On the identity and distribution of the rare Rymosia tolleti Burghele-Balacesco, 1965 (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) encountered in European caves

The identity and distribution of a neglected fungus gnat species, Rymosia tolleti Burghele-Balacesco, 1965, in Europe is reviewed based on examination of newly collected specimens as well as available museum materials. Rymosia tolleti is widespread but rather rare in Central Europe, with confirmed records from Romania, Slovakia, Germany, and France. All the specimens with known collection details originate from cave environments. Detailed photographs of the male terminalia are provided for the first time, along with two unique DNA barcodes for the species

Treatment of multiple myeloma patients with autologous stem cell transplantation — a fresh analysis

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with conventional chemotherapy have an average survival of approximately three years. High dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), first introduced in the mid-1980s, is now considered the standard therapy for almost all patients with multiple myeloma, because it prolongs overall survival and disease free survival. Between November 1997 and October 2006, 122 patients with MM (58 females, 64 males, median age 51.0 years [± 7.98] range: 30–66 years) were transplanted in the Department of Hematooncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Medical University of Lublin: 47 patients were in complete remission or in unconfirmed complete remission, 66 patients were in partial remission, and nine had stable disease. Of these, there were 95 patients with IgG myeloma, 16 with IgA myeloma, one with IgG/IgA, one with IgM myeloma, five with non secretory type, two with solitary tumor and two with LCD myeloma. According to Durie-Salmon, 62 patients had stage III of the disease, 46 had stage II and four had stage I. Most patients (69/122) were transplanted after two or more cycles of chemotherapy, 48 patients were transplanted after one cycle of chemotherapy, one patient after surgery and rtg- -therapy and four patients had not been treated. In mobilisation procedure, the patients received a single infusion of cyclophosphamide (4–6 g/m2) or etoposide 1.6 g/m2 followed by daily administration of G-CSF until the peripheral stem cells harvest. The number of median harvest sessions was 2.0 (± 0.89) (range: 1–5). An average of 7.09 (± 33.28) × 106 CD34+ cells/kg were collected from each patient (range: 1.8–111.0 × 106/kg). Conditioning regimen consisted of high dose melphalan 60–210 mg/m2 without TBI. An average of 3.04 (± 11.59) × 106 CD34+ cells/kg were transplanted to each patient. Fatal complications occured in four patients (treatment- -related mortality = 3.2%). In all patients there was regeneration of hematopoiesis. The median number of days for recovery to ANC > 0.5 × 109/l was 13 (± 4.69) (range: 10–38) and platelets recovery to > 50 × 109/l was 25 days (± 11.65) (range: 12–45). Median time of hospitalization was 22 days (± 7.14) (range: 14–50). Patients were evaluated on day 100 after transplantation: 74.9% achieved CR and nCR, 14.3% were in PR, 5.4% had SD and 5.4% had progressed. Median of OS was 45 months (± 30.67). OS at 3-years was 84% and at 7-years 59%. Median PFS was 25 months (± 26.13). PFS at 3-years was 68%, and at 7-years was 43%. At present (November 2009) 52 patients (42%) are still alive. High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation is a valuable, well tolerated method of treatment for patients with MM that allows the achievement of long- -lasting survival. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 248–254

Distance Estimation Is Influenced by Encoding Conditions

Background:\ud It is well established that foveating a behaviorally relevant part of the visual field improves localization performance as compared to the situation where the gaze is directed elsewhere. Reduced localization performance in the peripheral encoding conditions has been attributed to an eccentricity-dependent increase in positional uncertainty. It is not known, however, whether and how the foveal and peripheral encoding conditions can influence spatial interval estimation. In this study we compare observers' estimates of a distance between two co-planar dots in the condition where they foveate the two sample dots and where they fixate a central dot while viewing the sample dots peripherally.\ud \ud Methodology/Principal Findings:\ud Observers were required to reproduce, after a short delay, a distance between two sample dots based on a stationary reference dot and a movable mouse pointer. When both sample dots are foveated, we find that the distance estimation error is small but consistently increases with the dots-separation size. In comparison, distance judgment in peripheral encoding condition is significantly overestimated for smaller separations and becomes similar to the performance in foveal trials for distances from 10 to 16 degrees.\ud \ud Conclusions/Significance:\ud Although we find improved accuracy of distance estimation in the foveal condition, the fact that the difference is related to the reduction of the estimation bias present in the peripheral conditon, challenges the simple account of reducing the eccentricity-dependent positional uncertainty. Contrary to this, we present evidence for an explanation in terms of neuronal populations activated by the two sample dots and their inhibitory interactions under different visual encoding conditions. We support our claims with simulations that take into account receptive fields size differences between the two encoding conditions

