Phylogenetic relationships and further unknown diversity of diplostomids (Diplostomida: Diplostomidae) parasitic in kingfishers.

Kingfishers (Alcedinidae Rafinesque) are common inhabitants of wetlands and are known to be definitive hosts to a wide range of digeneans that parasitize fish as second intermediate hosts. Among these digeneans, members of the Diplostomidae Poirier, 1886 (diplostomids) are particularly common. Recent studies of diplostomids collected from kingfishers have revealed that they are probably more diverse than currently known. This particularly concerns the genera Crassiphiala Van Haitsma, 1925 and Uvulifer Yamaguti, 1934. In the present work, we studied seven diplostomid taxa from kingfishers in Brazil, the USA and the Philippines. Partial DNA sequences of the nuclear large ribosomal subunit (28S) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) genes were obtained, and 28S sequences were used to study the phylogenetic interrelationships of these diplostomids. We provide the first DNA sequences from Uvulifer semicircumcisus Dubois et Rausch, 1950 and a member of Subuvulifer Dubois, 1952. Pseudocrassiphiala n. gen. is erected for a previously recognized species-level lineage of Crassiphiala and a new generic diagnosis of Crassiphiala is provided. Crassiphiala jeffreybelli n. sp., Crassiphiala wecksteini n. sp. and Pseudocrassiphiala tulipifera n. sp. are described, and a description of newly collected, high-quality specimens of Crassiphiala bulboglossa Van Haitsma, 1925 (the type-species of the genus) is provided.

Management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome type 1 in children and adolescents - A French consensus.

This document is the outcome of a group of experts brought together at the request of the French Society of Sleep Research and Medicine to provide recommendations for the management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome type 1 (OSA1) in children. The recommendations are based on shared experience and published literature. OSA1 is suspected when several nighttime respiratory symptoms related to upper airway obstruction are identified on clinical history taking. A specialist otolaryngologist examination, including nasofibroscopy, is essential during diagnosis. A sleep study for OSA1 is not mandatory when at least two nighttime symptoms (including snoring) are noted. Therapeutic management must be individualized according to the location of the obstruction. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery is often required, as hypertrophy of the lymphoid tissues is the main cause of OSA1 in children. According to clinical findings, orthodontic treatment generally associated with specialized orofacial-myofunctional therapy might also be indicated. Whatever treatment is chosen, follow-up must be continuous and multidisciplinary, in a network of trained specialists.

In vitro antigonococcal activity of urogenital coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Twenty-four urogenital isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci were selected because of their demonstrated ability to inhibit Neisseria gonorrhoeae growth in vitro. These organisms showed quantitative differences in their growth-interfering capability as revealed by a flip-flop agar overlay method. The composition of the culture medium affected the production of antigonococcal activity. Antigonococcal activity was shown with the following media: GC agar base with Lankford defined supplement, brain heart infusion agar, trypticase soy agar, and dextrose starch agar, but not with the GC agar base with CVA enrichment. An antigonococcal activity was obtained in the liquid phase prepared from semisolid agar cultures for 10 of the 24 staphylococcal isolates, whereas no activity was found in the supernatant from liquid cultures. The production of antigonococcal activity by staphylococci in vitro is influenced by growth conditions.

Bactericidal and bacteriostatic antigonococcal activities produced by urogenital staphylococci.

We have overcome some of the difficulties in obtaining soluble antigonococcal activity produced by staphylococci by using a very sensitive detection method. This method is based on the light absorbance determinations of liquid cultures of the gonococcus incubated for 6 h in the presence of serial dilutions of the inhibitor as compared to the absorbance of uninhibited control cultures. Antigonococcal activity was detected in the liquid phase prepared from semisolid agar cultures of all twenty two staphylococcal isolates tested. Sixteen supernatants from liquid cultures were also found to be active. The antigonococcal activity detected was differentiated by colony forming units counts into two types, bacteriostatic and bactericidal. After 6 h of incubation of the gonococcus in the presence of five arbitrary units (AU)/ml of the bactericidal activity produced by one of the strains of staphylococci, isolate 37, the loss of viability was over 99.9%, while 10 AU/ml of the bacteriostatic activity produced by isolate 66 did not cause any loss of viability of the gonococcus.

Antigonococcal and antibacterial spectra of some bacterial isolates of the urogenital flora.

The antigonococcal and antibacterial spectra of bacterial isolates of the urogenital flora selected for their in vitro interference of Neisseria gonorrhoeae growth were determined on solid medium. A broad antigonococcal spectrum was found for all the selected isolates when they were tested against gonococcal virulent (T1) strains, penicillinase producing strains and strains belonging to the auxotypes NR, Thi-, Pro- Hyx-, Pro- Meth- Thp-, Arg- Meth- and Arg- Hyx- Ura-. Except for the group D streptococci, all the selected isolates particularly the coagulase negative staphylococci showed a narrow interference spectrum towards aerobic and anaerobic bacterial representatives of the normal urogenital flora. The selected isolates inhibited also the growth of N. meningitidis and N. catarrhalis meaning that they produce antineisserial rather than antigonococcal activities. The crude preparations isolated from cultures of Micrococcus sp. No. 2 and 42, and Acinetobacter sp. No. 13 on solid medium showed similar antigonococcal and antibacterial spectra as those observed with the basal spot/lawn method. These inhibitory activities were characterized for stability to extreme of temperature and pH values, and for susceptibility to different enzyme treatments. Based on ultrafiltration, differences in molecular size were observed between the inhibitors. These substances appear different from the previously reported gonococcal inhibitors of bacterial origin.

Comparison of bacteriostatic and bactericidal inhibitors of Neisseria gonorrhoeae growth produced in vitro by urogenital staphylococci.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are known to produce bactericidal and bacteriostatic antigonococcal activities. Out of 12 staphylococci, Staphylococcus haemolyticus (four isolates) was identified as the principal source of bactericidal activity, whereas Staphylococcus epidermidis (six isolates) was primarily responsible for producing bacteriostatic activity. A comparison of the bacteriostatic substance produced by S. epidermidis isolate 66 with the bactericidal substance produced by S. haemolyticus isolate 7, which had been previously purified, showed that they were similar lipoproteins or lipid-associated proteins. However, these two inhibitors migrated differently under electrophoresis on agarose gel. The protein component of the bacteriostatic inhibitor was more difficult to separate from the lipid component when chromatographed on Ultrogel AcA 54 in the presence of urea (4 M) than the protein component of the bactericidal inhibitor. The protein component of both types of inhibitors was responsible for the antigonococcal activity and was dissociable into subunits of approximately 1,400 daltons. However, these protein components had different migration patterns on agarose gel. The bacteriostatic substance displayed a bactericidal effect when dissociated from its lipidic component suggesting that the lipids might play a role in the type of inhibitory activity produced. All of the bactericidal and bacteriostatic substances contained in the different crude preparations were antigenically related.