Verified and potential pathogens of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Several species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), including species of the genera Amblyseius, Galendromus, Metaseiulus, Neoseiulus, Phytoseiulus and Typhlodromus, are currently reared for biological control of various crop pests and/or as model organisms for the study of predator¿prey interactions. Pathogen-free phytoseiid mites are important to obtain high efficacy in biological pest control and to get reliable data in mite research, as pathogens may affect the performance of their host or alter their reproduction and behaviour. Potential and verified pathogens have been reported for phytoseiid mites during the past 25 years. The present review provides an overview, including potential pathogens with unknown host effects (17 reports), endosymbiotic Wolbachia (seven reports), other bacteria (including Cardinium and Spiroplasma) (four reports), cases of unidentified diseases (three reports) and cases of verified pathogens (six reports). From the latter group four reports refer to Microsporidia, one to a fungus and one to a bacterium. Only five entities have been studied in detail, including Wolbachia infecting seven predatory mite species, other endosymbiotic bacteria infecting Metaseiulus (Galendromus, Typhlodromus) occidentalis (Nesbitt), the bacterium Acaricomes phytoseiuli infecting Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, the microsporidium Microsporidium phytoseiuli infecting P. persimilis and the microsporidium Oligosproridium occidentalis infecting M. occidentalis. In four cases (Wolbachia, A. phytoseiuli, M. phytoseiuli and O. occidentalis) an infection may be connected with fitness costs of the host. Moreover, infection is not always readily visible as no obvious gross symptoms are present. Monitoring of these entities on a routine and continuous basis should therefore get more attention, especially in commercial mass-production. Special attention should be paid to field-collected mites before introduction into the laboratory or mass rearing, and to mites that are exchanged among rearing facilities. However, at present general pathogen monitoring is not yet practical as effects of many entities are unknown. More research effort is needed concerning verified and potential pathogens of commercially reared arthropods and those used as model organisms in research

Scaling Agile Beyond Organizational Boundaries: Coordination Challenges in Software Ecosystems

The shift from sequential to agile software development originates from relatively small and co-located teams but soon gained prominence in larger organizations. How to apply and scale agile practices to fit the needs of larger projects has been studied to quite an extent in previous research. However, scaling agile beyond organizational boundaries, for instance in a software ecosystem context, raises additional challenges that existing studies and approaches do not yet investigate or address in great detail. For that reason, we conducted a case study in two software ecosystems that comprise several agile actors from different organizations and, thereby, scale development across organizational boundaries, in order to elaborate and understand their coordination challenges. Our results indicate that most of the identified challenges are caused by long communication paths and a lack of established processes to facilitate these paths. As a result, the participants in our study, among others, experience insufficient responsivity, insufficient communication of prioritizations and deliverables, and alterations or loss of information. As a consequence, agile practices need to be extended to fit the identified needs

Microscopic analysis of the microbiota of three commercial Phytoseiidae species (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Microbes associated with the external and internal anatomy of three commercially available predatory mite species, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Typhlodromips (=Amblyseius) swiskii, and Neoseiulus (=Amblyseius) cucumeris were examined using light microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). Four microbe morphotypes were observed on external body regions. These included three microfungi-like organisms (named T1, T2 and T3) and rod-shaped bacteria (T4). Morphotypes showed unique distributions on the external body regions and certain microbes were found only on one host species. Microfungi-like T1 were present in all three species whereas T2 and T3 were present in only P. persimilis and T. swirskii respectively. T1 and T2 microbes were most abundant on the ventral structures of the idiosoma and legs, most frequently associated with coxae, coxal folds, ventrianal shields and epigynal shields. T3 microbes were most abundant on legs and dorsal idiosoma. T4 microbes were less abundant and were attached to epigynal shields of N. cucumeris and T. swirskii. Significant differences in distribution between seasons (spring and winter) suggest that there are fluctuations in the microbiota of phytoseiids in mass reared systems. FISH using the EUB338 (I-III) probes showed bacteria within the alimentary tract, in Malpighian tubules and anal atria. It is possible these have a role in absorbing excretory products or maintaining gut physiology. We suggest how microbes might be transmitted to offspring and throughout populations. The implications of these findings for commercial mass rearing are discussed. This study highlights the necessity of understanding the intrinsic microbiota of Phytoseiidae and other Acari

Notes for genera: basal clades of Fungi (including Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota)

Compared to the higher fungi (Dikarya), taxonomic and evolutionary studies on the basal clades of fungi are fewer in number. Thus, the generic boundaries and higher ranks in the basal clades of fungi are poorly known. Recent DNA based taxonomic studies have provided reliable and accurate information. It is therefore necessary to compile all available information since basal clades genera lack updated checklists or outlines. Recently, Tedersoo et al. (MycoKeys 13:1--20, 2016) accepted Aphelidiomycota and Rozellomycota in Fungal clade. Thus, we regard both these phyla as members in Kingdom Fungi. We accept 16 phyla in basal clades viz. Aphelidiomycota, Basidiobolomycota, Blastocladiomycota, Calcarisporiellomycota, Caulochytriomycota, Chytridiomycota, Entomophthoromycota, Glomeromycota, Kickxellomycota, Monoblepharomycota, Mortierellomycota, Mucoromycota, Neocallimastigomycota, Olpidiomycota, Rozellomycota and Zoopagomycota. Thus, 611 genera in 153 families, 43 orders and 18 classes are provided with details of classification, synonyms, life modes, distribution, recent literature and genomic data. Moreover, Catenariaceae Couch is proposed to be conserved, Cladochytriales Mozl.-Standr. is emended and the family Nephridiophagaceae is introduced

Hypoxia-induced damage in human islets is reduced with the use of mesenchymal stem cell-preconditioned medium

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are protective for islets when cotransplanted in a hypoxic environment. However, the risk of neoplasia is increased when MSCs are transplanted into immunosuppressed patients. This initial study aimed to investigate whether the production of protective factors from MSC can be stimulated by different culture conditions to benefit human islets cultured in hypoxia.MSC were isolated from human adipose tissue and cultured for 2 days in supplemented Minimum Essential Media α (MEMα) and 21% (21%-MEMα) or 1% oxygen (1%-MEMα). Native MEMα served as control. After MSC harvesting, cell-depleted media were frozen at -20°C until use for human islet culture in 2% oxygen for 72-96 hours before islet characterization. Data were normalized to control islets cultured in native MEMα and 2% oxygen (mean ± SEM).After culture in 21%- or 1%-MEMα, islet recovery increased to 117 ± 12% (NS) and 138 ± 12% (P < .05), respectively. Viability did not change after culture in native MEMα (59 ± 2%), 21%-MEMα (59 ± 3%), or 1%-MEMα (61 ± 3%). Compared with control samples, the glucose stimulation index was increased after culture in 21%-MEMα (P < .05) or 1%-MEMα (P < .05). Overall survival was higher in 1%-MEMα (143 ± 14%) than in 21%-MEMα (119 ± 14%; NS) or native MEMα (P < .05).This study demonstrates that MSC-preconditioned MEMα increases survival and in vitro function of hypoxic human islets. These findings indicate that hypoxic MSCs seem to produce factors that improve survival of islets suffering from hypoxia

Hypoxia-induced damage in human islets is reduced with the use of mesenchymal stem cell-preconditioned medium

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are protective for islets when cotransplanted in a hypoxic environment. However, the risk of neoplasia is increased when MSCs are transplanted into immunosuppressed patients. This initial study aimed to investigate whether the production of protective factors from MSC can be stimulated by different culture conditions to benefit human islets cultured in hypoxia.MSC were isolated from human adipose tissue and cultured for 2 days in supplemented Minimum Essential Media α (MEMα) and 21% (21%-MEMα) or 1% oxygen (1%-MEMα). Native MEMα served as control. After MSC harvesting, cell-depleted media were frozen at -20°C until use for human islet culture in 2% oxygen for 72-96 hours before islet characterization. Data were normalized to control islets cultured in native MEMα and 2% oxygen (mean ± SEM).After culture in 21%- or 1%-MEMα, islet recovery increased to 117 ± 12% (NS) and 138 ± 12% (P < .05), respectively. Viability did not change after culture in native MEMα (59 ± 2%), 21%-MEMα (59 ± 3%), or 1%-MEMα (61 ± 3%). Compared with control samples, the glucose stimulation index was increased after culture in 21%-MEMα (P < .05) or 1%-MEMα (P < .05). Overall survival was higher in 1%-MEMα (143 ± 14%) than in 21%-MEMα (119 ± 14%; NS) or native MEMα (P < .05).This study demonstrates that MSC-preconditioned MEMα increases survival and in vitro function of hypoxic human islets. These findings indicate that hypoxic MSCs seem to produce factors that improve survival of islets suffering from hypoxia