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The molecular mechanism underlying epigenetic inheritance remains largely unknown. Previous studies have shown that transmission of paternal acquired traits through the male germline (i.e., sperm) requires functional DNMT2 to maintain normal profiles of sperm-borne tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). Here we report that maternal transmission of a Kit paramutant phenotype (white tail tip) through the female germline (i.e., oocytes) also requires normal function of DNMT2 and normal profiles of DNMT2-dependent tsRNAs and other small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) in sperm. Specifically, ablation of DNMT2 leads to aberrant profiles of tsRNAs and other sncRNAs in sperm, which correlate with drastically dysregulated mRNA transcriptome in pronuclear zygotes derived from oocytes carrying the Kit paramutation and a complete blockage of transmission of the paramutant phenotype through the oocytes. Together with previous reports, the present study suggests that both paternal and maternal transmission of epigenetic phenotypes requires DNMT2-dependent tsRNAs in sperm.

Abinet Dagnaw Mekuria,1 Assefa Legesse Sisay,2 Kassa Ketsela Hailegiorgies,3 Ayele Mamo Abebe4 1Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 2Department of Epidemiology and Bio-Statistics, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia; 3Department of Nursing, College of Health Science, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; 4Pediatrics nursing Department, College of Health Science, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Ayele Mamo AbebePediatrics nursing Department, Debre Berhan University, College of Health Science, PO Box 445, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaEmail ayelemamo12@gmail.comBackground: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) is a frequently used word for programs and intervention methods to decrease the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of the reduction of CD4 count through time and the maternal transmission of HIV to their child on the PMTCT program at health centers in North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia.Methods: The cohort study design was conducted by using secondary data collected from the cohort register of PMTCT starting from September 1, 2014 to November 30, 2017. In this study, a longitudinal study was conducted for two types of result; these were longitudinal response measurements of HIV infected women CD4 count and the time to maternal transmission of HIV taken from 203 patients.Results: The prevalence rate of HIV infection among exposed infants was 5.58%. Baseline CD4 count, visiting times, weight, and interaction between visiting time and baseline CD4 count had a statistically significant effect on the longitudinal biomarker. From the Weibull AFT model, ART start, partner test, clinical stage, educational status, place of delivery, and MUAC were statistically significant. Hence, as a measurement unit decreased in square root CD4 cell count by 1.18 elevates the risk of maternal transmission of HIV.Conclusion: In this study, the determinant of mother-to-child transmission of HIV including loss of weight, ART start (ANC), place of delivery at home, illiterate and mother with severe malnutrition, had a significant effect. The longitudinal biomarker also had a strong association with baseline CD4 and the risk of maternal transmission of HIV. Health education should be given about balanced diet, weight control, and take medication for HIV positive patients by the responsible bodies.Keywords: longitudinal data, mixed effect model, option B+ program, parametric AFT model

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, it is crucial that we determine populations that are at-risk and develop appropriate clinical care policies to protect them. While several respiratory illnesses are known to seriously impact pregnant women and newborns, preliminary data on the novel SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus suggest that these groups are no more at-risk than the general population. Here, we review the available literature on newborns born to infected mothers and show that newborns of mothers with positive/suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections rarely acquire the disease or show adverse clinical outcomes. With this evidence in mind, it appears that strict postnatal care policies, including separating mothers and newborns, discouraging breastfeeding, and performing early bathing, may be more likely to adversely impact newborns than they are to reduce the low risk of maternal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 or the even lower risk of severe COVID-19 disease in otherwise healthy newborns.

Authors’ reply re: ’Maternal transmission of SARS-COV-2 to the neonate, and possible routes for such transmission: A systematic review and critical analysis (Response to BJOG-20-1416)Kate F Walker1, Keelin O’Donoghue2, Nicky Grace3, Jon Dorling4, Jeannette L Comeau4, Wentao Li5 Jim G Thornton11Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham2The Irish Centre for Maternal and Child Health, University College Cork, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland3 School of English, University of Nottingham4Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada5Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, AustraliaThank you for the opportunity to comment on the letter by Dr Xue from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. We agree there are many weaknesses in the data we reviewed. Dr Xue has identified one. Others are the incomplete reporting of infant feeding and mother-child interactions, and the frequent lack of infant testing to confirm or refute the possibility of vertical transmission of COVID-19. Finally, although we simply provided summary totals, it would be statistically preferable to combine series using the Mantel-Haenszel method and calculate a relative risk. We judged that doing this in light of the uncertainties around the data which Dr Xue has identified, might give a spurious precision to our results. As he says, more work is needed. For now we think it remains reasonable to not regard COVID-19 in itself, as an indication for Caesarean, artificial feeding or separation, in the mother and baby’s interest.

