•Grand Portage people rely on moose killed by brainworm transmitted by gastropods.•Gastropods sampled at 71 sites of managed and unmanaged Grand Portage forests.•621 gastropods collected, 129 were ...known brainworm hosts, none contained brainworm.•Recently managed sites (<5yr) had lower gastropod abundance and richness.•Frequent brainworm host Deroceras spp. low after management, higher in older forests.
Landscape management can influence the distribution, abundance, and diversity of the terrestrial gastropods that host known parasites of managed species of ungulates. Multiple taxa of terrestrial gastropods are important intermediate hosts in the lifecycle of the parasitic nematode Parelaphostrongylus tenuis, for which white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are definitive hosts. Moose (Alces alces) become infected with P. tenuis when they incidentally ingest gastropod intermediate hosts, leading to morbidity and mortality. Populations of moose in Minnesota have declined and P. tenuis infection has been identified as a leading cause of mortality. We investigated the role of forest management disturbance on the terrestrial gastropod community, and specifically known intermediate host species of P. tenuis, on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation in northeastern Minnesota, USA, where moose are an important subsistence species to the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Field crews surveyed gastropods through timed searches of soil and litter, and opportunistic collections from browse and pellets of white-tailed deer and moose. We digested all identified gastropods to determine prevalence of P. tenuis infection. We examined gastropod community responses to management and forest cover type using multivariate regressions. We additionally used regressions to examine total gastropod richness and abundance, as well as P. tenuis intermediate host responses to cover type, soil moisture class, canopy cover, treatment, and years since treatment. Digestions detected no infected gastropods from the 621 identified specimens. Gastropod community assemblages differed with recent understory treatment, but no other predictors. Total gastropod abundance, richness, and host abundance (liberal definition, including Deroceras spp.) were lower in sites treated within the last five years. For known intermediate host taxa, we observed species-specific responses to forestry treatments through time. Specifically, Deroceras spp. recolonized sites post-treatment (0–30 years), Discus cronkhitei were higher in abundance immediately following treatment, and the Succinea ovalis group, along with pooled intermediate hosts, displayed no discernable patterns. Our results underscore the complexity of P. tenuis lifecycles and transmission dynamics to moose, the importance of management disturbance and disturbance frequency in regulating gastropod populations, and the potential of forest management treatments to reduce P. tenuis infection in moose.
In the present study, the composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the biofilm formed by Scedosporium apiospermum, S. aurantiacum, S. minutisporum and Lomentospora prolificans on a ...polystyrene surface was investigated. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed a dense mycelial mass, with an ECM covering/interspersing the fungal cells and containing carbohydrate-rich molecules (e.g. glycoproteins) and extracellular DNA. The ECMs that were chemically extracted from mature biofilms formed by each of these fungi was predominantly composed of polysaccharides, followed by proteins, nucleic acids and sterols. In general, the amount of biofilm ECM was significantly greater in S. minutisporum and S. aurantiacum than in S. apiospermum and L. prolificans. Corroborating these results, the disarticulation of mature biofilms with enzymes, sodium metaperiodate and chelating agents occurred mainly in S. minutisporum and S. aurantiacum. Collectively, these results have revealed for the first time the composition of the ECM of the biofilms formed by Scedosporium/Lomentospora species and the role it plays in their architecture.
Background
The natural history of candidemia in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate mortality, prognostic factors and overall graft loss after ...candidemia in KTRs.
Methods
This is a retrospective multicentre study enrolling all KTRs ≥15 years old with candidemia diagnosed at hospitals in Brazil, Spain and Italy from 2010 to 2020. Primary endpoints were mortality rates at 14 and 30 days. Secondary endpoints were prognostic factors of 14‐day mortality and overall graft loss.
Results
We enrolled 93 KTRs of which 75 were from Brazil. The mean time interval from transplantation to the onset of candidemia was 45.2 ± 61.5 months. 42% of all patients were on haemodialysis, 31.3% had an episode of sepsis and 39% underwent surgery within 30 days before fungemia. European patients were more likely to receive echinocandin (32 vs. 72%, p < .001). 22.7% of Brazilian patients did not receive any antifungal before death. All‐cause mortality at 14 days was higher in Brazil (41.3 vs. 11.1%, p = .016). Candida colonisation (OR 6.91 95% CI: 1.08–44.3, p = .042) and hypotension (OR 4.87 95% CI: 1.62–14.66, p = .005) were associated with 14‐day mortality. Echinocandin treatment had a protective effect (OR 0.19 95% CI: 0.05–0.73, p = .015). Graft loss at 90 days occurred in 48% of patients (70.7 in Brazil vs. 22.2% in Europe, p < .01).
