Unfamiliar partnerships limit cnidarian holobiont acclimation to warming

Enhancing the resilience of corals to rising temperatures is now a matter of urgency, leading to growing efforts to explore the use of heat tolerant symbiont species to improve their thermal resilience. The notion that adaptive traits can be retained by transferring the symbionts alone, however, challenges the holobiont concept, a fundamental paradigm in coral research. Holobiont traits are products of a specific community (holobiont) and all its co‐evolutionary and local adaptations, which might limit the retention or transference of holobiont traits by exchanging only one partner. Here we evaluate how interchanging partners affect the short‐ and long‐term performance of holobionts under heat stress using clonal lineages of the cnidarian model system Aiptasia (host and Symbiodiniaceae strains) originating from distinct thermal environments. Our results show that holobionts from more thermally variable environments have higher plasticity to heat stress, but this resilience could not be transferred to other host genotypes through the exchange of symbionts. Importantly, our findings highlight the role of the host in determining holobiont productivity in response to thermal stress and indicate that local adaptations of holobionts will likely limit the efficacy of interchanging unfamiliar compartments to enhance thermal tolerance.     

Nasal Priming with Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 Stimulates Mononuclear Phagocytes of Immunocompromised Malnourished Mice: Improvement of Respiratory Immune Response

The effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 (Lr) on macrophages (Ma) and dendritic cells (DC) in the orchestration of anti-pneumococcal immunity was stud     

Genetic diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites infecting dogs in southern Louisiana sheds light on parasite transmission cycles and serological diagnostic performance

BackgroundChagas disease is a neglected zoonosis of growing concern in the southern US, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. We genotyped parasites in a large cohort of PCR positive dogs to shed light on parasite transmission cycles and assess potential relationships between parasite diversity and serological test performance.Methodology/principal findingsWe used a metabarcoding approach based on deep sequencing of T. cruzi mini-exon marker to assess parasite diversity. Phylogenetic analysis of 178 sequences from 40 dogs confirmed the presence of T. cruzi discrete typing unit (DTU) TcI and TcIV, as well as TcII, TcV and TcVI for the first time in US dogs. Infections with multiple DTUs occurred in 38% of the dogs. These data indicate a greater genetic diversity of T. cruzi than previously detected in the US. Comparison of T. cruzi sequence diversity indicated that highly similar T. cruzi strains from these DTUs circulate in hosts and vectors in Louisiana, indicating that they are involved in a shared T. cruzi parasite transmission cycle. However, TcIV and TcV were sampled more frequently in vectors, while TcII and TcVI were sampled more frequently in dogs.Conclusions/significanceThese observations point to ecological host-fitting being a dominant mechanism involved in the diversification of T. cruzi-host associations. Dogs with negative, discordant or confirmed positive T. cruzi serology harbored TcI parasites with different mini-exon sequences, which strongly supports the hypothesis that parasite genetic diversity is a key factor affecting serological test performance. Thus, the identification of conserved parasite antigens should be a high priority for the improvement of current serological tests.     

Interactions among Triatoma sanguisuga blood feeding sources,gut microbiota and Trypanosoma cruzi diversity in southern Louisiana

Integrating how biodiversity and infectious disease dynamics are linked at multiple levels and scales is highly challenging. Chagas disease is a vector‐borne disease, with specificities of the triatomine vectors and Trypanosoma cruzi parasite life histories resulting in a complex multihost and multistrain life cycle. Here, we tested the hypothesis that T. cruzi transmission cycles are shaped by triatomine host communities and gut microbiota composition by comparing the integrated interactions of Triatoma sanguisuga in southern Louisiana with feeding hosts, T. cruzi parasite and bacterial microbiota in two habitats. Bugs were collected from resident's houses and animal shelters and analysed for genetic structure, blood feeding sources, T. cruzi parasites, and bacterial diversity by PCR amplification of specific DNA markers followed by next‐generation sequencing, in an integrative metabarcoding approach. T. sanguisuga feeding host communities appeared opportunistic and defined by host abundance in each habitat, yielding distinct parasite transmission networks among hosts. The circulation of a large diversity of T. cruzi DTUs was also detected, with TcII and TcV detected for the first time in triatomines in the US. The bacterial microbiota was highly diverse and varied significantly according to the DTU infecting the bugs, indicating specific interactions among them in the gut. Expanding such studies to multiple habitats and additional triatomine species would be key to further refine our understanding of the complex life cycles of multihost, multistrain parasites such as T. cruzi, and may lead to improved disease control strategies.     

