Over the last two decades my colleagues and I have assembled the literature on a good percentage of most of the coccidians (Conoidasida) known, to date, to parasitise: Amphibia, four major lineages of Reptilia (Amphisbaenia, Chelonia, Crocodylia, Serpentes), and seven major orders in the Mammalia (Carnivora, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Insectivora, Marsupialia, Primates, Scandentia). These vertebrates, combined, comprise about 15,225 species; only about 899 (5.8%) of them have been surveyed for coccidia and 1,946 apicomplexan valid species names or other forms are recorded in the literature. Based on these compilations and other factors, I extrapolated that there yet may be an additional 31,381 new apicomplexans still to be discovered in just these 12 vertebrate groups. Extending the concept to all of the other extant vertebrates on Earth; i.e. lizards (6,300 spp.), rodents plus 12 minor orders of mammals (3,180 spp.), birds (10,000 spp.), and fishes (33,000 spp.) and, conservatively assuming only two unique apicomplexan species per each vertebrate host species, I extrapolate and extend my prediction that we may eventually find 135,000 new apicomplexans that still need discovery and to be described in and from those vertebrates that have not yet been examined for them! Even doubling that number is a significant underestimation in my opinion.
Duponchelia fovealis Zeller is a polyphagous insect that has been recently reported attacking strawberry plants (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne). Despite its economic importance there are few studies on this pest because it is difficult to rear it in the laboratory. With a constant supply of insects, studies on alternative methods of pest control can be conducted. This study aimed at developing an artificial diet for rearing D. fovealis with biological characteristics similar to those reared on their natural diet. This study was carried out in a climate-controlled room (25°C ± 2°C, RH 70% ± 10%, and 14L : 10D). The natural diet consisted of 'San Andreas' strawberry leaves (D1), while the artificial diet (D2) was developed in which beans, casein, soy protein, yeast and wheat germ are used as sources of protein. Five instars were identified. D. fovealis completed its life cycle in 38 and 40 days when fed D1 and D2, respectively. Survival was highest for the larvae fed the artificial diet. Females fed D1 lay a mean of 300.2 ± 62.3 eggs, while those fed D2, 220.3 ± 41.8 eggs. The artificial diet is suitable for the continuous rearing of D. fovealis in the laboratory., Maria A. C. Zawadneak, Rodrimar B. Gonçalves, Alex S. Poltronieri, Bráulio Santos, Adélia M. Bischoff, Aline M. Borba, Ida C. Pimentel., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Asthma is a complex disease with a variable course. Efforts to
identify biomarkers to predict asthma severity, the course of
disease and response to treatment have not been very successful
so far. Biomarker research has expanded greatly with the
advancement of molecular research techniques. An ideal
biomarker should be suitable to identify the disease as well the
specific endotype/phenotype, useful in the monitoring of the
disease and to determine the prognosis, easily to obtain with
minimum discomfort or risk to the patient. An ideal biomarker
should be suitable to identify the disease as well the specific
endotype/phenotype, useful in the monitoring of the disease and
to determine the prognosis, easily to obtain with minimum
discomfort or risk to the patient - exhaled breath analysis, blood
cells and serum biomarkers, sputum cells and mediators and urine
metabolites could be potential biomarkers of asthma bronchiale.
Unfortunately, at the moment, an ideal biomarker doesn’t exist and
the overlap between the biomarkers is a reality. Using panels of
biomarkers could improve probably the identification of asthma
endotypes in the era of precision medicine.