Sir, We read with interests the article by Kate F Walker and colleagues, entitled ”Maternal transmission of SARS-COV-2 to the neonate, and possible routes for such transmission: A systematic review and critical analysis”. In the article, the authors systematically analyzed the mode of delivery on the infection rates of COVID-19 in the newborn. Despite the limitations, especially the retrospective nature of studies examined, this study provided important information about the selection of mode of delivery of women with COVID-19. It suggests that neonatal infection rates are not different after Caesarean birth or vaginal delivery. However, the severity of the COVID-19 infection of the mothers was not considered. Clinically, pregnant women with the more severe COVID-19 infection appear to prefer delivery by Caesarean delivery rather than vaginal birth. Therefore, it is possible that any beneficial effects of Caesarean birth in reducing transmission of COVID-19 might not be apparent because the severity of COVID-19 infection was greater in these women. This selective bias would weaken the conclusions of current studies. We feel that prospective evaluation the safety of mode of delivery with COVID-19 is required.Rui-hong Xue11Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

Maternally transmittedWolbachiabacteria infect about half of all insect species. They usually show imperfect maternal transmission and often produce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Irrespective of CI,Wolbachiafrequencies tend to increase when rare only if they benefit host fitness. SeveralWolbachia, includingwMel that infectsDrosophila melanogastercause weak or no CI and persist at intermediate frequencies. On the island of São Tomé off West Africa, the frequencies ofwMel-likeWolbachiainfectingD. yakuba(wYak) andD. santomea(wSan) fluctuate, and the contributions of imperfect maternal transmission, fitness effects, and CI to these fluctuations are unknown. We demonstrate spatial variation inwYak frequency and transmission on São Tomé. Concurrent field estimates of imperfect maternal transmission do not predict spatial variation inwYak frequencies, which are highest at high altitudes where maternal transmission is the most imperfect. Genomic and genetic analyses provide little support forD. yakubaeffects onwYak transmission. Instead, rearing at cool temperatures reduceswYak titer and increases imperfect transmission to levels observed on São Tomé. Using mathematical models ofWolbachiafrequency dynamics and equilibria, we infer temporally variable imperfect transmission or spatially variable effects on host fitness and reproduction are required to explainwYak frequencies. In contrast, spatially stablewSan frequencies are plausibly explained by imperfect transmission, modest fitness effects, and weak CI. Our results provide insight into causes ofwMel-like frequency variation in divergent hosts. Understanding this variation is crucial to explainWolbachiaspread and to improvewMel biocontrol of human disease in transinfected mosquito systems.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare entity characterized by thin or absent pituitary stalk, hypoplastic/aplastic anterior pituitary and ectopic posterior pituitary (EPP) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PSIS can be associated with variable degrees of pituitary insufficiency 1. Most cases of combined pituitary hormone deficiency are sporadic, however in familial cases, there can be AD or AR inheritance with more than 30 genes identified in association with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). We describe how diagnosis of 2 children with PSIS led to the discovery of the condition in their mother. Clinical Case: Child 1 presented at age 3yrs with growth failure in 2003 with ht z score -4.24 SD. Subsequent work up revealed low IGF-1 (< 25 ng /mL) and MRI showed EPP, small anterior pituitary gland and absent pituitary stalk. No GH stim test was performed. He was started on GH supplementation and later was diagnosed with central hypothyroidism, central adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and is doing well on multiple hormone replacement at age 19 yrs. Child 2, a half-brother to child 1 (same mother), presented at age 1yr with growth failure in 2017 with ht z score -2.06. GH stimulation test with glucagon was abnormal and resulted in a very low GH response (peak GH 0.52 ng/mL). MRI showed EPP with small anterior pituitary gland and interruption of the stalk. Later he was found to have central hypothyroidism and mild central adrenal insufficiency. He is receiving standard hormone replacement at 3 yrs of age. Mother of above 2 patients presented 6 mos postpartum in 2017 after her 7th and last pregnancy with fatigue and amenorrhea. Laboratory evaluation revealed central hypothyroidism (FT4 0.76 ng/dL) and she was prescribed levothyroxine followed by resumption of her menses. She was unable to breastfeed her children due to lack of supply. There were no concerns for DI, amenorrhea or infertility. She was referred to Endocrinology in 2019 for persistent fatigue with a question of GH deficiency. IGF-1 level was normal 114 ng/mL(z score -0.39) and GH stimulation test (clonidine + glucagon) was abnormal with peak GH 1.85 ng/ml. MRI showed EPP with hypoplastic pituitary stalk. Genetic testing was done for CPHD Sequencing Panel at Prevention Genetics which includes GL12, HESX1, LHX3, LHX4, OTX2, POU1F1, PROP1F1, PROP1, SOX2, SOX3 genes and results were negative. She has 4 other children (21, 12, 11, 10yrs) who are currently being investigated for hormone deficiencies. One child died at 3 months of age due to SIDS. Conclusion: We present 3 family members with PSIS. This family highlights the variable clinical phenotype of PSIS and importance of careful family history when evaluating children with congenital pituitary abnormalities and supports the need for more extensive gene panels for evaluation of CPHD. Reference:. Acta Endocrinologica, 2017. 13(1):96–105

