Description of a new genus and species of Candonopsini (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Candoninae) from the alluvial valley of the Upper Paraná River (Brazil, South America)

The genus Candobrasilopsis gen. nov. is here described, with C. rochai gen. nov. sp. nov. as type species, from the alluvial valley of the Upper Paraná River. The enigmatic Candonopsis brasiliensis Sars, 1901 is here redescribed and transferred to this new genus, the new combination being Candobrasilopsis brasiliensis (Sars, 1901). The new candonid genus belongs to the tribe Candonopsini, because of the absence of the proximal seta on the caudal ramus. It is closely related to Latinopsis Karanovic & Datry, 2009, because of the relatively short terminal segment of the mandibular palp (length less than 1.5 times the basal width, while this segment is longer than three times the basal width in Candonopsis) and the large and stout b-seta on the T1. However, it differs markedly from Latinopsis in the size and shape of the calcified inner lamellae of both valves and in the type of hemipenis. We also discuss the doubtful allocation of several other genera to the Candonopsini, raise Abcandonopsis Karanovic, 2004 to generic status and reassess the uncertain position of Candonopsis anisitsi Daday, 1905 within Latinopsis

On a new species of the genus Cyprinotus (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from a temporary wetland in New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean), with a reappraisal of the genus

The New Caledonia archipelago is known for its high level of endemism in both faunal and floral groups. Thus far, only 12 species of non-marine ostracods have been reported. After three expeditions to the main island of the archipelago (Grande Terre), about four times as many species were found, about half of which are probably new. Here, we describe a new species, Cyprinotus drubea sp. nov., which is characterised mainly by the hyper-developed dorsal hump on the right valve, much larger than in any other known Recent species in this genus. After a literature study of the other presumed species in Cyprinotus Brady, 1886, we retain seven Recent species in the genus, including the present new species. Cyprinotus crenatus (Turner, 1893), C. dentatus (Sharpe, 1910), C. flavescens Brady, 1898, C. inconstans Furtos, 1936, C. new mexicoensis Ferguson, 1967, C. ohanopecoshensis Ferguson, 1966, C. pellucidus (Sharpe, 1897), C. scytodus (Dobbin, 1941) and C. sulphurous Blake, 1931 are here all referred to the genus Heterocypris s. lat. Claus, 1892. Cyprinotus unispinifera Furtos, 1936 is assigned to the genus Cypricercus Sars, 1895. Cyprinotus tenuis Henry, 1923, C. fuscus Henry, 1919 and C. carinatus (King, 1855) are here classified as doubtful species. A checklist of the 14 non-marine ostracods, now including Cyprinotus drubea sp. nov. and Cypris granulata (Daday, 1910), thus far reported from New Caledonia, is provided. Herpetocypris caledonica Mehes, 1939 and H. caledonica var. minor Mehes, 1939 are synonymised with Candonocypris novaezelandiae (Baird, 1843)

Re-description of Strandesia sanoamuangae Savatenalinton & Martens, 2010 and description of a new species of Strandesia (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from Grande Terre, New Caledonia

The New Caledonian Archipelago is a hot spot for biodiversity and endemism. Whereas popular groups such as birds and plants are well-studied, invertebrate groups such as ostracods remain ill-known. Here, we re-describe Strandesia sanoamuangae Savatenalinton & Martens, 2010, originally described from Thailand (8000 km away from New Caledonia), and describe Strandesia mehesi sp. nov. Both species are known only from females. Material for the present study was collected from diverse aquatic non-marine habitats from Grande Terre, the main island of New Caledonia. Whereas S. sanoamuangae is seemingly easily identifiable, S. mehesi sp. nov. is part of the Strandesia vinceguerrae/vavrai species cluster in the genus, of which the 'older' species (described long ago) often have incomplete and superficial descriptions. Differentiation between the new species and the other members of this species cluster are based on small anatomical details of the valves. The current paper updates the known number of recent freshwater Ostracoda of New Caledonia from 14 to 16 species, although at least five of these species have an uncertain status

A New Beamforming Process Based on the Phase Dispersion Analysis [Review]

UNES

ヤクザイ タイセイ コクフク ノ タメ ノ アタラシイ ホウホウ : MRSA ニ タイスル β‐ラクタムザイ カンジュセイ ユウドウヤク ILSMR ノ ソウセイ オ メザシテ

