PeerJ Preprints: Translational Medicinehttps://peerj.com/preprints/index.atom?journal=peerj&subject=7100Translational Medicine articles published in PeerJ PreprintsNot all grooming is equal: differential effects of political vs affiliative grooming on cytokines and glucocorticoids in rhesus macaqueshttps://peerj.com/preprints/279612019-09-152019-09-15Lauren J WooddellJessica J VandeleestAmy C NathmanBrianne A BeisnerBrenda McCowan
Positive social relationships in humans are known to have health promoting effects while negative social relationships have detrimental effects. Features of the broader social network, including indirect connections, also impact health. However, complicating our ability to examine these features, human networks are diverse and difficult to fully quantify. Animal models where social networks can be fully characterized are useful in examining how structurally similar yet functionally different relationships can differentially relate to biomarkers of health. For example, in nonhuman primates, grooming serves two main functions, to maintain social bonds (family/friends networks) or gain access to resources/support (political networks). We examined whether an individual’s position in these two network types was differentially related to biomarkers of inflammation and physiological stress in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Consistent with predictions, females with higher family/friends centrality had lower IL-6/TNF-α levels, while females with high political centrality showed elevated levels. Middle-ranking females with high political centrality showed elevated hair cortisol yet little to no benefit of family/friend centrality. These results indicate that while grooming interactions are structurally similar, they may be functionally distinct and therefore have very different, even opposite, effects on health. Affiliative interactions occurring within the context of an established relationship (i.e., family/friends) can provide opportunities for social buffering. In contrast, interactions among individuals without established relationships, even friendly interactions, may ultimately be physiologically costly. Ultimately, these results indicate that while social relationships may appear similar, the underlying functionality can have fundamentally diverse physiological outcomes.
Positive social relationships in humans are known to have health promoting effects while negative social relationships have detrimental effects. Features of the broader social network, including indirect connections, also impact health. However, complicating our ability to examine these features, human networks are diverse and difficult to fully quantify. Animal models where social networks can be fully characterized are useful in examining how structurally similar yet functionally different relationships can differentially relate to biomarkers of health. For example, in nonhuman primates, grooming serves two main functions, to maintain social bonds (family/friends networks) or gain access to resources/support (political networks). We examined whether an individual’s position in these two network types was differentially related to biomarkers of inflammation and physiological stress in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Consistent with predictions, females with higher family/friends centrality had lower IL-6/TNF-α levels, while females with high political centrality showed elevated levels. Middle-ranking females with high political centrality showed elevated hair cortisol yet little to no benefit of family/friend centrality. These results indicate that while grooming interactions are structurally similar, they may be functionally distinct and therefore have very different, even opposite, effects on health. Affiliative interactions occurring within the context of an established relationship (i.e., family/friends) can provide opportunities for social buffering. In contrast, interactions among individuals without established relationships, even friendly interactions, may ultimately be physiologically costly. Ultimately, these results indicate that while social relationships may appear similar, the underlying functionality can have fundamentally diverse physiological outcomes.Practical considerations for collaborative research between the pharmaceutical industry and external investigatorshttps://peerj.com/preprints/277852019-06-052019-06-05Maureen LloydCynthia K BarbitschMary Voehl HirschAntonia PanayiEric Southam
Traditionally, clinical research has been conducted via either industry sponsored studies or non-industry investigator sponsored studies. Collaborative Research provides a relatively new mechanism for industry and non-industry partners to work together in the pursuit of effective and safe treatments for the patient. The aims of this article are to provide both industry and non-industry investigators with a greater insight into the complex processes that are currently employed by industry when entering into Collaborative Research agreements, and to encourage consistency and transparency in approach across companies.
In Collaborative Research, instead of being limited to providing funding and/or product, the industry partner contributes expertise complementary to that of the non-industry partner, who is the sponsor of the study. Collaborative Research may be conducted before, during or after regulatory approval of a drug or medical device, and may be interventional, observational or preclinical.
