Alternate Reproductive Tactics in an African Dung Beetle, Circellium bacchus (Scarabeidae)

Male-male competition is recognized as a potent force of sexual selection. When intra-sexual competition is strong then selection theory predicts that alternative male phenotypes will evolve. Circellium bacchus is a large, hornless, ball-rolling dung beetle with extensive variation in size and subject to intense male-male contest competition. We proposed that small male C. bacchus, which are unlikely to be successful in male contest competition, would adopt the alternative reproductive tactic of sneaking copulations. This alternative tactic is likely to influence not only behavior, but morphology with an expectation that sneaking males would invest more resources in testes development. Investigation of testis allometry revealed that smaller male C. bacchus beetles had relatively larger testes than their bigger conspecifics. Furthermore, as resources may be limited during larval development, differential investment in testes development should result in adult male beetles either competing for fertilizations or for access to mates. This is seen in C. bacchus as two alternate male phenotypes; smaller beetles with a relatively low body mass invest proportionately more in testes development compared to larger, heavier form in which testes size does not scale with condition. To our knowledge this study provides the first investigation of alternative phenotypes in the reproductive tactics of a ball-rolling dung beetle species.     

Isolation,characterization and pathogenicity of bacteria from Rhynchites bacchus (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae)

The leafroller weevil beetle (Rhynchites bacchus L., Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae) is one of the most serious pests of apple, plum, apricot, cherry and peach (nectarine) fruit worldwide. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize pathogenic bacteria from this pest for possible use in biocontrol, and to determine their pathogenicity. R. bacchus were collected from the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey in 2007. Based on their morphological, physiological and biochemical features, five different bacterial isolates were obtained from adults and larvae. In addition, 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced to confirm isolate identification. According to the numerical and molecular data, the culturable bacterial flora of R. bacchus was determined as Bacillus licheniformis (Rb1), Serratia marcescens (Rb2), Enterobacter hormaechei (Rb3), Paenibacillus sp. (Rb4), and Enterobacter sp. (Rb5). Isolate Rb2 produced the highest mortality (73%) against larvae within 10 days after inoculation (P<0.05). The others, Rb1, Rb3, Rb4 and Rb5, caused 20, 13, 26 and 13% mortality in the larvae within the same period. These results indicate that S. marcescens Rb2 seems to be the most promising biocontrol agent againts this pest.     

Two mitogenomes in Gruiformes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaurornis akool</Emphasis>/<Emphasis Type="Italic">A. phoenicurus</Emphasis>) and the phylogenetic placement of Rallidae

Rallidae, with 34 genera including 142 species, is the largest family in the Gruiformes, the phylogenetic placement of this family was still in debate. The complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), with many advantageous characters, have become popular markers in phylogenetic analyses. We sequenced the mitogenomes of brown crake (Amaurornis akool) and white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), analyzed the genomic characters of mitogenomes in Rallidae, and explored the phylogenetic relationships between Rallidae and other four families in Gruiformes based on mitogenome sequences of 32 species with Bayesian method. The mitogenome of A. akool/A. phoenicurus was 16,950/17,213 bp in length, and contained 37 genes typical to avian mitogenomes and one control region, respectively. The genomic characters of mitogenomes in Rallidae were similar. The phylogenetic results indicated that, among five families, Rallidae had closest relationship with Heliornithidae, which formed a sister taxa to Gruidae, while Rhynochetidae located in the basal lineage. Within Rallidae, Rallina was ancestral clade. Gallirallus & Rallus and Aramides were closely related, Gallicrex & Amaurornis and Fulica & Gallinula had close relationships, and these two taxa formed a sister clade to Porphyrio & Coturnicops. Our phylogenetic analyses provided solid evidence for the phylogenetic placement of Rallidae and the evolutionary relationships among different genus within this family. In addition, the mitogenome data presented here provide useful information for further molecular systematic investigations on Gruiformes as well as conservation biology research of these species.     

