A palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Middle Jurassic of Sardinia (Italy) based on integrated palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies data assessment

During the Jurassic, Sardinia was close to continental Europe. Emerged lands started from a single island forming in time a progressively sinking archipelago. This complex palaeogeographic situation gave origin to a diverse landscape with a variety of habitats. Collection- and literature-based palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies studies were carried out on the Genna Selole Formation for palaeoenvironmental interpretations. They evidence a generally warm and humid climate, affected occasionally by drier periods. Several distinct ecosystems can be discerned in this climate, including alluvial fans with braided streams (Laconi-Gadoni lithofacies), paralic swamps and coasts (Nurri-Escalaplano lithofacies), and lagoons and shallow marine environments (Ussassai-Perdasdefogu lithofacies). The non-marine environments were covered by extensive lowland and a reduced coastal and tidally influenced environment. Both the river and the upland/hinterland environments are of limited impact for the reconstruction. The difference between the composition of the palynological and palaeobotanical associations evidence the discrepancies obtained using only one of those proxies. The macroremains reflect the local palaeoenvironments better, although subjected to a transport bias (e.g. missing upland elements and delicate organs), whereas the palynomorphs permit to reconstruct the regional palaeoclimate. Considering that the flora of Sardinia is the southernmost of all Middle Jurassic European floras, this multidisciplinary study increases our understanding of the terrestrial environments during that period of time

PAECILOMYCOTIC TOXIC CARDIOMYOPATHY AND MYOCARDITES IN CHILDREN

Paecilomycosis is a new mycosis, included in the WHO classification. For the first time, paecilomycotic heart pathology was studied in animals and humans. In particular, 218 children were examined, using various bacteriological, clinical, cardiological, biochemical, and immunological methods. In 150 white mice, an experiment paecilomycosis model was used to confirm the diagnosis and investigate the potential of various registered medications, identifying the most effective and the least toxic ones. According to evidence-based medicine principles, the clinical diagnoses of paecilomycotic cardiomyopathy and myocardites were specified. Aetiopathogenetic therapy with nizoral and immunomodulin improved clinical course of pecylomycotic heart disease, due to prevention of complications, chronisation, and long hospitalization time. The best treatment effectiveness in 4-7-year-old children with pecylomycotic cardiomyopathy and myocardites was observed for the combination of diflucan, mycosyst, cardiac glycosides from medicinal plants, and polyoxydonium

A new marattiaceous fern from the Lower Jurassic of Patagonia (Argentina): the renaissance of Marattiopsis

We here describe Marattiopsis patagonica sp. nov. (Marattiaceae) based on vegetative and fertile foliage impressions from the Lower Jurassic of Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The new species exhibits a unique combination of vegetative and reproductive features, including a prominent basal auricle; finely undulate, denticulate, to serrulate pinnule margins; interstitial fibres (venuli recurrentes) alternating with regular veins; submarginal position and distinctive relativelength of synangia (about 1220% of the pinnule width); and relatively small number of sporangia pairs per synangium (usually 14 or 16). The new species is assigned to the morphogenus Marattiopsis, since it shows no characters that would allow an unambiguous placement in any of the modern genera, Marattia s.s., Ptisana, or Eupodium. The newly established paraphyly of the Marattia s.l. species has a profound impact on the classification of fossil species. In this context, we provide a brief assessment of the significance of the fossil Marattiopsis for phylogenetic and biogeographical interpretations. It appears that essentially modern marattioid ferns, including Marattiopsis, which are commonly considered to be typical elements of tropical areas of the northern hemisphere during the Mesozoic, may have left an important but largely ignored fossil record in subtropical Gondwana.Fil: Escapa, Ignacio Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Bomfleur, Benjamin. University of Kansas; Estados UnidosFil: Cuneo, Nestor Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio; ArgentinaFil: Scasso, Roberto Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Basicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; Argentin