The genus <i>Nitzschia</i> on the South Shetland Islands and James Ross Island

The purpose of this study was to present LM and SEM observations of Nitzschia taxa encountered on the South Shetland Islands and James Ross Island. During the ongoing taxonomical revision of the freshwater and limno-terrestrial diatom flora on the South Shetland Islands and James Ross Island (Maritime Antarctic Region) eight unknown taxa belonging to the genus Nitzschia were found. These taxa were previously force-fitted into European names such as N. commutata or N. perminuta, but detailed light and scanning electron microscopical observations allowed their separation from the already known taxa and resulted in the description of eight new species. The paper discusses all twelve Nitzschia taxa found in the Maritime Antarctic Region. New taxa are compared to the morphologically most similar taxa and their ecology and biogeography are discussed. Although the genus Nitzschia is present worldwide, a large number of Nitzschia taxa have a restricted distribution within the Antarctic Region, showing a clear bioregionalism

Freshwater diatom biogeography and the genus Luticola: an extreme case of endemism in Antarctica

Historical views have characterized Antarctica as a frozen desert with low diversity, although recent studies suggest that this may not be true for microscopic organisms. For microbes, assessing endemism in the Antarctic region has been particularly important, especially against a backdrop of debate regarding their presumed cosmopolitan nature. To contribute to this conversation, we highlight the observed endemism of the freshwater diatom genus Luticola in Antarctica by synthesizing the results of a modern high-resolution taxonomy from the Continental, Maritime, and sub-Antarctic regions. We report that Luticola has one of the highest endemic rates of any diatom genus in Antarctica, in terms of total number of species (taxon endemism) and percentage of the entire genus (phylogenetic endemism). Of the over 200 species of Luticola globally, nearly 20% (43) occur in the Antarctic, with 42 of these being endemic. Within regions, Maritime Antarctica has the largest number of Luticola species and endemics (28 and 23, respectively), followed by Continental Antarctica (14, 9) and sub-Antarctic islands (8, 6). Thus, 38 of the 42 endemics are found in a single region only. While the timing of Luticola diversification has not been established, fossil evidence suggests recent invasions and/or diversification over a relatively short geologic timescale. Understanding the origin and evolution of endemic diatom species in Antarctica will help us better understand microbial biogeography, as well as assess and interpret impacts of large-scale environmental change taking place at southern latitudes

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

&lt;I&gt;Burliganiella&lt;/I&gt; gen. nov. (Bacillariophyta, Eunotiales): another case of raphe reduction based on the type material of &lt;I&gt;Fragilaria siolii&lt;/I&gt; Hustedt

A new monotypic diatoms genus from Brazil is described based on gatherings and descriptions from the Amazon made by Hustedt in the early 50’s. Burliganiella gen. nov. is described using light and scanning electron microscope and has as generitype Burliganiella siolii (Hustedt) comb. nov., originally described within Fragilaria Lyngb. The main diagnosed features include valves slightly asymmetrical to the apical axis with a sternum located near the ventral margin (Eunotia-like) while internally having slits that are not associated with a helictoglossa and no rimoportula (which is completely absent). While some characters link the species to the ‘araphid’ genus Fragilariforma D.M. Williams &amp; Round, Burliganiella has more shared characters with the Eunotiales. For instance, the lack of a raphe in other species of eunotioid diatoms, suggests multiple lineages within the Eunotiales have reduced or lost raphe systems, such as in the case of Burliganiella.</p

&lt;I&gt;Aneumastus laosica&lt;/I&gt; sp. nov. and &lt;I&gt;A. genkalii&lt;/I&gt; sp. nov. – two new diatom species from Laos (Southeast Asia) with comments on the biogeography of the genus

Two new diatom species of the genus Aneumastus are described, A. laosica sp. nov. and A. genkalii sp. nov., based on light and scanning electron microscope observations. These species were found in Laos, and this is first finding of this genus from Southeast Asia. Almost all species from this genus were described and exist in Holarctic. Many species have restricted distributions and are known from fossil deposits, North America, Mongolia or local endemics of ancient lakes such as Baikal, Prespa and Ohrid. Diversity of Aneumastus species from these ancient lakes is higher than from waterbodies of the Holarctic region taken together. A few reports of this genus are from the southern Hemisphere (e.g. New Caledonia, Australia, Lake Tanganyika in Africa), but these taxon records are represented by a single valve only from every region and they require additional taxonomical investigation and verification to understand the full extent of the distribution of the genus.</p