Early environment influences later performance in fishes

Conditions fish encounter during embryogenesis and early life history can leave lasting effects not only on morphology, but also on growth rate, life‐history and behavioural traits. The ecology of offspring can be affected by conditions experienced by their parents and mother in particular. This review summarizes such early impacts and their ecological influences for a variety of teleost species, but with special reference to salmonids. Growth and adult body size, sex ratio, egg size, lifespan and tendency to migrate can all be affected by early influences. Mechanisms behind such phenotypically plastic impacts are not well known, but epigenetic change appears to be one central mechanism. The thermal regime during development and incubation is particularly important, but also early food consumption and intraspecific density can all be responsible for later life‐history variation. For behavioural traits, early experiences with effects on brain, sensory development and cognition appear essential. This may also influence boldness and other social behaviours such as mate choice. At the end of the review, several issues and questions for future studies are given.     

Heavy Hymenolepis nana Infection Possibly Through Organic Foods: Report of a Case

We encountered a patient with heavy Hymenolepis nana infection. The patient was a 44-year-old Korean man who had suffered from chronic hepatitis (type B) for 15 years. A large number of H. nana adult worms were found during colonoscopy that was performed as a part of routine health screening. The parasites were scattered throughout the colon, as well as in the terminal ileum, although the patient was immunocompetent. Based on this study, colonoscopy may be helpful for diagnosis of asymptomatic H. nana infections.     

非小细胞肺癌术后并发乳糜胸对患者生活质量影响的研究

目的:探讨非小细胞肺癌术后并发乳糜胸对患者生活质量的影响。方法:采用生活质量测定量表(QLQ-C30)回顾性分析第四军医大学唐都医院胸外科自2013年至2016年中收治的1015例肺癌手术患者的生活质量,发生乳糜胸组记为A组,未发生乳糜胸组记为B组。对比术前和术后1、3、6和12个月的生活质量有无统计学差异。结果:(1)术后1月时,除了社会功能、便秘、腹泻以外,两组生活质量指标评分均显著低于术前,且B组均显著低于A组,有统计学差异(表3,P0.05)。在手术后3月及以后逐渐恢复,至12月时,各组指标与术前基本相同(表3,P0.05);(2)两组术后生活质量相比较,术后1、3月,除社会功能、便秘、腹泻以外,其余生活质量功能指标B组均显著优于A组,有统计学差异(表3,P0.05)。在手术后6月及以后,B组所有指标与A组无统计学差异(表3,P0.05)。结论:肺癌根治术后发生乳糜胸患者生活质量显著低于未发生乳糜胸患者,因此应合理选择手术方式,注意术中操作,降低乳糜胸发生率,提高肺癌患者术后的生活质量。     

Immunopathological Changes in the Brain of Immunosuppressed Mice Experimentally Infected with Toxocara canis

Toxocariasis is a soil-transmitted helminthozoonosis due to infection of humans by larvae of Toxocara canis. The disease could produce cognitive and behavioral disturbances especially in children. Meanwhile, in our modern era, the incidence of immunosuppression has been progressively increasing due to increased incidence of malignancy as well as increased use of immunosuppressive agents. The present study aimed at comparing some of the pathological and immunological alterations in the brain of normal and immunosuppressed mice experimentally infected with T. canis. Therefore, 180 Swiss albino mice were divided into 4 groups including normal (control) group, immunocompetent T. canis-infected group, immunosuppressed group (control), and immunosuppressed infected group. Infected mice were subjected to larval counts in the brain, and the brains from all mice were assessed for histopathological changes, astrogliosis, and IL-5 mRNA expression levels in brain tissues. The results showed that under immunosuppression, there were significant increase in brain larval counts, significant enhancement of reactive gliosis, and significant reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression. All these changes were maximal in the chronic stage of infection. In conclusion, the immunopathological alterations in the brains of infected animals were progressive over time, and were exaggerated under the effect of immunosuppression as did the intensity of cerebral infection.     