Here we demonstrated that flavone and its derivatives had no or week antibacterial effect on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but dramatically induced susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics in most strains of MRSA isolated clinically, even up to a 32,000-fold increase. We named these flavones “inducer of β-lactam drugs-susceptibility in MRSA”, abbreviated as “ILSMR”. We also proposed the model for the mechanism of high resistance of MRSA to β-lactam drugs in which we assumed as follows : ( 1 ) PBP2’ (PBP2A) has low affinity not only to the β-lactam ring in β-lactam drugs, but also to D-Ala-(D)-Ala in N-acetyl-muramyl-pentapeptide and that ( 2 ) PBP 2’ can cross-link between N-acetyl-muramyl-pentapeptide and penta-glycine only when MRSA has been mutated such as the concentrations of these substrates have been greatly increased in the cross wall of staphylococcal cell. Based on the model, we could explain that ILSMRs increased susceptibility to β-lactam drugs in MRSA by decreasing the concentration of N-acetyl-muramyl-pentapeptide and/or penta-glycine in the growing cross wall. In such conditions, only normal PBP1～4 could work for the cross-link. This could be the reason why ILSMRs increased the susceptibility to β-lactam drugs in MRSA. We also found that flavone and its derivatives were highly active against systemic infections by MRSA in mice

Variability in ostracod communities (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in connected and isolated tropical floodplain lakes

Floodplains mostly consist of primary and secondary riverbeds, connecting channels and lakes that are either isolated from rivers and channels for most of the year, or lakes that are connected to rivers and channels for most (or all) of the year. We hypothesize that the differences in invertebrate communities, as calculated by beta-diversities, will be higher in isolated than in connected lakes. We use ostracod communities in the pleuston of the floating macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes in the Upper Parana River floodplain to test this hypothesis. We have observed significant differences in species composition between the two types of lakes. However, although beta diversity values are indeed slightly higher in isolated than in connected lakes, these differences are not significant. This lack of clear effect of isolation on beta diversity could be owing to the fact that the period of isolation since the last homogenizing flood pulse had not been long enough, or because differences in degree of isolation become altogether insignificant in periods of low water flow

Efeito do vinagre e detergente doméstico na remoção de cistos de Giardia duodenalis em folhas de alface crespa (Lactuca sativa)

Orientador: Adriana Oliveira CostaMonografia (Bacharelado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná. Setor de Ciências Biológicas. Curso de Graduação em Ciências BiológicasResumo : O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do vinagre e do detergente doméstico na remoção de cistos de Giardia duodenalis em folhas de alface crespa (Lactuca sativa). Cistos de Giardia (2 x 105 ) purificados de fezes de humanos por técnica de gradiente de sacarose 1 M, foram inoculados na face adaxial de folhas de alface crespa cortadas com diâmetro de 11 cm. Vinte minutos após a inoculação, cada folha foi imersa em frasco contendo 200 mL de solução de vinagre (1:4), ou solução de detergente doméstico (1:20) ou água destilada para controle. Ao final de 10 e 30 minutos, cada folha foi removida, levemente agitada sobre o frasco e desprezada. Os cistos presentes na solução foram quantificados, a partir da coleta de uma amostra homogeneizada de 14 mL. A partir do valor obtido, foi estimado o total de cistos removidos da folha. Os experimentos foram repetidos três vezes e as médias referentes à remoção dos cistos foram comparadas pelo teste t de Student. Após tempo de contato de 10 minutos, a média de cistos removidos das folhas imersas em solução de vinagre, foi de 1,11 (+ 0,42) x 105 (55,5%) e das folhas imersas em água (controle) foi de 0,87 (+ 0,13) x 105 (43,5%). Neste tempo de contato, o número médio de cistos removidos das folhas imersas em solução de detergente foi de 1,30 (+ 0,55) x 105 (65,5%) e nas folhas imersas em água para este experimento foi de 0,71 (+ 0,23) x 105 (35,5%). Após 30 minutos de contato, a imersão em solução de vinagre e no controle água removeu 1,26 (+ 0,26) x 105 cistos (63%) e 1,17 (+ 0,33) x 105 cistos (58,5%) cistos, respectivamente. O número médio de cistos removidos após imersão em detergente e em água, neste tempo de contato, foi de 0,95 (+ 0,15) x 105 (47,5%) e 1,66 (+ 0,39) x 105 (83,5%), respectivamente. Não houve diferença entre as médias do número de cistos removidos nos diferentes experimentos (p>0,05). Estes resultados indicaram que grande número de parasitos permaneceu nas folhas mesmo após a submersão das mesmas em solução de vinagre, ou água, não havendo diferença de remoção em relação à imersão em água. Portanto, os produtos avaliados não tiveram efeito melhor que a água para remover cistos de Giardia de folhas de alface