Data to the earthworm fauna of Myanmar with notes on some little known species (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

The earthworm fauna of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) is quite well studied due to the studious works of Gordon E. Gates. However, after the publication of the comprehensive monograph Burmese earthworms (Gates 1972) there has been no new data published from this country. In the last year the last author collected several earthworm samples from Burma, resulting in 7 species records belonging to the families Moniligastridae, Benhamiidae, Octochaetidae and Megascolecidae including some little known species like Tonoscolex depressus (Gates, 1929) and Eutyphoeus constrictus Gates, 1929. Examination of the E. constrictus specimens revealed that they show different states of metandry, they are morphologically very similar to E. hastatus Gates, 1929, and only differ by the functionality of the testes in segment 10, therefore it should be regarded as a synonym of E. constrictus

Initial Experience of Laparoscopic Whipple Operation in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgical Department, Yangon Specialty Hospital

Laparoscopic Whipple operation represents one of the most advanced applications for laparoscopic surgery currently in use. In the past, minimally invasive techniques were only used for diagnostic laparoscopy, staging of pancreatic cancer and palliative procedures for unresectable pancreatic cancer. With new advances in technology and instrumentation, some sophisticated procedures are currently available such as the Whipple procedure, one of the most sophisticated applications of minimally invasive surgery

Data to the earthworm fauna of Myanmar with notes on some little known species (Annelida, Oligochaeta)

The earthworm fauna of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (Burma) is quite well studied due to the studious works of Gordon E. Gates. However, after the publication of the comprehensive monograph Burmese earthworms (Gates 1972) there has been no new data published from this country. In the last year the last author collected several earthworm samples from Burma, resulting in 7 species records belonging to the families Moniligastridae, Benhamiidae, Octochaetidae and Megascolecidae including some little known species like Tonoscolex depressus (Gates, 1929) and Eutyphoeus constrictus Gates, 1929. Examination of the E. constrictus specimens revealed that they show different states of metandry, they are morphologically very similar to E. hastatus Gates, 1929, and only differ by the functionality of the testes in segment 10, therefore it should be regarded as a synonym of E. constrictus

Interkingdom assemblages in human saliva display group-level surface mobility and disease-promoting emergent functions

Fungi and bacteria often engage in complex interactions, such as the formation of multicellular biofilms within the human body. Knowledge about how interkingdom biofilms initiate and coalesce into higher-level communities and which functions the different species carry out during biofilm formation remain limited. We found native-state assemblages of; Candida albicans; (fungi) and; Streptococcus mutans; (bacteria) with highly structured arrangement in saliva from diseased patients with childhood tooth decay. Further analyses revealed that bacterial clusters are attached within a network of fungal yeasts, hyphae, and exopolysaccharides, which bind to surfaces as a preassembled cell group. The interkingdom assemblages exhibit emergent functions, including enhanced surface colonization and growth rate, stronger tolerance to antimicrobials, and improved shear resistance, compared to either species alone. Notably, we discovered that the interkingdom assemblages display a unique form of migratory spatial mobility that enables fast spreading of biofilms across surfaces and causes enhanced, more extensive tooth decay. Using mutants, selective inactivation of species, and selective matrix removal, we demonstrate that the enhanced stress resistance and surface mobility arise from the exopolymeric matrix and require the presence of both species in the assemblage. The mobility is directed by fungal filamentation as hyphae extend and contact the surface, lifting the assemblage with a "forward-leaping motion." Bacterial cell clusters can "hitchhike" on this mobile unit while continuously growing, to spread across the surface three-dimensionally and merge with other assemblages, promoting community expansion. Together, our results reveal an interkingdom assemblage in human saliva that behaves like a supraorganism, with disease-causing emergent functionalities that cannot be achieved without coassembly