BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE OF OSTRACODS FROM THE UPPER DEVONIAN OF THE NORTHWESTERN KUZNETSK BASIN (TOM RIVER, SOUTH EAST OF WEST SIBERIA)

New data on ostracods from three Upper Devonian key sections located in the northwestern part of the Kuznetsk Basin along the Tom River have been obtained. Biostratigraphic analysis allowed define biostratons identified in the rank of Beds with ostracods (Bairdia vassinoensis, Hollinella valentinae and Acratia (cooperina) granuliformis). Beds with ostracods are of different correlation potential. Thus, Beds with Bairdia vassinoensis and Beds with Hollinella valentinae can be traced in two structural-facies subzones of the Kuznetsk Basin margin. Forms with a wide geographical distribution have been established in the ostracod complexes. They could be regarded as markers for interregional correlations.

Complete genome resources for Xylella fastidiosa strains AlmaEM3 and BB08-1 reveal prophage-associated structural variation among blueberry-infecting strains.

Xylella fastidiosa is a gram-negative plant pathogenic bacterium with wide geographical distribution and host range. X. fastidiosa strains are separated into genetically distinct subspecies, and further categorized into sequence types (ST). Genetic characterization of X. fastidiosa strains infecting blueberry has revealed that strains of subspecies multiplex and fastidiosa are capable of causing bacterial leaf scorch disease of blueberry under field conditions. To better elucidate the relationships among blueberry-infecting X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex strains, we completed the genomes of an ST 42 strain, AlmaEM3, and a ST 43 strain, BB08-1, using a hybrid assembly approach. Comparison of these assemblies reveals a large (0.95 Mb) chromosomal inversion in BB08-1 relative to AlmaEM3 and the reference strain M12, likely resulting from recombination between prophage regions.

An Overlooked New Endemic Species of Rhipidocladum (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae: Arthrostylidiinae) from Mexico

Abstract— Rhipidocladum is the fourth most speciose genus in the bamboo subtribe Arthrostylidiinae. The species in this genus have a wide geographical distribution from North America (Mexico) to South America (Argentina). In Mexico, there are five Rhipidocladum species, two of which are endemic. During a recent review of herbaria, we found some specimens of Rhipidocladum from Guerrero, Jalisco, and Nayarit that do not fit morphologically with any of the five Rhipidocladum species presently known in Mexico nor any other species in the genus. Here we describe and illustrate Rhipidocladum barbinode, a new species endemic to Mexico. We additionally provide an updated morphological key to the Rhipidocladum species of Mexico.

“STUDY OF SERUM AMINOTRANSFERASE LEVELS IN DENGUE FEVER”

Dengue infection, an arthropod-borne viral hemorrhagic fever, continues to be a major challenge to public health, especially in South-East Asia. It has a wide geographical distribution and can present with a diverse clinical spectrum. The liver dysfunction could be a direct viral effect or an adverse consequence of dysregulated host immune response against the virus. Hepatic involvement can be characterized by manifestations of acute hepatitis, with pain in the right hypochondrium, hepatomegaly, jaundice, and raised aminotransferase levels. Several outbreaks of dengue infection have been reported from India. However, large clinical studies documenting hepatic involvement in dengue infection, especially in adults, are scarce.

Hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Vema and Valdivia seamounts (SE Atlantic)

In this report, we analyse the benthic hydroids collected on the Vema and Valdivia seamounts during a survey conducted in 2015 in the SEAFO Convention Area, focused on mapping and analysing the occurrence and abundance of benthopelagic fish and vulnerable marine ecosystem (VMEs) indicators on selected Southeast Atlantic seamounts. A total of 27 hydroid species were identified, of which 22 belong to Leptothecata and only five to Anthoathecata. Monostaechoides gen. nov. was erected within the family Halopterididae to accommodate Plumularia providentiae Jarvis, 1922, and a new species, Monotheca bergstadi sp. nov., is also described. Campanularia africana is recorded for the first time from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Northeast Atlantic species Amphinema biscayana, Stegopoma giganteum and Clytia gigantea are also recorded from the South Atlantic. Three species were identified to the genus level only, due to the absence of their gonosomes. None of the reported species are endemic, and the hydroid community is clearly dominated by species with a wide geographical distribution in the three major oceans. Only Monotheca bergstadi sp. nov. presently has its distribution restricted to the Vema Seamount and the South African coast.