A collaboration requires appropriate process and governance frameworks to be established in order to be successful. Important considerations include the routes for submitting a request, the review and approval process, due diligence criteria, budgeting and contracting processes, permissible interactions during the execution of the research, the closing out of the research, and dispute resolution. It is also necessary to have in place an agreed communication strategy and a risk control framework. Clear and specific contract language around roles and responsibilities, intellectual property, rights to data, registration and disclosure of publications, and an understanding of adverse event reporting procedures are other critical facets of Collaborative Research that are essential to avoid delays and disputes.
With no global standards for Collaborative Research, it is important that partners establish practical procedures, good ongoing communication, alignment of goals, and transparent interactions and disclosure to jointly advance the science of new, safe and effective therapies.
Traditionally, clinical research has been conducted via either industry sponsored studies or non-industry investigator sponsored studies. Collaborative Research provides a relatively new mechanism for industry and non-industry partners to work together in the pursuit of effective and safe treatments for the patient. The aims of this article are to provide both industry and non-industry investigators with a greater insight into the complex processes that are currently employed by industry when entering into Collaborative Research agreements, and to encourage consistency and transparency in approach across companies.In Collaborative Research, instead of being limited to providing funding and/or product, the industry partner contributes expertise complementary to that of the non-industry partner, who is the sponsor of the study. Collaborative Research may be conducted before, during or after regulatory approval of a drug or medical device, and may be interventional, observational or preclinical.A collaboration requires appropriate process and governance frameworks to be established in order to be successful. Important considerations include the routes for submitting a request, the review and approval process, due diligence criteria, budgeting and contracting processes, permissible interactions during the execution of the research, the closing out of the research, and dispute resolution. It is also necessary to have in place an agreed communication strategy and a risk control framework. Clear and specific contract language around roles and responsibilities, intellectual property, rights to data, registration and disclosure of publications, and an understanding of adverse event reporting procedures are other critical facets of Collaborative Research that are essential to avoid delays and disputes.With no global standards for Collaborative Research, it is important that partners establish practical procedures, good ongoing communication, alignment of goals, and transparent interactions and disclosure to jointly advance the science of new, safe and effective therapies.Schedule feasibility and workflow for additive manufacturing of titanium plates for cranioplasty reconstruction in canine skull tumorshttps://peerj.com/preprints/277072019-05-062019-05-06Jordan JamesMichelle L OblakAlex zur LindenFiona MK JamesMatt ParkesJohn Phillips
Additive manufacturing has allowed for the creation of a patient-specific custom solution that can resolve many of the limitations previously reported for canine cranioplasty. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the schedule feasibility and workflow in manufacturing patient-specific titanium implants for canines undergoing cranioplasty immediately following craniectomy. Computed tomography scans from patients with tumors of the skull were considered and 3 cases were selected. Images were imported into OsiriX MD image processing software and tumor margins were determined based on agreement between a board-certified veterinary radiologist and veterinary surgical oncologist. Virtual surgical planning was performed and a 5mm bone margin was selected. A defect was created to simulate the intraoperative defect. Stereolithography format files of the skulls were imported into Renishaw Additive-manufacture for Design-led Efficient Patient Treatment (ADEPT) software. In collaboration with medical solution center, Additive Design in Surgical Solutions (ADEISS), a custom titanium plate was designed with the input of an applications engineer and veterinary surgical oncologist. Plates were printed in titanium and postprocessed at ADEISS. Total planning time was approximately 2 hours with a manufacturing time of 2 weeks. Based on the findings of this study, with access to an advanced 3D metal printing medical solution center that can provide advanced software and printing, patient-specific additive manufactured titanium implants can be planned, created, processed, shipped and sterilized for patient use within a 3-week turnaround.
