Deep-sea nematode biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin: testing for longitudinal, bathymetric and energetic gradients

The knowledge of the processes controlling the spatial distribution of species diversity is one of the main challenges of the present ecological research. Spatial patterns of benthic biodiversity in the deep sea are poorly known in comparison with other ecosystems and this limits our understanding of the mechanisms controlling the distribution and maintenance of high biodiversity in the largest ecosystems of our biosphere. Although the Mediterranean basin covers <1% of the world ocean surface, none the less it hosts >7.5% of the global biodiversity. The high biogeographic complexity and the presence of steep ecological gradients contribute in making the Mediterranean a region of very high diversity. Here we report the results of an investigation on the patterns of nematode biodiversity in the deep-Mediterranean Sea, in relation with bathymetric, longitudinal and energetic gradients. Our results indicate that benthic biodiversity in the deep-Mediterranean decreases significantly with increasing depth. Moreover, at equally deep sites, nematode diversity decreased from the western to the eastern basin and longitudinal gradients were evident when comparing sites at 4000-m depth, with 3000-m depth. The analysis of the available energy (measured as labile organic matter content of the sediments) suggests that biodiversity patterns are not controlled by the amounts of food resources, but instead bio-availability is the key factor. A more detailed analysis revealed an extremely high deep-sea beta-diversity (turnover diversity), both among sites at different depths as well as at similar depths of different longitude or within the same basin. This new finding has not only important implications on the estimates of the overall regional diversity (gamma diversity), but also suggests the presence of high biogeographic complexity in the deep benthic domain of the Mediterranean Sea.     

Nutrient and oxygen redistribution during destratification in the Elefsis Bay,an anoxic basin

Destratification in Elefsis Bay due to winter cooling, heavy water formation and mechanical mixing produces homogenous water column that is moderately stratified during the summer as a result of surface heating and reduced mechanical mixing. In the Elefsis Bay, this destratification redistributes ammonia, phosphate and silicate regenerated by the organic matter as well as oxygen from the surface. This redistribution has significant implications for nutrient cycles and organism distribution in the Bay. Reasons for the increase of the phosphate concentrations through release of P from the sediments and the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas in oxygen-deficient water have been confirmed. The relation between the accumulation of phosphate, silicate and ammonia are discussed.     

Usefulness of F2-isoprostanes in early prognostication after cardiac arrest: a topical review of the literature and meta-analysis of preclinical data

Abstract

Prognostication after cardiac arrest (CA) represents a challenging issue, and several biomarkers have been proposed in the attempt to predict outcome. Among these, F2-isoprostanes stand out as potential biomarkers for early prognostication, providing information on the magnitude of global oxidative injury after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). We performed a topical review searching PubMed and Scopus databases to identify studies evaluating the modifications of F2-isoprostanes in the early period after CA, and a meta-analysis of studies providing curves of F2-isoprostanes plasma levels seeking to describe the biomarker’s kinetics after CA. Evidence suggests that plasma levels of F2-isoprostanes increase in the early post-resuscitation period and seem well correlated with the burden of ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Our meta-analysis shows a possible increase as early as 5?minutes after ROSC, which persists at 2?hours and is attenuated at 4?hours. Clinical studies are warranted to evaluate the utility of this biomarker for prognostication purposes in CA survivors.     

The pyruvate-lactate axis modulates cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

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Visualization of pulmonary inflammation using noninvasive fluorescence molecular imaging.

