The First Record of the Invasive Asian Fish Tapeworm (Schyzocotyle Acheilognathi) from An Endemic Cichlid Fish in Madagascar

The Asian fish tapeworm, Schyzocotyle acheilognathi (Yamaguti, 1934) (Cestoda: Bothriocephalidea), is an invasive parasite of freshwater fishes that have been reported from more than 200 freshwater fish worldwide. It was originally described from a small cyprinid, Acheilognathus rombeus, in Japan but then has spread, usually with carp, minnows or guppies, to all continents including isolated islands such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Cuba or Sri Lanka. In the present account, we report the first case of the infection of a native cichlid fish, Ptychochromis cf. inornatus (Perciformes: Cichlidae), endemic to Madagascar, with S. acheilognathi. The way of introduction of this parasite to the island, which is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, is briefly discussed.

Impaired intention-to-treat survival after listing for liver transplantation in children with biliary atresia compared to other chronic liver diseases: 20 years' experience from the Nordic countries

Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common indication for LT in children. We investigated whether this diagnosis per se, compared to other chronic liver diseases (OCLD), had an influence on patient survival. Data from 421 Scandinavian children, 194 with BA and 227 with OCLD, listed for LT between 1990 and 2010 were analyzed. The intention-to-treat survival and influencing risk factors were studied. Patients with BA had higher risk of death after listing than patients with OCLD. The youngest (<1 year) and smallest (<10 kg) children with the highest bilirubin (>510 μmol/L), highest INR (>1.6), and highest PELD score (>20) listed during 1990s had the worst outcome. Given the same PELD score, patients with BA had higher risk of death than patients with OCLD. For adolescents, low weight/BMI was the only prognostic marker. Impaired intention-to-treat survival in patients with BA was mainly explained by more advanced liver disease in younger ages and higher proportion of young children in the BA group rather than diagnosis per se. PELD score predicted death, but seemed to underestimate the severity of liver disease in patients with BA. Poor nutritional status and severe cholestasis had negative impact on survival, supporting the "sickest children first" allocation policy and correction of malnutrition before surgery.

Influence of Renal Angiography in Living Potential Kidney Donors

The angiograms of 258 potential kidney donors were retrospectively reviewed to assess the influence of angiography for deciding whether or not to accept the potential donor for nephrectomy and which kidney to use for transplantation. Twenty-five potential donors were rejected. In only 8 of these was angiography necessary to reveal the pathology. Angiography was found to be important in deciding which kidney to donate. In 81 donors the right kidney was used for donation and in 50 this decision was based on findings at angiography.

[Therapy of inherited diseases of platelet function. Interdisciplinary S2K guideline of the Permanent Paediatric Committee of the Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research (GTH e. V.)]

Inherited disorders of platelet function are a heterogeneous group. For optimal prevention and management of bleeding, classification and diagnosis of the underlying defect are highly recommended. An interdisciplinary guideline for a diagnostic approach has been published (AWMF # 086-003 S2K; Hämostaseologie 2014; 34: 201-212). Underlying platelet disorder, platelet count, age and clinical situation modify treatment. Exclusive transfusion of platelet concentrates may be inappropriate as potentially adverse effects can outweigh its benefit. A stepwise and individually adjusted approach for restitution and maintenance of haemostasis is recommended. Administration of antifibrinolytics is generally endorsed, but is of particular use in Quebec disease. Restricted to older children, desmopressin is favourable in storage pool disease and unclassified platelet disorders. Although licensed only for patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia and alloantibodies, in clinical practice rFVIIa is widely used in inherited platelet disorders with severe bleeding tendency. This guideline aims at presenting the best available advice for the management of patients with inherited platelet function disorders.

Helminth parasites of cats from the Vientiane Province, Laos, as indicators of the occurrence of causative agents of human parasitoses

A total of 55 domestic cats (Felis catus f. domestica) and one wild (Bengal) cat (Prionaluirus bengalensis) from the Vientiane Province, central Laos, were examined for helminth parasites with emphasis given to potential human parasites. The following species were found (parasites infective to man marked with an asterisk): Opisthorchis viverrini, Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui, H. yokogawai, Stellantchasmus falcatus (Digenea); Spirometra sp., Dipylidium caninum, Taenia taeniaeformis (Cestoda); Capillariidae gen. sp., Toxocara canis, T. cali, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, A. tubaeforme, Gnathostoma spinigerum, Physaloptera preputialis (Nematoda); and Oncicola sp. (Acanthocephala). This study demonstrated that examination of cats may provide useful data on the occurrence of helminths which are potential causative agents of human diseases.

[Surgical treatment of gynecomastia: an algorithm]

INTRODUCTIONS

Gynecomastia is a persistent benign uni- or bilateral enlargement of the male breast ranging from small to excessive findings with marked skin redundancy. In this paper we introduce an algorithm to facilitate the selection of the appropriate surgical technique according to the presented morphological aspects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The records of 118 patients (217 breasts) with gynecomastia from 01/2009 to 08/2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The authors conducted three different surgical techniques depending on four severity grades. The outcome parameters complication rate, patient satisfaction with the aesthetic result, nipple sensitivity and the need to re-operate were observed and related to the employed technique.

RESULTS

In 167 (77%) breasts with moderate breast enlargement without skin redundancy (Grade I-IIa by Simon's classification) a subcutaneous semicircular periareolar mastectomy was performed in combination with water-jet assisted liposuction. In 40 (18%) breasts with skin redundancy (Grade IIb) a circumferential mastopexy was performed additionally. An inferior pedicled mammaplasty was used in 10 (5%) severe cases (Grade III). Complication rate was 4.1%. Surgical corrections were necessary in 17 breasts (7.8%). The patient survey revealed a high satisfaction level: 88% of the patients rated the aesthetic results as "very good" or "good", nipple sensitivity was rated as "very good" or "good" by 83%.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment of gynecomastia should ensure minimal scarring while respecting the aesthetic unit. The selection of the appropriate surgical method depends on the severity grade, the presence of skin redundancy and the volume of the male breast glandular tissue. The presented algorithm rarely leads to complications, is simple to perform and shows a high satisfaction rate and a preservation of the nipple sensitivity.

Histopathological and ultrastructural studies of the tapeworm Monobothrium wageneri (Caryophyllidea) in the intestinal tract of tench Tinca tinca

Monobothrium wageneri is a monozoic caryophyllidean tapeworm of tench Tinca tinca. The pathological changes caused by this parasite within the intestinal tract of wild tench are described for the first time. Parasites were found attached to the anterior third of the intestine in tight clusters comprising up to 109 tapeworms. Infection was associated with the formation of raised inflammatory swellings surrounding the parasites. This host response, combined with the deep penetration of the scolex into the gut wall, formed a very firm seat of parasite attachment. Histopathological changes were characterised by a pronounced fibrogranulomatous lesion that extended through all layers of the intestine. This was accompanied by haemorrhage, oedema, necrosis and degeneration of the muscularis. A marked eosinophilic interface layer between the scolex of the tapeworm and gut wall indicated intimate host-parasite contact. Ultrastructural examinations revealed coniform spinitriches covering the neck and lateral sides of the scolex and capilliform filitriches present on the apical end of the scolex. Numerous glandular cytons (tegumental glands) were recorded throughout the scolex tegument. Large numbers of secretory granules discharged from the glands through a network of processes onto the scolex surface were consistent with distancing the cellular responses of the host. Observations of severe inflammatory lesions, partial intestinal occlusion and the potential for intestinal perforation represent important pathological changes that are consistent with loss of normal gut function. The lesions associated with the attachment of M. wageneri are more severe than those recorded for any other tapeworm of British freshwater fish.