Additive manufacturing has allowed for the creation of a patient-specific custom solution that can resolve many of the limitations previously reported for canine cranioplasty. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the schedule feasibility and workflow in manufacturing patient-specific titanium implants for canines undergoing cranioplasty immediately following craniectomy. Computed tomography scans from patients with tumors of the skull were considered and 3 cases were selected. Images were imported into OsiriX MD image processing software and tumor margins were determined based on agreement between a board-certified veterinary radiologist and veterinary surgical oncologist. Virtual surgical planning was performed and a 5mm bone margin was selected. A defect was created to simulate the intraoperative defect. Stereolithography format files of the skulls were imported into Renishaw Additive-manufacture for Design-led Efficient Patient Treatment (ADEPT) software. In collaboration with medical solution center, Additive Design in Surgical Solutions (ADEISS), a custom titanium plate was designed with the input of an applications engineer and veterinary surgical oncologist. Plates were printed in titanium and postprocessed at ADEISS. Total planning time was approximately 2 hours with a manufacturing time of 2 weeks. Based on the findings of this study, with access to an advanced 3D metal printing medical solution center that can provide advanced software and printing, patient-specific additive manufactured titanium implants can be planned, created, processed, shipped and sterilized for patient use within a 3-week turnaround.miRDRN – miRNA Disease Regulatory Network: A tool for exploring disease and tissue-specific microRNA regulatory networkshttps://peerj.com/preprints/276992019-05-022019-05-02Hsueh-Chuan LiuYi-Shian PengHoong-Chien Lee
Background. MiRNA regulates cellular processes through acting on specific target genes. Hundreds of miRNAs and their target genes have been identified, as are many miRNA-disease associations. Cellular processes, including those related to disease, proceed through multiple interactions, are often organized into pathways among genes and gene products. Large databases on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are available. Here, we have integrated the information mentioned above to build a web service platform, miRNA Disease Regulatory Network, or miRDRN, for users to construct disease and tissue-specific miRNA-protein regulatory networks. Methods. Data on human protein interaction, disease-associated miRNA, tumor-associated gene, miRNA targeted gene, molecular interaction and reaction network or pathway, gene ontology, gene annotation and gene product information, and gene expression were collected from publicly available databases and integrated. A complete set of regulatory sub-pathways (RSPs) having the form (M, T, G1, G2) were built from the integrated data and stored in the database part of miRDRN, where M is a disease-associated miRNA, T is its regulatory target gene, G1 (G2) is a gene/protein interacting with T (G1). Each sequence (T, G1, G2) was assigned a p-value weighted by the participation of the three genes in molecular interactions and reaction pathways. Results. A web service platform, miRDRN ( http://mirdrn.ncu.edu.tw/mirdrn/), was built to allow users to retrieve a disease and tissue-specific subset of RSPs, from which a miRNA regulatory network is constructed. miRDRN is a database that currently contains 6,973,875 p-valued sub-pathways associated with 119 diseases in 78 tissue types built from 207 diseases-associated miRNA regulating 389 genes, and a web tool that facilitates the construction and visualization of disease and tissue-specific miRNA-protein regulatory networks, for exploring single diseases, or for exploring the comorbidity of disease-pairs. As demonstrations, miRDRN was applied: to explore the single disease colorectal cancer (CRC), in which 26 novel potential CRC target genes were identified; to study the comorbidity of the disease-pair Alzheimer's disease-Type 2 diabetes (AD-T2D), in which 18 novel potential comorbid genes were identified; and, to explore possible causes that may shed light on recent failures of late-phase trials of anti-AD, BACE1 inhibitor drugs, in which genes downstream to BACE1 whose suppression may affect signal transduction were identified.
