Academic literature on the topic 'Giant tropical worm'

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of humans, and it is considered to be the second most devastating parasitic disease after malaria. Eggs produced by normally developed female worms are important in the transmission of the parasite, and they responsible for the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. The tumor suppressor genelethal giant larvae (lgl)has an essential function in establishing apical-basal cell polarity, cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue organization. In our earlier study, downregulation of thelglgene induced a significant reduction in the egg hatching rate ofSchistosoma japonicum (Sj)eggs. In this study, theSjlglgene was used as a vaccine candidate against schistosomiasis, and vaccination achieved and maintained a stable reduction of the egg hatching rate, which is consistent with previous studies, in addition to reducing the worm burden and liver egg burden in some trials.

Artificial reefs created by deliberately sinking ships off the coast of the Florida Keys island chain are providing new habitat for marine invertebrates. This newly developing fouling community includes the previously reported invasive orange tube coralTubastraea coccineaand the non-native giant foam oysterHyotissa hyotis. New SCUBA-based surveys involving five shipwrecks spanning the upper, middle, and lower Florida Keys, showT. coccineanow also established in the lower Keys andH. hyotislikewise extending to new sites. Two additional mollusks found on the artificial reefs, the amathinid gastropodCyclothyca paceiand gryphaeid oysterHyotissa mcgintyi, the latter also common in the natural reef areas, are discussed as potentially non-native. A new species of sessile, suspension-feeding, worm-snail,Thylacodes vandyensis Bieler, Rawlings & Collins n. sp. (Vermetidae), is described from the wreck of theUSNS Vandenbergoff Key West and discussed as potentially invasive. This new species is compared morphologically and by DNA barcode markers to other known members of the genus, and may be a recent arrival from the Pacific Ocean.Thylacodes vandyensisis polychromatic, with individuals varying in both overall head-foot coloration and mantle margin color pattern. Females brood stalked egg capsules attached to their shell within the confines of their mantle cavity, and give rise to crawl-away juveniles. Such direct-developing species have the demonstrated capacity for colonizing habitats isolated far from their native ranges and establishing rapidly growing founder populations. Vermetid gastropods are common components of the marine fouling community in warm temperate and tropical waters and, as such, have been tagged as potentially invasive or with a high potential to be invasive in the Pacific Ocean. As vermetids can influence coral growth/composition in the Pacific and have been reported serving as intermediate hosts for blood flukes of loggerhead turtles, such new arrivals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are of concern. Growing evidence indicates that artificial reefs can act as permanent way-stations for arriving non-natives, providing nurseries within which populations may grow in an environment with reduced competition compared to native habitats. Consequently, artificial reefs can act as sentinels for the appearance of new species. Ongoing monitoring of the developing molluscan fauna on the artificial reefs of the Florida Keys is necessary to recognize new invasions and identify potential eradication targets, thereby assuring the health of the nearby natural barrier reef.

Only one specimen of Architeuthis dux was previously reported from the southern Indian Ocean. The present work adds ten new records of giant squid in the area. Two remains of fresh specimens have been collected from La Réunion Island (21°S) and Amsterdam Island (38°S) in tropical and subtropical waters, respectively. Eight other squid were identified from beaks found in stomach contents of sleeper sharks caught in Kerguelen waters (47 to 48°S) located in the southern Polar Frontal Zone. These new data together with published and unpublished information on the food of seabirds and marine mammals indicate that giant squid have a wide distribution throughout the southern Indian Ocean.

Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) are an iconic reef fish of the Indo-Pacific, and yet knowledge of their life history is incomplete. The species is common in tropical and subtropical waters ranging from the far western Indian Ocean off South Africa to the central Pacific Ocean, where the species attains its greatest recorded size in Hawaii. Despite their broad range, importance as a top predator and attraction among anglers, the age and longevity of giant trevally remain largely undescribed and there are concerns that giant trevally are being fished down in the Hawaiian Islands. The most comprehensive age and growth study was performed in the Hawaiian Islands, but the work was limited to early growth observations. Although a study of daily increments was limited to fish less than maximum size, a model used to describe the growth characteristics was extrapolated to estimate that maximum age may exceed 20 years. In this study, otoliths of giant trevally from the Hawaiian Islands were investigated for annual growth zones, and the validity of the age estimates was tested and validated with bomb 14C dating. Revised growth parameters indicate giant trevally grow rapidly in the Hawaiian Islands and can attain an age of 25 years.

