A new species of Rangabradya (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Ectinosomatidae) from a cave in Satun Province, southern Thailand

A representative of the family Ectinosomatidae was discovered in a temporary pool in a cave in the Satun Province, southern Thailand. Based on the characteristics of the antennary exopod, armature of the female fifth leg, and configuration of the male sixth leg, a new species of the genus Rangabradya was identified, representing the first record of the genus in the continental waters of Thailand and in Southeast Asia. The new species can be distinguished from Rangabradya indica by the configurations of the fifth and the sixth legs in both sexes, the body ornamentation of the urosomite, and the armature of the mouthparts. These structures show a more primitive state in the new species. Accordingly, a new subgeneric rank in the genus Rangabradya, Siamorangabradyasubgen. nov, was established to accommodate the Thai species and Rangabradya (Siamorangabradya) wongkamhaengaesubgen. et sp. nov. was described. Also, the key to all 23 genera of the family was updated.

Additions to the History of Hungarian Tourism. The Sikonda Spa in the Middle of the 20th Century

After the communist takeover, by the end of the 1940s, the previously privately owned spas fell into state hands. This was also the fate of the Harkány and Sikonda spas in Baranya County. In 1928, the Salgótarján Coal Mine Company searched for coal in the forest of the Parish of the Cathedral in Pécs, when it found the thermal water source at a depth of 318 meters. The forest councillor of the Cathedral, Andor Kolossváry, recognising the potential of the spring, using the analysis of the chief chemist of the Danube Steamboat Shipping Company, opened a spa, in the first temporary pool of which 18,000 guests bathed in the first year. In the years that followed, its guests came in part from the ranks of the surrounding mining population, who largely treated their rheumatic ailments here. At the same time, the majority of the guests came from circles that were more able to afford higher prices. The years 1948-49 marked a turning point in the history of the spa, which gained the status of a healing spa from 1935. The nationalisation of the spa and the transformation of the hotel into a night sanatorium could be done during this period. From 1963, a mining sanatorium, which was definitely engaged in healing, also operated here. Sikonda’s institution was not unique in the country, but it became one of the most significant, in many cases exemplary, mining medical centres.

Diversity Analysis of Rotifers from Temporary Spring Pools of Jallo Park, Lahore, Pakistan

Temporary pools are relatively small water bodies with limited resources and are seasonally available.These freshwater bodies are rich source of microbial and planktonic life Objective: This survey wasconducted to find out the presence of rotifers in temporary pools formed in Jallo Park established in1978 and explore their density and diversity Methods: Sample collection was done from ten pools withthe help of a planktonic mesh. The counting was performed with a Sedgwick- Rafter chamber. Diversityindices like Shannon Weaver index etc. were applied Results: In present study 27 rotifer speciesbelonging to 14 genera were identified. The highest diversity and density was shown by Brachionus andLecane. There was even distribution in each pool. Results of ANOVA showed statistically significantdifference in population density and diversity Conclusions: This study has presented a guideline tofind out rotifer diversity which could be present in any water reservoir like temporary pool.

Development of the irradiation facility SIBO INRA/Tangier, Morocco by upgrading cobalt-60 in a temporary pool and enhancing safety and control features

An automatic control system is one of the most important parts of an irradiation facility. The level of this control is always maintained to comply with safety procedures during routine work in this field. Also sometimes it is limited to the minimum level of regulation required due to economical aspects; some commercial systems are generally made by manufacturers of industrial facilities and considered affordable by irradiators. In some cases specific irradiation facilities tailor their control systems to their needs. For this kind of irradiator the control system can be developed and upgraded according to personal and industrial experiences. These upgrading procedures are also used by others to develop their systems. The objective of this paper is to share a local experience in upgrading security, safety systems and the use of cobalt-60 for the irradiator. It is a composite experiment at SIBO INRA/Tangier, Morocco and concerns the: (i) upgrade of cobalt-60 in a temporary pool in the SIBO irradiator in Tangier. This operation was conducted in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and was a success story of 2014 according to the general conference of IAEA; (ii) safety and technical upgrade of the system in the SIBO irradiator made in collaboration with IAEA; (iii) installation and upgrade of the security system in accordance with the Global Threat Reduction Programme (GTRP) to reduce the threat of a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) in collaboration with The United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Detrivory, competition, and apparent predation by Culiseta longiareolata in a temporary pool ecosystem

Larvae of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart have been suggested as important species in desert and Mediterranean temporary pond ecosystems through their strong competitive abilities and as intra-guild predators. We examined their potential predatory effect on larvae of the abundant saltmarsh mosquito Ochlerotatus caspius. We did not find evidence for predatory effects of C. longiareolata on O. caspius larvae. We suggest that, at least in our system, C. longiareolata is an apparent predator. Namely, it does not actively prey on mobile victims, but rather feeds on the carcasses of its fallen competitors additional to its generally immobile food. Hence, we do not expect the occurrence of anti-predator behaviors in response to C. longiareolata presence, including larval development characteristics and oviposition habitat selection.