This study investigates how children aged 4 to 12 years participate in /u/-fronting, a phonetically conditioned change in Ontario English in which the high back vowel /u/ is initially more fronted after coronal consonants than in other contexts. A picture naming task was used to elicit vowel tokens from children and their parents, and F1 and F2 measurements were extracted using FAVE. Children in all three age groups (4-6, 7-9, 10-12 years) were found to have significantly higher F2 values for /u/ (indicating more fronting) than adults in the non-coronal environment. This pattern does not appear to follow the predicted pattern of incrementation of sound change by older children. Instead, the findings may reflect overgeneralization of /u/-fronting, with young children extending the change to a new phonetic context during acquisition, or an earlier start to the incrementation of this variable in this population.

Monkeypox (mpox) has re-emerged as global public health concern including in several non-endemic countries. This study aims to characterize monkeypox virus (MPXV) genomes in Indonesia, to explore viral evolution and transmission. Genomic analysis was conducted on 53 isolates from Indonesian mpox patients between 2023 and 2024. All sequences belonged to Clade IIb, with identified sub-clades including A.1.1, B.1, B.1.3, and C.1 – of which C.1 became dominant during this period. Out of 87 mpox-confirmed cases, 60.9% (53/87) were successfully sequenced and submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). The majority of cases in Indonesia occurred among males (95.4%), men who have sex with men (59.8%), and people living with HIV/AIDS (71.3%). Notably, a large portion of cases had no travel history, suggesting local transmission. Initially, only clade IIb (B.1) was detected in October 2022. By August 2023, lineage diversity had increased, with B.1.3 and C.1 emerging as the predominant sub-clades. A time–calibrated phylogenetic tree revealed genetic relatedness and shared ancestry within clade IIb. Integrating genomic and epidemiological data offers valuable insights to improve mpox surveillance and public health response in Indonesia and the broader region

The article argues for an emendation in Plin. HN 9.126. Modern editors are accustomed to print the text cum testa uiuas, adopting J. Hardouin’s conjecture for cum terra uitis, the reading transmitted in most manuscripts. Nevertheless, the overlooked manuscript reading contritis conchis allows us to deduce a palaeographically neater solution contritis if conchis is considered a gloss which entered the text.

Many marine invertebrates are intermediate hosts to parasites. As some of these parasites may influence host behaviour and act as cryptic agents involved in mass mortality, knowledge of their presence, dynamics, and life cycles is important. Our aim with the present study is to provide a survey of parasites in subtidal cockles in the Limfjorden (Denmark), to examine their influence on cockles, and to assess their possible role in the surfacing of cockles, as this phenomenon is considered a prelude to mortality. The trematode fauna of the studied subtidal population was poor in species, but about 19% of the examined cockles in late summer and autumn were infected by Monorchis parvus – a species not previously reported from cockles in Danish waters. Heavily infected cockles were filled with small, undulating, worm-like sporocysts, each filled with metacercariae. From August to November, the number of metacercariae in sporocysts increased, and at a certain point, the growing stock of sporocysts is supposed to reach a level where the cockle is unable to perform vital life functions. Our data show that infected individuals exhibit less annual shell growth than uninfected ones. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of M. parvus between unburied and buried cockles. Cockle-eating fish from the family Sparidae are known as final hosts to M. parvus, but these fish do not occur in Danish waters. Therefore, the record-high presence of M. parvus in cockles from the Limfjorden is surprising, and we consider alternative life cycle options for this trematode.

Avian trypanosomes (Trypanosoma, Kinetoplastea) are successful blood parasites occurring worldwide. These parasites are usually non-pathogenic to their avian hosts, thus neglected in studies regarding their life cycles and vectors. Several families of blood-sucking dipteran insects, including mosquitoes, have been identified as vectors of avian trypanosomes. Mosquitoes have been experimentally confirmed as vectors of Trypanosoma culicavium and Trypanosoma thomasbancrofti. In this study, we describe a third species of avian trypanosomes occurring in mosquitoes, designated as Trypanosoma tertium n. sp. This species can be distinguished from related trypanosome species based on morphology and small subunit rRNA gene sequence. Two isolates of T. tertium n. sp. obtained from a mosquito and a bird host were able to infect two subspecies of laboratory Culex pipiens mosquitoes, with infection rates reaching 60% and heavy infections in 90% of positive females. In infected mosquitoes, trypanosomes occurred as long epimastigotes in the midgut and short epimastigotes and rosettes in the hindgut. Putative infectious stages were detected in the diuretic liquid of infected mosquitoes, suggesting, besides transmission through ingestion of the infected vector, a possible transconjunctival infection. Among wild mosquitoes, avian trypanosomes were detected exclusively in Cx. pipiens with 3.3% total prevalence, while T. tertium n. sp. prevalence was only 0.08% among 1128 dissected Cx. pipiens individuals. In birds, T. tertium n. sp. was detected in 8 species within which the prevalence was 1.3% (686 birds), while it was 0.3% in total (3084 birds). We discuss the relationship of the newly described T. tertium n. sp. with other mosquito-transmitted trypanosomes.

