Occurrence of Yeasts in Cloacae of Migratory Birds

Several species of yeast have been reported as pathogens in humans based on increases in immunodeficiency syndromes and as a result of immunosuppressant chemotherapy in cancer treatment. Domestic and wild birds are known to act as carriers of human pathogenic fungi. To gain additional information on the yeasts present in the cloacae of some species of migratory birds, 421 wild birds (24.39% out of 1726 birds caught in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria) were sampled with the permission of the local judicial authority. The state of conservation of the birds (i.e. post-mortem alterations, colour of the mucosae etc.), along with their age and sex were determined. Samples were collected directly from the cloacae and cultured, and colonies were identified in each positive sample. Yeasts were isolated from 15.7% of the animals sampled, with the highest percentage found in coots (Fulica atra −58.8%) and the lowest in quails (Coturnix coturnix −1.7%). A total of 131 isolates belonging to 15 species of yeast were identified. Rhodotorula rubra was the yeast with the highest number of isolates (28.2%), followed by Cryptococcus albidus (18.4%), Candida albicans (9.2%), Trichosporon cutaneum (8.4%), Candida guilliermondii (6.1%), Candida tropicalis (6.1%) and other species. The present study represents the first survey on the occurrence of yeasts in the cloacae of migratory birds. The prevalence and species of yeasts isolated is discussed on the basis of the ecology, diet, and habitat of the birds.     

Occurrence of yeasts in psittacines droppings from captive birds in Italy

Three-hundred twenty five droppings from parrots raised in the premises of 4 breeders and in several private households were cultured for yeasts. One-hundred sixty droppings (49.2%) resulted positive. From these specimens 212 isolates belonging to 27 different species were obtained. Mainly Candida species such as C. albicans, C. catenulata, C. curvata, C. famata, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondi, C. holmii, C. intermedia, C. krusei, C. lambica, C. lusitaniae, C. membranaefaciens, C. parapsilosis, C. pelliculosa, C. sake and C. valida were isolated. Debaryomyces marama, D. polymorphus, Geotrichum sp., Pichia etchelsii, P. ohmeri, Rhodotorula glutinis, R. rubra, Rhodotorula sp., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. kluyiveri and Zygosaccharomyces sp. were also obtained. Dark colonies on Staib medium were never observed. The psittacine birds apparently serve as carriers for several Candida species or their perfect states and to a lesser extent for other opportunistic yeasts such as Rhodotorula, Trichosporon and Saccharomyces spp., which are considered part of the transient microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. The most striking finding was the absence of Cryptococcus spp. among the isolates. The present survey confirms the role of pet birds in carrying potential zoonotic yeasts. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

海南岛红树林湿地的水鸟多样性

从2015年10月至2016年6月,调查了海南岛17个沿海红树林湿地春、夏、秋、冬四季的湿地鸟类。共记录水鸟74种,隶属5目12科,其中,翘鼻麻鸭（Tadorna tadorna）为海南鸟类分布新记录种。位于海南省儋州市白马井镇洋浦湾的新英作为黑脸琵鹭（Platalea minor）新的越冬点被发现。全岛水鸟数量较多的地点在万宁小海、海口东寨港和乐东莺歌海,种类较多的地点在东寨港、东方四更和莺歌海。Jaccard指数分析表明,栖息地具有相似适合度的地方,水鸟种类相似性更高,人工湿地之间的水鸟相似性高,人工湿地与天然湿地之间的水鸟相似性低。海南岛沿海红树林湿地的鸟类种类和数量随季节变化,秋、冬季种类多、数量丰富,春、夏季的种类和数量均较少。鸻鹬类在春、冬季种类和数量占比均为最大,秋、夏季数量最多的为鹭类。Shannon-Wiener指数、Pielou均匀度指数分析得出东寨港的多样性指数最高,东寨港和莺歌海的均匀度指数表现较高。研究表明,海南岛的沿海红树林湿地是很多水鸟的重要栖息地,保护红树林是保护湿地水鸟多样性的关键。     

Diversity of Meloidogyne spp. on Musa in Martinique,Guadeloupe, and French Guiana

