Crushed Body Research Articles

Epidemiology of skin infection in homeless population in Marseille

Purpose: To describe homeless demographics, chronic medical conditions, ectoparasite and vector-borne disease prevalence over a 19 year-period of time. Methods & Materials: Single-day cross sectional surveys were performed from 2000-2018 using standardized questionnaires and clinical examination of 2387 participants. Samples were collected including: Body lice (2000-2018): Detection of Bartonella quintana, Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Acinetobacter spp., Acinetobacter baumannii (qPCR) Human skin (2014) from hair, neck, arm pits, pelvic belt: Acinetobacter spp., Acinetobacter baumannii. Blood (2014): Acinetobacter spp. (qPCR, culture) Detection of Sarcoptes scabiei (2018): physical examination, dermatoscopy, qPCR (skin scrapings) Results: The population was characterized by a majority of males (95.6%) from North African (49.0%) with a relatively high prevalence of chronic homelessness (44.0%). Pruritus (26.5%) and scratch lesions (17.4%) were recorded. The prevalence of body lice (10.2%) significantly decreased overtime (14.4% in 2000; 1% in 2018). Positive associations were reported between body lice infestations and older age, duration of stays in France for migrants, frequent consumption of alcohol, and tobacco smoking during the 2000-2017 time period. During 2013-2018, we observed Bartonella quintana (1%), Rickettsia spp. (0%) and Borrelia spp. (0%) among 588 body lice specimens. In 2014, Acinetobacter baumannii was found in crushed body lice (42.3%). Homeless infested with body lice were at a greater risk of carrying A. baumannii on the skin (OR = 13, p = 0.004); all blood samples were negative for Acinetobacter spp.. In 2018 we found no scabies in homeless sufffering pruritus. Conclusion: The decreasing prevalence of body louse and louse-borne infection in recent years could possibly be due to the changes in the characteristics of the population but also to the effect of delousing interventions conducted in the shelters by our team or by the shelter staff following our recommendations (providing showers, clothes, laundry and ivermectin treatment).For A. baumannii, we found no evidence that lice can transmit the bacteria through blood circulation, suggesting that infection of lice is due to direct contact with the skin rather than blood feeding. Several risk factors for body lice were identified, allowing a better identification of individuals at higher risk on whom to base targeted preventive interventions.

Description of the lower jaws of Baculites from the Upper Cretaceous U.S. Western Interior

Abstract We report the discovery of lower jaws of Baculites (Ammonoidea) from the Upper Cretaceous U.S. Western Interior. In the lower Campanian Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk of Kansas, most of the jaws occur as isolated elements. Based on their age, they probably belong to Baculites sp. (smooth). They conform to the description of rugaptychus, and are ornamented with coarse rugae on their ventral side. One specimen is preserved inside a small fecal pellet that was probably produced by a fish. Another specimen occurs inside in a crushed body chamber near the aperture and is probably in situ. Three small structures are present immediately behind the jaw and may represent the remains of the gills. In the lower Maastrichtian Pierre Shale of Wyoming, two specimens of Baculites grandis contain lower jaws inside their body chambers, and are probably in situ. In both specimens, the jaws are oriented at an acute angle to the long axis of the shell, with their anterior ends pointing toward the dorsum. One of the jaws is folded into a U-shape, which probably approximates the shape of the jaw during life. Based on the measurements of the jaws and the shape of the shell, the jaws could not have touched the sides of the shell even if they were splayed out, implying that they could not have effectively served as opercula. Instead, in combination with the upper jaws and radula, they constituted the buccal apparatus that collected and conveyed food to the esophagus.

The Hairy Ape

The Hairy Ape

Erwinia iniecta sp. nov., isolated from Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia).

Short, Gram-negative-staining, rod-shaped bacteria were isolated from crushed bodies of Russian wheat aphid [Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov)] and artificial diets after Russian wheat aphid feeding. Based on multilocus sequence analysis involving the 16S rRNA, atpD, infB, gyrB and rpoB genes, these bacterial isolates constitute a novel clade in the genus Erwinia, and were most closely related to Erwinia toletana. Representative distinct strains within this clade were used for comparisons with related species of Erwinia. Phenotypic comparisons using four distinct strains and average nucleotide identity (ANI) measurements using two distinct draft genomes revealed that these strains form a novel species within the genus Erwinia. The name Erwinia iniecta sp. nov. is proposed, and strain B120T ( = CFBP 8182T = NCCB 100485T) was designated the type strain. Erwinia iniecta sp. nov. was not pathogenic to plants. However, virulence to the Russian wheat aphid was observed.

