Subtropical Zone Research Articles

Evaluating heavy metals-related risk in staple crops and making financing strategy for corresponding soil remediation across China

China's staple crops face heavy metal (HMs) contamination, a widespread issue lacking a national assessment. We used machine learning (ML) to assess risks of 8 HMs in rice, wheat, and maize, and estimated a financing strategy for soil remediation via linear optimization and computable general equilibrium (CGE). The accumulation of HMs in crops depends on Soil-HMs, climate, soil properties, and crop types. Cd and Hg pose major soil pollution risks, while Cr, Pb, and Cd are the most threatening in crops. High-risk zones are located at the warm temperature and subtropical zones, with wheat most vulnerable. Over a quarter (26.77%) of the nation's croplands are classified as high-risk, with a significant 60.89% falling into the medium-risk category, leaving merely 12.34% of the agricultural land in a safe condition. The estimated remediation cost is 58596.73 billion RMB and the crop loss is 808.03 billion RMB in a ten-year remediation period at the context of secure crop supply. The reallocation of social investment rather than raising new taxation for the remediation is beneficial to the GDP increase and social welfare despite some loss in the household income and enterprise income. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation for Crop-HMs risk and remediation policy, crucial for national crop security.

Dengue Fever—Diagnosis, Risk Stratification, and Treatment.

Dengue fever is a common infectious disease in the tropical and subtropical zones, with more than 100 million symptomatic cases per year. Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopticus) are vectors of the disease, and their spread has led to rising case numbers around the world. Physicians in Europe, too, are increasingly being confronted by this challenge. This review is based on the findings of a selective search in international publication databases, as well as on the WHO guideline of 2009 and the current recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute. Dengue fever takes a mild course in more than 90% of cases. Severe dengue fever, up to and including shock and/or mucosal hemorrhages, is rare and carries a mortality of 1-5%. The disease characteristically takes a triphasic course (febrile phase, critical phase, recovery phase). It is diagnosed by the direct demonstration of the pathogen (e.g., with the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] up to day 5 of the illness) or by serology. Patients are classified into one of three risk groups depending on their findings and comorbidities and are then treated either as outpatients or in the hospital. The treatment is symptomatic, as no treatment directed against the cause of the disease is available. The key measures are adequate volume replacement and, in patients with hemorrhage, the transfusion of blood products. Preventive steps include vaccination after a documented initial infection and the meticulous avoidance of mosquito bites. Climate change and global mobility have led to a worldwide increase in dengue fever. The disease only rarely takes a severe course. In such cases, rapid symptomatic treatment as needed is the key to the avoidance of severe complications.

ESPOROTRICOSE FELINA

Sporotrichosis is a zoonotic disease caused by dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix schenckii complex. Cats, due to their semi-domiciled lifestyle and species-specific behaviors, are most affected. Transmission occurs mainly through direct contact with infected animals, through scratches or bites, in addition to contact with the agent in the environment, such as contaminated soil and plants. The disease is more prevalent in countries in tropical and subtropical zones, with subcutaneous mycosis being more common in Latin America. Although the prognosis is generally favorable, sporotrichosis has become a growing public health problem, due to its expansion in regions of Brazil and the fact that it is a zoonosis. In humans, especially in immunosuppressed individuals, it can evolve into extracutaneous forms, with a risk of becoming fatal. Early diagnosis of sporotrichosis is essential for the prevention and control of this disease in Brazil.

Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen Concentration, and Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density on the Growth of the Sea Bivalve Tridacna crocea in Combination with the Symbiotic Alga Zooxanthella

The sea bivalve clam Tridacna crocea inhabiting the shallow sea of tropical and subtropical zones lives with the symbiotic alga zooxanthella in its mantle. Zooxanthellae algae perform photosynthesis and supply nutrients to T. crocea. Recently, the abundance of T. crocea has decreased rapidly due to overfishing in coastal areas in Okinawa, Japan. T. crocea culture systems for mass production will contribute to the conservation of T. crocea and thus marine ecosystems. Environmental control methods for T. crocea culture have not been established because of a lack of knowledge about the appropriate environmental conditions for T. crocea growth. The present study was initiated to obtain basic data for developing environmental control methods for T. crocea land-based aquaculture. The effects of water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) on the O2 exchange rates of the symbiotic system of T. crocea and zooxanthella, which are indicators of photosynthesis and respiration in the system, and the effect of daily integrated PPFD on T. crocea growth were investigated. Basic knowledge was obtained for the development of optimal environmental control technology for T. crocea clam culture. The optimum water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration for photosynthesis in this symbiotic system were 28 °C, 5–6 mgO2 L−1 and 500 μmol m−2 d−1, respectively. The optimum daily integrated PPFD for clam growth was 20 mol m−2 d−1.

