Hyperparasitism in caves:bats, bat flies and ectoparasitic fungus

Bat flies (Nycteribiidae) of the order Diptera are highly specialized bloodsucking ectoparasites living on bats. The life-cycle of the bat flies emphasizes their obligate relationship with their hosts as they spend almost their entire life on bats. Upon mating, the female bat fly carries the larvae internally until the 3rd-instar when it deposits the larvae on the ceiling of the roost occupied by bats. The larvae then form a puparium. After 3-4 weeks the adult bat fly emerges from the puparium and starts searching for a host bat to colonize. Some of these ectoparasitic bat flies themselves are infected with an ectoparasitic fungus of the genus Arthrorhynchus (Laboulbeniales). Ascospores of the fungi attach themselves to the cuticle of the bat fly and develop a very conspicuous haustorium that penetrates into the soft tissues from where it presumably extract nutrition from the hemolymph of the bat flies. This interaction converts the fungus into a hyperparasite. Both the parasite and hyperparasite are obligates and cannot live separate from their hosts. This peculiar case of hyperparasitism remains highly unknown. The bat flies were collected in caves of Portugal, in maternity and hibernation bat seasons, and in the autumn migration period. The most common species of cave-dwelling bat species in Portugal is Miniopterus schreibersii, frequently parasitized with Nycteribia schmidlii and Penicillidia conspicua bat flies. We have studied the prevalence of the Laboulbeniales of the genus Arthrorhynchus in natural populations of bat flies. The site and position of the fungus on male and female bat flies unveils the mechanism of fungal transmission among bat flies, indicating that it occurs during mating behavior. This study is the starting point towards the understanding of this unique case of fungus-insect-vertebrate hyperparasitism interaction. See Suppl. material 1

Comments on: Multicriteria Decision Systems for Financial Problems

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11750-013-0280-1Pla Santamaría, D.; García Bernabeu, AM. (2013). Comments on: Multicriteria Decision Systems for Financial Problems. TOP. 21(2):275-278. doi:10.1007/s11750-013-0280-1S275278212Arrow KJ (1965) Aspects of the theory of risk-bearingBallestero E (2001) Stochastic goal programming: a mean-variance approach. Eur J Oper Res 131(3):476–481Copeland TE, Weston JF (1988) Financial theory and corporate policy. Addison-Wesley, ReadingDoumpos M, Zopounidis C (2010) A multicriteria decision support system for bank rating. Decis Support Syst 50(1):55–63Doumpos M, Zopounidis C (2011) A multicriteria outranking modeling approach for credit rating. Decis Sci 42(3):721–742Geanakoplos J (2001) Three brief proofs of arrow’s impossibility theorem. Yale Cowles Foundation discussion paper (1123RRR)Konno H, Yamazaki H (1991) Mean-absolute deviation portfolio optimization model and its applications to Tokyo Stock Market. Manag Sci 37(5):519–531Saaty TL, Ozdemir MS (2003) Why the magic number seven plus or minus two. Math Comput Model 38(3):233–244Sun S, Lu WM et al. (2005) A cross-efficiency profiling for increasing discrimination in data envelopment analysis. Inf Syst Oper Res 43(1):5

