scholarly journals A new aestivation strategy for land molluscs: hanging upside down like bats

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. e2802
Author(s):  
Zaidett Barrientos
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
The Body ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Direct Sunlight ◽  
Unusual Behavior ◽  
First Time ◽  
Caudal Gland ◽  
Land Molluscs

Introduction: Many land molluscs survival strategies are still poorly understood or have not been even reported, especially in the Neotropics. Methods: I collected 25 adult Tikoconus (Tikoconus) costarricanus from Reserva Forestal Río Macho, Costa Rica. I kept the specimens for 8 days in terrariums to film their behavior. Objective: To analyse the behavior of T. costarricanus, with emphasis on its strategies to survive drought and probably also predation. Results: This snail has at least three unusual behaviors that probably help them reduce dehydration and may be escape from enemies and avoid diseases: hanging upside down like bats, falling and grooming. During aestivation, they compress the body and hang upside down from leaves, like bats hang from perches. They attach to the underside of leaves with mucus from a caudal gland. Disengagement is done with vigorous shell rotations and foot twisting in contorting sequences, and can be done as reaction to direct sunlight, and probably to avoid predators and parasites. They groom their own shell, shell lappets and foot, an unusual behavior among land snails. This species feeds mainly on epiphyllous mosses, algae and lichens, occasionally adding arthropod eggs and carrion. Egg laying is similar to other euconulids and valloniid snails. Conclusions: Aestivating hanging upside down is a drought avoiding trait described here for the first time and is also a new function for the caudal gland mucus. Leaf detaching is done by a contortion sequence of shell rotations and foot twisting; its complexity and duration varies according to the leaf side where the snail is located.

scholarly journals New species and records of Cloeodes Traver, 1938 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from Costa Rica

ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 989 ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Oscar Vásquez-Bolaños ◽  
Fabián Sibaja-Araya ◽  
Meyer Guevara-Mora
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Posterior Margin ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Spine Length ◽  
Light Yellow ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Highland Streams ◽  
First Time ◽  
Base Width

The nymph of Cloeodes dantasp. nov. is described from male and female nymphs collected from highland streams in the Caribbean Slope of the Costa Rica Central Volcanic Mountain Range. Adults are unknown. In addition, C. excogitatus and C. redactus are recorded for the first time in the country. Cloeodes dantasp. nov. can be differentiated from all described species by the predominantly brownish coloration on females and a similar coloration on males but with segments VII–IX light yellow and light brown, with no conspicuous marks or patterns; abundant scale-bases throughout most parts of the body; hindwings pads absent; the presence of three spines in the corners of the posterior margin of sternum III, and the posterior margin of tergum III with 28–30 spines on each side of the middle line (spine with a base width up to 0.5× spine length).

scholarly journals Demography of the land snail Tikoconus (Tikoconus) costarricanus (Stylommatophora: Euconulidae) in tropical low montane and premontane forests, Costa Rica

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaidett Barrientos
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Mature Forest

Abstract. Introduction: Ecology and natural history of neotropical land snails is almost unknown. Objetive: In this paper I analyse the population dynamics of Tikoconus (Tikoconus) costarricanus Barrientos, in prep., an understory endemic euconulid. Methods: I compared T. costarricanus’ demography patterns in tropical montane forests in central Costa Rica in three habitats with different restoration techniques: a mature forest, a secondary forest and a Cuppressus lusitanica plantation. I collected data in three month periods during a year. I analysed population size in relation with habitat, sampling date, leaf litter humidity, depth and quantity; and specimen size in relation with habitat and sampling date. I also kept some specimens in terraria and described part of their natural history. Results: The species is more abundant in mature forest (Ø = 0.174 ind/m2). The number of specimens in each habitat was constant throughout the year (Kruskall-Wallis = 2.0118, p = 0.57, NS) and hatching occurs in the middle and last months of the rainy season (Kruskall-Wallis = 17.3061, p = 0.00061, **). Number of specimens is related with leaf litter humidity (Spearman correlation, r = 0.3524, n = 232, p = 0.000, **), amount (Spearman correlation, r = 0.3922, n = 232, p = 0.000, **) and depth (Spearman correlation, r = 0.2543, n = 232, p = 0.000, **). This relationship is explained by the high and stable humid environment provided by leaf litter. During the drier months some specimens migrate from the foliage to the leaf litter. Eggs (Ø = 1mm) are laid on moss or soil and the young spend the first 2 or 3 weeks of their life on moss. Egg masses are small (Ø = 4 eggs), and shells look bubbly. Egg development time (20 days) was longer than in other tropical species. Adult pigmentation appears around two months after hatch. In the only case observed egg laying began 5 months after hatching and the specimen lived 9 months. Conclusions: Although no conclusive, these data point to a fragile species susceptible to habitat and climate change. Restorations techniques should consider leaf litter features in order to protect endemic neotropical humid dependent diversity.