Unraveling global species richness patterns of the Lysmatidae family: a multi-scale and multi-hypothesis ecological approach

While diversity gradients are well-explored in macroecology, factors shaping species richness at broad scales remain debated. We investigated the species richness of the decapod family Lysmatidae across 4 spatial scales: realm, province, ecoregion, and local (2° × 2° grid cells). We tested 4 ecological hypotheses: physiological stress (PSH), resource availability (RAH), habitat heterogeneity (HHH), and anthropogenic impact (AIH). Occurrence data (52 Lysmatidae species) and environmental variables (salinity, temperature, primary productivity, bathymetry, coral richness, anthropogenic impact index) were obtained from online databases and literature. Fifteen regression models, incorporating spatial filters, were tested to assess the hypotheses. The highest Lysmatidae species richness occurred in the Tropical Atlantic and Central Indo-Pacific realms. Richness varied with scale, with the highest values in the transition between the tropical and subtropical zones. Bathymetry was associated with Lysmatidae richness across all scales, especially at local and ecoregional scales, while coral richness was related to province and realm scales. HHH explained Lysmatidae richness patterns at the realm scale. Variables related to PSH and AIH were associated with richness at the ecoregion and province scales. Our study emphasized the importance of scale in biodiversity research, influencing richness patterns in Lysmatidae, and pointed to bathymetry, coral richness, and temperature range as the main drivers of richness. As this study showed a relationship between Lysmatidae richness, coral richness, and temperature at 3 spatial scales, this family may be susceptible to the effects of climate change, such as tropicalization of subtropical zones and defaunation of tropical ecosystems, including coral reefs.

Climate Conundrum: A Wet or Dry European and Northern African Climate During the Middle Miocene

AbstractEnd of 21st‐century hydroclimate projections suggest an expansion of subtropical dry zones, with Mediterranean and Sahel regions becoming much drier. However, paleobotanical assemblage evidence from the middle Miocene (17‐12 Ma), suggests both regions were instead humid environments. Here we show that by modifying regional sea surface temperatures (SST) in an Earth System Model (CESM1.2) simulation of the middle Miocene, the increased ocean evaporation and integrated water vapor flux overrides any drying effects associated with warming‐induced land‐surface evaporation driven by atmospheric CO2 concentrations. These modifications markedly reduce the bias in the model‐data comparison for this period. A vegetation model (BIOME4) forced with simulated climatologies predicts both regions were dominated by mixed forest, which is largely consistent with the paleobotanical record. This study unveils the potential for wetter subtropical Mediterranean climates associated with warming, presenting an alternative scenario from future drying projections with localized SST warming governing regional climate change.

The history of the breeding of Clematis (Clematis L.) in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, NAS of Ukraine

Purpose. Investigate the history of Clematis breeding in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden (NBG), NAS of Ukraine, determine the main directions of hybrid Clematis breeding work. Results. It was established that the result of more than 16 years of breeding Clematis in the NBG was the selection of the 61 perspective hybrid, 42 of which, the most perspective, were assigned names. Of these, large­flowered varieties are the most numerous according to the distribution of variety groups in the current Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain classification. In particular, Late Large­flowered account for about 40% of the total and Early Large­flowered for about 29%. Small­flowered hybrids make up the smaller part, of which about 26% belong to the Viticella group and one hybrid (‘Sputnik’) to the Integrifolia. The known directions of distribution of hybrid Сlematis of the NBG breeding indicate the possibility of their successful cultivation both in continental and maritime areas with a high level of humidity in the temperate zone and in the dry Mediterranean climate of the subtropical climate zone, which reveals their significant adaptive potential. Conclusions. Obtaining varieties of hybrid Clematis of domestic breeding is important for the implementation of sustainable horticulture practices on the territory of Ukraine, since a significant part of the modern introduced assortment of Clematis raises doubts about their adaptability to the local climate, and requires additional research into their adaptive potential. A successful combination in vertical landscaping of NBG­bred Clematis belonging to different varietal groups can ensure continuous flowering from May to the end of the season. These unique characteristics of Clematis ensure the creation of not only environmentally sustainable, but also visually appealing spaces that will contribute to the overall health and beauty of the urban environment.

Eolian-fluvial succession in the Early Cretaceous from the Ordos Basin

Cretaceous eolian deposits are widely developed in North China, among which the Lower Cretaceous eolian (erg) sedimentary strata in the Ordos Basin are the most representative. Many studies have been conducted on eolian deposits in the Ordos Basin, especially the Luohe Formation; however, there is a lack of systematic sedimentology research and the corresponding research on the evolution of sedimentary facies. Therefore, to explore the Mesozoic drought events and the systematic evolution of the sub-tropical erg zone, this study reports the fluvial–eolian sedimentary sequences of the Early Cretaceous Luohe and Yijinhuoluo Formations in the Ordos Basin. Spatially, through detailed sedimentary lithofacies and structural analysis of different outcrops, the combination law of sedimentary facies can be determined. Based on this, a three-dimensional sedimentary model of erg is reconstructed. The erg environment is divided into three sub-environments: erg margin, erg margin–centre transition and erg centre. According to the evolution of the sedimentary facies, the sedimentary evolution from the Latef Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous in the Ordos Basin is divided into five stages. The Ordos Basin has experienced the delta, erg formation, erg deposition, erg shrinkage and evaporating salt-lake stages. The vertical sedimentary evolution indicates climatic oscillation in North China from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. Under the control of the sub-tropical high belt, the Ordos Basin experienced a hot and arid climate during the Cretaceous, forming a widely distributed erg belt in the region. During this period, a small-scale climate shock occurred under the hot and arid background, changing the sedimentary environment.