Estudi sobre indicadors de mort a escorxadors catalans

Escorxadors; Benestar animal; Mort; Control oficialMataderos; Bienestar animal; Muerte; Control oficialSlaughterhouses; Animal welfare; Death; Official controlL’anterior treball de la Comunitat de Pràctica (CoP) de Benestar Animal va avaluar el compliment del Reglament (CE) 1099/2009, relatiu a la protecció dels animals en el moment de la matança, mitjançant una enquesta adreçada als serveis veterinaris oficials d’escorxador (SVOE) i que va ser contestada pels companys de 43 escorxadors arreu del territori català que incloïen 64 línies de sacrifici. Es va observar entre les respostes dels SVOE que en 16 de les 64 línies d’algunes de les espècies sacrificades, independentment que s’hi fes un bon atordiment, hi havia un nombre significatiu d’animals que podien presentar signes de vida a l’inici de la preparació de la canal. En part, aquesta deficiència es pot atribuir a la idea estesa que en la fase de sacrifici és suficient aplicar un bon atordiment per aconseguir que no hi hagi signes de vida. No obstant això, l’apartat 3 de l’annex III del Reglament esmentat indica clarament que “la preparació de la canal o l’escaldada només s’han d’efectuar quan s’hagi comprovat la falta de signes de vida de l’animal”. Per tant, no sols cal vetllar per un correcte atordiment en la fase de matança, sinó que també cal comprovar la mort de l’animal abans d’iniciar la preparació de la canal mitjançant l’absència de signes de vida. El treball d’aquesta CoP estudia aquesta fase de mort de l’animal prèvia a la preparació de la canal o l’escaldada, que representa un punt crític de benestar animal a l’escorxador.El anterior trabajo de la Comunidad de Práctica (CoP) de Bienestar Animal evaluó el cumplimiento del Reglamento (CE) 1099/2009, relativo a la protección de los animales en el momento de la matanza, mediante una encuesta dirigida a los servicios veterinarios oficiales de matadero (SVOE) y que fue contestada por los compañeros de 43 mataderos en todo el territorio catalán que incluían 64 líneas de sacrificio. Se observó entre las respuestas de los SVOE que en 16 de las 64 líneas de algunas de las especies sacrificadas, independientemente de que se hiciera un buen aturdimiento, había un número significativo de animales que podían presentar signos de vida al inicio de la preparación de la canal. En parte, esta deficiencia puede atribuirse a la idea extendida de que en la fase de sacrificio es suficiente aplicar un buen aturdimiento para conseguir que no haya signos de vida. No obstante, el apartado 3 del anexo III del citado Reglamento indica claramente que “la preparación de la canal o escaldada sólo deben efectuarse cuando se haya comprobado la falta de signos de vida del animal”. Por tanto, no sólo hay que velar por un correcto aturdimiento en la fase de matanza, sino que también es necesario comprobar la muerte del animal antes de iniciar la preparación de la canal mediante la ausencia de signos de vida. El trabajo de esta CoP estudia esta fase de muerte del animal previa a la preparación de la canal o escaldada, que representa un punto crítico de bienestar animal en el matadero.The previous work of the Animal Welfare Community of Practice (CoP) evaluated compliance with Regulation (EC) 1099/2009, regarding the protection of animals at the time of slaughter, through a survey addressed to the official veterinary services of slaughterhouse (SVOE) and that was answered by colleagues from 43 slaughterhouses throughout the Catalan territory that included 64 slaughter lines. It was observed among the responses of the SVOE that in 16 of the 64 lines of some of the species sacrificed, regardless of whether a good stunning was done, there was a significant number of animals that could show signs of life at the beginning of the preparation of the stunning. channel. In part, this deficiency can be attributed to the widespread idea that in the slaughter phase it is enough to apply a good stun to ensure that there are no signs of life. However, section 3 of annex III of the aforementioned Regulation clearly indicates that "the preparation of the carcass or scalding must only be carried out when the lack of signs of life of the animal has been verified". Therefore, it is not only necessary to ensure correct stunning in the slaughter phase, but it is also necessary to verify the death of the animal before starting the preparation of the carcass through the absence of signs of life. The work of this CoP studies this phase of death of the animal prior to the preparation of the carcass or scalding, which represents a critical point of animal welfare in the slaughterhouse

Evaluating the Applicability of Data-Driven Dietary Patterns to Independent Samples with a Focus on Measurement Tools for Pattern Similarity

BACKGROUND: Diet is a key modifiable risk for many chronic diseases, but it remains unclear whether dietary patterns from one study sample are generalizable to other independent populations. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to assess whether data-driven dietary patterns from one study sample are applicable to other populations. The secondary objective was to assess the validity of two criteria of pattern similarity. METHODS: Six dietary patterns-Western (n=3), Mediterranean, Prudent, and Healthy- from three published studies on breast cancer were reconstructed in a case-control study of 973 breast cancer patients and 973 controls. Three more internal patterns (Western, Prudent, and Mediterranean) were derived from this case-control study's own data. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Applicability was assessed by comparing the six reconstructed patterns with the three internal dietary patterns, using the congruence coefficient (CC) between pattern loadings. In cases where any pair met either of two commonly used criteria for declaring patterns similar (CC ≥0.85 or a statistically significant [P0.9) to their corresponding dietary pattern derived from the case-control study's data. Similar associations with risk for breast cancer were found in all pairs of dietary patterns that had high CC but not in all pairs of dietary patterns with statistically significant correlations. CONCLUSIONS: Similar dietary patterns can be found in independent samples. The P value of a correlation coefficient is less reliable than the CC as a criterion for declaring two dietary patterns similar. This study shows that diet scores based on a particular study are generalizable to other populations.This study was funded by Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (IJCI-2014-20900); Fundación Cerveza y Salud 2005 (Beer and Health Foundation 2005), Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (Spanish Society of Medical Oncology), Federación de Mujeres con Cáncer de Mama (Association of Women with Breast Cancer) (EPY 1169-10 grant) and Association of Women with Breast Cancer from Elche (EPY 1394/15 grant)

Metabolic rewiring induced by ranolazine improves melanoma responses to targeted therapy and immunotherapy

Resistance of melanoma to targeted therapy and immunotherapy is linked to metabolic rewiring. Here, we show that increased fatty acid oxidation (FAO) during prolonged BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) treatment contributes to acquired therapy resistance in mice. Targeting FAO using the US Food and Drug Administration-approved and European Medicines Agency-approved anti-anginal drug ranolazine (RANO) delays tumour recurrence with acquired BRAFi resistance. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis reveals that RANO diminishes the abundance of the therapy-resistant NGFRhi neural crest stem cell subpopulation. Moreover, by rewiring the methionine salvage pathway, RANO enhances melanoma immunogenicity through increased antigen presentation and interferon signalling. Combination of RANO with anti-PD-L1 antibodies strongly improves survival by increasing antitumour immune responses. Altogether, we show that RANO increases the efficacy of targeted melanoma therapy through its effects on FAO and the methionine salvage pathway. Importantly, our study suggests that RANO could sensitize BRAFi-resistant tumours to immunotherapy. Since RANO has very mild side-effects, it might constitute a therapeutic option to improve the two main strategies currently used to treat metastatic melanoma

Association of renin–angiotensin system blockers with COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis in patients with hypertension: a population-based study

COVID-19; Angiotensin receptor blockers; HypertensionCOVID-19; Bloqueadores de los receptores de angiotensina; HipertensiónCOVID-19; Bloquejadors dels receptors d'angiotensina; HipertensióBackground The effect of renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockade either by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility, mortality and severity is inadequately described. We examined the association between RAS blockade and COVID-19 diagnosis and prognosis in a large population-based cohort of patients with hypertension (HTN). Methods This is a cohort study using regional health records. We identified all individuals aged 18–95 years from 87 healthcare reference areas of the main health provider in Catalonia (Spain), with a history of HTN from primary care records. Data were linked to COVID-19 test results, hospital, pharmacy and mortality records from 1 March 2020 to 14 August 2020. We defined exposure to RAS blockers as the dispensation of ACEi/ARBs during the 3 months before COVID-19 diagnosis or 1 March 2020. Primary outcomes were: COVID-19 infection and severe progression in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (the composite of need for invasive respiratory support or death). For both outcomes and for each exposure of interest (RAS blockade, ACEi or ARB) we estimated associations in age-, sex-, healthcare area- and propensity score-matched samples. Results From a cohort of 1 365 215 inhabitants we identified 305 972 patients with HTN history. Recent use of ACEi/ARBs in patients with HTN was associated with a lower 6-month cumulative incidence of COVID-19 diagnosis {3.78% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.69–3.86%] versus 4.53% (95% CI 4.40–4.65%); P < 0.001}. In the 12 344 patients with COVID-19 infection, the use of ACEi/ARBs was not associated with a higher risk of hospitalization with need for invasive respiratory support or death [OR = 0.91 (0.71–1.15); P = 0.426]. Conclusions RAS blockade in patients with HTN is not associated with higher risk of COVID-19 infection or with a worse progression of the disease.The study was partially funded by ‘CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)’

