Notocotylus Loeiensis n. sp. (Trematoda: Notocotylidae) from Rattus Losea (Rodentia: Muridae) in Thailand

Notocotylus loeiensis n. sp. (Trematoda : Notocotylidae) du caecum du petit rat des rizières (Rattus losea) a été observé chez huit rats sur 88 (9,1 %) dans la province de Loei en Thaïlande. Cette nouvelle espèce diffère de celles de Notocotylus décrites précédemment, principalement par la position prébifurcale extrême du pore génital et par le nombre de papilles ventrales. Il s'agit de la première description du niveau d'espèce Notocotylus chez un mammifère en Asie du Sud-Est. (Résumé d'auteur

Quantum chaos for nonstandard symmetry classes in the Feingold-Peres model of coupled tops

We consider two coupled quantum tops with angular momentum vectors $\mathbf{L}$ and $\mathbf{M}$. The coupling Hamiltonian defines the Feinberg-Peres model which is a known paradigm of quantum chaos. We show that this model has a nonstandard symmetry with respect to the Altland-Zirnbauer tenfold symmetry classification of quantum systems which extends the well-known threefold way of Wigner and Dyson (referred to as `standard' symmetry classes here). We identify that the nonstandard symmetry classes BD$I_0$ (chiral orthogonal class with no zero modes), BD$I_1$ (chiral orthogonal class with one zero mode) and C$I$ (antichiral orthogonal class) as well as the standard symmetry class A$I$ (orthogonal class). We numerically analyze the specific spectral quantum signatures of chaos related to the nonstandard symmetries. In the microscopic density of states and in the distribution of the lowest positive energy eigenvalue we show that the Feinberg-Peres model follows the predictions of the Gaussian ensembles of random-matrix theory in the appropriate symmetry class if the corresponding classical dynamics is chaotic. In a crossover to mixed and near-integrable classical dynamics we show that these signatures disappear or strongly change.Comment: 15 page

Symbiosis in an overlooked microcosm: a systematic review of the bacterial flora of mites

A dataset of bacterial diversity found in mites was compiled from 193 publications (from 1964 to January 2015). A total of 143 mite species belonging to the 3 orders (Mesostigmata, Sarcoptiformes and Trombidiformes) were recorded and found to be associated with approximately 150 bacteria species (in 85 genera, 51 families, 25 orders and 7 phyla). From the literature, the intracellular symbiont Cardinium, the scrub typhus agent Orientia, and Wolbachia (the most prevalent symbiont of arthropods) were the dominant mite-associated bacteria, with approximately 30 mite species infected each. Moreover, a number of bacteria of medical and veterinary importance were also reported from mites, including species from the genera Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Bartonella, Francisella, Coxiella, Borrelia, Salmonella, Erysipelothrix and Serratia. Significant differences in bacterial infection patterns among mite taxa were identified. These data will not only be useful for raising awareness of the potential for mites to transmit disease, but also enable a deeper understanding of the relationship of symbionts with their arthropod hosts, and may facilitate the development of intervention tools for disease vector control. This review provides a comprehensive overview of mite-associated bacteria and is a valuable reference database for future research on mites of agricultural, veterinary and/or medical importance. (Résumé d'auteur

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY OF CHIGGER MITES (ACARI: TROMBICULIDAE) AND ASSOCIATED BACTERIA IN THAILAND

Chiggers are the tiny six-legged larval stage of mites in the family Trombiculidae. These mites, particularly the genus Leptotrombidium, act as important vectors of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus disease in the Asia-Pacific region (including Thailand). Although the medical impact of these mites has been recognized in the country due to the increasing incidence of the disease in humans, knowledge of the ecology and epidemiological role of these mites is still very limited to date. A systematic review of mite-associated bacteria was conducted from 193 publications (1964 - January 2015) providing a reference database of bacteria found in mites of agricultural, veterinary and medical importance. Approximately 150 bacterial species were reported from 143 mite species with Cardinium, Wolbachia and Orientia as the dominant genera. Nationwide field sampling of small mammals from 13 locations in Thailand revealed a high diversity of chigger mites. From approximately 16,000 mites isolated from 18 host species examined (1,574 individual animals), 38 chigger species were found including three species new to science (i.e., Trombiculindus kosapani n. sp., Helenicula naresuani n. sp. and Walchia chavali n. sp.) and 10 new records for the first time in the country. Brief taxonomic information for the morphological identification of chiggers is provided. A combination of autofluorescent and brightfield microscopy was demonstrated to be a novel approach to study both the morphology and DNA profile of the same individual chigger. Most chigger species showed low host specificity. The diversity of chiggers on hosts was influenced by host intrinsic (i.e., host phylogeny and maturity) and extrinsic factors (i.e., habitat and geographical location). Chigger species richness and host-chigger network connectance were found to be interrelated variables explaining human scrub typhus incidence in Thailand. Chigger-associated bacteria were investigated for the first time using an Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach. DNA of O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the chigger population as expected. In addition to O. tsutsugamushi, Borrelia and Mycobacterium were identified aspotential pathogens of human and animals. Potential symbiotic bacteria of arthropods; e.g., Candidatus Cardinium, Pseudonocardia, Rickettsiella and Wolbachia were also discovered for the first time in chiggers. An important technical limitation was that chigger DNA starting quantity (individual specimens versus pooled mites) was found to have a significant impact on the apparent microbiome profile. These outcomes from the studies of chigger taxonomy and the ecology of host-chigger interactions, as well as the composition of the microbiome in chiggers, are of key importance to the chigger research field, providing essential information for disease epidemiology with vector control implications