Role of coronary artery bypass grafting during the acute and subacute phase of ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Background/Objectives. We aimed to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) performed in contemporary patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) within 30 days after presentation. Methods. All 1071 patients enrolled in the Thrombus Aspiration during Percutaneous coronary intervention in Acute myocardial infarction Study (TAPAS) were included in this analysis. CABG was indicated for both ischaemic and anatomical reasons according to the current treatment guidelines for STEMI. For all surgical as well as non-surgical patients, clinical outcome was assessed at both 30 days and one year. Results. CABG was performed within 30 days of presentation in 59/1071 (5.5%) patients, in 13 (22%) within 24 hours, in eight (14%) between one and three days, and in 38 (64%) between four and 30 days. Compared with non-surgical patients, surgical patients required more initial intra-aortic balloon pump support (33 vs. 5%, p<0.001) and more often had multi-vessel disease (p<0.001). Overall, rethoracotomy was performed in 9/59 (15%) patients. In patients operated within three days, the rethoracotomy rate was markedly higher than after three days (33 vs. 5%, p=0.004). Cardiac mortality at 30 days and one year was 1.7% in the surgical group and 3.2 and 5.3%, respectively, in the non-surgical group. Conclusion. STEMI patients treated with CABG within three days after presentation are at increased risk of rethoracotomy. However, despite this higher incidence of surgical complications and multiple high-risk features at presentation, surgical management during the acute and subacute phase is associated with excellent 30-day and one-year survival. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:348-54.)     

A method to compare the effect of ionic iron and iron chelates in nutrient solution cultures

A method is described by which the effect of chelated Fe can be compared with the effect of ionic Fe in nutrient solution cultures over a prolonged period of time. Plants are grown in two solutions in succession: the one containing all nutrient elements except Fe, the other one containing the Fe compound together with Ca(NO₃)₂. In experiments with soybeans (Glycine maxima (L.) Merr.) and with corn (Zea mays L.) it was shown that a 7-day cycle with the ratio of 4 days nutrient solution to 3 days Fe solution resulted in growth and Fe nutrition similar to plants grown with a normal nutrient solution.     

Ulcerative skin lesions among children in Cameroon: It is not always Yaws

Outbreaks of yaws-like ulcerative skin lesions in children are frequently reported in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The origin of these lesions might be primarily traumatic or infectious; in the latter case, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue, the yaws agent, and Haemophilus ducreyi, the agent of chancroid, are two of the pathogens commonly associated with the aetiology of skin ulcers. In this work, we investigated the presence of T. p. pertenue and H. ducreyi DNA in skin ulcers in children living in yaws-endemic regions in Cameroon.Skin lesion swabs were collected from children presenting with yaws-suspected skin lesions during three outbreaks, two of which occurred in 2017 and one in 2019. DNA extracted from the swabs was used to amplify three target genes: the human β₂-microglobulin gene to confirm proper sample collection and DNA extraction, the polA gene, highly conserved among all subspecies of T. pallidum, and the hddA gene of H. ducreyi. A fourth target, the tprL gene was used to differentiate T. p. pertenue from the other agents of human treponematoses in polA-positive samples. A total of 112 samples were analysed in this study. One sample, negative for β₂-microglobulin, was excluded from further analysis. T. p. pertenue was only detected in the samples collected during the first 2017 outbreak (12/74, 16.2%). In contrast, H. ducreyi DNA could be amplified from samples from all three outbreaks (outbreak 1: 27/74, 36.5%; outbreak 2: 17/24, 70.8%; outbreak 3: 11/13, 84.6%). Our results show that H. ducreyi was more frequently associated to skin lesions in the examined children than T. p. pertenue, but also that yaws is still present in Cameroon. These findings strongly advocate for a continuous effort to determine the aetiology of ulcerative skin lesions during these recurring outbreaks, and to inform the planned mass treatment campaigns to eliminate yaws in Cameroon.     

