Political change in the 1990s in Southern Africa influenced the long awaited formation of a children’s surgical association in Africa. Here, within is the historical account of the formation of the Pan African Association of Paediatric Surgeons (PAPSA). The basis of the argument for the formation of PAPSA was that paediatric surgeons from Africa have a wealth of experience and special knowledge of diseases affecting children in the African continent which differ substantially from those encountered in other regions of the world. This historical account is mainly from documentation by 2 of the organisations founding members.The online version of this article (10.1007/s00383-018-4248-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Political developments in Southern Africa during the early 1990s excited the World. Talks were being held for the release of Mr. Mandela and the opportunity arose for change. As this ‘wind of change’ swept across Africa, two leading paediatric surgeons from South Africa, namely, Prof. S. Cywes and Prof. M. R. Q. Davies, proposed that colleagues in Africa should be approached with the view of establishing a representative African Paediatric Surgical Association or group (Supplementary Appendixes 1 and 2).During the 38th British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) conference in Budapest 1991, Prof. H. Rode and Prof. S. Hamdy took the concept further and discussed this “embryo concept” of an Association representing Africa with nine paediatric surgeons from Africa who attended the 38th BAPS meeting. The core group were: P. Beale, R. Brown, S. Cywes, G. P. Hadley and H. Rode from South Africa; H. Hamdy from Egypt; A. Hesse from Ghana; M. Oliver from Zimbabwe and P. Carneiro from Tanzania , Prof. Keith Aschcraft, who responded on the 30 July 1991 stating “It was the consensus of the Executive Committee that such an alliance would be a very positive thing in the health and well-being of African children. We would therefore be pleased to help in any way that we could.” These sentiments were prophetic in that WOFAPS gave their full and unending support during the development phases of the as yet to be established Association (Supplementary Appendix 3).Profs. H. Rode, and S. Hamdy constructed a draft proposal in the form of “Call for Input” which was sent to surgeons in Africa on the 17 October 1991 for ideas and to test the waters for such a proposal (Supplementary Appendix 4). This concept was fully endorsed by African paediatric surgeons who were mainly from Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi, Egypt, South Africa and the Northern Mediterranean coast of Africa. Support from Prof. J. Kyambi, from the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi was crucial and played a significant role in the milestone of the organisation as he was well known in the field of children’s surgery in Africa. Also the political climate change in South Africa allowed for engagement with South African surgeons who were previously wrapped up in political sanctions (Supplementary Appendix 5).In December 1991, the Egyptian Association also gave their support for the fledging Association which now had support from both North and South of the equator. On 28 June 1992, Prof. Hamdy received communication and an invitation from the International College of Surgeons (Prof. Refaat Kamel) for the still-to-be Association to become an affiliate member. This further supported the widespread enthusiasm for the proposed new African Paediatric Surgical Association.Additional support for the proposal was received from paediatric surgeons from North Africa especially from Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. The suggestion was also tabled that the first meeting of the Association should coincide with the International College of Surgeons meeting scheduled for 28 November 1992 in Cairo. Unfortunately, this did not materialise as the basic ground work for the new Association was still incomplete. It took another 2 years before the establishment of the Pan African Paediatric Surgical Association (PAPSA) could be celebrated.Further support was given by Prof. J. Boix-Ochoa, secretary/treasurer of WOFAPS, on 16 October 1992 and Prof. Ashcraft also offered to assist in organizing a scientific conference in Nairobi during the latter half of 1993 or early in 1994. Throughout the initial phases, the vital role played by WOFAPS must be emphasised in their unyielding academic and financial support for the concept.It was importance that the Association be owned by surgeons from Africa and not be seen as solely South African-based. It became clear that an Association representing Africa would be a feasible endeavour and was long overdue. However, from early on, reservations were expressed of linking PAPSA with other Associations and the prevailing idea was for the Association to be non-aligned and independent. This did not, however, exclude combined meetings with the reservation that PAPSA would only participate as an independent Association.As the current methods of communication at that time  were slow and cumbersome, opportunities were sought to meet for further discussions, where paediatric surgeons assembled during regional conferences. As this initiative was new for paediatric surgery in Africa, all efforts were directed towards inclusiveness. Two further opportunities presented when paediatric surgeons from Africa assembled at regional conferences. Many attended the South African Paediatric Surgical Association’s biannual meeting in the Transkei, South Africa, in July 1992, and fruitful discussions ensued, especially with surgeons from Kenya and Ghana. It was during a meeting of the International Federation of Surgical Colleges in Cape Town that Prof. Rode spoke with Prof. O. Ayaji, the President of the College of Surgeons of West Africa. Long and fruitful discussions followed regarding the concept and implementation of the proposed Association which was seen as a strengthening of the role paediatric surgery could play in improving the health of its children. Another step forward with support from West Africa.A suitable geographical place on the Continent of Africa had to be found, where a meeting of paediatric surgeons could take place and the idea further developed. Nairobi being in a central position in Africa, was considered as a possible venue for the launching of the Association. Such an opportunity presented itself during the ano-rectal workshop held by Prof. A. Pena in November 1992, at the Jomo Kenyatta Hospital, Nairobi, under the auspices of Prof. J. Kyambi from the University of Nairobi.The momentum was unstoppable. The ano-rectal workshop in Nairobi in November 1992 brought 30 paediatric surgeons from East, Central and Southern Africa together. Prof. J. Kyambi played a pivotal role in all the negotiations for the formation of PAPSA. Delegates met to discuss and finalise the concept and establishment of an African Association for Paediatric Surgery. Again, the desire was expressed to form an Association amongst people with a common goal and regional interest and that membership should encompass all paediatric surgeons from Africa. A steering committee was constituted to oversee the initiation of the Association on the 3 November 1992. South Africa was reluctant to drive the Association and was, therefore, pleased when very competent people from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana were elected to the steering committee to oversee the formation of the Association. A strong request was made that all future official committees should be representative of the continent as a whole. Prof. Boix-Ochoa was informed on the 30 November about the developments, the elected steering committee and the immediate goals of the Association to be formed in the near future. The centre of Africa thus became the birth place of PAPSA.Finally, after many months of anxiety, ground work preparation, consultations, letters, faxes and telephone calls, the letter sent out from the interim secretary on 15 July 1993 read “It is with great pleasure that we announce the formation of the Pan African Paediatric Surgical Association (PAPSA) and advise you of its Inaugural Meeting scheduled to be held in Nairobi from 9 to 11 March 1994.”The minutes of the first meeting to consider the establishment of a Pan African Surgical Association in November 1992 is appended (Supplementary Appendix 6). The office bearers were Interim Chairman: Prof. J. Kyambi, Kenya; Vice chairman: Prof. J. Shija, Tanzania; Secretary: Prof. H. Rode, South Africa and two additional members: Dr. A. Hesse, Ghana; Dr. Ndingo, Kenya. Resolution: that PAPSA should be established within 1 year and that the concept of PAPSA be promoted at all forums. The World Federation of Associations of Paediatric Surgeons endorsed the formation of PAPSA. Four immediate goals were identified:to promote and maintain the highest clinical and ethical standards;to encourage and arrange regular meetings for the interchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge and expertise;foster professional relations with Paediatric surgeons throughout the world;to promote the practice, research and the advancement of study in Paediatric Surgery.Outstanding were the final structure and function of the Association and the formalization of the constitution. On 25 May 1993, Profs. Kyambi and Prof. Rode posted a letter of invitation to surgeons in Africa to become members of the fledging Association (Supplementary Appendix 7). The response was overwhelming. An important next step was to constitute a proposed constitution as was legally required. Many African colleagues contributed to the final constitution of the Association, especially Profs. Shija, Davies, Cywes, Kyambi, Rode, Oliver, and Hamdy.In correspondence with the South African Department of National Health and Population Development on 13 November 1992, the interim secretary again defined the mission of PAPSA: “To serve the children of Africa, to encourage the study of paediatric surgery, to promote and maintain the highest clinical standards, to encourage research within Africa and to have regular conferences for the interchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge and expertise”.On 17 February 1993, a formula was presented regarding the first meeting scheduled for 9–11 March 1994 in Nairobi, with the theme “Towards the improvement of paediatric surgical care for the children of Africa”.This was soon followed by a meeting of interested people during the BAPS conference in Manchester in July 1993 when the Association was discussed with the President of WOFAPS, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Maier, who expressed his delight about the founding of PAPSA. In attendance at the meeting were Profs. J. Kyambi, J. Shija, S. Hamdy, H. Rode, and Dr. L. Ekiabi by invitation.It was resolved to finalise the constitution for ratification and to solicit membership for the fledging Association from surgeons in Africa. The inaugural meeting was scheduled for 9–11 March 1994 and five invited guests were identified as a measure of the widespread acceptance of the concept of an independent Association representing the interests of Africa. These were Profs. W. Maier (WOPCES), J. Boix-Ochoa (WOFAPS), J. Kyambi (PAPSA interim President), K. Ashcraft (Past President APSA), and J. J. Corkery (President BAPS). They were individually acknowledged because of their support and direct involvement in establishing PAPSA.Despite all the logistical difficulties in the African continent, the concept was approved; an interim committee formed; a constitution written; and the inaugural meeting of PAPSA scheduled for the 9–11 March 1994 in Nairobi with Prof. Kyambi as first Chairman and primary organiser. He deserved much credit for all his endeavours to form a fertile field for the initiative during the changing phase in Africa.Information about PAPSA was posted on the 25 May 1993 to most of the established Paediatric Surgical