A new species of Dystacta Saussure, 1871 from Nyungwe National Park,Rwanda (Insecta,Mantodea, Dystactinae)

A recent targeted entomological survey in the Republic of Rwanda has produced two conspecific male and female specimens of an undescribed species of praying mantis (Mantodea). The specimens were collected in Nyungwe National Park in May of 2013. The species is closest morphologically to Dystacta alticeps (Schaum, 1853). Therefore, a new species is described, Dystacta tigrifrutex sp. n., along with the first instar nymphs and ootheca. In addition, the previously monotypic genus Dystacta Saussure, 1871 is re-described to provide a broader definition of the genus group. Habitus images, measurement data, a key to species, natural history information, and locality data are provided.     

Relationships of dietary fat, body composition, and bone mineral density in inbred mouse strain panels.

Laboratory inbred mouse strains show a broad range of variation in phenotypes, such as body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), plasma leptin, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and thus provide a basis for the study of associations among them. We analyzed these phenotypes in male and female mice from 43 inbred strains fed on a high-fat (30% caloric content) diet and from 30 inbred strains fed on a low-fat (6%) diet. Structural equation modeling of these data reveals that the relationship of body fat content and areal BMD is altered by dietary factors and genotypes. Sex has no net effect on areal BMD, but after accounting for body mass difference females have higher areal BMD. Leptin is affected by relative fat mass and has no net effect on areal BMD. IGF-I has a direct effect on areal BMD.     

The effect of universal influenza immunization on mortality and health care use

Background

In 2000, Ontario, Canada, initiated a universal influenza immunization program (UIIP) to provide free influenza vaccines for the entire population aged 6 mo or older. Influenza immunization increased more rapidly in younger age groups in Ontario compared to other Canadian provinces, which all maintained targeted immunization programs. We evaluated the effect of Ontario''s UIIP on influenza-associated mortality, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) use, and visits to doctors'' offices.

Methods and Findings

Mortality and hospitalization data from 1997 to 2004 for all ten Canadian provinces were obtained from national datasets. Physician billing claims for visits to EDs and doctors'' offices were obtained from provincial administrative datasets for four provinces with comprehensive data. Since outcomes coded as influenza are known to underestimate the true burden of influenza, we studied more broadly defined conditions. Hospitalizations, ED use, doctors'' office visits for pneumonia and influenza, and all-cause mortality from 1997 to 2004 were modelled using Poisson regression, controlling for age, sex, province, influenza surveillance data, and temporal trends, and used to estimate the expected baseline outcome rates in the absence of influenza activity. The primary outcome was then defined as influenza-associated events, or the difference between the observed events and the expected baseline events. Changes in influenza-associated outcome rates before and after UIIP introduction in Ontario were compared to the corresponding changes in other provinces. After UIIP introduction, influenza-associated mortality decreased more in Ontario (relative rate [RR] = 0.26) than in other provinces (RR = 0.43) (ratio of RRs = 0.61, p = 0.002). Similar differences between Ontario and other provinces were observed for influenza-associated hospitalizations (RR = 0.25 versus 0.44, ratio of RRs = 0.58, p < 0.001), ED use (RR = 0.31 versus 0.69, ratio of RRs = 0.45, p < 0.001), and doctors'' office visits (RR = 0.21 versus 0.52, ratio of RRs = 0.41, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses were carried out to assess consistency, specificity, and the presence of a dose-response relationship. Limitations of this study include the ecological study design, the nonspecific outcomes, difficulty in modeling baseline events, data quality and availability, and the inability to control for potentially important confounders.

Conclusions

Compared to targeted programs in other provinces, introduction of universal vaccination in Ontario in 2000 was associated with relative reductions in influenza-associated mortality and health care use. The results of this large-scale natural experiment suggest that universal vaccination may be an effective public health measure for reducing the annual burden of influenza.     

In vitro Propagation of Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)

The purpose of this study was to establish conditions for micropropagation of cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.). Cultures were initiated from meristem cultures. When cultures were subcultured from clusters of 3–5 shoots, approximately 70 and 50 shoots were produced per cluster within 6 weeks at 8.9 μM BAP for the female cv. Fjellgull and the male cv. Apollen, respectively. Addition of 5.5 μM GA₃ reduced the number of shoots. Auxins (IBA, NAA) promoted root development in vitro, but inhibited formation of new shoots. However, as much as 85% of shoots rooted without auxin treatment when planted in a peat:sand (80:20 v/v) mixture. Some of the male plants regenerated from shoot tip cultures flowered in the greenhouse within a year after transfer to soil.     