Some winter active flies from snow and caves of Vârghiș, Romania

This paper attempts to fill the gaps in knowledge about the biodiversity of some winter-active fly families from snowfields and caves in Vârghiș, Romania. A total of 15 fly species were recorded from caves and 9 species from snowfields. Exechiopsis (Exechiopsis) pseudindecisa Lastovka et Matile, 1974 and Rymosia placida Winnertz, 1863 from caves and Mycetophila mitis (Johannsen, 1912) (all Mycetophilidae) from snow represent the first records for Romania. Habitus photographs of these three species are provided

Population genetic analysis of Plasmodium knowlesi reveals differential selection and exchange events between Borneo and Peninsular sub-populations

Funding: A.T. was funded by a Newton Institutional Links Grant (British Council, no. 261868591). S.C. was funded by BloomsburySET and Medical Research Council UK grants (MR/M01360X/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1, and MR/X005895/1). T.G.C. was funded by the Medical Research Council UK (Grant nos. MR/M01360X/1, MR/N010469/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1, and MR/X005895/1).The zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi parasite is a growing public health concern in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, where elimination of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria has been the focus of control efforts. Understanding of the genetic diversity of P. knowlesi parasites can provide insights into its evolution, population structure, diagnostics, transmission dynamics, and the emergence of drug resistance. Previous work has revealed that P. knowlesi fall into three main sub-populations distinguished by a combination of geographical location and macaque host (Macaca fascicularis and M. nemestrina). It has been shown that Malaysian Borneo groups display profound heterogeneity with long regions of high or low divergence resulting in mosaic patterns between sub-populations, with some evidence of chromosomal-segment exchanges. However, the genetic structure of non-Borneo sub-populations is less clear. By gathering one of the largest collections of P. knowlesi whole-genome sequencing data, we studied structural genomic changes across sub-populations, with the analysis revealing differences in Borneo clusters linked to mosquito-related stages of the parasite cycle, in contrast to differences in host-related stages for the Peninsular group. Our work identifies new genetic exchange events, including introgressions between Malaysian Peninsular and M. nemestrina-associated clusters on various chromosomes, including in parasite invasion genes (DBPβ, NBPXα and NBPXβ), and important proteins expressed in the vertebrate parasite stages. Recombination events appear to have occurred between the Peninsular and M. fascicularis-associated groups, including in the DBPβ and DBPγ invasion associated genes. Overall, our work finds that genetic exchange events have occurred among the recognised contemporary groups of P. knowlesi parasites during their evolutionary history, leading to apparent mosaicism between these sub-populations. These findings generate new hypotheses relevant to parasite evolutionary biology and P. knowlesi epidemiology, which can inform malaria control approaches to containing the impact of zoonotic malaria on human communities.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Genetic diversity of the Plasmodium falciparum GTP-cyclohydrolase 1, dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthetase genes reveals new insights into sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine antimalarial drug resistance.

Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to antimalarial treatments have hindered malaria disease control. Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) was used globally as a first-line treatment for malaria after wide-spread resistance to chloroquine emerged and, although replaced by artemisinin combinations, is currently used as intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy and in young children as part of seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis in sub-Saharan Africa. The emergence of SP-resistant parasites has been predominantly driven by cumulative build-up of mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthetase (pfdhps) genes, but additional amplifications in the folate pathway rate-limiting pfgch1 gene and promoter, have recently been described. However, the genetic make-up and prevalence of those amplifications is not fully understood. We analyse the whole genome sequence data of 4,134 P. falciparum isolates across 29 malaria endemic countries, and reveal that the pfgch1 gene and promoter amplifications have at least ten different forms, occurring collectively in 23% and 34% in Southeast Asian and African isolates, respectively. Amplifications are more likely to be present in isolates with a greater accumulation of pfdhfr and pfdhps substitutions (median of 1 additional mutations; P<0.00001), and there was evidence that the frequency of pfgch1 variants may be increasing in some African populations, presumably under the pressure of SP for chemoprophylaxis and anti-folate containing antibiotics used for the treatment of bacterial infections. The selection of P. falciparum with pfgch1 amplifications may enhance the fitness of parasites with pfdhfr and pfdhps substitutions, potentially threatening the efficacy of this regimen for prevention of malaria in vulnerable groups. Our work describes new pfgch1 amplifications that can be used to inform the surveillance of SP drug resistance, its prophylactic use, and future experimental work to understand functional mechanisms

Population genetic analysis of Plasmodium knowlesi reveals differential selection and exchange events between Borneo and Peninsular sub-populations.

The zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi parasite is a growing public health concern in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, where elimination of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria has been the focus of control efforts. Understanding of the genetic diversity of P. knowlesi parasites can provide insights into its evolution, population structure, diagnostics, transmission dynamics, and the emergence of drug resistance. Previous work has revealed that P. knowlesi fall into three main sub-populations distinguished by a combination of geographical location and macaque host (Macaca fascicularis and M. nemestrina). It has been shown that Malaysian Borneo groups display profound heterogeneity with long regions of high or low divergence resulting in mosaic patterns between sub-populations, with some evidence of chromosomal-segment exchanges. However, the genetic structure of non-Borneo sub-populations is less clear. By gathering one of the largest collections of P. knowlesi whole-genome sequencing data, we studied structural genomic changes across sub-populations, with the analysis revealing differences in Borneo clusters linked to mosquito-related stages of the parasite cycle, in contrast to differences in host-related stages for the Peninsular group. Our work identifies new genetic exchange events, including introgressions between Malaysian Peninsular and M. nemestrina-associated clusters on various chromosomes, including in parasite invasion genes (DBP[Formula: see text], NBPX[Formula: see text] and NBPX[Formula: see text]), and important proteins expressed in the vertebrate parasite stages. Recombination events appear to have occurred between the Peninsular and M. fascicularis-associated groups, including in the DBP[Formula: see text] and DBP[Formula: see text] invasion associated genes. Overall, our work finds that genetic exchange events have occurred among the recognised contemporary groups of P. knowlesi parasites during their evolutionary history, leading to apparent mosaicism between these sub-populations. These findings generate new hypotheses relevant to parasite evolutionary biology and P. knowlesi epidemiology, which can inform malaria control approaches to containing the impact of zoonotic malaria on human communities

Distinctive genetic structure and selection patterns in Plasmodium vivax from South Asia and East Africa.

Despite the high burden of Plasmodium vivax malaria in South Asian countries, the genetic diversity of circulating parasite populations is not well described. Determinants of antimalarial drug susceptibility for P. vivax in the region have not been characterised. Our genomic analysis of global P. vivax (n = 558) establishes South Asian isolates (n = 92) as a distinct subpopulation, which shares ancestry with some East African and South East Asian parasites. Signals of positive selection are linked to drug resistance-associated loci including pvkelch10, pvmrp1, pvdhfr and pvdhps, and two loci linked to P. vivax invasion of reticulocytes, pvrbp1a and pvrbp1b. Significant identity-by-descent was found in extended chromosome regions common to P. vivax from India and Ethiopia, including the pvdbp gene associated with Duffy blood group binding. Our investigation provides new understanding of global P. vivax population structure and genomic diversity, and genetic evidence of recent directional selection in this important human pathogen

RORγt + Treg to Th17 ratios correlate with susceptibility to Giardia infection

Funder: Fundacion Alfonso Martin EscuderoFunder: RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Funder: Isaac Newton Trust; doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004815Abstract: Infections with Giardia are among the most common causes of food and water-borne diarrheal disease worldwide. Here, we investigated Th17, Treg and IgA responses, and alterations in gut microbiota in two mouse lines with varying susceptibility to Giardia muris infection. Infected BALB/c mice shed significantly more cysts compared with C57BL/6 mice. Impaired control of infection in BALB/c mice was associated with lower Th17 activity and lower IgA levels compared with C57BL/6 mice. The limited metabolic activity, proliferation and cytokine production of Th17 cells in BALB/c mice was associated with higher proportions of intestinal Foxp3+RORγt+ regulatory T cells and BALB/c mice developed increased RORγt+ Treg:Th17 ratios in response to G. muris infection. Furthermore, G. muris colonization led to a significantly reduced evenness in the gut microbial communities of BALB/c mice. Our data indicate that differential susceptibility to Giardia infections may be related to RORγt+ Treg controlling Th17 activity and that changes in the microbiota composition upon Giardia infection partially depend on the host background

Azimuthal anisotropy of charged jet production in root s(NN)=2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions

We present measurements of the azimuthal dependence of charged jet production in central and semi-central root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV Pb-Pb collisions with respect to the second harmonic event plane, quantified as nu(ch)(2) (jet). Jet finding is performed employing the anti-k(T) algorithm with a resolution parameter R = 0.2 using charged tracks from the ALICE tracking system. The contribution of the azimuthal anisotropy of the underlying event is taken into account event-by-event. The remaining (statistical) region-to-region fluctuations are removed on an ensemble basis by unfolding the jet spectra for different event plane orientations independently. Significant non-zero nu(ch)(2) (jet) is observed in semi-central collisions (30-50% centrality) for 20 <p(T)(ch) (jet) <90 GeV/c. The azimuthal dependence of the charged jet production is similar to the dependence observed for jets comprising both charged and neutral fragments, and compatible with measurements of the nu(2) of single charged particles at high p(T). Good agreement between the data and predictions from JEWEL, an event generator simulating parton shower evolution in the presence of a dense QCD medium, is found in semi-central collisions. (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the ALICE Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe