Outstanding intraindividual genetic diversity in fissiparous planarians (Dugesia, Platyhelminthes) with facultative sex.

Predicted genetic consequences of asexuality include high intraindividual genetic diversity (i.e., the Meselson effect) and accumulation of deleterious mutations (i.e., Muller’s Ratchet), among others. These consequences have been largely studied in parthenogenetic organisms, but studies on fissiparous species are scarce. Differing from parthenogens, fissiparous organisms inherit part of the soma of the progenitor, including somatic mutations. Thus, in the long term, fissiparous reproduction may also result in genetic mosaicism, besides the presence of the Meselson effect and Muller’s Ratchet. Dugesiidae planarians show outstanding regeneration capabilities, allowing them to naturally reproduce by fission, either strictly or combined with sex (facultative). Therefore, they are an ideal model to analyze the genetic footprint of fissiparous reproduction, both when it is alternated with sex and when it is the only mode of reproduction

Microplate tectonics and environmental factors as distribution drivers in Western Mediterranean freshwater planarians

AIM: Species biogeography mainly focuses on palaeogeographical events, while environmental factors are generally overlooked despite their importance in species diversification. Here, we use an integrative approach to understand how palaeogeographical and environmental processes shape species distribution and focus on freshwater planarians as the model system. LOCATION: Western Mediterranean. TAXON: Dugesia METHODS: We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of most known Dugesia species in the area using six molecular markers. We then estimated their divergence times and reconstructed their ancestral distribution ranges. We also performed environmental niche modelling analyses using Dugesia subtentaculata as a model to evaluate the effects of several hydro-environmental variables and the likely existence of interspecific competition on Dugesia distributions. RESULTS: Our results provide a new phylogenetic scheme for Dugesia from the Western Mediterranean and show that the time splits between the lineages and their putative ancestral distribution ranges are correlated with microplate tectonic dynamics within the region during the Oligocene–Miocene period. Our environmental niche modelling analyses indicate that the type of land cover and the slope of the terrain are the most important abiotic factors driving the distribution of Dugesia from this region. Finally, we found a partial niche overlap between D. subtentaculata and two other common planarian species from the Iberian Peninsula. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: The microplate tectonic dynamics of the Western Mediterranean during the Oligocene–Miocene period, together with the position of the mountain ranges and posterior climate changes, may have played crucial roles in driving the biogeographical history of Dugesia in this region. Moreover, both interspecific competition and changes in fluvial characteristics driven by human activities may affect the current diversity and distribution of Dugesia in the Western Mediterranean. This study highlights the importance of integrating different types of information to study the biogeographical history of a species. <br

Main clinical features in patients at their first psychiatric admission to Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards. The PERSEO study

BACKGROUND: Few data are available on subjects presenting to acute wards for the first time with psychotic symptoms. The aims of this paper are (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients at their first psychiatric admission (FPA), including socio-demographic features, risk factors, life habits, modalities of onset, psychiatric diagnoses and treatments before admission; (ii) to assess the aggressive behavior and the clinical management of FPA patients in Italian acute hospital psychiatric wards, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura = psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). METHOD: Cross-sectional observational multi-center study involving 62 Italian SPDCs (PERSEO – Psychiatric EmeRgency Study and EpidemiOlogy). RESULTS: 253 FPA aged <= 40 were identified among 2521 patients admitted to Italian SPDCs over the 5-month study period. About half of FPA patients showed an aggressive behavior as defined by a Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) score greater than 0 Vs 46% of non-FPA patients (p = 0.3651). The most common was verbal aggression, while about 20% of FPA patients actually engaged in physical aggression against other people. 74% of FPA patients had no diagnosis at admission, while 40% had received a previous psychopharmacological treatment, mainly benzodiazepines and antidepressants. During SPDC stay, diagnosis was established in 96% of FPA patients and a pharmacological therapy was prescribed to 95% of them, mainly benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. CONCLUSION: Subjects presenting at their first psychiatric ward admission have often not undergone previous adequate psychiatric assessment and diagnostic procedures. The first hospital admission allows diagnosis and psychopharmacological treatment to be established. In our population, aggressive behaviors were rather frequent, although most commonly verbal. Psychiatric symptoms, as evaluated by psychiatrists and patients, improved significantly from admission to discharge both for FPA and non-FPA patients