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Grades the Aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer

Aggressiveness; Magnetic resonance imaging; Prostate cancerAgresividad; Imágenes por resonancia magnética; Cáncer de próstataAgressivitat; Imatges per ressonància magnètica; Càncer de pròstataWe sought to find further evidence showing the increase in PCa aggressiveness as PI-RADS score increases from four surrogates of PCa aggressiveness: i. prostate biopsy GG (≤3 vs. >3), ii. type of pathology in surgical specimens (favourable vs. unfavourable), iii. clinical stage (localised vs. advanced), and risk of recurrence of localised PCa after primary treatment (low-intermediate vs. high). A group of 692 PCa patients were diagnosed after 3-T multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and guided and/or systematic biopsies, showing csPCa (GG ≥ 2) in 547 patients (79%) and insignificant PCa (iPCa) in 145 (21%). The csPCa rate increased from 32.4% in PI-RADS 3 (p 3 (p = 0.030). Advanced disease was not observed in PCa with PI-RADS ≤ 3, while it existed in 12.7% of those with PI-RADS > 3 (p 3 (p = 0.001). The PI-RADS score was an independent predictor of all surrogates of PCa aggressiveness as PSA density. We confirmed that mpMRI grades PCa aggressiveness.This research was funded by Instituto de Salut Carlos III (ES) grant number PI20/01666

A New Endemic Focus of Chagas Disease in the Northern Region of Veraguas Province, Western Half Panama, Central America

Background: Chagas disease was originally reported in Panama in 1931. Currently, the best knowledge of this zoonosis is restricted to studies done in historically endemic regions. However, little is known about the distribution and epidemiology of Chagas disease in other rural areas of the country. Methods and Findings: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out between May 2005 – July 2008 in four rural communities of the Santa Fe District, Veraguas Province. The study included an entomologic search to collect triatomines, bloodmeal type identification and infection rate with trypanosomes in collected vectors using a dot- blot and PCR analysis, genotyping of circulating Trypanosoma cruzi (mini-exon gene PCR analysis) and the detection of chagasic antibodies among inhabitants. The vector Rhodnius pallescens was more frequently found in La Culaca and El Pantano communities (788 specimens), where it was a sporadic household visitor. These triatomines presented darker coloration and larger sizescompared with typical specimens collected in Central Panama. Triatoma dimidiata was more common in Sabaneta de El Macho (162 specimens). In one small sub-region (El Macho), 60 % of the houses were colonized by this vector. Of the examined R. pallescens, 54.7.0 % (88/161) had fed on Didelphis marsupialis, and 24.6 % (34/138) of T. dimidiata specimens collected inside houses were positive for human blood. R. pallescens presented an infection index with T. cruzi of 17.7 % (24/ 136), with T. rangeli of 12.5 % (17/136) and 50.7 % (69/136) were mixed infections. In 117 T. dimidiata domestic specimens th

Photovoltaic power plants: a multicriteria approach to investment decisions and a case study in western Spain

his paper proposes a compromise programming (CP) model to help investors decide whether to construct photovoltaic power plants with government financial support. For this purpose, we simulate an agreement between the government, who pursues political prices (guaranteed prices) as low as possible, and the project sponsor who wants returns (stochastic cash flows) as high as possible. The sponsor s decision depends on the positive or negative result of this simulation, the resulting simulated price being compared to the effective guaranteed price established by the country legislation for photovoltaic energy. To undertake the simulation, the CP model articulates variables such as ranges of guaranteed prices, tech- nical characteristics of the plant, expected energy to be generated over the investment life, investment cost, cash flow probabilities, and others. To determine the CP metric, risk aver- sion is assumed. 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