The first record of a rare marine tardigrade, Halobiotus crispae Kristensen, 1982 (Eutardigrada : Hypsibiidae), from the Svalbard Archipelago

A rare marine tardigrade Halobiotus crispae Kristensen, 1982 was found abundant in intertidal flats at Josephbukta, Bellsund fiord, West Spitsbergen. This is the first record of this species from the Svalbard Archipelago. So far, the species has been found only in seven other localities in the northern hemisphere (between 56$^{\circ}$ and 69$^{\circ}$N). The present record greatly extends the known geographical range to the north and also indicates a much wider distribution of the species than formerly reported. Moreover, a potential indicative character of this species and of the study area in monitoring climatic changes is discussed

Phylogeography and morphological evolution of Pseudechiniscus (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae)

Tardigrades constitute a micrometazoan phylum usually considered as taxonomically challenging and therefore difficult for biogeographic analyses. The genus Pseudechiniscus, the second most speciose member of the family Echiniscidae, is commonly regarded as a particularly difficult taxon for studying due to its rarity and homogenous sculpturing of the dorsal plates. Recently, wide geographic ranges for some representatives of this genus and a new hypothesis on the subgeneric classification have been suggested. In order to test these hypotheses, we sequenced 65 Pseudechiniscus populations extracted from samples collected in 19 countries distributed on 5 continents, representing the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Holarctic, and Oriental realms. The deep subdivision of the genus into the cosmopolitan suillus-facettalis clade and the mostly tropical-Gondwanan novaezeelandiae clade is demonstrated. Meridioniscus subgen. nov. is erected to accommodate the species belonging to the novaezeelandiae lineage characterised by dactyloid cephalic papillae that are typical for the great majority of echiniscids (in contrast to pseudohemispherical papillae in the suillus-facettalis clade, corresponding to the subgenus Pseudechiniscus). Moreover, the evolution of morphological traits (striae between dorsal pillars, projections on the pseudosegmental plate IV’, ventral sculpturing pattern) crucial in the Pseudechiniscus taxonomy is reconstructed. Furthermore, broad distributions are emphasised as characteristic of some taxa. Finally, the Malay Archipelago and Indochina are argued to be the place of origin and extensive radiation of Pseudechiniscus

Small is beautiful : the first phylogenetic analysis of Bryodelphax Thulin, 1928 (Heterotardigrada, Echiniscidae)

The phyletic relationships both between and within many of tardigrade genera have been barely studied and they remain obscure. Amongst them is the cosmopolitan Bryodelphax, one of the smallest in terms of body size echiniscid genera. The analysis of newly-found populations and species from the Mediterranean region and from South-East Asia gave us an opportunity to present the first phylogeny of this genus, which showed that phenotypic traits used in classical Bryodelphax taxonomy do not correlate with their phyletic relationships. In contrast, geographic distribution of the analysed species suggests their limited dispersal abilities and seems to be a reliable predictor of phylogenetic affinities within the genus. Moreover, we describe three new species of the genus. Bryodelphax australasiaticus sp. nov., by having the ventral plate configuration VII:4-4-2-4-2-2-1, is a new member of the weglarskae group with a wide geographic range extending from the Malay Peninsula through the Malay Archipelago to Australia. Bryodelphax decoratus sp. nov. from Central Sulawesi (Celebes) also belongs to the weglarskae group (poorly visible ventral plates VII:4-2-2-4-2-2-1) and is closely related to the recently described Bryodelphax arenosus Gąsiorek, 2018, but is differentiated from the latter by well-developed epicuticular granules on the dorsum. Finally, a new dioecious species, Bryodelphax nigripunctatus sp. nov., is described from Mallorca and, by the reduced ventral armature (II/III:2-2-(1)), it resembles Bryodelphax maculatus Gąsiorek et al., 2017. The latter species, known so far only from northern Africa, is recorded from Europe for the first time. A taxonomic key to the genus members is also presented

