Parasite infection accelerates age polyethism in young honey bees

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators and their health is threatened worldwide by persistent exposure to a wide range of factors including pesticides, poor nutrition, and pathogens. Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian associated with high colony mortality. We used lab micro-colonies of honey bees and video analyses to track the effects of N. ceranae infection and exposure on a range of individual and social behaviours in young adult bees. We provide detailed data showing that N. ceranae infection significantly accelerated the age polyethism of young bees, causing them to exhibit behaviours typical of older bees. Bees with high N. ceranae spore counts had significantly increased walking rates and decreased attraction to queen mandibular pheromone. Infected bees also exhibited higher rates of trophallaxis (food exchange), potentially reflecting parasite manipulation to increase colony infection. However, reduction in queen contacts could help bees limit the spread of infection. Such accelerated age polyethism may provide a form of behavioural immunity, particularly if it is elicited by a wide variety of pathogens

Efficacy, safety and tolerance of parenteral piperacillin/tazobactam in the treatment of patients with lower respiratory tract infections

Contains fulltext : 4772.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Haematological and pathological findings of pigs experimentally inoculated with a Chilean isolate of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

The aims of this study were to characterize the haematological and bone marrow changes, gross and microscopic lesions of pigs experimentally inoculated with the Chilean isolate of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Twelve 3-week-old pigs were divided in 4 groups of 3, one of which corresponded to the negative control group sacrificed at 0 days post-inoculation (dpi), and the 3 remaining groups corresponded to the inoculated pigs sacrificed at 7, 14 and 21 dpi. For each sampling period blood was collected for complete haemograme and at the necropsy time gross lesions were registered and samples for both bone marrow smears and histopathology were taken. The results of this study revealed haematological alterations characterized by a significant reduction (P<0.05) in the haematocrit and a significant increase (P<0.05) in the total leukocyte count associated with an increase in the monocytes and baciliforms. The bone marrow did not show significant variations in the ratio of myeloid to erythroid cells (P>0.05). At the same time, the gross lesions were mild and mainly characterized by the presence of conjunctivitis, periocular edema and a slight increase in the size of the lymph nodes. Microscopic lesions were characterized by the presence of interstitial pneumonia, depletion and necrosis in lymphoid organs, rhinitis, hepatitis, myocarditis and non-purulent encephalitis. These findings suggest that the Chilean isolate of the vPRRS to a strain with a low virulenc

The evolution of the Aristolochia pallida complex (Aristolochiaceae) challenges traditional taxonomy and reflects large-scale glacial refugia in the Mediterranean

The taxonomy of the Mediterranean Aristolochia pallida complex has been under debate since several decades with the following species currently recognized: A. pallida, A. lutea, A. nardiana, A. microstoma, A. merxmuelleri, A. croatica, and A. castellana. These taxa are distributed from Iberia to Turkey. To reconstruct phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns, we employed cpDNA sequence variation using both noncoding (intron and spacer) and protein-coding regions (i.e., trnK intron, matK gene, and trnK-psbA spacer). Our results show that the morphology-based traditional taxonomy was not corroborated by our phylogenetic analyses. Aristolochia pallida, A. lutea, A. nardiana, and A. microstoma were not monophyletic. Instead, strong geographic signals were detected. Two major clades, one exclusively occurring in Greece and a second one of pan-Mediterranean distribution, were found. Several subclades distributed in Greece, NW Turkey, Italy, as well as amphi-Adriatic subclades, and a subgroup of southern France and Spain, were revealed. The distribution areas of these groups are in close vicinity to hypothesized glacial refugia areas in the Mediterranean. According to molecular clock analyses the diversification of this complex started around 3–3.3 my, before the onset of glaciation cycles, and the further evolution of and within major lineages falls into the Pleistocene. Based on these data, we conclude that the Aristolochia pallida alliance survived in different Mediterranean refugia rarely with low, but often with a high potential for range extension, and a high degree of morphological diversity.Turkish Science Foundatio

Coherent frequency conversion in a superconducting artificial atom with two internal degrees of freedom

By adding a large inductance in a dc-SQUID phase qubit loop, one decouples the junctions' dynamics and creates a superconducting artificial atom with two internal degrees of freedom. In addition to the usual symmetric plasma mode ({\it s}-mode) which gives rise to the phase qubit, an anti-symmetric mode ({\it a}-mode) appears. These two modes can be described by two anharmonic oscillators with eigenstates $\ket{n_{s}}$ and $\ket{n_{a}}$ for the {\it s} and {\it a}-mode, respectively. We show that a strong nonlinear coupling between the modes leads to a large energy splitting between states $\ket{0_{s},1_{a}}$ and $\ket{2_{s},0_{a}}$. Finally, coherent frequency conversion is observed via free oscillations between the states $\ket{0_{s},1_{a}}$ and $\ket{2_{s},0_{a}}$

Uso de la inmunohistoquímica para la búsqueda de proteínas priónicas en tercer párpado de ovinos en Chile

An immunohistochemstry (IHC) method to detect scrapie in sheep third eyelid lymphoid tissue was applied in post mortem animals. This method would allow to carry out the diagnosis in Chile, including the preclinical phase of the disease in sheep flock. Eighty samples from two year old sheep were obtained. Fourty two showed neurological signs consistent with scrapie and thirty eight came from slaughterhouse. Another thirteen blind samples were provided by a Reference Center (RC) in addition to sixteen obex used as controls. Samples were evaluated in sections with hematoxilin-eosin and classified as suitable if presenting at least four lymphoid follicles in the tissue. Based on this, seventy four out of ninety samples were considered suitable. The IHC results showed that all samples were negative to scrapie and only seven provided by the RC were positive. All obex samples were positive to immunostaining by PrPSc, unlike negative controls. The results demosntrate that this diagnostic tool may be considered for monitoring the sanitary condition related to scrapie in the ovine flock in Chile.En este trabajo se implementó y aplicó un método para detectar el scrapie, utilizando la técnica de inmunohistoquímica (IHQ) en tejido linfoide de tercer párpado ovino. Este método permitiría realizar el diagnóstico en animales vivos, incluso en fases preclínicas de esta enfermedad en la masa ovina nacional. Se obtuvieron y procesaron 80 muestras de tercer párpado de ovinos nacionales mayores de 2 años, 42 con sintomatología nerviosa compatible con scrapie y 38 que fueron obtenidos de mataderos. Otras 13 muestras ciegas de validación de tercer párpado y sus respectivos óbex, además de 16 muestras de óbex utilizadas como controles, fueron aportadas por un Centro de Referencia (CR). Las muestras fueron evaluadas en cortes teñidos con Hematoxilina-Eosina y clasificadas como aptas cuando presentaban al menos 4 folículos linfoides en el tejido obtenido. Sobre esta base, 74 de las 93 muestras totales de tercer párpado fueron consideradas como aptas. Los resultados de IHQ mostraron que todas las muestras nacionales fueron negativas a scrapie y sólo 7 de las proporcionadas por el CR fueron positivas. Además, en todos los controles positivos de óbex se observó inmunomarcaje de PrPSc, lo cual no se evidenció en los controles negativos. Los resultados descritos anteriormente permiten demostrar la aplicabilidad y capacidad para utilizar esta herramienta diagnóstica en la masa ovina, lo cual permitiría establecer la condición del país respecto al scrapie y obtener los beneficios de esta situación sanitaria