Ethnoentomological Values of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius)

Adult worker ants and brood of Oecophylla smaragdina are a delicacy in the food of tribal groups residing in the forests of Wayanadu and Kasaragod districts of Kerala, India. These tribes use the crushed body of worker ants to make a sauce which is sour. Adult worker ants possess high formic acid (FA) content in their abdominal poison gland reservoir. Oecophylla brood has no traces of FA, but possesses all the essential amino acids, especially tryptophan, leucine, threonine, methionine and lysine in high concentration. Brood also has high carbohydrate content and very low lipid content. Carbohydrate, protein and lipid exist in a ratio 5 : 2.5 : 1 on wet weight basis. Brood is a rich source of retinol, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin, which are present at several times higher concentration than that of the egg of domestic fowl. Among various minerals tested, Na, P, Ca and Mg were present in very high concentration. The tribes made medicated oil using hot extraction of crushed worker ants to treat inflammation of joints and skin infections. Whole-body aqueous extract of worker ants has been shown to have significant antioxidant and anti-arthritic properties. Abdominal gland secretion showed anti-microbial activity against six bacterial and two fungal strains. GC-MS analysis of abdominal glands (Dufour's gland and poison gland) revealed the presence of 39 chemical compounds.

First Report of Maize chlorotic mottle virus on Sweet Corn in Taiwan.

In February 2014, a severe disease on maize (Zea mays L.) broke out in the fields of central and southwestern Taiwan and caused yield losses in sweet corn production. Chlorotic spots first appeared at the base of infected leaves and later developed into systemic mottling. Diffused necrotic patches were also found on leaves or husks of the diseased plants. Moreover, severe rosetting and stunting accompanied by abnormalities in ear production were observed on mature plants. Eighteen leaf samples from symptomatic plants were collected and submitted to our Plant Diagnostic Clinic for virus diagnosis. All of the samples were first tested by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR to detect Maize stripe virus (MSpV) and by indirect ELISA to detect Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) or Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), which were endemic to this area (1). Only 2 out of 18 samples were positive for MDMV, SCMV, or mixed infection of both viruses. Sap inoculation tests conducted on seedlings of sweet corn cv. Honey 236 indicated that the MDMV- and SCMV-negative samples still had an unknown pathogen causing original symptoms in the receptor plants. The isolate from Yunlin county reacted only with the antibody to Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) (AC Diagnostics, Fayetteville, AR) in ELISA. For further identification, the MCMV-specific primers (forward: MCMVg3514F-GGGAACAACCTGCTCCA; reverse MCMVg4014R-GGACACGGAGTACGAGA) were designed from the nucleotide sequence of MCMV coat protein (CP) gene. In RT-PCR using the AccuPower RT/PCR PreMix kit (Bioneer, Daejeon, Korea), an expected 500-bp DNA fragment was observed. This PCR product was cloned and its nucleotide sequence was determined by Mission Biotech Co., Taipei, Taiwan. BLAST analysis of the CP gene of the MCMV-Yunlin revealed the maximum nucleotide identities (99%) with Chinese Sichuan isolates (GenBank Accession No. JQ984270) and 98% identities to four Chinese Yunnan isolates (GU138674, JQ982468, JQ982469, and KF010583) and one Kenya isolate (JX286709), compared with 97% to Kansas isolate (X14736) and 96% to Nebraska isolate (EU358605). Subsequently, the complete nucleotide sequence of the viral genome (KJ782300) was determined from five overlapping DNA fragments obtained from independent RT-PCR amplification. The virus isolate was infectious to sweet corn cultivars Bai-long-wang, Devotion, SC-34, SC2015, and Zheng-zi-mi, on which similar symptoms were developed after mechanical inoculation. During the spring of 2014, a total of 224 sweet corn samples were collected from the epidemic areas of Taichung, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Kaohsiung counties. Samples (n= 161) reacted positive for MCMV in ELISA and/or RT-PCR. In the field survey, more than 20 adult thrips might be observed on an MCMV-infected plant. Two species of Frankliniella were found on maize plants: F. williamsi Hood and F. intonsa Trybom. Maize thrips (F. williamsi), an occasional pest of maize occurring during winter and spring in Taiwan, was characterized by its abdominal sternite II on which 1 or 2 discal setae of equal length with posteromarginal setae were borne (2). Samples with 1, 5, 10, and 30 F. williamsi collected in the field were tested by RT-PCR; MCMV was detectable not only in the pooled crushed bodies but also in a single maize thrips. This is the first report of MCMV occurrence on maize in Taiwan and of the virus transmitted by maize thrips.

