Seasonal distribution and ecology of some Dactylogyrus species infecting Alburnus alburnus and Carassius carassius (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) from Porsuk River, Turkey

In this research, gill parasites of two Cyprinid fish (Alburnus alburnus and Carassius carassius) from the upper basin of Porsuk river were studied. Fish samples were obtained monthly at intervals during 2003 to 2004. The intensity of infection was investigated depending on the parasite species, the years and seasons, and host fish species. Four Dactylogyrus species were identified in the gills of host fishes Dactylogyrus fraternus (Wegener, 1909), Dactylogyrus alatus (Linstow, 1878) and Dactylogyrus minutus (Kulwiec, 1927) on A. alburnus and D. minutus and Dactylogyrus anchoratus (Dujardin, 1845) on C. carassius. The prevalence, abundance and mean intensity of Dactylogyrus infection for each parasite species was determined as follow: D. fraternus (49.6%, 2.58 and 5.20), D. alatus (28.1%, 0.61 and 2.18) and D. minutus (35.1%, 1.61 and 4.61) in A. alburnus and D. minutus (40.5%, 1.00 and 2.49), D. anchoratus (37.6%, 0.38 and 4.63) in C. carassius. The highest intensity was recorded for D. fraternus while the lowest was recorded in D. alatus. However, no marked difference was recorded among the parasite species.Key words: Alburnus alburnus, Carassius carassius, Dactylogyrus fraternus, Dactylogyrus alatus, Dactylogyrus minutus, Dactylogyrus anchoratus, seasonal distribution

Factors affecting nutritional quality in terms of the fatty acid composition of Cyprinion macrostomus

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different factors (season, gender, location, total lipid, weight and length) on the fatty acid composition and nutritional quality of Cyprinion macrostomus. The results were evaluated through PERMANOVA, principal coordinates (PCO), and cluster analysis for similarity ranges. An analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) was performed on the distance matrix using multiple permutations within a significant fixed effect (p < 0.05). C18:1ω9, EPA and DHA were the most important fatty acids which had an effect on the nutritional quality in all the factor groups. Total lipid amount, season and length factors were the most influential on the fatty acid compositions of C. macrostomus. Summer and Spring were the best the periods for the good nutritional quality of C. macrostomus in terms of AI (Atherogenicity index), TI (Thrombogenicity index) and h/H (Σhypocholesterolemic/Σhypercholesterolemic fatty acid index). In addition, station, gender and weight had no effect on nutritional quality. The study indicated that C. macrostomus is a potential fish meat for human nutrition with high nutritional value in terms of fatty acid composition

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns in Germany on Mood, Attention Control, Immune Fitness, and Quality of Life of Young Adults with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing

Background: Previous studies in Dutch young adults revealed that individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing reported poorer mood, increased inattention and impulsivity, poorer quality of life, and poorer immune fitness compared to healthy controls. Another study revealed that the negative impact of lockdowns during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was significantly more profound among the impaired wound healing group than the control group. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend these findings among young adults living in Germany. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted among N = 317 young adults living in Germany, 18–35 years old. They were allocated to the IWH group (N = 66) or the control group (N-251). Participants completed the Attention Control Scale, and mood, quality of life, and immune fitness were assessed with single-item ratings. All assessments were made for (1) the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the first lockdown period, March–May 2020, (3) the first no-lockdown period, summer 2020, (4) the second lockdown, November 2020 to May 2021, and (5) the second no-lockdown period, summer 2021. Results: The impaired wound healing group reported significantly poorer mood, quality of life, and immune fitness. The effects were evident before the pandemic. The impaired wound healing group scored significantly poorer on attention focusing, but no significant differences between the groups were found for attention shifting. During the pandemic, negative lockdown effects (i.e., further aggravation of mood and immune fitness and lower quality of life) were evident in both groups but significantly more profound in the impaired wound healing group. No differences between the groups were found for the no-lockdown periods. Conclusion: Individuals with self-reported impaired wound healing have significantly poorer mood, attention focusing, and immune fitness and report a poorer quality of life than healthy controls. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns was significantly more profound in the impaired wound-healing group

Mutation analysis of 18 nephronophthisis associated ciliopathy disease genes using a DNA pooling and next generation sequencing strategy

Background Nephronophthisis associated ciliopathies (NPHP-AC) comprise a group of autosomal recessive cystic kidney diseases that includes nephronophthisis (NPHP), Senior-Loken syndrome (SLS), Joubert syndrome (JBTS), and Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS). To date, causative mutations in NPHP-AC have been described for 18 different genes, rendering mutation analysis tedious and expensive. To overcome the broad genetic locus heterogeneity, a strategy of DNA pooling with consecutive massively parallel resequencing (MPR) was devised.Methods In 120 patients with severe NPHP-AC phenotypes, five pools of genomic DNA with 24 patients each were prepared which were used as templates in order to PCR amplify all 376 exons of 18 NPHP-AC genes (NPHP1, INVS, NPHP3, NPHP4, IQCB1, CEP290, GLIS2, RPGRIP1L, NEK8, TMEM67, INPP5E, TMEM216, AHI1, ARL13B, CC2D2A, TTC21B, MKS1, and XPNPEP3). PCR products were then subjected to MPR on an Illumina Genome-Analyser and mutations were subsequently assigned to their respective mutation carrier via CEL I endonuclease based heteroduplex screening and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Results For proof of principle, DNA from patients with known mutations was used and detection of 22 out of 24 different alleles (92% sensitivity) was demonstrated. MPR led to the molecular diagnosis in 30/120 patients (25%) and 54 pathogenic mutations (27 novel) were identified in seven different NPHP-AC genes. Additionally, in 24 patients only single heterozygous variants of unknown significance were found.Conclusions The combined approach of DNA pooling followed by MPR strongly facilitates mutation analysis in broadly heterogeneous single gene disorders. The lack of mutations in 75% of patients in this cohort indicates further extensive heterogeneity in NPHP-AC

Transport properties of shell-ferromagnetic Heusler precipitates in decomposed Ni49.8Mn45.1Sn5.1 and decomposition limit for Ni50Mn50−xSnx alloys

Shell-ferromagnetism is observed in Mn-rich NiMn-based Heusler alloys as a result of phase-separation. Off-stoichiometric NiMn-based Heusler alloys decompose into a dual-phase composite when annealed under a magnetic field. As a result of this process, an initially anti-ferromagnetic Heusler alloy gains hard-ferromagnetic properties with a nearly 10 Tesla coercive field of a core/shell structured precipitate. In the present study, Ni50.1Mn42.1Sn7.8 and Ni50.4Mn36.6Sn13.0 alloys are investigated for magnetic and structural instabilities and shell-ferromagnetic decomposition to obtain information on the compositional limits of the decomposition. Furthermore, we investigate the magneto-transport properties of shell-ferromagnets obtained by annealing Ni49.8Mn45.1Sn5.1 in a magnetic-field. © 2019 Elsevier B.V