The Mediterranean European hake, Merluccius merluccius: Detecting drivers influencing the Anisakis spp. larvae distribution

The European hake Merluccius merluccius is one of the most commercially important and widely distributed fish species, occurring both in European and Mediterranean Sea fisheries. We analyzed the distribution and infection rates of different species of Anisakis in M. merluccius (N = 1130 hakes), by site of infection in the fish host (viscera, dorsal and ventral fillets) from 13 different fishing grounds of the Mediterranean Sea (FAO area 37). The fillets were examined using the UV-Press method. A large number of Anisakis specimens (N = 877) were identified by diagnostic allozymes, sequence analysis of the partial EF1 α-1 region of nDNA and mtDNA cox2 gene. Among these, 813 larvae corresponded to A. pegreffii, 62 to A. physeteris, 1 to A. simplex (s. s.), whereas one resulted as a F1 hybrid between A. pegreffii and A. simplex (s. s.). Remarkably high levels of infection with A. pegreffii were recorded in hakes from the Adriatic/Ionian Sea compared to the fish of similar length obtained from the western Mediterranean fishing grounds. A positive correlation between fish length and abundance of A. pegreffii was observed. Concerning the localization of A. pegreffii larvae in the fish, 28.3% were detected in the liver, 62.9% in the rest of the viscera, 6.6% in the ventral part of the flesh, whereas 2.1% in the dorsal flesh

Population genetic structure of the parasite Anisakis simplex (s. s.) collected in Clupea harengus L. from North East Atlantic fishing grounds

The Atlantic herring is a schooling, pelagic species that inhabits both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. Herring stock identification is usually based on several approaches, including fish meristic characters, population genetic analysis and the use of parasite species composition. A total of 654 Anisakis spp. larvae collected from herring of four fishing grounds in the Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, and the English Channel off the French coast, was identified to species level using diagnostic allozymes and sequence analysis of EF1 α−1 nDNA and the mtDNA cox2 genes. Population genetic differentiation of Anisakis simplex (s. s.) among the different fishing areas was estimated, at the intraspecific level, on the basis of mtDNA cox2 sequences analysis. Spatial comparison based on molecular variance analysis and Fst values was performed for the collected specimens (among regions). Haplotype network construction showed relevant differences in haplotype frequencies between samples of A. simplex (s. s.) from the different geographical areas. Results indicate a genetic sub-structuring of A. simplex (s. s.) obtained from herring in different areas, with the population from the Norwegian Sea being the most differentiated one, and with North Sea and Baltic Sea populations being most similar. The population genetic structure of A. simplex (s. s.) was in accordance with the herring population genetic structure throughout the host’s geographical range in the NE Atlantic. Results suggest that mtDNA cox2 is a suitable genetic marker for A. simplex (s. s.) population genetic structure analysis and a valuable tool to elucidate the herring stock structure in the NE Atlantic Ocean

Utjecaj udjela botritiziranih bobica grožđa na aromu vina Amarone

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of Botrytis cinerea, a noble rot, on the aroma components of Amarone, a dry red wine produced from withered grapes. A comparative analysis of wines obtained from manually selected healthy and botrytized grapes was done. Aroma analysis revealed that most compounds varied significantly according to the percentage of botrytized berries utilized. Botrytized wines contained less fatty acids and more fruity acetates than healthy wines. A positive correlation between the content of N-(3-methylbutyl)acetamide, sherry lactone and an unidentified compound and the level of fungal infection was also observed. The results indicate that noble rot can significantly modify important aroma components of Amarone wine.Svrha je ovoga rada bila procijeniti utjecaj plemenite plijesni Botrytis cinerea na sastojke arome suhoga crvenog vina Amarone, proizvedenog iz prosušenoga grožđa. Uspoređen je sastav vina dobivenog od ručno probranih zdravih i botritiziranih bobica grožđa, pa je utvrđeno da većina sastojaka arome bitno ovisi o udjelu navedenih bobica. Botritizirana vina sadrže manje masnih kiselina i više voćnih acetata od vina dobivenih od zdravoga grožđa. Opažena je pozitivna korelacija udjela N-(3-metilbutil)acetamida, laktona iz sherryja i neidentificiranog spoja te jačine gljivične infekcije. Rezultati pokazuju da plemenita plijesan bitno utječe na udjel glavnih sastojaka arome vina Amarone

Air-dried stockfish of Northeast Arctic cod do not carry viable anisakid nematodes