Quantitative trait locus mapping of resistance to Aspergillus flavus infection using a recombinant inbred line population in maize

Aflatoxin contamination of maize (Zea mays L.) grain caused by Aspergillus flavus is a serious health hazard to animals and humans. Development of maize varieties resistant to A. flavus infection and/or aflatoxin production can reduce this contamination. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to A. flavus infection. A recombinant inbred line population was developed derived from RA, a maize inbred line resistant to A. flavus infection, and M53, a susceptible inbred line. After inoculation with A. flavus under controlled conditions, the kernels from each plant line grown in three different environments were evaluated for infection level. Categorical inoculation data were collected for each plant line based on the percentage of the kernel surface covered by fungal conidia. Significant genotypic variation in infection level was observed in all environments. Based on a genetic map containing 916 polymorphic simple sequence repeat and single nucleotide polymorphism markers, the resistance QTL were initially analyzed by composite interval mapping (CIM) separately for each environment. One QTL in bin 5.03 was detected in all environments, and seven other QTL were identified in one environment. Next, a mixed model based on CIM (MCIM) was employed for QTL analysis using data from the three environments simultaneously. Significant epistasis and epistasis × environment interaction to A. flavus infection were revealed. The QTL in bin 5.03 was repeatedly detected by the MCIM. This QTL explained the largest phenotypic variation among all of the detected QTL and could be considered as a major QTL for use in breeding for A. flavus resistance.     

Prevalence and multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Tan sheep (Ovis aries) in northwestern China

Giardia duodenalis is a common intestinal protozoa, which can cause the occurrence of diarrhea, weight loss, and even death in animals or human, this threatens the husbandry industry and public health. It can infect virtually humans and all domestic animals including sheep. Tan sheep is one of the most important sheep breeds, which is short-tailed indigenous sheep breed used for production of high quality meat and pelts in China. However, there are no report regarding the occurrence and multilocus genotyping of G. duodenalis in Tan sheep in northwestern China. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and multilocus genotypes of G. duodenalis in Tan sheep. 1014 fecal samples were collected from Tan sheep from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and three loci (β-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) genes) were amplified by nested PCR. The prevalence of G. duodenalis in Tan sheep was 14.5% (147/1014), two assemblages (assemblage A, n = 43; and E, n = 90) were detected, including one novel assemblage A at bg locus, one novel assemblage A at tpi locus, and 10 and 11 novel subtypes of assemblage E were detected at the bg and gdh loci, respectively. One MLGs was formed based on sequence variation among the three loci. Moreover, 9 Tan sheep were infected with two assemblages (A and E) based on the three loci. These findings expand the host range of G. duodenalis and revealed genetic diversity of G. duodenalis assemblages in Tan sheep.     

Multilocus phylogeny and MALDI-TOF analysis of the plant pathogenic species Alternaria dauci and relatives

The genus Alternaria includes numerous phytopathogenic species, many of which are economically relevant. Traditionally, identification has been based on morphology, but is often hampered by the tendency of some strains to become sterile in culture and by the existence of species-complexes of morphologically similar taxa. This study aimed to assess if strains of four closely-related plant pathogens, i.e., accurately Alternaria dauci (ten strains), Alternaria porri (six), Alternaria solani (ten), and Alternaria tomatophila (ten) could be identified using multilocus phylogenetic analysis and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) profiling of proteins. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on three loci, i.e., the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA, and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) and Alternaria major antigen (Alt a 1) genes. Phylogenetic trees based on ITS sequences did not differentiate strains of A. solani, A. tomatophila, and A. porri, but these three species formed a clade separate from strains of A. dauci. The resolution improved in trees based on gpd and Alt a 1, which distinguished strains of the four species as separate clades. However, none provided significant bootstrap support for all four species, which could only be achieved when results for the three loci were combined. MALDI-TOF-based dendrograms showed three major clusters. The first comprised all A. dauci strains, the second included five strains of A. porri and one of A. solani, and the third included all strains of A. tomatophila, as well as all but one strain of A. solani, and one strain of A. porri. Thus, this study shows the usefulness of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a promising tool for identification of these four species of Alternaria which are closely-related plant pathogens.     

Phosphoethanolamine Transferase LptA in Haemophilus ducreyi Modifies Lipid A and Contributes to Human Defensin Resistance In Vitro

Haemophilus ducreyi resists the cytotoxic effects of human antimicrobial peptides (APs), including α-defensins, β-defensins, and the cathelicidin LL-37. Resistance to LL-37, mediated by the sensitive to antimicrobial peptide (Sap) transporter, is required for H. ducreyi virulence in humans. Cationic APs are attracted to the negatively charged bacterial cell surface. In other gram-negative bacteria, modification of lipopolysaccharide or lipooligosaccharide (LOS) by the addition of positively charged moieties, such as phosphoethanolamine (PEA), confers AP resistance by means of electrostatic repulsion. H. ducreyi LOS has PEA modifications at two sites, and we identified three genes (lptA, ptdA, and ptdB) in H. ducreyi with homology to a family of bacterial PEA transferases. We generated non-polar, unmarked mutants with deletions in one, two, or all three putative PEA transferase genes. The triple mutant was significantly more susceptible to both α- and β-defensins; complementation of all three genes restored parental levels of AP resistance. Deletion of all three PEA transferase genes also resulted in a significant increase in the negativity of the mutant cell surface. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that LptA was required for PEA modification of lipid A; PtdA and PtdB did not affect PEA modification of LOS. In human inoculation experiments, the triple mutant was as virulent as its parent strain. While this is the first identified mechanism of resistance to α-defensins in H. ducreyi, our in vivo data suggest that resistance to cathelicidin LL-37 may be more important than defensin resistance to H. ducreyi pathogenesis.     

The growth of four species of Azolla as affected by temperature

The growth of 22 strains of Azolla pinnata R. Br., 3 strains of A. filiculoides Lam. and one strain each of A. mexicana Presl and A. caroliniana Willd. was tested separately in liquid culture media kept in controlled, artificial light (30 klux) growth cabinets. Three temperature levels were used: 33°C (37/29°C day/night), 29°C (33/25°C) and 22°C (26/18°C)/ Photoperiod was 12 h a day.For most A. pinnata strains (except three) and an A. mexicana strain the maximum weekly relative growth rate was higher at 33°C than at 22°C, but not for A. filiculoides and A. caroliniana. The highest value of maximum relative growth rate corresponded to 1.9 doubling days and in most strains this occurred in the first week. As the plants grew, the growth rate slowed down more severely at higher temperatures. The maximum biomass was higher at 22°C than at 33°C in all strains. At 22°C, it took 30–50 days to attain maximum biomass and the highest value was 14 g N m^?2 or 320 g dry m^?2 by A. caroliniana, followed by 12 g N m^?2 or 290 g dry wt. m^?2 by one strain of A. filiculoides. At 29°C, the maximum biomass was attained in 20–35 days. The highest value was 6.3 g N m^?2 or 154 g dry wt. m^?2 by A. caroliniana. At 33°C, most A. pinnata strains gave a maximum biomass of less than 4 g N m^?2 after 13–23 days, while some strains grew up to 30 days, resulting in a higher maximum biomass. The highest maximum biomass at 33°C was 5.5 g N m^?2 or 140 g m^?2 dry wt. by A. pinnata from Cheng Mai while the maximum biomass of A. filiculoides and A. caroliniana was much less. Azolla filiculoides requires lower temperature than other species for its growth. Azolla pinnata has the best tolerance to high temperatures among the four species. Azolla mexicana could not be discriminated from A. pinnata in its response to temperature. Azolla caroliniana may keep an intermediate position between A. filiculoides and A. pinnata in temperature response.The formation of ammonia in the medium was examined and it occurred mostly under stationary growth conditions, but, at 33°C, some strains of A. pinnata and A. mexicana released or formed ammonia at 0.3–0.8 μg N ml^?1 per week during their initial exponential growth stage.     