Working for Mom and Dad: Are Teens More Likely to Get Injured Working in Family-Owned Businesses?

Recent controversy regarding the issue of children working in family-owned businesses has come to the forefront, pitting safety and health versus parent's right to teach their children the family trade. While studies have characterized injury among working teens, no studies have assessed work and injury among teens employed in family-owned businesses. This study is the first to examine teenagers working in family-owned businesses and to compare the experiences of teens working in family-businesses to the experiences of other working teens. A questionnaire was distributed to 8,085 teens in high schools throughout the five public health regions of Wisconsin. A total of 6, 810 teens responded (84%). Overall 2,858 high school teens aged 14-17 reported working (42%); of which 963 (34%) worked in a family-business. Teens working in family-businesses were more likely to report that their injury was severe, affecting their activities for more than three days, compared with other working teens (33% vs. 21%, P=0.05). The percentage of teens working in family-businesses that reported broken bones or crushed body parts was 17% compared to only 5% of other-working teens. Additionally, teens employed in family-businesses were more likely to file for workers' compensation (28% vs. 12%, P=0.005). Teens working in family-owned businesses may be at a greater risk for more severe injury based on the jobs and tasks they are doing. Teens working in family-owned businesses were more likely to report engaging in dangerous tasks, including some that are illegal under the Hazardous Occupation Orders. More research is needed to assess the dynamics that exist for teens working in family-owned businesses.

Paederus-Induced Keratitis

To report the clinical picture and management of 4 cases of presumed paederus-induced keratitis. The clinical characteristics of the anterior segment and periocular area were presented. The outcomes and healing course of the corneal lesions were recorded. Each patient sustained an accidental eye injury from a beetle while riding a motorcycle. Three cases were complicated by periocular dermatitis. All patients had diffuse punctate epithelial erosions or large epithelial defects on the unilateral cornea. Prolonged corneal epithelialization was noted after lubrication with artificial tears and wearing a contact lens. Reepithelialization was promoted after topical supplementation with 20% autologous serum. All 4 patients had good visual outcomes. Two patients healed with a faint corneal scar. Paederus-induced keratitis could result in extensive involvement of the corneal surface. Keratitis with a large epithelial defect mimicking the corrosive lesion of a chemical burn requires aggressive therapy, such as autologous serum combined with a bandage contact lens. Avoiding contact with the crushed body of the beetle while rubbing the eye is mandatory to prevent this type of keratitis.

Environmental and pheromonal control of precopulatory behavior for synchronized mating in the white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Precopulatory behavior of the white grub beetle, Dasylepida ishigakiensis, was observed under laboratory conditions to determine the environmental factors controlling mating behavior, which is synchronized among individuals at dusk in the field. When light intensity was gradually decreased, both females and males sequentially started moving their antennae, legs and abdomen, then walking, and females rhythmically extruded their abdomen while males opened the elytra to fly. Pheromone release by females was suggested in a wind tunnel assay in which males oriented themselves to both intact and crushed bodies of females, but not of males. When illumination was suddenly turned off, precopulatory behavior of females and males was similarly induced but the frequencies of calling and flying behaviors were significantly reduced as compared with those observed when light intensity was gradually reduced. This result may suggest that gradual darkening is an important factor for their synchronized appearance from the soil and subsequent mating behaviors, including pheromone release in females and orientation flight in males. These behaviors were significantly suppressed at low temperatures below 18°C. This result supports our previous conclusion that temperature is the primary factor controlling the emergence and mating activity of sexually mature beetles in the field.