Clinical features and therapeutic management of patients admitted to Italian acute hospital psychiatric units: the PERSEO (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The PERSEO study (psychiatric emergency study and epidemiology) is a naturalistic, observational clinical survey in Italian acute hospital psychiatric units, called SPDCs (Servizio Psichiatrico Diagnosi e Cura; in English, the psychiatric service for diagnosis and management). The aims of this paper are: (i) to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients, including sociodemographic features, risk factors, life habits and psychiatric diagnoses; and (ii) to assess the clinical management, subjective wellbeing and attitudes toward medications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 62 SPDCs distributed throughout Italy participated in the study and 2521 patients were enrolled over the 5-month study period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Almost half of patients (46%) showed an aggressive behaviour at admission to ward, but they engaged more commonly in verbal aggression (38%), than in aggression toward other people (20%). A total of 78% of patients had a psychiatric diagnosis at admission, most frequently schizophrenia (36%), followed by depression (16%) and personality disorders (14%), and no relevant changes in the diagnoses pattern were observed during hospital stay. Benzodiazepines were the most commonly prescribed drugs, regardless of diagnosis, at all time points. Overall, up to 83% of patients were treated with neuroleptic drugs and up to 27% received more than one neuroleptic either during hospital stay or at discharge. Atypical and conventional antipsychotics were equally prescribed for schizophrenia (59 vs 65% during stay and 59 vs 60% at discharge), while atypical drugs were preferred in schizoaffective psychoses (72 vs 49% during stay and 70 vs 46% at discharge) and depression (41 vs 32% during stay and 44 vs 25% at discharge). Atypical neuroleptics were slightly preferred to conventional ones at hospital discharge (52 vs 44%). Polypharmacy was in general widely used. Patient attitudes toward medications were on average positive and self-reported compliance increased during hospital stay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results confirm the widespread use of antipsychotics and the increasing trend in atypical drugs prescription, in both psychiatric in- and outpatients.</p

Cryptic species delineation in freshwater planarians of the genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida): Extreme intraindividual genetic diversity, morphological stasis, and karyological variability.

The keystone of planarian taxonomy traditionally has been the anatomy of the copulatory apparatus. However, many planarian species comprise asexual fissiparous populations, with the fissiparous animals not developing a copulatory apparatus, thus precluding their morphological identification. Incorporation of molecular data into planarian systematics has been of great value, not only in the identification of fissiparous individuals but also as an additional source of information for determining species boundaries. Nevertheless, the discrepancy between morphological and molecular data has highlighted the need for extra sources of taxonomic information. Moreover, a recent study has pointed out that fissiparous reproduction may lead to high levels of intraindividual genetic diversity in planarians, which may mislead molecular analyses. In the present study we aim to test a new up-to-date integrative taxonomic procedure for planarians, including intraindividual genetic data and additional sources of taxonomic information, besides morphology and DNA, using Dugesia subtentaculata sensu lato as a model organism, a species with an intricate taxonomic history. First, we used three different methods for molecular species delimitation on single locus datasets, both with and without intraindividual information, for formulating Primary Species Hypotheses (PSHs). Subsequently, Secondary Species Hypotheses (SSHs) were formulated on the basis of three types of information: (1) a coalescent-based species delimitation method applied to multilocus data, (2) morphology of the copulatory apparatus, and (3) karyological metrics. This resulted in the delimitation of four morphologically cryptic species within the nominal species D. subtentaculata. Our results provide evidence that the analysis of intraindividual genetic data is essential for properly developing PSHs in planarians. Our study reveals also that karyological differentiation, rather than morphological differentiation, may play an important role in speciation processes in planarians, thus suggesting that the currently known diversity of the group could be highly underestimated

A new turbellarian parasite inflicting serious mortalities in red drum aquaculture