Growth patterns in some indo-west-pacific seagrasses

The plastochrone interval of the rhizomes (PIR) was determined in the monopodially branching seagrasses Cymodocea rotundata Ehrenb. et Hempr. ex Aschers. (1981), Cymodocea serrulata (R.Br.) Aschers. et Magnus (1981), Syringodium isoetifolium (Aschers.) Dandy (1982), Halodule uninervis (Forssk.) Aschers. (1982) and Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook.f. (1982). The growth rate during 1981 was in all species, including Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers., constant during the year and the PIR amounted to 6.7 days (Cymodocea serrulata) and 3.9 days (Cymodocea rotundata). However, the PIR observed in 1982 showed in all species a unimodal pattern and a decrease during June, July and August. The PIR was 6.3 days in Halodule uninervis while an interval of 5.2 days was calculated in Syringodium isoetifolium.The growth rates of the horizontal and vertical axes (rhizomes and shoots) were correlated. A regression between the number of leaves on the shoot and the number of nodes on the rhizome resulted for most species in a linear correlation. The slopes of the calculated correlation were rather similar in the tree species with a comparable morphology: 0.44 in Cymodocea serrulata, 0.43 in Cymodocea rotundata and 0.49 in Halodule uninervis. In Syringodium isoetifolium, the longevity of the leaves increased during ageing of the shoot.The proliferation ratio (the ratio shoots/rhizome apices) was measured in all species. A maximum of 0.41 was observed in Thalassia hemprichii. This species and Cymodocea rotundata showed a unimodal pattern. In the last species, the ratio ranged from 0.03 to 0.13. The ratio was constant during the year in Cymodocea serrulata and Syringodium isoetifolium. Proliferation by means of monopodially branching of the rhizome was of little importance in Halodule uninervis. The pattern of proliferative and reiterative branching in the Cymodoceoideae is illustrated by an image of 123 days of growth in the fastest growing specimen.Most species showed growth in fronts. The expansion of monospecific seagrass fringes was monitored by repetitive mapping. The pattern of succession in subtidal meadows was determined.     

Enhancement of the repair of carcinogen-induced DNA damage in the hamster pancreas by dietary selenium

We measured single strand breaks (SSB) in pancreas DNA produced by N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) in hamsters fed purified diets containing added sodium selenite (Se) at 0.0, 0.1 and 5.0 ppm. There were fewer SSB in those given the 5.0 ppm Se diet throughout the experiment. One hour after dosing with BOP (20 mg/kg), there were 2.26 ± 0.47, 2.83 ± 0.43 and 1.74 ± 0.43 SSB per 10⁸ daltons (mean ± S.E.M.) respectively in the three groups. The SSB were repaired faster in the 5.0 ppm Se-fed group. The approximate half-lives of the SSB were 33, 30 and 8 days, respectively. In the hamsters fed 5.0 ppm Se there was a small, statistically significant increase in pancreatic DNA synthesis. Autoradiographic analysis indicated that this was repair synthesis. In a second experiment, hamsters were fed one of the three diets prior to and for 2 days after administration of a single dose of BOP (20 mg/kg). They were then fed the 5.0 ppm Se diet for 5 days. The number of SSB was compared with those in hamsters fed their original diet for 7 days after BOP dosing. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of SSB in the hamsters fed 0.1 ppm Se before and for 2 days after BOP. In these hamsters there were 1.21 ± 0.24 SSB per 10⁸ daltons compared with 3.19 ± 0.4 (mean ± S.E.M.). These results suggest high levels of dietary Se stimulate the repair of carcinogen-induced DNA damage.     