Conclusions
Candidemia in KTR is usually documented late after engraftment in patients requiring HD, surgical procedures and dysbiosis secondary to antibiotic use. Mortality was higher in Brazil. Echinocandin therapy was associated with improved survival.
The transmission of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease on citrus plants is through dissemination of the bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter ssp, by Diaphorina citri psyllid, its insect vector. Chemical control ...of the psyllids, and thiamethoxam (neonicotinoid insecticide) is one of the active ingredients used in the control of HLB. This insecticide is water soluble, unstable and rapidly degraded by photolysis. Pesticide nanoformulation is one of the strategies to control release of active compound as well as protection for premature degradation. Thus, studies of the effectiveness of encapsulated pesticide formulations are extremely important for enabling its use in agriculture. This study reports the encapsulation of the insecticide thiamethoxam in polymeric particles from poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and chitosan by double emulsion and solvent evaporation method using different concentrations of chitosan and two Pluronic (poloxamer) copolymers, F 127 and F68. These nanoparticles were characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, polydispersity, and encapsulation efficiency. The encapsulation efficiency, measured by liquid chromatography was 34%. The nanoparticles obtained from optimized conditions resulted in homogeneous and monodisperse particles with a positive superficial charge. The microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata (bioindicator chloroficea) and microcrustacean Artemia salina, were used to evaluate the ecotoxicity of nanopesticide in comparison to pesticide already in the market. The ecotoxicity study demonstrated that nanopesticide was less toxic that commercial formulations in the studied conditions.
We analyze the dynamics of scalar particles in gravity’s rainbow considering the space–time of a cosmic string in this modified gravity. Thus, we solve the Klein–Gordon equation for two types of ...potential in which two possible rainbow functions are selected. In all cases studied we obtain exact solutions for the wave equation, derive the energy spectrum, analyze it in detail and discuss the dependence of the results with the choice of the rainbow functions.
To examine how tributyltin (TBT), a model obesogen, affects the lipid metabolism in the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus, we carried out life-cycle studies and determined the in vitro and in silico ...interactions of retinoid X receptor (RXR) with TBT, the transcriptional levels of RXR and lipid metabolic genes, and the fatty acid content. The lethal concentration 10% (LC10) was determined to be 5.12 μg/L TBT, and negative effects on ecologically relevant end points (e.g., decreased lifespan and fecundity) were detected at 5 μg/L TBT. On the basis of these findings, subsequent experiments were conducted below 1 μg/L TBT, which did not show any negative effects on ecologically relevant end points in B. koreanus. Nile red staining analysis showed that after exposure to 1 μg/L TBT, B. koreanus stored neutral lipids and had significantly increased transcriptional levels of RXR and lipid metabolism-related genes compared to the control. However, the content of total fatty acids did not significantly change at any exposure level. In the single fatty acids profile, a significant increase in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) 14:0 and 20:0 was observed, but the contents of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were significantly decreased. Also, a transactivation assay of TBT with RXR showed that TBT is an agonist of Bk-RXR with a similar fold-induction to the positive control. Taken together, these results demonstrate that TBT-modulated RXR signaling leads to increase in transcriptional levels of lipid metabolism-related genes and the synthesis of SFAs but decreases the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Our findings support a wider taxonomic scope of lipid perturbation due to xenobiotic exposure that occurs via NRs in aquatic animals.