Resistance to pathogens in terpene down-regulated orange fruits inversely correlates with the accumulation of D-limonene in peel oil glands

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary metabolites acting as a language for the communication of plants with the environment. In orange fruits, the monoterpene D-limonene accumulates at very high levels in oil glands from the peel. Drastic down-regulation of D-limonene synthase gene expression in the peel of transgenic oranges harboring a D-limonene synthase transgene in antisense (AS) configuration altered the monoterpene profile in oil glands, mainly resulting in reduced accumulation of D-limonene. This led to fruit resistance against Penicillium digitatum (Pd), Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) and other specialized pathogens. Here, we analyze resistance to pathogens in independent AS and empty vector (EV) lines, which have low, medium or high D-limonene concentrations and show that the level of resistance is inversely related to the accumulation of D-limonene in orange peels, thus explaining the need of high D-limonene accumulation in mature oranges in nature for the efficient attraction of specialized microorganism frugivores.     

In Situ Analysis of Na,K-ATPase α1- and α3-Isoform mRNAs in Aging Rat Hippocampus

Abstract: Age-related changes in the expression of Na,K-ATPase α1- and α3-isoform mRNAs were analyzed by in situ hybridization in the Fischer-344 rat hippocampus. Quantification of signal density with cRNA probes in rat hippocampus at 3 months of age showed (a) α1 content is 1.5 times higher in granule than in pyramidal cell layers, whereas α3 content shows the opposite ratio and (b) α3 label is found in large clusters related to mossy cells and basket cells and in medium clusters corresponding to interneurons within the dendritic fields of CA1–3. In the 24-month-old rats as compared with the young animals, the α1 signal is increased more than sevenfold in the dendritic fields and is not significantly changed in perikaryal layers. The α3 signal is reduced about threefold ( p < 0.0001, ANOVA, n = 6) in perikaryal layers, is almost completely absent over the interneurons, basket cells, and mossy cells, and is not significantly changed in dendritic fields. These data indicate age-related, cell- and isoform-specific alterations in pretranslational regulation of Na,K-ATPase α isoforms. The striking changes in the dendritic fields, mossy cells, and GABAergic basket cells and interneurons may constitute early and sensitive markers for age-related alterations in hippocampal function, before cell loss.     

Life history in culture of the obligate epiphyte Porphyra subtumens (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) endemic to New Zealand

This is the first report of the growth in culture of Porphyra subtumens J. Agardh ex Laing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta), an obligate epiphyte of Durvillaea species and endemic to New Zealand waters. Archeospores, previously observed on field material, develop directly into the blade phase. Spores released from field collected blades form conchocelis. Conchospores develop into new blades, completing the life history in culture. Earlier reports of reproduction in P. subtumens gave conflicting accounts with some authors citing this species as having an asexual, monophasic life history with an unusual form of spore production, while others described spermatangia and carposporangia on the blade phase.     

9. The algal flora of the Primorsky Region, Russian Far East

A survey of the freshwater algal flora of the Primorsky Region, Russian Far East, is presented. During more than 70 years of investigations 1659 species (including varieties and forms 2276 taxa) belonging to 346 genera of different groups of algae have been recorded from this territory. The Primorsky Region is rich in habitats attractive to algae-rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. The details of the distribution of algae in different types of waterbodies have been examined. The algal flora of the region is comparable to the areas, and its taxonomical structure is typical for Eurasia. From this territory some new species and varieties have been described — Achnanthes chankensis, Cymbella ventricosa var. hankensis, Surirella alisoviana, and others. The flora includes some rare species — Fragilaria magocsyi, Perone dimorpha, and Heterothrix monochloron, and some endemics of Asia — Navicula scutelloides var. baicalensis, N. globulifera var. nipponica, Gomphonema sphaerophorum, and Surirella tientsinensis.     

Life history patterns of river invertebrates

The initiation of invertebrate distribution patterns in rivers occurs by choice of oviposition sites and is influenced by the evolved reproductive strategies of the individual species. Subsequent redistribution by migration or drifting establishes patterns which are then modified by environmental influences on growth and mortality. Continuity of life cycles is sustained by variations on a number of defined life history strategies combined with evolved behavioural responses.