We present 2 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–associated severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection during the third trimester of pregnancy. Both mothers and newborns had excellent outcomes. We failed to identify SARS-CoV-2 in all of the products of conception and the newborns. This report provided evidence of low risk of intrauterine infection by vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Maedi-visna (MV) is a complex lentiviral disease syndrome characterised by long immunological and clinical latencies and chronic progressive inflammatory pathology. Incurable at the individual level, it is widespread in most sheep-keeping countries, and is a cause of lost production and poor animal welfare. Culling seropositive animals is the main means of control, but it might be possible to manage virus transmission effectively if its epidemiology was better quantified. We derive a mathematical epidemiological model of the temporal distributions of seroconversion probabilities and estimate susceptibility, transmission rate and latencies in three serological datasets. We demonstrate the existence of epidemiological latency, which has not explicitly been recognised in the SRLV literaure. This time delay between infection and infectiousness apparently exceeds the delay between infection and seroconversion. Poor body condition was associated with more rapid seroconversion, but not with a higher probability of infection. We estimate transmission rates amongst housed sheep to be at about 1,000 times faster than when sheep were at grass, when transmission was negligible. Maternal transmission has only a small role in transmission, because lambs from infected ewes have a low probability of being infected directly by them, and only a small proportion of lambs need be retained to maintain flock size. Our results show that MV is overwhelmingly a disease of housing, where sheep are kept in close proximity. Prevalence of MV is likely to double each year from an initial low incidence in housed flocks penned in typically-sized groups of sheep (c. 50) for even a few days per year. Ewes kept entirely at grass are unlikely to experience transmission frequently enough for MV to persist, and pre-existing infection should die out as older ewes are replaced, thereby essentially curing the flock.

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emergent flavivirus, transmitted predominately by Aedes genus mosquitos that recently reached the Americas and was soon implicated in an increase in microcephaly and other serious birth defects. Purpose This report provides updated information and recommendations on testing, screening, and care for pregnant women and infants affected by ZIKV. Methods Current published recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the American Academy of Pediatrics were reviewed and included in this report. Results Although largely a self-limiting disease usually without symptoms, pregnant women and their fetuses are at greatest risk. Maternal transmission of ZIKV to the fetus can lead to congenital Zika infection with potentially devastating sequelae to the infant. The available evidence suggests that infection during the first trimester of pregnancy, in which the fetus' central nervous system is being formed, is associated with higher risk of brain abnormalities and perinatal loss. Implications for practice Uncertainties remain about the course of the disease, and the full spectrum of effects of the virus on the developing infant is not yet understood. Infants with congenital Zika syndrome need coordinated follow-up and long-term specialty care, as well as support for the family. Implications for research There is no known cure for ZIKV infection and no vaccine is currently available. The full spectrum of developmental disabilities and other adverse early childhood outcomes associated with congenital ZIKV infection needs to be studied.