Associations in the World and paediatric surgeons on the African continent. They all responded enthusiastically and gave their full support to the new Association. Summarizing their sentiments, Prof. Andrew Pinter wrote the following on 3 August 1993: " We are deeply convinced that the PAPSA will contribute not only to the maintenance of the highest clinical and ethical standards, but will promote the better understanding amongst the nations and people of Africa, and furthermore, it will strengthen the friendship amongst the paediatric surgeons of the world. Additional interest in the Association came from Francophone countries in West Africa, America, Europe, Canada, England, Scotland, China and India, as well as many other centres in Africa. The widespread support was most encouraging and heart-warming.Recognition of the important and crucial role surgery played on the African continent was not freely forthcoming from International bodies. The reservations WHO and UNICEF had about the position of paediatric surgery in Africa was mentioned in two letters dated 6 September 1993 and 3 March 1994. In 1993, Prof. Kyambi wrote “I am much too aware that the international bodies, that is UNICEF and WHO are not keen to support surgical programs. Somehow the concept they have is that surgery is too sophisticated for developing countries and they put their entire support for Paediatric programs, Mother and Child and Child Survival Programs. They forget that surgery is also geared to child survival. We still have a lot to do”. It took over 20 years for the international bodies such as WHO to understand the need of the surgical child through the launch of the Lancet Commission in 2015 [In 1994, Prof. K. Mukelabai, Regional Adviser for Primary Health Care, wrote to Prof. Kyambi “It is important to remind all the eminent paediatric surgeons at your meeting that the major causes of childhood mortality and morbidity in Africa are all preventable …. Both medical and surgical complications of these diseases are difficult to treat in the late stages”. On a very positive note, however, acknowledgment of the important role surgery played during childhood was emphasised by Prof. F. Bassani, Deputy director of UNICEF Geneva, in a letter to Prof. S. Cywes on the 9 September 1993 in which he categorically stated that UNICEF is committed to help the African Child towards a better future and pledges their participation towards the foundation of the new Pan African Paediatric Association. The regional UNICEF office in Nairobi assisted PAPSA with a sum of USD 3000.As this was a new initiative for Africa, sponsorship was initially difficult to obtain. The interim secretary had tried his best, pleaded, threatened, prayed, and cursed, given up hope, but eventually, with the help and encouragement of all involved with this venture, succeeded in securing financial backing. The first budget submitted was: Expenditure USD 2577.10 and Income USD 19,342.00. Very generous and essential financial support of USD 10,000 was received from WOPSEC (Prof. C. Ghinelli); Department of Foreign Affairs South Africa SAR 11,844; South African Association of Paediatric Surgeons SAR 6000; UNICEF USD 3000; ten pharmaceutical firms (USD 1730.00); SAIDIA SAR 6076; and a personal contribution from Prof. H. Rode, SAR 5642.The Centre for Postgraduate Studies of the University of Cape Town was appointed as congress organisers. The centre’s professional attitude and guidance towards the financial concerns, organisational structure, and personnel communications directly ensured the eventual success of the conference. The British Association of Paediatric Surgeons offered two Heinz Scholarships to PAPSA following the Inaugural meeting and two trainee surgeons, Drs. Q. Ossenou from Coter de’Ivoire and J. N. Muturi from Kenya, were the successful candidates.The final announcement was posted in January 1994. The organizing committee of the meeting was Prof. J. Kyambi, J. M. Ngungu, S. A. Safwat, N. N. Wachira, G. C. Anangwe, S. M. Barrack, P. Ochola-Abila, and Lt Col(Dr)BN Waitara. All of them subsequently played leading roles in PAPSA for many years to come.The Inaugural meeting of PAPSA was held on 9–11 March 1994 at the historical Hotel Inter-Continental in the centre of Nairobi. The theme of the congress was “Towards the improvement of paediatric surgical care for the children of Africa” .The official opening of the conference was an illustrious occasion. The Master of Ceremony was Mr. P. Ochola-Abila and the welcoming address was given by Prof. Kyambi (Interim President) followed by addresses by executives from Ministry of Health, Republic of Kenya (Hon. J. Angatia), SAIDIA (Mr. B. Kliplagat), WOFAPS (Prof. C. Ghinelli), WOFAPS (Prof. W. Maier), Minister of Health and Director of Medical Services (Prof. G. B. A. Okelo). Three keynote addresses were given by Prof. S. Cywes from South Africa, Prof. J. Shija from Tanzania and Prof. Nabham Kadah from Egypt. Prof. J. J. Corkery, President of BAPS, was the after conference dinner speaker. Other important delegates were Dr. E. Kruger (South African Embassy), Prof. Makelabai (UNICEF), Prof. Chube (WHO), and Dr. R. Leakey (SAIDIA).The minutes of the first Exco and inaugural meetings of PAPSA on the 9 and 11 March 1994, respectively, are appended (Supplementary Appendix 8 and 9). Prof. J. Kyambi was the first President with Prof. J. Kaddah Vice president and Prof. H. Rode as Honorary Secretary/Treasurer. Ten members were elected: S. Bankole (Ivory Coast), S. Cywes (South Africa), M. Davies (South Africa), H. Hamdy (Egypt), A. Hesse (Ghana), S. Mutumba (Uganda), P. Nmandu (Nigeria), M. Oliver (Zimbabwe), A. Safwat (Kenya), and J. Shija (Tanzania). More than 80 surgeons attended the 3-day conference Fig. .The Francophone countries were not present at this stage of our evolution, although they have voiced an interest. It was also resolved that PAPSA should have biennial meetings with the venues rotating on a regional basis. The Association’s constitution was ratified after minor changes from the original submission. Of great importance was that there would always be geographic representation.Dr. A. S. Safwat was the treasurer for the first meeting and his hard work and enthusiasm has made organizing the meeting relatively stress free. The conference was successfully concluded with a budget of SAR 82,437.86. In addition, the financial invoice of the 9 February 1994 indicated the complexity of arranging the first meeting of the Association.Many surgeons contributed to the planning of the first scientific program, as it had to be specific to the needs of Africa. These included Profs. M. Davies, J. Shija, H. Hamdy, S. Cywes, J. Kyambi, and executive members from other International Associations. The presentations all addressed surgical conditions commonly seen in Africa, including oncology, trauma, congenital abnormalities, infections, orthopaedic conditions, and paediatric surgical experiences in emerging countries. Debate was vigorous and informative and the keynote presentations were relevant to our problems. Delegates retired after three historical days of scientific deliberations, new friendships were made, while old ones were renewed and strengthened. Upon departure, there was a realisation that Africa now has an Association to benefit the children of Africa. PAPSA was born and it then needed hands to nurture, feed, and mature the child. The second meeting was scheduled for 1996 in Cairo, followed by the third meeting in Cape Town in 1998  on 14 July 1995 and the key role that WOPSEC played in the establishment of the Association was acknowledged.Despite many obstacles, uncertainties and doubt the mission was accomplished. An independent Association was established, representing men and women who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of improving the surgical care of African children, which they so richly deserved. PAPSA  has cleaAs so little was known about paediatric surgery on the continent, delegates considered it important to establish a basic data base for the Association, looking at manpower, facilities, patient numbers and profiles, surgical procedures, training facilities and mortality data. Unfortunately the means of communication were very basic, with telephone, letters and the occasional fax, which made it virtually impossible to obtain and distribute the information at the time. This would be for the future.This is as accurate as we could reconstruct the periods preceding the establishment of PAPSA and the inaugural conference.Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 1031 KB)Supplementary material 2 (DOCX 476 KB)Supplementary material 3 (DOCX 927 KB)Supplementary material 4 (DOCX 1080 KB)Supplementary material 5 (DOCX 1419 KB)Supplementary material 6 (DOCX 913 KB)Supplementary material 7 (DOCX 672 KB)Supplementary material 8 (DOCX 734 KB)Supplementary material 9 (DOCX 1122 KB)


In the original article, one of the authors, Dr. Dimah Z. Habash, is missing from the authors list from one of the references. The correct reference, which was cited as “” in the original text, is the following:J. Exp. Bot. 53, 979–987. doi: 10.1093/jexbot/53.370.979Miflin, B. J., and Habash, D. Z. (2002). The role of glutamine synthetase and glutamate dehydrogenase in nitrogen assimilation and possibilities for improvement in the nitrogen utilization of crops. The authors apologize for the mistake. This error does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way.The original article has been updated.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Capillaria hepatica is a zoonotic parasite in humans and animals and has a worldwide distribution. However, infections in mammals apart from rodents, which are natural hosts of the parasite, have rarely been reported. This report describes the first known case of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan.C. hepatica eggs.A 3-year-old filly without clinical signs was presented at a slaughterhouse in Japan. Gross examination revealed white to tan nodules 0.5 to 1.5 cm in diameter in the parenchyma of the liver. Histologically, the nodules had mature fibrous capsules and consisted of multifocal to coalescing granulomatous inflammations with numerous nematode eggs. The eggs were barrel shaped with an opercular plug on each end and double-layered shells; these findings are consistent with the features of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan. The pathological findings confirmed the presence of this pathogen in this part of the world, and they highlight the importance of this nematode in the differential diagnosis of hepatic granulomatous lesions in horses.To our knowledge, this is the first case of  Capillaria hepatica  is a nematode in the family Capillariidae and a zoonotic parasite with a worldwide distribution. The usual hosts for the parasite are rodents, especially wild rats and mice [C. hepatica infections in humans, 163 cases, including 72 genuine infections have been reported in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania, especially in tropical and temperate zone [C. hepatica is direct [and mice , but theand mice . In a reCapillaria hepatica is a zoonotic nematode that inhabits the liver of the host during the adult stage of the life cycle. The presence of worms and eggs can provoke focal necrosis, fibrosis, and inflammatory reaction in the liver [C. hepatica infection in horses is relatively rare and only two cases have been reported, in the United Kingdom and Canada [C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan.he liver  and resuhe liver . Howeverd Canada , 6. ThisThe subject was a 3-year-old female Thoroughbred presented at a municipal slaughter plant in Japan. It was in good body condition, showed no signs of illness, and passed ante-mortem inspection. On gross examination, within the liver there were multifocal, firm, homogenous white to tan nodules 0.5 to 1.5 cm in diameter scattered in the parenchyma. On the cut surface, the nodules were rich