The giant river otter is a mustelid that uses different habitats in tropical forests and flooded areas of South America. In the past the species suffered heavy hunting pressure, due to the commercial value of its pelt, and nowadays is considered threatened by anthropogenic factors, such as negative interaction with fishing activities. The objective of this work was to analyze the perception of local fishermen in the town of Tefé, Amazonas (Brazil), generating information on possible threats to the species in the area. Fishermen point to the species as a competitor for food and responsible for damages to fishing gear, which causes a negative perception among humans towards the animal. An investigation of this relationship was conducted in Tefé, mid-Solimões river, where one-hundred fishermen were interviewed. Thirty-one percent (n = 31) of the interviewees declared giant river otters damage fishing nets and cause fish schools to flee. Among those who witnessed or had second-hand information on behaviors characteristic of the species, 22% (n = 22) interpreted them as offspring or territorial defense, or an attempt at attack. In the past, 23% (n = 23) of the interviewees practiced hunting activities, aiming the pelt trade and, secondarily, as an item of house decoration, or basic material to build a musical instrument. Information generated may contribute to the elaboration of an environmental education policy, aiming at avoiding future impacts to the giant otters due to lack of information, or misinformation by the local human population.

The structure of putative cellulose synthesizing complexes (TCs) has been studied in giant marine algae and is discussed in relation to the assembly of cellulose microfibrils. Including previous work, 14 species belonging to nine genera in the Siphonocladales and two species in the Cladophorales are known to have linear TCs on both E- and P-fracture faces of the plasma membrane. Species studied in the present paper included Boodlea composita, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, Ernodesmis verticillata, Siphonocladus tropicus, Struvea elegans, Valoniopsis pachynema and Chaetomorpha aerea. Contrary to their fairly consistent width (30–36 nm), TCs have a ‘wide distribution of length among individual species and at various stages of development in the same species. Most of the TCs have a random arrangement of subunits, but sometimes they are arranged in three rows. The mean TC length is greater during secondary wall synthesis than in primary ‘wall synthesis in all of the following species: Boodlea composita, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, Siphonocladus tropicus, Valonia macrophysa, Valonia ventricosa and Chaetomorpha aerea. These results support previous results suggesting that the linear TCs increase their length during cell wall development. The size of TC subunits, ranging from 7.3 to 8.9 nm, was smaller than the structural membrane particles on the plasma membrane in all of the species examined. It is suggested that the spacing between individual glucan chains will be reduced to half after crystallization of cellulose microfibrils, on the basis of evidence that the width of microfibrils is as wide as that of TC. The width of microfibrils ranged from 11.2 to 23.6 nm, while most of the species had microfibrils with a width in the range 14 to 16 nm. The width of microfibrils in Boergesenia was the largest among the giant marine algae. The formation of TCs from subunits, which are transmembrane particles, is characteristic of Siphonocladales in spite of their varying cell morphology.

Several new symbiotic associations involving Syllidae (Annelida: Polychaeta) are reported. The number of known host sponge species infested by Haplosyllis spongicola is updated to 36, with seven hosts being reported for the first time (i.e. Aplysina corrugata, Aplysina sp., Cliona sp., Cliona viridis, Phorbas tenacior, one sponge from Iran, one sponge from Cambodia). Two infestation patterns (a few worms per host cm3 in temperate waters and 10s or 100s in tropical waters) are identified. The taxonomic and ecological characteristics of the species are discussed. Five associations occurring between four syllid worms and decapod crustaceans are fully reported for the first time. Syllis cf. armillaris, S.ferrani and S.pontxioi occurred inside gastropod shells occupied by hermit crabs as well as Pionosyllis magnifica, which was also found inside the branchial chambers of the giant crab Paralithodes camtschatica. The description of Pionosyllis magnifica is emended on the basis of the new specimens found, while some taxonomic remarks on Syllis cf. armillaris are given. In addition, further evidence of sexual (P.magnifica) and asexual (S. cf. armillaris) reproduction in symbiotic syllids is provided.

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the most important oil crops in the tropics. The tree is able to grow well under saline intrusion condition. However, in the case of high level of salinity for a long period, the coconut tree is severely affected, resulting in poor growth and yield. Therefore, providing balance and sufficient nutrients would help plants tolerate better to unsuitable environment including salinity. Among plant macronutrients, phosphorus is considered to help coconut tree have more roots and leaves, stimulating flowers formation and fruit setting which lead to improve yields. The aim of this work was to determine effects of the amount of phosphorus fertilizer and the frequency of application on growth, yield and quality of coconut tree at early reproductive stage under saline intrusion condition. Two two-factor experiments were conducted in Binh Dai district, Ben Tre province and Tan Phu Dong district, Tien Giang province where the highest salinity in the dry season reached 13.8‰ and 6.3‰, respectively. The treatments of experiments were arranged in split-plot design (SPD) with three replications. The main plot factor was the frequency of phosphorus fertilizer application (2 and 4 times per year) and the sub-plot factor was the amount of phosphorus fertilizer (30, 45, 60 and 75 kg P2O5/ha/year). The results showed that coconut trees grew best with the treatment of four applications of 60 kg P2O5/ha/year, corresponding to 0.3 kg P2O5/tree/year. The trees in this treatment had more leaves, fruit setting, nut number per tree and higher yield than other treatments under saline intrusion condition.

