Cyathostomine egg reappearance period following ivermectin treatment in a cohort of UK Thoroughbreds.

Background: In spite of the emergence of populations of drug-resistant cyathostomins worldwide, little is known of parasite species responsible for 'early egg shedding' in cohorts of horses subjected to treatment with widely used anthelmintics (e.g. ivermectin [IVM]). In this study, we determined the cyathostomin egg reappearance period (ERP) after IVM treatment of a cohort of yearlings from a large Thoroughbred (TB) stud farm in the United Kingdom, and identified species of IVM-'resistant' cyathostomins using a combination of fundamental parasitology techniques coupled with advanced molecular tools. Methods: Individual faecal samples were collected from TB yearlings with cyathostomin infection prior to IVM treatment, as well as at 2, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days posttreatment. Faecal egg counts (FEC) were performed for each individual sample for determination of ERPs. In addition, individual larval cultures were performed and representative numbers of third stage larvae (L3s) harvested from each culture were subjected to molecular species identification via PCR-Reverse Line Blot (RLB). Results: Prior to IVM treatment, 11 cyathostomin species were detected in faecal samples from TB horses enrolled in this study, i.e. Cyathostomum (Cya.) catinatum, Cylicostephanus (Cys.) longibursatus, Cys. goldi, Cylicocyclus (Cyc.) nassatus, Cys. calicatus, Cya, pateratum, Cyc. radiatus, Paraposteriostomum mettami, Coronocyclus (Cor.) labratus, Cyc. insigne and Cyc. radiatus variant A. Of these, eggs of Cya. catinatum, Cys. longibursatus, Cyc. nassatus and Cyc. radiatus could be detected at 28 days post-treatment, while from day 42 onwards, cyathostomin species composition reflected data obtained pre-IVM treatment, with the exception of eggs of Cor. labratus and Cyc. insigne that could no longer be detected post-IVM administration. Conclusions: This study provides valuable data on the occurrence of IVM-resistance in cyathostomins in the UK. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed to shed light on the prevalence and incidence of drug-resistance in this country as well as other areas of the world where equine trade is substantial

The HEPD-02 Data Processing and Control Unit for the CSES-02 mission

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Moderately Escalated Hypofractionated (Chemo) Radiotherapy Delivered with Helical Intensity-Modulated Technique in Stage III Unresectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose: To assess clinical outcomes and toxicities in patients with stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a moderately escalated hypofractionated radiotherapy delivered with Helical Intensity-Modulated Technique in combination with sequential or concurrent chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one consecutive patients considered non-progressive after two cycles of induction chemotherapy were treated with a moderately escalated hypofractionated radiation course of 30 daily fractions of 2.25–2.28 Gy each administered in 6 weeks up to a total dose of 67.5–68.4 Gy (range, 64.5–71.3 Gy). Thirty-two received sequential RT after two more cycles (total = 4 cycles) of chemotherapy, while 29 were treated with concurrent chemo-radiation. The target was considered the gross tumor volume and the clinically proven nodal regions, without elective nodal irradiation. Results: With a median follow up of 27 months (range 6–40), 1-year and 2-year OS rate for all patients was 77 and 53%, respectively, with a median survival duration of 18.6 months in the sequential group and 24.1 months in the concomitant group. No Grade ≥4 acute and late toxicity was reported. Acute Grade 3 treatment-related pneumonitis was detected in 10% of patients. Two patients, both receiving the concurrent schedule, developed a Grade 3 acute esophagitis. The overall incidence of late Grade 3 lung toxicity was 5%. No patients experienced a Grade 3 late esophageal toxicity. Conclusion: A moderately hypofractionated radiation course delivered with a Helical Intensity-Modulated Technique is a feasible treatment option for patients with unresectable locally advanced NSCLC receiving chemotherapy (sequentially or concurrently). Hypofractionated radiotherapy with a dedicated technique allows safely dose escalation, minimizing the effect of tumor repopulation that may occur with prolonged treatment time

Performance of Circulating Placental Growth Factor as A Screening Marker for Diagnosis of Ovarian Endometriosis: A Pilot Study

The aim of this study is to compare the circulating placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration in women with and without endometrioma to verify the performance of this marker to diagnose the disease

Sunscreens Cause Coral Bleaching by Promoting Viral Infections

Background: Coral bleaching (i.e., the release of coral symbiotic zooxanthellae) has negative impacts on biodiversity and functioning of reef ecosystems and their production of goods and services. This increasing world-wide phenomenon is associated with temperature anomalies, high irradiance, pollution, and bacterial diseases. Recently, it has been demonstrated that personal can products, including sunscreens, have an impact on aquatic organisms similar to that of other contaminants. Objectives: Our goal was to evaluate the potential impact of sunscreen ingredients on hard corals and their symbiotic algae. Methods: In situ and laboratory experiments were conducted in several tropical regions (the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and the Red Sea) by supplementing coral branches with aliquots of sunscreens and common ultraviolet filters contained in sunscreen formula. Zooxanthellae were checked for viral infection by epifluorescence and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Results: Sunscreens cause the rapid and complete bleaching of hard corals, even at extremely low concentrations. The effect of sunscreens is due to organic ultraviolet filters, which are able to induce the lyric viral cycle in symbiotic zooxanthellae with latent infections. Conclusions: We conclude that sunscreens, by promoting viral infection, potentially play an important role in coral bleaching in areas prone to high levels of recreational use by humans