in fibrous tissue with partial calcification. The nodules were harvested from the horse, fixed in 20% neutral buffered formalin, and sent to the Equine Research Institute of the Japan Racing Association for histological examination. After fixation, the nodules were decalcified in Morse’s solution. All samples were embedded in paraffin wax, cut at 4 μm, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.C. hepatica on the basis of their morphological characteristics.Histological examination revealed multifocal to coalescing, partially calcified granulomatous lesions in the hepatic parenchyma. Each lesion measured up to about 1.5 cm and contained nematode eggs surrounded by a fibrous capsule Fig. ; they meCapillaria hepatica is a parasitic nematode with a worldwide distribution [C. hepatica in rodents is unknown, but the eggs or adult worms, or both, have been reported in mice and rats [C. hepatica [C. hepatica in Japan. However, to our knowledge, C. hepatica in horses has not been reported in this country. In horses, hepatic capillariasis is rare and only two cases have been reported—in the United Kingdom and Canada [ribution . Rodentsand rats , 8. Morehepatica . Sekikawhepatica  reportedd Canada , 6. The C. hepatica occurs via the ingestion of embryonated eggs in the environment. In human cases, unsanitary practices, poor hygienic conditions, and the presence of dense rodent populations are thought to be predisposing factors of infection. [Infection with fection. . In addifection. . This hifection. . Childrefection. . The habfection. . TherefoLiver biopsy remains the gold standard method for the diagnosis of hepatic capillariasis , althougC. hepatica infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic granulomas in horses.This paper provides the first report of hepatic capillariasis in a horse in Japan. Although further investigations are needed to determine the prevalence of the nematode in horses, our findings indicate that


Telmatoscopus albipunctatus, a cosmopolitan fly, is widely distributed throughout moist environments. It is one of the most medically important insects  that may potentially cause myiasis. Urinary myiasis and other sites of infestation, including the intestine, nasal passages, lung, and derma, have been reported. This is the first case report of a Chinese middlescent woman infected with T. albipunctatus in Guangzhou, China. In the present report, a 50-year-old woman came to The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, because larvae were found when urinating in the morning; this had occurred every two days within the past two months. She complained of frequent micturition and urgency. Urine tests indicated that all indexes were normal except for slight urinary tract infection. Subsequently, the larvae were sent to the diagnostic section for parasitic infection in the Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. The stereoscopic microscope and transmission electron microscope were used for morphological observation. On this basis, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene was specifically amplified by PCR. Sequence analysis of the PCR product and phylogenetic analysis were used to identify the species. Morphological analysis combined with molecular biology methods indicated that the insect was the fourth instar larvae of T. albipunctatus. Our results show that this was a case of a 50-year-old woman infected with T. albipunctatus larvae in her urinary tract, and the findings suggest that clinicians should be vigilant for this infection. Psychodidae is a cosmopolitan fly that is tiny and hairy. It belongs to the family Nematoceran and is a medically important insect, especially in urban areas. Most of the adults are distributed throughout houses, stinking ditches, or septic tanks, and the larvae are bred in moist environments such as toilets and bathrooms . The . The T. unctatus . Therefounctatus .T. albipunctatus in her urethra. The patient was diagnosed by a morphological examination combined with molecular biological techniques, which provided a more sensitive diagnosis method and timely, effective treatment for the disease.In this report, we first present a 50-year-old woman in Guangzhou, China, who was infected with the fourth instar larvae of A 50-year-old woman who lives in a small town came to The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, because of a urinary tract infection she had had for two months. She complained of frequent micturition and urgency. In addition, three to five larvae had been found in her morning urine, which had occurred every two days. According to the urine tests, all indexes were normal but accompanied by a slight urinary tract infection. Because this case was rare in the clinical context, it was difficult for the urologist to identify the larvae. To make an exact diagnosis, a morning urine sample was collected in a clean specimen container following the guidance of a nurse in the hospital and subsequently sent to the diagnostic section in the Department of Parasitology of the Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine in Guangzhou, China.The larvae were dark brown, slender, and three to four millimeters long by gross observation. In addition, the two terminals were thinner than the body. Subsequently, a stereoscopic microscope and transmission electron microscope were used for further identification. As shown in Figs Psychodidae.The next step was to clarify the larval species. All the procedures were followed as previously described . BrieflyCOX1) gene product was sequenced by the company Majorbio. Finally, after homology searching with the Nucleotide BLAST in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database (http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi), the sequence exhibited 96% homology with T. albipunctatus COX1 gene (Accession No. AB907184.1). The alignments displayed the following: score = 760 bits (411), expect = 0.0, identities = 415/417 (99%), gaps = 0/417 (0%), and strand = Plus/Plus. All these data, ultimately, finally indicated that the larvae were fourth instar larvae of T. albipunctatus.To confirm the PCR result, genetic sequencing was performed to clarify the larval species. The purified cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 . Phylogenetic analysis was used by comparing of sequences that were downloaded from GenBank (AB907184.1, KJ909532.2, KM873618.1, KF289767.1, JQ609303.1, KC404846.1, GQ255652.1, and JQ416156.1; T. albipunctatus reference sequence (Finally, the obtained sequence of sequence .T. albipunctatus.Based on our diagnosis, the patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics for one week, which significantly alleviated the symptoms of frequent micturition and urgency. No larvae could be found in the urine at her last visit. In summary, all the results proved that the larvae in this case were T. albipunctatus is a primitive dipteran of the family Psychodidae whose breeding environment is partial to rotten and wet vegetation. The larvae of T. albipunctatus are commonly found in sewage, bathrooms, and toilets ..T. albipAll these cases indicated that poor sanitation and unhygienic domestic environments, including adverse living conditions, overcrowding, poor ventilation, and inadequate sewage systems, create higher risks for urinary myiasis . Thus, eT. albipunctatus, little has been reported regarding cases with infection by this insect, and many clinicians lack the ability to accurately identify these insects. In addition, the morphology of this larva causing urinary myiasis is similar to that of other insects such as Muscidae, Phlebotomidae, Culicoides, and Culicidae. Thus, the diagnosis of T. albipunctatus remains particularly low in sensitivity, and the delay in suboptimal antiparasitic care is common [Psychodidae by stereoscopic microscope and transmission electron microscope. Molecular biological methods of sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis made us sure that it was the larvae of T. albipunctatus. All these combinatory methods could be used to increase efficiency and precision of diagnosis.Because of the conventional control measures used to kill s common 8]. Ther. TherT. T. albipunctatus infection.Overall, through a morphological examination in combination with molecular biological methods, we accurately diagnosed the patient as having a The acquisition of samples was approved by the medical research ethics committee of Sun Yat-sen University. Informed consent was obtained from the subject, and the experiments were conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this Case Report and any accompanying images.T. albipunctatus is one of the medically important insects, especially in urban environments, that may potentially cause myiasis.T. albipunctatus in Guangzhou, China.This is the first case report about a Chinese middlescent woman infected with T. albipunctatus.Combined with the results of morphological characteristics, PCR amplification, and phylogenetic analyses, we confirmed the larvae were T. albipunctatus.Clinician should pay attention to the infection of


Mr. T is a 78-year-old male who initially presented with stage IV oligometastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with adrenal metastasis. He is a retired pharmacist who comes to appointments with his wife. His medical history includes hypertension, emphysema, esophageal reflux, and hyperlipidemia. He initially presented with abdominal pain. Upon workup, a CT image of the chest and abdomen revealed a solitary adrenal metastasis and one lung lesion. He had laparoscopic resection of the adrenal metastasis. However, shortly afterward, he was found to have metastatic disease in the surgical bed and progression of the lung mass.Mr. T was started on pemetrexed (Alimta) and carboplatin for six cycles, followed by maintenance pemetrexed. He then developed brain metastases and underwent gamma knife treatment to three brain lesions. Subsequently, he was started on gemcitabine and carboplatin for progression of disease in the chest. After four cycles, he went on to receive maintenance gemcitabine.After 2 months of maintenance gemcitabine chemotherapy, Mr. T began to complain of lower extremity swelling, erythema, and minor discomfort. He denied difficulty walking and did not have a fever. After treatment with oral cephalexin, the lower extremity edema improved, and he remained on chemotherapy. However, 4 weeks later, the swelling and erythema in his lower extremities recurred .Treatment with further cephalexin did not improve his symptoms, and he was switched to oral clindamycin. Four days after initiation of clindamycin, his symptoms continued to worsen, manifesting as increased discomfort, increased edema, and now difficulty walking and inability to wear shoes.While Mr. T has a history of hypertension, there is no history of other cardiac disease or congestive heart failure. Nonpitting edema, progressive from +1 to now +3, and erythema were present in both of Mr. T’s legs, with the left greater than the right. The edema did not improve with elevation of his legs, and his feet did not fit into his shoes. He described the pain as minor, about 3 out of 10, though at this point he was experiencing some difficulty walking.Mr. T was afebrile, with a normal white blood cell count. Respiratory, cardiac, and neurologic exams were within normal limits. Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities was performed and found to be negative for thrombosis. Mr. T was then admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and continued workup.Pseudocellulitis. Pseudocellulitis is simply a noninfectious cellulitis. Gemcitabine has been known to cause a rash in 30% of patients, yet less than 1% are grade 3 , diphenhydramine, and corticosteroids in some cases . Mr. T wThis case is an example of a rare side effect of chemotherapy that required further investigation and a review of case reports in the literature to make a diagnosis and a treatment decision.


