The life-history of Mazocraes alosae Hermann, 1782 on one of its hosts, the Pontic shad Alosa immaculata Bennett, is described for the first time. This anadromous fish, which occurs off the coast of the Crimea and migrates from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov and into the River Don for spawning, was studied throughout its migration and during all seasons. It is demonstrated that the period of reproduction of this monogenean is significantly longer than that reported for the population in the Caspian Sea, lasting from April to November with a peak in April-May, and continues both in the sea and the river. Experiments showed that water salinity does not limit the development of the eggs or the hatching of the oncomiracidia. Our data reveal that the abundance of M. alosae is not determined by the size or sex of mature fish and that shad of less than two years old can also be infected with this monogenean, although less frequently than older fish. The direction of the migration of A. immaculata, either from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov and into the rivers or in the opposite direction, does not influence the number of monogeneans present on the host. The main factor affecting the dynamics of the abundance of this monogenean is season, and, as has been indicated previously in the Caspian Sea basin, there is a synchronisation between the parasite's life-history and both the host's spawning behaviour and the duration of its migration.
a1_The emergence of cryptosporidiosis, a zoonotic disease of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract caused by Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1907, triggered numerous screening studies of various compounds for potential anti-cryptosporidial activity, the majority of which proved ineffective. Extracts of Indonesian plants, Piper betle and Diospyros sumatrana, were tested for potential anti-cryptosporidial activity using Mastomys coucha (Smith), experimentally inoculated with Cryptosporidium proliferans Kváč, Havrdová, Hlásková, Daňková, Kanděra, Ježková, Vítovec, Sak, Ortega, Xiao, Modrý, Chelladurai, Prantlová et McEvoy, 2016. None of the plant extracts tested showed significant activity against cryptosporidia; however, the results indicate that the following issues should be addressed in similar experimental studies. The monitoring of oocyst shedding during the entire experimental trial, supplemented with histological examination of affected gastric tissue at the time of treatment termination, revealed that similar studies are generally unreliable if evaluations of drug efficacy are based exclusively on oocyst shedding. Moreover, the reduction of oocyst shedding did not guarantee the eradication of cryptosporidia in treated individuals. For treatment trials performed on experimentally inoculated laboratory rodents, only animals in the advanced phase of cryptosporidiosis should be used for the correct interpretation of pathological alterations observed in affected tissue. All the solvents used (methanol, methanol-tetrahydrofuran and dimethylsulfoxid) were shown to be suitable for these studies, i.e. they did not exhibit negative effects on the subjects. The halofuginone lactate, routinely administered in intestinal cryptosporidiosis in calves, was shown to be ineffective against gastric cryptosporidiosis in mice caused by C. proliferans., a2_In contrast, the control application of extract Arabidopsis thaliana, from which we had expected a neutral effect, turned out to have some positive impact on affected gastric tissue., Andrea Valigurová, Radka Pecková, Karel Doležal, Bohumil Sak, Dana Květoňová, Martin Kváč, Wisnu Nurcahyo, Ivona Foitová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Research on hand preference in non-human primates provides information about the evolutionary origin of population-level bias of human handedness. Human hand preference has been shown to remain stable throughout an individual's lifespan. However, the stability of hand preference and its change with age in non-human primates remains questionable. We recorded hand use in lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) during simple reaching tasks in three time periods over six years. We tested the effect of age and body posture on the direction and strength of hand preference in 23 observed individuals. In a subsample of 13 individuals followed for two or three subsequent time periods, we assessed the stability of hand preference across study periods. The direction of hand preference was highly stable; we detected no individuals changing from a left- to right-, or right- to left- preference and repeated quantitative measures of hand preference were correlated among subsequent study periods. Hand preference was, however, reinforced in older individuals and an individual's hand preference was stronger in postures with both hands free for foraging. Stable hand preference at an individual level, and its reinforcement over an individual's lifetime, is emerging as a robust finding across the primate order.
To explore local adaptation in wild populations at a fine spatial scale we characterized the genetic variability of eight closely located populations of Drosophila subobscura and its associations with microhabitat environmental conditions. Three different genetic markers were assessed: chromosomal inversions, a SNP of mitochondrial ND5 gene and nuclear microsatellites. Population genetic analyses of chromosomal variability revealed significant genetic differentiation between these populations. Gene arrangement frequencies on the E chromosome contributed most to these differences. We also investigated role of mito-nuclear epistasis in mitochondrial genome differentiation and revealed weak linkage disequilibrium (LD) exclusively between O3+4 inversion arrangement and mitochondrial DNA haplotype I in two populations. In addition, the trend in the LD between OST chromosomal arrangement and haplotype II was general in the total sample. Microsatellite analysis revealed an absence of stochastic processes, like census reduction, upon population differentiation. Only a small amount of the genetic variation is related to geographic distance, while most (97%) is attributable to other factors and in some degree to microhabitat variables (temperature, humidity). The analysis of these factors revealed they effect inversion arrangement frequencies, especially E1+2+9, EST and OST. Even though this model organism is known for its high mobility and mostly large effective population size, the results presented here reveal that local adaptations can occur even at a small spatial scale. We propose that locally adapted alleles within chromosomal inversions, as well as joint selective pressures acting on mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, are responsible for the observed adaptation to microhabitat conditions.
Underground mining activity in the region of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) results in ground displacements scattered on a large area. Both the locations and the velocities of the displacements depend on many factors, such as the current location of the mining front, the mining depth and system, as well as geological conditions. Although SAR interferometry techniques allow the monitoring of such ground displacements, in a regional scale (as is the case of the USCB) SAR images must be appropriately processed (from a number of frames and swaths), and this is the problem addressed in this article. The implementation of algorithms for analyzing time series allows observations of displacements in both time and space. The authors also analyze the influence of mining operations on the road infrastructure and mining waste heaps located in the area and investigate the potential for the monitoring of secondary influence (due to induced seismic tremors). As a result of these investigations, the article presents the quality of the InSAR-SBAS data and the potential for their employment in the measurements.
Phylogeny and higher classification of the cerambycid subfamily Lepturinae remain controversial. Here we report the results of a cytogenetic study of 18 species currently classified in Lepturini and 12 species in other tribes of Lepturinae (1 in Oxymirini, 1 in Rhamnusiini and 10 in Rhagiini) from Western Europe. The male sex chromosome formula is XY in all Rhagiini, Oxymirini and in Grammoptera ruficornis in the Lepturini (whose tribal placement may be doubtful), and X0 in all the remaining Lepturini. The rarity of the X0 formula in other Cerambycidae indicates that the Y chromosome was lost in a common ancestor of the Lepturini or a subgroup thereof, indicating its monophyletic origin. The number of chromosomes is stable in the Lepturini that lack a Y chromosome (19,X/20,XX in males and females, respectively), but varies from 20 to 24 in the remaining genera, probably the consequence of evolution by chromosome fission. Whereas all the males with 19 or 20 chromosomes have an early gametogenesis, which is achieved before the imago stage, the species with more than 20 chromosomes seem to have a delayed male gametogenesis, which is still active in the young imagoes. The species of Rhagiini with 22 chromosomes may constitute a monophyletic group.
Toxoplasmosis is a potentially fatal complication after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Pre-transplant seropositivity of graft recipient to Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an important factor for disease reactivation after HCT. As toxoplasmosis epidemiology varies all over the world, we performed a Polish nationwide retrospective cohort study to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in donors and pediatric allogeneic and autologous HCT recipients and the incidence of clinically evident toxoplasmosis in this patient group. Polish adult donors had higher anti-T. gondii seroprevalence than Polish pediatric donors (28% vs 8%; OR = 4.4; p = 0.02) and allo-HCT recipients (28% vs 17%; OR = 1.9; p = 0.01). Clinically apparent disease occurred in 1% of allo-HCT recipients: it was diagnosed by PCR as cerebral and/or ocular toxoplasmosis and successfully treated with antiprotozoal therapy. Regarding current practice, no prospective screening for infection of T. gondii in pediatric HCT centres is being performed, but, vast majority of HCT pediatric patients are receiving anti-T. gondii active prophylaxis. Since pre-HCT T. gondii serology was not assessed in all HCT; recipients, we propose this test should be a standard practice. Standardisation of management with infection of T. gondii in children after HCT is needed.
Therapeutic approaches to treat joint contracture after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have not been established. Arthrofibrosis accompanied by joint inflammation following ACL reconstruction is a major cause of arthrogenic contracture. In this study, we examined whether antiinflammatory treatment using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) can prevent ACL reconstruction-induced arthrogenic contracture. Rats underwent ACL transection and reconstruction surgery in their right knees. Unoperated left knees were used as controls. After surgery, rats were reared with or without daily LLLT (wavelength: 830 nm; power output: 150 mW; power density: 5 W/cm2 ; for 120 s/day). We assessed the passive extension range of motion (ROM) after myotomy at one and two weeks post-surgery; the reduction in ROM represents the severity of arthrogenic contracture. ROM was markedly decreased by ACL reconstruction at both time points; however, LLLT partially attenuated the decrease in ROM. One week after ACL reconstruction, the gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β in the joint capsule was significantly upregulated, and this upregulation was significantly attenuated by LLLT. Fibrotic changes in the joint capsule, including upregulation of collagen type I and III genes, shortening of the synovium, and thickening were caused by ACL reconstruction and seen at both time points. LLLT attenuated these fibrotic changes as well. Our results indicate that LLLT after ACL reconstruction could attenuate the formation of arthrogenic contracture through inhibition of inflammation and fibrosis in the joint capsule. Thus, LLLT may become a novel therapeutic approach for ACL reconstructioninduced joint contracture.