We have evaluated the therapeutic effect of a compound mixture of caprylic acid (200 mg/kg fish), organic iron (0.2% of diet) and mannan oligosaccharide (0.4% of diet) in gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata Linnaeus, infected with Sparicotyle chrysophrii Beneden et Hesse, 1863 in controlled conditions. One hundred and ten reared and S. chrysophrii-free fish (197 g) located in a cement tank were infected by the parasite two weeks following the addition of 150 S. chrysophrii-infected fish (70 g). Growth parameters and gill parasitic load were measured in treated against control fish after a ten-week-period. Differences in final weight, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate and feed efficiency were not statistically significant between the experimental groups, suggesting no evident effect with respect to fish growth during the study period. Although the prevalence of S. chrysophrii was not affected by the mixture at the end of the experiment, the number of adults and larvae was significantly lower. The mean intensity encompassing the number of adults and larvae was 8.1 in treated vs 17.7 in control fish. Individual comparisons of gill arches showed that the preferred parasitism site for S. chrysophrii it the outermost or fourth gill arch, consistently apparent in fish fed the modified diet and in control fish. In conclusion, the combined application of caprylic acid, organic iron and mannan oligosaccharide can significantly affect the evolution of infection with S. chrysophrii in gilthead sea bream, being capable of reducing adult and larval stages of the monogenean. However, no difference in growth improvement was observed after the trial period, potentially leaving space for further optimisation of the added dietary compounds., George Rigos, Ivona Mladineo, Chrysa Nikoloudaki, Anamarija Vrbatovic, Dimitra Kogiannou., and Obsahuje bibliografii
1_Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) is one of the economically more important trees in the north of Portugal. Spiders, as generalist predators, are potential controlling agents of pests, yet the composition of the community of spiders associated with this crop is only poorly known. The objective of this study was to determine the spider communities in the canopies of chestnut trees subject to three different soil management practices in northeastern Portugal. Three chestnut groves each subject to a different agricultural practice (grazed, tilled or untilled) were studied in 2008 and 2009. The Araneae communities were sampled by beating the branches and the individuals collected were identified to family and species when possible. To investigate the structure of the spider community in each grove the abundance and family richness of spiders were calculated and compared between managements. In total, 4172 spiders were collected and, in both years, the three most abundant families were Araneidae, Philodromidae and Linyphiidae. In 2008, there was a greater abundance of spiders in the grazed, followed by the tilled and untilled groves, but no significant differences among groves. However, in 2009 there was a greater abundance of spiders in the tilled grove, followed by grazed and untilled groves and the differences between the untilled and the other two groves were significant. Araniella, Oxyopes and Anyphaena were the most abundant genera in the three groves. This study showed that soil management may influence the diversity of spiders, but the effects were weak and not consistent between years., 2_The reduction or absence of a suitable habitat for spiders under the trees in the tilled treatment might have resulted in the spiders migrating up into the canopy. However, based on the weak effects on spider abundance recorded and its potentially adverse effects on soils, tillage is not recommended for managing the incidence of pests in chestnut groves., Jacinto Benhadi-Marin ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
In this study we evaluate how variations in taxonomic composition and physical structure of macrophyte stands affect plant-dwelling chironomid assemblages in highly variable macrophyte assemblages in two densely vegetated backwaters. By using multivariate explanatory techniques we found that similar vegetation composition did not unequivocally relate to similar chironomid assemblages, moreover the diversity of macrophyte stands did not correlate with the taxonomic diversity of chironomid assemblages in the backwaters investigated. Taxonomic composition and structural characteristics of the vegetation had little influence on the taxonomic or functional (i.e. feeding groups) composition of chironomid assemblages inhabiting them. Similarly, there are only weak relationships between the distribution of certain chironomid species or functional feeding groups and the environmental variables investigated. In general, the structure of the vegetation was more closely associated with the distribution of dominant chironomid taxa than compositional variables (i.e. density of specific macrophyte taxa). In summary, the structure of aquatic vegetation (i.e. position, size of a stand of vegetation, total plant density) and characteristics of the environment where it develops may be more important in shaping plant-dwelling chironomid assemblages than the taxonomic composition of the vegetation., Mónika Tóth ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Flowers of dicotyledonous plants host communities of arthropod species. We studied the community