Review on the pharmacological and health aspects of Hylocereus or Pitaya: An update

The need for fresh fruit and vegetables in the community is increasing, this is due to research which states that the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables can reduce the likelihood of disease. Hylocereus spp or dragon fruit is a medicine plant belonging to the Cactaceae family. The distinctive morphology found in dragon fruit is the shape of the skin which corresponds to the oval body shape. Dragon fruit can grow well in dry areas. Phytochemicals in dragon fruit or pitaya include carbohydrates, protein, saponin phenolic compounds, terpenoids, oils, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, coumarin, and steroids. Meanwhile, nutritional analysis shows that the fruit contains complete nutrition, including vitamins, fat, crude fiber, and minerals. Based on previous research, dragon fruit has been proven to be used as an alternative ingredient for antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antoxidant, antulcer, antipertility, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, hypopolidemic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-platelet Keywords: Hyolocereus, medicine, phytochemistry, pharmacology.

Downstream Evolution and Coastal-to-Inland Transition of Landfalling Lake-Effect Systems

The distribution and intensity of lake- and sea-effect (hereafter lake-effect) precipitation are strongly influenced by the mode of landfalling lake-effect systems. Here, we used idealized large-eddy simulations to investigate the downstream evolution and coastal-to-inland transition of two lake-effect modes: 1) a long-lake-axis-parallel (LLAP) band generated by an oval body of water (hereafter lake; e.g., Lake Ontario) and 2) broad-coverage, open-cell convection generated by an open lake (e.g., Sea of Japan).Under identical atmospheric conditions and lake-surface temperatures, the oval lake generates a LLAP band with heavy precipitation along the mid-lake axis, whereas the open lake generates broad-coverage, open-cell convection with widespread, light accumulations. Over the oval lake, the LLAP band features a thermally forced and diabatically enhanced cross-band secondary circulation with convergence and ascent over the mid-lake axis. Downstream of the lake, flanking airstreams that avoid lake modification merge beneath the band where they experience sublimational cooling, producing a cold pool. At the upstream edge of the cold pool, a coastal baroclinic zone forms. Above this zone, ascent and hydrometeor mass growth are maximized, resulting in an inland precipitation maximum due to subsequent hydrometeor transport and fallout. Over the open lake, individual open cells grow larger and stronger with over-water extent, but a convective-to-stratiform transition begins at the coast. Here, convective vigor decays, mesoscale ascent begins, and enhanced hydrometeor growth results in an inland precipitation maximum. These results highlight variations in the coastal-to-inland transition of lake-effect systems that ultimately influence the distribution and intensity of lake-effect precipitation.

Biological features of guests and requirements for their containment

This article reveals the biological features of guinea fowl and methods of keeping them. Guinea fowl are raised and bred to produce dietary meat, high-quality eggs, and to control pests of crops: snails, insects, including the Colorado potato beetle. The main direction of growing guinea fowl is meat, in terms of meat yield guinea fowl are not inferior to chickens. The taste of guinea fowl resembles game, but it is more tender, juicy and not fibrous. Guinea fowl have a horizontally placed oval body, short neck, large head with a strong growth in the crest, short, lowered tail. Guinea fowl are unpretentious, easily acclimatized to any natural and climatic conditions. The disadvantages of this species of bird include a poorly developed hatching instinct and aggression during capture. With age, the aggression of guinea fowl increases. This bird is also known to make unpleasant shrill sounds, which is why they are sometimes refused to breed. When keeping guinea fowl, it should be borne in mind that domestic guinea fowl inherited from the wild the ability to fly well. They are mobile, timid, reluctant to go to the nest and often lay eggs in hidden, cozy places. After isolating males from the herd, females are able to lay fertilized eggs for more than 10 days. This species of birds is quite well acclimatized and shows a fairly high egg productivity in different methods of cultivation. There are several ways to keep guinea fowl. The most common walking method, which involves keeping guinea fowl during the day on pasture, and at night — indoors. Keeping on the floor (on deep litter) is used when it is not possible to give the bird exercise. The cage method allows to increase the efficiency of production area, reduce feed costs by 15%, to mechanize the care and maintenance of poultry houses.

Marine flatworms in the Gulf of Guinea: a description of a new species of Pseudobiceros (Platyhelminthes; Polycladida) from Principe Island

A new species of polyclad flatworm belonging to the genus Pseudobiceros Faubel, 1984 is described based on external and internal morphological features from specimens collected on the coasts of Principe Island. Pseudobiceros principensis sp. nov. is a large-sized worm, with well-developed pseudotentacles, an elongated oval body shape, and deep marginal ruffles. It is characterized by a blackish to reddish background color, with scattered yellow and white spots or stripes of different sizes (forming a star-like shape) along the whole dorsal surface.