Ninety-six isolates of Meloidogyne species collected from banana fields from Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana, were examined using esterase (Est) and malate dehydrogenase (Mdh) phenotypes. Adult females identified as M. arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica, M. cruciani, M. hispanica, and Meloidogyne sp. showed species-specific phenotypes only for the esterase enzymes. Intraspecific variability among isolates of M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica was detected using Est and Mdh. Perineal patterns were used as a complementary tool together with enzyme characterization and were essential for checking the morphological consistency of the identification. The major species of M. arenaria and M. incognita were detected at 61.9% and 34.3% of the total number of isolates, respectively, and the other minor species at 3.8%. The mixed Meloidogyne species were detected in 45.1% of the samples. Genetic analysis was conducted using RAPD markers, which alone or in combination provided reliable polymorphisms both between and within species. RAPD analysis of the data resulted in clustering of species and isolates congruent with esterase phenotype characterization. The intraspecific variability in M. incognita and in M. arenaria represented 14.9% and 61.6% of the amplified polymorphic fragments, respectively. This high level of variation in M. arenaria isolates may indicate multiple origins for populations classified as M. arenaria or more than one species inside the same group, but more detailed morphological and DNA studies will be necessary to test this hypothesis.     

Historical Development of Nematology in Russia

The development of Russian hematology is considered from the late nineteenth century to 1970. The dominant influences of I. N. Filipjev and A. A. Paramonov are discussed in the context of the persons whom they influenced and their conceptual approach to the problems posed hy nematodes. The advantages and disadvantages of the framework of Russian scientific administration are compared to those in the West.     

Diversity of Stomoxys spp. (Diptera: Muscidae) and diurnal variations of activity of Stomoxys indicus and S. calcitrans in a farm, in Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand

A study of species diversity of Stomoxys spp. and diurnal variations of activity of the most abundant was performed during a one year period at a local dairy cattle farm in Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Four species of stomoxyine flies were morphologically identified, including Stomoxys indicus Picard 1908, S. calcitrans (Linnaeus 1758), S. sitiens Rondani 1873 and S. uruma Shinonaga and Kanao 1966. The most common species were S. indicus (50.2%) and S. calcitrans (49.5%). S. sitiens and S. uruma were found in small proportions (< 1%). The number of flies captured was significantly different among the three seasons with the greatest number in the rainy season (mean = 66%; df = 2, P < 0.05). The variations of diurnal activity were observed during different period of times (06:00 to 18:00) during three seasons. Both sexes of S. indicus and males of S. calcitrans showed unimodal activity pattern in cool and summer seasons. But a bimodal activity pattern was recorded in rainy season. For females S. calcitrans, a unimodal peak of activity was observed in cool season and a constant variation of activity all along the day in summer and rainy seasons, with an increase from the morning to the evening. A better understanding of stomoxyine fly behavior, especially the daily flight activity, can assist in prioritization and design of appropriate vector prevention and control strategies.     

Prevalence of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. in Ticks Collected from Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus)

Deer serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens that impact on medical and veterinary health worldwide. In the Republic of Korea, the population of Korean water deer (KWD, Hydropotes inermis argyropus) has greatly increased from 1982 to 2011, in part, as a result of reforestation programs established following the Korean War when much of the land was barren of trees. Eighty seven Haemaphysalis flava, 228 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 8 Ixodes nipponensis, and 40 Ixodes persulcatus (21 larvae, 114 nymphs, and 228 adults) were collected from 27 out of 70 KWD. A total of 89/363 ticks (266 pools, 24.5% minimum infection rate) and 5 (1.4%) fed ticks were positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum using nested PCR targeting the 16S rRNA and groEL genes, respectively. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 88/89 (98.9%) of positive samples for A. phagocytophilum corresponded to previously described gene sequences from KWD spleen tissues. The 16S rRNA gene fragment sequences of 20/363 (5.5%) of the ticks were positive for A. bovis and were identical to previously reported sequences. Using the ITS specific nested PCR, 11/363 (3.0%) of the ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. This is the first report of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. detected in ticks collected from KWD, suggesting that ticks are vectors of Anaplasma and Bartonella spp. between reservoir hosts in natural surroundings.     

