Biological Control of Pest Non-Marine Molluscs: A Pacific Perspective on Risks to Non-Target Organisms.

Classic biological control of pest non-marine molluscs has a long history of disastrous outcomes, and despite claims to the contrary, few advances have been made to ensure that contemporary biocontrol efforts targeting molluscs are safe and effective. For more than half a century, malacologists have warned of the dangers in applying practices developed in the field of insect biological control, where biocontrol agents are often highly host-specific, to the use of generalist predators and parasites against non-marine mollusc pests. Unfortunately, many of the lessons that should have been learned from these failed biocontrol programs have not been rigorously applied to contemporary efforts.

First evidence of introgressive hybridization of apple snails ( spp.) in their native range.

Genetic variation facilitates both natural range expansions and anthropogenic invasions. Contrary to expectations, hybridization does not always impact negatively on biodiversity. Increasing evidence indicates advantageous roles for introgressive hybridization in maintaining standing genetic variation.

Signatures of Divergence, Invasiveness, and Terrestrialization Revealed by Four Apple Snail Genomes.

The family Ampullariidae includes both aquatic and amphibious apple snails. They are an emerging model for evolutionary studies due to the high diversity, ancient history, and wide geographical distribution. Insight into drivers of ampullariid evolution is hampered, however, by the lack of genomic resources.

Oxygen Consumption and Organic Matter Remineralization in Two Subtropical, Eutrophic Coastal Embayments.

There is a strong need to understand sources of organic matter in coastal lagoons because these systems often have long water residence times, are susceptible to eutrophication, and display symptoms such as low-oxygen conditions. We found that integrated dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption in the water column accounted for 67-73% of total DO consumption in two eutrophic coastal lagoons (Baffin Bay and Oso Bay) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The δC of particulate organic carbon (δC) showed temporal variations that corresponded with hydrological condition changes in Baffin Bay but fewer temporal changes in Oso Bay, whereas the lower δN values in Baffin Bay indicated more agricultural influence than in Oso Bay, where urban sewage influences dominated.

Invisible apple snail invasions: importance of continued vigilance and rigorous taxonomic assessments.

Background: Due to the similarities of overall shell morphology among apple snail species and considerable variability within species, substantial taxonomic confusion has plagued the accurate identification of Pomacea species. Many invasive apple snails have been mistakenly identified as P. canaliculata since their introduction to Asia around 1980.

Modelling the distribution in Hawaii of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm) in its gastropod hosts.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm), a parasitic nematode, is expanding its distribution. Human infection, known as angiostrongyliasis, may manifest as eosinophilic meningitis, an emerging infectious disease. The range and incidence of this disease are expanding throughout the tropics and subtropics.

Biodiversity and Extinction of Hawaiian Land Snails: How Many Are Left Now and What Must We Do To Conserve Them-A Reply to.

Pacific islands, with their incredible biodiversity, are our finest natural laboratories for evolutionary, ecological, and cultural studies. Nowhere, in relation to land area, does land snail diversity reach that of the Pacific islands, with more than 6000 species, most of which are single island endemics. Unfortunately, land snails are the most imperiled group with the most recorded extinctions since the 1500s, and Pacific island snails make up the majority of those extinctions.

Correction: Diverse Gastropod Hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the Rat Lungworm, Globally and with a Focus on the Hawaiian Islands.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Cost minimisation analysis of thermometry in two different hospital systems.

Introduction: Temperature monitoring can be accomplished by various methods, including oral (OT), rectal (RT), axillary (AT), tympanic membrane (TMT) and temporal artery (TAT) thermometry, with varying amounts of cost incurred by healthcare systems.

Methods: The potential thermometry cost savings in two hospital systems-University Hospital Centre Zagreb (UHCZ), which uses TMT (device Covidien Genius 2) and University of Michigan Hospitals (UMH), which relies on OT, RT and AT (device Welch Allyn suretemp plus 692)-were analysed to evaluate institution-wide TAT (device Exergen TAT-5000) implementation. Two scenarios were developed: scenario 1, comparing costs for a period of 1, 3 and 5 years; scenario 2, calculation of the number of measurements per device for TAT to be cost-effective.

Water quality dynamics in an urbanizing subtropical estuary(Oso Bay, Texas).

Results are presented from a study of water quality dynamics in a shallow subtropical estuary, Oso Bay, Texas, which has a watershed that has undergone extensive urbanization in recent decades. High inorganic nutrient, dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll concentrations, as well as low pH (<8), were observed in a region of Oso Bay that receives wastewater effluent. Despite being shallow (<1 m) and subjected to strong winds on a regular basis, this region also exhibited episodic hypoxia/anoxia.

Diverse gastropod hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, globally and with a focus on the Hawaiian Islands.

Eosinophilic meningitis caused by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an emerging infectious disease with recent outbreaks primarily in tropical and subtropical locations around the world, including Hawaii. Humans contract the disease primarily through ingestion of infected gastropods, the intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Effective prevention of the disease and control of the spread of the parasite require a thorough understanding of the parasite's hosts, including their distributions, as well as the human and environmental factors that contribute to transmission.

Effects of washing produce contaminated with the snail and slug hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis with three common household solutions.

The emerging infectious disease angiostrongyliasis (rat lungworm disease) is caused by ingesting snails and slugs infected by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The definitive hosts of A. cantonensis are rats and the obligatory intermediate hosts are slugs and snails.

Extreme population subdivision in the crown conch (Melongena corona): historical and contemporary influences.

Organisms with crawl-away larvae are thought to experience highly restricted gene flow. Here, we assess the pattern and magnitude of population subdivision of the direct developing snails in the Melongena corona complex and assess the validity of species and subspecies designations in the genus. A total of 516 individuals from 15 locations were assayed at 8 microsatellite loci.

Oil palm vegetation liquor: a new source of phenolic bioactives.

Waste from agricultural products represents a disposal liability, which needs to be addressed. Palm oil is the most widely traded edible oil globally, and its production generates 85 million tons of aqueous by-products annually. This aqueous stream is rich in phenolic antioxidants, which were investigated for their composition and potential in vitro biological activity.

Positive outcomes of oil palm phenolics on degenerative diseases in animal models.

It is well established that plant phenolics elicit various biological activities, with positive effects on health. Palm oil production results in large volumes of aqueous by-products containing phenolics. In the present study, we describe the effects of oil palm phenolics (OPP) on several degenerative conditions using various animal models.

Caloric availability of polydextrose.

Polydextrose is a randomly bonded polysaccharide produced by the bulk melt polycondensation of glucose and sorbitol in vacuo. It has been used as a bulking and texturizing agent and soluble fiber ingredient in many food products worldwide for over two decades. Because of its atypical linkages between glucose moieties, polydextrose resists digestion by mammalian gastrointestinal enzymes.

The identity, distribution, and impacts of non-native apple snails in the continental United States.

Background: Since the mid 1990s populations of non-native apple snails (Ampullariidae) have been discovered with increasing frequency in the continental United States. Given the dramatic effects that introduced apple snails have had on both natural habitats and agricultural areas in Southeast Asia, their introduction to the mainland U.S.