Electroencephalogram is a useful interface system that translates the human electrical brain activity into voltage signals. By these means, the recorded brain waves can be employed to characterize, ...classify, or diagnose mental disorders. A novel neural network model to classify patients with schizophrenia based on electroencephalograms is presented. The proposed model decomposes the multichannel electroencephalogram records into a group of multivariate novel radial basis functions using a fuzzy means algorithm. The decomposition permits to extract different electroencephalogram channel information and distinguish between two sort of classes i.e., schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. Results show improved accuracy compared to classical algorithms reported in the literature i.e., Support Vector Machine, Bayesian Linear Discriminant Analysis, Decision Tree, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbour, Convolutional Neuronal Network, or Adaboost. As a result, the method presented in this paper achieves the highest balanced accuracy, recall, precision and F1 score values, close to 93% in all cases. The model presented in this paper may be integrated in real time tools involved during the diagnostic of schizophrenia.
Candida auris and Candida haemulonii complex (C. haemulonii, C. haemulonii var. vulnera and C. duobushaemulonii) are phylogenetically related species that share some physiological features and ...habits. In the present study, we compared the virulence of these yeast species using two different experimental models: (i) Galleria mellonella larvae to evaluate the survival rate, fungal burden, histopathology and phagocytosis index and (ii) BALB/c mice to evaluate the survival. In addition, the fungal capacity to form biofilm over an inert surface was analyzed. Our results showed that in both experimental models, the animal survival rate was lower when infected with C. auris strains than the C. haemulonii species complex. The hemocytes of G. mellonella showed a significantly reduced ability to phagocytize the most virulent strains forming the C. haemulonii species complex. Interestingly, for C. auris, it was impossible to measure the phagocytosis index due to a general lysis of the hemocytes. Moreover, it was observed a greater capability of biofilm formation by C. auris compared to C. haemulonii species complex. In conclusion, we observed that C. auris and C. haemulonii complex have different levels of pathogenicity in the experimental models employed in the present study.
In this work, we study the crystallization and electrical resistivity of the formed oxides in a Cu/SiO2/Si thin film after thermal oxidation by ex-situ annealing at different temperatures up to ...1000°C. Upon increasing the annealing temperature, from the X ray diffractogram the phase evolution Cu→Cu+Cu2O→Cu2O→Cu2O+CuO→CuO was detected. Pure Cu2O films are obtained at 200°C, whereas uniform CuO films without structural surface defects such as terraces, kinks, porosity or cracks are obtained in the temperature range 300–550°C. In both oxides, crystallization improves with annealing temperature. A resistivity phase diagram, which is obtained from the current–voltage response, is presented here. The resistivity was expected to increase linearly as a function of the annealing temperature due to evolution of oxides. However, anomalous decreases are observed at different temperatures ranges, this may be related to the improvement of the crystallization and crystallite size when the temperature increases.
► The crystallization and electrical resistivity of oxides in a Cu films are studied. ► In annealing Cu films, the phase evolution Cu+Cu2O→Cu2O→Cu2O+CuO→CuO occurs. ► A resistivity phase diagram, obtained from the current–voltage response, is presented. ► Some decreases in the resistivity may be related to the crystallization.
The serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT1A) has a major role in modulating the effects of serotonin on mood and behavior. Previous studies have shown that knockout of 5-HT1A selectively in the raphe leads to ...higher levels of anxiety during adulthood. However, it remains unclear whether this phenotype is due to variation in receptor levels specifically during development or throughout life. To test the hypothesis that developmental sensitivity may underlie the effects of 5-HT1A on anxiety, we used an inducible transgenic system to selectively suppress 5-HT1A levels in serotonergic raphe neurons from post-natal days (P) 14 to P30, with a maximal reduction of 40% at P21 and return to regular levels by P30. This developmental decrease in receptor levels has long-lasting consequences, increasing anxiety and decreasing social investigation in adulthood. In addition, post-natal knockdown of autoreceptors leads to long-term increases in the excitability of serotonergic neurons, which may represent a mechanism underlying the effects of post-natal receptor variation on behavior later in life. Finally, we also examined the interplay between receptor variation and juvenile exposure to stress (applied from P14 to P21). Similar to receptor knockdown, juvenile exposure to stress led to increased anxiety phenotypes but did not exacerbate 5-HT1A knockdown-mediated anxiety levels. This work indicates that the effects of 5-HT1A autoreceptors on anxiety and social behaviors are developmentally mediated and suggests that natural variations in the expression of 5-HT1A may act during development to influence individual anxiety levels and contribute to susceptibility to anxiety disorders.
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