Background. MiRNA regulates cellular processes through acting on specific target genes. Hundreds of miRNAs and their target genes have been identified, as are many miRNA-disease associations. Cellular processes, including those related to disease, proceed through multiple interactions, are often organized into pathways among genes and gene products. Large databases on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are available. Here, we have integrated the information mentioned above to build a web service platform, miRNA Disease Regulatory Network, or miRDRN, for users to construct disease and tissue-specific miRNA-protein regulatory networks. Methods. Data on human protein interaction, disease-associated miRNA, tumor-associated gene, miRNA targeted gene, molecular interaction and reaction network or pathway, gene ontology, gene annotation and gene product information, and gene expression were collected from publicly available databases and integrated. A complete set of regulatory sub-pathways (RSPs) having the form (M, T, G1, G2) were built from the integrated data and stored in the database part of miRDRN, where M is a disease-associated miRNA, T is its regulatory target gene, G1 (G2) is a gene/protein interacting with T (G1). Each sequence (T, G1, G2) was assigned a p-value weighted by the participation of the three genes in molecular interactions and reaction pathways. Results. A web service platform, miRDRN ( http://mirdrn.ncu.edu.tw/mirdrn/), was built to allow users to retrieve a disease and tissue-specific subset of RSPs, from which a miRNA regulatory network is constructed. miRDRN is a database that currently contains 6,973,875 p-valued sub-pathways associated with 119 diseases in 78 tissue types built from 207 diseases-associated miRNA regulating 389 genes, and a web tool that facilitates the construction and visualization of disease and tissue-specific miRNA-protein regulatory networks, for exploring single diseases, or for exploring the comorbidity of disease-pairs. As demonstrations, miRDRN was applied: to explore the single disease colorectal cancer (CRC), in which 26 novel potential CRC target genes were identified; to study the comorbidity of the disease-pair Alzheimer's disease-Type 2 diabetes (AD-T2D), in which 18 novel potential comorbid genes were identified; and, to explore possible causes that may shed light on recent failures of late-phase trials of anti-AD, BACE1 inhibitor drugs, in which genes downstream to BACE1 whose suppression may affect signal transduction were identified.The effects of a 4-week mesocycle of barbell back squat or barbell hip thrust strength training upon isolated lumbar extension strengthhttps://peerj.com/preprints/275992019-03-182019-03-18Alexander HammondCraig PerrinJames SteeleJürgen GiessingPaulo GentilJames P Fisher
Objectives: Common exercises such as the barbell back squat (BBS) and barbell hip thrust (BHT) are perceived to provide a training stimulus to the lumbar extensors. However, to date there have been no empirical studies considering changes in lumbar extension strength as a result of BBS or BHT resistance training interventions. Purpose: To consider the effects of barbell back squat (BBS) and barbell hip thrust (BHT) resistance training programmes upon isolated lumbar extension (ILEX) strength. Methods: Trained male subjects (n=14; 22.07 ± 0.62 years; 179.31 ± 6.96 cm; 79.77 ± 13.81 kg) were randomised in to either BBS (n=7) or BHT (n=7) groups and performed 2 training sessions per week during a 4-week mesocycle using 80% of their 1RM. All subjects were tested pre- and post-intervention for BBS and BHT 1RM as well as isometric ILEX strength. Results: Analyses revealed that both BBS and BHT groups significantly improved both their BBS and BHT 1RM, suggesting a degree of transferability. However, the BBS group improved their BBS 1RM to a greater degree than the BHT group (p=0.050; ~11.8kg/10.2% vs. ~8.6kg/7.7%, respectively). And the BHT group improved their BHT 1RM to a greater degree than the BBS group (p=0.034; ~27.5kg/24.8% vs. ~20.3kg/13.3%, respectively). Neither BBS nor BHT groups significantly improved their isometric ILEX strength. Conclusions: The present study supports the concept of specificity, particularly in relation to the movement mechanics between trunk extension (including pelvic rotation) and ILEX. Our data suggests that strength coaches personal trainers, and trainees can self-select multi-joint lower body trunk extension exercises based on preference or variety. However, evidence suggests that neither the BBS nor BHT exercises can meaningfully increase isolated lumbar extension strength. Since strengthening these muscles might enhance physical and sporting performance we encourage strength coaches and personal trainers to prescribe ILEX exercise.