Redescription of Heligmosomoides neopolygyrus,Asakawa and Ohbayashi, 1986 (Nematoda: Heligmosomidae) from a Chinese Rodent,Apodemus peninsulae (Rodentia: Muridae); with comments on Heligmosomoides polygyrus polygyrus (Dujardin, 1845) and related species in China and Japan

Heligmosomoides neopolygyrus, Asakawa and Ohbayashi, 1986 (Nematoda, Heligmosomoidea) is redescribed from Apodemus peninsulae from Rangtang, Sichuan, China. A morphological review of the Heligmosomoides spp. belonging to the “polygyrus line” proposed by Asakawa (1988) is made using new characters. This enabled us to distinguish two subspecies in Mus musculus (Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri from Japan and H. p. polygyrus from China) and two valid species in Apodemus spp. (H. neopolygyrus from Japan [in A. peninsulae] and from China [in A. agrarius] and H. asakawae from China [in A. uralensis]). Three parasite species of A. agrarius and A. peninsulae, previously identified by Asakawa et al. (1993) as H. neopolygyrus, are considered to be Heligmosomoides incertae sedis. This is the first report of H. neopolygyrus in A. peninsulae from China.     

Diversity array technology markers: genetic diversity analyses and linkage map construction in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

We developed Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers for application in genetic studies of Brassica napus and other Brassica species with A or C genomes. Genomic representation from 107 diverse genotypes of B. napus L. var. oleifera (rapeseed, AACC genomes) and B. rapa (AA genome) was used to develop a DArT array comprising 11 520 clones generated using PstI/BanII and PstI/BstN1 complexity reduction methods. In total, 1547 polymorphic DArT markers of high technical quality were identified and used to assess molecular diversity among 89 accessions of B. napus, B. rapa, B. juncea, and B. carinata collected from different parts of the world. Hierarchical cluster and principal component analyses based on genetic distance matrices identified distinct populations clustering mainly according to their origin/pedigrees. DArT markers were also mapped in a new doubled haploid population comprising 131 lines from a cross between spring rapeseed lines 'Lynx-037DH' and 'Monty-028DH'. Linkage groups were assigned on the basis of previously mapped simple sequence repeat (SSRs), intron polymorphism (IP), and gene-based markers. The map consisted of 437 DArT, 135 SSR, 6 IP, and 6 gene-based markers and spanned 2288 cM. Our results demonstrate that DArT markers are suitable for genetic diversity analysis and linkage map construction in rapeseed.     

Prevalence and Antifungal Susceptibility of Yeasts Obtained from the Oral Cavity of Elderly Individuals

Infections caused by Candida yeasts are common in elderly individuals. Seventy-five isolates of Candida spp. were obtained from saliva samples of 136 institutionalized elderly individuals resident in six retirement homes of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Forty-seven isolates (62.66%) were identified as Candida albicans, 15 (20%) as C. tropicalis, 7 (9.33%) as C. glabrata, 4 (5.33) as C. parapsilosis, and 2 (2.67%) as C. guilliermondii. Among the 136 elderly individuals studied, 49 (36%) were male and 87 (64%) were female. Ages ranged from 60 to 90 years old. Sixty-three (46.3%) of the institutionalized individuals were denture wearers and, among them, 53 (84.1%) carried Candida yeasts in the oral cavity. Forty-four subjects presented lesions in the oral mucosa and among these, 36 (82%), had positive culture for Candida spp. The samples were tested for the in vitro susceptibility to amphotericin B, itraconazole, fluconazole and 5-flucytosin, and great variations were observed in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these drugs according to the species.     

