A large set of microsatellites for the highly invasive earthworm Amynthas corticis predicted from low coverage genomes

Invasive species can significantly affect local biodiversity and create important challenges for conservation. They usually present an outstanding plasticity that permits the adaptation to the new environments. Understanding their genetic background is fundamental to better comprehend invasion dynamics and elaborate proper management plans as well to infer population and evolutionary patterns. Here, we present a reasonable set of tools for the study of a highly invasive earthworm, the megascolecid Amynthas corticis. We designed in silico a large set of primers targeting microsatellite regions (ca. 9400) from two low coverage genomes presented here. This study provides 154 high quality primer pairs targeting polymorphic repeats conserved in two Amynthas corticis mitochondrial lineages. From this dataset, a set of primer pairs (15) was validated by polymerase chain reaction with 86% consistent amplification, confirming the accuracy of the in silico prediction. Nine of the primer pairs tested were selected for population genetics and presented polymorphism in the studied populations, thus showing promising potential for future studies of this global invasive species. The nuclear markers used in this study appear to recapitulate and complement the mitochondrial relationships found in a previous study. Interestingly, all genotyped individuals showed at least one triploid locus profile among the tested loci, which may be evidence of polyploidy associated to their life history, in particular to asexual reproduction by parthenogenesis

Macroecological inferences on soil fauna through comparative niche modeling: The case of Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) through MaxEnt and quantitative comparison techniques using ENMtools could facilitate ecological inferences in problematic soil dwelling taxa. Despite its ecological relevance in the Western Mediterranean basin, the ecology of the endemic family Hormogastridae (Annelida, Oligochaeta) is poorly known. Applying this comparative approach to the main clades of Hormogastridae would allow a better understanding of their ecological preferences and differences. One hundred twenty-four occurrence data belonging to four clades within this earthworm family were used as input to infer separate MaxEnt models, including seven predictor variables. Niche breadth, niche overlap and identity tests were calculated in ENMtools; a spatial Principal Components Analysis (sPCA) was performed to contrast with the realized niches. The highly suitable predicted ranges varied in their ability to reflect the known distribution of the clades. The different analyses pointed towards different ecological preferences and significant ecological divergence in the four above-mentioned clades. These results are an example of wide-scale ecological inferences for soil fauna made possible by this promising methodology, and show how ecological characterization of relevant taxonomic units could be a useful support for systematic revisions

High incidence of PTSD diagnosis and trauma-related symptoms in a trauma exposed bipolar I and II sample

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an established comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder (BD), but little is known about the characteristics of psychological trauma beyond a PTSD diagnosis and differences in trauma symptoms between BD-I and BD-II. (1) To present characteristics of a trauma-exposed BD sample; (2) to investigate prevalence and trauma symptom profile across BD-I and BD-II; (3) to assess the impact of a lifetime PTSD diagnosis vs. a history of trauma on BD course; and (4) to research the impacts of sexual and physical abuse. This multi-center study comprised 79 adult participants with BD with a history of psychological trauma and reports baseline data from a trial registered in Clinical Trials (; ref: NCT02634372). Clinical variables were gathered through clinical interview, validated scales and a review of case notes. The majority (80.8%) of our sample had experienced a relevant stressful life event prior to onset of BD, over half of our sample 51.9% had a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD according to the Clinician Administered PTSD scale. The mean Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores indicated high levels of trauma-related distress across the sample, including clinical symptoms in the PTSD group and subsyndromal symptoms in the non-PTSD group. Levels of dissociation were not higher than normative values for BD. A PTSD diagnosis (vs. a history of trauma) was associated with psychotic symptoms [2(1) = 5.404, p = 0.02] but not with other indicators of BD clinical severity. There was no significant difference between BD-I and BD-II in terms of lifetime PTSD diagnosis or trauma symptom profile. Sexual abuse significantly predicted rapid cycling [2(1) = 4.15, p = 0.042], while physical abuse was not significantly associated with any clinical indicator of severity. Trauma load in BD is marked with a lack of difference in trauma profile between BD-I and BD-II. Although PTSD and sexual abuse may have a negative impact on BD course, in many indicators of BD severity there is no significant difference between PTSD and subsyndromal trauma symptoms. Our results support further research to clarify the role of subsyndromic PTSD symptoms, and highlight the importance of screening for trauma in BD patients