scholarly journals The land malacofauna from Vesuvius National Park and neighbouring areas (Naples, Southern Italy): Preliminary results

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnese Petraccioli ◽  
Nicola Maio ◽  
Paolo Crovato ◽  
Ivano Niero ◽  
Paola Conti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Allochthonous Species ◽  
First Time ◽  
Land Molluscs

The faunistic data on the recent land molluscs of Vesuvius National Park (Naples, Southern Italy) and neighbouring areas sampled during field surveys from 2005 to 2006 are reported here. The data were obtained through a careful research on museum collections and literature and were supplemented with observations from field surveys. Up to now, only 23 land snails species were known from the Vesuvius National Park through bibliographical data. The faunistic research, carried out in 25 stations of different environment typologies, allowed us to discriminate 31 species: 15 of these species are reported here for the first time for the study area. The presence of 16 species was confirmed by other field investigations. Other 19 taxa are reported in the literature, but not confirmed in our research - Helix turriculatella O. G. Costa, 1839 (obsolete nomenclature), Trochoidea trochoides Poiret, 1789, Hygromia cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801), Campylaea planospira (Lamarck, 1822), Vitrea sp. (cf. contracta (Westerlund, 1871)), Cecilioides acicula (O. F. Müller, 1774), Cochlicella acuta (O. F. Müller, 1774), Theba pisana O. F. Müller, 1774). Another 12 taxa are highly doubtful, because of possibilities for confusion with species living in other European or Italian regions, as well as previous misidentifications (Deroceras agreste (Linnaeus, 1758), Monacha gregaria (Rossmässler, 1839), Cochlicella barbara (Linnaeus, 1758), Monachoides incarnatus (O. F. Müller, 1774),Cernuella (Cernuella) cisalpina (Rossmässler, 1837), Cernuella aradasii (Pirajno, 1842), Oxychilus cellarius (O. F. Müller, 1774), O. alliarius (J. S. Miller, 1822), Zonitoides nitidus (O.F. Müller, 1774), Hyalina pseudohydatina, Ferussacia lubrica, Aegopinella nitens (Michaud, 1831); it was impossible in these cases to refer to their current specific name. Eobania vermiculata (O. F. Müller, 1774), Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758), Papillifera papillaris (O. F. Müller, 1774) appear to be the most common species. Interesting are the records of Marmorana muralis (O.F. Müller, 1774), Helix cf. ligata (O.F. Müller, 1774) and Charpentiera gibbula gibbula (Rossmässler, 1836). Charpentieria gibbula honii (Tiberi, 1878) needs genetic investigations in order to confirm its taxonomic status. One allochthonous species (Paralaoma servilis (Shuttleworth, 1852)) was surveyed for the first time in the study area. A Red List of Threatened Species is proposed and the species are classified according to the IUCN criteria (Version 2019-2.1). The malacofauna of Vesuvius - Somma Mountain Complex is composed by 38 land mollusc species and represents 36.2% of the total species present in Campania (about 105 species, personal data) and 12.8% of the Italian fauna (about 530 species of land molluscs extrapolated from the list of Bank (2017). It is assumed that the poor biodiversity of the Vesuvian land malacofauna can be attributed essentially to the scarcity of calcareous substrates and the absence of permanent water sources.