Hospitalized patients in internal medicine have an increased risk of low physical reserve which further declines during the hospital stay. The diagnosis requires bed-side testing of functional domains or more complex investigations of the muscle mass. Clinically useful biomarkers of functional status are needed, thus we aimed to explore the potential of microRNAs. Among hospitalized patients, we recorded the basic demographics, anthropometrics, nutritional status, and physical function domains: hand-grip strength (HGS, abnormal values M<30 kg, W<20 kg), balance (<30 s), chair-stands speed (CHSS<0.5/s) and gait speed (GS<0.8 m/s). A panel of five micro-RNAs (miRNA 1, miRNA 133a, miRNA 133b, miRNA 29a, miRNA 29b) and basic blood biochemistry and vitamin D values were recorded. We enrolled 80 patients (M40, W40), with a mean age of 68.8± 8.4 years. Obesity was observed in 27.5 % and 30 %, low HGS and low CHSS in 65.0, 77.5 %, and 80, 90 % of men and women respectively. The median hospital stay was 6.5 days. MiRNA29a and miRNA29b have the strongest correlation with the triceps skinfold (miRNA 29b, r=0.377, p=0.0006) and CHSS (miRNA 29a, r=0.262, p=0.02). MiRNA 29a, miRNA 29b and 133a levels were significantly higher in patients with CHSS<0.5/s. Other anthropometric parameters, mobility domains, or vitamin D did not correlate. All miRNAs except of miRNA 1, could predict low CHSS (miRNA29b, AUROC=0.736 CI 0.56-0.91, p=0.01), particularly in patients with low HGS (miRNA 29b, AUROC=0.928 CI 0.83-0.98). Among hospitalized patients in internal medicine, low functional status was frequent. MicroRNAs were fair biomarkers of the antigravity domain, but not other domains. Larger studies with clinical endpoints are needed., Petra Vrbová, Simona Valášková, Andrea Gažová, Juraj Smaha, Martin Kužma, Ján Kyselovič, Juraj Payer, Tomáš Koller., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This article deals with the processing of personal data by the use of applications that monitor and evaluate human health, both consumer-focused applications, and applications used by doctors to assess the patient's health. By means of algorithms, these applications evaluate biometric data collected from users. Because the health applications evaluate a large amount of personal data, the processing of such data involves a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals. If a controller or processor violates the law on the processing of personal data, the data subject is entitled to compensation for damages resulting from the breach of the data protection regulation. and Tento článek se zabývá zpracovávání osobních údajů při používání aplikací, které monitorují a vyhodnocují zdravotní stav člověka, a to jak aplikací, které se zaměřují na spotřebitele, tak aplikací, které používají lékaři pro zhodnocení zdravotního stavu pacienta. Tyto aplikace vyhodnocují pomocí algoritmů biometrické údaje shromážděné při používání aplikace uživatelem. Jelikož zdravotní aplikace vyhodnocují velké množství osobních údajů, znamená toto zpracování riziko pro práva a svobody fyzických osob. Pokud správce nebo zpracovatel poruší právní předpisy upravující zpracovávání osobních údajů, má subjekt údajů nárok na náhradu škody, která mu porušením těchto předpisů vznikla.
Insect larval development affects adult traits but the biometric relationships are usually poorly understood, including large odonates. In this study, measurements of morphological traits of larvae, exuviae and adults of Anax imperator were recorded. They were used to investigate the effects of early development on adult morphology. Results showed an increase in larval length during the final instar and the length of its exuviae significantly exceeded that of the larva. Length and body mass of teneral adults were strongly related to the length of their exuviae. Adult males were significantly longer than adult females, while both had the same body mass at emergence. Length of teneral adults was negatively related to the date of emergence in both sexes. During maturation, body mass of males only increased slightly whereas that of females increased greatly. Mature specimens were also significantly longer than teneral individuals. Body mass of mature males and length of mature females were both associated with the date of capture. Wing length did not differ between sexes or from data available from Great Britain. This study underscores the importance of taking into account larval growth in order to better understand the adult traits of odonates.
The study investigated the role of α2-adrenergic receptors of the caudal raphe region in the sympathetic and cardiovascular responses to the acute intermittent hypercapnia (AIHc). Urethane-anesthetized, vagotomized, mechanically ventilated Sprague-Dawley rats (n=38) were exposed to the AIHc protocol (5×3 min, 15 % CO2+50 % O2) in hyperoxic background (50 % O2). α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist-yohimbine was applied intravenously (1 mg/kg, n=9) or microinjected into the caudal raphe region (2 mM, n=12) prior to exposure to AIHc. Control groups of animals received saline intravenously (n=7) or into the caudal raphe region (n=10) prior to exposure to AIHc. Renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored before exposure to the AIHc protocol (T0), during five hypercapnic episodes (THc1-5) and at 15 min following the end of the last hypercapnic episode (T15). Following intravenous administration of yohimbine, RSNA was significantly greater during THc1-5 and at T15 than in the control group (P<0.05). When yohimbine was microinjected into the caudal raphe region, AIHc elicited greater increases in RSNA during THc1-5 when compared to the controls (THc1: 138.0±4.0 % vs. 123.7±4.8 %, P=0.032; THc2: 137.1±5.0 % vs. 124.1±4.5 %, P=0.071; THc3: 143.1±6.4 % vs. 122.0±4.8 %, P=0.020; THc4: 146.1±6.2 % vs. 120.7±5.7 %, P=0.007 and THc5: 143.2±7.7 % vs. 119.2±7.2 %, P=0.038). During THc1-5, significant decreases in HR from T0 were observed in all groups, while changes in MAP were observed in the group that received yohimbine intravenously. These findings suggest that blockade of the α2-adrenegic receptors in the caudal raphe region might have an important role in sympathetic responses to AIHc.
