A contribution to the knowledge of the species Rafalskia olympica (KULCZYNSKI, 1903) (Opiliones, Phalangiidae, Phalangiinae)

Balkan populations of Rafalskia olympica (KULCZYNSKI, 1903) are distinguished as separate subspecies Rafalskia olympica bulgarica ST ARI::GA, 1963 novo stat. Certain novel details of the R. olympica female body structure are presented. It is stated that Metaplatybunus drenskii SILHAVY, 1965 is not a synonym of R. olympica

Nova troglobiontska vrsta Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. (Crustacea: Oniscidea: Trichoniscidae) iz Like (Hrvatska)

Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. is described and illustrated. Representing the 14th nominal species of the subgenus Illyrionethes from the Dinaric karst, it is a troglobiotic species collected from the caves in the central part of the Lika region, Croatia. The new species belongs to the strasseri group. Morphological characters differentiating A. iapodicus from other strasseri group representatives are discussed.U radu se opisuje i ilustrira nova vrsta Alpioniscus (Illyrionethes) iapodicus n. sp. Radi se o troglobiontnoj vrsti prikupljenoj u špiljama središnjeg dijela Like, i predstavlja četrnaestu nominalnu vrstu podroda Illyrionethes iz Dinarskog krša. Nova vrsta pripada grupi strasseri. Raspravlja se o morfološkim obilježjima koji razlikuju A. iapodicus od ostalih predstavnika te grupe

On the enigmatic scent glands of dyspnoan harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones): first evidence for the production of volatile secretions

La utilización en encuestas de preguntas con tarjetas de respuesta está totalmente aceptada por la comunidad investigadora. Esto supone una carga de trabajo “extra” en la tarea del entrevistador, lo que explica que en ocasiones no se utilicen correctamente. Pese a esta situación, hay muy poca literatura sobre la influencia de las tarjetas en las respuestas del entrevistado. El objetivo de este trabajo es profundizar en los efectos que la utilización de tarjetas tiene en la calidad de las respuestas del cuestionario, partiendo de la hipótesis que considera que las tarjetas —pese a complicar la tarea del encuestador— suponen importantes mejoras en la administración del cuestionario. Utilizaremos para ello un estudio del Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas con 23 preguntas de tarjeta, comparando las respuestas de los entrevistados que utilizaron las tarjetas con aquellos que no las emplearon.Using “response cards” in question surveys is unanimously approved by the research community. The fact that this represents an extra workload for the interviewer’s task explains why they sometimes are not used correctly. Despite this situation there is a paucity of literature on the influence of the response card on the respondent’s answers. The aim of this study is to deepen the analysis of how using these cards affect the quality of the survey’s responses. To do so, we start from the assumption that the cards —while complicating the interviewer’s task, result in significant improvements in the survey’s administration. For this purpose we will use a study with 23 card questions (question cards) by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, (the Spanish Centre for Sociological Research), and we will compare the answers of respondents that used cards with those who did not

How many species of mite-harvestmen (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) are there in Austria?

Der bodenbewohnende Milbenkanker Cyphophthalmus duricorius Joseph, 1868 (Fam. Sironidae) galt mehr als 60 Jahre lang als die einzige in Österreich vorkommende Art der Weberknecht-Unterordnung Cyphophthalmi. Neuere Aufsammlungen zeigen jedoch, dass mindestens zwei weitere Cyphophthalmi-Arten in Österreich existieren: 1) Siro cf. crassus Novak & Giribet, 2006 wurde an einer Lokalität in der SW Steiermark nahe der slowenischen Grenze gefunden und repräsentiert eine zweite Gattung von Sironiden in Österreich. 2) Ein weiterer, morphologisch distinkter Sironide („Sironidae gen. et sp. nov.?“) − derzeit noch unbeschrieben und taxonomisch nicht zugeordnet − stammt aus Böden im Grenzgebiet Steiermark-Kärnten. Obwohl bislang kein syntopes Vorkommen belegt ist, können alle drei Arten in einem kleinen Areal von wenigen Quadratkilometern gefunden werden.For the last 60 years, the mite-harvestman Cyphophthalmus duricorius Joseph, 1868, a soil-dwelling sironid, has been considered to be the only representative of the opilionid suborder Cyphophthalmi in Austria. However, novel data from recent collections confirm the presence of at least two further Austrian cyphophthalmid species. (1) Siro cf. crassus Novak & Giribet, 2006 occurs in at least one location in SW Styria near the Slovenian border and hence represents a member of a second genus of Austrian sironids. (2) A further morphologically distinct sironid (“Sironidae gen. et sp. nov.?”) – so far undescribed and systematically not placed in detail – was collected in the borderland between Styria and Carinthia. All three species can be found in a small area of a few square-kilometers; although no syntopic occurrence was recorded

