New and known species of the genus Campylaimus Cobb, 1920 (Nematoda: Araeolaimida: Diplopeltidae) from North European marine habitats

The genus Campylaimus is a broadly distributed but relatively uncommon genus of marine and brackish nematodes with 20 nominal species and one nomen nudum. Many species descriptions and redescriptions are based on very few (single) individuals, which limits our understanding of inter- and intra-specific variability and morphology-based species boundaries. Two new species were found in the Skagerrak off the west coast of Sweden. Campylaimus triclados sp. n. is characterised by body 0.59–0.69 mm long; cuticle without longitudinal striation; anteriormost edge of the amphid anterior to the oral opening; dorsal limb of the amphid equal to 1.6–2.5 labial region diameters in male, 1.9 labial region diameters in female; ventral limb of the amphid extends towards anterior part of the intestine in male and midpharynx in female, 4.3–5.5 times the length of the dorsal limb in male and 2.2–2.8 times the length of the dorsal limb in female; ventral limb of the amphid is as wide as the dorsal limb; interamphideal space extends further than the posterior end of the dorsal limb but not reaching the posterior end of the ventral limb; secretory-excretory pore opens posterior to the cardia; spicules 19–24 µm long; two precloacal supplements; tail equal to 4.3–5.6 anal body diameters in length, with conoid terminal part. Campylaimus longispiculus sp. n. is characterised by body 0.56–0.65 mm long; cuticle without longitudinal striation; anteriormost edge of the amphid anterior to the oral opening; dorsal limb of the amphid equal to 1.8–2.1 labial region diameters in male; ventral limb of the amphid extends towards anterior part of the intestine in male, 2.8–3.5 times the length of the dorsal limb in male; ventral limb of the amphid is as wide as the dorsal limb; interamphideal space absent; secretory-excretory pore opens posterior to the cardia; spicules 28–35 µm long; two precloacal supplements; tail equal to 4.9–5.3 anal body diameters in length, with clavate terminal part. In addition, following nine species are new records for the fauna of Sweden: Campylaimus amphidialis, C. inaequalis, C. lefeverei, C. minutus, C. orientalis, C. rimatus, C. siwaschensis, C. striatus and C. tkatchevi.

Three new and five known species of Diplopeltoides Gerlach, 1962 (Nematoda, Diplopeltoididae) from Sweden, and a revision of the genus

Eight species of Diplopeltoides are described from the Swedish west coast. Diplopeltoides suecicus sp. nov. has the cuticle with longitudinal striation visible only under SEM; cuticular plate underlying the cephalic cuticle around the amphid present; cephalic sensilla 4–6 µm long; amphid an inverted U-shape; wide space between amphidial branches areolated; spicules 27–31 µm long; gubernaculum with caudal apophysis. Diplopeltoides longicaudatus sp. nov. is characterized by a cuticle without longitudinal striation; cuticular plate underlying cephalic cuticle around amphid present; cephalic sensilla 13 µm long; amphid an inverted U-shape; narrow space between amphidial branches not ornamented; spicules unequal in size, 27–31 µm long; gubernaculum absent; midventral precloacal cuticular ridge present. D. grandis sp. nov. is characterized by a cuticle with longitudinal striation; cuticular plate underlying cephalic cuticle around amphid present; cephalic sensilla 18.5 µm long; amphid an inverted U-shape; wide space between amphidial branches punctate. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: Diplopeltoides asetosus (Juario, 1974) comb. nov., Diplopeltoides botulus (Wieser, 1959) comb. nov., Diplopeltoides bulbosus (Vitiello, 1972) comb. nov., Diplopeltoides lucanicus (Boucher & Helléouët, 1977) comb. nov., Diplopeltoides pumilus (Vincx & Gourbault, 1992) comb. nov. and Diplopeltoides striatus (Gerlach, 1956) comb. nov. Diplopeltoides holovachovi Fadeeva & Mordukhovich, 2013 is synonymised with Diplopeltoides pumilus comb. nov. An updated key to the species of Diplopeltoides is provided.

Importance of anatomopathological analysis and histopathological examination for the diagnosis of suspected cases of syphilitic aneurysm

<strong>Introduction</strong>: syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by mycobacterium Treponema pallidum in which in its tertiary stage can lead to an aortic syphilitic aneurysm. Currently, such cases are rare because of the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy. <strong>Objective</strong>: we aimed to carry out an anatomopathological analysis and histopathological examination of three cases potentially suspicious of aortic syphilitic aneurysm on human corpses. Methods: It was a descriptive study which 03 anatomic specimens of aortas from cadavers with ages ranging from 50 to 91 years obtained in Service checklist of deaths during the period from 2014 to 2015. We performed an anatomopathological and histopathological analysis with the use of special dyes. <strong>Results</strong>: through the macroscopic evaluation it was observed in all cases a dilation corresponding to arch of aorta where the intima obtained an aspect of longitudinal striation, classic of syphilitic process. As for histopathological study on the tissues treatment with the staining batteries, it was demonstrated the presence of the dissecting hematoma in all cases, besides necrosis and absence characteristic of the inflammatory process. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: the anatomopathological and histopathological study are diagnostic tools which have specific characteristics and are directed to assist in preliminary diagnosis of suspected cases of aortic syphilitic aneurysm in necropsies.

Description of Rotylenchus urmiaensis n. sp. (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae) from North-western Iran with a molecular phylogeny of the genus

A new bisexual species of Rotylenchus from North-western Iran is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric and molecular studies. Rotylenchus urmiaensis n. sp. is characterised by having a truncate lip region with irregular longitudinal striation, lateral field areolated only in pharynx region, stylet length 34-40 μm, vulva positioned at 53-61%, and female tail conoid-rounded to dorsally convex-conoid with 5-10 annuli. Rotylenchus urmiaensis n. sp. appears to be similar to R. striaticeps, from which it may be differentiated morphologically by a slightly shorter body length (870-1269 vs 1000-1723 μm), shorter stylet (34-40 vs 39-50 μm), female tail shape (conoid-rounded to dorsally convex-conoid vs rounded), frequency of males (rare vs common as abundant as females), shorter spicules (39-43 vs 41-50 μm) and phasmid position (varying from three annuli anterior or three annuli posterior to anus vs at level to seven annuli anterior to anus), and molecularly. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of D2-D3 expansion region of 28S, ITS-rDNA, 18S rDNA, and the partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (coxI) mtDNA, confirmed the species differentiation and the close molecular relationship between R. urmiaensis n. sp. and R. striaticeps.

The histological features of striped muscle in relation to its functional activity

Analysis of the reflex behaviour of striped muscles involves data drawn from their histological structure, and the present observations deal with the differences in microscopical and macroscopical structure of muscles of different contractile properties. Stefano Lorenzini (55) mentioned the striking difference in colour between certain muscles of the limb in the rabbit as long ago as 1678. The classic investigations of Ranvier (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68), however, revealed most of the present knowledge of red and pale muscle. He showed that this redness was associated with slowness of contraction, and with the genesis of tetanus at lower rates of stimulus. Moreover, these functional differences were shown to be associated with a difference in histological structure, a relatively larger amount of granular sarcoplasm and more distinct longitudinal striation in the case of red muscle. Later studies (1, 57, 43, 72, 49) revealed the occurrence of these granular and longitudinally striated fibres in muscles in many species, and also that these fibres were not always associated with redness of pigmentation (57). The histology of muscle in the higher mammalian forms has shown that both granular “sarcoplasmic” and clear “aplasmic” fibres occur side by side in the same muscle, and these two types of fibre have been homologised with the red pale muscles of the rabbit (29, 30, 43, 73, 42).