The ability to visualize molecular processes and cellular regulators of complex pulmonary diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), would aid in the diagnosis, differentiation, therapy assessment and in small animal-based drug-discovery processes. Herein we report the application of normalized transillumination and fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) for the noninvasive quantitative imaging of the mouse lung in vivo. We demonstrate the ability to visualize and quantitate pulmonary response in a murine model of LPS-induced airway inflammation. Twenty-four hours prior to imaging, BALB/c female mice were injected via tail vein with 2 nmol of a cathepsin-sensitive activatable fluorescent probe (excitation: 750 nm; emission: 780 nm) and 2 nmol of accompanying intravascular agent (excitation: 674 nm; emission: 694 nm). Six hours later, the mice were anesthetized with isoflurane and administered intranasal LPS in sterile 0.9% saline in 25 microl aliquots (one per nostril). Fluorescence molecular imaging revealed the in vivo profile of cysteine protease activation and vascular distribution within the lung typifying the inflammatory response to LPS insult. Results were correlated with standard in vitro laboratory tests (Western blot, bronchoalveolar lavage or BAL analysis, immunohistochemistry) and revealed good correlation with the underlying activity. We demonstrated the capacity of fluorescence tomography to noninvasively and longitudinally characterize physiological, cellular, and subcellular processes associated with inflammatory disease burden in the lung. The data presented herein serve to further evince fluorescence molecular imaging as a technology highly appropriate for the biomedical laboratory.     

Phyllosphere grapevine yeast Aureobasidium pullulans reduces Aspergillus carbonarius (sour rot) incidence in wine-producing vineyards in Greece

Phyllosphere yeasts were isolated from leaves of vine (Vitis vinifera L.) canes and evaluated in a detached berry assay for their ability to suppress Aspergillus carbonarius (Order: Eurotiales, Family: Trichocomaceae) growth. Seventeen of the 21 yeast isolates significantly reduced A. carbonarius growth, i.e. sour rot infection compared to untreated controls in laboratory tests. The most effective yeast isolate Aureobasidium pullulans (Order: Dothideales, Family: Dothioraceae), isolate Y-1, was field tested on two varieties of red grape, Grenache Rouge and Agiorgitiko located on the Island of Rhodes and in Corinthos County, Greece. It was demonstrated that A. pullulans Y-1 was as effective as the commercial fungicide fludioxonil + cyprodinil, in reducing sour rot infection, A. carbonarius presence on berries at harvest and ochratoxin A contamination in must.     

Nutrients of the Saronikos Gulf in relation to environmental characteristics (1973–1976)

The nutrient distribution in relation to environmental characteristics of the Saronikos Gulf was studied at two stations for the period 1973–1976. The distribution of measured values and their spatiotemporal variations were compared with previous data for the same area. Winter convection resulted in a very weak gradient of temperature, salinity, oxygen and nutrients. Stratification started to develop in May and persisted. for about six months. Little seasonal variation of nutrients appeared to occur, with higher values generally in winter. It was found that the station in the vicinity of the outfall contained more phosphate and ammonia than the station in the source water. Their levels of nutrients were similar in both years, except in the case of phosphate and nitrite, which were double at the station near the outfall in 1975. Of the nutrients controlling productivity in the photic layer of the examined stations in the Saronikos Gulf, phosphate had a stronger limiting effect on plant growth than inorganic nitrogen.     

Proteostasis failure and mitochondrial dysfunction leads to aneuploidy-induced senescence

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Woodland history of northern Greece from the mid Holocene to recent time based on evidence from peat pollen profiles

The woodland history of the northern mountainous parts of Greece is considered in the context of pollen profiles from bogs in Rhodopes, Lailias-Vrontou, Paiko, Voras and Pieria. In the time period covered by these diagrams (only those from Voras and Lailias extend back to the 7th millennium B.P.) the overall trends in the woodland history at the particular sites are comparable but there are also substantial differences that are attributed to the effects of human influence which varied in time, intensify and extent. The earlier phase, which corresponds to the Atlantic period of Firbas, is characterized by mixed deciduous woodlands with Quercus or Tilia the main components. This is followed by the phase (Subboreal) in which coniferous woodlands, which consisted of Abies and Pinus, dominated. In this time, Fagus gradually expanded. In the final phase (Subatlantic), Abies becomes more or less extinct and Fagus has a dominant role. These developments broadly correspond with those recorded in pollen profiles from Central Europe.