Summary Background Preterm infants are at high risk for extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) sepsis and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) outbreaks. Maternal colonization with ESBL-E may be precursory to mother-to-child transmission. However, there is no consensus regarding surveillance of pregnant women for ESBL-E colonization. Aim To identify pairs of mothers and infants harbouring same-strain ESBL-E colonization and to determine whether maternal transmission may play a role in increasing ESBL-E carriage in preterm infants. Methods This was a one-year analysis from an ongoing, prospective ESBL-E surveillance of mothers of premature infants and their offspring. Mother–infant pairs colonized with the same bacteria underwent strain analysis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Clinical parameters were collected from the hospital computerized records. Findings Between January 2015 and January 2016, 313/409 (76.5%) mothers and all 478 (100%) infants were screened for ESBL-E colonization; carriage rates were 21.5% and 14.8%, respectively. Four (5.6%) colonized infants developed late-onset sepsis and two (2.8%) died. Twenty-five mother–infant pairs colonized with the same bacterial strain were identified; a subgroup of 10 pairs of isolates underwent PFGE, and 70% displayed an identical PFGE fingerprint. No similarities were found between isolates recovered from unrelated neonates and mothers. ESBL-E colonization was found significantly earlier in infants of mothers colonized at birth (P Conclusions ESBL-E carriage rates in mothers and NICU infants with non-negligible maternal–neonatal ESBL-E transmission in the study region indicate that maternal colonization surveillance and/or further infection control interventions should be considered.

Industrialisation has introduced several lifestyle changes and medical advancements but their impact on intestinal microbiota acquisition is often overlooked. Even though these consequential changes in the microbiota could contribute to the disease burden that accompanies industrialisation, such as obesity and atopic disease. A healthy intestinal microbiota is acquired early in life but its exact origin is not fully elucidated. The maternal microbiota is a likely source because the infant and mother intestinal microbiota share identical strains. Successfully transmitting microbes from mother to child requires microbes in the maternal donor, contact between the maternal source and the infant, and an acquiring infant recipient. Transmission can be altered by changes to any of those three transmission determinants: (1) maternal microbiota sources are shaped by the mother’s genotype, diet, health status and perturbing antimicrobial exposure; (2) maternal contact is reduced through C-section and formula feeding and (3) engraftment in the infant recipient is determined by host habitat filtering, the established microbes and antibiotic disruptions. This review gives an overview of the possible maternal transmission routes, the disruptions thereof, and the missing links that should be addressed in future research to investigate the maternal transmissions that are crucial for obtaining a healthy infant microbiota.

Wolbachiaare being used to reduce dengue transmission byAedes aegyptimosquitoes around the world. To date releases have mostly involvedWolbachiastrains with limited fitness effects but strains with larger fitness costs could be used to suppress mosquito populations. However, such infections are expected to evolve towards decreased deleterious effects. Here we investigate potential evolutionary changes in thewMelPop infection transferred fromDrosophila melanogastertoAedes aegyptimore than ten years (~120 generations) ago. We show that most deleterious effects of this infection have persisted despite strong selection to ameliorate them. ThewMelPop infection is difficult to maintain in laboratory colonies, likely due to the persistent deleterious effects coupled with occasional maternal transmission leakage. Furthermore, female mosquitoes can be scored incorrectly as infected due to transmission ofWolbachiathrough mating. Infection loss in colonies was not associated with evolutionary changes in the nuclear background. These findings suggest thatWolbachiatransinfections with deleterious effects may have stable phenotypes which could ensure their long-term effectiveness if released in natural populations to reduce population size.Author summaryMosquitoes infected withWolbachiabacteria are being deployed into the field where they can suppress mosquito populations and reduce dengue transmission. These programs rely on the use ofWolbachiastrains that have desirable phenotypes, which can include deleterious fitness effects, reproductive manipulation and virus blocking. However, theory predicts thatWolbachiawill evolve to become less costly to their hosts, reducing the effectiveness of these programs. We investigate the potential for evolutionary changes by performing a comprehensive phenotypic analysis of a deleteriousWolbachiastrain,wMelPop, that was introduced toAedes aegyptimosquitoes fromDrosophilaover ten years ago. In contrast to theoretical expectations and research fromDrosophila, our results suggest thatWolbachiastrains with deleterious effects may have stable phenotypes, ensuring their long-term effectiveness if released into natural populations.

