Mephisto albomaculosus,a new spikefish (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Triacanthodidae) collected off Myanmar,Indian Ocean

Ichthyological Research - A new spikefish, Mephisto albomaculosus, is described based on a single specimen (94.4 mm SL) collected off Myanmar, eastern Indian Ocean in 2015. It is...     

Revised ranges of seagrass species in the Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar

In a survey of the Myeik Archipelago, we documented seven seagrass species in the southern region. Three seagrass species (Cymodocea rotundata, Enhalus acoroides, and Halophila ovalis) have previously been reported in the Myeik Archipelago; three species (Halodule pinifolia, Halodule uninervis, Syringodium isoetifolium) are new reports for the archipelago; and one species (Thalassia hemprichii) is a new report for Myanmar.     

A LAMP-SNP Assay Detecting C580Y Mutation in Pfkelch13 Gene from Clinically Dried Blood Spot Samples

Artemisinin resistance (ART) has been confirmed in Greater Mekong Sub-region countries. Currently, C580Y mutation on Pfkelch13 gene is known as the molecular marker for the detection of ART. Rapid and accurate detection of ART in field study is essential to guide malaria containment and elimination interventions. A simple method for collection of malaria-infected blood is to spot the blood on filter paper and is fast and easy for transportation and storage in the field study. This study aims to evaluate LAMP-SNP assay for C580Y mutation detection by introducing an extra mismatched nucleotide at the 3’ end of the FIP primer. The LAMP-SNP assay was performed in a water bath held at a temperature of 56°C for 45 min. LAMP-SNP products were interpreted by both gel-electrophoresis and HNB-visualized changes in color. The method was then tested with 120 P. falciparum DNA from dried blood spot samples. In comparing the LAMP-SNP assay results with those from DNA sequencing of the clinical samples, the 2 results fully agreed to detect C580Y. The sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP-SNP assay showed 100%. There were no cross-reactions with other Plasmodium species and other Pfkelch13 mutations. The LAMP-SNP assay performed in this study was rapid, reliable, and useful in detecting artemisinin resistance in the field study.     

Scaled‐Up Inertial Microfluidics: Retention System for Microcarrier‐Based Suspension Cultures

Recently, particle concentration and filtration using inertial microfluidics have drawn attention as an alternative to membrane and centrifugal technologies for industrial applications, where the target particle size varies between 1 µm and 500 µm. Inevitably, the bigger particle size (>50 µm) mandates scaling up the channel cross‐section or hydraulic diameter (D_H > 0.5 mm). The Dean‐coupled inertial focusing dynamics in spiral microchannels is studied broadly; however, the impacts of secondary flow on particle migration in a scaled‐up spiral channel is not fully elucidated. The mechanism of particle focusing inside scaled‐up rectangular and trapezoidal spiral channels (i.e., 5–10× bigger than conventional microchannels) with an aim to develop a continuous and clog‐free microfiltration system for bioprocessing is studied in detail. Herein, a unique focusing based on inflection point without the aid of sheath flow is reported. This new focusing mechanism, observed in the scaled‐up channels, out‐performs the conventional focusing scenarios in the previously reported trapezoidal and rectangular channels. Finally, as a proof‐of‐concept, the utility of this device is showcased for the first time as a retention system for a cell–microcarrier (MC) suspension culture.     

How Big Is It Really? Assessing the Efficacy of Indirect Estimates of Body Size in Asian Elephants

Information on an organism’s body size is pivotal in understanding its life history and fitness, as well as helping inform conservation measures. However, for many species, particularly large-bodied wild animals, taking accurate body size measurements can be a challenge. Various means to estimate body size have been employed, from more direct methods such as using photogrammetry to obtain height or length measurements, to indirect prediction of weight using other body morphometrics or even the size of dung boli. It is often unclear how accurate these measures are because they cannot be compared to objective measures. Here, we investigate how well existing estimation equations predict the actual body weight of Asian elephants Elephas maximus, using body measurements (height, chest girth, length, foot circumference and neck circumference) taken directly from a large population of semi-captive animals in Myanmar (n = 404). We then define new and better fitting formulas to predict body weight in Myanmar elephants from these readily available measures. We also investigate whether the important parameters height and chest girth can be estimated from photographs (n = 151). Our results show considerable variation in the ability of existing estimation equations to predict weight, and that the equations proposed in this paper predict weight better in almost all circumstances. We also find that measurements from standardised photographs reflect body height and chest girth after applying minor adjustments. Our results have implications for size estimation of large wild animals in the field, as well as for management in captive settings.     

Exploitation and community engagement: Can Community Advisory Boards successfully assume a role minimising exploitation in international research?

It has been suggested that community advisory boards (CABs) can play a role in minimising exploitation in international research. To get a better idea of what this requires and whether it might be achievable, the paper first describes core elements that we suggest must be in place for a CAB to reduce the potential for exploitation. The paper then examines a CAB established by the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit under conditions common in resource‐poor settings – namely, where individuals join with a very limited understanding of disease and medical research and where an existing organisational structure is not relied upon to serve as the CAB. Using the Tak Province Border Community Ethics Advisory Board (T‐CAB) as a case study, we assess the extent to which it might be able to take on a role minimising exploitation were it to decide to do so. We investigate whether, after two years in operation, T‐CAB is capable of assessing clinical trials for exploitative features and addressing those found to have them. The findings show that, although T‐CAB members have gained knowledge and developed capacities that are foundational for one‐day taking on a role to reduce exploitation, their ability to critically evaluate studies for the presence of exploitative elements has not yet been strongly demonstrated. In light of this example, we argue that CABs may not be able to perform such a role for a number of years after initial formation, making it an unsuitable responsibility for many short‐term CABs.     

Alternative pathways of carotene cyclisation in Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Three carotene substrates, lycopene-[¹⁴C], γ-carotene-[¹⁴C] and neurosporene-[¹⁴C] were each incorporated into β-carotene using a cell extract of the C115 car-42 mad-107(?) mutant of P. blakesleeanus. Neurosporene-[¹4C] was also converted into β-zeacarotene and lycopene. Addition of either unlabelled lycopene or β-zeacarotene with neurosporene-[¹⁴C] to the cell extract caused approximately equal reductions of incorporation into β-carotene, indicating that both cyclisation pathways are of equivalent quantitative importance.     

Sequence comparison of the capsid region of hepatitis E viruses isolated from Myanmar and China.

Hepatitis E viruses (HEVs) were isolated during epidemics, one from Myanmar (formerly called Burma) and one from China and were partially sequenced. Another HEV Myanmar strain from sporadic hepatitis was previously sequenced by us. A cDNA sequence comparison was performed among them in the 3'-terminal region, approximately 750-base long. This region contained at least two immunological epitopes and was considered to correspond to the structural protein. The nucleotide sequence identity was 97.2% between the two Myanmar strains and 93.3 and 92.5% between the two Myanmar and the China strain. The deduced amino acid sequence identity ranged from 98.4 to 100.0% among the three strains. Thus this segment was well conserved on the amino acid level among the different strains isolated from these two Asian countries, although the China strain diverged more from the Myanmar strains on the nucleotide sequence level. This data may provide important information for the development of a vaccine and for identification of the virological link between different geographical locations.