Design and optimization of IgG avidity test for differentiating acute from chronic human toxoplasmosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Toxoplasmosis which is caused by T. gondii, is common among humans and animals. T.

Diversity and Distribution of Bacterial and Parasitic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Armenia, Transcaucasia.

Background: Variations in the distribution and prevalence of pathogens in ticks can have significant consequences for human health. Information on these variables in Transcaucasia is scarce, so the aim of our study was to conduct a large-scale study to detect selected tick-borne infectious agents in Armenia.

Methods: Overall, 209 adult ticks were collected from different hosts including 4 samples from human clothes.

in rodents and shrews in Armenia, Transcaucasia.

infections in small mammals are important because they serve as source of infection for the felids who excrete environmentally resistant oocysts in their feces. Here, the authors sought evidence for infection in shrews and rodents in Armenia for the first time. DNA was detected in tissues of trapped animals using a specific PCR targeting gene with a non-coding fragment length of 529 bp.

The sediment of a river having ''good ecological status" turned out to be toxic to midge Chironomus riparius larvae: Implication for environmental monitoring?

Globally, monitoring of the surface waters is largely limited to the physico-chemical analysis of water in rivers and lakes. Sediment state in the aquatic systems including sediment chemical content or the structure and diversity of benthic communities or ecotoxicological studies with natural sediments remains largely overlooked by the monitoring programs. Hence we assessed the potential toxicity of three riverine sediments on the life-cycle traits (emergence and reproduction) of midge Chironomus riparius via an ecotoxicological testing method over two generations (according to OECD test 233 guidelines).

Drivers of wood-inhabiting fungal diversity in European and Oriental beech forests.

The hyperdiverse wood-inhabiting fungi play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, but often are threatened by deadwood removal, particularly in temperate forests dominated by European beech () and Oriental beech (). To study the impact of abiotic drivers, deadwood factors, forest management and biogeographical patterns in forests of both beech species on fungal composition and diversity, we collected 215 deadwood-drilling samples in 18 forests from France to Armenia and identified fungi by meta-barcoding. In our analyses, we distinguished the patterns driven by rare, common, and dominant species using Hill numbers.

First record of Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (Arionidae) from Armenia.

Background: Moquin-Tandon, 1855 is amongst the fastest-spreading terrestrial slugs Europe-wide. In recent years, it has been recorded in Canada, Mexico and continues to expand eastwards into Eurasia. Renowned for its high invasiveness, combatting its swift spread creates significant challenges in organising effective preventative measures.

Preliminary investigations of parasite contamination of water sources in Armenia.

The intestinal protozoan parasites, and , are known to have a global distribution, infecting and causing disease in a range of hosts, including people, livestock, pets, and wildlife. However, data from some regions is very sparse. In Armenia, in the Caucasus region of West Asia, only scanty data are available, with just a few surveys on infections in livestock, and no available data on human infections or environmental contamination.

Osteometric data of Avian Fauna of Armenia: A baseline for zoologists and archaeozoologists.

Modern bird skeletons stored in the faunal collections of the Institute of Zoology of the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology NAS Armenia constitute a source material for this dataset. The osteological material in the scientific collections has been accumulated in the course of faunal studies in Armenia over the span of 60 years. The osteometric dataset sheds light on the country's species diversity and includes cranial and postcranial measurements (carpometacarpus, humerus, tibia, femur, tarsometatarsus, radius and ulna) of 141 bird skeletons which belong to 81 bird species, 34 families and 17 orders.

Revision of the subgenus Hemiglaphyrus Champenois, 1903 of Glaphyrus Latreille, 1807, with description of three new species and Atticoglaphyrus new subgenus (Coleoptera: Glaphyridae).

The subgenus Hemiglaphyrus Champenois, 1903 of Glaphyrus Latreille, 1807 is revised. It currently includes four species: G. (H.

How genomics can help biodiversity conservation.

The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species.

Anchoscelis fuscomixta noravanka, a new subspecies from Armenia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae).

A new subspecies of the genus Anchoscelis Guene, 1839, Anchoscelis fuscomixta noravanka ssp. n. is described from south-west Armenia.

Assessment of the mutagenic potential of the water of an urban river by means of two Tradescantia-based test systems.