Background In Uruguay it is mandatory to review all cases of positive HIV or reactive syphilis tests in pregnancy and peripartum. We compared the rates of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis and HIV detected by case reviews to those obtained from the usual surveillance system and described the characteristic of vertical transmission cases. Methods This is a cross-sectional study performed with secondary data obtained from official government sources, for all the country cases of maternal to child transmission of HIV and syphilis from 2012 to 2017, with descriptive analyses. For congenital syphilis analyses, the following pregnancy characteristics were investigated: number of antenatal checks, gestational age at pregnancy diagnosis, gestational age at syphilis test and diagnosis, adequate treatment, and treatment of partners. Sociodemographic characteristics included type of health care (public/private), maternal age, distribution of ethnic minorities, maximum educational attainment, presence of partner, planned pregnancy, drug and alcohol use, domestic violence, previous maternal diagnosis of syphilis, and previous children with congenital syphilis. Results Coverage of syphilis case reviews increased from 82% in 2014 to 97.4% in 2017. For HIV, this coverage reached 100% in 2017 and elimination of mother to child transmission was achieved. A marked decline in congenital syphilis was noted in the public health care sector, especially in the capital Montevideo, whereas the private sector has remained below the elimination target. Variables related with congenital syphilis in exposed children were late pregnancy diagnosis, Conclusion The use of case reviews provided knowledge regarding the accurate number of mother-to-child transmission cases and the evolution of elimination of mother to child transmission in the country. The results suggest that rates must be adjusted, providing an opportunity to improve the reliability of surveillance data, and point the need to address specific gaps in order to improve the quality of care during pregnancy, delivery, and the neonatal period.

Unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) results in a postfertilization incompatibility between Wolbachia-infected males and uninfected females. CI contributes to reproductive isolation between closely related species and is used in worldwide vector control programs to drastically lower arboviral vector population sizes or to replace populations that transmit arboviruses with those resistant to transmission. Despite decades of research on the factors that influence CI, penetrance is often variable under controlled laboratory conditions in various arthropods, suggesting that additional variables influence CI strength. Here, we demonstrate that paternal D. melanogaster grandmother age influences the strength of CI induced by their sons. Older D. melanogaster females have higher Wolbachia densities and produce offspring with higher Wolbachia densities that associate with stronger CI. This work reveals a multigenerational impact of age on CI and expands our understanding of host-Wolbachia interactions and the biology of CI induced by the Wolbachia strain infecting the most widely used arthropod model, D. melanogaster., Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria that are globally distributed in half of all arthropod species. As the most abundant maternally inherited microbe in animals, Wolbachia manipulate host reproduction via reproductive parasitism strategies, including cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). CI manifests as embryonic death when Wolbachia-modified sperm fertilize uninfected eggs but not maternally infected eggs. Thus, CI can provide a relative fitness advantage to Wolbachia-infected females and drive the infection through a population. In the genetic model Drosophila melanogaster, the Wolbachia strain wMel induces variable CI, making mechanistic studies in D. melanogaster cumbersome. Here, we demonstrate that sons of older paternal D. melanogaster grandmothers induce stronger CI than sons of younger paternal grandmothers, and we term this relationship the “paternal grandmother age effect” (PGAE). Moreover, the embryos and adult sons of older D. melanogaster grandmothers have higher Wolbachia densities, correlating with their ability to induce stronger CI. In addition, we report that Wolbachia density positively correlates with female age and decreases after mating, suggesting that females transmit Wolbachia loads that are proportional to their own titers. These findings reveal a transgenerational impact of age on wMel-induced CI, elucidate Wolbachia density dynamics in D. melanogaster, and provide a methodological advance to studies aimed at understanding wMel-induced CI in the D. melanogaster model.

Dengue fever is one of the most important diseases causing illness and death all over the world, which brings tremendous threat to peoples’ life and property security, especially in the undeveloped areas. The main vector, Aedes aegypti, must be controlled to prevent the transmission of dengue. There are a variety of methods to control it. Wolbachia is an innovative bacterium which breaks the dengue transmission cycle for its characteristics of cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission. In this paper, a sex-structured model with birth pulse is established to study the spread of Wolbachia in mosquito population. The results show that if the maternal transmission is perfect, Wolbachia will spread successfully. Moreover, all the mosquitoes will be infected with Wolbachia. If the maternal transmission is imperfect, there are two locally asymptotically stable periodic solutions. One is Wolbachia-extinction periodic solution, and the other is part replacement periodic solution. Numerical simulations show that the initial occupancy of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes has an important effect on the success of part replacement strategy. If the initial occupancy is relatively large, the part replacement strategy can be successful. Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that the initial occupancy cannot be always large enough in the wild nature, to release Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes artificially into the wild nature becomes necessary. Therefore, we add a release strategy into the sex-structured model with birth pulse for further analysis. The condition to ensure the stability of the Wolbachia total replacement periodic solution is obtained. Finally, the effect of the release quantity is simulated numerically.