Objectives: Common exercises such as the barbell back squat (BBS) and barbell hip thrust (BHT) are perceived to provide a training stimulus to the lumbar extensors. However, to date there have been no empirical studies considering changes in lumbar extension strength as a result of BBS or BHT resistance training interventions. Purpose: To consider the effects of barbell back squat (BBS) and barbell hip thrust (BHT) resistance training programmes upon isolated lumbar extension (ILEX) strength. Methods: Trained male subjects (n=14; 22.07 ± 0.62 years; 179.31 ± 6.96 cm; 79.77 ± 13.81 kg) were randomised in to either BBS (n=7) or BHT (n=7) groups and performed 2 training sessions per week during a 4-week mesocycle using 80% of their 1RM. All subjects were tested pre- and post-intervention for BBS and BHT 1RM as well as isometric ILEX strength. Results: Analyses revealed that both BBS and BHT groups significantly improved both their BBS and BHT 1RM, suggesting a degree of transferability. However, the BBS group improved their BBS 1RM to a greater degree than the BHT group (p=0.050; ~11.8kg/10.2% vs. ~8.6kg/7.7%, respectively). And the BHT group improved their BHT 1RM to a greater degree than the BBS group (p=0.034; ~27.5kg/24.8% vs. ~20.3kg/13.3%, respectively). Neither BBS nor BHT groups significantly improved their isometric ILEX strength. Conclusions: The present study supports the concept of specificity, particularly in relation to the movement mechanics between trunk extension (including pelvic rotation) and ILEX. Our data suggests that strength coaches personal trainers, and trainees can self-select multi-joint lower body trunk extension exercises based on preference or variety. However, evidence suggests that neither the BBS nor BHT exercises can meaningfully increase isolated lumbar extension strength. Since strengthening these muscles might enhance physical and sporting performance we encourage strength coaches and personal trainers to prescribe ILEX exercise.Microbial Evolutionary Medicine – from theory to clinical practicehttps://peerj.com/preprints/269692018-06-042018-06-04Sandra Breum AndersenB. Jesse ShapiroChristina Vandenbroucke-GraulsMarjon G.J. de Vos
Bacteria and other microbes play a crucial role in human health and disease. Medicine and clinical microbiology have traditionally attempted to identify the etiological agents that causes disease, and how to eliminate them. Yet this traditional paradigm is becoming inadequate for dealing with a changing disease landscape. Major challenges to human health are noncommunicable chronic diseases, often driven by altered immunity and inflammation, and persistent communicable infections whose agents harbor antibiotic resistance. It is increasingly recognized that microbe-microbe interactions, as well as human-microbe interactions are important. Here, we review the “Evolutionary Medicine” framework to study how microbial communities influence human health. This approach aims to predict and manipulate microbial influences on human health by integrating ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, bioinformatics and clinical expertise. We focus on the potential promise of evolutionary medicine to address three key challenges: 1) detecting microbial transmission; 2) predicting antimicrobial resistance; 3) understanding microbe-microbe and human-microbe interactions in health and disease, in the context of the microbiome.
Bacteria and other microbes play a crucial role in human health and disease. Medicine and clinical microbiology have traditionally attempted to identify the etiological agents that causes disease, and how to eliminate them. Yet this traditional paradigm is becoming inadequate for dealing with a changing disease landscape. Major challenges to human health are noncommunicable chronic diseases, often driven by altered immunity and inflammation, and persistent communicable infections whose agents harbor antibiotic resistance. It is increasingly recognized that microbe-microbe interactions, as well as human-microbe interactions are important. Here, we review the “Evolutionary Medicine” framework to study how microbial communities influence human health. This approach aims to predict and manipulate microbial influences on human health by integrating ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, bioinformatics and clinical expertise. We focus on the potential promise of evolutionary medicine to address three key challenges: 1) detecting microbial transmission; 2) predicting antimicrobial resistance; 3) understanding microbe-microbe and human-microbe interactions in health and disease, in the context of the microbiome.Scientific literature text mining and the case for Open Accesshttps://peerj.com/preprints/25662018-04-232018-04-23Gopal P Sarma
“Open access” has become a central theme of journal reform in academic publishing. In this article, I examine the relationship between open access publishing and an important infrastructural element of a modern research enterprise, scientific literature text mining, or the use of data analytic techniques to conduct meta-analyses and investigations into the scientific corpus. I give a brief history of the open access movement, discuss novel journalistic practices, and an overview of data-driven investigation of the scientific corpus. I argue that particularly in an era where the veracity of many research studies has been called into question, scientific literature text mining should be one of the key motivations for open access publishing, not only in the basic sciences, but in the engineering and applied sciences as well. The enormous benefits of unrestricted access to the research literature should prompt scholars from all disciplines to lend their vocal support to enabling legal, wholesale access to the scientific literature as part of a data science pipeline.
