Diversity and Functional Traits of Lichens in Ultramafic Areas: A Literature Based Worldwide Analysis Integrated by Field Data at the Regional Scale

While higher plant communities found on ultramafics are known to display peculiar characteristics, the distinguishability of any peculiarity in lichen communities is still a matter of contention. Other biotic or abiotic factors, rather than substrate chemistry, may contribute to differences in species composition reported for lichens on adjacent ultramafic and non-ultramafic areas. This work examines the lichen biota of ultramafics, at global and regional scales, with reference to species-specific functional traits. An updated world list of lichens on ultramafic substrates was analyzed to verify potential relationships between diversity and functional traits of lichens in different Köppen–Geiger climate zones. Moreover, a survey of diversity and functional traits in saxicolous communities on ultramafic and non-ultramafic substrates was conducted in Valle d’Aosta (North-West Italy) to verify whether a relationship can be detected between substrate and functional traits that cannot be explained by other environmental factors related to altitude. Analyses (unweighted pair group mean average clustering, canonical correspondence analysis, similarity-difference-replacement simplex approach) of global lichen diversity on ultramafic substrates (2314 reports of 881 taxa from 43 areas) displayed a zonal species distribution in different climate zones rather than an azonal distribution driven by the shared substrate. Accordingly, variations in the frequency of functional attributes reflected reported adaptations to the climate conditions of the different geographic areas. At the regional scale, higher similarity and lower species replacement were detected at each altitude, independent from the substrate, suggesting that altitude-related climate factors prevail over putative substrate–factors in driving community assemblages. In conclusion, data do not reveal peculiarities in lichen diversity or the frequency of functional traits in ultramafic areas

Anxiety and depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their relation to serum vitamin D levels | Kronik obstrüktif akciğer hastalığı olan hastalarda anksiyete ve depresyon ile serum D vitamini düzeyleri arasındaki ilişki

Objectives: To determine whether serum vitamin D levels were related to the risk of anxiety and depression among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as their spirometry parameters, disease severity, and other clinical findings. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two stable patients with COPD aged over 18 years with no exacerbations in the previous month were included. Symptom severity was assessed using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores. Spirometry tests were performed and previous hospitalization histories were recorded to determine ABCD groups of the patients according to their combined COPD assessments. Their Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea and Exercise capacity (BODE) indices were calculated and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered. Serum vitamin D levels were determined using immune electrochemiluminescence. Results: According to the HADS scores, 16 patients (17.4%) had the risk of anxiety and 29 (31.5%) had the risk of depression. The risk of anxiety differed significantly (P=0.016 Fischer's exact test) between the ABCD groups. Anxiety scores were positively correlated with both mMRC (r=0.315; P=0.002) and CAT (r=0.445; P=0.000) scores. Similarly, depression scores correlated positively with mMRC (r= 0.249; P=0.017) and CAT (r=0.373; P=0.000) scores. Neither anxiety nor depression scores were significantly correlated with % of predicted FEV1. Serum vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with anxiety (r=-0.215; P=0.039) and depression (r=-0.244; P=0.019) scores. Anxiety scores were positively correlated with BODE although not statistically significantly (r=0.199; P=0.058). Conclusion: A negative correlation was revealed between serum vitamin D levels and HADS scores, and symptom scores were positively correlated to HADS scores, independent of % of predicted FEV1

Effect of spraying Pekin duck eggs obtained from different breeder age on hatchability

Onbasilar, Ebru/0000-0002-1321-0280; kocakaya, afsin/0000-0003-2023-8895WOS: 000343650800001The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spraying Pekin duck eggs obtained from different breeder age on hatchability. Hatching eggs used in this study were obtained from Pekin breeder flock. A total of 560 eggs were collected at 30 and 38-wk of breeder age at the farm. Ten eggs from each breeder age group were used to determine eggshell thickness. The other eggs for determination of hatchability and embryo development were stored for 3 d at 17 degrees C and 75% relative humidity. Eggs were incubated in the same incubator and turned from 1 to 25 days of incubation once an hour. On the 4(th) d of incubation, eggs were assigned to three treatment groups: control, spraying once a day ( Group 1), and spraying twice a day ( Group 2). Each group comprised 90 eggs which have been set to one tray each. Eggs of Group 1 and 2 were taken out of the incubator once a day and two times a day, sprayed with warm water ( 25-28 degrees C) and placed back to the incubator after 20 minutes, respectively. On the 25(th) day of incubation, all eggs were transferred singly into pedigree hatching baskets. On the 28(th) day of incubation, healthy ducklings were removed and sex and weight of the chicks was recorded. Fertility, embryonic dead and hatchability were determined. Egg weight increased ( P < 0.001) and eggshell thickness decreased ( P < 0.01) with increasing breeder age. Embryonic mortality was lower and hatchability was higher in sprayed groups than in control group ( P < 0.05) in eggs from 30 wks old hens. Increasing hen age increased the ratio of duckling weight to egg weight ( P < 0.001). Spraying of eggs affected the ratio of duckling weight to egg weight ( P < 0.001). Control and Group 1 were similar in the ratio of duckling weight to egg weight. However spraying of eggs twice a day with warm water from 4 to 25 days of incubation negatively affected the ratio of duckling weight to egg weight. It was concluded that spraying of duck eggs is partly linked to breeder hen age

Teloschistaceae (lichenized Ascomycetes) in Turkey. 1. - Some records from Turkey

Thirty-seven taxa of Teloschistaceae were identified from samples collected in continental areas of Turkey. Based on previous studies, Caloplaca cerina, C. crenulatella, C.ferrarii, C. haematites and C. variabilis are considered here as heterogeneous taxa. Some poorly characterised lichens were determined with the support of their ITS nrDNA sequences. According to Blast searches, examined samples resembling C. albopruinosa and C. alociza do not group with any known taxa of Caloplaca with endolithic thallus and without anthraquinones. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to show the identities of some specimens of Caloplaca ferrarii and C. marmorata. Caloplaca haematites and some samples of C. marmorata from continental Turkey differ considerably from European populations in their phenotype. Caloplaca chelyae and C. schoeferi are similar taxa differing mainly in their ecology. Caloplaca adelphoparasitica, C. chelyae, C. conversa, C. ferrarii s. lat., C. ferrugineoides, C. interfulgens, C. juniperina, C. polycarpoides and C. sororicida are new to Turkey. The lichenicolous lichen Verrucula biatorinaria hosted by Caloplaca biatorina is also new to Turkey

Effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors on the gastric permeability of sucrose: A controlled study with placebo and ibuprofen

Objective Acute and chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can increase gastrointestinal permeability. Celecoxib, which selectively inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2, is a novel anti-inflammatory drug with minimal gastrointestinal toxic effects while retaining anti-inflammatory efficacy. Our aim was to assess the potential effects of celecoxib on gastric permeability in comparison with placebo and ibuprofen