Chloroplast genome evolution in the genus Avena

The genus Avena contains five different chloroplast genomes, I-V. A physical map of chloroplast (ct) DNA of Avena sativa (type I chloroplast genome) was constructed using three restriction endonucleases, PstI, SalI and SmaI. This genome is ca. 135.5 kbp in size, and contains two inverted repeats of ca. 22.5 kbp each, separated by a large (ca. 79.0 kbp) and small (ca. 12.5 kbp) single copy region. The rbcL gene which codes for the large subunit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, was located in the map. Restriction fragment patterns of all five chloroplast genomes were compared, and among them five fragment size and five restriction site mutations were disclosed. Four site mutations were found in two or more chloroplast genomes, the other site and five fragment size mutations were specific to one or another of the chloroplast genomes. A dendrogram showing phylogenetic relationships among the five chloroplast genomes, based on the distribution of the common and specific mutations among them, indicates that chloroplast genome divergence characterized by three restriction site mutations occurred first between two diploid groups, each carrying A and C genome (nuclear), respectively, followed by further speciation in each group.     

Osmotic concentration in three races of honey bee,Apis mellifera L. under environmental conditions of arid zone

Hemolymph osmolarity has great effect on honey bee health, especially in arid and semi-arid zones. It regulates water and nutrients in stressed tissues. Osmotic concentration in three races (Apis mellifera ligustica, A. m. carnica and A. m. jemenitica) of Apis mellifera was tested in central Saudi Arabia during spring and summer seasons in 2015. Newly emerged bee workers were first marked and later their hemolymph was extracted after intervals of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days. A significant positive correlation between age and osmolarity was found in all three races during spring and summer seasons. The lowest combined osmotic concentration for all three races was found after 1 day interval, while the highest osmotic concentration was recorded after 25 days. Among all races, A. m. ligustica showed significantly high osmotic concentration after 25 days in spring and summer seasons as compared to the other two races. Only A. m. jemenitica showed similar osmotic concentration after 10 and 15 days in both spring and summer seasons compared to other two races. Mean osmotic concentration of all three races was significantly different after 20 and 25 days in spring and summer seasons. Overall mean recorded during summer was significantly higher than the mean of spring season. Combined osmotic concentration in young drones of all races was significantly lower than that of old drones during spring and summer seasons.     

Effect of Fungicides and Insecticides on Growth and Enzyme Activity of Four Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacterial populations introduced into crop fields as biofertilizer become non-target organisms for the pesticides and fungicides applied in the field. Effect of four commonly used pesticides viz. Bagalol, Mancozeb (fungicides), Thiodan and Phorate (insecticides) was studied on growth and different enzymes of four cyanobacterial species viz. Nostoc ellipsosporum, Scytonema simplex, Tolypothrix tenuis, and Westiellopsis prolifica. EC 50 concentration of each pesticide was determined for all cyanobacteria. Bagalol and Thiodan were found to be the most toxic. Both the fungicides and insecticides inhibited the activity of nitrogenase and glutamine synthetase (GS) at EC 50 concentration in all the four species studied. Bagalol incurred maximum inhibition of nitrogenase and GS activity on N. ellipsosporum and S. simplex while Thiodan and Phorate had maximum effect on T. tenuis, and W. prolifica. Mancozeb had lesser effect on all the above enzymes. One catabolic enzyme of carbohydrate metabolism, isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) and one anabolic enzyme isocitrate lyase (ICL), which is related to glyoxylate pathway as well as gluconeogenesis, were also assayed. Cell free extracts of cyanobacteria treated with pesticides for 7 days show a drastic reduction of ICDH activity. ICL activity was induced in the organisms when treated with pesticides.     

Characterization of Brazilian accessions of wild Arachis species of section Arachis (Fabaceae) using heterochromatin detection and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

The cytogenetic characterization of Arachis species is useful for assessing the genomes present in this genus, for establishing the relationship among their representatives and for understanding the variability in the available germplasm. In this study, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to examine the distribution patterns of heterochromatin and rDNA genes in 12 Brazilian accessions of five species of the taxonomic section Arachis. The heterochromatic pattern varied considerably among the species: complements with centromeric bands in all of the chromosomes (A. hoehnei) and complements completely devoid of heterochromatin (A. gregoryi, A. magna) were observed. The number of 45S rDNA loci ranged from two (A. gregoryi) to eight (A. glandulifera), while the number of 5S rDNA loci was more conserved and varied from two (in most species) to four (A. hoehnei). In some species one pair of 5S rDNA loci was observed adjacent to 45S rDNA loci. The chromosomal markers revealed polymorphism in the three species with more than one accession (A. gregoryi, A. magna and A. valida) that were tested. The previous genome assignment for each of the species studied was confirmed, except for A. hoehnei. The intraspecific variability observed here suggests that an exhaustive cytogenetic and taxonomic analysis is still needed for some Arachis species.     