Chronic hepatitis B is globally prevalent and is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite immunoprophylaxis against hepatitis B in pregnancy, perinatal transmission still occurs in at least 10% of the children born to a mother with high level of viremia. Decisions regarding hepatitis B therapy during pregnancy must take into account the benefits and safety for both the mother and the unborn baby. In this review, we summarize the current treatment options for chronic hepatitis B with a focus on management during pregnancy and the evidence-based strategies to prevent vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV).

We develop and analyze an ordinary differential equation model to assess the potential effectiveness of infecting mosquitoes with the Wolbachia bacteria to control the ongoing mosquito-borne epidemics, such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Wolbachia is a natural parasitic microbe that stops the proliferation of the harmful viruses inside the mosquito and reduces disease transmission. It is difficult to sustain an infection of the maternal transmitted Wolbachia in a wild mosquito population because of the reduced fitness of the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and cytoplasmic incompatibility limiting maternal transmission. The infection will only persist if the fraction of the infected mosquitoes exceeds a minimum threshold. Our two-sex mosquito model captures the complex transmission-cycle by accounting for heterosexual transmission, multiple pregnant states for female mosquitoes, and the aquatic-life stage. We identify important dimensionless numbers and analyze the critical threshold condition for obtaining a sustained Wolbachia infection in the natural population. This threshold effect is characterized by a backward bifurcation with three coexisting equilibria of the system of differential equations: a stable disease-free equilibrium, an unstable intermediate-infection endemic equilibrium and a stable high-infection endemic equilibrium. We perform sensitivity analysis on epidemiological and environmental parameters to determine their relative importance to Wolbachia transmission and prevalence. We also compare the effectiveness of different integrated mitigation strategies and observe that the most efficient approach to establish the Wolbachia infection is to first reduce the natural mosquitoes and then release both infected males and pregnant females. The initial reduction of natural population could be accomplished by either residual spraying or ovitraps., 27 pages, 14 figure; submitted to SIAP

A novel method to reduce the burden of dengue is to seed wild mosquitoes with Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in dengue-endemic areas. Concerns in current mathematical models are to locate the Wolbachia introduction threshold. Our recent findings manifest that the threshold is highly dependent on the initial population size once Wolbachia infection alters the logistic control death rate of infected females. However, counting mosquitoes is beyond the realms of possibility. A plausible method is to monitor the infection frequency. We propose the concept of Wolbachia enhancing domain in which the infection frequency keeps increasing. A detailed description of the domain is presented. Our results suggest that both the initial population size and the infection frequency should be taken into account for optimal release strategies. Both Wolbachia fixation and extinction permit the oscillation of the infection frequency.

Neonatal thrombosis is considered a rare manifestation with unclear aetiology. We reported a neonatal lupus of a Sjogren’s syndrome mother with recurrent miscarriage secondary to antiphospholipid syndrome; seronegative to anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant and B2GP1. She was serologically positive to antiphosphatidylethanolamine and antiprothrombin antibodies, anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La. The neonate developed neonatal lupus complicated with right ventricular thrombus assumed to be induced by maternal transmission of antiphosphatidylethanolamine and antiprothrombin antibodies, treated successfully with tissue plasminogen activator and warfarin.

That parental offending acts as a strong risk factor for offending in children is well-established within criminology. Yet, research on maternal offending is relatively limited, even though many women take on a significantly higher share of childcare responsibilities, and as such, might reasonably be expected to exert an especially strong influence on their children. In part, this lacuna might be attributed to a male-centric lens within criminology, which has tended to overlook female offending. Aimed in part at redressing this imbalance, this article investigates the maternal transmission of offending among a cohort of 12-year-olds, using self-report data from the longitudinal Growing Up in Scotland study. The analysis shows that intragenerational maternal offending acts as a significant predictor of offending among daughters, but that intergenerational offending does not. We found no significant relationship between mothers’ offending and sons’, who appear more vulnerable to a range of wider risk factors.

Lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) is, in most cases, caused by anatomical blockage of the bladder outlet. The most common form are posterior urethral valves (PUVs), a male-limited phenotype. Here, we surveyed the genome of 155 LUTO patients to identify disease-causing CNVs. Raw intensity data were collected for CNVs detected in LUTO patients and 4.392 healthy controls using CNVPartition, QuantiSNP and PennCNV. Overlapping CNVs between patients and controls were discarded. Additional filtering implicated CNV frequency in the database of genomic variants, gene content and final visual inspection detecting 37 ultra-rare CNVs. After, prioritization qPCR analysis confirmed 3 microduplications, all detected in PUV patients. One microduplication (5q23.2) occurred de novo in the two remaining microduplications found on chromosome 1p36.21 and 10q23.31. Parental DNA was not available for segregation analysis. All three duplications comprised 11 coding genes: four human specific lncRNA and one microRNA. Three coding genes (FBLIM1, SLC16A12, SNCAIP) and the microRNA MIR107 have previously been shown to be expressed in the developing urinary tract of mouse embryos. We propose that duplications, rare or de novo, contribute to PUV formation, a male-limited phenotype.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of xylitol-containing wipes on reducing maternal and non-maternal transmission of mutans streptococci (MS) in infants aged 6-35 months.Methods: Forty-four mother-infant pairs participated in a double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, and were assigned to xylitol-wipe or placebo-wipe groups. Mothers were instructed to use 2 wipes 3 times daily for their infants. Saliva samples were collected from mothers and infants at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year for MS enumeration and colonies of 21 mother-infant pairs were genotyped by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction. Results: All mothers assessed had MS infection. MS colonization was found in 12 infants, with maternal transmission only in 4 infants. There was no significant difference in MS colonization rates of infants in the xylitol (56%) and placebo wipe groups (76%) at 1 year, but more diverse and less retained MS genotypes were noted in xylitol wipe group. Maternal MS strains only accounted for 9% of total genotypes in these infants. Most non-maternal MS genotypes were transient (92%), whereas most maternal transmitted MS genotypes were retained (80%). Conclusions: Non-maternal MS transmission is an important source for MS colonization in infants. Daily xylitol wipe use may affect the sustainability of MS in infant.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the route of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) transmission to hospitalized newborns was from their mothers during delivery. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalized newborns were sampled for ESBL presence by stool cultures on the first and fourth days of life. Mothers of ESBL-positive newborns were sampled for possible correlation detection. Bacteria isolates were molecularly identified and susceptibility tests for antibiotic agents were performed. Of the 225 newborns, 14 (6.2%) were ESBL positive, 10 (4.4%) were Escherichia coli positive, and 4 (1.7%) were Klebsiella pneumoniae positive. Among the 14 mothers of positive newborns, 13 (92.8%) were found ESBL positive and one mother of a newborn with E. coli carriage was found ESBL negative. Genes encoding for ESBL resistance were identified. Antibiotic sensitivity and resistance were tested. This study demonstrated that ESBL bacteria carrier neonates hospitalized in NICU may be a result of transmission from mother to baby during delivery.

1. Insects are commonly infected with bacterial endosymbionts. In addition to the costs and benefits associated with harbouring these symbionts, their rates of vertical and horizontal transmission are important determinants of symbiont prevalence. 2. Aphids are cyclical parthenogens and show virtually perfect maternal transmission of endosymbionts during asexual reproduction. Less clear is the role of the annual sexual generation, during which overwintering eggs are produced. Data from pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris) suggest that maternal transmission failures and horizontal transmission via males may occur under sexual reproduction at least occasionally. No such data exist for other aphid species. 3. In the present study, the rates of maternal and paternal transmission of facultative endosymbionts during sexual reproduction in the black bean aphid, Aphis fabae (Scopoli) were examined. Crosses were performed between clones infected with Hamiltonella defensa, clones infected with Regiella insecticola and clones without facultative endosymbionts, and eggs were overwintered under three different conditions. 4. Only one of 205 offspring from crosses testing for maternal transmission failed to inherit the symbiont present in the maternal clone, and in crosses testing for horizontal transmission, only one of 412 offspring acquired a facultative symbiont from the father. 5. These results show that in A. fabae, maternal transmission of H. defensa and R. insecticola is extremely reliable also during sexual reproduction, indicating that maternal transmission failures are unlikely to exert a significant influence on frequencies of infection in the field. Paternal transmission of endosymbionts was exceedingly rare, suggesting that this route of horizontal transmission may be less important than hitherto assumed.