Ralstonia solanacearum species complex phylotype IV strains, which have been primarily isolated from Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia, have undergone recent taxonomic and nomenclatural changes to be placed in the species Ralstonia syzygii. This species contains three subspecies; Ralstonia syzygii subsp. syzygii, a pathogen causing Sumatra disease of clove trees in Indonesia, Ralstonia syzygii subsp. indonesiensis, the causal pathogen of bacterial wilt disease on a wide range of host plants, and Ralstonia syzygii subsp. celebesensis, the causal pathogen of blood disease on Musa spp. In Indonesia, these three subspecies have devastated the cultivation of susceptible host plants which have high economic value. Limited knowledge on the ecology and epidemiology of the diseases has hindered the development of effective control strategies. In this review, we provide insights into the ecology, epidemiology and disease control of these three subspecies of Ralstonia syzygii. Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, is a serious disease of crop plants in Indonesia. Ratus spp.), stem borers , bacterial rice blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae), the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) and the oriental leafworm moth (Spodoptera litura and S. exigua).Indonesian agriculture is dedicated to the production of food crops for local consumption by an ever expanding population , agriculMusa spp., called blood disease, was first reported on Selayar Island, South Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in 1906 by Syzygium aromaticum trees, Sumatra disease or wooden vessel bacteria on S. aromaticum, was first observed in Sumatra, Indonesia in 1975  is a molecular approach used to compare the overall similarity of whole genomes among different organisms .Recently, members of the revision . The recectively . This cl strains . Of the rganisms . The DDHrganisms . Howevergenicity . R. syzyw Guinea  and has w Guinea . R. syzynd Japan , Korea  gene sequence data has been used to establish the evolutionary history of the R. solanacearum species complex and to determine the phylotype to which a strain belongs . All strains of R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis cluster together into a monophyletic group with certain R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains from Indonesia. In contrast, strains of R. syzygii subsp. syzygii exhibit a greater degree of diversity in egl sequences but the largest level of genetic diversity in the species is present in strains belonging to R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis. Analysis of egl gene sequence data using different phylogenetic methods, including Maximum likelihood, Neighbor joining, unweighted pair group method (UPGMA), and minimum evolution, produce congruent phylogenies (results not shown) but are not able to resolve the three subspecies with certain strains of R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis being closely related to R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis and others more closely related to R. syzygii subsp. syzygii . By employing multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) R. syzygii were examined by MLSA results similar to the analysis of egl sequence data were found. MLSA was not able to clearly delineate the three subspecies of R. syzygii and certain R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains from Indonesia clustered with R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis or R. syzygii subsp. syzygii strains  and the 16S–23S intergenic spacer (ITS) region  region  and also) region , pulsed-) region .Figure 2). However, the leaves may also wilt suddenly and turn brown, but stay attached to the branch. Affected twigs turn reddish brown and progressively die back . Symptoms typically progress to lower branches until the whole crown is affected, and the tree dies within 6–18 months . The discolouration of the xylem can be traced down the trunk into one or more major roots  has been described as the primarily vector in Java , and the vascular tissue throughout the plant exhibits a reddish discoloration, which emits reddish-brown bacterial ooze when cut , can spread the pathogen rapidly over great distances . The disease symptoms caused by R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains on solanaceous crops are no different from those described in the past for R. solanacearum . Internally the vascular tissue becomes progressively discolored in the early stages of infection with portions of the pith and cortex becoming involved as disease develops until complete necrosis occurs.nacearum . The extR. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains have only been isolated from S. tuberosum  was found to not to cause wilting of Cucumis melo, Anthurium andraeanum, Musa spp. and S. tuberosum but retained pathogenicity for S. lycopersicum  than R. pseudosolanacearum strains (28°C).There is little literature describing the epidemiology and ecology of  of time . Unlike nditions . In compHindola spp., and most probably contaminated agricultural tools. Therefore local agricultural departments in Indonesia recommend that agricultural tools used for field work should be disinfected between uses, infected plants should be eradicated and insecticide should be applied to minimize the spread of the disease by insect vectors. Although several insecticides have been tested without effective control, aldicarb and carbofuran granules have provided effective control from 7 to 35 and 28 to 217 days after treatment, respectively (Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis and rhizobacteria which produce indole acetic acid and dissolved phosphate could inhibit the growth of R. syzygii subsp. syzygii. However, the agropolitical challenges of S. aromaticum cultivation in Indonesia has made the application of any disease management strategies difficult (All known clove varieties appear equally susceptible . As indiectively . It has ectively . Antibioectively . Biologiifficult .Hindola spp that may be potential as biological control of the insect vector were identified. H. fulva was found in the population with the unknown species of Hindola, Hindola sp. in Bengkulu, Sumatra, and Indonesia. Stylops sp. was found to parasitize the nymphs and adults of Hindola spp. The nymph of family Tettigoniidae was also found and assumed as the predator of Hindola sp. nymphs (Hindola spp. (Acmopolynema was the parasite of Hindola spp. in Java, Indonesia (R. syzygii subsp. syzygii is a potential natural biological control agent of the insect vector. Hindola spp. eggs collected from clove and 60–80% of eggs collected from the clove related tree, Xanthostemon chrysanthus, were parasitized by Acmopolynema.Some natural enemies of . nymphs . On the ola spp. . A membendonesia . This paMusa spp. may be susceptible to blood disease as no Indonesian cultivars of Musa spp. have been found to be resistant (It is thought that all edible esistant . Howeveresistant .Restricting the movement of planting material from infected areas has been successful in limiting the spread of the disease. A quarantine imposed by the Dutch to limit the spread the disease from Sulawesi was effective for over 60 years until the disease eventually spread to Java around 1987. From this point onward the pathogen has spread rapidly over the Indonesian archipelago and more recently Malaysia.Musa paradisiaca variety from Sulawesi, and “Pisang Sepatu Amora” may be suitable because these cultivars abort the male bud, blocking insect transmission (Removal of the male flower has been found to be effective in controlling the spread of disease as has the use of cultivars that abort the male bud . The culsmission .Musa spp. plants or plant parts out of infected areas, using disease free-planting materials, removing male buds immediately after the emergence of the last fruit, pesticide application as soon as the symptoms appear to reduce vector related spread and sterilizing the knives for harvesting.A combination of basic quarantine and sanitation practices has been suggested to reduce the spread of blood disease . These mBacillus sp and Bacillus subtilis isolated from Musa troglodytarum (Musa spp., therefore the biological control of insects associated with Musa spp. is potential for limiting the rate of blood disease spread. Cosmopolites sordidus, the Musa spp. and plantain root and corn borer insect, is not only potential in damaging banana plantation, but also increases the spread rate of blood disease (Beauveria bassiana (Biological control of blood disease was suppressed by the application of endophytic bacteria including odytarum . Since t disease . This in disease  and Beaubassiana .S. tuberosum cultivars to R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis. R. pseudosolanacearum and R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains against several Japanese varieties of S. tuberosum and breeding lines and indicated that R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains show high virulence to the breeding lines carrying bacterial wilt resistance conferred from the wild Solanum sp., Solanum phureja, which is resistant to R. pseudosolanacearum strains. Several wild species of S. tuberosum such as S. phureja, Solanum stenostomum, and Solanum commersonii have been used as genetic resources to breed for resistance to bacterial wilt worldwide, and certain new S. tuberosum varieties with a high level of resistance have been identified. However, the high levels of resistance of these new S. tuberosum varieties have only been confirmed against R. pseudosolanacearum or R. solanacearum strains. R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis strains have not been commonly used as targets in breeding for bacterial wilt resistance, most probably because this organism has only recently been identified as a taxonomic group within the R. solanacearum species complex and the restricted distribution  of thisRalstonia syzygii with its three subspecies, R. syzygii subsp. syzygii, R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis, and R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis, is a phenotypically, genotypically and pathogenically diverse member of the R. solanacearum species complex. The members of this species have devastated agricultural commodities including S. aromaticum, Musa spp., and solanaceous vegetables in Indonesia. As the diseases caused by these pathogens continue to constrain agricultural production, effective disease management strategies are required.R. syzygii subsp. syzygii, which causes Sumatra disease of cloves, and