The cycle of mussels: long-term dynamics of mussel beds on intertidal soft bottoms at the White Sea

Dense blue mussel assemblages are unstable, their structure changing from year to year. Three types of models can be used to describe this instability: (1) “exogenous” model based on regional temperature fluctuations, (2) “endogenous” deterministic model associated with negative impact of adult mussels on juveniles and (3) “density-linked stochasticity” model based on positive feedbacks resulting in overcrowding and destabilizing the settlement. We compared predictions deduced from these models with a time series based on the results of long-term (18 years) monitoring of abundance and demographic structure of three mussel beds at the White Sea. Most of our findings agreed well with the predictions deduced from the endogenous model. In particular, (1) long-term changes in mussel abundance and demographic structure were strictly cyclic, with non-matching periods (5–9 years) at different sites; (2) stages with the dominance of old mussels alternated with those where juveniles dominated and (3) some signals of delayed density dependence were revealed. However, the time series also contained elements of long-term trends, which may testify to the involvement of some exogenous factors (probably long-term climate changes).     

Invasion of an indigenous Perna perna mussel bed on the south coast of South Africa by an alien mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and its effect on the associated fauna

The introduced mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is progressively increasing in abundance along the south coast of South Africa. Quantitative 0.1 m² samples were collected in the mid-zone of an indigenous Perna perna mussel bed in the 1980s prior to the arrival M. galloprovincialis (12) and in the 2000s during the M. galloprovincialis invasion (16). In addition, in situ counts of M. galloprovincialis were done on eight occasions between 1993 and 2005, and in the low- and high-zones on four occasions. In the mid-zone M. galloprovincialis was absent until 1987, its mean densities were low (< 15 individuals/0.1 m²) between 1993 and 1996, but thereafter increased steadily, peaking in 2004 (at 721 individuals/0.1 m²), before declining in 2005 (331 individuals/0.1 m²). The greatest densities of M. galloprovincialis were recorded at the high-zone (1121 individuals/0.1 m²) and the smallest in the low-zone. As M. galloprovincialis numbers increased, there was an associated, but smaller decline in P. perna numbers and the overall density of mussels increased significantly (P < 0.05). No major change was recorded in the size composition of P. perna. The density of associated fauna differed significantly (P < 0.01) between sampling dates with the lowest and highest values being recorded near the ‘beginning’ (2001) and ‘end’ (2005) of the invasion period respectively. These differences were largely due to variations in the density of barnacles, and the toothed barnacle Chthamalus dentatus appeared to be the only associated faunal species that was directly affected by the M. galloprovincialis invasion, experiencing a significantly (P ≤ 0.05), but temporary decline in density and biomass values.     

输尿管软镜结合输尿管硬镜治疗复杂上尿路结石的效果评价及对预后的影响

目的 探讨输尿管软镜协同输尿管硬镜治疗复杂上尿路结石的临床效果.方法 选择我院收治的复杂上尿路结石患者96例,按入院顺序分为对照组和观察组,每组48例.对照组采取输尿管硬镜钬激光碎石术治疗,观察组采取输尿管软镜协同输尿管硬镜钬激光碎石术治疗.比较两组患者1次性碎石成功率、结石彻底清除率、炎症反应情况以及生活质量、住院时...     

Systematics of the spider genus Metabus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 (Araneoidea: Tetragnathidae) with additions to the tetragnathid fauna of Chile and comments on the phylogeny of Tetragnathidae

The spider genus Metabus (Tetragnathidae) previously included nine species: the type M. gravidus O. P.-Cambridge, 1899 – junior synonym of Leucauge ocellata (Keyserling) – from Central America and eight species from Chile. In this paper, the classification of the Metabus species-complex is revised, and two new genera, with three new species and five new combinations, are described. Allende gen. nov. is created for four Chilean species not congeneric with the type of Metabus : the type A. puyehuensis sp. nov. , A. patagiatus (Simon) comb. nov. , A. nigrohumeralis (F. O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. and A. longipes (Nicolet) comb. nov. Further additions to the Chilean fauna are under the new genus Mollemeta gen. nov. – created for M. edwardsi (Simon) comb. nov. – and three new species of Chrysometa : C. acinosa sp. nov. , C. levii sp. nov. and C. maitae sp. nov. Metabus now includes four species: M. ocellatus (Keyserling) comb. nov. , M. debilis (O. P.-Cambridge) comb. nov. , M. ebanoverde sp. nov. and M. conacyt sp. nov. All of these species were included in a phylogenetic analysis of 38 tetragnathid and 12 orbicularian outgroup terminals scored for 105 morphological and behavioural characters. The results suggest that Metabus as previously circumscribed is polyphyletic. The phylogenetic relationships within tetragnathids are briefly discussed. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 151 , 285–335.     

Presbyopia and heat: changes associated with aging of the human lens suggest a functional role for the small heat shock protein, alpha-crystallin, in maintaining lens flexibility

Presbyopia, the inability to focus up close, affects everyone by age 50 and is the most common eye condition. It is thought to result from changes to the lens over time making it less flexible. We present evidence that presbyopia may be the result of age-related changes to the proteins of the lens fibre cells. Specifically, we show that there is a progressive decrease in the concentration of the chaperone, α-crystallin, in human lens nuclei with age, as it becomes incorporated into high molecular weight aggregates and insoluble protein. This is accompanied by a large increase in lens stiffness. Stiffness increases even more dramatically after middle age following the disappearance of free soluble α-crystallin from the centre of the lens. These alterations in α-crystallin and aggregated protein in human lenses can be reproduced simply by exposing intact pig lenses to elevated temperatures, for example, 50 °C. In this model system, the same protein changes are also associated with a progressive increase in lens stiffness. These data suggest a functional role for α-crystallin in the human lens acting as a small heat shock protein and helping to maintain lens flexibility. Presbyopia may be the result of a loss of α-crystallin coupled with progressive heat-induced denaturation of structural proteins in the lens during the first five decades of life.     

Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever in Brazil: its hidden role in seronegative arthritis and the importance of molecular diagnosis based on the repetitive element IS1111 associated with the transposase gene

Coxiella burnetii is the agent of Q fever , an emergent worldwide zoonosis of wide clinical spectrum. Although C. burnetii infection is typically associated with acute infection, atypical pneumonia and flu-like symptoms, endocarditis, osteoarticular manifestations and severe disease are possible, especially when the patient has a suppressed immune system; however, these severe complications are typically neglected. This study reports the sequencing of the repetitive element IS1111 of the transposase gene of C. burnetii from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from a patient with severe pneumonia following methotrexate therapy, resulting in the molecular diagnosis of Q fever in a patient who had been diagnosed with active seronegative polyarthritis two years earlier. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first documented case of the isolation of C. burnetii DNA from a BAL sample.