Mycomystes nigriventris sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Tritomini) from South America, with insights into the genus Mycomystes Gorham

Mycomystes nigriventris sp. nov. (Erotylidae: Tritomini) is described from South and Southeast Brazil. Mycomystes was described by Gorham to include a single species, Mycomystes ferrugineus Gorham, from Mexico. Since Gorham’s description, no other species was included in Mycomystes and its morphological limits to Mycotretus remain unclear. The new species described here is placed in Mycomystes due its oval body, conspicuously dilated tibiae, mentum plate subpentagonal, with a rounded outline, and terminal maxillary palpomeres more greatly widened than the terminal labial palpomeres. Mycomystes nigriventris sp. nov. differs from M. ferrugineus in the black ventral coloration, elytral punctation with rows of punctures uniform longitudinally and not confluent, outer side of protibia lacking conspicuous angle, and distributed in Southeast and South Brazil, with M. ferrugineus restricted to the northern and M. nigriventris sp. nov. to the southern Neotropics. Similarities in body shape, morphology of mouthparts, and male and female terminalia between M. nigriventris sp. nov. and four species of Mycotretus, which may belong in Mycomystes, are discussed. The detailed description provided here, including potential characters for a phylogenetic approach, will help in subsequent studies on Mycomystes and Mycotretus.

Mediocremonas mediterraneus, a New Member within the Developea

ABSTRACTThe Stramenopiles are a large and diverse group of eukaryotes that possess various lifestyles required to thrive in a broad array of environments. The stramenopiles branch with the alveolates, rhizarians, and telonemids, forming the supergroup TSAR. Here, we present a new genus and species of aquatic nanoflagellated stramenopile: Mediocremonas mediterraneus, a free-swimming heterotrophic predator. M. mediterraneus cell bodies measure between 2.0-4.0 μm in length and 1.2-3.7 μm in width, possessing two flagella and an oval body morphology. The growth and grazing rate of M. mediterraneus in batch cultures ranges from 0.68 to 1.83 d-1 and 1.99 to 5.38 bacteria h-1, respectively. M. mediterraneus was found to be 93.9% phylogenetically similar with Developayella elegans and 94.7% with Develorapax marinus, two members within the class Developea. The phylogenetic position of the Developea and the ability of M. mediterraneus to remain in culture makes it a good candidate for further genomic studies that could help us to better understand phagotropy in marine systems as well as the transition from heterotrophy to phototrophy within the stramenopiles.

Tadpoles of three western African frog genera: Astylosternus Werner, 1898, Nyctibates Boulenger, 1904, and Scotobleps Boulenger, 1900 (Amphibia, Anura, Arthroleptidae)

Herein, we describe the tadpoles of six Astylosternus species, A.fallax, A.cf.fallax, A.laurenti, A.montanus, A.perreti, A.ranoides, and Scotoblepsgabonicus, and redescribe the tadpoles of A.batesi, A.diadematus, A.laticephalus, A.occidentalis, A.rheophilus, and Nyctibatescorrugatus. All Astylosternus tadpoles are adapted to torrent currents and share a long, oval body, slightly flattened in lateral view, with very long muscular tails with narrow fins. The jaws are massive, serrated, and often show a tooth-like medial projection (fang) in the upper jaw. Body proportions of Astylosternus tadpoles are extremely similar. The best characters to distinguish species might be life coloration and potentially the shape of labial papillae. The tadpole of Scotoblepsgabonicus is similar to Astylosternus and differs only slightly by a narrower body with a shorter and rounder head. The upper jaw of Scotobleps carries two or three lateral fangs instead of one medial one. The tadpole of Nyctibatescorrugatus is easily distinguishable from the other two genera on the basis of their very long, eel-shaped body and tail and the bluish-black color.

The tadpole of the hylid frog Scinax belloni (Anura: Hylidae)

Scinax perpusillus group is composed by11 species. Only Scinax arduous, Scinax littoreus, Scinax. meloi, S. perpusillus, S. tupinamba, and S. v-signatus, have its tadpole described. Herein we described the tadpole of Scinax belloni and its internal oral features. Tadpoles of S. belloni were collected in bromeliads at the Parque Estadual do Forno Grande, municipality of Castelo, Espírito Santo, southeastern. Two tadpoles were reared to froglets in order to allow specific identification. The morphology of S. belloni tadpoles resemble the other known larvae in many aspects such as oval body in dorsal view, coloration, rounded snout in dorsal view, dorsolateral eyes, anteroventral mouth and labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3. In fact, at first sight, all known tadpoles are very similar from each other. Nevertheless, they do can be distinguished by some characters as the shape of lower jaw; number of row of labial papillae; the size of the fins; height of tail and the body; whether musculature of tail reaches its tip and if tail ends rounded or pointed. S. belloni tadpoles are readily differentiated from the other known Scinax gr. perpusillus species tadpoles by the presence of a dark band that goes along the dorsal and ventral fin. The internal oral morphology of S. belloni is also described.

Synura korshikovii sp. nov. (Chrysophyceae, Synurales), a new species from Ukraine

A new species, Synura korshikovii sp. nov., is described from water reservoirs in the vicinities of Polisky Nature Reserve, Northern Ukraine, based on scale morphology studied by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopy. This species has three types of scales: spine-bearing oval body scales, spine-bearing prolonged transition scales and spineless ovate or circular caudal scales. All scale types are covered with hexagonal reticulum. The spine is clavate or cylindrical with flat apex terminating in a few rows of papillae-like teeth.