Access to health care among status Aboriginal people with chronic kidney disease

Background

Ethnic disparities in access to health care and health outcomes are well documented. It is unclear whether similar differences exist between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with chronic kidney disease in Canada. We determined whether access to care differed between status Aboriginal people (Aboriginal people registered under the federal Indian Act) and non-Aboriginal people with chronic kidney disease.

Methods

We identified 106 511 non-Aboriginal and 1182 Aboriginal patients with chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m²). We compared outcomes, including hospital admissions, that may have been preventable with appropriate outpatient care (ambulatory-care–sensitive conditions) as well as use of specialist services, including visits to nephrologists and general internists.

Results

Aboriginal people were almost twice as likely as non-Aboriginal people to be admitted to hospital for an ambulatory-care–sensitive condition (rate ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46–2.13). Aboriginal people with severe chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m²) were 43% less likely than non-Aboriginal people with severe chronic kidney disease to visit a nephrologist (hazard ratio 0.57, 95% CI 0.39–0.83). There was no difference in the likelihood of visiting a general internist (hazard ratio 1.00, 95% CI 0.83–1.21).

Interpretation

Increased rates of hospital admissions for ambulatory-care–sensitive conditions and a reduced likelihood of nephrology visits suggest potential inequities in care among status Aboriginal people with chronic kidney disease. The extent to which this may contribute to the higher rate of kidney failure in this population requires further exploration.Ethnic disparities in access to health care are well documented;^1,2 however, the majority of studies include black and Hispanic populations in the United States. The poorer health status and increased mortality among Aboriginal populations than among non-Aboriginal populations,^3,4 particularly among those with chronic medical conditions,^5,6 raise the question as to whether there is differential access to health care and management of chronic medical conditions in this population.The prevalence of end-stage renal disease, which commonly results from chronic kidney disease, is about twice as common among Aboriginal people as it is among non-Aboriginal people.^7,8 Given that the progression of chronic kidney disease can be delayed by appropriate therapeutic interventions^9,10 and that delayed referral to specialist care is associated with increased mortality,^11,12 issues such as access to health care may be particularly important in the Aboriginal population. Although previous studies have suggested that there is decreased access to primary and specialist care in the Aboriginal population,^13–15 these studies are limited by the inclusion of patients from a single geographically isolated region,¹³ the use of survey data,¹⁴ and the inability to differentiate between different types of specialists and reasons for the visit.¹⁵In addition to physician visits, admission to hospital for ambulatory-care–sensitive conditions (conditions that, if managed effectively in an outpatient setting, do not typically result in admission to hospital) has been used as a measure of access to appropriate outpatient care.^16,17 Thus, admission to hospital for an ambulatory-care–sensitive condition reflects a potentially preventable complication resulting from inadequate access to care. Our objective was to determine whether access to health care differs between status Aboriginal (Aboriginal people registered under the federal Indian Act) and non-Aboriginal people with chronic kidney disease. We assess differences in care by 2 measures: admission to hospital for an ambulatory-care–sensitive condition related to chronic kidney disease; and receipt of nephrology care for severe chronic kidney disease as recommended by clinical practice guidelines.¹⁸     

Strain persistence of invasive Candida albicans in chronic hyperplastic candidosis that underwent malignant change

