An SEM study of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) tilapiae (Acanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) from Africa documenting previously unreported features and host parasite interface

Abstract. Acanthogyrus (Acanthopsentis) tilapiae (Baylis, 1948) is the most widely distributed species of Acanthogyrus in many countries associated with the Nile River in Africa. It has been described by various authors but much of its external morphological features remained unknown until recently explored by SEM in our present study from specimens collected from cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi, Africa. Newly observed features include the proboscis armature and sensory pores, epidermal micropores, and trunk spines. Attachment and interface between worm and host intestinal lining are also reported for the first time

Selected parasites of silver kob (Argyrosomus inodorus) (Actinopterygii: Sciaenidae) from northern Namibia

The present study reports five metazoan parasites recorded from silver kob (Argyrosomus inodorus). Five fish were collected monthly (n=55) for 11 months in 2017–2018 (excluding July 2017) using conventional angling gear in Toscanini, Mile 108 and Henties Bay, northern Namibia. Fish were examined individually for ecto- and endo-parasites. Photomicrographs, drawings and measurements of parasites were made using a camera lucida and calibrated eyepiece of an Olympus (BX50) compound microscope and/or a Zeiss (Discovery V8) camera calibrated on a Leica dissecting microscope. Amongst species found, monogeneans including Diplectanum sciaenae van Beneden & Hesse, 1863, two species of Calceostoma van Beneden, 1858, one species of Sciaenacotyle Mamaev, 1989 and one acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 were found and are reported here. This is the first study of parasites found from silver kob of the Atlantic Ocean. Silver kob has potential to be used as a mariculture species. In addition to mariculture, information obtained from this study may also be used as a baseline for stock structure and biological tagging. Significance: • Silver kob has potential to be used as a mariculture species. Information obtained from this study will therefore form awareness to future mariculture silver kob farmers in terms of parasites that can infest and infect silver kob, hence making it possible to apply specific prevention and control measures. In addition to mariculture, results obtained from this study may be used as a baseline for biological tagging for stock structure assessment using parasites

ESTADIOS LARVALES DE POLYMORPHUS SPINDLATUS (ACANTHOCEPHALA: POLYMORPHIDAE) DE UN NUEVO PEZ HOSPEDERO, OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS, EN PERÚ

Larval stages of the acanthocephalan Polymorphus spindlatus Amin & Heckmann, 1991(Polymorphidae) were obtained from the intestine of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces: Cichlidae) in Villa Swamps, Lima, Peru during 2006. Cystacanth stages were recovered from the intestine, observed live, and documented photographically. Early stages had an ovoid proboscis that developed into the spindle-shaped form characteristic of the adult proboscis only in the late cystacanth stage. Form and pattern of adult proboscis hooks were evident in the younger larvae. The constriction in the trunk of the early stages was lost in the developed cystacanth. The morphology of the spindle-shaped trunk and other features of the cystacanth from the fish host were similar to those reported for cystacanths previously reported from the body cavity of fish hosts in Lake Titicaca, Peru.Estadios larvales del acantocéfala Polymorphus spindlatus Amin & Heckmann, 1991(Polymorphidae) fueron obtenidos del intestino de la tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces: Cichlidae) en los Pantanos de Villa, Lima, Perú durante el 2006. Estadios de cistacantos fueron recuperados del intestino, observados vivos, y documentados fotográficamente. Los estadios tempranos tuvieron una proboscide ovoide que desarrolló en una forma de huso característica de la probóscide adulta solo en el último estadio de cistacanto. Formas y modelos de los ganchos de las proboscides adultas fueron evidentes en las larvas jóvenes. La constricción en el tronco de los estadios tempranos se desapareció al desarrollo del cistacanto. La morfología del tronco en forma de huso y otras características del cistacanto en el pez hospedero fueron similares a aquellas reportadas para cistacantos previamente reportadas de la cavidad corporal de los peces hospederos en el Lago Titicaca, Perú

Program transformations using temporal logic side conditions

This paper describes an approach to program optimisation based on transformations, where temporal logic is used to specify side conditions, and strategies are created which expand the repertoire of transformations and provide a suitable level of abstraction. We demonstrate the power of this approach by developing a set of optimisations using our transformation language and showing how the transformations can be converted into a form which makes it easier to apply them, while maintaining trust in the resulting optimising steps. The approach is illustrated through a transformational case study where we apply several optimisations to a small program

On the Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) complex, with a description of Neoechinorhynchus ponticus n. sp. from Chelon auratus in the Black Sea

We recognize four species in the Neoechinorhynchus agilis complex. We studied specimens of Neoechinorhynchus (Hebesoma) personatus Tkach, Sarabeev & Shvetsova, 2014 from Mugil cephalus in the Mediterranean Sea off Tunisia and in the Black Sea, and also specimens of Neoechinorhynchus ponticus n. sp. from Chelon auratus Risso in the Black Sea. Specimens from M. cephalus at both locations were similar. All structures of N. ponticus n. sp. were considerably smaller than those of N. personatus. Two other species of the N. agilis complex are recognized: Neoechinorhynchus agilis (Rudolphi, 1819) sensu stricto from various hosts in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and Neoechinorhynchus yamagutii Tkach, Sarabeev & Shvetsova, 2014 from M. cephalus and Planiliza haematocheila in the Pacific, especially the Sea of Japan. Neoechinorhynchus dimorphospinus Amin & Sey, 1996 from marine fish in the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean off Vietnam may be a candidate for membership in the N. agilis complex. X-ray scans of gallium cut and intact hooks of N. personatus and N. ponticus showed differences in the mineral content of hooks with higher sulfur levels in smaller hooks and in hooks from specimens in the Black Sea compared to specimens from the Mediterranean. The relatively high genetic differences between N. ponticus n. sp. and other species of Neoechinorhynchus using a partial 18S rDNA dataset support its independent status. Neoechinorhynchus ponticus n. sp. and N. personatus have a common ancestor with species of Neoechinorhynchus collected from saltwater fish