Government use licenses in Thailand: an assessment of the health and economic impacts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Between 2006 and 2008, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) granted government use licenses for seven patented drugs in order to improve access to these essential treatments. The decision to grant the government use licenses was contentious both within and beyond the country. In particular, concerns were highlighted that the negative consequences might outweigh the expected benefits of the policy. This study conducted assessments of the health and economic implications of these government use licenses.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The health and health-related economic impacts were quantified in terms of i) Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained and ii) increased productivity in US dollars (USD) as a result of the increased access to drugs. The study adopted a five-year timeframe for the assessment, commencing from the time of the grant of the government use licenses. Empirical evidence gathered from national databases was used to assess the changes in volume of exports after US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) withdrawal and level of foreign direct investment (FDI).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As a result of the granting of the government use licenses, an additional 84,158 patients were estimated to have received access to the seven drugs over five years. Health gains from the use of the seven drugs compared to their best alternative accounted for 12,493 QALYs gained, which translates into quantifiable incremental benefits to society of USD132.4 million. The government use license on efavirenze was found to have the greatest benefit. In respect of the country's economy, the study found that Thailand's overall exports increased overtime, although exports of the three US GSP withdrawal products to the US did decline. There was also found to be no relationship between the government use licenses and the level of foreign investment over the period 2002 to 2008.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The public health benefits of the government use licenses were generally positive. Specifically, the policy helped to increase access to patented drugs, while the impact of the US GSP withdrawal did not adversely affect the overall export status. Because the levels of benefit gained from the government use licenses varied widely between the seven drugs, depending on several factors, this study makes recommendations for the future implementation of the policy in order to maximise benefits.</p

Aonchotheca yannickchavali n. sp. (Nematoda: Capillariidae) in Bandicota indica (Bechstein, 1800) and Bandicota savilei (Thomas, 1916) from Thailand

During previous surveys of helminths in rodents from Southeast Asia, an unnamed species ofAoncho-thecawas recovered from the stomach of several rodent species. In the present study, the description ofthe new speciesAonchotheca yannickchavalin. sp. is provided based on both female and male specimenscollected from two bandicoot rat species (Bandicota indicaandBandicota savilei) from Thailand (Buriramand Nan provinces). This nematode can be separated from other knownAonchothecafound in rodents byits microhabitat in the host and by the size of the spicules in males and the vulvar appendage in females

Living in an urban environment and non-communicable disease risk in Thailand: Does timing matter?

BACKGROUND: This paper uses a life-course approach to explore whether the timing and/or duration of urban (vs rural) exposure was associated with risk factors for NCDs. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among health care workers in two hospitals in Thailand. Two measures of urbanicity were considered: early-life urban exposure and the proportion of urban life years. We explored four behavioral NCD risk factors, two physiological risk factors and four biological risk factors. RESULTS: Both measures of urbanicity were each independently associated with increases in all behavioral and physiological risk factors. For some biological risk factors, people spending their early life in an urban area may be more susceptible to the effect of increasing proportion of urban life years than those growing up in rural areas. CONCLUSION: Urbanicity was associated with increases in behavioral and physiological risk factors. However, these associations may not translate directly into increases in biological risk factors. It is likely that these biological risk factors were results of a complex interaction between both long term accumulation of exposure and early life exposures

Translation and validation of the PACIC+ questionnaire: the Thai version

Background: The number of patients with chronic illness is increasing worldwide. These patients usually receive care from a primary care facility. The Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) is a tool that is increasingly used in several countries to measure how the patients perceive the care they receive. The goal of this validation study is to provide and validate an extended version of the tool, the PACIC+ questionnaire, in Thailand. Methods: In this observational validation study, patients with type 2 diabetes from the outpatient clinic at a university hospital in Thailand completed the PACIC+ at the clinic. For follow-up, they received the questionnaire per mail after four weeks. The Thai PACIC+ comprises 26 items, which map onto 5 subscales and a summary score related to the Chronic Care Model (CCM) and 5 subscales and a summary score related to the 5A model, a counseling model for behavioral changes. Data-analysis focused on the use of most extreme answering categories (&gt; 15%), internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), and test-retest reliability. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed for the CCM and the 5A model separately to examine the factor structure. Results: A total of 151 patients participated. The average age of the sample was 63 ± 9 years (range 29–86 years). Fifty-three percent of the respondents were female. In the Delivery System subscale, 20% of patients reported the highest possible value; in all other subscales, relative frequencies of the most extreme categories did not exceed 15%. Cronbach’s alpha per subscale varied from 0.58 to 0.81, while that of the summary scores were 0.89 and 0.91. The mean difference from the test-retest varied from − 0.06 to 0.17 across subscales. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin criterion for sampling adequacy (KMO) was good for both models as well as the Bartlett’s test for sphericity p. While the factor loadings in rotated factor solution showed good concordance with the CCM, concordance was not as good for the 5A model, especially for the subscales “Assess” and “Advice”. Conclusion: A validated Thai version of the PACIC+ is now available to measure how the patients perceive the care they receive