The floodplain tall-herb forests occur in insular part of northeastern Asia along about 2 000 km the latitude gradient from temperate forest zone of Hokkaido (Japan) to boreal zone of central Kamchatka (Russia), including Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The climate is oceanic or suboceanic, and monsoons are expressed. Spring snowmelt and abundant rainfall during tropical cyclones cause flooding (Vasilyev, 1979). Climatic and landscape conditions allow tall herbs (also called “giant herbs”) to form herb communities (ass. Cirsio kamtschaticae–Polygonetum sachalinensis (Ohba 1973) Ohba et Sugawara 1982,class Filipendulo–Artemisietea montanae Ohba 1973) as well, and herb layer in forests (Ohba, Sugawara, 1982; Morozov, 1994). The aim of our research is to describe floodplain tall herb forests on Sakhalin Isl. and identify their syntaxonomic position in phytosociological system of northeastern Asia. The field work was carried out in 2015–2017 in the floodplains of 24 rivers (the basin of 15 river systems) in Central and South Sakhalin. In total 81 relevés were completed at 10×10 m and 5×20 m sample plots. The plant cover (in percent) was determined visually. The following scale was used to transfer these figures into abundance scores for Table format: 7 —76–100 %, 6 — 51–75 %, 5 — 26–50 %, 4 — 11–25 %, 3 — 6–10 %, 2 — 2–5 %, 1 — 1 %, + — <1 %, r — <0.1 %. Clustering (flexible-beta, -0.25) was used for grouping with Bray-Curtis dissimilarity in JUICE 7.0. Only vascular plant species were involved in the analysis, because bryophytes were not identified in the each rele­vé. 22 relevés were removed from analysis, because they did not clearly belong to homogeneous vegetation groups. After clustering 6 groups of relevés were recognized, which were interpreted in a rank of subassociations. We made synoptic Table with the original vegetation data of Sakhalin and 16 published relevés from Kamchatka (Neshatayeva, 2009), and 19 from Hokkaido (Vegetation…, 1988). We describe the new alliance Filipendulo camtschaticae–Salicion udensis (holotypus — the ass. Petasito ampli–Salicetum udensis, Table 2) of class Salicetea sachalinensis Ohba 1973 (syn. Salicetea schwerinii Achtyamov 2001). The alliance includes tall herb forest communities of the insular part of northeastern Asia with Salix spp., Alnus hirsuta, and Populus suaveolens dominance. Differential species combination: Carex dispalata, Cirsium kamtschaticum, Filipendula camtschatica, Heracleum lanatum, Senecio cannabifolius, Urtica platyphylla. Main dominant species: A. hirsuta, Salix udensis, Filipendula camtschatica, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Urtica platyphylla. Communities of the ass. Petasito ampli–Salicetum udensis (holotypus — relevé 20, Table 2) occur in the southern part of Sakhalin Isl., Southern Kuril Islands, and Hokkaido in floodplain habitats on the alluvial soils and occasionally on wet slopes. The dominant species in tree layer are Alnus hirsuta and Salix udensis (median height is 12–13 m, canopy cover is 55 %). The shrub layer is absent or moderately developed (cover is 2 %). The main shrub species is Sambucus racemosa. The tall herbs often suppress the growth of shrubs. The herb layer consist of three sublayers (total cover is 100 %). The moss layer is not deve­loped (co­ver less 1 %). Differential species combination: Alnus hirsuta, Angelica ursina, Parasenecio hastatus subsp. orientalis, Petasites amplus, Salix udensis, Symplocarpus renifolius. The subass. Petasito ampli–Salicetum udensis lysichitonetosum camtschatcensis (holotypus — relevé 3, Table 2) includes communities with Lysichiton camtschatcense, Caltha fistulosa, and Carex rhynchophysa (differential species combination) on the wettest sites of the rivers’ valleys and along the banks of tributary streams on alluvial groundwater and hydromorphic soils. The subass. Petasito ampli–Salicetum udensis ulmetosum laciniatae is described as nomen provisorium. We found communities on the rarely flooding sites of river terraces in the mountain river valleys in South Sakhalin. Ulmus laciniata dominates in tree layer together with Alnus hitsuta and Salix udensis. Eleutherococcus senticosus and Actinidia kolomikta (shrub form) occasionally form the shrub layer. The communities are similar to those of Japanese azonal union Ulmion davidianae Suz.-Tok. 1954, azonal order Fraxino-Ulmetalia Suz.-Tok. 1967 of zonal deciduous temperate forest class Fagetea crenatae Miyawaki, Ohba et Murase 1964. Differential species combination: Actinidia kolomikta, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Ulmus laciniata. The communities of the ass. Filipendulo palmatae–Salicetum udensis (holotypus — relevé 4, Table 3) are distributed in the central part of Sakhalin Isl. We found them in the basins of the two largest Sakhalin rivers — Tym and Poronay, and in small river valleys in the East Sakhalin Mountains. The tree layer consist of Alnus hirsuta and Salix udensis (height is 11–14 m, canopy density is 60 %), and with Chosenia arbutifolia, Populus suaveolens, Fraxinus mandshurica, Ulmus japonica in phytosociological units of the lower rank. Padus avium, Rosa amblyotis, Swida alba, Sorbaria sorbifolia, Sambucus racemosa are more or less abundant in the shrub layer (cover is 13 %). The herb layer consists of two or three sublayers (cover is 65 %). The cover of bryophytes is uneven, median cover is less 1 %. Differential species combination: Carex sordida, Filipendula palmata, Fimbripetalum radians, Ligularia fischeri, Padus avium, Parasenecio hastatus, Rosa amblyotis. Differential species combination of the subass. Filipendulo palmatae–Salicetum udensis typicum: Aconitum karafutense, Galium triflorum, Lactuca sibirica, Parasenecio auriculatus, Trautvetteria japonica, Trientalis europaea, Viola epipsiloides. The subass. Filipendulo palmatae–Salicetum udensis populetosum suaveolentis (holotypus — ­relevé 21, Table 3) unites the forests with Chosenia arbutifolia and Populus suaveolens. They can be renewed on alluvial pebble beds. The mature forest stands are often located in the middle part of the floodplains between the abandoned channels. Differential species combination: Chosenia arbutifolia, Crataegus chlorosarca, Populus suaveolens, Sorbaria sorbifolia. Subass. Filipendulo palmatae–Salicetum udensis ulmetosum japonicae is described as nomen provisorium. The communities are developed in the Tym River valley on the high, rarely flooding river benches. The location of the communities is nearby to the northeastern area distribution of broad-leaved trees. Fraxinus mandshurica and Ulmus japonica form tree canopy with Alnus hirsuta, Salix rorida, and Salix udensis. The syntaxonomical position of the subassociation could be changed after getting more data. Diffe­rential species combination: F. mandshurica, Salix rorida, U. japonica. We describe the ass. Phalarido arundinaceae–Salicetum schwerinii (holotypus — relevé 23, table 20 in Vegetation…, 1988; tables are attached to the original publication in a form of separate sheets without page numbers) instead of Salicetum petsusu–sachalinensis subass. von Phalaris arundinacea Okuda in Miyawaki 1988 nom. inval. (2d, 3o) (union Salicion subfragilis Okuda 1978, order Sedo–Salic­etalia subfragilis Okuda 1978, class Salicetea sacha­linensis). After analysis of phytosociological data, we’ve reached the conclusion, that the earlier described original names Salicetum petsusu–sachalinensis ­subass. typicum Okuda in Miyawaki 1988 nom. inval. and subass. von Angelica ursina Okuda in Miyawaki 1988 nom. inval. (relevés 24–34, Table 20; Vegetation…, 1988) have to be considered as subass. Petasito ampli–Salicetum udensis typicum. These communities do not contain Salix nipponica (= S. subfragilis auct. Fl. Japon., non Andersson) — diagnostic species of the alliance Salicion subfragilis Okuda 1978 and the order Sedo-Salicetalia subfragilis Okuda 1978.

