Descripción de los nidos del Cocodrilo de pantano Crocodylus moreletii en un paisaje urbanizado en el sureste de México

Laguna de las Ilusiones is an isolated urban lake in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco in México that retains a population of Morelet´s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii ). During the years 2007 and 2008 we studied 22 natural nests of this species. Most of the nests (53%) were built with vegetal material (leaf-litter, stems and thin branches). Also, we recorded human waste as part of the materialsfor nest construction. Mean clutch size was 30.4 ± 10. 8 eggs by nest (nests n = 19, eggs n = 578). Mean egg volume is significantly different among nests, an indication of size differences between the nesting females. Physical characteristics of the nests in 2007-2008 were compared with nests found at the same area during 1991-1994. We found that nest diameter, shore distance and clutch size were significantly higher in 2007-2008. Hatching in Laguna de las Ilusiones was low during 2007-2008 (33.9% ± 31.21) compared with other crocodilians. All new born crocodiles in 2007 and 2008 were males. We discuss how the city may affect the nesting of Morelet´s crocodiles, influencing different aspects such as, theuse of new materials for nest construction, increasing the size of the basal area of the nests, or promoting the search for a nesting site away from the shore. We recommend a management of the crocodiles with female reintroduction and artificial incubation in the Laguna de las Ilusiones to facilitate conservation of this population.La Laguna de las Ilusiones es un lago urbano aislado en la ciudad de Villahermosa, Tabasco que mantiene una población de cocodrilo de pantano (Crocodylus moreletii). Durante los años 2007 y 2008 se estudiaron 22 nidos silvestres de esta especie. En la mayoría de los nidos (53%) además de estar construidos con material vegetal (hojas, tallos y ramas delgadas) se registran productos de desechohumano como parte de los materiales para construcción de los nidos, el resto de los nidos está construido como lo descrito en otros trabajos. El tamaño promedio de la nidada es de 30.4 ± 10.8 huevos por nido (nidos n = 19, huevos n = 578). El tamaño y volumen promedio de los huevos es significativamente diferente entre nidos, lo que indica que existen diferencias en los tamaños de las hembras nidificantes. Las características físicas de los nidos en 2007-2008 fueron comparadas con las de otros nidos encontrados en la misma área de estudio en el periodo 1991-1994, encontrando que el diámetro de los nidos, la distancia a la orilla y el tamaño de la nidada son significativamente mayores en 2007-2008. El porcentajede eclosión en 2007-2008 en la Laguna de las Ilusiones es bajo (33.9 ± 31.21) comparado con otras especies de cocodrilianos. El 100% de los neonatos en 2007 y 2008 fueron machos. El efecto de la ciudad posiblemente puede afectar la ecología de la anidación en el cocodrilo de pantano, influyendo en nuevos materiales para la construcción de los nidos, aumentando el tamaño del área basal de los nidos y promoviendo la búsqueda de lugares más alejados de la orilla para la anidación. Debido al fuerte sesgo que existe hacia los machos en los nacimientos, se recomienda un manejo de la de la población de cocodrilos que incluya la reintroducción de hembras e incubación artificial en la Laguna de las Ilusiones que coadyuve a la conservación de esta población en esa área

CORALILLOS VERDADEROS (SERPENTES: ELAPIDAE) Y CORALILLOS FALSOS (SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE) DE VERACRUZ, MÉXICO

Five species of coral snakes genus Micrurus, and 14 species of mimic false coral snakes of different colubrid genera ocurr in Veracruz, making encounters with false coral snakes more likely. However, positive identification by color pattern between coral snakes and their mimics is not reliable because of inter and intraspecific color variation and similarities in coloration between several species of these two snake families.En el Estado de Veracruz se distribuyen cinco especies de coralillos verdaderos del género Micrurus y 14 especies de coralillos falsos de diferentes géneros de colúbridos, lo que hace más probables los encuentros con coralillos falsos. Sin embargo, la identificación por patrones de color entre coralillos verdaderos y falsos no es confiable, a causa de la variación del color inter e intraespecífica y a las semejanzas de coloración entre varias especies de estas dos familias de serpientes

The ocean sampling day consortium.

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world's oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

The ocean sampling day consortium

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

The Ocean Sampling Day Consortium

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic