Structure, biomass, and secondary production of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical Andean rivers.

Secondary production is the formation of heterotrophic biomass across time, which integrates several important ecological processes that affect the life of organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems, but its study has poor developed in South America. The objectives of this work were to describe the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in terms of abundance and biomass, and to quantify their secondary production for the first time in Andean rivers. A quantitative sampling scheme was implemented, using a Surber sampler, in three forested streams. Physical-chemical variables, nutrients, organic matter and chlorophyll were measured also. The macroinvertebrates were separated and identified mostly at the species level. Each taxon was assigned to a functional feeding group. Secondary production was estimated for 38 taxa, mostly Diptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Ephemeroptera. The annual production varied from 3769 to 13916 mg dry mass m-2 y-1. Most abundant taxa were also those with higher production, dominated by Ephemeroptera (Baetidae), Trichoptera (Hydropsychidae) and Diptera (Chironomidae and Simuliidae). Density, biomass, and production of collectors and predators were much higher than the other feeding groups. We expect that our results will be useful to evaluate the effects on stream functioning produced by global warming and other anthropogenic disturbances in our region.

Assessing and Addressing the Need for Cancer Patient Education in a Resource-Limited Setting in Haiti.

PURPOSE: Misinformation and lack of information about cancer and its treatment pose significant challenges to delivering cancer care in resource-limited settings and may undermine patient engagement in care. We aimed to investigate patients' knowledge and attitudes toward cancer and its treatment and to adapt, implement, and evaluate a low-literacy cancer patient education booklet at the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais (HUM) in rural Haiti. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A low-literacy cancer patient education booklet was adapted into Haitian Creole in collaboration with clinicians at HUM. Patients were recruited for structured interviews (n = 20) and two focus groups (n = 13) designed to explore patients' attitudes toward cancer and its treatment and to assess whether the booklet increased patients' knowledge via an investigator-designed knowledge test. RESULTS: Participants reported a subjective lack of knowledge about cancer and its treatments and described views of cancer as deadly or incurable. Patients of varying education levels valued receiving written materials that set expectations about cancer treatment and expressed a desire to share the booklet with caregivers and others in their community. Participants across all levels of education significantly increased their performance on a knowledge test after counseling using the booklet (p < .001). CONCLUSION: We found that an educational booklet about cancer developed in collaboration with local providers was well received by patients with variable literacy levels and improved their knowledge of cancer and its treatment in a resource-limited setting. Such educational materials have the potential to serve as tools to engage patients with cancer and their families in care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Misinformation and lack of information pose significant challenges to delivering cancer care in resource-limited settings; however, there are often no culturally and literacy appropriate tools available to aid in patient education. This article shows that written educational materials are well received by patients of variable literacy levels and can be effective tools for increasing patients' knowledge of cancer and its treatment in a limited-resource setting. Furthermore, the authors have made their educational booklet, Cancer and You, freely available online and welcome the opportunity to connect with readers of The Oncologist interested in implementing this educational booklet in clinical care.

A new species of Stethelmis Hinton (Coleoptera: Elmidae) from Argentina and description of its larva.

A new species of Stethelmis, S. shepardi sp. nov., is described for Patagonia, Argentina from adults of both sexes. A full description and illustrations of both the adult and the larva of the new species are provided with comments on its habitat and distribution. Adults of the new species are compared with those of S. kaszabi (Hinton 1970) and S. chilensis (Hinton 1945). The larva of S. shepardi is compared with that of S. kaszabi, the other Stethelmis larva described. We also describe and illustrate for the first time the male genitalia of S. kaszabi. A key to the known species of Stethelmis is also included.

Passenger deletions generate therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer.

Inactivation of tumour-suppressor genes by homozygous deletion is a prototypic event in the cancer genome, yet such deletions often encompass neighbouring genes. We propose that homozygous deletions in such passenger genes can expose cancer-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities when the collaterally deleted gene is a member of a functionally redundant family of genes carrying out an essential function. The glycolytic gene enolase 1 (ENO1) in the 1p36 locus is deleted in glioblastoma (GBM), which is tolerated by the expression of ENO2. Here we show that short-hairpin-RNA-mediated silencing of ENO2 selectively inhibits growth, survival and the tumorigenic potential of ENO1-deleted GBM cells, and that the enolase inhibitor phosphonoacetohydroxamate is selectively toxic to ENO1-deleted GBM cells relative to ENO1-intact GBM cells or normal astrocytes. The principle of collateral vulnerability should be applicable to other passenger-deleted genes encoding functionally redundant essential activities and provide an effective treatment strategy for cancers containing such genomic events.

The human microbiome in hematopoiesis and hematologic disorders.

Humans are now understood to be in complex symbiosis with a diverse ecosystem of microbial organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Efforts to characterize the role of these microorganisms, commonly referred as the microbiota, in human health have sought to answer the fundamental questions of what organisms are present, how are they functioning to interact with human cells, and by what mechanism are these interactions occurring. In this review, we describe recent efforts to describe the microbiota in healthy and diseased individuals, summarize the role of various molecular technologies (ranging from 16S ribosomal RNA to shotgun metagenomic sequencing) in enumerating the community structure of the microbiota, and explore known interactions between the microbiota and humans, with a focus on the microbiota's role in hematopoiesis and hematologic diseases.

Description of the putative mature larva of the Neotropical genus Stenhelmoides Grouvelle (Coleoptera: Elmidae).

Stenhelmoides Grouvelle is a Neotropical genus of Elmidae and although it exhibits a wide distribution, until now no larvae had been associated with adults of this genus. Larvae, very likely belonging to this genus, were associated based on co-occurrence with adults. Eleven larvae and nine adults were examined from ten localities at altitudes between 30 and 682 m a.s.l. in the Andean, Caribbean and Pacific regions in Colombia. Mature larvae of the Stenhelmoides rufulus (Hinton) are described and illustrated for the first time. A larval diagnosis for the genus is presented; body shape, distribution and form of setae and number of pleural sclerites are diagnostic characters for larvae of this genus. Comparative notes with similar larvae of other Elmidae genera are presented. The existing generic keys are updated to include larvae of Stenhelmoides. Comments on distribution and habitat of Stenhelmoides larvae are also provided. This work contributes to enhance the knowledge of Neotropical larvae, which have been described for only approximately 56% of genera and 8% of species of Elmidae.

The role of macroinvertebrates for conservation of freshwater systems.

Freshwater ecosystems are the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. Argentinian-protected areas have been established mainly to protect vertebrates and plants in terrestrial ecosystems. In order to create a comprehensive biodiverse conservation plan, it is crucial to integrate both aquatic and terrestrial systems and to include macroinvertebrates. Here, we address this topic by proposing priority areas of conservation including invertebrates, aquatic ecosystems, and their connectivity and land uses. LOCATION: Northwest of Argentina. We modeled the ecological niches of different taxa of macroinvertebrates such as Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera, Megaloptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Acari, and Mollusca. Based on these models, we analyzed the contribution of currently established protected areas in the conservation of the aquatic biodiversity and we propose a spatial prioritization taking into account possible conflict regarding different land uses. Our analysis units were the real watersheds, to which were added longitudinal connectivity up and down the rivers. A total of 132 species were modeled in the priority area analyses. The analysis 1 showed that only an insignificant percentage of the macroinvertebrates distribution is within the protected areas in the North West of Argentina. The analyses 2 and 3 recovered similar values of protection for the macroinvertebrate species. The upper part of Bermejo, Salí-Dulce, San Francisco, and the Upper part of Juramento basins were identified as priority areas of conservation. The aquatic ecosystems need special protection and 10% or even as much as 17% of land conservation is insufficient for species of macroinvertebrates. In turn the protected areas need to combine the aquatic and terrestrial systems and need to include macroinvertebrates as a key group to sustain the biodiversity. In many cases, the land uses are in conflict with the conservation of biodiversity; however, it is possible to apply the connectivity of the watersheds and create multiple-use modules.

Metagenomic Characterization of Microbial Communities In Situ Within the Deeper Layers of the Ileum in Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Microbial dysbiosis and aberrant host-microbe interactions in the gut are believed to contribute to the development and progression of Crohn's disease (CD). Microbiome studies in CD typically have focused on microbiota in feces or superficial mucosal layers of the colon because accessing DNA from deeper layers of the bowel is challenging. In this study, we analyzed the deep tissue microbiome in patients who underwent surgical resection of the small intestine. METHODS: Paraffin blocks were obtained from 12 CD patients undergoing ileocecal resection, and healthy ileum samples (inflammatory bowel disease-free controls) were obtained from 12 patients undergoing surgery for right-sided colon cancer. Diseased and healthy-appearing ileum was identified using microscopy, and paraffin blocks were macrodissected using a core needle to specifically isolate DNA. Illumina Whole Genome Sequencing was used for microbial sequence identification and subsequent taxonomic classification using the PathSeq tool. RESULTS: We observed significant differences between the microbiome of CD samples vs inflammatory bowel disease-free controls, including depletion of Bacteroidetes and Clostridia. Notably, microbial composition at the phyla level did not differ markedly between healthy and diseased areas of CD patients. However, we observed enrichment of potentially pathogenic organisms at the species level. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed dysbiosis within deeper layers of the ileum of CD patients, specifically enrichment of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus and an environmental Mycobacterium species not described previously. Future studies with larger cohort sizes are warranted to confirm these findings. Studies would benefit from effective microbial DNA extraction methods from paraffin sections and host nucleic acid depletion approaches to increase microbial read coverage.

Austrelmis Brown (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Elmidae) from Argentina: five new species.

Material belonging to the genus Austrelmis Brown, from different localities from northwestern Argentina, is studied and described. Five new species are described and illustrated from adults of both sexes: Austrelmis argentinensis sp. nov., A. catamarcensis sp. nov., A. talampayensis sp. nov., A. tafi sp. nov. and A. robustus sp.nov. The new species are compared to other known species of the genus. A comparative table summarizing the most important characters used to identify the argentine species of Austrelmis and a distributional map for Argentina are included.

Epidemiologic Investigation of a Cluster of Neuroinvasive Bacillus cereus Infections in 5 Patients With Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.

Background. Five neuroinvasive Bacillus cereus infections (4 fatal) occurred in hospitalized patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) during a 9-month period, prompting an investigation by infection control and public health officials. Methods. Medical records of case-patients were reviewed and a matched case-control study was performed. Infection control practices were observed. Multiple environmental, food, and medication samples common to AML patients were cultured. Multilocus sequence typing was performed for case and environmental B cereus isolates. Results. All 5 case-patients received chemotherapy and had early-onset neutropenic fevers that resolved with empiric antibiotics. Fever recurred at a median of 17 days (range, 9-20) with headaches and abrupt neurological deterioration. Case-patients had B cereus identified in central nervous system (CNS) samples by (1) polymerase chain reaction or culture or (2) bacilli seen on CNS pathology stains with high-grade B cereus bacteremia. Two case-patients also had colonic ulcers with abundant bacilli on autopsy. No infection control breaches were observed. On case-control analysis, bananas were the only significant exposure shared by all 5 case-patients (odds ratio, 9.3; P = .04). Five environmental or food isolates tested positive for B cereus, including a homogenized banana peel isolate and the shelf of a kitchen cart where bananas were stored. Multilocus sequence typing confirmed that all case and environmental strains were genetically distinct. Multilocus sequence typing-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the organisms clustered in 2 separate clades. Conclusions. The investigation of this neuroinvasive B cereus cluster did not identify a single point source but was suggestive of a possible dietary exposure. Our experience underscores the potential virulence of B cereus in immunocompromised hosts.

