Systematic and Evolutionary Insights Derived from mtDNA COI Barcode Diversity in the Decapoda (Crustacea: Malacostraca)

Background: Decapods are the most recognizable of all crustaceans and comprise a dominant group of benthic invertebrates of the continental shelf and slope, including many species of economic importance. Of the 17635 morphologically described Decapoda species, only 5.4% are represented by COI barcode region sequences. It therefore remains a challenge to compile regional databases that identify and analyse the extent and patterns of decapod diversity throughout the world. Methodology/Principal Findings: We contributed 101 decapod species from the North East Atlantic, the Gulf of Cadiz and the Mediterranean Sea, of which 81 species represent novel COI records. Within the newly-generated dataset, 3.6% of the species barcodes conflicted with the assigned morphological taxonomic identification, highlighting both the apparent taxonomic ambiguity among certain groups, and the need for an accelerated and independent taxonomic approach. Using the combined COI barcode projects from the Barcode of Life Database, we provide the most comprehensive COI data set so far examined for the Order (1572 sequences of 528 species, 213 genera, and 67 families). Patterns within families show a general predicted molecular hierarchy, but the scale of divergence at each taxonomic level appears to vary extensively between families. The range values of mean K2P distance observed were: within species 0.285% to 1.375%, within genus 6.376% to 20.924% and within family 11.392% to 25.617%. Nucleotide composition varied greatly across decapods, ranging from 30.8 % to 49.4 % GC content. Conclusions/Significance: Decapod biological diversity was quantified by identifying putative cryptic species allowing a rapid assessment of taxon diversity in groups that have until now received limited morphological and systematic examination. We highlight taxonomic groups or species with unusual nucleotide composition or evolutionary rates. Such data are relevant to strategies for conservation of existing decapod biodiversity, as well as elucidating the mechanisms and constraints shaping the patterns observed.FCT - SFRH/BD/25568/ 2006EC FP6 - GOCE-CT-2005-511234 HERMESFCT - PTDC/MAR/69892/2006 LusomarBo

Patterns of deep-sea genetic connectivity in the New Zealand region : implications for management of benthic ecosystems

© The Author(s), 2012. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in PLoS One 7 (2012): e49474, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049474.Patterns of genetic connectivity are increasingly considered in the design of marine protected areas (MPAs) in both shallow and deep water. In the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), deep-sea communities at upper bathyal depths (<2000 m) are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance from fishing and potential mining operations. Currently, patterns of genetic connectivity among deep-sea populations throughout New Zealand’s EEZ are not well understood. Using the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I and 16S rRNA genes as genetic markers, this study aimed to elucidate patterns of genetic connectivity among populations of two common benthic invertebrates with contrasting life history strategies. Populations of the squat lobster Munida gracilis and the polychaete Hyalinoecia longibranchiata were sampled from continental slope, seamount, and offshore rise habitats on the Chatham Rise, Hikurangi Margin, and Challenger Plateau. For the polychaete, significant population structure was detected among distinct populations on the Chatham Rise, the Hikurangi Margin, and the Challenger Plateau. Significant genetic differences existed between slope and seamount populations on the Hikurangi Margin, as did evidence of population differentiation between the northeast and southwest parts of the Chatham Rise. In contrast, no significant population structure was detected across the study area for the squat lobster. Patterns of genetic connectivity in Hyalinoecia longibranchiata are likely influenced by a number of factors including current regimes that operate on varying spatial and temporal scales to produce potential barriers to dispersal. The striking difference in population structure between species can be attributed to differences in life history strategies. The results of this study are discussed in the context of existing conservation areas that are intended to manage anthropogenic threats to deep-sea benthic communities in the New Zealand region.This work was funded in part by a Fulbright Fellowship administered by Fulbright New Zealand and the U.S. Department of State, awarded in 2011 to EKB. Funding and support for research expedition was provided by Land Information New Zealand, New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries, NIWA, Census of Marine Life on Seamounts (CenSeam), and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. Other research funding was provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Science and Innovation project “Impacts of resource use on vulnerable deep-sea communities” (FRST contract CO1X0906), the National Science Foundation (OCE-0647612), and the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute (Fellowship support to TMS)

Pancreatitis after percutaneous ethanol injection into HCC: a minireview of the literature

Deaths after percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may occur within a few hours to a few days following the procedure because of hemoperitoneum and haemorrhage from oesophageal varices or hepatic insufficiency. Pancreatitis has been recently reported as a rare lethal complication of intra-arterial PEI, another modality for treating HCCs. In this minireview, we analyze the literature concerning the development of acute pancreatitis after PEI. Pathogenesis of pancreatitis from opioids and ethanol is also addressed. Treatment with opioids to reduce the patient's abdominal pain after PEI in combination with the PEI itself may lead to direct toxic effects, thus favouring the development of pancreatitis

Synthesis and characterization of new bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] chalcogenides: crystal and molecular structure of bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] telluride

The synthesis and characterization of two new symmetric chalcogenides based on 4,4-dimethyl-2-phenyloxazoline substrate are described

Contrasting behavior of bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] chalcogenides (Se/Te) toward mercuric chloride: Facile cleavage of the Te-C bond

The reactions of R2Se (3) and R2Te (4) (R = 2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl) with HgCl2 and Pd(COD)Cl-2 are described. The reaction of selenoether 3 with HgCl2 affords the expected complex R2SeHgCl2 (5), which is stable in solution. In contrast, the analogous tellurium complex R2TeHgCl2 (6) undergoes slow dismutation in chlorinated solvents to give the fragments RTeCl (7) and RHgCl (8)

Intramolecularly coordinated diorganyl ditellurides: Thiol peroxidase-like antioxidants

A series of diaryl ditellurides with and without coordinating amino/imino groups are synthesized by using either the Grignard route or the heteroatom-directed aromatic lithiation route. The chiral ditelluride (R),(R)-bis[2-(4-ethyl-2-oxazolinyl)phenyl] ditelluride is synthesized in an enantiomerically pure form by stereoselective ortho-lithiation. The thiol peroxidase activity of the ditellurides is studied by using H2O2 as a substrate and PhSH as a cosubstrate. The initial rates for the reduction of H2O2 catalyzed by diaryl ditellurides are much higher than those catalyzed by the corresponding diselenides. A comparison of the activities between various diorganyl ditellurides and diselenides shows that the presence of basic amino groups in the close proximity of tellurium enhances the reduction rates and the effect of amino groups on the activity is more pronounced in the case of ditellurides as compared to the corresponding diselenides. On the other hand, a correlation between the strength of Te...N intramolecular interactions and thiol peroxidase activity reveals that the strong Te...N interactions reduce the thiol peroxidase activity of amino/imino-substituted ditellurides. A plot of Te...N distances against Te-125 NMR chemical shifts shows a linear correlation