Length-weight relationship of 74 fish species caught in the continental coast of Ecuador

This work analysis the length-weight relationships for fish species captured by artisanal fishery along the continental coast of Ecuador. Fishermen used the following fishing gear: beach seine nets (5.1–31.8 mm), shrimp trawl nets (21.8–31.8 mm) and bottom gill nets (54.1–203.2 mm). Sampling took place during the years 2012 and 2014. Frequency of sampling was monthly, and it was completed systematically from Southern toward Northern Provinces. Length-weight relationship (LWR) was realized by the power model (y = a × x^b), for species with a bivariate dataset >70. A total of 59 commercial and 15 non-commercial species were registered. For 74 species, our analysis including a higher total length not reported in LWR estimates previously. The determination coefficient (r²) value was always above 0.95.     

Development of multi-component non-sex pheromone blends to monitor both sexes of Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Nineteen host plant volatiles (HPVs) were screened for attractivity to adult codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) as a fourth component of core blends (3K) including (E,Z)-2,4-ethyl decadienoate, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and acetic acid. Each new quaternary combination was compared with a previously reported attractive bisexual lure (4K), consisting of the 3K blend plus 6-ethenyl-2,2,6-trimethyloxan-3-ol (pyranoid linalool oxide, pyrLOX). All lure evaluations were conducted in apple, Malus domestica (Borkhausen). Several compounds were found to significantly lower total and/or female catches when added to the 3K blend, including (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexanal and hexyl butanoate (female and total moths), and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and linalool (female moths). Other compounds when added to the 3K blend did not increase or decrease moth catches, including methyl salicylate, (E)-β-ocimene, limonene, β-caryophyllene, butyl hexanoate, farnesol, terpineol, terpinen-4-ol and α-pinene. A few added compounds significantly increased moth catches compared with the 3K blend, including β-pinene (male moths), (Z)-jasmone (male and total moths), (E)-β-farnesene and β-myrcene (female and total moths), and (E,E)-α-farnesene (male, female, and total moths). In addition, each of these five compounds when added to the 3K core blend performed similarly to the 4K lure (male, females, and total moths). Further studies should expand these results through tests of these and other new blends with a range of component ratios and total loading amounts. Field trials should also be replicated within all host crops of codling moth and across major geographical production regions.     

Phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of extracts of the peruvian peppertree Schinus areira L. from Chile

The Andean tree Schinus areira L. has multiple traditional uses, from the treatment of bronchitis and rheumatic diseases to menstrual cycle regulation and wound healing. With reported hypotensive, analgesic, antitumoral and anti-inflammatory properties, it acts predominantly against diseases related to oxidative stress. This study focuses on the antioxidant activity and phytochemical profile of the extracts of Schinus areira L.Serial extraction of the fruits was performed both by maceration and by Soxhlet. Total phenols and flavonoids were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and AlCl₃, respectively. In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by FRAP and DPPH.Results were similar for both extraction methods. Primary metabolites detected included carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids; secondary metabolites included tannins, flavonoids, saponins, steroids and triterpenes. Antioxidant activity was confirmed for ethyl acetate, methanolic and aqueous extracts. The methanolic extract had both the highest polyphenol content (>195 mg GAE/ g dry weight) and the highest antioxidant activity [EC₅₀ > 476 μg/mL; >273 mg AA/g dry weight (DPPH); >301 mg AA/ g dry weight (FRAP)]. The extract does not produce macrophage cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7, which is indicated by an average cytotoxicity of 2% over 24 h.Our study serves as a starting point for future research on the pharmacological properties of Schinus areira L.     

Simulation and study of the geometric parameters in the inguinal area and the genesis of inguinal hernias

We are interested in studying the genesis of a very common pathology: the human inguinal hernia. How the human inguinal hernia appears is not definitively clear, but it is accepted that it is caused by a combination of mechanical and biochemical alterations, and that muscular simulation plays an important role in this. This study proposes a model to explain how some physical parameters affect the ability to simulate the region dynamically and how these parameters are involved in generating inguinal hernias. We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanical alterations in the inguinal region because little is known about them or how they behave dynamically. Our model corroborates the most important theories regarding the generation of inguinal hernias and is an initial approach to numerically evaluating this affection.     

Invasion patterns in riparian habitats: The role of anthropogenic pressure in temperate streams

The riparian flora and the level of invasion in the rivers of the Cantabric watershed in Spain were studied in relation to the ecological status and the anthropogenic pressure. The level of invasion was also analyzed in different riparian habitats: forests, river bars and man-made slopes. For this purpose, 18 sites were sampled and a list of native and alien plant species was made along a 100-m strip at each site. The habitat/s where alien species were found and their abundance per habitat and in the total area were also indicated. Out of 112 alien taxa found, 51 were classified as invasive. Exotic plants native to America were the most common (35%). The level of invasion was significantly higher in the sampling sites subject to high levels of hydrological and morphological disturbances, proxies of the anthropogenic pressure. River bars and man-made slopes supported similar number of alien plant species, higher than forests. We suggest that disturbance in river banks should be minimized as much as possible in order to diminish the risk of invasion.