Zanthoxylum Species: A Comprehensive Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological and Nutraceutical Applications

Zanthoxylum species (Syn. Fagara species) of the Rutaceae family are widely used in many countries as food and in trado-medicinal practice due to their wide geographical distribution and medicinal properties. Peer reviewed journal articles and ethnobotanical records that reported the traditional knowledge, phytoconstituents, biological activities and toxicological profiles of Z. species with a focus on metabolic and neuronal health were reviewed. It was observed that many of the plant species are used as food ingredients and in treating inflammation, pain, hypertension and brain diseases. Over 500 compounds have been isolated from Z. species, and the biological activities of both the plant extracts and their phytoconstituents, including their mechanisms of action, are discussed. The phytochemicals responsible for the biological activities of some of the species are yet to be identified. Similarly, biological activities of some isolated compounds remain unknown. Taken together, the Z. species extracts and compounds possess promising biological activities and should be further explored as potential sources of new nutraceuticals and drugs.

Four Centuries of Medicinal Mosses and Liverworts in European Ethnopharmacy and Scientific Pharmacy: A Review

(1) Medicinal use of bryophytes dates to ancient times, but it has always been marginal due to their small size, difficult identification, lack of conspicuous organs which would attract attention (flowers, fruits) and insipid taste of the herb. The earliest testimonies of their medical use come from the 1500s. The interest in medicinal bryophytes diminished considerably in the 1880s, except for Sphagnum spp., which became a source of dressing material. The second half of the 20th century saw the revival of the study of bryophyte chemistry. (2) Historical printed sources from 1616 to 1889 were queried. Bryophyte species found were taxonomically identified and presented against the background of their confirmed properties and ecology. The study was supplemented with historical vs. modern ethnomedicinal data. (3) In 26 publications, 28 species were identified. Modern usage was known for 10 of them. Medicinal properties of 16 species were confirmed. (4) Species of wide geographical distribution range were (or are still being) used in local folk medicines. Historical ethnobiological and ethnopharmaceutical uses of them are sometimes convergent with their confirmed properties, mostly external (as antimicrobial or cytotoxic remedies).

The unprecedented epidemic-like scenario of dermatophytosis in India: II. Diagnostic methods and taxonomical aspects

Trichophyton (T.)mentagrophytes now accounts for an overwhelming majority of clinical cases in India, a new “Indian genotype” (T. mentagrophytes ITS genotype VIII) having been isolated from skin samples obtained from cases across a wide geographical distribution in this country. The conventional diagnostic methods, like fungal culture, are, however, inadequate for diagnosing this agent. Thus, molecular methods of diagnosis are necessary for proper characterization of the causative agent. The shift in the predominant agent of dermatophytosis from T. rubrum to T. mentagrophytes, within a relatively short span of time, is without historic parallel. The apparent ease of transmission of a zoophilic fungus among human hosts can also be explained by means of mycological phenomena, like anthropization.

Temperature Reconstructions Using Speleothems

Methods for reconstructing past temperatures from speleothems have only recently been developed. Advances in quantitative temperature proxies for speleothems are now allowing critical knowledge gaps to be filled, given the outstanding age control and wide geographical distribution of the speleothem archive. The methods of reconstructing temperatures from speleothems are diverse: they rely on concepts from geochemistry, biology, and physics, and are based on different aspects of speleothems, including water inclusions, calcite, and organic molecules. Combining the different approaches makes temperature reconstructions more robust, affords further insights into the methodologies, and provides constraints on other climate variables.

First record of a wild population of Laelia dawsonii f. dawsonii (Orchidaceae) for the state of Jalisco, Mexico

The existence of a wild population of Laelia dawsonii f. dawsonii is recorded for the first time in the Mexican State of Jalisco. Laelia dawsonii has a wide geographical distribution throughout the Sierra Madre del Sur (Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Jalisco); however, the populations are very isolated, and each one has very few individuals. Until now, no wild populations of this species had been registered outside of the State of Oaxaca. The population found in Jalisco is composed of about 100 plants. Due to its horticultural importance, L. dawsonii has been frequently extracted from the field, and its Oaxacan populations have been decimated since the end of the 19th century. Currently, this species is considered endangered in Mexico. Keywords: biogeography, conservation, Laeliinae, Laelia anceps