Neurocysticercosis: HP10 Antigen Detection Is Useful for the Follow-up of the Severe Patients

Background

The most severe clinical form of neurocysticercosis (NC) occurs when cysticerci are located in the subarachnoid space at the base of the brain (SaB). The diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of NC-SaB, constitutes a severe clinical challenge. Herein we evaluate the potential of the HP10 antigen detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (HP10 Ag-ELISA) in the long term follow-up of NC-SaB cases. Assay performance was compared with that of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In addition, the robustness of the HP10 Ag-ELISA was evaluated independently at two different institutions.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A double-blind prospective cohort trial was conducted involving 38 NC-SaB cases and a total of 108 paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples taken at intervals of 4 to 8 months for up to 43 months. At each medical visit, results of sera and CSF HP10 Ag-ELISA and MRI obtained at last visit were compared and their accuracy was evaluated retrospectively, considering radiological evolution between appointments. In the long-term follow-up study, HP10 Ag-ELISA had a better agreement than MRI with retrospective radiological evaluation. High reproducibility of HP10 Ag-ELISA between laboratories was also demonstrated.

Conclusions

Results reported in this study establish for the first time the usefulness of the comparatively low cost HP10 Ag-ELISA for long term follow-up of NC-SaB patients.     

Influence of sea turtle nesting on hunting behavior and movements of jaguars in the dry forest of northwest Costa Rica

Jaguars (Panthera onca) are opportunistic predators that prey on large profitable prey items, such as sea turtles at nesting beaches. Here, we use jaguar and sea turtle track-count surveys, combined with satellite telemetry of one jaguar, to evaluate whether jaguar hunting behavior and movements are influenced by seasonal sea turtle nesting in the Sector Santa Rosa of Área de Conservación Guanacaste in northwest Costa Rica. We used generalized linear models to evaluate the effect of moon phase and sea surface temperature on olive ridley (Lepidochelis olivacea) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting abundance, as well as the combination of these predictors on the frequency of jaguar predation activity (proximity to nesting beaches) and movements. For home-range size and location analyses, we calculated kernel density estimates for each season at three different temporal scales. Sea turtle nesting season influenced jaguar activity patterns, as well as sea turtle abundance was related to jaguar locations and predation events, but jaguar home-range size (88.8 km² overall) did not differ between nesting seasons or among temporal scales. Environmental conditions influenced sea turtle nesting and, as a consequence, also influenced jaguar movements and foraging activity. Our study defined the home range of a female jaguar in the tropical dry forest and its relationship to seasonally abundant turtles. Additional information related to the effect of tourism on jaguar–sea turtle interactions would improve conservation of these species at unique nesting beaches in the area.     

Specificity of extrafloral nectar induction by herbivores differs among native and invasive populations of tallow tree

Background and Aims

Invasive plants can be released from specialist herbivores and encounter novel generalists in their introduced ranges, leading to variation in defence among native and invasive populations. However, few studies have examined how constitutive and induced indirect defences change during plant invasion, especially during the juvenile stage.

Methods

Constitutive extrafloral nectar (EFN) production of native and invasive populations of juvenile tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) were compared, and leaf clipping, and damage by a native specialist (Noctuid) and two native generalist caterpillars (Noctuid and Limacodid) were used to examine inducible EFN production.

Key results

Plants from introduced populations had more leaves producing constitutive EFN than did native populations, but the content of soluble solids of EFN did not differ. Herbivores induced EFN production more than simulated herbivory. The specialist (Noctuid) induced more EFN than either generalist for native populations. The content of soluble solids in EFN was higher (2·1 times), with the specialist vs. the generalists causing the stronger response for native populations, but the specialist response was always comparable with the generalist responses for invasive populations.

Conclusions

These results suggest that constitutive and induced indirect defences are retained in juvenile plants of invasive populations even during plant establishment, perhaps due to generalist herbivory in the introduced range. However, responses specific to a specialist herbivore may be reduced in the introduced range where specialists are absent. This decreased defence may benefit specialist insects that are introduced for classical biological control of invasive plants.     

A new hadrosaurid dentary from the latest Maastrichtian of the Pyrenees (north Spain) and the high diversity of the duck-billed dinosaurs of the Ibero-Armorican Realm at the very end of the Cretaceous

In the latest Maastrichtian, the European hadrosauroid fauna was more diverse than those of North America and Asia. The European record of hadrosaurid dentaries is an example of this diversity, and most of the sites with mandibular remains are located in the Ibero-Armorican Realm. Within the Iberian Peninsula, most of the remains are located in the Tremp Basin (South Central Pyrenees). Two of the three valid hadrosaurid taxa defined in this basin are from the Blasi sites (Arén, Huesca province): Arenysaurus ardevoli (Blasi-3) and Blasisaurus canudoi (Blasi-1). A new locality in Blasi (Blasi 3.4) has provided a new dentary from an indeterminate euhadrosaurid. This dentary presents some characters intermediate between Arenysaurus and Blasisaurus, some characters similar to Pararhabdodon isonensis (from the nearby province of Lleida), and some characters of its own. Nevertheless, due to its fragmentary character, without dentition or its edentulous anterior part, it cannot be determined above the level of Euhadrosauria. It thus represents a fourth Iberian euhadrosaurian taxon in the Ibero-Armorican Realm, different from Arenysaurus, Blasisaurus and Pararhabdodon, increasing the diversity of hadrosauroids in this realm at the very end of the Cretaceous.     

Effect of Sex and Age on the Supercooling Point of the Winter-Active Diamesa mendotae Muttkowski (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Supercooling points (SCP) of adult Diamesa mendotae Muttkowski, 1915 (Diptera: Chironomidae) were determined at 3, 5, 9, 12 and 17 days post-collection. Supercooling points were recorded using surface contact thermometry and a cooling rate of ca. 1°C min^?1. Female SCPs averaged ?22.81, ?23.76, ?23.85, ?23.65, and ?20.87°C on each date post-collection and did not differ significantly. Male SCPs were statistically similar and averaged ?21.75, ?23.53, ?23.68, ?23.66, and ?22.92°C on each date post-collection. Paired comparisons of female/male SCPs on each date post-collection did not show significant differences over time. The overall mean SCP of D. mendotae (?23.05°C) is substantially lower than values of ?5.3°C and ?5.7°C published for adults and larvae of Belgica antarctica Jacobs 1900 collected at Palmer Station (Antarctica) and ?14.2°C for larvae of Paraclunio alaskensis Coquillett 1900 collected at Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In addition, the SCP of this species appears to be lower than that of other winter-active insect species reported in the literature. Although no adults survived after the SCP was recorded, further studies are necessary to determine if D. mendotae is a freeze-intolerant insect. Nevertheless, our results suggest that a low SCP could be used as a mechanism to facilitate emergence and adult activity of this species during winter conditions.     

Current methods for molecular typing of Campylobacter species

Campylobacter remains one of the most common bacterial causes of gastroenteritis worldwide. Tracking sources of this organism is challenging due to the large numbers of human cases, and the prevalence of this organism throughout the environment due to growth in a wide range of animal species. Many molecular subtyping methods have been developed to characterize Campylobacter species, but only a few are commonly used in molecular epidemiology studies. This review examines the applicability of these methods, as well as the role that emerging whole genome sequencing technologies will play in tracking sources of Campylobacter spp. infection.     

Risk of Advanced Neoplasia in First-Degree Relatives with Colorectal Cancer: A Large Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundFirst-degree relatives (FDR) of patients with colorectal cancer have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than the general population. For this reason, screening guidelines recommend colonoscopy every 5 or 10 y, starting at the age of 40, depending on whether colorectal cancer in the index-case is diagnosed at <60 or ≥60 y, respectively. However, studies on the risk of neoplastic lesions are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of advanced neoplasia (three or more non-advanced adenomas, advanced adenoma, or invasive cancer) in FDR of patients with colorectal cancer compared to average-risk individuals (i.e., asymptomatic adults 50 to 69 y of age with no family history of colorectal cancer).ConclusionsIndividuals having two FDR with colorectal cancer showed an increased risk of advanced neoplasia compared to those with average-risk for colorectal cancer. Men had over 2-fold higher risk of advanced neoplasia than women, independent of family history. These data suggest that screening colonoscopy guidelines should be revised in the familial-risk population.     

Coping with potential bi‐parental inbreeding: limited pollen and seed dispersal and large genets in the dioecious marine angiosperm Thalassia testudinum

The high prevalence of dioecy in marine angiosperms or seagrasses (>50% of all species) is thought to enforce cross‐fertilization. However, seagrasses are clonal plants, and they may still be subject to sibling‐mating or bi‐parental inbreeding if the genetic neighborhood is smaller than the size of the genets. We tested this by determining the genetic neighborhoods of the dioecious seagrass Thalassia testudinum at two sites (Back‐Reef and Mid‐Lagoon) in Puerto Morelos Reef Lagoon, Mexico, by measuring dispersal of pollen and seeds in situ, and by fine‐scale spatial autocorrelation analysis with eight polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. Prevalence of inbreeding was verified by estimating pairwise kinship coefficients; and by analysing the genotypes of seedlings grown from seeds in mesocosms. Average dispersal of pollen was 0.3–1.6 m (max. 4.8 m) and of seeds was 0.3–0.4 m (max. 1.8 m), resulting in a neighborhood area of 7.4 m² (range 3.4–11.4 m²) at Back‐Reef and 1.9 (range 1.87–1.92 m²) at Mid‐Lagoon. Neighborhood area (Na) derived from spatial autocorrelation was 0.1–20.5 m² at Back‐Reef and 0.1–16.9 m² at Mid‐Lagoon. Maximal extensions of the genets, in 19 × 30 m plots, were 19.2 m (median 7.5 m) and 10.8 m (median 4.8 m) at Back‐Reef and Mid‐Lagoon. There was no indication of deficit or excess of heterozygotes nor were coefficients of inbreeding (F_IS) significant. The seedlings did not show statistically significant deficit of heterozygotes (except for 1 locus at Back‐Reef). Contrary to our expectations, we did not find evidence of bi‐parental inbreeding in this dioecious seagrass with large genets but small genetic neighborhoods. Proposed mechanisms to avoid bi‐parental inbreeding are possible selection against homozygotes during fecundation or ovule development. Additionally, the genets grew highly dispersed (aggregation index Ac was 0.09 and 0.10 for Back‐Reef and Mid‐Lagoon, respectively); such highly dispersed guerrilla‐like clonal growth form likely increases the probability of crossing between different potentially unrelated genets.