Estudio taxonómico preliminar de los Grylloidea de España (Insecta, Orthoptera)

In the present paper a taxonomic and faunistic study of the superfamily of Grylloidea of Spain including the Balearic and Canary Islands is carried on. Sixty species and subspecies are reported for the study area, six of them new to science: Petaloptila (P.) fermini, P. (P.) isabelae, P. (Zapetaloptila) venosa, P. (Z.) barrancoi, Paramogoplistes dentatus sp. n. and Grylloderes orlovskajae adventicius subsp. n.; likewise are erected two new subgenera Italoptila and Zapetaloptila. One correct synonymy of the genus Grylloderes Bolívar, 1894 (=Platygryllus Chopard, 1961, syn. dist.), seven specific synonymies are established: Gryllomorpha (G.) dalmatina (Ocskay, 1832) (=Gryllomorpha dalmatina strumae Andreeva, 1982, syn. n.), Petaloptila (P.) aliena (Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1882) (=Discoptila eitschbergeri Harz, 1976, syn. n.), Acheta hispanicus Rambur, 1839 (=Gryllus erythrospilus Walker, 1869, syn. n., Gryllus hispanicus var. fusculus Bolívar, 1927, syn. n.), Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis (Latreille, 1802) (=Gryllodes ferdinandi Bolívar, 1899, syn. n., Gryllus chinensis var. intermedia Bolívar, 1927, syn. n.), Eugryllodes pipiens (Dufour, 1820) (=Gryllodes pipiens var. provincialis Azam, 1901, syn. n.) and besides five new status and one new combination. Three species [Eumodicogryllus theryi (Chopard, 1943), Sciobia natalia Gorochov, 1985 and Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993] are recorded for the first time for the Iberian Peninsula, being the former two also new for Europe, one (Svercus p. palmetorum Krauss, 1902) for Peninsular Spain, three [Natula averni (Costa, 1855), comb. n., Acanthogryllus acus Gorochov, 1988, under this name, and Pseudomogoplistes vicentae Gorochov, 1996], for the Canary Islands, being latter recorded also for the first time for Algeria and Modicogryllus (M.) algirius (Saussure, 1877) is also recorded for the first time for France. On the other hand, we recognise Eugryllodes panteli (Cazurro, 1888) as a good species. An identification key with figures for the species of the genus Petaloptila is presented. The male genitalia of several species is also studied for the first time. The type series of Gryllodes macropterus Fuente, 1894 and Gryllotalpa septemdecimchromosomica Ortiz, 1958 and two paratypes of Gryllomorpha adspersa merobricensis Fernandes, 1959, stat. n. are localized. Lectotypes and paralectotypes of 17 taxons are designated. The distribution of all species is revised.En el presente trabajo se realiza un estudio taxonómico y faunístico de la superfamilia Grylloidea de España, incluyendo las islas Baleares y Canarias. Se examinan las 60 especies y subespecies que se han encontrado hasta ahora en este país, siendo seis de ellas nuevas para la ciencia: Petaloptila (P.) fermini, P. (P.) isabelae, P. (Zapetaloptila) venosa, P. (Z.) barrancoi, Paramogoplistes dentatus sp. n. y Grylloderes orlovskajae adventicius subsp. n.; asimismo se crean dos nuevos subgéneros Italoptila y Zapetaloptila. Se establece una sinonimia correcta del género Grylloderes Bolívar, 1894 (=Platygryllus Chopard, 1961, syn. dist.), así como siete sinonimias específicas: Gryllomorpha (G.) dalmatina (Ocskay, 1832) (=Gryllomorpha dalmatina strumae Andreeva, 1982, syn. n.), Petaloptila (P.) aliena (Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1882) (=Discoptila eitschbergeri Harz, 1976, syn. n.), Acheta hispanicus Rambur, 1839 (=Gryllus erythrospilus Walker, 1869, syn. n., Gryllus hispanicus var. fusculus Bolívar, 1927, syn. n.), Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis (Latreille, 1802) (=Gryllodes ferdinandi Bolívar, 1899, syn. n., Gryllus chinensis var. intermedia Bolívar, 1927, syn. n.), Eugryllodes pipiens (Dufour, 1820) (=Gryllodes pipiens var. provincialis Azam, 1901, syn. n.), y además cinco estatus nuevos y una combinación nueva. Se citan por primera vez para la Península Ibérica tres especies [Eumodicogryllus theryi (Chopard, 1943), Sciobia natalia Gorochov, 1985 y Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993], las dos primeras de las cuales, lo son también para Europa; para la España peninsular una (Svercus p. palmetorum Krauss, 1902) y tres para las islas Canarias [Natula averni (Costa, 1855), comb. n., Acanthogryllus acus Gorochov, 1988, bajo este nombre, y Pseudomogoplistes vicentae Gorochov, 1996], esta última además se cita por primera vez para Argelia; así como Modicogryllus (M.) algirius (Saussure, 1877), para Francia. Por otra parte, se vuelve a considerar como buena especie Eugryllodes panteli (Cazurro, 1888). Asimismo se presenta una clave de identificación acompañada de figuras para las especies del género Petaloptila. También se estudia por primera vez la genitalia del macho de varias especies. Además, se han localizado las series tipo de Gryllodes macropterus Fuente, 1894 y Gryllotalpa septemdecimchromosomica Ortiz, 1958, así como dos paratipos de Gryllomorpha adspersa merobricensis Fernandes, 1959, stat. n. Se designan lectotipos y paralectotipos de 17 taxones y se revisa la geonemia de todas las especies