R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis, the causal pathogen of banana blood disease, have restricted host ranges and geographic distribution, R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis affects many solanaceous crops in several countries in Asia.While R. syzygii subsp. indonesiensis is limited although it is assumed to behave similarly to R. solanacearum and R. pseudosolanacearum. Several disease management strategies have been developed and deployed to exclude, prevent and eliminate the pathogen. However, further work is required to confirm the efficacy of current control strategies and to improve implementation to achieve sustainable disease management solutions.Information related to the epidemiology and ecology of R. syzygii subsp. syzygii and R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis are insect transmitted pathogens. The dissemination of R. syzygii subsp. syzygii depends primarily on transmission via the insect vectors H. fulva and H. striata that feed on xylem sap while R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis can be disseminated non-specifically by insects visiting Musa spp. male buds of infected plants. While control of the diseases caused by R. syzygii subsp. syzygii and R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis is possible by the use of insecticides this approach is not widely used in Indonesia. Both R. syzygii subsp. celebesensis and R. syzygii subsp. syzygii can also spread through contaminated farm tools, plant material, and other human activities.Both Musa spp. plants or plant parts out of infected areas has not been applied effectively in Indonesia due to the difficulties in enforcing quarantine restrictions. The lack of success in the management of these bacterial diseases should become a lesson that promotes the improvement of future control strategies for these important plant diseases.As bacterial wilt pathogens are also soil-borne they are difficult to control and successful management usually depends on the eradication and sanitation practices. The application of biosafety practices on infected farms is highly recommended for the management of bacterial wilt diseases. In the face of the high demand of clove for national cigarette production the Indonesian government has preferred to import clove from other countries. This policy has adversely affected the industry and the management of Sumatra disease of clove tree has been hindered because the Indonesian policy does not prioritize the expansion of domestic clove plantations. For blood disease of banana, preventing the spread of the disease by prohibiting the movement of IS and MF: study conception and design of the work. IS, SS, and MF: analysis and interpretation of data. IS and MF: drafting of manuscript and revising it critically for important intellectual content. IS, SS, and MF: final approval of the version to be published. IS, SS, and MF: agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


There are unorganized, published documents about the ecology of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in northeastern part of Iran. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and characteristics of larval habitats of Culicidae in Kalaleh County.Larvae were collected using dipping method and adults by human landing catch technique during April–October, 2012. Larval habitat characteristics were recorded such as vegetation status, and sunlight, water situation. Lacto-phenol and de Faure’s media were used for conserving and mounting samples. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software, version 11.5.Culiseta, Culex, Anopheles and Ochlerotatus genera and 14 species including An. superpictus, An. maculipennis s.l., An. hyrcanus, An. psudopictus, An. claviger, Culex pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. perexiguus, Culiseta longiareolata, Cs. subochrea, Ochlerotatus caspius, Oc. echinus and Oc. geniculatus. Culex pipiens larvae were predominant (27.6%) and Cs. subochrea (1%) was found as the lowest species in terms of number. In the adult form, Cx. pipiens (28.9%) was predominant whereas, Cs. subochrea and Cx. perexiguus were reported to have had the lowest frequency.Out of the 395 larvae collected, 332 were adult mosquitoes comprising; An. superpictus and An. maculipennis species as the main vectors of malaria in north of Iran were reported in permanent habitats with clear water and vegetation, full and partial sunlight situations and muddy as well as sandy substrates that are important in larvicide application programs. Exclusive studies are necessary to diagnose An. maculipennis species complex using molecular and morphological analysis in the future.The larvae of  Culicidae family is one of the largest and most medically important families of Diptera. By now, 64 species and 3 subspecies have been identified in seven genera and 16 subgenera in Iran . HabitatAnopheles species in the near East of Iran. Culex species. Larval habitats of Cx. pipiens were previously studied in Tehran Province . The samples were collected in plain, slope and mountainous areas. The province is bounded by Caspian Sea and Mazandaran Province in the West, Semnan Province in the South, North Khorasan Province in the East and Turkmenistan Country in the North . Most paSampling was carried out using dipping method for collecting mosquito larvae and night catch for adult collection. Larval sampling method was carried out using standard dipper of 350ml. Each habitat was sampled in different parts of the larval habitats for 10 times. In order to clarify the samples collected, they were conserved and transported to the laboratory in vials containing lacto-phenol solution. The vials were labeled based on sample’s date code and their associated habitats. Features such as larval habitat status , vegetation type, substrate type, habitat types and position of the sunlight were recorded on special forms. The night catch method was carried out using suction tubes from animal baited traps. Animal baited collection was conducted from 18.00 PM to 03.00 AM monthly in fixed animal shelters randomly placed in each village. Sample containers were protected from light and heat and were transferred to the Laboratory of School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where the authors identified the specimens using the taxonomic keys of Culex, five species of Anopheles, two species of Culiseta and three species of Ochlerotatus were identified. The species of mosquito larvae which were reported included: An. superpictus Grassi, An. maculipennis s.l, An. hyrcanus , An. psudopictus, An. claviger (Meigen), Cx. pipiens Linnaeus, Cx. theileri Theobald, Cx. hortensis Ficalbi, Cx. perexiguus Theobald, Cs. longiareolata (Macquart), Cs. subochrea (Edwards), Oc. caspius s.l , Oc. echinus (Edwards) and Oc. geniculatus (Olivier). All the species were found in adult forms except Cx. perexiguus.Overall, 395 larvae and 332 adult mosquitoes in 4 genera and 14 species in seven sampling places were found in this area. Four species of Culex pipiens and Cs. longiareolata were the dominant species reported. The larvae and adult species of Cx. theileri, Cx. pipiens, Oc. caspius and Oc. echinus in all larval habitats were collected and presented in Cx. pipiens larvae with the other Culicidae species was more than the other species  including: An. hyrcanus var. pseudopictus (in the now An.pseudopictus), An. pulcherrimus, An. superpictus, and An. maculipennis group  (in and An. sacharovi). Anopheles pulcherrimus was reported from Ali-Abad of Golestan Province by An. maculipennis, An. sacharovi, An. persiensis based on molecular identification and ITS2 sequences in Mazandaran Province which was bordered with Golestan. An. melanoon, An. persiensis and An. pseudopictus species in Mazandaran Province.Ae. vexans, Oc. geniculatus, Oc. pulcritarsis, Oc. echinus, Cx. hortensis, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Culiseta longiareolata, Cs. subochrea. An. claviger, An. maculipennis, An. plumbeus, An. superpictus, Cs. annulata, Cs. longiareolata, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. pipiens, and Oc. geniculatus in Neka County, Mazandaran Province. An. claviger, An. maculipennis, An. superpictus, An. pulcherrimus, Cx. hortensis, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. modestus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. theileri, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cs. longiareolata, Oc. caspius and Ur. unguiculataAn. claviger was collected in permanent and stagnant habitats with muddy substrate, clear water, without vegetation. This species was only collected from natural habitats. In parallel, larval habitats of this species were reported in spring pools with partial sunlight, slow running water and shaded streams in Iraq and western Iran  in Sari, Babolsar, Mazandaran Province.In this present study, ubstrate . In paraubstrate . At leasAn. messeae and An. melanon from Guilan Province, and An. sacharovi and An. hyrcanus in Golestan Province. This species has been identified in Guilan Province  also cited the occurrence of Province , MazandaProvince . Anopheleviously . An. sacrovinces . Presentechnique . Anophelus areas . AlthougAnopheles superpictus was reported as one of the main malaria vectors and salivary infection was found as ranging from 0.65 to 4.6% . This species with An. maculipennis was considered as the malaria vector during the outbreak of the diseases which had occurred in Azerbaijan at the borderline of the country, Armenia, and Turkey countries in 1990. However, after the independence of the southern republics of the former Soviet Union, Iran was threatened by imported malaria cases . By now, there are no reports about the genotypes of this species in Golestan Province. However, it needs to be studied in the future.ia cases . In presern Iran . Moreoveern Iran , Zarrin-ern Iran , Ardabilern Iran , Rasht Cern Iran  and in Iern Iran . Three gAn. hyrcanus was found as the dominant species in larval habitats followed by An. maculipennis in Kalaleh County. An. hyrcanus larvae were collected from habitats with varieties of 95.5% permanence, 88% stagnant water, and were only collected in clear water, natural habitats without vegetation. Different sunlight situations characterized the larval habitats of this species. The current species prefer the permanent habitats to temporary larval habitats. Moreover, An. pseudopictus prefers the habitats with slow running water while An. hyrcanus prefers the stagnant water habitats.In our study, An. hyrcanus, An. peditaeniatus and An. pseudopictus have been reported in Iran  and adult (28.9%) stages. Further