“Open access” has become a central theme of journal reform in academic publishing. In this article, I examine the relationship between open access publishing and an important infrastructural element of a modern research enterprise, scientific literature text mining, or the use of data analytic techniques to conduct meta-analyses and investigations into the scientific corpus. I give a brief history of the open access movement, discuss novel journalistic practices, and an overview of data-driven investigation of the scientific corpus. I argue that particularly in an era where the veracity of many research studies has been called into question, scientific literature text mining should be one of the key motivations for open access publishing, not only in the basic sciences, but in the engineering and applied sciences as well. The enormous benefits of unrestricted access to the research literature should prompt scholars from all disciplines to lend their vocal support to enabling legal, wholesale access to the scientific literature as part of a data science pipeline.Doing things twice (or differently): Strategies to identify studies for targeted validationhttps://peerj.com/preprints/28302018-04-222018-04-22Gopal P Sarma
The “reproducibility crisis” has been a highly visible source of scientific controversy and dispute. Here, I propose and review several avenues for identifying and prioritizing research studies for the purpose of targeted validation. Of the various proposals discussed, I identify scientific data science as being a strategy that merits greater attention among those interested in reproducibility. I argue that the tremendous potential of scientific data science for uncovering high-value research studies is a significant and rarely discussed benefit of the transition to a fully open-access publishing model.
The “reproducibility crisis” has been a highly visible source of scientific controversy and dispute. Here, I propose and review several avenues for identifying and prioritizing research studies for the purpose of targeted validation. Of the various proposals discussed, I identify scientific data science as being a strategy that merits greater attention among those interested in reproducibility. I argue that the tremendous potential of scientific data science for uncovering high-value research studies is a significant and rarely discussed benefit of the transition to a fully open-access publishing model.Spread, circulation and predominance of chikungunya virus East/Central/South African genotype in Northeast and Southeast Brazilhttps://peerj.com/preprints/267072018-03-152018-03-15André R R FreitasRobert Paulino-RamírezRodrigo N AngeramiPedro Mª Alarcón-Elbal
Two recent researches described the spread of East/Central/South African (ECSA) lineage of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Northeastern and Southeastern Brazil (Charlys da Costa et al. 2017, Cunha et al. 2017) . Initial studies in Northern Brazil, as observed in Caribbean, identified the Asian as the circulating lineage of the chikungunya. However, da Charlys da Costa et al. and Cunha et al. reported the exclusive occurrence of ECSA in two different Brazilian regions: Northeast as well as in Rio de Janeiro State (Charlys da Costa et al. 2017, Cunha et al. 2017) , suggesting that the ECSA is the predominant lineage in highly populated Brazilian areas. Despite the well-described vector competence of Aedes mosquitoes for CHIKV transmission, Aedes(Stegomyia)albopictus seems to have a greater competence for transmission of ECSA lineage compared to the Asian lineage (Vega-Rúa et al. 2015) , particularly when variable temperatures mimicking daily fluctuations of temperate climate (Vega-Rúa et al. 2015) . This statement is consistent with the fact that A albopictus has not been denounced as a vector of large outbreaks of chikungunya caused by the Asian genotype. This invasive species have capability of cold-tolerant diapausing eggs, it is paramount to establishment in temperate areas (Mitchell 1995) and new regions are invaded each year (Kraemer et al. 2015) . The predominance of the ECSA lineage in Brazil represents a potential risk of CHIKV dispersion to areas where Ae. albopictus has a broader distribution, particularly in temperate climates, including United States and Europe (Kraemer et al. 2015) , territories with intense commercial and touristic relationship with Brazil. Furthermore, the predominance of ECSA in Brazil can contributes to a better comprehension of the current distinct epidemiological scenarios between Caribbean - where explosive epidemics occurred with Aedes(Stegomyia) aegypti and Asian lineage predominated - and Brazil - with an apparent slower dispersion of CHIKV, where Ae.aegypti predominate but ECSA was prevalent linage. Both studies highlighted the importance of virological surveillance for analysis of current epidemiological scenarios and prediction of potential patterns of spreading of arboviral diseases, locally and worldwide.
