Macrofungal taxa and human population in Italy’s regions

Fungi are relatively understudied, particularly in terms of biogeographical patterns. We analyse whether there is a spatial correlation between macrofungi (Basidiomycota) and human population (both in terms of size and rate of change) in Italy’s regions. Although current fungal taxonomic richness increases with increasing number of inhabitants (censused in 1986 and 2006 and predicted for 2026) and with their density, these relationships are not significant when controlling for variations in area amongst regions. This result, along with other recent independent studies, suggests that the large-scale spatial correlation of people and species can be often explained by both variables correlating with a third factor such as area, habitat heterogeneity or energy availability. Macrofungal richness significantly increases with percentage of forest cover, but not with percentage of protected area, suggesting that the conservation of Italian fungi needs to be addressed also outside the current network of national and regional nature reserves. The absence of any significant association of the estimate of macrofungal taxa with human population change observed in the last and predicted for the next two decades implies that there is no current clear trend towards a change of the ratio between macrofungal taxa and human presence at this scale of analysis. Further work at a higher resolution is needed to assess the consequences for Italy’s fungal biodiversity of the abandonment of marginal land and the expansion of urbanized areas in regions of high environmental productivity.     

Estudo taxonômico de um novo Aspergillaceae

Summary Aspergillus fasciculatum n. sp. has been found as contaminant of Lab. cultures, on 30.10.1952 and again on 29.9.1954. It grows well in Czapek neutral agar, as well as in Malt agar and Potato-dextroseagar, less intensively in Corn steep agar.Other media have not been tried so far.It presents conidiophores smooth or rough, yellowish, septated or not, undivided or branching at the apex, supporting then 2 vesicles or yet with the apex trifurcated or turning into branches, each swelling to form vesicles, side by side, with single head conidiophores.Abnormal structures in which the sterigma becomes a second conidiophore with a vesicle, were found very common. Normal structures present vesicles with two and one series of sterigmata.Having its connections within the Flavus-oryzae group, by these outstanding characteristics not reported before, it was considered a new species.

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(Publicação No 5)

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Os autores agradecem aD. Marilene Maranhão Moreira, a colaboração prestada no curso dêste trabalho.     

Contrôle neurologique de l’éjaculation

The brain control of the genital tract and sexual behaviour remains poorly understood. Clinical results and basic research indicate that the neural control of ejaculation depends on three levels of organization. The first level consists of peripheral autonomic and somatic nerves. Leaving the spinal cord, these nerves control the motility, secretions and blood supply of the genital tract, and contractions of perineal striated muscles. Their path in the abdominal cavity and the effects of their neuro-transmitters on peripheral tissues have been established. These nerves also convey sensory information from the genital tract to the spinal cord. The second level is represented by the spinal cord. The thoracolumbar (sympathetic), and sacral (parasympathetic and pudendal) segments of the cord contain the somata of autonomic and somatic motoneurons, whose axons run in the above nerves. These motoneurons are part of a spinal network that likely organizes the activity of the whole genital tract in a given context such as copulation. The role of the different spinal cord segments in the control of ejaculation is mainly inferred from observations of the deleterious effects of spinal cord injury in human patients. A small population of galaninergic positive neurons has recently been identified in the lumbar segments of the rat spinal cord that plays a major role in ejaculation (Truitt and Coolen, 2003). Selective lesion of this population abolishes in copula ejaculations, but spares erection. Finally, the third level of organization is represented by supraspinal nervous structures. The spinal cord receives direct excitatory and inhibitory information from the brainstem, pons and hypothalamus. In turn, these structures receive sensory information from the genital tract. However, their role in the control of ejaculation remains poorly investigated. Again, it is mainly inferred from the observation of the deleterious effects of pharmacological treatments on brain neurotransmission. Positron emission tomography has recently been used to observe brain areas whose activity is enhanced during ejaculation in humans (Holstege et al., 2003). In this study, several areas of the right side of the cortex and the cerebellum were activated. The targets of future clinical and basic research include: the neural basis of the required coordination between spinal autonomic and somatic nuclei that innervate the genital tract, the role of sensory information from the genital tract in the recruitment and coordination of spinal and supraspinal nuclei, and finally the integration of descending excitatory and inhibitory influences onto the spinal cord. Both the organization during development and the activation at puberty of the spinal neural network that controls the genital tract are dependent on androgens. Future research should identify the regulatory factors that, in response to the action of androgens, provide neurons with the possibility of building their connexions and selecting their neurotransmitters and receptors.     