River pollution can be caused by anthropogenic or natural factors. When testing water quality for the presence of toxic substances, higher plants as bioindicators for the genotoxic effects of complex mixtures are effective and appropriate. Hence, in this work the Tradescantia (clone 02) stamen hair mutations (Trad-SHM) and Tradescantia micronuclei (Trad-MCN) were used to determine mutagenic and clastogenic potential of an urban river.

Experimental models of ecological niches for African swine fever virus.

In this study, we investigated the possible biological factors affecting the survival of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the environment and their potential to influence the ecology of the ASFV. Specifically, we tested the survival and replication of ASFV in four phylogenetically distinct organisms: Paramecium caudatum, Dendrobaena alpine, Aedes aegypti andXeropicta derbentina using qReal-Time PCR and hemadsorbtion analysis. Levels of ASFV in earthworms (Dendrobaena alpina) and soil declined at similar rates, suggesting that earthworms likely have no influence on the ecology of the ASFV.

Global dispersal and diversification in ground beetles of the subfamily Carabinae.

The origin and diversification process of lineages of organisms that are currently widely distributed among continents is an interesting subject for exploring the evolutionary history of global species diversity. Ground beetles of the subfamily Carabinae are flightless except for one lineage, but nevertheless occur on all continents except Antarctica. Here, we used sequence data from ultraconserved elements to reconstruct the phylogeny, divergence time, biogeographical history, ancestral state of hind wings and changes in the speciation rate of Carabinae.

Caucasian treasure: Genomics sheds light on the evolution of half-extinct Sevan trout, Salmo ischchan, species flock.

Five ecologically and phenotypically divergent ecomorphs of the genus Salmo are known from a landlocked alpine lake in the Caucasus, Lake Sevan. It is an example of sympatric diversification within a species-rich lineage with predominate mode of speciation being allopatric. The diversification of Sevan trouts was accompanied by spawning resource partitioning.

Human-modified canids in human-modified landscapes: The evolutionary consequences of hybridization for grey wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs.

Introgressive hybridization between domestic animals and their wild relatives is an indirect form of human-induced evolution, altering gene pools and phenotypic traits of wild and domestic populations. Although this process is well documented in many taxa, its evolutionary consequences are poorly understood. In this study, we assess introgression patterns in admixed populations of Eurasian wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs (FRDs), identifying chromosomal regions with significantly overrepresented hybrid ancestry and assessing whether genes located within these regions show signatures of selection.

Heavy Metal Contamination in an Industrially Affected River Catchment Basin: Assessment, Effects, and Mitigation.

The concentrations of some heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mo, Pb, Cd) were measured in river waters, macrozoobenthos, and fish (Kura scrapers) from one of the most developed mining areas in Armenia, the Debed River catchment basin. In order to assess heavy metal contamination and its hydro-ecological and health effects, the macrozoobenthos quantitative and qualitative parameters, geo-accumulation index, and hazard index were determined. Microalgal extraction experiments were conducted to assess the microalgal remediation efficiency for heavy metal removal from mining wastewaters.

Evolution of the parthenogenetic rock lizard hybrid karyotype: Robertsonian translocation between two maternal chromosomes in Darevskia rostombekowi.

Darevskia rostombekowi, the most outstanding of the seven known parthenogenetic species in the genus Darevskia, is the result of an ancestral cross between two bisexual species Darevskia raddei and Darevskia portschinskii. The chromosomal set of this species includes a unique submetacentric autosomal chromosome; the origin of this chromosome was unresolved as only acrocentric chromosomes are described in the karyotypes of Darevskia genus normally. Here, we applied a suite of molecular cytogenetic techniques, including the mapping of telomeric (TTAGGG) n repeats using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and whole-chromosome painting (WCP) in both D.

Ancient DNA shows domestic horses were introduced in the southern Caucasus and Anatolia during the Bronze Age.

Despite the important roles that horses have played in human history, particularly in the spread of languages and cultures, and correspondingly intensive research on this topic, the origin of domestic horses remains elusive. Several domestication centers have been hypothesized, but most of these have been invalidated through recent paleogenetic studies. Anatolia is a region with an extended history of horse exploitation that has been considered a candidate for the origins of domestic horses but has never been subject to detailed investigation.

Ingestion and effects of virgin polyamide microplastics on Chironomus riparius adult larvae and adult zebrafish Danio rerio.

Secondary microplastics (MP) produced by fragmentation of plastic in the environment or as a result of human activities can easily be taken up by organisms. The harmful effects of MP depend on e.g.