Oral yeast flora and its ITS sequence diversity among a large cohort of medical students in Hainan,China

The most prevalent fungal infection of humans is candidiasis which is caused by species of Candida that are typical members of the commensal microbial flora of the oral mucosa and other body surfaces. Since species of Candida differ in virulence properties and susceptibilities to anti-fungal drugs, understanding the human commensal yeast flora will have a significant impact on designing treatment and prevention strategies against yeast infections. However, although there is a global interest in Candida species, the global distributions of Candida species remain largely unknown, especially among healthy hosts. Here we report the oral yeast flora from the surveys of over 1,000 medical students in China. Our results showed that this population had a yeast carriage rate (4.5%) much lower than other population samples reported previously from Mainland China (40–70%). In addition, C. albicans was isolated at a much higher frequency than those from other Chinese samples, with a frequency (80.9%) more similar to those in developed regions such as North America. The oral yeast carriage rates and yeast species compositions were similar between male and female students and between the hosts borne and raised on Hainan Island and those borne and raised on Mainland China. Furthermore, the sequence variation at the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene cluster was analyzed for strains of the dominant species, C. albicans. Our analysis identified 14 ITS types among the 41 Hainan isolates of C. albicans. However, only four of the 14 ITS types were identical to those in reference strains from Europe and North America. Taken together, our analyses suggest that the oral yeast flora among host populations in China is highly heterogeneous and that there is a high ITS sequence diversity in the Hainan population of C. albicans.     

Review of Pasteuria penetrans: Biology,Ecology, and Biological Control Potential

Pasteuria penetrans is a mycelial, endospore-forming, bacterial parasite that has shown great potential as a biological control agent of root-knot nematodes. Considerable progress has been made during the last 10 years in understanding its biology and importance as an agent capable of effectively suppressing root-knot nematodes in field soil. The objective of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the biology, ecology, and biological control potential of P. penetrans and other Pasteuria members. Pasteuria spp. are distributed worldwide and have been reported from 323 nematode species belonging to 116 genera of free-living, predatory, plant-parasitic, and entomopathogenic nematodes. Artificial cultivation of P. penetrans has met with limited success; large-scale production of endospores depends on in vivo cultivation. Temperature affects endospore attachment, germination, pathogenesis, and completion of the life cycle in the nematode pseudocoelom. The biological control potential of Pasteuria spp. have been demonstrated on 20 crops; host nematodes include Belonolaimus longicaudatus, Heterodera spp., Meloidogyne spp., and Xiphinema diversicaudatum. Pasteuria penetrans plays an important role in some suppressive soils. The efficacy of the bacterium as a biological control agent has been examined. Approximately 100,000 endospores/g of soil provided immediate control of the peanut root-knot nematode, whereas 1,000 and 5,000 endospores/g of soil each amplified in the host nematode and became suppressive after 3 years.     

Role of Nematodes and Soil-borne Fungi in Cotton Stunt

The nematodes, Pratylenchus brachyurus, Trichodorus christiei, and T. porosus and the soil-borne fungi, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium debaryanum, P. irregulare, P. ultimum, and Fusarium spp. were the pathogens most frequently found in the roots and rhizosphere of field-grown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) showing "stunt" symptoms. Field-plot application of the nematicide D-D (l,2-dichloropropane, 1,3-dichloropropene) at 373.4 liter/ha (40 gal/A) significantly increased plant growth and yield. A fungicidal mixture of Dexon (p-dimethylaminobenzenediazo sodium sulfonate at 23.5 kg/ha (2l lb/A) and Terraclor (pentachloronitrobenzene at 25.2 kg/ha (22.5 lb/A) was phytotoxic, but combined nematicide/fungicide treatments were not. Greenhouse temperature-tank experiments in soils from two locations showed significantly improved root and shoot growth following methyl bromide fumigation at both 25 C and 18 C and more severe "stunt" at the lower temperature.     

Commensal Nematodes in the Glands,Genitalia, and Brood Cells of Bees (Apoidea)

Seven species of bees from the eastern United States, representing four families in the Apoidea, were dissected and examined for nematode associates. Dufour''s glands in females of Halictus ligatus, Augochlora pura mosieri, and Augochlorella gratiosa (Halictidae) from Florida were infested with dauer juveniles of Aduncospiculum halicti (Diplogasteridae). The Dufour''s glands of Colletes thoracicus (Colletidae) females from Maryland were infested with dauer juveniles of a new species of Koerneria sp. (Diplogasteridae), and abdominal glands of females of Andrena alleghaniensis (Andrenidae) from New York were infested with dauer juveniles of another new species of Koerneria. The lateral and median oviducts, Dufour''s glands, and poison sacs in females of Anthophora abrupta (Anthophoridae) from Maryland and Alabama were infested with dauer juveniles of a new species of Bursaphelenchus sp. (Aphelenchoididae). Cross sections of the nematode-infested poison sacs of A. abrupta revealed two types of humoral host defense reactions.     