In this study, we investigated the diversity and survival of aestivating snails in dry-season rice paddies, focusing on their role as intermediate hosts for trematodes. A total of 1,159 snails from various families were collected and analysed, revealing nine species, primarily from the Bithyniidae family, with Bithynia siamensis siamensis being the most abundant. Of the nine species collected, the most common species, B. s. siamensis, exhibited a relatively high survival rate of 81.5% throughout the three-month dry period post-harvest, whereas the remaining eight species had survival rates below 24.0% (0–23.1%). Four snail species, B. s. siamensis, Filopaludina martensi martensi, F. sumatrensis polygramma, and F. doliaris, were found infected with larval trematodes, with an overall prevalence of 8.46% (57/674). The larval trematodes identified were categorized into four types: echinostome metacercaria, Thapariella anastomusa metacercaria, unidentified metacercaria, and unidentified rediae. These findings demonstrate that trematode infections can persist in aestivating snails despite the challenging conditions during the dry season, emphasizing the potential of aestivating snails to act as vectors for trematode transmission in agricultural settings. This underscores the need for effective management strategies to mitigate the risks associated with trematode transmission.

The effect of reservoir construction on medically important parasites is well known worldwide but lacks information in Vietnam. With 385 active hydropower plants and numerous water reservoirs, Vietnam provides an ideal setting for studying this issue. This study investigated trematode infection in snail first intermediate hosts from three hydropower reservoirs: Hoa Binh, Son La, and Thac Ba. In total, 25,299 snails representing 16 species were examined, with 959 individuals (8 species) shedding identifiable cercariae. Infection prevalence was highest in thiarid snails (5.4%–15.4%), followed by bithynid snails (2.9%–5.8%). Other snail species showed infection prevalence ranging from 0.3% to 2.9%. Infection prevalence varied significantly across regions, with the highest prevalence in Son La, followed by Hoa Binh and Thac Ba reservoirs. However, no significant differences were observed between snails collected from reservoirs versus canals and paddy fields. Morphological identification resulted in nine cercarial morphotypes, with pleurolophocercaria, xiphidiocercariae, and echinostome being the most common types, accounting for 89.2% of all cercarial infections. Echinostome cercariae were found in seven snail species, while the other cercarial morphotypes were shed by two to five species. Gabbia fuchsiana, Parafossarulus manchouricus, and Melanoides tuberculata were the most common hosts, each harboring five cercarial morphotypes, while Radix auricularia only released echinostome type. In conclusion, our findings highlight the endemic presence of trematodes in hydropower reservoirs and emphasize the need to consider the human-environment interaction around these reservoirs for a better understanding of disease transmission risks.

Echinococcosis is a parasitic invasion caused by a cestode of the genus Echinococcus. Kyrgyzstan is a country in Central Asia known for an extremely high incidence of echinococcosis. A total of 10 093 subjects were screened in the Osh, Naryn and Batken regions of Kyrgyzstan in 2015–2017 by ultrasound and questioned for potential risk factors. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) prevalence (combined newly diagnosed and post-surgery cases) ranged between 0.2 and 25.2% across the study regions. Typical factors, such as dog or livestock ownership, weakly affected CE risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18–1.83). Use of water from a well and owning a cat had a greater effect on CE risk (OR = 2.02–2.28). The risk factors of CE were highly dissimilar among the study regions, with patterns not always compatible with classical biohelminthosis transmission routes (no risk from livestock in certain areas, significant risk from using well water, owning cats). Therefore, the CE epidemic in Kyrgyzstan is not holistic in terms of potential mechanisms and risk factors, and certain areas can greatly benefit from preventive measures that will have limited efficiency elsewhere.

Phytoplasmas are phloem-limited bacteria that are primarily transmitted by hemipteran insects and are emerging threats to Camptotheca acuminata Decne plants due to their associations with a witches’ broom disease. Despite numerous studies, there has been no report on insect transmission of phytoplasma among C. acuminata. Here, transmission characteristics of the leafhopper, Empoasca paraparvipenis Zhang and Liu, 2008 and the phytoplasma in plant leaves through PCR quantification are described. The interaction between C. acuminata-phytoplasma and insect vectors was examined by analysing the impact on the life characteristics and progeny population in a temperature-dependent manner. Phytoplasma-infected C. acuminata plant exhibited symptoms including shorter internodes, weak and clustered branches, shrunken and yellowed leaves, and red leaf margins. The acquisition and transmission time of bacterial-infected third-instar nymphs of insect vectors were 10 (11.11%) and 30 min (33.33%), respectively. A single insect vector can infect a plant after 72 h of feeding, and the incidence rate of disease increases with the number of insects following 11–100% from single to 20 insects. The development time of the infected insect vectors (1–3 instars) was significantly shorter than that of the healthy insects, and the development duration of instar individuals was longer. In progeny populations, the higher the phytoplasma concentration (88–0% for 1–5 instars nymph, female and male adults), the shorter the development time and the longer the adult lifetime (both male and female). These findings provided research evidence of phytoplasma transmission by insect vectors; however, further investigation of the mechanisms for prevention and management of phytoplasma diseases is needed.