Processive behaviour of kinesin observed using micro-fabricated cantilevers

The mechanical characterization of biomolecular motors requires force sensors with sub-piconewton resolution. The coupling of a nanoscale motor to this type of microscale sensors introduces structural deformations in the motor according to the thermally activated degrees of freedom of the sensor. At present, no simple solution is available to reduce these effects. Here, we exploit the advantages of micro-fabricated cantilevers to produce a force sensor with essentially one degree of freedom and a spring constant of 0.03 pN nm(-1) for the study of the molecular motor protein kinesin-1. During processive runs, the cantilever constrains the movement of the cargo binding domain of kinesin in a straight line, parallel to the microtubule track, and excludes specific reaction coordinates such as cargo rotation. In these conditions, we measured a step size of 8.0 ± 0.4 nm and a maximal unloaded velocity of 820 ± 80 nm s(-1) at saturated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration. We concluded that the motor does not need to rotate its tail as it moves through consecutive stepping cycles.

Predicting neurodevelopmental impairment in preterm infants by standardized neurological assessments at 6 and 12 months corrected age

AIM

Neurodevelopmental impairment in very preterm infants can be reasonably diagnosed by 18-24 months corrected age, whereas the predictive value of earlier assessments is debated. We hypothesized that neurological findings at 6 and 12 months indicative of subsequent cerebral palsy predict 18-24 months' neurodevelopmental impairment.

METHODS

Neurodevelopmental examinations (Griffiths scales) at 20 months of age in 561 preterm infants (birth weight <1 500 g) were compared with results of standardized neurological examinations (Early Motor Pattern Profile; EMPP) and Griffiths scales at 6 (n = 451) and 12 months (n = 496) corrected age.

RESULTS

Griffiths developmental quotients at 20 months were weakly but significantly related to EMPP scores at 6 (R(s) = 0.328) and 12 months (R(s) = 0.493). Areas under receiver operator characteristic curves for the EMPP to predict neurodevelopmental impairment (Griffiths scores <or=75) at 20 months were 0.772 (0.890) at 6 (12) months, compared to 0.915 (0.962) for Griffiths scores. By contrast, EMPP and Griffiths scores had equal power to predict unability to walk unaided at 2 years of age (EMPP 6/12 months: 0.946/0.983; Griffiths 6/12 months: 0.935/0.985).

CONCLUSION

Neurological examinations with the EMPP at 6 and 12 months corrected age are of limited value to predict neurodevelopmental impairment at 20 months.

Platelet-dependent coagulation assays for factor VIII efficacy measurement after substitution therapy in patients with haemophilia A

FVIII therapy for haemophilia A is safe and effective, with the problem of individually sufficient efficacy unsettled. Routine one-stage clotting assays and tests employing chromogenic substrates poorly detect individual haemostatic effects of FVIII due to artificial test conditions. In particular, the use of cell-free and diluted plasma samples neglect the crucial role of platelets for thrombin and fibrin formation. To optimize FVIII substitution therapy, we measured in 40 patients with severe to mild haemophilia A before and after FVIII substitution the FVIII activity in cell-free plasma samples using a one-stage clotting assay as well a chromogenic substrate assay and compared the data with those obtained with cell-based coagulation tests, i.e. thrombin generation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and thromboelastography (TEG) in samples of citrated whole blood (WB). To determine the maximum ex vivo haemostatic effect we added 1 unit/ml of FVIII to samples of PRP and WB and measured the maximum thrombin generation in the thrombin generation test (TGT) and the maximum clot firmness (MCF) in TEG. After FVIII substitution we observed a nearly linear relation between the individual FVIII activities administered to the patients and the activities measured in the plasma samples. However, data obtained with TGT and TEG revealed a high inter-individual variation and a very poor correlation to the administered FVIII activity. Actually, it could be shown that FVIII substitution yielding in a FVIII plasma activity of about 30% is sufficient to get an ex vivo haemostatic effect of more that 90% as measured by maximum thrombin generation and MCF. FVIII substitution up to a plasma activity of more than 90% did not further enhance the haemostatic effect. Our data clearly demonstrate that the haemostatic effect of FVIII is not only dependent on the activity that is measured in plasma but also depends on the interplay between coagulation and blood cells, in particular with platelets. The use of cell-based coagulation tests such us TGT or TEG may help to optimize FVIII therapy by determining the individual FVIII dosage that produces a maximum haemostatic effect.

Lung hyperinflation: foe or friend?

Breath-hold divers employ glossopharyngeal insufflation (GI) in order to prevent the lungs from compressing at great depth and to increase intrapulmonary oxygen stores, thus increasing breath-hold time. The presented case study shows the physiological data and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) findings of acute hyperinflation, deliberately induced by GI, in a breath-hold diver and discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the associated hazards of this unique competitive sport. Static and dynamic lung volumes and expiratory flows were within the normal range, with vital capacity and peak expiratory flow being higher than the predicted values. Airway resistance and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide were normal. Static compliance was normal and increased five-fold with hyperinflation. dMRI revealed a preserved shape of the thorax and diaphragm with hyperinflation. A herniation of the lung beneath the sternum and enlargement of the costodiaphragmatic angle were additional findings during the GI manoeuvre. After expiration, complete resolution to baseline was demonstrated. Hyperinflation can be physiological and even protective under abnormal physical conditions in the sense of acute adaptation to deep breath-hold diving. Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging is adequate for visualisation of the sequence of the glossopharyngeal insufflation manoeuvre and the complete reversibility of deliberate hyperinflation.

[The oculocardiac reflex in blepharoplasties]

The oculocardiac reflex (OCR) is a well-known phenomenon in ophthalmic surgery, but is rarely described in aesthetic blepharoplasty surgery. It was first mentioned in 1908 by Ascher and Dagnini. Since then, ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists have regarded the onset of the oculocardiac reflex as a significant intraoperative problem, which is undermined by several case reports that describe dysrhythmias which have haved caused morbidity and death. Per definition the OCR is caused by ocular manipulation and involves intraoperative bradycardia by a change of 20 beats/minute compared to the preoperative heart rate or any dysrhythmia during the manipulation via a trigeminal-vagal-mediated reflex arc. Having operated on a 48-year-old, healthy woman in our clinic, who underwent a cardiac arrest during the blepharoplasty procedure, followed by a successful resuscitation, we investigated the onset of the OCR in our blepharoplasty patients within the last 3 years. The onset of the OCR was noted in 22 of 110 (20 %) blepharoplasty patients, mainly affecting younger, low-weighted patients operated under local anaesthesia. Awareness and treatment of this potentially life-threatening oculocardiac reflex are necessary. In most cases the onset of the reflex may be avoided by a gentle operation technique and by refraining from severe traction to the muscle or fat pad. The best treatment of a profound bradycardia caused by the OCR is to release tension to the muscle or fat pad in order to permit the heart rate to return to normal. Intraoperative monitoring is of utmost importance.

[Cost analysis of conservative versus operative therapy of macromastia]

Macromastia causes back and neck pain, scaphodynia, intertrigo of the inframammary crease up to dysaesthesia. Typical complaints of patients with macromastia are physical burden, psychological irritation and aesthetic deformity, often resulting in social isolation. Despite the demonstrable success of reduction mammaplasty to eliminate not only the symptoms of macromastia but the cause of the ailment, conservative therapy is still favoured by insurance companies and bearing of costs for surgical therapy therefore is rejected. Expenses of conservative treatment as well as costs related to appeal and lawsuits against insurance decisions exceed the case-based lump sum of reduction mammaplasty manifold. Conservative treatments do not eliminate the causes of the illness. Therefore the rejection of a medically indicated reduction mammaplasty has to be regarded as unfavourable and economically inefficient.

Diversity and distribution of fish tapeworms of the "Bothriocephalidea" (Eucestoda)

Recent studies have demonstrated the invalidity of the Pseudophyllidea, a long-term recognised order of tapeworms (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda), typical in possessing two dorsoventrally situated attachment organs called bothria. In fact, cestodes parasitic in tetrapods, especially mammals including man, form a relatively basal group called provisionally the "Diphyllobothriidea", whereas tapeworms occurring in freshwater and marine fish, with a few taxa known from amphibians (frogs and newts), belong to a more derived clade, for which the name "Bothriocephalidea" is tentatively proposed. Revision of the "Bothriocephalidea", based on literary data, study of type- and voucher specimens and extensive newly collected material made it possible to critically review the species composition of the group and to prepare a tentative list of its valid species. Out of 305 nominal taxa, only 125 species are considered to be valid. In addition, the spectrum of definitive hosts and geographical distribution of bothriocephalideans are briefly discussed.

Diagnostic Management of Benign and Malignant Pheochromocytoma

As rare and thus often overlooked hormone-secreting tumors, pheochromocytomas pose a particular diagnostic challenge. Difficulties involve biochemical confirmation, localizing, and detection of malignancy. Measurement of free plasma metanephrines, genetic testing and specific imaging procedures--such as MIBG and octreotide scintigraphy or fluorodopamine PET--represent a considerable progress, and the management of benign pheochromocytomas has become very effective. However, a comparable improvement in the prognosis of malignant chromaffin cell tumors, which occur in approximately 10-15% of all cases, has not yet been achieved. Here, telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) activity and heat shock protein 90 expression could serve both as molecular markers allowing an earlier diagnosis of malignancy and as therapeutic targets. Familial syndromes should be considered both in benign and malignant pheochromocytoma, and should be tested for prior to surgery in selected patient groups.

Invalidity of three Palaearctic species of Triaenophorus tapeworms (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea): evidence from morphometric analysis of scolex hooks

A comparative study of the scolex hook morphology of five species of tapeworms of the genus Triaenophorus Rudolphi, 1793 (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea), parasites of pikes (Esox lucius L. and E. reichertii Dybowski) in the Palaearctic Region, was carried out. Measurements of scolex hooks of 81 plerocercoids and 492 adults from different hosts and regions were compared using basic statistics and forward stepwise linear discriminant analysis. The shape of the scolex and that of tridental hooks were found to be suitable only for differentiation of the taxa with a similar shape of hooks, i.e. Triaenophorus nodulosus (Pallas, 1781) from T. amurensis Kuperman, 1968, and T. crassus Forel, 1868 from T. meridionalis Kuperman, 1968 and T. orientalis Kuperman, 1968, respectively. In contrast, discriminant analysis did not enable reliable separation of specimens of individual taxa of these two morphological groups due to high intraspecific variability and overlaps between species. This was reflected in low classification efficiencies (average 83%) of all species of the T. crassus group, whereas all T. amurensis specimens were misidentified as T. nodulosus. The new data also considerably enlarge (up to twofold) the size range of the species described by Kuperman in 1968, which invalidates suitability of the most important discriminant characteristic, the width of the basal plate, for delimitation of Triaenophorus species. Based on the present data, all Kuperman's taxa are considered to represent only distinct geographical populations of T. nodulosus and T. crassus. As a result, T. anmurensis is synonymized with T. nodulosus, whereas T. orientalis is considered to be a synonym of T. crassus. Previous synonymisation of T. ineridionalis with T. crassus, first proposed by Dubinina (1987), is also accepted.

Seasonal dynamics of Proteocephalus sagittus in the stone loach Barbatula barbatula from the Haná River, Czech Republic

The seasonal cycle of the cestode Proteocephalus sagittus (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) was studied for the first time in the stone loach Barbatula barbatula from the Haná River, Czech Republic. A total of 180 loaches were examined monthly from January to December 2001. The parasite occurred in loaches throughout the year but infection parameters differed significantly among seasons, with the highest values of prevalence and abundance from the late winter to the early summer. Parasite recruitment took place in the winter and early spring and the worms sexually matured in the late spring and early summer. In contrast to P. torulosus, the gravid worms of which laid eggs only at the end of the spring/beginning of the summer, gravid worms of P. sagittus were also found, although in low numbers, in the autumn and early winter. The rate of infection of loach with P. sagittus was neither dependent on the sex nor on the size of its fish host.