Neotropical jewels in the moss : biodiversity, distribution and evolution of the genus Barbaria (Heterotardigrada: Echiniscidae)

The genus Barbaria, recently established to accommodate the former Echiniscus bigranulatus group, is a tardigrade group emblematic for the South American tardigrade fauna. This unappendaged echiniscid lineage is widely recognized for the so-called ‘double’ sculpturing composed of endocuticular pillars and pseudopores or pores in the dorsal cuticle. The phylogenetic relationships in the genus have so far been completely unknown, but the discovery of two new species (B. paucigranulata sp. nov. and B. weglarskae sp. nov.), together with new genetic data for further six species (B. bigranulata, B. charrua comb. nov., B. danieli, B. jenningsi, B. madonnae and B. ollantaytamboensis), create an opportunity not only to uncover phyletic relationships, but also to reconstruct morphological evolution in the genus. To achieve this, we sequenced five genetic markers (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS1, ITS2, COI) for multiple populations of eight species of Barbaria (two-thirds of all known species) collected in Alabama (USA), Argentina and the Antarctic, and we analysed them in tandem with detailed morphological data. Our phylogentic analysis and the reconstruction of evolution of morphological traits suggests that the ancestor of the genus inhabited the Neotropics, and it was morphologically most similar to B. bigranulata. We also analyse literature records of Barbaria and conclude that the genus is most likely limited to the Neotropics, Antarctica and southern parts of the Nearctic. The findings are discussed in the context of the phylogeny of the Echiniscus evolutionary line

Executive Functions and Psychopathology Dimensions in Deficit and Non-Deficit Schizophrenia

This study: (a) compared executive functions between deficit (DS) and non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and healthy controls (HC), controlling premorbid IQ and level of education; (b) compared executive functions in DS and NDS patients, controlling premorbid IQ and psychopathological symptoms; and (c) estimated relationships between clinical factors, psychopathological symptoms, and executive functions using structural equation modelling. Participants were 29 DS patients, 44 NDS patients, and 39 HC. Executive functions were measured with the Mazes Subtest, Spatial Span Subtest, Letter Number Span Test, Color Trail Test, and Berg Card Sorting Test. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Brief Negative Symptom Scale, and Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms. Compared to HC, both clinical groups performed poorer on cognitive flexibility, DS patients on verbal working memory, and NDS patients on planning. DS and NDS patients did not differ in executive functions, except planning, after controlling premorbid IQ and negative psychopathological symptoms. In DS patients, exacerbation had an effect on verbal working memory and cognitive planning; in NDS patients, positive symptoms had an effect on cognitive flexibility. Both DS and NDS patients presented deficits, affecting the former to a greater extent. Nonetheless, clinical variables appeared to significantly affect these deficits

Fourier transform infrared polarization contrast imaging recognizes proteins degradation in lungs upon metastasis from breast cancer

The current understanding of mechanisms underlying the formation of metastatic tumors has required multi-parametric methods. The tissue micro-environment in secondary organs is not easily evaluated due to complex interpretation with existing tools. Here, we demonstrate the detection of structural modifications in proteins using emerging Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) imaging combined with light polarization. We investigated lungs affected by breast cancer metastasis in the orthotopic murine model from the pre-metastatic phase, through early micro-metastasis, up to an advanced phase, in which solid tumors are developed in lung parenchyma. The two IR-light polarization techniques revealed, for the first time, the orientational ordering of proteins upon the progression of pulmonary metastasis of breast cancer. Their distribution was complemented by detailed histological examination. Polarized contrast imaging recognised tissue structures of lungs and showed deformations in protein scaffolds induced by inflammatory infiltration, fibrosis, and tumor growth. This effect was recognised by not only changes in absorbance of the spectral bands but also by the band shifts and the appearance of new signals. Therefore, we proposed this approach as a useful tool for evaluation of progressive and irreversible molecular changes that occur sequentially in the metastatic process

Media lokalne i dziennikarstwo: aspekty współczesne i historyczne

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