Cancer Diagnosis Using a Liquid Biopsy: Challenges and Expectations

The field of cancer diagnostics has recently been impacted by new and exciting developments in the area of liquid biopsy. A liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsies of solid tissues, typically achieved through the withdrawal of a blood sample or other body fluids, allowing the interrogation of tumor-derived material including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fragments that are present at a given time point. In this short review, we discuss a few studies that summarize the state-of-the-art in the liquid biopsy field from a diagnostic perspective, and speculate on current challenges and expectations of implementing liquid biopsy testing for cancer diagnosis and monitoring in the clinical setting

The Florence Psychiatric Interview

The Florence Psychiatric Interview (FPI) is an interviewing instrument for evaluating psychopathology in the community. The FPI is designed to be completed by clinical interviewers, and focuses on single episodes of illness where the symptoms are assessed and graded according to their severity on five-point scales. Psychiatric symptoms are evaluated regardless of their diagnostic collocation, and period and lifetime diagnoses may be generated by combining the episodes and using the appropriate algorithms (the information provided by the FPI covers the requirements of all the present diagnostic systems). Other aspects of psychiatric disorders that are usually ignored in other interviews are investigated (for example, costs of illness, use of health facilities, life events, and personality traits). Data on reliability (inter-rater agreement and test-retest reliability) and agreement with other instruments such as the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) seem encouraging. The FPI's ability to collect lifetime symptoms by combining episodes matches that of an interview (the CIDI) that uses the lifetime approach. Agreement between fully qualified psychiatrists and trained residents was excellent. The ability of the cases to recall symptoms experienced several years before was also acceptable. This instrument is therefore proposed for clinical studies at the epidemiological level. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd

Vertical transmission of Anaplasma platys and Leishmania infantum in dogs during the first half of gestation.

BACKGROUND: Leishmania infantum is a canine zoonotic vector-borne protozoan pathogen transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, whereas Anaplasma platys is a bacterium most likely transmitted by ticks. While vertical transmission of L. infantum from pregnant bitches to their offspring has been documented, thus far no studies have explored the possibility of vertical transmission of A. platys in dogs. This study investigated the occurrence of vertical transmission of L. infantum and A. platys in sheltered dogs during the first half of gestation, in an area of southern Italy characterised by a high incidence of infection by both pathogens. METHODS: The study population included 20 bitches (n = 10 pregnant, at 25-35 days of pregnancy; n = 10 non-pregnant), all subjected to ovariohysterectomy, which were examined for the presence of L. infantum and A. platys via cytological screening of bone marrow and whole blood samples. Infection by L. infantum and A. platys was also tested by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting both pathogens. Selected tissue samples (n = 210) collected during surgical procedures from bitches and foetuses (n = 20) were assessed for the presence of L. infantum and A. platys by qPCR targeting a fragment of the kinetoplast minicircle DNA (kDNA) and the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. RESULTS: Leishmania infantum DNA was not amplified from either uteri or ovaries from pregnant bitches or foetal tissue samples, whereas a subset of ovarian (n = 2) and uterine (n = 4) tissue samples from non-pregnant bitches were infected, with parasite loads of up to 3.09 × 10 and 7.51 parasite/PCR reaction, respectively. Conversely, uterine (n = 10) and ovarian (n = 8) tissues from both pregnant and non-pregnant bitches, together with a subset (n = 5) of foetal tissue samples were qPCR positive for A. platys. Leishmania infantum and A. platys nucleic acids were amplified from two uteri from non-pregnant bitches, with parasite loads of up to 2.32 × 10(-3) and 2.05 parasite/per PCR reaction, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study suggest that, in contrast to L. infantum, A. platys can be transmitted from pregnant dogs to their offspring during the first half of gestation. This hypothesis remains to be verified, for instance via direct observation of parasites in postpartum foetal tissues.The paper has been sponsored by Bayer Animal Health in the framework of the 11th CVBD World Forum Symposium

Hypoxia Triggers the Intravasation of Clustered Circulating Tumor Cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are shed from solid cancers in the form of single or clustered cells, and the latter display an extraordinary ability to initiate metastasis. Yet, the biological phenomena that trigger the shedding of CTC clusters from a primary cancerous lesion are poorly understood. Here, when dynamically labeling breast cancer cells along cancer progression, we observe that the majority of CTC clusters are undergoing hypoxia, while single CTCs are largely normoxic. Strikingly, we find that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeting leads to primary tumor shrinkage, but it increases intra-tumor hypoxia, resulting in a higher CTC cluster shedding rate and metastasis formation. Conversely, pro-angiogenic treatment increases primary tumor size, yet it dramatically suppresses the formation of CTC clusters and metastasis. Thus, intra-tumor hypoxia leads to the formation of clustered CTCs with high metastatic ability, and a pro-angiogenic therapy suppresses metastasis formation through prevention of CTC cluster generation