Till death (or an intruder) do us part: intrasexual-competition in a monogamous Primate

Polygynous animals are often highly dimorphic, and show large sex-differences in the degree of intra-sexual competition and aggression, which is associated with biased operational sex ratios (OSR). For socially monogamous, sexually monomorphic species, this relationship is less clear. Among mammals, pair-living has sometimes been assumed to imply equal OSR and low frequency, low intensity intra-sexual competition; even when high rates of intra-sexual competition and selection, in both sexes, have been theoretically predicted and described for various taxa. Owl monkeys are one of a few socially monogamous primates. Using long-term demographic and morphological data from 18 groups, we show that male and female owl monkeys experience intense intra-sexual competition and aggression from solitary floaters. Pair-mates are regularly replaced by intruding floaters (27 female and 23 male replacements in 149 group-years), with negative effects on the reproductive success of both partners. Individuals with only one partner during their life produced 25% more offspring per decade of tenure than those with two or more partners. The termination of the pair-bond is initiated by the floater, and sometimes has fatal consequences for the expelled adult. The existence of floaters and the sporadic, but intense aggression between them and residents suggest that it can be misleading to assume an equal OSR in socially monogamous species based solely on group composition. Instead, we suggest that sexual selection models must assume not equal, but flexible, context-specific, OSR in monogamous species.Wenner-Gren Foundation, L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the National Geographic Society, National Science Foundation (BCS- 0621020), the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation and the Zoological Society of San Diego, German Science Foundation (HU 1746-2/1

Examen coproparasitológico en niños: comparación de resultados obtenidos por dos métodos en dos instituciones de Santafé de Bogotá, D.C.

This survey was carried out in order to compare the frequency of intestinal parasite detection by direct wet film in stool specimens from children done simultaneously at the Hospital Infantil Lorencita Villegas de Santos (HILVS) and at the Parasitology Department of the Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS). The usefulness of tao methods for the detection of intestinal parasites in the same institution (INS) was compared - direct wet examination and concentration by the formalin-ethersedimentation technique, Four hundred and eighty seven faecal samples of children were taken randomly from 2,954 received at HILVS during six months. A fraction of each sample was sent from the hospital to INS for its parasitological examination. Later on, 305 out of 398 clinical records belonging to children whose stools had been examined every day during three consecutive days, were retrospectively reviewed to describe some demographic factors and the possible signs and symptoms which necessitated the stool examination. The signs and symptoms found by the revision of the clinical records did not necessarily correspond to those associated with intestinal parasites. I No parasites were detected in two hundred and seventy seven (56.9%) samples. Of the two hundred and ten (43.1%) positive samples, pathogenic parasites were found in ninety three (19.1%) The concordance between the examination of faeces at HILVS and INS was measured by the Kappa index. The strength of agreement was almost perfect for Giardia lamblia, substantial for Trichomonas hominis, moderate for lodamoeba bütschliiand Entamoeba coli, fair for Endolimax nana, Trichuris trichiura and Blastocystis hominis, slight for Entamoeba histolytica and poor for Entamoeba hartmanni. The sensitivity and specificity values obtained from direct wet examination and the forrnalin-ether sedimentation technique showed a greater identification of parasites by the concentration method. Nevertheless, there is overlapping between the upper limit of the confidence interval for the direct wet mount and the lower limit of the confidence interval for the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. It is therefore not possible to conclude that the sensitivity of the concentration method is better than that of the direct wet mount. The overall and specific prevalences of parasites were lower than those reported by the National morbidity survey on intestinal parasitism. The study emphasizes the following topics: 1) the need to set up guidelines and precise indications for ordering faecal examinations in order to avoid loss of time and money; 2) the importance of the accuracy of the diagnostic methods, and 3) the need to establish precise morphological criteria for the correct identification of parasites at any laboratory.Con el fin de comparar la frecuencia de hallazgo de parásitos intestinales en niños, mediante el examen directo realizado en una entidad hospitalaria de tercer nivel, el Hospital Infantil Lorencita Villegas de Santos (HILVS) y en una institución de referencia, el Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Grupo de Parasitología, y confrontarlo con el método de concentración en formol-éter practicado en el INS, se tomaron al azar 487 muestras de materia fecal de las 2.954 recibidas en el laboratorio de la entidad hospitalaria durante un período de seis meses. Estas muestras fueron fraccionadas para su remisión al laboratorio de parasitología de la entidad de referencia. Posteriormente, se revisaron las historias clínicas de 305 de los 398 niños cuyas muestras (coprológicos seriados) fueron analizadas, para describir las variables demográficas y las posibles indicaciones de solicitud del examen. Sin embargo, éstas no representaron necesariamente la sintomatología asociada con los parásitos. Se encontraron 277 (56,9%) muestras negativas y 210 (43,1%) positivas para por lo menos un parásito, siendo 93 de ellas (19,1%) positivas para algún patógeno. El grado de concordancia entre la entidad hospitalaria y la institución de referencia se determinó utilizando el índice Kappa. La concordancia en la identificación de los parásitos fue casi perfecta con Giardia lamblia, notable con Trichomonas hominis, moderada con lodamoeba bütschlii y Entamoeba col, regular con Endolimax nana, Trichuris trichiura y Blastocystis hominis, mala con Entamoeba histolytica y nula con Entamoeba hartmanni. Lacomparación de los valores de sensibilidad y especificidad obtenidos de la evaluación del examen directo y el método de concentración formol-éter del examen coproparasitológico, mostró una mayor detección de parásitos con el método de concentración. Sin embargo, por la superposición de los valores del límite superior de la sensibilidad del primero (directo) con los del límite inferior de sensibilidad del segundo (concentración), no pudo establecerse la existencia de esta ventaja

Correction: Circumvention of common labelling artefacts using secondary nanobodies

Correction for ‘Circumvention of common labelling artefacts using secondary nanobodies’ by Shama Sograte-Idrissi et al., Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 10226–10239, DOI: 10.1039/D0NR00227E

Measles outbreak in a tertiary level hospital, Porto, Portugal, 2018: challenges in the post-elimination era

A measles outbreak has been occurring in a healthcare setting in Porto, Portugal, since early March 2018, posing public health challenges for a central hospital and the community. Up to 22 April, 96 cases were confirmed, 67 in vaccinated healthcare workers, mostly between 18-39 years old. Following identification of the first cases, control measures were rapidly implemented. Concomitantly, other measles cases were notified in the Northern Region of the country. No common epidemiological link was identified.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodegradation of 2-fluorophenol in a rotating biological contactor

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