Cirripedia of Madeira

We give a list of Cirripedia from Madeira Island and nearby deep water, based on specimens in the collection of the Museu Municipal do Funchal (Historia Natural) (MMF), records mentioned in the literature, and recent collections. Tesseropora atlantica Newman and Ross, 1976 is recorded from Madeira for the first time. The Megabalanus of Madeira is M. azoricus. There are 20 genera containing 27 species, of which 22 occur in depths less than 200 m. Of these shallow water species, eight are wide-ranging oceanic forms that attach to other organisms or to floating objects, leaving just 13 truly benthic shallow water barnacles. This low diversity is probably a consequence of the distance from the continental coasts and the small area of the available habitat. No endemic species have been found

Therapy for H. pylori: Current concepts

Helicobacter pylori plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-lym- phoma, and is also involved in carcinogenesis of the stomach. Since now no current first-line therapy is able to cure the infection in all treated patients. We evaluated data on the most successful therapy regi- mens—sequential, concomitant and quadruple thera- pies—and on the standard therapy available for H. pylori eradication. When therapy fails several factors may be involved: we reviewed both bacterial and host factors that can affect the eradication and that can be involved in therapeutic management of the H. pylori infection

Whale barnacles and Neogene cetacean migration routes

An exceptional fossil assemblage of the ectoparasitic whale barnacle Coronula diadema was recently discovered from late Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments outcropping on the coast of Ecuador where today humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate for breeding. A similar occurrence is recorded in New Zealand and in Vanuatu, where late Pliocene-Pleistocene fossil coronulids have been found in sediments along the coasts that are current humpback whale migration routes. In both Ecuador and New Zealand we have collected fragmentary whale remains in association with these barnacle assemblages. Considering that detachment of whale barnacles from extant humpback whales has only been observed in breeding areas or along migratory routes, we view the Ecuador and New Zealand fossil barnacle assemblages as indirect evidence of whale migration during the late Neogene. Application of this hypothesis to the distribution pattern of fossil Coronula in the Mediterranean Basin, indicates that, unlike the present, mysticete whales may have used the Mediterranean as a breeding ground during the Pliocene and Pleistocene

Effects of response-related music stimulation versus general music stimulation on positive participation of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Assessing the effects of response-related music stimulation versus general (response-unrelated) music stimulation on positive participation of 11 new patients with Alzheimer's disease. Method: The patients were functioning in the severe and low-moderate ranges of the disease. Positive participation included behaviors such as, singing or rhythmic movements and smiles. Both music conditions relied on the display of music/song videos on a computer screen. In the response-related (active) condition, the patients used a simple hand response and a microswitch to determine music stimulation inputs. In the general (unrelated/passive) condition, music stimulation was automatically presented throughout the sessions. Results: Data showed that six of the 11 patients had higher levels of positive participation in the response-related stimulation condition. The remaining five patients did not have differences between the two conditions. Conclusion: Based on this evidence and previous findings, one might consider the use of the active condition beneficial for daily programs