support to this result also came from previous study, Cx. pipiens was reported as the dominant species in Yazd Province  annulata, Cs. (Culicella) morsitans and Cs. (Culiseta) subochrea , located in the western part of Iran. They prefer the habitats with turbid water to clear water and full sunlight habitats to shaded habitats. In Hamadan area of western Iran, the larval habitat of this species was reported as the same larval habitat in our study in turbid to clear water and full sunlight habitats. Unlike the previous study, we found more larvae in shaded habitats (By now, 5 species of ubochrea . In our Province . AssociaProvince . In our Province . This sphabitats  while alhabitats .Ochlerotatus including Oc. caspius, Oc. echinus and Oc. geniculatus were collected; Oc. echinus and Oc. geniculatus in tree hole habitats in northern part of Iran. In our study, all the current three Ochlerotatus species preferred the permanent habitats with slow-running water and muddy bed. In addition, Oc. echinus preferred the clear water habitats while Oc. caspius preferred the larval habitats with turbid water and Oc. geniculatus was found in habitats without vegetation.In our study, 3 species of Ochlerotatuscaspius was reported as a potent vector for Rift Valley fever viruses as well as Dirofilaria immitis in the world (Cx. theileri was next in abundance after this species (he world . This sphe world . In our he world , Zarrin-he world , Guilan he world , Bushehrhe world , Easternhe world  and varihe world . In Kurd species .Ochlerotatusechinus was distributed in the Mediterranean region, north of Africa and southern Europe. In our study, out of the 9% total larvae collected from adult catches using animal baited traps in various areas of Golestan Province-northern Iran, 7.8% were Oc. echinus. In parallel, this species was reported in Mazandaran Province (Province . This spProvince .Ochlerotatusgeniculatus was distributed in the Palearectic Region, Europe, North of Africa and Southeast Asia. In our research, this species comprised 1.5% of the larval collection and 3.9% of adult catches by animal baited traps in various areas of Golestan Province, northern Iran. This species was reported for the first time in Mazandaran Province, northern Iran (ern Iran . This spern Iran .Anopheles were found in a lot of areas in the county. The larval habitats of Anopheles were found and reported in permanent habitats with clear water. Besides, the larvae of An. superpictus and An. maculipennis species which are the main vectors of malaria in the north of Iran were reported in habitats with vegetation, under full and partial sunlight situations and muddy and sandy substrates that are important in larviciding programs. Bionomic studies of other mosquitoes need to be more rigorously studied in the future. Also, more studies should be obtained in order to complete information about of bionomics of mosquitoes in other parts of Iran.The present investigation indicates some biological characteristics of mosquitoes in the northern areas of Iran. Because of diversity in larval habitats and variety in species of mosquito in the County, results of this study could be useful in vector control programs. Several species of


Rodents are an important source of zoonotic diseases for human. The aim of this study was to determine the infectivity of rodents with intestinal helminths in North Khorasan Province, Iran.One hundred and thirteen rodents were collected using different collection methods such as kill and live traps, digging of their burrow, filling of their hiding places with water and hand net during 2011–2013. Their alimentary canals were removed in the laboratory and helminths were determined in the department of parasitology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.Aspiculuris tetraptera, Hymenolepis diminuta, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Protospirura Seurat, Rictolaria ratti, Skrjabinitaenia lobata, Streptopharagus kuntzi, Syphacia obvelata, Taenia taeniaeformis, Trichuris muris, Cysticercus fasciolaris, Acanthocephal. spp and Trichuris spp. Some of them were reported for the first time in new host in Iran. S. obvelata and A. tetraptera were the most frequent parasites and P. Seurat, R. ratti and C. fasciolaris were found only in one rodent.Thirteen species of helminths parasites were found in 13 species of rodents, including This is the first study to investigate the intestinal parasites in rodents in this area. Among different species identified, some of helminths were reported in new host. Rodents are the most widely distributed and largest group of small mammals in the worldwide  and haveThe helminth faunas of small mammals have been studied and documented in many countries –6 and thTrichosomoides crassicauda were the most prevalent species of helminth parasites  viteae  viteae . Eleven  of Iran . Further of Iran .Although some investigations have been carried out on rodent parasites in Iran, there is still paucity of data regarding the parasites of rodents in northeast of Iran. This study aimed to investigate helminth infections among rodents of North Khorasan Province, northeast of Iran.2.The study was conducted from 2011 to 2013 in North Khorasan Province, northeast of Iran with 36°42′ to 38°14′N and 56°03′ to 58°03′E . The totThe samples, which included rodent carcasses, were provided after an assessment of rodent fauna in North Khorasan Province as part of another research project carried out in Vector-borne diseases research center, Bojnurd, Iran . The speRodents were anesthetized and killed by chloroform inhalation. The parasites were isolated from rodent intestines. At necropsy, their alimentary canals were removed and the contents of each part were washed in the laboratory, and the lining membrane of intestines was gently scraped with a scalpels blade and the contents were examined under a stereomicroscope. The large worms were collected from the washed materials.The parasites were transferred to School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences for parasites identification. Cestodes were stained with carmine acid and the nematodes were cleared in lactophenol and were identified based on morphological characteristics . The rodSpecimens’ collection was performed in accordance with the procedures approved by the Ethical Committee of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences.One hundred and thirteen rodents belonging to thirteen species were captured. The microscopic examination of gastrointestinal tract contents revealed the presence of thirteen species of different helminths. Fifty-eight specimens were observed which carry one or more helminth species, resulting in a prevalence of 51.3% .M. persicus , M. musculus (70%) and Allactaga elater (61.5%), respectively. In addition, S. obvelata were found in one Ellobius fuscocapillus.The most diversified parasites were detected in persicus . The higS. obvelata and A. tetraptera were more frequent and P. Seurat , M. musculus (70%) and A. elater (61.5%). However, parasitic infections were not found in Microtus paradoxus and Dryomys nitedulaand.The highest rates of parasitic infection were seen in M. persicus. R. ratti and S. lobata were seen in M. persicus for the first time in Iran. The result of the present study showed that this rodent species was infected with S. obvelata, T. muris, H. diminuta, Trichuris spp., C. fasciolaris and Acanthocephala spp. This result is similar with those of previous studies in Iran (Considering the variation of parasites, eight species of helminth were found in  in Iran , 11.Trichuris spp., S. obvelata, S. lobata, A. tetraptera and Acanthocephala spp. from Meriones lybicus in different parts of Iran (N. brasiliensis and S. kuntzi were seen in Meriones lybicus for the first time in Iran.Several researchers have isolated  of Iran , 15. In S. obvelata, A. tetraptera, Acanthocephala spp., S. kuntzi, T. taeniaeformis and N. brasiliensis were reported in Nesokia indica for the first time in Iran. S. obvelata was reported in N. indica using histopathology method (y method .S. kuntzi in Rhombomys opimus for the first time in Iran. S. obvelata, A. tetraptera and S. lobata have been reported previously (This study reported eviously .M. musculus three species of helminth were found: S. obvelata, A. tetraptera and P. Seurat. Beside, this study is the first to report P. Seurat in this species in Iran. In Kermanshah and Hamadan provinces, west of Iran, S. obvelata was previously isolated from this species (S. obvelata was isolated from M. musculus in Ahvaz city southwest of Iran (, S. obvelata and A. tetraptera were found in M musculus (S. obvelata in M. musculus in Korea (In  species , 11. S.  of Iran . However of Iran . In Brazmusculus , 19. Resin Korea .Cricetulus migratorius of Tabriz city. In present study, we also isolated A. tetraptera from this rodent species (Endoparasites were reported in  species .T. muris and S. obvelata were observed in Apodemus witherbyi for the first time in Iran. In Khorasan Razavi Province, Echinococcus multilocularis infection was identified in this species ( species , but in M. paradoxus, A. elater, C. elburzensis, E. fuscocapillus, C. mistax and D. nitedula, were observed in North Khorasan Province. The following helminths were found in the above listed rodent species, with the exception of M. paradoxus and D. nitedula, for the first time in Iran: S. obvelata in Ellobius fuscocapillus; H. diminuta, A. tetraptera, S. obvelata and T. taeniaeformis in A. elater, A. tetraptera and S. obvelata in C. mistax, and S. obvelata in C. elburzensis. Besides, Syphacia spp. was found in E. fuscocapillus in Afghanistans (S. obvelata and T. taeniaeformis were isolated from A. elater in Mongolia, which is in line with the results of this study (The species of rodents, such as anistans . S. obveis study .Understanding of rodent parasitic fauna in different zoogeographical regions can fill the gap of information concerning the possible potentials for transmission of zoonotic helminthes to humans in the given areas. Northeastern Iran is a region with unanswered questions upon the issue. Since long time ago, the study of parasitic fauna in rodents in North East of the country has been always an attracting subject to parasitologists interested to recognize the role of rodents in zoonotic infection transmission. Further studies are required to answer some other remained questions including seasonal prevalence of each helminth, and to determine the role of paratenic and intermediate hosts involved in the lifecycle of our reported parasites. Thirteen species of parasites have been naturally found in the captured rodents in this part of Iran.