Le rôle de l’église et de la morale chrétienne sur le contrôle des naissances dès l’Antiquité à nos jours

This article discusses the role of the Church in birth control from Antiquity to the present day.     

Le contrôle de qualité externe en Biologie de la Reproduction de 1992 à 1996

Clinical efficiency of laboratory results in spermiology needs to have reliable data, and a quality assurance in their determinations. This could be done by creating an External Quality Control, each laboratory analyzing the same specimens. We transferred in spermiology methodologies currently used in Quality Control in Biochemistry and results presented here referred to the 1992–1996 period. Volountary participation of 37 laboratories who recieved two slides issuing from the same ejaculate. Coloration was made with that used in their own laboratory. Two parameters were specially studied: the total normal sperm count and the degree of teratospermia by evaluation of the Multiple Abnormalities Index (MAI). An area around the target value of 15% is actually retained and results in terms of precision and accuracy are interpreted with the Youden’s diagram. For the total normal sperm count, the disperson remains important during the 4 years (about 30 and 40%) with a poor percentage of laboratories in the area of accuracy. For the MAI, results are better as soon as the dispersion falls from 25 to 15% during the same time and the percentage of laboratories in the accuracy area rises from 10% to 68%. After four years of external quality control, such a protocol is very useful. But the quality results of some parameters must be more extensively explored to reduce interlaboratory dispersion and to improve the clinical efficiency of laboratory data in the spermiology approach.     

Contribution à la connaissance de la faune marine de la côte belge

Summary The difference of phototropism and phototaxis of both molluscs influenced their fixation.The orientation of both molluscs is towards the incoming light-direction, less pronounced when the light-intensity to the center of the tile is decreasing. The density of the populations of oysters is increasing towards the center of the tiles by decreasing light-intensity, the density of the Crepidula-population decreasing towards the center of the collector.The competition of both organisms in relation to space, is, under the opposed influence of the light, less than described in the literature.Theoretically it is possible to separate Crepidula and oyster-fixation, using this property.Statistical analysis corroborated our observations.     

Cestodes d'oiseaux de Côte-d'Ivoire. II. Parasites de Coraciiformes et Piciformes

Résumé Les cestodes récoltés en Côte d'Ivoire chez deux ordres d'oiseaux, les Coraciiformes et les Piciformes, sont présentés. Un nouveau genre, Thaumasiolepis (Hymenolepididae, Hymenolepidinae), est créé et discuté. Il comprend des cestodes récoltés chez différentes espèces de Capitonidae et caractérisés par des crochets rostraux spiniformes tout à fait originaux. L'espèce T. microarmata est créée pour ce matériel. D'autre part deux nouveaux Raillietina de Picidae, R. (S.) campetherae et R. (P.) yapoensis sont décrits. R. (S.) campetherae est la première espèce de ce sous genre trouvée chez les Piciformes. Biuterina meropina macrancistrota est trouvé chez Merops albicollis. Ce taxon est élevé au rang d'espèce et devient par conséquent B. macrancistrota Fuhrmann, 1908. Skrjabinoporus merops (Woodland, 1928) Spassky & Borgarenko, 1960 est retrouvé. Cette espèce peu commune est redécrite et sa position parmi les Metadilepididae confirmée. Enfin, Raillietina cf (P.) bargetzii Mahon, 1954 est signalé chez Gymnobucco calvus.

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Cestodes collected in the two bird orders, the Coraciiformes and the Piciformes, in the Ivory Coast are presented. The new genus Thaumasiolepis (Hymenolepididae, Hymenolepidinae) is created and discussed. It includes cestodes collected in two species of the Capitonidae. Its main characteristic is the presence of very unusual spiniform hooks. The species T. microarmata is created for this material. We also describe two new species of Raillietina parasitising the Picidae, R. (P.) yapoensis and R. (S.) campetherae, the latter being the first species of this subgenus recorded from the Piciformes. In addition, Biuterina meropina macrancistrota has been found in Merops albicollis. We recognize a full specific status for this taxon which becomes B. macrancistrota Fuhrmann, 1908. Skrjabinoporus merops (Woodland, 1928) Spassky & Borgarenko, 1960 has been rediscovered. This rare species is redescribed and its position among the Metadilepididae is confirmed. Finally, Raillietina cf (P.) bargetzii Mahon, 1954 is recorded from Gymnobucco calvus.

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Ce travail fait partie de la thèse du premier auteur.