Minimally invasive kidney transplantation: the first experience

Minimally invasive procedures in recent years have gained widespread acceptance. Within the field of transplantation, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN), requiring a 6- to 10-cm incision, is now considered the optimal procedure. According to recent MEDLINE searches, no minimally invasive technique has been reported for kidney transplantation. Considering the rapid evolution of minimally invasive surgery during the last decade, there is little reason to believe that kidney transplantation in future will be excluded from this development. A novel minimally invasive technique for kidney transplantation (MIKT) is presented, restricted to a 7- to 9-cm incision and minimal dissection/tissue trauma. The kidney is meticulously prepared on the back table and placed in a fitted lateral, retroperitoneal pouch. All three anastomoses are performed with the kidney in its final "in situ" position, and ureter reimplantation is done by extravesical technique. Twenty-one patients have been transplanted by MIKT and followed in a prospective manner, along with a matched control group subjected to conventional kidney transplantation. Our results indicate that MIKT may be executed safely and quickly. Beneficial effects on postoperative pain/analgesia, recovery, and complications are suggested by this first MIKT experience. The technical solutions of MIKT are per se not unique. However, the incision is minimal and not larger than the one required for LLDN. Minimally invasive surgery seems particularly attractive in the immunosuppressed population, and even more so with the recent introduction of potent antiproliferative drugs.

Paraphyly of the Pseudophyllidea (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda): Circumscription of monophyletic clades based on phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal RNA

Phylogenetic relationships of cestodes of the order Pseudophyllidea (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) were examined using sequences of complete small subunit and partial (D1-D3 region) large subunit nuclear rDNA of members of all pseudophyllidean families. The results provide evidence of paraphyly of the order as indicated by previous molecular phylogenetic analyses based on a much lower number of species sequenced. Pseudophyllidean tapeworms represent an artificial assemblage comprising two unrelated clades. "Bothriocephalidea" is formed by four families sensu Bray et al. (1994), namely Bothriocephalidae, Echinophallidae, Philobythiidae and Triaenophoridae, whereas two other families, Diphyllobothriidae and Cephalochlamydidae, give rise to the "Diphyllobothriidea". The present results indicate that "Bothriocephalidea" forms the most derived clade of all difossate and tetrafossate/bothriate tapeworm lineages which are considered to be basal relative to the rest of tetrafossate/bothridiate and acetabulate cestodes. By contrast, "Diphyllobothriidea", which includes medically important parasites (Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra), appeared more basal, without a clearly resolved position within other difossate tapeworm lineages.

Should human chondrocytes fly? The impact of electromagnetic irradiation on chondrocyte viability and implications for their use in tissue engineering

A significant logistic factor as to the successful clinical application of the autologous tissue engineering concept is efficient transportation: the donor cells need to be delivered to tissue processing facilities which in most cases requires air transportation. This study was designed to evaluate how human chondrocytes react to X-ray exposure. Primary cell cultures were established, cultured, incubated and exposed to different doses and time periods of radiation. Subsequently, quantitative cell proliferation assays were done and qualitative evaluation of cellular protein production were performed. Our results show that after irradiation of chondrocytes with different doses, no significant differences in terms of cellular viability occurred compared with the control group. These results were obtained when chondrocytes were exposed to luggage transillumination doses as well as exposure to clinically used radiation doses. Any damage affecting cell growth or quality was not observed in our study. However, information about damage of cellular DNA remains incomplete.