associated with dandelion (Taraxacum section Ruderalia), a complex of apomictic micro-species abundant in central Europe. Identification of microspecies in the field was impracticable. These plants produce an abundance of flowers that host arthropod communities that are not yet fully documented. We investigated species occurrence, its diurnal and seasonal variation and some of the factors that determine the abundance of the dominant species. Insect and spiders were collected from 2010 to 2012 at a locality in Prague. Whole capitula were harvested at weekly intervals and resident arthropods were identified. Diurnal variation in insect presence and the effect of pollen and microclimate on some of the species were also examined. The insect community (> 200 species) consisted mainly of species of Hymenoptera (86 spp.), Coleoptera (56 spp.), Diptera (46 spp.) and Heteroptera (23 spp.). The most abundant were Thysanoptera (2 spp.). Pollen eaters/collectors and nectar feeders dominated over predators and occasional visitors. From April to mid-August, the insect community was dominated by Coleoptera, and later by Diptera and Hymenoptera. Except for Meligethes spp. and species breeding in the capitula, the insects occupied flowers during the daytime when the flowers were open (10-12 h in spring and only 2-4 h in late summer). The presence of Meligethes spp. in particular flowers was associated with the presence of pollen; the occurrence of Byturus ochraceus with pollen and flower temperature. Although pollination is not necessary, dandelion plants produce both nectar and pollen. The community of arthropods that visit dandelion flowers is rich despite their being ephemeral.The composition of local faunas of flower visitors, presence of floral rewards and flower microclimate are important factors determining the composition of the flower community., Alois Honěk, Zdenka Martinková, Jiří Skuhrovec, Miroslav Barták, Jan Bezděk, Petr Bogusch, Jiří Hadrava, Jiří Hájek, Petr Janšta, Josef Jelínek, Jan Kirschner, Vítězslav Kubáň, Stano Pekár, Pavel Průdek, Pavel Štys, Jan Šumpich., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Species assembly in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in local microhabitats was studied in a forest. The following questions were addressed: are there important filters that sort the species in the assemblages? If so, what is the specific nature of these filters? In order to address these questions rarefaction analysis was used to determine whether ground beetle species are distributed non-randomly. Next, the nature of filters was determined by analyzing (1) the community matrix and searching for the consequences of competitive exclusion and (2) species-environmental relations. Rarefaction analysis revealed that the species composition is filtered: species richness was less than expected and there were fewer than expected congeneric species coexisting at high beetle population densities. However, community matrix and body size analyses did not detect significant competition among the beetle species and the matrix was significantly nested. Species-environmental analyses indicated that the ground beetle assembly was strongly linked to ground vegetation. It is concluded that spatial distribution of ground beetles across local communities in this forest habitat is determined more by local environmental conditions than competition, and ground beetles do not interact strongly among themselves so that competitive effects do not play an important role in their distribution except at high beetle population densities. and Sonomi Shibuya, Kohei Kubota, Masahiko Ohsawa, Zaal Kikvidze.
The population structures of different species of Calliphoridae flies are highly diverse at different locations. We investigated populations of the Eastern European L. sericata using chaetotaxy and eight microsatellite loci. Our results strongly indicate that a panmictic population of L. sericata exists in the area studied, possibly with a high rate of intra-population gene flow. Analysis of chaetotaxy also supports the panmictic population hypothesis., Anna V. Diakova, Dmitry M. Schepetov, Nadezhda Y. Oyun, Anatole I. Shatalkin, Tatiana V. Galinskaya., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Light trapping is the most widely used tool for determining the diversity of nocturnal Lepidoptera, but UV LEDs have yet to be used as light sources for the large-scale monitoring of Lepidoptera. We assessed the efficiency of this novel light source for sampling moths using a Heath type moth equipped with a strip of 150 high brightness UV LEDs (emission peak 398 nm, ~ 15 W) powered by a 12 V battery. We compared the number of individuals, the number of species and the Geometridae / Noctuidae ratio recorded for the samples collected using UV LED traps with those collected in two monitoring programs carried out in the same geographic region using two different light sources: a 200 W incandescent lamp (Rothamsted trap) and a 160 W mercury vapour lamp (manual catch). The total catch consisted of 61,120 individuals belonging to 699 species. The species richness rarefaction curves revealed that the Rothamsted trap collected fewer species and individuals than UV LED traps. Furthermore, the median numbers of species and individuals caught by UV LED traps fell within the range of those caught by mercury vapour lamp traps. In addition, the community composition recorded using incandescent lamps and UV LEDs was similar. The data obtained using UV LED