Susceptibility of Aedes flavopictus miyarai and Aedes galloisi mosquito species in Japan to dengue type 2 virus

Objective: To evaluate the potential of local mosquitoes to act as vectors for dengue transmission in Japan.Methods: Serotype 2 Th NH28/93 was used to test the dengue susceptibility profiles of Aedes flavopictus miyarai(Ae. f. miyarai), Aedes galloisi(Ae. galloisi) and Aedes albopictus(Ae.albopictus), which were collected in Japan. We used Aedes aegypti from Thailand as a positive control. The mosquitoes were infected with the virus intrathoracically or orally. At 10 or 14 days post infection, the mosquitoes were dissected and total RNA was extracted from their abdomens, thoraxes, heads and legs. Mosquito susceptibility to dengue virus was evaluated using RT-PCR with dengue virus-specific primers. Differences in the infection and mortality rates of the different mosquito species were tested using Fisher's exact probability test.Results: The infection rates for dengue virus administered intrathoracically to Ae. f. miyarai,Ae. galloisi and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were identical by RT-PCR on Day 10 post infection.All of the body parts we tested were RT-PCR-positive for dengue virus. For the orally administered virus, the infection rates in the different body parts of the Ae. f. miyarai mosquitoes were slightly higher than those of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes, but were similar to the control mosquitoes(P > 0.05). The mortality rates for Ae. f. miyarai and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes were similar(P = 0.19). Our data indicated that dengue virus was able to replicate and disseminate to secondary infection sites in all of the four mosquito species(Japanese and Thai).Conclusions: Ae. albopictus is a well-known candidate for dengue transmission in Japan. However, our data suggest that Ae. f. miyarai from Ishigaki Island(near Okinawa Island) and Ae. galloisi from Hokkaido(Northern Japan) should also be regarded as potential vectors for dengue transmission in these regions. Further studies on these mosquitoes should be conducted.

The“microwave oven”practice in Brazil

This article presents a forensic case of an unusual illegal cremation of a person using a process colloquially known as the“microwave oven”practice in Brazil.The microwave process involves two actions:placing the victim in a tire stack and then setting the structure on fire using flammable substances to accelerate the progression.Asimilar practice,identified as“necklacing”,has also been reported in other countries such as South Africa.This report presents a case of microwave oven cremation of a body found in a rural area of Minas Gerais,Brazil.The forensic work helped determine the biological profile and identity of the victim using radiological comparisons.Although the microwave oven cremation practice is rare,it can impose challenges for investigators.Therefore,fully understanding this practice can be helpful to the academic and forensic communities.

Genetic differentiation between and within Northern Native American language groups:an argument for the expansion of the Native American CODIS database

The National Research Council recommends that genetic differentiation among subgroups of ethnic samples be lower than 3%of the total genetic differentiation within the ethnic sample to be used for estimating reliable random match probabilities for forensic use.Native American samples in the United States’Combined DNA Index System(CODIS)database represent four language families:Algonquian,Na-Dene,Eskimo-Aleut,and Salishan.However,a minimum of 27 Native American language families exists in the US,not including language isolates.Our goal was to ascertain whether genetic differences are correlated with language groupings and,if so,whether additional language families would provide a more accurate representation of current genetic diversity among tribal populations.The 21 short tandem repeat(STR)loci included in the Globalfiler^(■)PCR Amplification Kit were used to characterize six indigenous language families,including three of the four represented in the CODIS database(i.e.Algonquian,Na-Dene,and Eskimo-Aleut),and two language isolates(Miwok and Seri)using major population genetic diversity metrics such as F statistics and Bayesian clustering analysis of genotype frequencies.Most of the genetic variation(97%)was found to be within language families instead of among them(3%).In contrast,when only the three of the four language families represented in both the CODIS database and the present study were considered,4%of the genetic variation occurred among the language groups.Bayesian clustering resulted in a maximum posterior probability indicating three genetically distinct groups among the eight language families and isolates:(1)Eskimo,(2)Seri,and(3)all other language groups and isolates,thus confirming genetic subdivision among subgroups of the CODIS Native American database.This genetic structure indicates the need for an increased number of Native American populations based on language affiliation in the CODIS database as well as more robust sample sets for those language families.

Growth patterns in children with mucopolysaccharidosis Ⅰ and Ⅱ

Background:Mucopolysaccharidosis(MPS)diseases lead to a profound disruption in normal mechanisms of growth and development.This study was undertaken to determine the general growth of children with MPS I and II.Methods:The anthropometric data of patients with MPS I and II(n=76)were retrospectively analyzed.The growth patterns of these patients were analyzed and then plotted onto Polish reference charts.Longitudinal analyses were performed to estimate age-related changes.Results:At the time of birth,the body length was greater than reference charts for all MPS groups(Hurler syndrome,P=0.006;attenuated MPS II,P=0.011;severe MPS II,P<0.001).The mean z-score values for every MPS group showed that until the 30th month of life,the growth patterns for all patients were similar.Afterwards,these growth patterns start to differ for individual groups.The body height below the 3rd percentile was achieved around the 30th month for boys with Hurler syndrome,between the 4th and 5th year for patients with severe MPS H and between the 7th and 8th year for patients with attenuated MPS H.Conclusions:The growth pattern differs between patients with MPS I and H.It reflects the clinical severity of MPS and may assist in the evaluation of clinical efficacy of available therapies.