Structure-Reactivity Relationships on Substrates and Inhibitors of the Lysine Deacylase Sirtuin 2 from Schistosoma Mansoni (SmSirt2)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Monaldi ◽  
Dante Rotili ◽  
Julien Lancelot ◽  
Martin Marek ◽  
Nathalie Wössner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Human Cancer Cells ◽  
Parasite Survival ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Emergence Of Resistance ◽  
First Time ◽  
Parasitic Life Cycle

The only drug for treatment of Schistosomiasis is Praziquantel, and the possible emergence of resistance makes research on novel therapeutic agents necessary. Targeting of Schistosoma mansoni epigenetic enzymes, which regulate the parasitic life cycle, emerged as promising approach. Due to the strong effects of human Sirtuin inhibitors on parasite survival and reproduction, Schistosoma sirtuins were postulated as therapeutic targets. In vitro testing of synthetic substrates of S. mansoni Sirtuin 2 (SmSirt2) and kinetic experiments on a myristoylated peptide demonstrated lysine long chain deacylation as an intrinsic SmSirt2 activity for the first time. Focused in vitro screening of the GSK Kinetobox library and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of identified hits, led to the first SmSirt2 inhibitors with activity in the low micromolar range. Several SmSirt2 inhibitors showed potency against both larval schistosomes (viability) and adult worms (pairing, egg laying) in culture without general toxicity to human cancer cells.<br>

scholarly journals Electro-Quasistatic Animal Body Communication for Untethered Rodent Biopotential Recording

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shreeya Sriram ◽  
Shitij Avlani ◽  
Matthew P. Ward ◽  
Shreyas Sen
Keyword(s):  
Lower Energy ◽  
Sensor Node ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The Body ◽  
Animal Body ◽  
Current State ◽  
Communication Modalities ◽  
First Time ◽  
Biopotential Recording

AbstractContinuous multi-channel monitoring of biopotential signals is vital in understanding the body as a whole, facilitating accurate models and predictions in neural research. The current state of the art in wireless technologies for untethered biopotential recordings rely on radiative electromagnetic (EM) fields. In such transmissions, only a small fraction of this energy is received since the EM fields are widely radiated resulting in lossy inefficient systems. Using the body as a communication medium (similar to a ’wire’) allows for the containment of the energy within the body, yielding order(s) of magnitude lower energy than radiative EM communication. In this work, we introduce Animal Body Communication (ABC), which utilizes the concept of using the body as a medium into the domain of untethered animal biopotential recording. This work, for the first time, develops the theory and models for animal body communication circuitry and channel loss. Using this theoretical model, a sub-inch$$^3$$ 3 [1″ × 1″ × 0.4″], custom-designed sensor node is built using off the shelf components which is capable of sensing and transmitting biopotential signals, through the body of the rat at significantly lower powers compared to traditional wireless transmissions. In-vivo experimental analysis proves that ABC successfully transmits acquired electrocardiogram (EKG) signals through the body with correlation $$>99\%$$ > 99 % when compared to traditional wireless communication modalities, with a 50$$\times$$ × reduction in power consumption.

scholarly journals Experiential ownership and body ownership are different phenomena

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb Liang ◽  
Wen-Hsiang Lin ◽  
Tai-Yuan Chang ◽  
Chi-Hong Chen ◽  
Chen-Wei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conscious Experience ◽  
Distinct Type ◽  
Body Part ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Ownership ◽  
Rubber Hand ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
The One ◽  
First Time ◽  
Full Body

AbstractBody ownership concerns what it is like to feel a body part or a full body as mine, and has become a prominent area of study. We propose that there is a closely related type of bodily self-consciousness largely neglected by researchers—experiential ownership. It refers to the sense that I am the one who is having a conscious experience. Are body ownership and experiential ownership actually the same phenomenon or are they genuinely different? In our experiments, the participant watched a rubber hand or someone else’s body from the first-person perspective and was touched either synchronously or asynchronously. The main findings: (1) The sense of body ownership was hindered in the asynchronous conditions of both the body-part and the full-body experiments. However, a strong sense of experiential ownership was observed in those conditions. (2) We found the opposite when the participants’ responses were measured after tactile stimulations had ceased for 5 s. In the synchronous conditions of another set of body-part and full-body experiments, only experiential ownership was blocked but not body ownership. These results demonstrate for the first time the double dissociation between body ownership and experiential ownership. Experiential ownership is indeed a distinct type of bodily self-consciousness.

