. The regression model indicated that larger and more compact forests were associated with higher risk for CWD. High risk areas also had soils with less clay and more sand than other parts of the region. The transmission potential was higher where landscape features indicated the potential for higher deer concentrations. The inclusion of spatial lag variables improved the model. Of the 102 cases reported in the study area in the two years following the study period, 89 (87%) of those were in the 32% of the study area with the highest 50% of predicted risk of cases.

The parental antagonism theory of language evolution: preliminary evidence for the proposal.

Language--as with most communication systems--likely evolved by means of natural selection. Accounts for the genetical selection of language can usually be divided into two scenarios, either of which used in isolation of the other appear insufficient to explain the phenomena: (1) there are group benefits from communicating, and (2) there are individual benefits from being a better communicator. In contrast, it is hypothesized that language phenotypes emerged during a coevolutionary struggle between parental genomes via genomic imprinting, which is differential gene expression depending on parental origin of the genetic element. It is hypothesized that relatedness asymmetries differentially selected for patrigene-caused language phenotypes to extract resources from mother (early in development) and matrigene-caused language phenotypes to influence degree of cooperativeness among asymmetric kin (later in development). This paper reports that imprinted genes have a high frequency of involvement in language phenotypes (~36%), considering their presumed rarity in the human genome (~2%). For example, two well-studied genes associated with language impairments (FOXP2 and UBE3A) exhibit parent-of- origin effects. Specifically, FOXP2 is putatively paternally expressed, whereas UBE3A is a maternally expressed imprinted gene. It is also hypothesized that the more unique and cooperative aspects of human language emerged to the benefit of matrilineal inclusive fitness. Consistent with this perspective, it is reported here that the X-chromosome has higher involvement in loci that have associations with language than would be expected by chance. It is also reported, for the first time, that human and chimpanzee maternally expressed overlapping imprinted genes exhibit greater evolutionary divergence (in terms of the degree of overlapping transcripts) than paternally expressed overlapping imprinted genes. Finally, an analysis of global language patterns reveals that paternally but not maternally silenced Alu elements are positively correlated with language diversity. Furthermore, there is a much higher than expected frequency of Alu elements inserted into the protein-coding machinery of imprinted and X-chromosomal language loci compared with nonimprinted language loci. Taken together these findings provide some support for parental antagonism theory. Unlike previous theories for language evolution, parental antagonism theory generates testable predictions at the proximate (e.g., neurocognitive areas important for social transmission and language capacities), ontogenetic (e.g., the function of language at different points of development), ultimate (e.g., inclusive fitness), and phylogenetic levels (e.g., the spread of maternally derived brain components in mammals, particularly in the hominin lineage), thus making human capacities for culture more tractable than previously thought.

Local impact of temperature and precipitation on West Nile virus infection in Culex species mosquitoes in northeast Illinois, USA.

BACKGROUND: Models of the effects of environmental factors on West Nile virus disease risk have yielded conflicting outcomes. The role of precipitation has been especially difficult to discern from existing studies, due in part to habitat and behavior characteristics of specific vector species and because of differences in the temporal and spatial scales of the published studies. We used spatial and statistical modeling techniques to analyze and forecast fine scale spatial (2000 m grid) and temporal (weekly) patterns of West Nile virus mosquito infection relative to changing weather conditions in the urban landscape of the greater Chicago, Illinois, region for the years from 2004 to 2008. RESULTS: Increased air temperature was the strongest temporal predictor of increased infection in Culex pipiens and Culex restuans mosquitoes, with cumulative high temperature differences being a key factor distinguishing years with higher mosquito infection and higher human illness rates from those with lower rates. Drier conditions in the spring followed by wetter conditions just prior to an increase in infection were factors in some but not all years. Overall, 80% of the weekly variation in mosquito infection was explained by prior weather conditions. Spatially, lower precipitation was the most important variable predicting stronger mosquito infection; precipitation and temperature alone could explain the pattern of spatial variability better than could other environmental variables (79% explained in the best model). Variables related to impervious surfaces and elevation differences were of modest importance in the spatial model. CONCLUSION: Finely grained temporal and spatial patterns of precipitation and air temperature have a consistent and significant impact on the timing and location of increased mosquito infection in the northeastern Illinois study area. The use of local weather data at multiple monitoring locations and the integration of mosquito infection data from numerous sources across several years are important to the strength of the models presented. The other spatial environmental factors that tended to be important, including impervious surfaces and elevation measures, would mediate the effect of rainfall on soils and in urban catch basins. Changes in weather patterns with global climate change make it especially important to improve our ability to predict how inter-related local weather and environmental factors affect vectors and vector-borne disease risk.Local impact of temperature and precipitation on West Nile virus infection in Culex species mosquitoes in northeast Illinois, USA.

Fluctuating asymmetry and preferences for sex-typical bodily characteristics.

Body size and shape seem to have been sexually selected in a variety of species, including humans, but little is known about what attractive bodies signal about underlying genotypic or phenotypic quality. A widely used indicator of phenotypic quality in evolutionary analyses is degree of symmetry (i.e., fluctuating asymmetry, FA) because it is a marker of developmental stability, which is defined as an organism's ability to develop toward an adaptive end-point despite perturbations during its ontogeny. Here we sought to establish whether attractive bodies signal low FA to observers, and, if so, which aspects of attractive bodies are most predictive of lower FA. We used a 3D optical body scanner to measure FA and to isolate size and shape characteristics in a sample of 77 individuals (40 males and 37 females). From the 3D body scan data, 360 degrees videos were created that separated body shape from other aspects of visual appearance (e.g., skin color and facial features). These videos then were presented to 87 evaluators for attractiveness ratings. We found strong negative correlations between FA and bodily attractiveness in both sexes. Further, sex-typical body size and shape characteristics were rated as attractive and correlated negatively with FA. Finally, geometric morphometric analysis of joint configurations revealed that sex-typical joint configurations were associated with both perceived attractiveness and lower FA for male but not for female bodies. In sum, body size and shape seem to show evidence of sexual selection and indicate important information about the phenotypic quality of individuals.