Occupational rhinitis and asthma due to crickets

Insects may cause airborne hypersensitivity reactions. However, few reports exist on specific allergy to crickets. To report a case of occupational rhinitis and bronchial asthma in a cricket farm worker. A 28-year-old woman developed rhinitis and bronchial asthma related to her job in a farm where she was exposed to crickets: Gryllus campestris, Gryllus bimaculatus, and Acheta domestica. Extracts were prepared from whole and crushed bodies and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Skin prick tests, specific IgE assays (enzyme allergosorbent test [EAST], immunoblotting, EAST inhibition assays), serial peak expiratory flow monitoring at work, and specific (A domestica) and nonspecific bronchial challenge tests were performed. Skin prick test results were positive for G campestris, G bimaculatus, and A domestica. Levels of specific IgE were 2.9, 2.4, and 5.4 kU/L, respectively. The total IgE level was 131 kU/L. Serial peak expiratory flow monitoring at work was consistent with occupational asthma. The result of a bronchial challenge test with A domestica was positive with a dual response and elicited an increase in nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis immunoblotting revealed a similar pattern of IgE-binding bands with the 3 cricket extracts (bands of 78 and 64 kDa appeared in nonreducing conditions, whereas bands of 107 to 80, 58, and 52 kDa appeared in reducing conditions). None of these bands was detected by control sera. EAST inhibition studies showed a high degree of cross-reactivity among the 3 species. Crickets are responsible for occupational rhinitis and asthma by an IgE mechanism. Cross-reactivity among the crickets tested in our study was found.

Locust: the devastating rise and mysterious disappearance of the insect that shaped the American frontier

The story of America's most extraordinary insect, brilliantly recounted by scientist who solved mystery of its extinction. Throughout nineteenth century, swarms of locusts regularly swept across continent, turning noon into dusk, demolishing farm communities, and bringing trains to a halt as crushed bodies of insects greased rails. In 1876, US Congress declared locust the single greatest impediment to settlement of country. From Dakotas to Texas, from California to Iowa, swarms pushed thousands of settlers to brink of starvation, prompting federal government to enlist some of greatest scientific minds of day and thereby jumpstarting fledgling science of entomology. Over next few decades, Rocky Mountain locust suddenly--and mysteriously--vanished. A century later, Jeffrey Lockwood set out to discover why. Unco nvinced by reigning theories, he searched for new evidence in musty books, crumbling maps, and crevassed glaciers, eventually piecing together elusive answer: A group of early settlers unwittingly destroyed locust's sanctuaries just as insect was experiencing a natural population crash. Drawing on historical accounts and modern science, Locust brings to life cultural, economic, and political forces at work in America in late-nineteenth century, even as it solves one of greatest ecological mysteries of our time.

A land plant not a sponge: A re-evaluation of the Mississippian demosponge Vintonia and the family Vintoniidae

In 1956 two fossil specimens were exposed in concretions associated with two crushed body chambers of the orthoconic nautiloid Rayonnoceras sp. recovered from the Fayetteville Shale (Chesterian, upper Mississippian) of northern Arkansas. The two specimens were subsequently described as a new genus and species of demosponge, Vintonia doris Nitecki and Rigby and placed in the new family Vintoniidae (Nitecki and Rigby, 1966). The specimens were described as silicified. Nitecki and Rigby's analysis, based on the presence of an assumed skeletal net resembling the spongin net of Recent sponges, suggested that the specimens were demosponges with sycon structure. The “net” was considered spongin because of its geometric pattern and cellular appearance. That interpretation led to the placement of the specimens in the Order Keratosida despite the presence of an apparently well-developed ectosomal region, a feature that is not common in the Keratosida (Nitecki and Rigby, 1966).

A LAND PLANT NOT A SPONGE: A RE-EVALUATION OF THE MISSISSIPPIAN DEMOSPONGE VINTONIA AND THE FAMILY VINTONIIDAE

In 1956 two fossil specimens were exposed in concretions associated with two crushed body chambers of the orthoconic nautiloid Rayonnoceras sp. recovered from the Fayetteville Shale (Chesterian, upper Mississippian) of northern Arkansas. The two specimens were subsequently described as a new genus and species of demosponge, Vintonia doris Nitecki and Rigby and placed in the new family Vintoniidae (Nitecki and Rigby, 1966). The specimens were described as silicified. Nitecki and Rigby's analysis, based on the presence of an assumed skeletal net resembling the spongin net of Recent sponges, suggested that the specimens were demosponges with sycon structure. The “net” was considered spongin because of its geometric pattern and cellular appearance. That interpretation led to the placement of the specimens in the Order Keratosida despite the presence of an apparently well-developed ectosomal region, a feature that is not common in the Keratosida (Nitecki and Rigby, 1966).