The New World fauna of the genus Pseudonapomyza (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

2004 ◽  
Vol 136 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Boucher
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
New World ◽  
World Species ◽  
First Time ◽  
World Fauna ◽  
Nearctic Region

AbstractThe New World species of Pseudonapomyza Hendel are reviewed. Only two species of the genus were previously known to occur in the Nearctic region: P. atra (Meigen) and P. lacteipennis (Malloch). Pseudonapomyza europaea Spencer and P. asiatica Spencer are here recorded for the first time in the Nearctic region and P. asiatica is recorded for the first time in Costa Rica and Venezuela. A key is provided to identify the four known New World species of Pseudonapomyza.

scholarly journals Normalizing Vision: The Representation and Use of Spectacles and Eyeglasses in Victorian Britain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma Almond
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Medical Texts ◽  
Victorian Britain ◽  
Victorian Period ◽  
First Time ◽  
Material Evidence

Abstract This study explores the representation and use of Victorian visual aids, specifically focusing on how the design of spectacle and eyeglass frames shaped ideas of the ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ body. It contributes to our understanding of assistive technologies in the Victorian period by showcasing the usefulness of material evidence for exploring how an object was produced and perceived. By placing visual aids in their medical and cultural context for the first time, it will show how the study of spectacle and eyeglass frames develops our understanding of Victorian society more broadly. Contemporaries drew upon industrialization, increasing education, and the proliferation of print to explain a rise in refractive vision ‘errors’. Through exploring the design of three spectacle frames from the London Science Museum’s collections, this study will show how the representations and manufacture of visual aids transformed in response to these wider changes. The material evidence, as well as contemporary newspapers, periodicals, and medical texts, reveal that visual aids evolved from an unusual to a more mainstream device. It argues that visual aids are a unique assistive technology, one that is able to inform our understanding of how Victorians measured the body and constructed ideas of ‘normalcy’ and ‘abnormalcy’.

scholarly journals Structural, Superconducting and Magnetic Properties of La3-XRxNi2B2N3-δ with R = Ce, Pr, Nd

2011 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 165-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahir Ali ◽  
Ernst Bauer ◽  
Gerfried Hilscher ◽  
Herwig Michor
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Properties ◽  
Structure Type ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spin Reorientation ◽  
Superconducting Transition ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Range Magnetic Order ◽  
Long Range Magnetic Order ◽  
First Time ◽  
Magnetic Pair

We report on structural and superconducting properties of La3-xRxNi2B2N3- where La is substituted by the magnetic rare-earth elements Ce, Pr, Nd. The compounds Pr3Ni2B2N3- and Nd3Ni2B2N3- are characterized for the first time. Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed all samples R3Ni2B2N3- with R = La, Ce, Pr, Nd and their solid solutions to crystallize in the body centered tetragonal La3Ni2B2N3 structure type. Superconducting and magnetic properties of La3-xRxNi2B2N3- were studied by resistivity, specific heat and susceptibility measurements. While La3Ni2B2N3- has a superconducting transition temperature Tc ~ 14 K, substitution of La by Ce, Pr, and Nd leads to magnetic pair breaking and, thus, to a gradual suppression of superconductivity. Pr3Ni2B2N3- exibits no long range magnetic order down to 2 K, Nd3Ni2B2N3- shows ferrimagnetic ordering below TC =17 K and a spin reorientation transition to a nearly antiferromagnetic state at 10 K.

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