Morphological and molecular description of Rhadinorhynchus laterospinosus Amin, Heckmann & Ha, 2011 (Acanthocephala, Rhadinorhynchidae) from marine fish off the Pacific coast of Vietnam

Rhadinorhynchus laterospinosus Amin, Heckmann & Ha, 2011 (Rhadinorhynchidae) was described from a single female collected from a trigger fish, Balistes sp. (Balistidae) from the northern Pacific coast of Vietnam in Halong Bay, Gulf of Tonkin. More recent collections of fishes in 2016 and 2017 revealed wider host and geographical distributions. We report this Acanthocephala from nine species of fish representing six families (including the original record from Balistes sp.) along the whole Pacific coast of Vietnam. The fish species are Alectis ciliaris (Carangidae), Auxis rochei (Scombridae), Auxis thazard (Scombridae), Leiognathus equulus (Leiognathidae), Lutjanus bitaeniatus (Lutjanidae), Megalaspis cordyla (Carangidae), Nuchequula flavaxilla (Leiognathidae), and Tylosurus sp. (Belonidae). We provide a complete description of males and females of R. laterospinosus, discuss its hook metal microanalysis using EDAX, and its micropores. Specimens of this species characteristically have lateral trunk spines bridging the anterior ring of spines with posterior field of ventral spines and a proboscis with 15–19 longitudinal alternating rows of 21–26 hooks each varying with host species. We demonstrate the effect of host species on the distribution and size of the trunk, proboscis, proboscis hooks, trunk spines, and reproductive structures. The molecular profile of this acanthocephalan, based on 18S rDNA and cox1 genes, groups with other Rhadinorhynchus species and further seems to confirm the paraphyly of the genus, which is discussed

Spectroscopic survey of Kepler stars. I. HERMES/Mercator observations of A- and F-type stars

The Kepler space mission provided near-continuous and high-precision photometry of about 207 000 stars, which can be used for asteroseismology. However, for successful seismic modeling it is equally important to have accurate stellar physical parameters. Therefore, supplementary ground-based data are needed. We report the results of the analysis of high-resolution spectroscopic data of A- and F-type stars from the Kepler field, which were obtained with the HERMES spectrograph on the Mercator telescope. We determined spectral types, atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances for a sample of 117 stars. Hydrogen Balmer, Fe i, and Fe ii lines were used to derive effective temperatures, surface gravities, and microturbulent velocities. We determined chemical abundances and projected rotational velocities using a spectrum synthesis technique. The atmospheric parameters obtained were compared with those from the Kepler Input Catalogue (KIC), confirming that the KIC effective temperatures are underestimated for A stars. Effective temperatures calculated by spectral energy distribution fitting are in good agreement with those determined from the spectral line analysis. The analysed sample comprises stars with approximately solar chemical abundances, as well as chemically peculiar stars of the Am, Ap, and λ Boo types. The distribution of the projected rotational velocity, vsin i, is typical for A and F stars and ranges from 8 to about 280 km s−1, with a mean of 134 km s−1

Selective CXCR4+ Cancer Cell Targeting and Potent Antineoplastic Effect by a Nanostructured Version of Recombinant Ricin

Altres ajuts: CIBER-BBN (project VENOM4CANCER) granted to A.V. The authors are also indebted to the Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) that is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. Protein production was partially performed by the ICTS "NANBIOSIS," more specifically by the Protein Production Platform of CIBER-BBN/ IBB (http://www.nanbiosis.es/unit/u1-protein-production-platform-ppp/) and the nanoparticle size analysis by the Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit. The authors are also indebted to SCAC (UAB) for cell culture facilities and assistance. R.D. received an overseas predoctoral fellowship from Conacyt (Gobierno de México, 2016). N.S. was supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the Government of Navarra, V.P. received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Foundation of Hematology and Hemotherapy (FEHH), and U.U. a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from ISCIII. A.V. holds an ICREA ACADEMIA award.Under the unmet need of efficient tumor-targeting drugs for oncology, a recombinant version of the plant toxin ricin (the modular protein T22-mRTA-H6) is engineered to self-assemble as protein-only, CXCR4-targeted nanoparticles. The soluble version of the construct self-organizes as regular 11 nm planar entities that are highly cytotoxic in cultured CXCR4 cancer cells upon short time exposure, with a determined IC50 in the nanomolar order of magnitude. The chemical inhibition of CXCR4 binding sites in exposed cells results in a dramatic reduction of the cytotoxic potency, proving the receptor-dependent mechanism of cytotoxicity. The insoluble version of T22-mRTA-H6 is, contrarily, moderately active, indicating that free, nanostructured protein is the optimal drug form. In animal models of acute myeloid leukemia, T22-mRTA-H6 nanoparticles show an impressive and highly selective therapeutic effect, dramatically reducing the leukemia cells affectation of clinically relevant organs. Functionalized T22-mRTA-H6 nanoparticles are then promising prototypes of chemically homogeneous, highly potent antitumor nanostructured toxins for precise oncotherapies based on self-mediated intracellular drug delivery