Prominent Plasmacytosis Following Intravenous Immunoglobulin Correlates with Clinical Improvement in Guillain-Barré Syndrome

BACKGROUND: High doses of pooled polyclonal IgG are commonly used to treat numerous autoimmune diseases. Their mode of action nevertheless remains only partially explained. At the same time, until now, no early biological marker has been able to predict their efficacy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a first pilot retrospective analysis, we reviewed white blood cell counts and blood smears in consecutive patients with autoimmune disease (n = 202) and non-autoimmune disease (n = 104). Autoimmune patients received either intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg, n = 103), plasma exchange (n = 78) or no specific treatment (n = 21). We then prospectively monitored consecutive autoimmune patients with IVIg injection (n = 67), or without any specific treatment (n = 10) using the same routine laboratory tests, as well as flow cytometry. Both retrospective and prospective analyses identified large plasma-cell mobilization exclusively in IVIg-treated autoimmune patients 7 days after initiation of treatment. The majority of IVIg-mobilized plasma cells were immature HLA-DR(high)/CD138(low)/CXCR4(low) plasma cells expressing intracellular immunoglobulin G which were neither IVIg- nor human IgG-specific. Importantly, we found a strong negative correlation between the absolute number of IVIg-mobilized plasma cells and time to improve neurological function in both retrospective and prospective studies of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), (r = -0.52, p = 0.0031, n = 30, r = -0.47, p = 0.0028, n = 40, respectively). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: IVIg promotes immature plasma-cell mobilization in patients with GBS, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, myasthenia gravis and inflammatory myopathy. Prominent day 7 plasma-cell mobilization is a favourable prognostic marker in patients with GBS receiving IVIg treatment

Inborn errors of type I IFN immunity in patients with life-threatening COVID-19.

Clinical outcome upon infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ranges from silent infection to lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have found an enrichment in rare variants predicted to be loss-of-function (LOF) at the 13 human loci known to govern Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7)-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity to influenza virus in 659 patients with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia relative to 534 subjects with asymptomatic or benign infection. By testing these and other rare variants at these 13 loci, we experimentally defined LOF variants underlying autosomal-recessive or autosomal-dominant deficiencies in 23 patients (3.5%) 17 to 77 years of age. We show that human fibroblasts with mutations affecting this circuit are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2. Inborn errors of TLR3- and IRF7-dependent type I IFN immunity can underlie life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with no prior severe infection

Rare predicted loss-of-function variants of type I IFN immunity genes are associated with life-threatening COVID-19

Background: We previously reported that impaired type I IFN activity, due to inborn errors of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity or to autoantibodies against type I IFN, account for 15–20% of cases of life-threatening COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients. Therefore, the determinants of life-threatening COVID-19 remain to be identified in ~ 80% of cases. Methods: We report here a genome-wide rare variant burden association analysis in 3269 unvaccinated patients with life-threatening COVID-19, and 1373 unvaccinated SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals without pneumonia. Among the 928 patients tested for autoantibodies against type I IFN, a quarter (234) were positive and were excluded. Results: No gene reached genome-wide significance. Under a recessive model, the most significant gene with at-risk variants was TLR7, with an OR of 27.68 (95%CI 1.5–528.7, P = 1.1 × 10−4) for biochemically loss-of-function (bLOF) variants. We replicated the enrichment in rare predicted LOF (pLOF) variants at 13 influenza susceptibility loci involved in TLR3-dependent type I IFN immunity (OR = 3.70[95%CI 1.3–8.2], P = 2.1 × 10−4). This enrichment was further strengthened by (1) adding the recently reported TYK2 and TLR7 COVID-19 loci, particularly under a recessive model (OR = 19.65[95%CI 2.1–2635.4], P = 3.4 × 10−3), and (2) considering as pLOF branchpoint variants with potentially strong impacts on splicing among the 15 loci (OR = 4.40[9%CI 2.3–8.4], P = 7.7 × 10−8). Finally, the patients with pLOF/bLOF variants at these 15 loci were significantly younger (mean age [SD] = 43.3 [20.3] years) than the other patients (56.0 [17.3] years; P = 1.68 × 10−5). Conclusions: Rare variants of TLR3- and TLR7-dependent type I IFN immunity genes can underlie life-threatening COVID-19, particularly with recessive inheritance, in patients under 60 years old