Effect of Dealcoholized Beer (Bitburger Drive®) Consumption on Hemostasis in Humans

BACKGROUND

The beneficial effect of moderate alcohol consumption in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease has been shown in several epidemiologic studies. Such studies have also shown, however, that the protective effect of alcoholic beverages like wine and beer is not only due to the ethanol content but also to the presence of nonalcoholic constituents. The positive effect of alcoholic beverages has been attributed to changes in lipoprotein metabolism, but there is substantial evidence that effects on hemostasis play an important role. Whether the effects of alcoholic beverages on hemostasis are due exclusively to ethanol or are due, in part, to nonalcoholic components, is still under debate.

METHODS

We have examined the hemostatic effects of 3 liters of beer, dealcoholized beer, and ethanol/water (v/v 4%), consumed over a period of 3 hr, in 12 young healthy volunteers. Platelet parameters CD62, PAC-1, and monocyte platelet aggregates were analyzed using flow cytometric measurements. The activity of factor VII was determined with a prothrombin time (PT) assay and plasminogen activator inhibitor activity using a chromogenic substrate. Thrombin generation was determined according to the method of Hemker.

RESULTS

All three fluids administered, dealcoholized beer, beer, and ethanol, reduced the expression of activated fibrinogen receptor, the platelet activation marker CD62, and the formation of monocyte-platelet-aggregate. In addition, dealcoholized beer also showed significant inhibitory effects on thrombin generation, whereas beer and ethanol showed procoagulatory effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown that the acute consumption of dealcoholized beer inhibits thrombogenic activity in young adults. This action could have a beneficial effect on the development of coronary artery disease. Thus, the consumption of dealcoholized beer could provide cardiovascular benefit without the negative effects of alcohol.

Morphometric analysis of four species of Eubothrium (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) parasites of salmonid fish: An interspecific and intraspecific comparison

Four species of the genus Eubothrium (E. crassum, E. fragile, E. rugosum and E. salvelini) were subjected to morphometric comparison. Discriminant analysis was conducted utilising 17 characters measured on the scolex and strobila of 101 specimens. Univariate statistics were first used to detect features that were useful for separating individual Eubothrium species and two different host populations of E. salvelini. Subsequent multivariate discriminant analysis, combining all the measured variables, made it possible to separate all four species. A comparison of the four taxa revealed that (1) E. fragile is the most distinct species, possessing a much smaller scolex than the other congeners, and its similarity with the other marine species E. crassum is not proven; (2) the two freshwater taxa, E. rugosum and E. salvelini are the most similar; (3) the characters most suitable for species differentiation are the length of the scolex, the width of the apical disc, the width of the neck and its area, the width of eggs and the number of testes; (4) the width of the apical disc was confirmed to be the most stable character at the intraspecific level (within E. salvelini host populations) and is therefore considered to be a trait of the highest discriminative power in the subset of four Eubothrium species.

Phylogeny, evolution and host-parasite relationships of the order Proteocephalidea (Eucestoda) as revealed by combined analysis and secondary structure characters

In a manner similar to many other groups of organisms, the tapeworm order Proteocephalidea poses a difficult phylogenetic problem if treated on the basis of single-gene analysis. Since the biogeography and host distribution of proteocephalideans make these tapeworms a potentially interesting model for evolutionary and co-evolutionary studies, we tried to resolve their phylogenetic relationships by applying a multi-gene approach. The ITS2 sequences and V4 hypervariable loop of 18S rRNA were obtained for 43 and 35 proteocephalidean taxa, respectively, and combined with other sequences available in the GenBank. The phylogenetic analysis of the combined DNA set was confronted with characters derived from ITS2 secondary structures. Using this approach, a species-rich Neotropical lineage of proteocephalideans could be reliably resolved. The phylogenetic relationships within this group show a high degree of phylogeny-independent host distribution. The reconstruction of ITS2 secondary structure revealed a universal 4-domain arrangement, which is conserved across a wide range of Neodermata. Several motifs of the secondary structure could be mapped to the phylogenetic tree as possible clade synapomorphies.