A total of 80 stockfish fillets of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), traditionally open-air-dried in northern Norway, was examined for the presence and viability of larval parasitic nematodes of the family Anisakidae. Anisakids (particularly those belonging to genera Anisakis and Pseudoterranova) are of public health and economic concern globally, since they are responsible for an underestimated fish-borne zoonotic disease called anisakidosis (anisakiasis when caused by members of the Anisakis genus). Stockfish fillets were inspected for anisakids by candling and artificial (pepsin) digestion methodologies. The recovered nematodes (n = 342) were morphologically identified to genus level and their viability assessed. Subsamples of anisakid larvae (n = 31) were identified by molecular/genetic markers inferred from sequences analyses and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the mtDNA cox2 gene, as Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) (n = 29) and as Pseudoterranova decipiens (s.s.) (n = 2). This is the first time a RT-PCR primer/probe system was used to identify anisakids in a processed fishery product. Anisakis simplex (s.s.) larvae were found in 81% of the fillets, with average (range) 4 (0–35). In total, 338 A. simplex (s.s.) and 4 P. decipiens (s.s.) larvae, all dead, were recovered from the fillets. Anisakids were devitalised by the air-dried stockfish production process in 7.5 months (common stockfish production time from sea to plate). The results suggest that there is a negligible risk of acquiring anisakidosis from consumption of air-dried stockfish. Further research is recommended to evaluate if anisakids can be devitalised in five months (i.e. minimum stockfish production time). The health risk for sensitized consumers posed by the potential presence of anisakid allergens in stockfish needs to be assessed. This is the first report on the viability of anisakid larvae in an unsalted, naturally dried fishery product. Drying could represent an alternative and efficient treatment for the inactivation of anisakids in fishery products. Trimming of the belly flaps of highly parasitized cod may reduce the number of anisakids in stockfish by 74%.publishedVersio

Investigating the genetic structure of the parasites Anisakis pegreffii and A. berlandi (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in a sympatric area of the southern Pacific Ocean waters using a multilocus genotyping approach: first evidence of their interspecific hybridization

The southern Pacific Ocean, off the New Zealand coast, has been reported as one sympatric area of the two parasite species Anisakis pegreffii and A. berlandi. Here, a multilocus genotyping approach, based on a panel of eleven DNA microsatellite (SSR) loci plus the sequences analysis of the nuclear nas10 nDNA and the mitochondrial mtDNA cox2 gene loci, was applied to a total of N = 344 adults and larvae of Anisakis spp. from cetacean and fish species, respectively. Out of the newly scored SSR loci, Anisl 15 and Anisl 2 showed fixed alternative alleles between A. pegreffii and A. berlandi resulting as 100% diagnostic loci. Out of SSRs Anisl 00314 and Anisl 7 previously disclosed, two additional loci, i.e., Anisl 4 and Anisl 22, were found to be sex-linked. The Bayesian genotypes clustering approach (STRUCTURE) allowed identification, with a 100% of probability value, N = 208 specimens to the “pure parental” A. pegreffii, N = 133 to the “pure parental” A. berlandi, while one adult and two larval stages showed mixed ancestry between the two groups having, in all cases, a Q-value = 0.50. NEWHYBRIDS analysis assigned (100% of probability) those specimens to their F1 hybrid category. This represents the first evidence of contemporary hybridization between the two parasite species in a sympatric area. The pairwise FST values estimated at intraspecific and interspecific level, inferred from both SSR loci and mitochondrial mtDNA cox2 sequences, have also demonstrated the existence of two distinct panmictic units in this study area, corresponding respectively to A. pegreffii and A. berlandi. The results obtained support the useful application of a multilocus approach in the identification of sibling species and their hybrid categories in sympatric areas. The possible use of sex-linked SSR loci of the two species of the A. simplex (s. l.), for sex determination of their larval stages, is also suggested.publishedVersio

Trend of change of sperm count and concentration over the last two decades: A systematic review and meta‐regression analysis

Background: Since the 1970s, several studies found that sperm concentration (SC) and total sperm count (TSC) constantly worsened over time, mainly in high-income countries. Objectives: To evaluate whether the decreasing trend in sperm count is continuing in Western European countries and USA, we performed a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Materials and methods: Embase and Pubmed/Medline were searched papers published in English in the 2000-2020 period limiting the search to data collected in the USA and Western European countries. Results: We identified 62 articles and pooled information on 24,196 men (range 10-2,523), collected from 1993 to 2018. Considering all the studies, random-effects meta-regression analyses showed no significant trend for SC (slope per year -0.07 mil/mL, p-value = 0.86). Negative trends of SC were detected in Scandinavian countries (slope per year -1.11 mil/mL, 95% CI: -2.40 to +0.19; p-value = 0.09), but the findings were statistically not significant. No significant trends of SC were detected in Central Europe (slope per year +0.23, 95% CI -2.51 to +2.96; p-value = 0.87), the USA (slope per year +1.08, 95% CI -0.42 to +2.57; p-value = 0.16), and Southern Europe (slope per year +0.19, 95% CI -0.99 to +1.37; p-value = 0.75). We have analyzed separately findings from studies including sperm donors, fertile men, young unselected men (unselected men, study mean age < 25 years) and unselected men (unselected men, study mean age ≥ 25 years). No significant trends of SC were observed among sperm donors (slope per year -2.80, 95% CI -6.76 to +1.17; p-value 0.16), unselected men (slope per year -0.23, 95% CI -1.58 to +1.12; p-value 0.73), young unselected men (slope per year -0.49, 95% CI -1.76 to +0.79; p-value 0.45), fertile men (slope per year +0.29, 95% CI -1.09 to +1.67; p-value 0.68). Discussion and conclusion: The results of this analysis show no significant trends in SC, in USA, and selected Western European countries

New Treatment Options for Hyperkalemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Hyperkalemia may cause life-threatening cardiac and neuromuscular alterations, and it is associated with high mortality rates. Its treatment includes a multifaceted approach, guided by potassium levels and clinical presentation. In general, treatment of hyperkalemia may be directed towards stabilizing cell membrane potential, promoting transcellular potassium shift and lowering total K+ body content. The latter can be obtained by dialysis, or by increasing potassium elimination by urine or the gastrointestinal tract. Until recently, the only therapeutic option for increasing fecal K+ excretion was represented by the cation-exchanging resin sodium polystyrene sulfonate. However, despite its common use, the efficacy of this drug has been poorly studied in controlled studies, and concerns about its safety have been reported. Interestingly, new drugs, namely patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, have been developed to treat hyperkalemia by increasing gastrointestinal potassium elimination. These medications have proved their efficacy and safety in large clinical trials, involving subjects at high risk of hyperkalemia, such as patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of action and the updated data of patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, considering that the availability of these new treatment options offers the possibility of improving the management of both acute and chronic hyperkalemia

recurrent aphthous stomatitis and atopy

Sir, Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the appearance of recidivant aphthae, almost exclusively in the oral cavity. Atopy is defined as a genetically determined disorder in which there is an increased likelihood of IgE antibodies forming, and an increased susceptibility to diseases such as asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis (1). RAS can be part of the symptoms in Behcet disease, Sweet syndrome and Crohn disease, but often it is idiopathic. Atopy can have a significant association with other immunological mediated diseases, e.g. alopecia areata (1, 2). Of added interest is the fact that the pathology of the aphthae involves many signs of immunological complexity (1, 3). Additionally, there are many reports correlating RAS with food allergy or food intolerance (FA/FI) (4 – 9). Based on this multifaceted background of RAS, we decided to investigate whether patients affected byRAS present clinical manifestations of atopy or have an atopic background

Multidisciplinary studies on a sick-leader syndrome-associated mass stranding of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) along the Adriatic coast of Italy

Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are rare in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, in 2014 a pod of 7 specimens stranded alive along the Italian coast of the Central Adriatic Sea: 3 individuals died on the beach after a few hours due to internal damages induced by prolonged recumbency; the remaining 4 whales were refloated after great efforts. All the dead animals were genetically related females; one was pregnant. All the animals were infected by dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and the pregnant whale was also affected by a severe nephropathy due to a large kidney stone. Other analyses ruled out other possible relevant factors related to weather conditions or human activities. The results of multidisciplinary post-mortem analyses revealed that the 7 sperm whales entered the Adriatic Sea encountering adverse weather conditions and then kept heading northward following the pregnant but sick leader of the pod, thereby reaching the stranding site. DMV infection most likely played a crucial role in impairing the health condition and orientation abilities of the whales. They did not steer back towards deeper waters, but eventually stranded along the Central Adriatic Sea coastline, a real trap for sperm whales

Sexual Behaviour and STI Incidence in Sexually Active MSM Living With HIV in Times of COVID-19

Despite decreased numbers of sexual partners, the COVID-19 pandemic had limited impact on the prevalence of attending private sex parties, traveling for sex within Switzerland, and practicing chemsex in men with HIV who have sex with men. COVID-19 risk perception was low, and STI-diagnosis incidence rates remained stable over time