Diagnostic techniques for inflammatory eye disease: past, present and future: a review

Investigations used to aid diagnosis and prognosticate outcomes in ocular inflammatory disorders are based on techniques that have evolved over the last two centuries have dramatically evolved with the advances in molecular biological and imaging technology. Our improved understanding of basic biological processes of infective drives of innate immunity bridging the engagement of adaptive immunity have formed techniques to tailor and develop assays, and deliver targeted treatment options. Diagnostic techniques are paramount to distinguish infective from non-infective intraocular inflammatory disease, particularly in atypical cases. The advances have enabled our ability to multiplex assay small amount of specimen quantities of intraocular samples including aqueous, vitreous or small tissue samples. Nevertheless to achieve diagnosis, techniques often require a range of assays from traditional hypersensitivity reactions and microbe specific immunoglobulin analysis to modern molecular techniques and cytokine analysis. Such approaches capitalise on the advantages of each technique, thereby improving the sensitivity and specificity of diagnoses. This review article highlights the development of laboratory diagnostic techniques for intraocular inflammatory disorders now readily available to assist in accurate identification of infective agents and appropriation of appropriate therapies as well as formulating patient stratification alongside clinical diagnoses into disease groups for clinical trials

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19

Interindividual clinical variability in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is vast. We report that at least 101 of 987 patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia had neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against interferon-w (IFN-w) (13 patients), against the 13 types of IFN-a (36), or against both (52) at the onset of critical disease; a few also had auto-Abs against the other three type I IFNs. The auto-Abs neutralize the ability of the corresponding type I IFNs to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. These auto-Abs were not found in 663 individuals with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and were present in only 4 of 1227 healthy individuals. Patients with auto-Abs were aged 25 to 87 years and 95 of the 101 were men. A B cell autoimmune phenocopy of inborn errors of type I IFN immunity accounts for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in at least 2.6% of women and 12.5% of men

Outcomes of elective liver surgery worldwide: a global, prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study

Background: The outcomes of liver surgery worldwide remain unknown. The true population-based outcomes are likely different to those vastly reported that reflect the activity of highly specialized academic centers. The aim of this study was to measure the true worldwide practice of liver surgery and associated outcomes by recruiting from centers across the globe. The geographic distribution of liver surgery activity and complexity was also evaluated to further understand variations in outcomes. Methods: LiverGroup.org was an international, prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study following the Global Surgery Collaborative Snapshot Research approach with a 3-month prospective, consecutive patient enrollment within January–December 2019. Each patient was followed up for 90 days postoperatively. All patients undergoing liver surgery at their respective centers were eligible for study inclusion. Basic demographics, patient and operation characteristics were collected. Morbidity was recorded according to the Clavien–Dindo Classification of Surgical Complications. Country-based and hospital-based data were collected, including the Human Development Index (HDI). (NCT03768141). Results: A total of 2159 patients were included from six continents. Surgery was performed for cancer in 1785 (83%) patients. Of all patients, 912 (42%) experienced a postoperative complication of any severity, while the major complication rate was 16% (341/2159). The overall 90-day mortality rate after liver surgery was 3.8% (82/2,159). The overall failure to rescue rate was 11% (82/ 722) ranging from 5 to 35% among the higher and lower HDI groups, respectively. Conclusions: This is the first to our knowledge global surgery study specifically designed and conducted for specialized liver surgery. The authors identified failure to rescue as a significant potentially modifiable factor for mortality after liver surgery, mostly related to lower Human Development Index countries. Members of the LiverGroup.org network could now work together to develop quality improvement collaboratives

New and little known katydids of the tribe Meconematini (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from South-East Asia

ABSTRACT Three new genera, one new subgenus, and 21 new species from Sumatra, Borneo, and Vietnam are described: Breviratura gen

Parametrypa pubescens Gorochov 2021, sp. nov.