Two recent researches described the spread of East/Central/South African (ECSA) lineage of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Northeastern and Southeastern Brazil (Charlys da Costa et al. 2017, Cunha et al. 2017) . Initial studies in Northern Brazil, as observed in Caribbean, identified the Asian as the circulating lineage of the chikungunya. However, da Charlys da Costa et al. and Cunha et al. reported the exclusive occurrence of ECSA in two different Brazilian regions: Northeast as well as in Rio de Janeiro State (Charlys da Costa et al. 2017, Cunha et al. 2017) , suggesting that the ECSA is the predominant lineage in highly populated Brazilian areas. Despite the well-described vector competence of Aedes mosquitoes for CHIKV transmission, Aedes(Stegomyia)albopictus seems to have a greater competence for transmission of ECSA lineage compared to the Asian lineage (Vega-Rúa et al. 2015) , particularly when variable temperatures mimicking daily fluctuations of temperate climate (Vega-Rúa et al. 2015) . This statement is consistent with the fact that A albopictus has not been denounced as a vector of large outbreaks of chikungunya caused by the Asian genotype. This invasive species have capability of cold-tolerant diapausing eggs, it is paramount to establishment in temperate areas (Mitchell 1995) and new regions are invaded each year (Kraemer et al. 2015) . The predominance of the ECSA lineage in Brazil represents a potential risk of CHIKV dispersion to areas where Ae. albopictus has a broader distribution, particularly in temperate climates, including United States and Europe (Kraemer et al. 2015) , territories with intense commercial and touristic relationship with Brazil. Furthermore, the predominance of ECSA in Brazil can contributes to a better comprehension of the current distinct epidemiological scenarios between Caribbean - where explosive epidemics occurred with Aedes(Stegomyia) aegypti and Asian lineage predominated - and Brazil - with an apparent slower dispersion of CHIKV, where Ae.aegypti predominate but ECSA was prevalent linage. Both studies highlighted the importance of virological surveillance for analysis of current epidemiological scenarios and prediction of potential patterns of spreading of arboviral diseases, locally and worldwide.Bangladesh and Rwanda: a case for a high burden of influenza in tropical countries?https://peerj.com/preprints/267052018-03-152018-03-15Wladimir J AlonsoAndré R R FreitasCynthia Schuck-Paim
Several studies that analyzed the burden of influenza during the 2009 pandemic found that excess mortality tended to wane or even disappear in equatorial regions, adding to evidence that suggests that seasonal influenza may have a lower impact in tropical settings. We therefore analyzed with great interest the claims of two studies recently published in this journal of relatively high influenza-associated mortality burden in Bangladesh and hospitalization burden in Rwanda, two countries with mild winters. We detected a poor match between the temporal signature of influenza virus detection and ARI cases. The absence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) testing in these studies may have also contributed to distortions, especially in Rwanda where hospitalization rates were disproportionately high among younger children, usually the most affected by RSV. Additionally, many of the deaths attributed to influenza were of patients with severe previously existing conditions. We suggest that the issues discussed here are seriously considered in a putative recommendation of seasonal influenza vaccines in tropical settings.
Several studies that analyzed the burden of influenza during the 2009 pandemic found that excess mortality tended to wane or even disappear in equatorial regions, adding to evidence that suggests that seasonal influenza may have a lower impact in tropical settings. We therefore analyzed with great interest the claims of two studies recently published in this journal of relatively high influenza-associated mortality burden in Bangladesh and hospitalization burden in Rwanda, two countries with mild winters. We detected a poor match between the temporal signature of influenza virus detection and ARI cases. The absence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) testing in these studies may have also contributed to distortions, especially in Rwanda where hospitalization rates were disproportionately high among younger children, usually the most affected by RSV. Additionally, many of the deaths attributed to influenza were of patients with severe previously existing conditions. We suggest that the issues discussed here are seriously considered in a putative recommendation of seasonal influenza vaccines in tropical settings.