High incidence of PTSD diagnosis and trauma-related symptoms in a trauma exposed bipolar I and II sample

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an established comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder (BD), but little is known about the characteristics of psychological trauma beyond a PTSD diagnosis and differences in trauma symptoms between BD-I and BD-II. Objective: (1) To present characteristics of a trauma-exposed BD sample; (2) to investigate prevalence and trauma symptom profile across BD-I and BD-II; (3) to assess the impact of a lifetime PTSD diagnosis vs. a history of trauma on BD course; and (4) to research the impacts of sexual and physical abuse. Methods: This multi-center study comprised 79 adult participants with BD with a history of psychological trauma and reports baseline data from a trial registered in Clinical Trials (https://clinicaltrials.gov; ref: NCT02634372). Clinical variables were gathered through clinical interview, validated scales and a review of case notes. Results: The majority (80.8%) of our sample had experienced a relevant stressful life event prior to onset of BD, over half of our sample 51.9% had a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD according to the Clinician Administered PTSD scale. The mean Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores indicated high levels of trauma-related distress across the sample, including clinical symptoms in the PTSD group and subsyndromal symptoms in the non-PTSD group. Levels of dissociation were not higher than normative values for BD. A PTSD diagnosis (vs. a history of trauma) was associated with psychotic symptoms [2(1) = 5.404, p = 0.02] but not with other indicators of BD clinical severity. There was no significant difference between BD-I and BD-II in terms of lifetime PTSD diagnosis or trauma symptom profile. Sexual abuse significantly predicted rapid cycling [2(1) = 4.15, p = 0.042], while physical abuse was not significantly associated with any clinical indicator of severity. Conclusion: Trauma load in BD is marked with a lack of difference in trauma profile between BD-I and BD-II. Although PTSD and sexual abuse may have a negative impact on BD course, in many indicators of BD severity there is no significant difference between PTSD and subsyndromal trauma symptoms. Our results support further research to clarify the role of subsyndromic PTSD symptoms, and highlight the importance of screening for trauma in BD patients

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Clustering COVID-19 ARDS patients through the first days of ICU admission. An analysis of the CIBERESUCICOVID Cohort

Background Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can be classified into sub-phenotypes according to different inflammatory/clinical status. Prognostic enrichment was achieved by grouping patients into hypoinflammatory or hyperinflammatory sub-phenotypes, even though the time of analysis may change the classification according to treatment response or disease evolution. We aimed to evaluate when patients can be clustered in more than 1 group, and how they may change the clustering of patients using data of baseline or day 3, and the prognosis of patients according to their evolution by changing or not the cluster.Methods Multicenter, observational prospective, and retrospective study of patients admitted due to ARDS related to COVID-19 infection in Spain. Patients were grouped according to a clustering mixed-type data algorithm (k-prototypes) using continuous and categorical readily available variables at baseline and day 3.Results Of 6205 patients, 3743 (60%) were included in the study. According to silhouette analysis, patients were grouped in two clusters. At baseline, 1402 (37%) patients were included in cluster 1 and 2341(63%) in cluster 2. On day 3, 1557(42%) patients were included in cluster 1 and 2086 (57%) in cluster 2. The patients included in cluster 2 were older and more frequently hypertensive and had a higher prevalence of shock, organ dysfunction, inflammatory biomarkers, and worst respiratory indexes at both time points. The 90-day mortality was higher in cluster 2 at both clustering processes (43.8% [n = 1025] versus 27.3% [n = 383] at baseline, and 49% [n = 1023] versus 20.6% [n = 321] on day 3). Four hundred and fifty-eight (33%) patients clustered in the first group were clustered in the second group on day 3. In contrast, 638 (27%) patients clustered in the second group were clustered in the first group on day 3.Conclusions During the first days, patients can be clustered into two groups and the process of clustering patients may change as they continue to evolve. This means that despite a vast majority of patients remaining in the same cluster, a minority reaching 33% of patients analyzed may be re-categorized into different clusters based on their progress. Such changes can significantly impact their prognosis