<i>Parametrypa pubescens</i> sp. nov. <p>(Figs 26–28, 35–40)</p> <p> <i>Holotype</i>. Male; <b>South Africa</b>, <i>KwaZulu–Natal Prov.</i>, 50–60 km SW of Durban City, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 200–400 m, remnants of forest along small river, on bush leaf at night, 23–26.I.2008, A. Gorochov & A. Sotshivko (ZIN).</p> <p> <i>Paratype</i>. Female; same data as for holotype (ZIN).</p> <p>The holotype and paratype were collected as nymphs; the imagines were reared in March 2008.</p> <p> <i>Description</i>. Male (holotype). Body moderately small, distinctly pubescent. Coloration almost uniformly light yellowish grey but with poorly distinct barely darker greyish pattern on head dorsum and on tergites, two pairs of small greyish brown stripes behind eyes and under them, darkish spots on scapes and sparse dots on legs, and without any distinct darkened stripes on tergites (Fig. 35); hind leg with partly darkened tibia, tarsus and apical part of femur, as well as with rather large darkish dots on femur located almost only along its ventral edge (Fig. 36).</p> <p> Lateral ocelli small but larger than median ocellus; hind femur without spines; hind tibia dorsally with 4–5 outer and 5 inner articulated spines (in addition to apical spurs) similar to those of <i>P. fortipes</i> in size, and with numerous unarticulated denticles clearly smaller than in this species (Fig. 37); hind basitarsus with two outer and one inner dorsal denticles (in addition to apical spurs); anal and genital plates as in Figs 38 and 39. Genitalia with following features: epiphallus subquadratic, clearly narrower than in <i>P. fortipes</i>, possessing wider posterior notch; rachis more strongly protruding beyond epiphallus than in <i>P. fortipes</i>; rami partly reduced (Figs 26–28).</p> <p>Female. General appearance as in male, but hind tibia with five pairs of articulated spines, hind basitarsus with two pairs of dorsal denticles, genital plate with rather short and nearly angular apical notch (Fig. 40); ovipositor approximately 1.1 times as long as hind femur.</p> <p>Length (in mm). Body: male 18, female 16; pronotum: male 3.2, female 3.5; hind femora: male 10.8, female 11.6 mm; ovipositor 12.8.</p> <p> <i>Comparison</i>. Differences of <i>Parametrypa pubescens</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> from its congeners are given in the key below. In addition, the new species probably also differs from the type species of this genus in the male genital characters mentioned in the description above [according to Chopard (1955), the male genitalia of <i>P. fortipes</i> have the epiphallus transversally triangular and with a moderately narrow posterior notch, the rachis distinctly but not strongly protruding beyond epiphallus, and the rami well-developed and rather long].</p> <p> <i>Etymology</i>. The species name is the Latin adjective <i>pubescens</i> (pubescent or hairy).</p>Published as part of <i>Gorochov, A. V., 2021, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 13: new taxa of the subtribe Podoscirtina from Africa, pp. 64-77 in Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) (Zoosyst. Rossica) 30 (1)</i> on pages 74-75, DOI: 10.31610/zsr/2021.30.1.64, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10124243">http://zenodo.org/record/10124243</a&gt

Kilimagryllus bilobulatus Gorochov 2021, sp. nov.

