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Oddershede posted an update 7 months, 1 week ago
Cosmocercoides meridionalis n. sp. is described from the large and small intestines of 5 species of tree frogs belonging to the families Hylidae and Phyllomedusidae collected from 2 localities in Southern Amazonia. The new species is allocated to the genus Cosmocercoides Wilkie, 1930, due to the presence of papillae in rosettes, which are complex caudal papillae surrounded by punctuations. Cosmocercoides meridionalis n. sp. differs from its congeners by a combination of the following characters the absence of the gubernaculum, the total length of the female (twice the size of the male), and the presence of 26 rosette papillae with a unique arrangement and distribution pattern 11 pre-cloacal pairs, 1 ad-cloacal pair, and 1 post-cloacal pair. This is the first species of the genus described from the Amazonia region.A recent paper in this journal concerning parasites of rock pigeons (Columba livia) published by Ali and colleagues exemplifies a growing trend of misidentified parasites in the literature, despite increased online resources that should help facilitate accurate identification. In the Ali et al. paper, a pigeon louse in the genus Columbicola (Phthiraptera Ischnocera) is misidentified as Menopon gallinae, which is a parasite of chickens (Gallus gallus) and their relatives; moreover, this louse is from an entirely different suborder of lice (Phthiraptera Amblycera). Another louse is misidentified as Goniodes dissimilis, another parasite of chickens and junglefowl. In addition, photographs of cestodes from pigeons in the same paper are not sufficient to confirm identification. this website Misidentifications are fueled, in part, by increasing pressure to publish coupled with a decrease in taxonomic expertise. We consider the downstream consequences of misidentification and suggest guidelines for authors, reviewers, and editors that could help to improve the reliability of specimen-based research.SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have arisen independently at multiple locations1,2 and may reduce the efficacy of current vaccines that target the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-23. Here, using a live-virus neutralization assay, we compared the neutralization of a non-VOC variant with the 501Y.V2 VOC (also known as B.1.351) using plasma collected from adults who were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the two waves of infection in South Africa, the second wave of which was dominated by infections with the 501Y.V2 variant. Sequencing demonstrated that infections of plasma donors from the first wave were with viruses that did not contain the mutations associated with 501Y.V2, except for one infection that contained the E484K substitution in the receptor-binding domain. The 501Y.V2 virus variant was effectively neutralized by plasma from individuals who were infected during the second wave. The first-wave virus variant was effectively neutralized by plasma from first-wave infections. However, the 501Y.V2 variant was poorly cross-neutralized by plasma from individuals with first-wave infections; the efficacy was reduced by 15.1-fold relative to neutralization of 501Y.V2 by plasma from individuals infected in the second wave. By contrast, cross-neutralization of first-wave virus variants using plasma from individuals with second-wave infections was more effective, showing only a 2.3-fold decrease relative to neutralization of first-wave virus variants by plasma from individuals infected in the first wave. Although we tested only one plasma sample from an individual infected with a SARS-CoV-2 variant with only the E484K substitution, this plasma sample potently neutralized both variants. The observed effective neutralization of first-wave virus by plasma from individuals infected with 501Y.V2 provides preliminary evidence that vaccines based on VOC sequences could retain activity against other circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages.Recent studies have provided insights into the pathology of and immune response to COVID-191-8. However, a thorough investigation of the interplay between infected cells and the immune system at sites of infection has been lacking. Here we use high-parameter imaging mass cytometry9 that targets the expression of 36 proteins to investigate the cellular composition and spatial architecture of acute lung injury in humans (including injuries derived from SARS-CoV-2 infection) at single-cell resolution. These spatially resolved single-cell data unravel the disordered structure of the infected and injured lung, alongside the distribution of extensive immune infiltration. Neutrophil and macrophage infiltration are hallmarks of bacterial pneumonia and COVID-19, respectively. We provide evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infects predominantly alveolar epithelial cells and induces a localized hyperinflammatory cell state that is associated with lung damage. We leverage the temporal range of fatal outcomes of COVID-19 in relation to the onset of symptoms, which reveals increased macrophage extravasation and increased numbers of mesenchymal cells and fibroblasts concomitant with increased proximity between these cell types as the disease progresses-possibly as a result of attempts to repair the damaged lung tissue. Our data enable us to develop a biologically interpretable landscape of lung pathology from a structural, immunological and clinical standpoint. We use this landscape to characterize the pathophysiology of the human lung from its macroscopic presentation to the single-cell level, which provides an important basis for understanding COVID-19 and lung pathology in general.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols to reduce risk of exposure to healthcare teams have been implemented. The use of an acrylic box during intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been adopted worldwide. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of an acrylic box in limiting contamination. The findings indicate that healthcare workers are still vulnerable to exposure despite the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and an acrylic box. The causes of contamination were related to improper PPE donning and doffing and incomplete coverage by the acrylic box. Institutions should focus on ensuring proper donning and doffing of PPE and incorporating high-fidelity simulation training to prepare teams to resuscitate COVID-19 patients.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols to reduce risk of exposure to healthcare teams have been implemented. The use of an acrylic box during intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been adopted worldwide. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of an acrylic box in limiting contamination.