In search of a candidate pathogen for giant cell arteritis: sequencing-based characterization of the giant cell arteritis microbiome.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the microbiome of the temporal artery in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), and to apply an unbiased and comprehensive shotgun sequencing-based approach to determine whether there is an enrichment of candidate pathogens in the affected tissue. METHODS: Temporal artery biopsy specimens were collected from patients at a single institution over a period of 4 years, and unbiased DNA sequencing was performed on 17 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. Twelve of the 17 patients fulfilled the clinical and histopathologic criteria for GCA, and the other 5 patients served as controls. Using PathSeq software, human DNA sequences were computationally subtracted, and the remaining non-human DNA sequences were taxonomically classified using a comprehensive microbial sequence database. The relative abundance of microbes was inferred based on read counts assigned to each organism. Comparison of the microbial diversity between GCA cases and controls was carried out using hierarchical clustering and linear discriminant analysis of effect size. RESULTS: Propionibacterium acnes and Escherichia coli were the most abundant microorganisms in 16 of the 17 samples, and Moraxella catarrhalis was the most abundant organism in 1 control sample. Pathogens previously described to be correlated with GCA were not differentially abundant in cases compared to controls. There was not a significant burden of likely pathogenic viruses. CONCLUSION: DNA sequencing of temporal artery biopsy specimens from GCA cases, in comparison with non-GCA controls, showed no evidence of previously identified candidate GCA pathogens. A single pathogen was not clearly and consistently associated with GCA in this case series.

EGFR variant heterogeneity in glioblastoma resolved through single-nucleus sequencing.

UNLABELLED: Glioblastomas (GBM) with EGFR amplification represent approximately 50% of newly diagnosed cases, and recent studies have revealed frequent coexistence of multiple EGFR aberrations within the same tumor, which has implications for mutation cooperation and treatment resistance. However, bulk tumor sequencing studies cannot resolve the patterns of how the multiple EGFR aberrations coexist with other mutations within single tumor cells. Here, we applied a population-based single-cell whole-genome sequencing methodology to characterize genomic heterogeneity in EGFR-amplified glioblastomas. Our analysis effectively identified clonal events, including a novel translocation of a super enhancer to the TERT promoter, as well as subclonal LOH and multiple EGFR mutational variants within tumors. Correlating the EGFR mutations onto the cellular hierarchy revealed that EGFR truncation variants (EGFRvII and EGFR carboxyl-terminal deletions) identified in the bulk tumor segregate into nonoverlapping subclonal populations. In vitro and in vivo functional studies show that EGFRvII is oncogenic and sensitive to EGFR inhibitors currently in clinical trials. Thus, the association between diverse activating mutations in EGFR and other subclonal mutations within a single tumor supports an intrinsic mechanism for proliferative and clonal diversification with broad implications in resistance to treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: We developed a novel single-cell sequencing methodology capable of identifying unique, nonoverlapping subclonal alterations from archived frozen clinical specimens. Using GBM as an example, we validated our method to successfully define tumor cell subpopulations containing distinct genetic and treatment resistance profiles and potentially mutually cooperative combinations of alterations in EGFR and other genes.

Somatic mutation of CDKN1B in small intestine neuroendocrine tumors.

The diagnosed incidence of small intestine neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs) is increasing, and the underlying genomic mechanisms have not yet been defined. Using exome- and genome-sequence analysis of SI-NETs, we identified recurrent somatic mutations and deletions in CDKN1B, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene, which encodes p27. We observed frameshift mutations of CDKN1B in 14 of 180 SI-NETs, and we detected hemizygous deletions encompassing CDKN1B in 7 out of 50 SI-NETs, nominating p27 as a tumor suppressor and implicating cell cycle dysregulation in the etiology of SI-NETs.