Species-specific primer for identification of Anopheles quadriannulatus sp. B (Diptera: Culicidae) from Ethiopia using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay.

Anopheles quadriannulatus Theobald historically has been reported from southern Africa, Zanzibar islands, and Ethiopia. However, based on evidences of genetic incompatibility between crosses of South African and Ethiopian populations, the population from Ethiopia was recently reported as a distinct species designated as An. quadriannulatus sp. B. An. quadriannulatus sp. A, denoted the southern African population. To distinguish the two populations, the IGS (intergenic spacer) region of rDNA was sequenced to design a primer specific for An. quadriannulatus sp. B. A cocktail polymerase chain reaction (PCR) involving Anopheles gambiae Giles universal (UN) primer, the new primer and other primers specific for members of the An. gambiae complex produced the expected diagnostic products for the respective species. Using extracted DNA and crushed body parts as sources of template DNA, this assay was reliably used to identify samples of An. quadriannulatus sp. B.

Oat sterile-dwarf virus disease

This paper presents a summary of new evidence for regarding sterility and dwarfing of oats (OSDV) as a virus disease. Brief references are also made to the identification of a further virus in Czechoslovakia-the wheat striate virus (WSV). Both viruses are transmitted by the leafhopperCalligypona pellucida F. The wheat striate virus differs from the oat sterile-dwarf virus in that it can be passed transovarially by the infected females of the vector to their progeny. This characteristic, which made it possible for the two viruses to be separated from each other, was demonstrated for the first time for pathogenic viruses on the European continent in this case. OSDV can be transmitted by leafhopper larvae and adults. The time during which OSDV circulates in the vector’s body is very variable; it is usually three to four weeks. The incubation period of OSDV was three to four weeks for oats, four to seven weeks for wheat and barley; rye only showed retarded growth after four weeks. For infection to take place it was necessary for the vector to remain for a minimum of half-an-hour on the test plant; 100% infection was obtained when the vector remained on the plant for three days. The injury inflicted by OSDV on the host does not increase proportionately either with the duration of the feeding period or with an increase in the number of vectors on the plant. Concentrated extracts of the crushed bodies of infectious leafhoppers produced no symptoms of disease, when rubbed or injected into oat plants. Nor were attempts to transfer OSDV and WSV through soil or dodder successful. OSDV was, however, transferred by grafting. Both viruses gave rise to characteristic symptoms inAvena fatua L. andPoa annua L. These findings are discussed from the etiological point of view.

A Response of Worker Ants to Dead Ants of their own Species

DURING experiments on the foraging methods of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.) in Nigeria, a well-defined response of worker ants to the dead bodies of workers of their own species has been observed. When some of the workers returning to their nest after feeding at a bait were killed by crushing, the passage of ants to and from the bait was interrupted at the place where the crushed ant lay. A worker ant, whether moving on a trail or searching for food independently, which encountered the crushed body of another worker, stopped sharply about 1 cm. from the body, and after a brief antennal palpation of the air towards the body or of the body itself, turned and ran away. The response was to the body and not to the act of crushing or to the experimenter's fingers, as the body of an ant crushed elsewhere and placed in a trail with forceps produced the same effect. The actual presence of the body is not necessary, as the same response was obtained at the point where a body had been laid and afterwards removed (Table 1). The response was observed equally when the body of a worker from a different colony of M. pharaonis was used. The freshly crushed bodies of some other species of ant are, however, treated as food.

NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE GREAT BASIN TENT CATERPILLAR, MALACOSOMA FRAGILIS STRETCH (LEP., LASIOCAMPIDAE)

The great basin tent-caterpillar is the most abundant form of Malacosoma found in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. In Colorado, the species is often a serious pest of the aspen. It feeds upon a wide variety of deciduous trees and shrubs. In the foothills, Rhus trilobata and Prunus melanocarpa are frequently attacked. Whole aspen groves at higher altitudes are often defoliated by this species. In the mountains, the migrating larvae have occasionally been so numerous as to stop locomotives by greasing the rails with their crushed bodies.