Ascaris lumbricoides (the giant roundworm) is widespread in the tropics and subtropics where sanitation is poor and the soil is contaminated with its eggs. Ingested eggs hatch in the small bowel, cycle through the bloodstream and lungs, then return to the small bowel and develop into adult worms 15 to 30 cm long. Most infections are asymptomatic, but there may be pulmonary infiltrates with eosinophilia, abdominal discomfort and—in children with heavy infections—intestinal obstruction. Infection is diagnosed by finding eggs in the faeces. Treatment is with pyrantel, mebedenazole, or albendazole....

We gaze with some apprehension at a sleek, shiny machine that looks like a cross between a sports car and a small spaceship. Illuminated in a vertical cylinder of light, the time capsule silently awaits our entry; it gives no clue to what we can expect at our destination, the year 2032. With racing hearts, our small group of garbologists enters; we strap ourselves in. Soon the countdown begins. There is only the briefest feeling of levitation, a slight rising sensation in the pit of the stomach as though descending in a fast elevator, and then we are there. As we exit, our curiosity is at fever pitch. What has happened to the Earth in the three decades we miraculously skipped over? Before we departed, the world’s population was rapidly approaching 6 billion, with many signs that the environment was finally wilting under this onslaught. We could only guess at what three more decades of continued environmental degradation might yield. Would we find air that was breathable, only traces of an ozone layer, any remnants of tropical or old-growth forests, any parks or green spaces in cities? Would North America be one giant parking lot? With these questions buzzing through our brains, we begin our futuristic exploration, like archeologists working in reverse. We move invisibly through this new time domain, knowing that we can only observe and not affect anything we see. It is clear that we are still in New York City, but what a change! The streets are no longer choked with car traffic, although small motorized bicycles, some built for two or three people, are darting everywhere. There is no haze in the sky, the air feels clean and brisk, and the streets are completely free of litter. Recycle containers are ubiquitous; they are green and divided into six compartments. As we soon discover, every house, apartment building, streetcorner, park, airport, shopping mall, and baseball diamond has recycling containers; there are no waste bins. People treat garbage as a resource rather than as something undesirable, and they spend considerable effort in separating the various recyclable components, whether they are at home, at work, in a cafeteria, or at play.