Trabajo presentado en la International Conference & Exposition Aquaculture Europe, celebrada en Funchal, Maderia (Portugal) del 04 al 07 de octubre de 2021.[Introduction]: Turbellarian flatworms are controverted organisms with changing taxonomical adscription. Most of these platyhelminths are terrestrial and aquatic free-living organisms, but also include symbiotic species, and few cases of parasitic ones associated to fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Here, we report an epizootic due to a rhabdocoelan infection in cultured red drum (Sciaenops ocellatum) in a sea-cage farm in a tropical area. We describe the morphological, histological and molecular approaches for its identification.[Methods]: Two subsequent outbreaks in 2018-2019 affected red drum in the first year after entering the farm (weight ranging from 12g to 180 g). Water temperature ranged from 23 to 29.5°C and salinity was 36 ‰. Different types of samples of fish presenting acute mortalities and clinical signs were taken. Fresh smears of gills were observed at light microscope on site. Necropsied gills were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF), processed routinely, embedded in Technovit7100-resin, sectioned at 1 µm and stained with Giemsa, PAS, and alcian blue-PAS. Some NBF-fixed specimens were dehydrated, cleared with dimethyl phthalate and stained with iron acetic carmine. Another sample set was stored in 70% ethanol for molecular identification. The ribosomal genes 18S and 28S were PCR-amplified (Giribet et al., 1996; Jovelin & Justine, 2001) and used concatenated to infer a phylogeny by Bayesian inference. Other representatives of Rhabdocoela present in GenBank were included in the analyses. Bacterial samples were taken for basic bacteriological analysis.[Results]: Prevalence of infection was 100 % in some stocks, and mortality ranged from 5% to 60%. Clinical signs included anaemia, weight loss, pale and necrotic gills with mucous masses, desquamation and erosion of the skin, and asphyxiation. Bacteriological results were variable, from negative to opportunistic bacteria or septicaemia, often accompanied by splenomegaly. Microscopical observation of gill scrapings of affected fish revealed ciliated turbellarians with eyespots. When gravid adults were mounted in seawater under a glass coverslip, active swimming eyed juvenile emerged. Worms, with characteristic anterior eyes, were visible under low magnification (Fig. 1). The morphometric study of fixed worms showed that adults were elongated, piriform with pointed posterior end (854-1403 × 356-589 µm) and a short anterior distal projection. Eyespots were separated. Pharynx was subconical and anterior. Testes and ovary were small and follicular. Some large specimens exhibited numerous completely developed juveniles occupying most of the body. Based on the body shape, pharynx arrangement and the presence of juveniles, the worms were tentatively assigned to the family Graffillidae. Histologically, worms were placed in shallow epithelial tunnels on secondary and primary lamella, and even on the cartilages of gill arches, and some small specimens were found free among gill filaments (Fig.1). The infection caused destruction of the normal gill architecture with minor histopathological reaction, lacking signs of necrosis or inflammation. Among the epithelial host cells forming the tunnel walls, little or no focal hyperplasia was observed. The primary direct effect of the turbellarian gill infection was the loss of respiratory function by impairment of gas exchange in parasitized lamella. In some sections, long filamentous bacteria covered the tissue and worm surface, suggesting secondary bacterial infections involved in the epizootic case. The worms enclosed within epithelial tunnels appeared to be covered by a sheath of cellular and mucous material. The molecular study placed the parasite within the Order Rhabdocoela, Suborder Dalytyphloplanida and Infraorder Neodalyellida. However, it was highly divergent from all the deposited sequences of the group, indicating that it may belong to a new species not yet described. It did not match with the recent sequence of the old known Pseudografillaria arenicola (Meixner, 1938), and it could be similar to a turbellarian causing epitozootics (with mortalities > 60%) in the same fish species as well as in other cultured marine fish in China (Wang et al., 2002). Attempts to treat the infections with formalin baths were unsuccessful.[Conclusions]: The histological examination revealed the invasive nature of the worms infecting red drum, and the gill damage could easily explain the anaemia and the asphyxiation of the fish. According to the obtained molecular data, the available orphan sequences and morphological descriptions, the species could be new to science, but probably present in other far distant locations and hosts. Studies are ongoing for the full description of the species. The current study and the previous reports on turbellarians causing lesions on various marine fish from the Pacific, Caribbean, Chinese and Australian waters, suggest that these parasites may represent and emerging problem in aquaculture, as they are transmitted fish-to-fish, and topic treatments can be ineffective since they live within gill tissues. Future studies are needed to decipher if other reservoir hosts could be involved in its transmission to cultured fish, and which farming conditions favour its blooming

Delay in diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection in critically ill patients and impact on clinical outcome

Background: Patients infected with influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus requiring admission to the ICU remain an important source of mortality during the influenza season. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of a delay in diagnosis of community-acquired influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection on clinical outcome in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU. Methods: A prospective multicenter observational cohort study was based on data from the GETGAG/SEMICYUC registry (2009–2015) collected by 148 Spanish ICUs. All patients admitted to the ICU in which diagnosis of influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection had been established within the first week of hospitalization were included. Patients were classified into two groups according to the time at which the diagnosis was made: early (within the first 2 days of hospital admission) and late (between the 3rd and 7th day of hospital admission). Factors associated with a delay in diagnosis were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results: In 2059 ICU patients diagnosed with influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection within the first 7 days of hospitalization, the diagnosis was established early in 1314 (63.8 %) patients and late in the remaining 745 (36.2 %). Independent variables related to a late diagnosis were: age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.03, P < 0.001); first seasonal period (2009–2012) (OR = 2.08, 95 % CI 1.64–2.63, P < 0.001); days of hospital stay before ICU admission (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI 1.17–1.35, P < 0.001); mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.58, 95 % CI 1.17–2.13, P = 0.002); and continuous venovenous hemofiltration (OR = 1.54, 95 % CI 1.08–2.18, P = 0.016). The intra-ICU mortality was significantly higher among patients with late diagnosis as compared with early diagnosis (26.9 % vs 17.1 %, P < 0.001). Diagnostic delay was one independent risk factor for mortality (OR = 1.36, 95 % CI 1.03–1.81, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Late diagnosis of community-acquired influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection is associated with a delay in ICU admission, greater possibilities of respiratory and renal failure, and higher mortality rate. Delay in diagnosis of flu is an independent variable related to death