Brucella isolation. Antibodies against Brucella were not detected in feral or domestic pigs. Likewise, brucellosis seroprevalence in horse and water buffalo farms was estimated in 6.5% and 21.7%, respectively, with no Brucella isolation. Six cetacean species showed positive reactions against Brucella antigens, and B. ceti was isolated in 70% (n = 29) of striped dolphins . A steady increase in the diagnosis of human brucellosis cases was observed. Taking into account the prevalence of brucellosis in the various host mammals of Costa Rica, different measures are recommended.Brucellosis has been an endemic disease of cattle and humans in Costa Rica since the beginning of XX century. However, brucellosis in sheep, goats, pigs, water buffaloes, horses and cetaceans, has not been reported in the country. We have performed a brucellosis survey in these host mammal species, from 1999–2016. In addition, we have documented the number of human brucellosis reported cases, from 2003–2016. The brucellosis seroprevalence in goat and sheep herds was 0.98% and 0.7% respectively, with no  Most of the inhabitants are located in the Central Valley, flanked by the volcanic chain and the mountain range. The country is divided in six administrative areas: Chorotega, Central Pacific, Brunca, Central, Northern Huetar and Caribbean Huetar. CR has two ocean fronts: the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In addition, there is the Cocos Island located in the Pacific Ocean ).Strong positive RBT and iELISA reactions were obtained in sera from 37 out of 38 striped dolphins stranded at the Pacific coast of CR . Thirty-iagnosis . All of us spp.) ,27,30,316 type P , correspB. neotomae isolates [B. abortus.According with the Costa Rican National Reference Bacteriology Laboratory (INCIENSA), the number of human cases reported by the health centers over 12 year (2003–2015) period corresponded to 124 patients : fifty oisolates , all othFor most of the history of CR, sheep and goats have been raised in very low numbers and the dairy products and meat of these animals barely consumed . Until 1Brucella infections. Bacteria displaying similar antigenic determinants as smooth brucellae may be the source of false positive reactions [B. abortus infections cannot be ruled out, since this bacterium is highly prevalent in CR [B, abortus or any other brucellae from the tissues of goats and sheep. Although B. melitensis may be present in some Central American countries [B. melitensis free countries.An epidemiological survey for caprine and ovine brucellosis was performed from 2015–2016. Although we detected a minor number of RBT positive reactions in small ruminants, they were regarded as false positives. In spite of the high specificity and sensitivity displayed by the RBT under controlled conditions with a limited number of known sera, this assay is not perfect and some non-specific reactions are expected to occur under field conditions. Therefore, exhaustive clinical, pathological and epidemiological investigations in the serologically positive sheep and goats were carried out, all rendering negative results for the presence of eactions . In addiountries , this baountries . FollowiB. abortus infected cattle and the reported cases of abortions compatible with clinical disease; we believe that some water buffalo populations are infected with Brucella in CR. Moreover, a significant number of the CR water buffalo population originates from Trinidad-Tobago, country endemic for water buffalo brucellosis [Brucella from water buffalos may be related to the natural resistance of these animals to brucellosis in relation to other bovines [Similar to goats and sheep, the number of water buffalos has steadily increased in CR during the last ten years. In 2006 the number of water buffalos in CR was close to 615 animals ; in ten cellosis , 38. The bovines .B. suis was isolated from a domestic pig in the Central region of CR in 1984 [B. suis is currently infecting pigs in the country. in 1984 . Since tBrucella hosts and commonly they do not have the ability to transmit the bacterium to other animals or humans. Therefore, horses are not of epidemiological relevance in keeping the bacterium life cycle; however, these animals are sentinels for the presence of Brucella in other animals, mainly in cattle. Like humans, they become infected by contact with abortions or with infected cattle, and display a wide range of clinical manifestations including articular swelling and general weakness [Brucella, may be an indication of the high seroprevalence of Brucella infections in cattle [Horses are not primary weakness . The facn cattle , includiB. ceti infections in dolphins stranded in the CR Pacific coast were detected for the first time in 2004 [B. ceti active infections have been only documented in striped dolphins from the Pacific Ocean of CR. All B. ceti isolates belong to the same MLVA16 type P. This bacterial group corresponds to a particular cluster distinct from other B. ceti strains isolated in various oceanic latitudes, and it is a hallmark for S. coeruleoalba infections in the Eastern Tropical Pacific [B. ceti organisms were isolated suffered from neurobrucellosis [B. ceti and that many of the stranding events were due to brain infections, as recorded in other latitudes [ in 2004 . A total Pacific . Moreovecellosis . It seematitudes . The suratitudes .Brucella organisms. Here, we reported a steady increase in the number of human brucellosis cases during a lapse of 12 years. Whether the steady increase of human brucellosis reports corresponded to improved diagnosis or to intensification in the number of cases, is not known. The number of human brucellosis cases due to B. abortus is consistent with the high prevalence of bovine brucellosis in CR, and the absence of B. melitensis in sheep and goats, and B. suis in pigs, two Brucella species that display a higher zoonotic potential than former bacteria [B. neotomae [B. canis [Brucella species that are considered of low zoonotic risk.In a previous study in the Central region , in which 71% of the human population consumed unpasteurized dairy products; an overall seroprevalence of 0.87% was detected . Howeverbacteria . In CR tB. canis , which wB. melitensis infections. This seems to be also the case for B. ovis in rams and B. suis for pigs. Consequently, humans are also free of these bacterial species. However, with the increasing number of small ruminant species in the country the risk of Brucella infections arriving from other latitudes requires permanent surveillance, improved management and sensitive and specific diagnostic tools.From the epidemiological perspective, it seems that the population of sheep, goats and pigs in CR are free of Domestic ovine, caprine and swine herds are free of brucellosis in CR.Brucella infections in water buffaloes is highly suspected in CR.The presence of B. abortus infections in horses is highly suspected in CR.The presence of B. ceti cluster type P.Striped dolphins from the Pacific Ocean of CR are the main host of The main clinical symptom found in striped dolphins corresponded to neurobrucellosis.B. abortus, has steadily increased since 2005 in CR.Detection of human infections, due to Brucella infections in different hosts inhabiting CR is relevant for understanding the impact that brucellosis has in the country and for prevention measures.Estimating the presence of


Adelges tsugae Annand, HWA) remains the single greatest threat to the health and sustainability of hemlock in the eastern USA. The loss of hemlock trees leads to further negative impacts on the diversity and stability of ecosystems in the eastern part of North America. It is, therefore, urgent to develop effective control measures to reduce HWA populations and promote overall hemlock health. Currently available individual and integrated approaches should continue to be evaluated in the laboratory and in the field along with the development of other new and innovative methods.Hemlock woolly adelgid ( Tsuga genus in the Pinaceae family. The Tsuga genus contains nine species -4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-yl} nitramide), a chloronicotinyl insecticide, is used for controlling sucking insects, soil insects, termites, and some chewing insects. It is one of the essential insecticides for HWA control in eastern hemlocks in the southern Appalachians [Current HWA control is largely focused on using either chemical or biological methods ,83. Preslachians ,94,95. Ilachians . As a melachians ,98. Imidlachians ,104,105.lachians , which alachians . Researclachians ,103,107.Benton et al. analysed the levels of imidacloprid and its metabolites in the foliage of hemlocks growing in the GSMNP to understand the longevity of imidacloprid treatments. Four to seven years post basal drench treatment, imidacloprid and olefin were still detectable in more than 65% of branchlets, although the levels were below the LC50 for HWA . While tIn 2013, the European Commission adopted a proposal to restrict the use of three insecticides, including imidacloprid, for two years due to the uncertainty about their chronic risk to ecological system . ImidaclChemical control as a stand-alone treatment is not a feasible option in a forest setting due to geographical constraints, or the height of the trees when bringing in equipment is inconvenient . In addiA. tsugae has no known parasitoids and no specific pathogens, so the search for natural enemies is limited to predators [Laricobius rubidus (LeConte), fed a diet of HWA completed development to the adult stage on A. tsugae as well as it did on its primary host Pineus strobi Hartig [L. rubidus has the potential to contribute to the biological control of A. tsugae in the eastern United States. Scymnus suturalis Thunberg moves among eastern white pine, Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and eastern hemlock depending on the presence of adelgid prey; however, this predator is not found on eastern hemlock after July [S. suturalis for a source of adelgid eggs throughout the summer may limit its effectiveness as a predator of A. tsugae [The discovery and utilization of effective biological control agents is critical to help restore hemlock forests ,93. A. tredators . The fewredators . Evidenci Hartig . Therefoter July . The app. tsugae . Another. tsugae .Sasajiscymnus tsugae, a native predator of HWA in Japan was initially imported to and studied in New Jersey. Field evaluations demonstrated that S. tsugae could establish, locally disperse, and survive heat waves in southern states and severe winters in northern states [S. tsugae have been released at more than 400 sites on federal and non-federal lands from South Carolina to Maine [S. tsugae that recovered from the lower crown were relative low [S. tsugae on hemlock trees recovery.An effective biological-control agent should not disturb or disrupt the integrity of other aspects of its native habitat . The iden states . Since 1to Maine . Howevertive low . More reLaricobius nigrinus beetles, which are native to the northwestern United States and Canada, and feed exclusively on adelgids, have also been used for the biological control of HWA. After approval for release in 2000, L. nigrinus were distributed throughout the invasion range of HWA and isolated populations have established from the southern Appalachians to New England [S. tsugae, there is evidence that L. nigrinus can exert substantial mortality on HWA and its preference to feed on HWA over other adelgids, making it a viable biological control candidate [Laricobius osakensis, a species related to L. nigrinus, is a voracious predator of HWA widely spread in Japan. Recently, Arsenault, et al. have shown that L. osakensis, reared in the laboratory in North Carolina with little to no prior exposure to field environmental cues, responded preferentially to odours produced by eastern hemlock (regardless if it was infested by HWA or not) and moved promptly onto it [L. osakensis relies on volatiles produced by HWA’s host trees to locate potential prey. The phenology of L. osakensis is highly synchronous with the life cycle of HWA, making it a good candidate for biological control of HWA in North America [ England ,129,132.andidate . Laricob America ,134,135.L. nigrinus on hemlock has been reported between L. nigrinus, the predator introduced from western North America and L. rubidus [Laricobius species [L. osakensis and L. nigrinus will mate but produce only sterile eggs. This is fortunate because L. osakensis appears to be a better HWA predator than L. nigrinus [Recently evidence has emerged indicating imported predator beetles could hybridise in the field with native species of HWA predators. Widespread hybridisation with asymmetrical introgression towards  rubidus ,133,136. rubidus , and uni rubidus ,137,138; rubidus ; enhance rubidus ; decreas rubidus ,141,142  species . It was nigrinus ,144.S. tsugae and L. nigrinus. In the laboratory setting, S. tsugae showed increased activity during the day and at higher temperatures, while L. nigrinus showed increased activity during the night and in spring-like conditions. In a field study, it was found S. tsugae and L. nigrinus established two years after release onto eastern hemlocks indicating these two predators can survive and coexist. This is encouraging because they differ temporally in their occurrence and predation of HWA with L. nigrinus active from late fall to spring and S. tsugae from spring to early summer [Ideally, a combination of predators should be used to control HWA populations as opposed to one single species. Flowers and colleagues  studied y summer . These ry summer . More reA long-term, sustainable, and cost-effective approach to control HWA will have to integrate chemical control, biological control, and host-plant resistance methods into one comprehensive management programme ,146,147.Laricobius species; and the combination may result in suppression of HWA populations below damaging levels. Hemlock woolly adelgid remains the single greatest threat to the health and sustainability of hemlock in the eastern USA. Currently along with the development of other new and innovative methods, available individual and integrated approaches should continue to be evaluated not only in the laboratory but specific emphasis should also be focus on their application and effectiveness in the field.The introduction of the combination of multiple specialist predators is a promising biological intervention strategy. However, how to translate and test a successful laboratory story in the field on a much larger scale at various geographical locations, and how to effectively evaluate predators’ behaviour in the field, including their immigration and emigration propensity in response to prey abundance or intraspecific and interspecific predator cues, is still largely unaccomplished . Further


Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 2016, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 115–137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000116), there is an error in Results section labeled Test phase. In Experiment 4, the study performed an exploratory post-hoc test of the go reaction times in the training phase, contrasting stop-associated and go-associated items. Control items were excluded. Instead of reporting the results of the full analysis , the authors incorrectly reported the results of this post-hoc analysis in http://hdl.handle.net/10871/17735) is also correct. The interaction between image type and block is no longer significant when control items are included . However, this does not alter the conclusion that encouraging subjects to attend to the items influenced retrieval of stimulus-stop associations: the authors still found a reliable effect of item type in the p(respond|stop) measure during training, a reliable effect of item type during the test phase for go reaction times, and a numerical trend in the test phase for the p(respond|stop) measure. The numerical trends in go RT during training  are also consistent with the idea that learning influenced performance in this task. The correct table is presented below.In the article “Should I Stop or Should I Go? The Role of Associations and Expectancies” by Maisy Best, Natalia S. Lawrence, Gordon D. Logan, Ian P. L. McLaren, and Frederick Verbruggen (


Harmonia axyridis  has been introduced either intentionally or accidentally in different areas outside its native range, where it is often regarded as invasive. Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank) has been recorded to parasitize H. axyridis in the field, both in the native and introduced areas, Italy included. The percent of parasitism found in our field investigation was low (four percent). The effect of exposure time of H. axyridis to D. coccinellae and the impact of parasitization on host longevity, oviposition capacity and egg fertility were evaluated in the laboratory. The acceptance and suitability of H. axyridis as host for D. coccinellae were then studied, in comparison with the native coccinellid Adalia bipunctata (L.), which shares the same ecological niche. The effects of parasitization on female longevity and reproduction capacity in the exotic vs. the indigenous lady beetle were also investigated. The overall results showed that D. coccinellae negatively affected the fitness of H. axyridis, more than that of A. bipunctata. The parasitoid may thus play a marginal role in controlling the populations of the Asian lady beetle, without representing a threat to A. bipunctata. Harmonia axyridis  (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), an active predator of aphid and coccid pests originating from Asia H. axyridd States . The Asily shown , as wellly shown ,40. Our ly shown ,41,42, H authors .H. axyridis was also a poor host for D. coccinellae in the laboratory. The overall results of our study, however, indicated a better possibility of adaptation by D. coccinellae to H. axyridis in the laboratory than in the field. In the experiment aimed at evaluating the effect of exposure time on the development and yields of D. coccinellae in the exotic lady beetle, the rates of parasitism (which ranged from 18% to 36%) were higher than those found in wild samples. The greatest parasitoid yield was obtained with the exposure time of 1 h, which could represent the optimal time to maximize parasitoid production, at least with the host/parasitoid ratio used in this experiment (10:1). The 24-h and, especially, the 5-min treatments gave lower yields. The parasitoid development times were similar between the hosts exposed for 1 h and 5 min and were consistent with those observed, at 24 ± 2 °C, in Coleomegilla maculata lengi Timberlake, a suitable host for D. coccinellae [D. coccinellae is a solitary parasitoid, superparasitism may occur and a single host may thus contain more than one egg and/or first instar larva, but only one larva survives to the second instar [The investigations carried out by de Castro-Guedes and de Almeida  showed tcinellae . Converscinellae . Althougd instar ,46. The d instar ,47,48.D. coccinellae on H. axyridis longevity, oviposition and egg fertility, both the male and female coccinellids exposed to parasitoid lived shorter than the controls, although, for females, no significant difference was found. This finding is in line with the observations reported by Hodek and Honěk [D. coccinellae, as previously shown by Berkvens et al. [D. coccinellae but not successfully parasitized). These data suggest that the parasitoid larval development, though incomplete , was sucapacity .D. coccinellae [Egg fertility was the only parameter negatively influenced by male exposure. The oviposition of unfertile eggs by the non-exposed females paired with exposed males was expected, since host castration was found to be induced by cinellae   to the parasitoid. It has to be stressed that none of the A. bipunctata exposed to D. coccinellae was successfully parasitized in this experiment, whereas 20% H. axyridis produced the parasitoid cocoon. Yet, exposure to parasitoid significantly affected the female reproductive capacity of both species, but especially of H. axyridis.The results of the tests aimed at evaluating the effects of D. coccinellae negatively affected the fitness of H. axyridis, more than that of A. bipunctata. The parasitoid may thus have a minimal impact on the Asian lady beetle population, without changing the invasiveness status of the exotic coccinellid species. The impact of this parasitoid alone, though marginal, may, however, be higher in biodiversity scenarios where other antagonists, including generalist predators [H. axyridis was demonstrated by field data using molecular gut-content analysis [In conclusion, redators  and pararedators ,51 contranalysis . Many faanalysis , the co-analysis  and the analysis . Howeveranalysis .


The intent of this study was to evaluate the program effectiveness of the Project P.A.T.H.S.  (Secondary 1 Curriculum) by analyzing 207 school-based program reports, in which program implementers were invited to write down five conclusions based on an integration of the subjective outcome evaluation data collected from the program participants and program implementers. Secondary data analyses were conducted and 1,855 meaningful units were extracted from 1,035 “aggregated” conclusions. Among them, about 27 and 18% were related to perceptions of the program and implementers, respectively, and most of them were positive in nature. About one-third was related to perceived effectiveness of the program, and most of them referred to enhancement of students' development in societal, familial, interpersonal, and personal aspects. However, difficulties encountered during program implementation (3.34%) and recommendations for improvement (18.11%) were also reported. The present study replicated the findings reported in previous studies and suggests that the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. is beneficial to the development of the program participants.


Toxins, I am pleased to announce the winners of the Toxins Travel Awards for 2017. We had originally planned to fund two awards, but the overall quality of the applications was stellar, and we couldn’t narrow down the winners to just two! We sought additional funding from leadership at MDPI, and I am delighted that they honored our request to fund three Toxins Travel Awards this year.As Editor-in-Chief of Travel Awards were granted to: Dr. Marco Pirazzini, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Cesare Montecucco’s lab in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy; Dr. Natalie Saez, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Glenn King’s lab in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia; and Ms. Rachel A. Miller, Ph.D. student in Dr. Martin Wiedmann’s lab, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, USA . Clostridium botulinum. In particular, Dr. Pirazzini is interested in intracellular routing and processing of BoNTs, including the translocation of the catalytic subunit within the cytosol and the reduction of the interchain disulphide bond. His work has important implications for the development of inhibitors of BoNTs. Dr. Pirazzini has co-authored 19 papers, including 7 first author publications. He has published in such high impact journals as Nature Reviews of Microbiology and Cell Reports. Dr. Pirazzini will use his Toxins Travel Grant to present work at TOXINS2017, sponsored by the International Neurotoxin Association in Madrid, Spain, January 18-21, 2017.Dr. Marco Pirazzini has worked in Dr. Cesare Montecucco’s lab, at the University of Padova first as a Ph.D. student and then as a Postdoc. He received his Ph.D. in Biosciences and Biotechnology: Cell Biology in 2013. Under the supervision of Dr. Cesare Montecucco, his focus of research, starting from the PhD, is the study of the molecular mechanism of action of botulinal neurotoxins (BoNTs) expressed by Toxins entitled “Spider-venom peptides as therapeutics” is one of the 10 most highly cited articles in the journal. Dr. Saez will attend the 19th International Society on Toxinology World Congress on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, Hainan, China, 24–30 October 2017.Dr. Natalie Saez received her Ph.D from University of Queensland, Australia in 2013, where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Glenn F. King. Her Thesis involved a detailed study of the molecular basis by which the tarantula toxin PcTx1 inhibitors acid-sensing ion channel 1a. Upon completion of her PhD, she joined the European VENOMICS Project, was involved in the recombinant production of animal venom peptides for the research and development phase of this project. Dr. Saez returned to Dr. Glenn King’s lab after completion of the project, she continued to pursue her interest in the exploration of animal venoms for the discovery of new therapeutics. Her work focuses on understanding the interactions of toxins with ion channels, in particular acid-sensing ion channels and voltage-gated sodium channels. In Dr. Glenn F. King’s letter of support, he wrote “I believe that Dr. Saez is an extremely talented young scientist with a very bright future in the field of toxinology“. Dr. Saez has co-authored 11 peer-reviewed papers. Her review in Salmonella infections. She also studies the distribution, regulation, and contributions to pathogenicity, of the toxins that are produced by Bacillus cereus group species. Ms. Miller’s Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Martin Wiedmann, writes: “Rachel is an outstanding student and constantly challenges herself in every aspect of her academic life.” Ms. Miller has co-authored 8 papers, including 4 as first author. She will present her work at ASM Microbe (joint meeting of ASM and ICAAC) in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1–5 June 2017.Ms. Rachel A. Miller started her Ph.D. in 2012, in Dr. Martin Wiedmann’s laboratory, where her research focuses on the role of the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) in the pathogenesis of nontyphoidal Toxins Travel Awards. We are grateful to all who submitted applications—thank you for letting us get to know you and your work. The future of toxinology looks very bright indeed. Once again, we are grateful to MDPI for their generous support of young scholars, helping to share their work on an international stage.The editors, managing editor and editorial board members congratulate Dr. Pirazzini, Dr. Saez and Ms. Miller on winning 2017