Biology subjects

Stone, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Stone, C..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The Vector Competence and Vectorial Capacity of Aedes albopictus for Ross River Virus in the United States as a Function of Temperature

Ross River virus (RRV) is a medically significant arbovirus endemic to Australia where it causes an average of 5000 reported human cases per year. Due to concern for possible transmission outside of its endemic range, we examined the vector competence and vectorial capacity of RRV by Aedes albopictus (Skuse 1894) to contribute to risk assessments for outbreaks in the United States. We tested Ae. albopictus mosquitoes exposed to RRV at three temperatures and five time points post-infection for infection and dissemination. We also collected saliva from exposed individuals incubated at the same three temperatures to determine the presence of viral RNA. Additionally, we assessed the impact of viral infection on life expectancy as a function of temperature. Rates of infection were unaffected by time and temperature and 89.3% of individuals were infected. 85-100% of infected individuals displayed dissemination by day 7 at all temperatures. The extrinsic incubation period as determined by the saliva collection was approximately 6 days and 78.6-100% of individuals tested expressed salivary viral RNA at some point in the experiment which is comparable to the rates of overall infection. The vectorial capacity of RRV with Ae. albopictus as a vector ranged from 10.23-23.37 indicating that these mosquitoes are competent potential vectors for RRV. Due to prior outbreaks RRV has caused outside of its endemic range, these findings warrant further investigation in the transmission potential of RRV in the United States. Author SummaryThe last 30 years has seen a steady increase in mosquito-borne illness globally, much of which has been driven by viruses such as dengue establishing in new areas as a consequence of the spread of its primary vectors and environmental changes. In order to mitigate the continued increase in the prevalence of mosquito-borne illness, it is necessary to determine which viruses are likely to spread beyond their native range. Ross River virus (RRV) is a mosquito-borne virus which, while nonlethal, commonly causes a litany of debilitating side-effects for extended periods of time. RRV is endemic to Australia, however the recent introduction of a known RRV vector to California as well as the widespread prevalence of a suspected RRV vector, Ae. albopictus, across the country, could prime RRV for an outbreak in the continental United States. As part of a risk assessment for the outbreak potential of RRV in the continental United States, we investigated the vector competence and vectorial capacity of Ae. albopictus. We find that this species is a competent vector for this virus across a range of relevant temperatures.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Infection and host-feeding patterns of West Nile virus vectors varies by urban greenspace composition

Greenspaces are integral to the urban environment and affect climate resilience, yet the extent to which they affect mosquito and West Nile virus (WNV) host populations and behavior is not clear. To address this question, we collected mosquitoes along a transect spanning a range of urban development. Mosquitoes were tested for West Nile virus, and the host species that were fed on determined for blood-fed specimens. Bird counts and camera traps were used to assess avian and mammal species availability. Different components that contribute to WNV transmission intensity responded to different landcover variables. Abundance of Culex mosquitoes was most strongly tied to impervious surface, while prevalence of infection was associated with increasing amounts of turf grass. The amount of turf was itself correlated with a measure of avian community reservoir competence. Blood meal analysis suggested the majority of blood meals in the ornithophagic species Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans came from American robins and northern cardinals, with the latter in particular being overutilized relative to their abundance in sites with higher WNV prevalence. This work furthers our understanding of how the design of urban greenspaces could benefit from consideration of vector-host-virus interactions.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Semaglutide Improves Myocardial Perfusion and Performance in a Large Animal Model of Coronary Artery Disease

ObjectiveCoronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. It imposes an enormous symptomatic burden on patients, leaving many with residual disease despite optimal procedural therapy, and up to 1/3 with debilitating angina amenable neither to procedures, nor to current pharmacologic options. Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist originally approved for management of diabetes, has garnered substantial attention for its capacity to attenuate cardiovascular risk. Although subgroup analyses in patients indicate promise, studies explicitly designed to isolate the impact of semaglutide on the sequelae of CAD, independently of comorbid diabetes or obesity, are lacking. Approach and ResultsYorkshire swine (n=17) underwent placement of an ameroid constrictor around the left circumflex coronary artery to induce CAD. Oral semaglutide was initiated postoperatively at 1.5 mg and scaled up in 2 weeks to 3 mg in treatment animals (SEM, n=8) for a total of 5 weeks, while control animals (CON, n=9) received no drug. All then underwent myocardial harvest with acquisition of perfusion and functional data using microsphere injection and pressure-volume loop catheterization. Immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were performed on the most ischemic myocardial segments for mechanistic elucidation. SEM animals exhibited improved left ventricular ejection fraction, both at rest and during rapid myocardial pacing (both p<0.03), accompanied by increased perfusion to the most ischemic myocardial region at rest and during rapid pacing (both p<0.03); reduced perivascular and interstitial fibrosis (both p <0.03); and apoptosis (p=0.008). These changes were associated with increased activation of the endothelial-protective AMPK pathway (p=0.005), coupled with downstream increases in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p=0.014). ConclusionThis study is the first to reveal the capacity of oral semaglutide to augment cardiac function in the chronically ischemic heart in a highly translational large animal model, likely through AMPK-mediated improvement in endothelial function and perfusion to the ischemic myocardium.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Superbugs online: Co-production of an educational website to increase public understanding of the microbial world in, on and around us

1.Digital tools and online presence have become a cornerstone to public engagement and involvement strategy and delivery. We here describe the co-production process behind launching a new multilingual resource for schools in the UK and beyond, jointly between university scientists, engagement professionals, primary and secondary teachers, and web designers. The Superbugs website aims at raising awareness and increasing public understanding of the microbial world in, on and around us, and has attracted >19,000 online visitors, >33,500 page views and >775,000 Twitter impressions over the past 24 months. Superbugs.online is available in English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, thus making it accessible to everyone in the UK and Ireland, regardless of the language in which they receive and deliver their science education. The website is easy to navigate and features background information, quizzes, animations, videos, illustrated stories, interactive timelines, games and protocols for home experiments. All materials are presented in a non-prescriptive way, aimed at allowing flexibility for the materials to be adapted to the individual needs of teachers and pupils alike. Our work has led to demonstrable impact on the co-production team and on pupils and teachers as key stakeholders, based on a comprehensive evaluation of the co-production process itself, the impact of the end product, and the creation of lasting relationships with stakeholders and co-producers, for the mutual benefit of everyone involved. 2. Data summaryThe authors confirm all supporting data have been provided within the article or through supplementary data files.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Culex pipiens L. and Culex restuans egg rafts harbor diverse bacterial communities compared to their midgut tissues

BackgroundThe bacterial communities associated with mosquito eggs are an essential component of the mosquito microbiota, yet there are few studies characterizing and comparing the microbiota of mosquito eggs to other host tissues. MethodsWe sampled gravid female Culex pipiens and Culex restuans from the field, allowed them to oviposit in the laboratory, and characterized the microbiota associated with their egg rafts and midguts for comparison through MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. ResultsBacterial richness was higher in egg rafts than in midguts for both species, and higher in Cx pipiens L. than Cx. restuans. The midgut samples of Cx. pipiens and Cx. restuans were dominated by Providencia. Culex pipiens L. and Cx. restuans egg rafts samples were dominated by Ralstonia and Novosphingobium, respectively. NMDS ordination based on Bray-Curtis distance matrix revealed that egg raft samples, or midgut tissues harbored similar bacterial communities regardless of the mosquito species. Within each mosquito species, there were distinct clustering of bacterial communities between egg raft and midgut tissues. ConclusionThese findings expand the list of described bacterial communities associated with Cx. pipiens L. and Cx. restuans and the additional characterization of the egg raft bacterial communities facilitates comparative analysis of mosquito host tissues, providing a basis for future studies seeking to understand any functional role of microbiota in mosquito biology.

microbiology↗