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine versus Lopinavir-Ritonavir in adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A non-randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTreatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are limited by suboptimal efficacy.MethodsFrom January 30, 2020 to March 23, 2020, we conducted a non-randomised controlled trial, in which all adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were assigned to three groups non-randomly and given supportive treatments: Group A, Lopinavir-Ritonavir; Group B, Huashi Baidu Formula (a Chinese medicineformula made by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences to treat COVID-19, which is now in the clinical trial period) and Lopinavir-Ritonavir; and Group C, Huashi Baidu Formula. The use of antibiotics, antiviruses, and corticosteroids was permitted in Group A and B. Traditional Chinese medicine injections were permitted in Group C. The primary outcomes were clinical remission time (interval from admission to the first time the patient tested negatively for novel coronavirus or an obvious improvement was observed from chest CT) and clinical remission rate (number of patients whose clinical time was within 16 days/total number of patients).ResultsA total of 60 adult patients with COVID-19 were enrolled at sites in Wuhan, China, and the sample size of each group was 20. In Groups A, B and C, the clinical remission rates were 95.0%%(19/20), 100.0%%(20/20) and 100.0%%(20/20), respectively. Compared with Groups A and B, the clinical remission time of Group C was significantly shorter (5.9 days vs. 10.8 days, p < 0.05; 5.9 days vs. 9.7 days, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference among Groups A, B, and C in terms of the time taken to be released from quarantine. The clinical biochemical indicators and safety indexes showed no significant differences among the three groups.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that Lopinavir-Ritonavir has some efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19, and the Huashi Baidu Formula might enhance this effect to an extent. In addition, superiority was displayed in the treatment of COVID-19 through a combination of the Huashi Baidu Formula and traditional Chinese medicine injection. In future, well-designed prospective double-blinded randomised control trials are required to confirm our findings.     

Modelling the Abundances of Two Major Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Species in the Niayes Area of Senegal

In Senegal, considerable mortality in the equine population and hence major economic losses were caused by the African horse sickness (AHS) epizootic in 2007. Culicoides oxystoma and Culicoides imicola, known or suspected of being vectors of bluetongue and AHS viruses are two predominant species in the vicinity of horses and are present all year-round in Niayes area, Senegal. The aim of this study was to better understand the environmental and climatic drivers of the dynamics of these two species. Culicoides collections were obtained using OVI (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute) light traps at each of the 5 sites for three nights of consecutive collection per month over one year. Cross Correlation Map analysis was performed to determine the time-lags for which environmental variables and abundance data were the most correlated. C. oxystoma and C. imicola count data were highly variable and overdispersed. Despite modelling large Culicoides counts (over 220,000 Culicoides captured in 354 night-traps), using on-site climate measures, overdispersion persisted in Poisson, negative binomial, Poisson regression mixed-effect with random effect at the site of capture models. The only model able to take into account overdispersion was the Poisson regression mixed-effect model with nested random effects at the site and date of capture levels. According to this model, meteorological variables that contribute to explaining the dynamics of C. oxystoma and C. imicola abundances were: mean temperature and relative humidity of the capture day, mean humidity between 21 and 19 days prior a capture event, density of ruminants, percentage cover of water bodies within a 2 km radius and interaction between temperature and humidity for C. oxystoma; mean rainfall and NDVI of the capture day and percentage cover of water bodies for C. imicola. Other variables such as soil moisture, wind speed, degree days, land cover or landscape metrics could be tested to improve the models. Further work should also assess whether other trapping methods such as host-baited traps help reduce overdispersion.