a1_Plehniella Szidat, 1951 is emended based on new collections from South American long-whiskered catfishes. It is clearly differentiated from Sanguinicola Plehn, 1905 by lacking lateral tegumental body spines and by having 6 asymmetrical caeca. Plehniella sabajperezi sp. n. infects body cavity of Pimelodus albofasciatus (Mees) from the Demerara and Rupununi Rivers (Guyana) and Pimelodus blochii (Valenciennes) from Lake Tumi Chucua (Bolivia) and Napo River (Peru). It differs from Plehniella coelomicola Szidat, 1951 (type species) by having a thin-walled vas deferens that greatly exceeds the length of cirrus-sac and that joins the cirrus-sac at level of ovovitelline duct and ootype, an internal seminal vesicle that is absent or diminutive, and a cirrus-sac that is spheroid, nearly marginal, and envelops the laterally-directed distal portion of the male genitalia. Plehniella armbrusteri sp. n. infects body cavity of P. blochii from Lake Tumi Chucua (Bolivia). It differs from P. coelomicola and P. sabajperezi by having a relatively ovoid body, a massive intestine comprising caeca that are deeply-lobed to diverticulate and terminate in the posterior half of the body, a testis that flanks the distal tips of the posteriorly-directed caeca, and a proximal portion of the vas deferens that loops ventral to the testis. Small adults (Plehniella sp.) collected from body cavity of Pimelodus grosskopfii (Steindachner) from Cienega de Jobo and Canal del Dique (Colombia) differ from congeners by having a posteriorly-constricted body region, an anterior sucker with concentric rows of minute spines, an elongate anterior oesophageal swelling, short and wide caeca, and a male genital pore that opens proportionally more anteriad., a2_This study nearly doubles the number of aporocotylids documented from South America Rivers and comprises the first record of a fish blood fluke from P. blochii, P. albofasciatus and P. grosskopfii as well as from Bolivia, Colombia, Guyana or Peru., Raphael Orélis-Ribeiro, Stephen A. Bullard., and Obsahuje bibliografii
a1_Coeuritrema Mehra, 1933, previously regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Hapalorhynchus Stunkard, 1922, herein is revised to include Coeuritrema lyssimus Mehra, 1933 (type species), Coeuritrema rugatus (Brooks et Sullivan, 1981) comb. n., and Coeuritrema platti Roberts et Bullard sp. n. These genera are morphologically similar by having a ventral sucker, non-fused caeca, two testes, a pre-testicular cirrus sac, an intertesticular ovary, and a common genital pore that opens dorsally and in the sinistral half of the body. Phylogenetic analysis of the D1-D3 domains of the nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA (28S) suggested that Coeuritrema and Hapalorhynchus share a recent common ancestor. Coeuritrema is morphologically most easily differentiated from Hapalorhynchus by having ventrolateral tegumental papillae and a definitive metraterm that is approximately 3-7× longer than the uterus. Coeuritrema comprises species that reportedly infect Asiatic softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) only, whereas Hapalorhynchus (as currently defined) comprises blood flukes that reportedly infect those hosts plus North American musk turtles (Sternotherus Bell in Gray) and mud turtles (Kinosternon Spix), both Kinosternidae, North American snapping turtles (Chelydridae), Asiatic hard-shelled turtles (Geoemydidae) and African pleurodirans (Pelomedusidae). Coeuritrema platti sp. n. infects the blood of Chinese softshell turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann), cultured in the Da Rang River Basin (Phu Yen Province, Vietnam). It differs from C. lyssimus by having a narrow hindbody (< 1.6× forebody width), ventrolateral tegumental papillae restricted to the hindbody, a short cirrus sac (< 10% of corresponding body length), a transverse ovary buttressing the caeca, a short, wholly pre-ovarian metraterm (~ 10% of corresponding body length), and a submarginal genital pore., a2_It differs from C. rugatus by having small ventrolateral tegumental papillae, testes without deep lobes, and a Laurer's canal pore that opens posterior to the vitelline reservoir and dorsal to the oviducal seminal receptacle. The new species is only the second turtle blood fluke reported from Vietnam., Jackson R. Roberts, Raphael Orélis-Ribeiro, Binh T. Dang, Kenneth M. Halanych, Stephen A. Bullard., and Obsahuje bibliografii