Effects of In-furrow and Water-run Oxamyl on Paratrichodorus allius and Corky Ringspot Disease of Potato in the Klamath Basin

Corky ringspot disease (CRS) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) is caused by the tobacco rattle virus (TRV), which is vectored by stubby-root nematodes, Paratrichodorus spp. and Trichodorus spp., and is a significant threat to potato quality and production in many areas of the western United States. Between 2002 and 2005, fields with a history of CRS were planted to potato and treated with various combinations of in-furrow (IF) and chemigated (water run, WR) oxamyl [Methyl N'N'-dimethyl-N-[(methyl carbamoyl)oxy]-1-thiooxamimidate] applications. Soil samples were collected to determine how Paratrichodorus allius populations responded to the various treatment regimes (2002-2004); potato tubers were evaluated for symptoms of CRS in 2004-2005. Applications of oxamyl to potato (1.1 kg a.i./ha) did not cause significant mortality of P. allius but did prevent the populations from increasing. Oxamyl applications that began at 55 days after planting (DAP) or later did not control CRS and were not different from the untreated control. However, application schedules that began early-season, either IF at planting, early WR (33 - 41 DAP), or both, significantly reduced CRS expression in cv. Yukon Gold. Therefore, oxamyl applications must be made early in the growing season to be effective in controlling CRS. Effects of oxamyl on CRS may be due to nematostatic action that suppresses feeding activity during early field season when most virus transmission probably occurs.     

Androgenesis: a review through the study of the selfish shellfish Corbicula spp

Among the asexual reproductive modes, androgenesis is probably one of the most astonishing and least studied mechanisms. In this 'paternal monopolization', the maternal nuclear genome fails to participate in zygote development and offspring are paternal nuclear clones. Obligate androgenesis is known in only a few organisms, including multiple species of clam in the genus Corbicula. Corbicula is a good system to review the evolutionary consequences of this 'all-male asexuality' because the cytological mechanisms of androgenetic reproduction have been described. In Corbicula, sperm are unreduced and, after fertilization, the maternal nuclear chromosomes are extruded as two polar bodies. Hermaphroditic lineages of Corbicula have a worldwide distribution and seem to reproduce through androgenesis, whereas their sexual relatives have restricted ranges. The invasive success of these androgenetic Corbicula lineages may be linked to their asexual mode of reproduction. We review the phenomenon of androgenesis, focusing on evolutionary perspectives, using the genus Corbicula as an exemplar system.     

Evolution of Parasitism in Insect-transmitted Plant Nematodes

Nematode-insect associations have evolved many times in the phylum Nematoda, but these lineages involve plant parasitism only in the Secernentean orders Aphelenchida and Tylenchida. In the Aphelenchida (Aphelenchoidoidea), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Pine wood nematode), B. cocophilus (Red ring or Coconut palm nematode) (Parasitaphelenchidae), and the many potential host-specific species of Schistonchus (fig nematodes) (Aphelenchoididae) nematode-insect interactions probably evolved independently from dauer-forming, mycophagous ancestors that were phoretically transmitted to breeding sites of their insect hosts in plants. Mycophagy probably gave rise to facultative or obligate plant-parasitism because of opportunities due to insect host switches or peculiarities in host behavior. In the Tylenchida, there is one significant radiation of insect-associated plant parasites involving Fergusobia nematodes (Fergusobiinae: Neotylenchidae) and Fergusonina (Fergusoninidae) flies as mutualists that gall myrtaceous plant buds or leaves. These dicyclic nematodes have different phases that are parasitic in either the insect or the plant hosts. The evolutionary origin of this association is unclear.