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess persistence and tissue invasion of Candida albicans strains isolated from a 65 year‐old patient with chronic hyperplastic candidosis (CHC), that subsequently developed into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Materials and Methods: C. albicans (n=7) were recovered from the oral cavity of the patient over seven years. Confirmation of CHC and SCC in this patient was achieved by histopathological examination of incisional biopsy tissue. DNA fingerprinting was performed on the seven isolates from the CHC patient together with a further eight isolates from patients with normal oral mucosa (n=2), chronic atrophic candidosis (n=1), SCC (n=1) and CHC (n=4). Genotyping involved the use of inter‐repeat PCR using the eukaryotic repeat primer 1251. Characterisation of the tissue invasive abilities of the isolates was achieved by infecting a commercially available reconstituted human oral epithelium (RHE; SkinEthic, Nice, France). After 24 h. C. albicans tissue invasion was assessed by histopathological examination. Results: DNA fingerprinting demonstrated strain persistence of C. albicans in the CHC patient over a seven year period despite provision of systemic antifungal therapy. The strain of C. albicans isolated from this patient was categorised as a high invader within the RHE compared to other isolates. Conclusions: Candidal strain persistence was evident in a patient with CHC over seven years. This persistence may be due to incomplete eradication from the oral cavity following antifungal therapy or subsequent recolonisation from other body sites or separate exogenous sources. The demonstration of enhanced in vitro tissue invasion by this particular strain may, in part, explain the progression to carcinoma.     

ENU induced mutations causing congenital cardiovascular anomalies

We used non-invasive high frequency ultrasound to screen N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenized mouse fetuses for congenital cardiovascular anomalies. We ultrasound scanned 7546 mouse fetuses from 262 mutagenized families, and identified 124 families with cardiovascular defects. Represented were most of the major congenital cardiovascular anomalies seen clinically. The ENU-induced mutations in several families were mapped using polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. One family with forelimb anomalies and ventricular septal defects, phenotypes similar to Holt-Oram syndrome, and one family with transposition of the great arteries and heart situs anomalies were mapped to different regions of mouse chromosome 4. A third mutation causing persistent truncus arteriosus and craniofacial defects, phenotypes reminiscent of DiGeorge syndrome, was mapped to mouse chromosome 2. We note that mouse chromosomes 4 and 2 do not contain Tbx5 or Tbx1, genes previously linked to Holt-Oram and DiGeorge syndromes, respectively. In two other families, the ENU-induced mutation was identified--Sema3CL605P was associated with persistent truncus arteriosus with interrupted aortic arch, and the Gja1W45X connexin43 mutation caused conotruncal malformation and coronary aneurysms. Although our screen was designed as a recessive screen, a number of the mutations showed cardiovascular phenotypes in both heterozygote and homozygote animals. These studies show the efficacy of ENU mutagenesis and high-throughput ultrasound phenotyping in recovering mutations causing a wide spectrum of congenital heart defects. These ENU-induced mutations hold promise in yielding new insights into the genetic basis for human congenital heart disease.     

Rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis by detection of mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan in urine

There is an urgent need for improved tools for laboratory diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB). Here, we describe two methods, a catch-up ELISA and a dipstick test based on the detection in urine of lipoarabinomannan (LAM). LAM is a major and specific glycolipid component of the outer mycobacterial cell wall. Preliminary experiments showed that LAM is excreted in the urine of mice injected intraperitoneally with a crude cell wall preparation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Both methods were highly sensitive, detecting LAM at concentrations of 1 ng/ml and 5 pg/ml, respectively. Of 15 patients with active TB, all showed intermediate to high levels of LAM in their urine (absorbance values from 0.3 to 1.2, mean 0.74). Only one sample showed an absorbance value below the chosen cut off value of 0.4. All but one of the urine samples from 26 healthy nursing workers exhibited OD value below 0.4 cut off. These methods may prove valuable for rapid and simple diagnosis of TB in particular in developing countries lacking biosafety level 3 (BSL3) facilities.     

Phylogenetic variation and polymorphism at the Toll-like receptor 4 locus (TLR4)

Background  

Differences in responses to bacterial surface lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) are apparent between and within mammalian species. It has been shown in mice that resistance to LPS is caused by defects in the Toll-like receptor 4 gene (Tlr4), the product of which is thought to bind LPS and mediate LPS signal transduction in immune system cells.     

Evolution of miniaturization and the phylogenetic position of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paedocypris</Emphasis>, comprising the world's smallest vertebrate

Background  

Paedocypris, a highly developmentally truncated fish from peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia, comprises the world's smallest vertebrate. Although clearly a cyprinid fish, a hypothesis about its phylogenetic position among the subfamilies of this largest teleost family, with over 2400 species, does not exist. Here we present a phylogenetic analyses of 227 cypriniform taxa, including 213 cyprinids, based upon complete mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b nucleotide sequences in order to determine the phylogenetic position of Paedocypris and to study the evolution of miniaturization among cyprinids.