Earthworms, good indicators for palaeogeographical studies? Testing the genetic structure and demographic history in the peregrine earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828) in southern Europe

It has been traditionally assumed that earthworms tend to remain in their areas of origin due to their low vagility, thus following the geological fate of the regions that they inhabit. Following this, many authors have correlated palaeogeographical events with earthworm distribution in several species to date diversification processes or to explain phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns. Nonetheless, this correlation has been poorly tested, thus there is no scientific evidence supporting this assumption. This study aimed to test if widespread earthworm species are good indicators of geological changes by means of checking the population genetic structure at different levels (lineages, clades and populations). The results of the AMOVA supported the existence of strong population structure at the level of clades and populations. In some cases, substructure within populations was also observed. In addition, FST values indicated a lack of genetic flow between populations. Correlation between demographic history in the main Mediterranean clades and past Iberian palaeogeographical events was congruent, thus showing that it was a ‘good’ the candidate for this kind of studies

Does the order of copulation matter? Experimental paternity analyses in the earthworm Hormogaster elisae (Annelida: Hormogastridae)

Multiple mating and sperm storage organs allow postcopulatory sexual selection to occur. This is the first time that a paternity test has been performed in an earthworm species. Microsatellite markers are used in Hormogaster elisae to trace paternity for multiple sires. Multiple paternity was detected in some cases, showing sperm mixture even within one cocoon, suggesting the eventual mixture of the allosperm within the spermathecae. Order of copulation influences paternity, the first (P1) and third partner (P3) being the most successful. Interestingly the second partner (P2) almost lacks paternity. The most plausible hypothesis suggests the existence of sperm displacement by flushing out older sperm once the spermathecae are full, which seems to occur when they contain sperm from two partners and P3 donates. At that moment sperm is still stratified thus removing sperm from P2. Afterwards sperm from P1 and P3 would be mixed provoking an equivalent paternity. Given the endogeic nature of the earthworm, copulation was not observed, making the lack of copulation with P2 (due to the need of a recovery time) or copulation without sperm transfer (due to low sperm production rate) possible alternative hypotheses. The weight of the earthworms is related to the number of cocoons they produce but not to their viability, which in all the cases was low, probably due to laboratory conditions. The sperm was kept viable inside the spermathecae for a maximum of two years and three months, suggesting a very effective nourishment system in the epithelium of the storage structures

Does the order of copulation matter? Experimental paternity analyses in the earthworm Hormogaster elisae (Annelida: Hormogastridae)

Multiple mating and sperm storage organs allow postcopulatory sexual selection to occur. This is the first time that a paternity test has been performed in an earthworm species. Microsatellite markers are used in Hormogaster elisae to trace paternity for multiple sires. Multiple paternity was detected in some cases, showing sperm mixture even within one cocoon, suggesting the eventual mixture of the allosperm within the spermathecae. Order of copulation influences paternity, the first (P1) and third partner (P3) being the most successful. Interestingly the second partner (P2) almost lacks paternity. The most plausible hypothesis suggests the existence of sperm displacement by flushing out older sperm once the spermathecae are full, which seems to occur when they contain sperm from two partners and P3 donates. At that moment sperm is still stratified thus removing sperm from P2. Afterwards sperm from P1 and P3 would be mixed provoking an equivalent paternity. Given the endogeic nature of the earthworm, copulation was not observed, making the lack of copulation with P2 (due to the need of a recovery time) or copulation without sperm transfer (due to low sperm production rate) possible alternative hypotheses. The weight of the earthworms is related to the number of cocoons they produce but not to their viability, which in all the cases was low, probably due to laboratory conditions. The sperm was kept viable inside the spermathecae for a maximum of two years and three months, suggesting a very effective nourishment system in the epithelium of the storage structures