This study intends to provide a comprehensive review of the basic concepts, types, applications, and experimental studies of frequency selective rasorber (FSR) presented in the literature. Analyzing the characteristics of FSR became crucial for future adaptability when taking into consideration of immense development in RADAR, military, stealth, and electromagnetic interference applications. The rasorber was initially conceived as a radome for antennas and it was developed expeditiously in recent years. This survey is focused on evaluating the unit cell design (2D, 2.5D, and 3D), equivalent circuit model, polarization characteristics, fractional bandwidth, insertion loss, absorptivity, bandwidth enhancement for absorption, transmission, and their applications based on the FSR. Various techniques like exploiting lumped elements, magnetic materials, lumped components, dual/triple layer structures, varactor diodes, PIN diodes, and distributed elements (slots and stubs) are used to improve the novelty and performance of the FSR that are discussed in the works of literature. At last, these techniques, bandwidth, structures, and performances are compared based on their relative positions to feature the benefits and limitations.

SARS-CoV-2 superspreading occurs when transmission is highly efficient and/or an individual infects many others, contributing to rapid spread. To better quantify heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly superspreading, we performed a systematic review of transmission events with data on secondary attack rates or contact tracing of individual index cases published before September 2021 prior to the emergence of variants of concern and widespread vaccination. We reviewed 592 distinct events and 9,883 index cases from 491 papers. A meta-analysis of secondary attack rates identified substantial heterogeneity across 12 chosen event types/settings, with the highest transmission (25–35%) in co-living situations including households, nursing homes, and other congregate housing. Among index cases, 67% reported zero secondary cases and only 3% (287) infected >5 secondary cases (“superspreaders”). Index case demographic data were limited, with only 55% of individuals reporting age, sex, symptoms, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold values, or total contacts. With the data available, we identified a higher percentage of superspreaders among symptomatic individuals, individuals aged 49–64 years, and individuals with over 100 total contacts. Addressing gaps in the literature regarding transmission events and contact tracing is needed to properly explain the heterogeneity in transmission and facilitate control efforts for SARS-CoV-2 and other infections.

We aimed to estimate the secondary attack rate of mpox among UK household contacts and determine factors associated with transmission to inform public health management of contacts, during the global outbreak in 2022. Information was collected via NHS and public health services and included age, gender, place of residence, setting, and type of contact. Aggregate information was summarized for the UK. Record level data was combined for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with transmission. The secondary attack rate among UK household mpox contacts was 4% (60/1 526). Sexual contact with the index case was associated with a 11-fold increase in adjusted odds of becoming a case in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (95% CI 5.5–22, p < 0.001). Household contacts outside of London had increased odds compared to London residents (adjusted OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.6–5.4, p < 0.001), while female contacts had reduced odds of becoming a case (aOR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.15–0.95). We found a low overall secondary attack rate among household mpox contacts with strong evidence of increased transmission risk associated with sexual contact. This evidence will inform the risk assessment of contacts and support prioritization of those with close intimate contact for follow up.

Contact tracing for COVID-19 in England operated from May 2020 to February 2022. The clinical, demographic and exposure information collected on cases and their contacts offered a unique opportunity to study secondary transmission. We aimed to quantify the relative impact of host factors and exposure settings on secondary COVID-19 transmission risk using 550,000 sampled transmission links between cases and their contacts. Links, or ‘contact episodes’, were established where a contact subsequently became a case, using an algorithm accounting for incubation period, setting, and contact date. A mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to estimate adjusted odds of transmission. Of sampled episodes, 8.7% resulted in secondary cases. Living with a case (71% episodes) was the most significant risk factor (aOR = 2.6, CI = 1.9–3.6). Other risk factors included unvaccinated status (aOR = 1.2, CI = 1.2–1.3), symptoms, and older age (66–79 years; aOR = 1.4, CI = 1.4–1.5). Whilst global COVID-19 strategies emphasized protection outside the home, including education, travel, and gathering restrictions, this study evidences the relative importance of household transmission. There is a need to reconsider the contribution of household transmission to future control strategies and the requirement for effective infection control within households.