Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Aspectos epidemiológicos de pacientes com lesões ungueais e cutâneas causadas por Scytalidium spp Epidemiological aspects of patients with ungual and cutaneous lesions caused by Scytalidium spp

FUNDAMENTO: As dermatomicoses causadas por fungos filamentosos não dermatófitos são infecções raras, exceto as onicomicoses, cuja prevalência vem crescendo nos últimos anos. Dentre esses agentes etiológicos destacam-se o Scytalidium dimidiatum e o S. hyalinum, fungos emergentes responsáveis por micoses em unhas e pele. OBJETIVO: Investigar as características epidemiológicas das onicomicoses e micoses de outras localizações causadas pelos fungos do gênero Scytalidium, utilizando-se como parâmetros sexo, idade e localizações das lesões. MÉTODOS: Avaliaram-se 81 amostras com cultura positiva para o gênero em estudo, oriundas de 74 pacientes encaminhados ao Laboratório de Investigação em Dermatologia (ID) situado na cidade do Rio de Janeiro (RJ), no período de 1997 a 2006. As amostras foram submetidas a confirmação diagnóstica por exame direto e cultura. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de onicomicoses por Scytalidium spp. foi de 0,87%, entre as idades de 41 e 60 anos (48,64%). Em relação à localização das lesões, os pés foram mais acometidos (91,36%), com predomínio do hálux esquerdo. No exame direto, as estruturas mais encontradas foram hifas hialinas; na cultura, a espécie S. dimidiatum foi a mais frequente. CONCLUSÃO: As onicomicoses por Scytalidium spp. são raras e o S. dimidiatum foi a espécie mais isolada neste laboratório no período em estudo.<br>BACKGROUND: Dermatomycoses caused by non-dermatophyte filamentous fungi are rare infections, except for onychomycosis, whose prevalence has increased over the past few years. Among these etiologic agents, we highlight Scytalidium dimidiatum and S. hyalinum, emergent fungi that cause mycoses that affect the nails and skin. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of onychomycosis and other mycoses caused by the fungi Scytalidium spp, using sex, age and site of infection as parameters. METHODS: Eighty-one samples were evaluated showing positive culture for Scytalidium spp, obtained from 74 patients referred to the Laboratory of Investigation in Dermatology (ID) located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, between 1997 and 2006. The samples were submitted to diagnostic confirmation through direct exam and culture. RESULTS: The prevalence of onychomycosis caused by Scytalidium spp. was of 0,87%. The most prevalent age was between 41-60 years (48.64%). Regarding the site of infection, the feet (91.36%) were most affected, with predominance of the left hallux. Hyaline hyphae were the most common structures in direct examination and the species S. dimidiatum was the most frequent in culture. CONCLUSION: Onychomycosis caused by Scytalidium spp. is rare and S. dimidiatum was the most isolated species in this laboratory during the period of the study

Quality of Life and Its Determinants in a Multicenter Cohort of Children with Alagille Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with Alagille syndrome (ALGS) in comparison with healthy and other liver disease cohorts, and to identify determinants of HRQOL in patients with ALGS. STUDY DESIGN: Within the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network prospective study of cholestasis, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory(™) (PedsQL) questionnaires were administered to 70 ALGS, 95 alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) and 49 children with other causes of chronic intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) aged 5-18 years. Parent-proxy PedsQL scores were recorded for children aged 2-18 (98 ALGS, 123 A1ATD, 68 IHC). RESULTS: Mean ages and total bilirubin (mg/dL) were: ALGS 9.4y; 4.4, A1ATD 9.5y; 0.7, IHC 10.3y; 2.9. ALGS child PedsQL scores were lower than in healthy children and children with A1ATD (mean 73 vs. 83 p=0.001). Children with ALGS and IHC were similar, except in physical scores (73 vs. 79 p=0.05). ALGS parents perceived their children to have worse HRQOL than A1ATD (p<=0.001) and marginally lower compared with IHC. Univariate analysis revealed ALGS child-reported scores were positively associated with better growth and inversely with total bilirubin. Growth failure, elevated INR and an intra-cardiac defect were predictive of poor parental scores (p<=0.05). In multivariate analysis, only weight z-score remained significant for child and parent-reported scores. CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL is impaired in ALGS compared with healthy and children with A1ATD, similar to IHC and is associated with growth failure, which is a potentially treatable cause of impaired HRQOL

Acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome in children: A comparative study with evaluation of diagnostic criteria.

Background and purpose Differentiation between acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) can be difficult, particularly in children. Our objective was to improve the diagnostic accuracy by giving recommendations based on a comparison of clinical features and diagnostic criteria in children with AFM or GBS. Methods A cohort of 26 children with AFM associated with enterovirus D68 was compared to a cohort of 156 children with GBS. The specificity of the Brighton criteria, used for GBS diagnosis, was evaluated in the AFM cohort and the specificity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) AFM diagnostic criteria in the GBS cohort. Results Children with AFM compared to those with GBS had a shorter interval between onset of weakness and nadir (3 vs. 8 days, p < 0.001), more often had asymmetric limb weakness (58% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), and less frequently had sensory deficits (0% vs. 40%, p < 0.001). In AFM, cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte counts were higher, whereas protein concentrations were lower. Spinal cord lesions on magnetic resonance imaging were only found in AFM patients. No GBS case fulfilled CDC criteria for definite AFM. Of the AFM cases, 8% fulfilled the Brighton criteria for GBS, when omitting the criterion of excluding an alternate diagnosis. Conclusions Despite the overlap in clinical presentation, we found distinctive early clinical and diagnostic characteristics for differentiating AFM from GBS in children. Diagnostic criteria for AFM and GBS usually perform well, but some AFM cases may fulfill clinical diagnostic criteria for GBS. This underlines the need to perform diagnostic tests early to exclude AFM in children suspected of atypical GBS

Acute flaccid myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome in children: A comparative study with evaluation of diagnostic criteria.

Background and purpose Differentiation between acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) and Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) can be difficult, particularly in children. Our objective was to improve the diagnostic accuracy by giving recommendations based on a comparison of clinical features and diagnostic criteria in children with AFM or GBS. Methods A cohort of 26 children with AFM associated with enterovirus D68 was compared to a cohort of 156 children with GBS. The specificity of the Brighton criteria, used for GBS diagnosis, was evaluated in the AFM cohort and the specificity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) AFM diagnostic criteria in the GBS cohort. Results Children with AFM compared to those with GBS had a shorter interval between onset of weakness and nadir (3 vs. 8 days, p < 0.001), more often had asymmetric limb weakness (58% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), and less frequently had sensory deficits (0% vs. 40%, p < 0.001). In AFM, cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte counts were higher, whereas protein concentrations were lower. Spinal cord lesions on magnetic resonance imaging were only found in AFM patients. No GBS case fulfilled CDC criteria for definite AFM. Of the AFM cases, 8% fulfilled the Brighton criteria for GBS, when omitting the criterion of excluding an alternate diagnosis. Conclusions Despite the overlap in clinical presentation, we found distinctive early clinical and diagnostic characteristics for differentiating AFM from GBS in children. Diagnostic criteria for AFM and GBS usually perform well, but some AFM cases may fulfill clinical diagnostic criteria for GBS. This underlines the need to perform diagnostic tests early to exclude AFM in children suspected of atypical GBS