<i>Kilimagryllus bilobulatus</i> sp. nov. <p>(Figs 4–6, 18–21)</p> <p> <i>Holotype</i>. Male; <b>Malawi</b>, southern part, ca. 70 km NW of Mangochi Town, Lake Malawi National Park, Monkey Bay, 14°03 <b>′</b> S, 34°52 <b>′</b> E, 540 m, 3.I.2009, A. Sotshivko (ZIN).</p> <p> <i>Paratypes</i>. <b>Malawi</b>: 1 male, same data as for holotype (ZIN); 1 male, central part, ca. 10 km E of Ntchisi Town, Ntchisi Forest Reserve, 13°22 <b>′</b> S, 34°00 <b>′</b> E, 480 m, 15.I.2009, A. Sotshivko (ZIN); 1 male, northern part, Chitipa District, Mughesse Forest, 60 km NW of Chitipa, 9°38 <b>′</b> S, 33°32 <b>′</b> 22 <b>″</b> E, 1819 m, 28–29. XII.2010, V. Anikin (ZIN).</p> <p> <i>Description</i>. Male (holotype). General appearance very similar to that of <i>K. steini</i> (Saussure, 1878), but body coloration slightly different (Figs 4–6): head yellowish with very large dark brown area on dorsum between eyes, brown V-shaped (reversed) mark on rostral dorsum before median ocellus, rather small darkish area behind each eye, most part of eye nearly dark brown, and small sparse darkish spots on antennal flagellum; pronotum also yellowish with a pair of dark brown lateral longitudinal bands on disc (these bands having small lightish marks) and sparse dark dots between these bands and on lateral lobes; tegmina light yellowish grey with most of veins darkish, humeral stripes dark brown and other parts of lateral field almost yellowish; legs yellowish with dark and darkish dots on fore and middle femora and tibiae, darkish marks on hind femur (numerous oblique lines and less numerous dots), greyish brown ventral stripe on hind tibia (this stripe widened in distal part) and darkish dots at bases of its dorsal spines; abdomen generally light greyish brown, but two apical sternites greyish brown and each of more anterior sternites with a darkish area (thoracic sternites yellowish); anal plate with light brown central area, dark brown ring around this area and brown apical part; genital plate with more or less light lateral parts, brown distal third and dark brown remainder; cerci light yellowish grey.</p> <p> Shape of body somewhat similar to that of <i>Malawitrella sotshivkoi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, but scape almost 1.3 times as wide as rostrum between antennal cavities, apical segment of maxillary palpus barely longer than height of eye, ventral margins of lateral pronotal lobes scarcely oblique, tegmina reaching seventh abdominal tergite, tegminal lateral field having 11 oblique branches of <i>Sc</i>, very narrow areas between <i>Sc</i> and <i>Cu</i> (crossveins in this field virtually absent), and venation of tegminal dorsal field as in Fig. 5. Structure of legs (including presence of only outer oval tympana) as well as anal and genital plates (Figs 5 and 6) almost same as in <i>K. steini</i> (see Gorochov, 2004).</p> <p> Male genitalia similar to those of <i>K. steini</i> but distinguished by following details: epiphallus with anterolateral lobes narrower, more curved backwards and not projecting above other epiphallic parts; epiphallic posterior edge almost vertical in profile and with a pair of distinct subapical denticles located somewhat lower than epiphallic dorsal apices (these apices separated from each other by a rather small but distinct notch); rachis somewhat narrower in proximal (widened) part and longer in distal (thin) part (latter part clearly longer than widened proximal part, with apical portion wider and stronger curved upwards as well as distinctly bilobed at apex); formula with a pair of longer lateral areas (located behind undivided anterior area) and with longer anterior apodeme; endoparameral apodemes slightly shorter (Figs 18–20). Spermatophore approximately as in Fig. 22.</p> <p>Variations. Paratypes with venation slightly darker, hind femur with brown longitudinal median line on outer surface, or rachial apex in genitalia less distinctly bilobed (Fig. 21).</p> <p>Female unknown.</p> <p>Length (in mm). Body 13–15; pronotum 2.4–2.6; tegmina 7–7.5; hind femora 8.5–9.</p> <p> <i>Comparison</i>. The new species differs from <i>K. steini</i> (from Guinea) in the male genital characters listed above (in <i>K. steini</i>, anterolateral lobes of the epiphallus are projecting above the other epiphallic parts, epiphallic posterior edge is clearly oblique in profile, dorsal epiphallic apex is not divided into two apices by a posteromedian notch, thin distal part of rachis is almost equal to its widened proximal part in length and less curved upwards as well as not bilobate at apex). From <i>K. gyldenstolpei</i> Chopard, 1926 (from Zaire), the new species is distinguished by the same character of the epiphallic posterior edge as well as the proximal (widened) part of the rachis shorter than its distal (thin) part (this ratio is opposite in <i>K. gyldenstolpei</i>), and from <i>K. ochraceus</i> Sjöstedt, 1909 (from Tanzania), by the posterodorsal epiphallic processes distinctly shorter, as well as the rachis and ectoparameres much longer.</p> <p> <i>Etymology</i>. The species name is adjective referring to the shape of its rachial apex, which has two lobules.</p>Published as part of <i>Gorochov, A. V., 2021, Taxonomy of Podoscirtinae (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Part 13: new taxa of the subtribe Podoscirtina from Africa, pp. 64-77 in Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) (Zoosyst. Rossica) 30 (1)</i> on pages 70-73, DOI: 10.31610/zsr/2021.30.1.64, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10124243">http://zenodo.org/record/10124243</a&gt