traps, in absolute terms and in comparison with the other light sources and different sampling methods, clearly reveal that this light source is suitable for sampling macro-moth communities. For field work UV LEDs have many advantages, as they are resistant to mechanical damage, easily protected from heavy rain and energy efficient., Marco Infusino, Gunnar Brehm, Carlo Di Marco, Stefano Scalercio., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The majority of the conservation strategies for threatened dragonflies are designed to protect only their aquatic habitats. Sympetrum depressiusculum is a species threatened not only by the destruction of its aquatic habitats but also by its association with a specific terrestrial environment. In this study, we aimed to identify the key elements of the terrestrial environment of adult S. depressiusculum. We used generalized linear mixed models to determine habitat preferences of adults and the particular features of habitat patches, such as vegetation cover, vegetation structure and the availability of potential prey. Our results indicate that S. depressiusculum adults preferred mainly riparian vegetation but beyond ponds they utilized only certain terrestrial habitats (abandoned fields, meadows, forest clearings). Adults responded positively to habitat patches with a high cover of vegetation and suitable vegetation structure. Adult abundance was affected also by the distance of patches from the natal site. In an agricultural landscape, the availability of such habitat patches may be limited and could influence the abundance and distribution of this species. We suggest that conservation efforts for this species should not only focus on the larval environment but also include suitable surrounding terrestrial habitats. Effective management around natal sites should concentrate on maintaining a heterogeneous landscape, which is extensively managed (e.g. leaving several fields fallow, maintaining managed hay meadows)., Michal Hykel, Filip Harabiš, Aleš Dolný., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between various clinical aspects of schizophrenia and seropositivity against Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908). We selected 94 patients with schizophrenia and investigated the seropositivity rate for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies by ELISA. Clinical parameters of schizophrenic patients such as illness type and status, clinical course, awareness of the illness and need for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) were compared with their serological status. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 43 (46%) of schizophrenic patients. Chronic patients had a rate of 34 (72%) seropositivity, whereas 9 (22%) of the patients with partial remission showed evidence of latent toxoplasmosis. Of continuous patients, 35 (81%) were found to be seropositive and this rate was significantly more than in the other groups. The rate of latent toxoplasmosis was detected significantly higher in patients who lack awareness of schizophrenia (36, i.e. 72%) than the patients who were aware of their illnesses (7, i.e. 16%). Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 38 (70%) of ECT performed patients while this percentage was 13% in the ones who had never been treated with ECT. This difference was also statistically significant. We showed that Toxoplasma-infected subjects had 15× higher probability of having continuous course of disease than Toxoplasma-free subjects. Our results put forth the possibility of latent toxoplasmosis to have a negative impact on the course of schizophrenia and treatment response of schizophrenic patients., Tuncay Çelik, Şükrü Kartalci, Özgür Aytaş, Gülay Aral Akarsu, Harika Gözükara, Süheyla Ünal., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The ascarid nematodes Toxocara canis (Werner, 1782) and Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) may infect humans resulting in toxocariasis. A prior study associated species of Toxocara Stiles, 1905 with cognitive deficits in children. To determine if a similar association between toxocariasis and cognition exists in adults, we analysed a large dataset from the United States' Center for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We used linear-regression and multivariate models to examine the association between toxocariasis as assessed by the presence of anti-Toxocara IgG antibodies and three measures of cognitive function - simple reaction time (SRT), symbol-digit substitution (SDS) and serial-digit learning (SDL) in 4 279 adults aged 21 to 59 years. Toxocara seroprevalence did not vary with age or blood-lead concentration but did vary with gender, ethnicity, educational attainment and poverty-to-income ratio. Controlling for gender, age, blood-lead concentration, educational attainment, ethnic background and the poverty-to-income ratio, we found that toxocariasis predicted worse performance on the SDS but not on the SRT or the SDL. Moreover, there were significant interactions between toxocariasis and age, gender and educational attainment. In conclusion, toxocariasis appears to be associated with decreased cognitive function. Interactions between toxocariasis and gender, age and educational attainment further suggest that certain groups may be more susceptible than others to the cognitive dysfunction associated with toxocariasis in adults., Lance D. Erickson, Shawn D. Gale, Andrew Berrett, Bruce L. Brown, Dawson W. Hedges., and Obsahuje bibliografii