Phylogenetic Relationships of Avian Cestodes from Brine Shrimp and Congruence with Larval Morphology

Determining molecular markers for parasites provides a useful tool for their identification, particularly for larval stages with few distinguishable diagnostic characters. Avian cestodes play a key role in the food webs and biodiversity of hypersaline wetlands, yet they remain understudied. Using naturally infected Artemia, we identified cestode larvae (cysticercoids), assessed their genetic diversity, and explored phylogenetic relationships in relation to larval morphology and waterbird final hosts. We obtained partial 18S rDNA sequences for 60 cysticercoids of the family Hymenolepidae infecting Artemia spp. from seven localities and three countries (Spain, the USA, and Chile). We present the first DNA sequences for six taxa: Confluaria podicipina, Fimbriarioides sp., Flamingolepis liguloides, Flamingolepis sp. 1, Flamingolepis sp. 2, and Hymenolepis californicus. Intraspecific sequence variation (0.00-0.19% diversity) was lower than intergroup genetic distance (0.7-14.75%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed three main clades: 1-Flamingolepis, 2-Fimbriarioides, 3-Confluaria and Hymenolepis, all of which separated from hymenolepidids from mammals and terrestrial birds. This clear separation among taxa is congruent with previous morphological identification, validating the 18S gene as a useful marker to discriminate at generic/species level. Working with intermediate hosts allows the expansion of knowledge of taxonomic and genetic diversity of cestodes in wildlife, as well as elucidation of their life cycles.

Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Wolbachia Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates

The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia-infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. Wolbachia has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on Wolbachia infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce. Sampling bias and methodological limitations are some of the reasons limiting the detection of these bacteria in aquatic organisms. In this study, we present a new metagenetic method for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrates host species, i.e., freshwater Arthropoda (Crustacea), Mollusca (Bivalvia), and water bears (Tardigrada) by applying NGS primers designed by us and a Python script that allows the identification of Wolbachia target sequences from the microbiome communities. We also compare the results obtained using the commonly applied NGS primers and the Sanger sequencing approach. Finally, we describe three supergroups of Wolbachia: (i) a new supergroup V identified in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts; (ii) supergroup A identified in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and (iii) supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.

Life-history omnivory in the fairy shrimp Branchinecta orientalis (Branchiopoda: Anostraca)

Very little is known about the feeding of naupliar and juvenile life stages of omnivorous fairy shrimps (Crustacea: Anostraca). Here, we aim to reveal whether the fairy shrimp Branchinecta orientalis is an ontogenetic omnivore and at which age and ontogenetic stage they gain the ability to feed on zooplankton. We assess how food uptake rates change with age until reaching maturity by providing algae (pico- and nanoplanktonic unicellular algae) and zooplankton (rotifers and copepod nauplii) as food in individual experiments. We found that the fairy shrimp B. orientalis started to feed on both types of algal prey immediately after hatching. Nanoplanktonic algae likely represented the most important food source until reaching maturity. Moreover, fairy shrimps started to feed on zooplankton already when they were 7 days old. Slow-moving rotifers gradually gained importance in the fairy shrimp diet with time. Our results reveal an ontogenetic change in the prey spectrum of fairy shrimp. The systematic shift towards omnivory likely affects both phyto- and zooplankton community composition, possibly contributing to temporal changes in food web dynamics in fairy shrimp habitats, and temporary ponds, which may warrant more detailed investigations in future studies.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05132-z.

Extralevator abdominoperineal excision for low rectal cancer: oncological outcome after five-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Extralevator abdominoperineal excision (ELAPE) is a surgical technique that is indicated for low rectal cancer where sphincter preservation is not possible. Compared to conventional abdominoperineal excision major advantages of ELAPE are the risk reduction of intraoperative bowel perforation and positive circumferential margin which lead to a better oncological outcome. The aim of this study was to present our results in ELAPE surgery.

METHODS

From February 2011 to February 2015, 40 patients underwent surgery for low rectal cancer at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina. The collected data included sex, age, preoperative staging, neoadjuvant treatment, operative time, rate of intraoperative bowel perforation, rate of positive circumferential resection margins, histopathological analysis, postoperative mortality, tumour, node and metastasis (TNM) classification, local recurrence (LR) rate and presence of distant metastases.

RESULTS

Positive circumferential margin was found in three (7.5%) patients while eight (20%) patients had intraoperative bowel perforation. LR during follow-up was seen in seven (17.5%) patients, three of them had intraoperative bowel perforation and two patients had positive circumferential margin. The estimated five-year cumulative incidence of LR is 7%. Distant metastases occurred in 18 (45%) patients. The estimated five-year survival rate is 62%..

CONCLUSION

The study shows satisfactory five-year survival rates of 62% in a highly complex patient group treated by ELAPE procedure.

Container volume may affect growth rates of ciliates and clearance rates of their microcrustacean predators in microcosm experiments

We studied the effect of volume in small containers (microcosms) on five common planktonic freshwater ciliates and three zooplankton species, namely Daphnia sp., the calanoid copepod Eudiaptomus sp., and the cyclopoid copepod Cyclops sp. We measured ciliate specific growth rates and their loss rates due to microcrustacean predation in short-term experiments. We hypothesized that container volume ranging from 10 to 200 mL would not affect the activity of our prey and predator species. We found that the response to volume was species-specific; growth rates of three ciliate species were sensitive to volume. However, the volume effect was not unequivocal because different timing of the microcosm experiments (block effects) may have caused random bias due to varying morphological and/or physiological conditions of the ciliates and their predators. For predator clearance rate, the volume effect was insignificant in the filter-feeding Daphnia and Eudiaptomus but was significant for the predatory copepod Cyclops, which was hampered in the smallest experimental containers. Total crustacean clearance rates averaged over all treatments appeared unaffected by predator species, while ciliate species significantly affected the results. Our growth and clearance rates are close to previous findings with the same or similar planktonic prey and predator species.

Experimental evidence for modulations in the relative double-photoionization cross section of C60 from threshold up to 280 eV

The relative double-photoionization cross section of neutral C60 clusters was investigated using monochromatized synchrotron radiation between 18 and 283 eV. Our measurement of the double-to-single photoionization ratio reveals two modulating components that are superimposed on a smooth ratio curve from threshold (19.0 eV) up to 280 eV, when inner-shell excitations become possible. The maxima in the modulation can be related to geometrical dimensions of the C60 cluster.

Unexpected behavior of the near-threshold double-photoionization cross section of beryllium

The threshold region of the double-photoionization cross section of atomic beryllium was investigated using monochromatized synchrotron radiation. The photon energy dependence of the double-photoionization cross section can be described by the Wannier power law up to 1.7 eV above threshold. However, we unexpectedly find oscillations in the cross section, which are in excellent agreement with a modulated threshold law based on the Coulomb-dipole theory [Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 365 (1982)]]. This new finding casts some doubts on the general applicability of the Wannier power law.