Laparoskopski pristup u liječenju morgagnijeve hernije: tri prikaza slučaja

We report on three cases of diaphragmatic (Morgagni) hernia with different clinical presentation. It is important to consider the possibility of this rare but potentially very dangerous condition in patients with respiratory problems and pain in the upper abdomen. Before laparoscopy, two different approaches were used in diaphragmatic hernia operations (abdominal and thoracic approach). Laparoscopy has brought significant changes in the treatment of diaphragmatic hernia. It is important to stress that laparoscopic diaphragmatic surgical therapy uses stronger mesh than the mesh used to repair an inguinal hernia.Prikazuju se tri bolesnika s dijafragmalnom, Morgagnijevom hernijom, ali s različitim kliničkim slikama. Važno je posumnjati na ovu rijetku, ali potencijalno vrlo opasnu bolest kod bolesnika s respiracijskim problemima i bolovima u gornjem dijelu trbuha. Prije uvođenja laparoskopije postojala su dva otvorena pristupa liječenju dijafragmalnih hernija, abdominalni i torakalni. Laparoskopija je donijela znatne promjene u liječenju dijafragmalne kile. Treba naglasiti da se u laparoskopskom pristupu koriste čvršće mrežice za pokrivanje kilnog otvora nego za preponske kile

Parasironidae fam. nov., a Cimmerian lineage of Mediterranean Cyphophthalmi (Opiliones), with the description of three new genera and four new species

A new family of Cyphophthalmi with disjunct Mediterranean distribution, Parasironidae fam. nov., is proposed. The new family comprises four genera and seven species. Cimmerosiro gen. nov., Tirrenosiro gen. nov. and Ebrosiro gen. nov. are described as new genera, and Tirrenosiro axeli gen. et sp. nov., Cimmerosiro krivolutskyi gen. et sp. nov., C. juberthiei gen. et sp. nov. and C. rhodiensis gen. et sp. nov. as new species. Parasironidae stands out by a set of characteristics that we recognize as predominantly plesiomorphic. These characteristics and the present distribution indicate the great age of the family, probably early Mesosoic. We attribute its origin to the western part of the Cimmerian terrane, and its current distribution and diversification of the major clades to geotectonic events during the Mesozoic. Additionally, a new sensory organ (sensilla) has been discovered in Cyphophthalmi. This organ is located on the pedipalp coxae and is believed to have a potential hygroreceptive function

In vitro Radioprotective Activity of the Bryozoan Hyalinella punctata

The objective of the present study was in vitro evaluation of radioprotective activity of the freshwater bryozoan Hyalinella punctata on cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes after irradiation with 2 gy of Co-60 gamma-rays. Since its water extract at concentration 0.001 mg/mL reduced the incidence of radiation-induced micronuclei for almost 30 %, it could be considered as a promising source of new natural products with the aforementined activity. Both the content of sulphur (1.17%) determined by gravimetric method and infrared absorption frequences (76 % similarity with those of bacitracin) of the investigated extract indicate the presence of organic sulphur compound(s) such as cyclic peptides and polypeptides which might be responsible for the observed radioprotectio

Nematode parasitism of harvestmen (Opiliones: Arachnida)

Summary- New records of nematode parasitism of harvestmen (Opiliones: Arachnida) are reported and a list of all published records of nematode parasitism of these arachnids is presented. Nomenclatorial problems of early mermithid citations are discussed and the possible type of life cycle (indirect) is considered in light of what appears to be a type of behavioural 'immunity ' of this host group to many invertebrate parasitic nematodes. Resum6- Parasifisme des faucheurs (Opiliones: Arachnida) par les nirnaiodes- Sont reporties de nouvelles observations du parasitisme des faucheurs (Opiliones: Arachnida) par les nimatodes et une liste de toutes les observations publiies concernant les n6matodes parasites de ces arachnides est donnie. Les probltmes nomenclatoriaux concernant les citations des premiers mermithidcs sont discutis et le type Cventuel de cycle biologique (indirect) est considCr6 j. la lumitre de ce qui apparait Etre un type "d'immuniti" comportementale dc ce groupe d'h6tes pour de nombreux nimatodes parasites d'invertibris

High Conservatism in the Composition of Scent Gland Secretions in Cyphophthalmid Harvestmen: Evidence from Pettalidae

The scent gland secretion of Austropurcellia forsteri was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, providing the first description of the secretion chemistry in the cyphophthalmid family Pettalidae. The secretion contained a total of 21 compounds: About 60% of the whole secretion consisted of a series of saturated, mono-unsaturated and doubly unsaturated methylketones, from C11 to C15, with a cluster of saturated and mono-unsaturated C13-methylketones dominating. A second fraction included several naphthoquinones such as 1,4-naphthoquinone (ca. 20% of secretion), 6-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (ca. 17%), and minor amounts of chloronaphthoquinones (ca. 2%). When compared with scent gland compositions of other representatives of cyphophthalmids (e.g. from families Sironidae and Stylocellidae), a highly conservative chemistry of cyphophthalmid secretions is apparent, based on a restricted number of methylketones and naphthoquinones