Chilling and Forcing Requirements of Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox L.) Flowering in China

Numerous studies have reported phenological changes and their driving mechanisms in spring flowering plants. However, there is little research on the shifts of winter flowering phenology and its response to forcing and chilling requirements. Based on the China Phenological Observation Network (CPON) ground observation data from nine sites over the past 20 years, we explored the spatial and temporal variation patterns of flowering plants and their response to chilling and forcing in wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox L.), a common winter flowering plant species in temperate and subtropical zones of China. We used three chilling models (chilling hour, Utah, and dynamic models) and the growing degree hours (GDHs) model to calculate each site’s daily chilling and forcing. Using the partial least squares (PLSs) regression approach, we established the relationship between the first flowering date (FFD) and pre-season chilling and forcing in wintersweet, based on which we identified chilling and forcing periods and calculated chilling and forcing requirements. This study found that the FFD of wintersweet in China showed an overall advancement trend during the last 20 years. Still, there were temporal and spatial differences in the FFD of wintersweet among different sites. The PLS results showed that wintersweet also had periods of chilling and forcing, both of which co-regulated wintersweet flowering. We found the forcing and chilling requirements of wintersweet varied significantly from site to site. The higher the latitude is, the more chilling requirements are needed. The chilling requirements for wintersweet were about 6.9–34.9 Chill Portions (CPs) and 1.4–21.6 CP in the temperate and subtropical zones, respectively, with corresponding forcing requirements of 3.2–1922.9 GDH and 965.3–8482.6 GDH, respectively. In addition, we found that the temperature requirements of wintersweet were correlated by a negative exponential relationship, suggesting that chilling and forcing requirements have an antagonistic effect on initiating flowering phenology. Our results could help us understand how flowering dates of winter flowering plants respond to climate change.

Hodnocení růstu jednoho druhu a dvou hybridů Paulownia spp. v nejteplejší oblasti jižní Moravy

The size of area of plantations of fast-growing tree species, established on agricultural land in the Czech Republic (CR), is on the rise. In order to gain saw timber, it is necessary to choose other species (example: Salix spp. and Populus spp., their resulting product is wood chips), one of which could be Paulownia spp. In 2015, an experimental plot with the species of Paulownia tomentosa and two hybrids of Paulownia Shan-Tong and Paulownia Hybrid 9501 were established in South Moravia. The plants were periodically pruned up to a height of 3 m. After six years, Paulownia Hybrid 9501 had mean height of 9.4 m and DBH of 12.8 cm, P. tomentosa 7.3 m and 10.3 cm, respectively, and P. Shan-Tong 5.2 m and 9 cm, respectively. These values are well below the average, in comparison with those declared by the sellers. The limited growth was presumably caused by less precipitation and a shorter growing season, in comparison with the climate characteristics of the humid subtropical zone in which Paulownia species originated. It appears that Paulownia Hybrid 9501 could grow in conditions similar to those in South Moravia, however, with a slower growth.

Satellites Reveal Global Migration Patterns of Natural Mountain Treelines during Periods of Rapid Warming

Profound global transformations in the Anthropocene epoch are hastening shifts in species ranges, with natural mountain treeline migration playing a crucial role in this overarching species movement. The varied reactions of mountain treelines to climatic conditions across diverse climatic zones, when compounded by local disturbances, result in distinct migration patterns. Usually, warming encourages mountain treelines to migrate to higher elevations. Nevertheless, in a period of rapid warming, it remains unclear whether the natural mountain treeline in global thermal climatic zones and subclimatic zones has expedited its upward movement. Here, we employed remote sensing observations and the random forest algorithm to investigate the natural treeline dynamics across 24 major mountain ranges worldwide amidst a period of rapid warming (1990–2020). Our research shows substantial disparities in the migration patterns of natural mountain treelines across the global thermal zone. The natural mountain treeline in tropical and subtropical zones descends by an average of 1.1 and 0.8 m per year, respectively. Only 18.8 and 35.5% of the natural mountain treelines in these regions had undergone upward migration, respectively. The average migration rates of natural mountain treelines in temperate and boreal zones were 0.7 m per year. Correspondingly, 47 and 33.2% of the natural mountain treelines in these zones had already shifted to higher elevations. The highest average migration rate of natural mountain treelines occurs in temperate continental climates (1.7 m per year). The loss or degradation of alpine species habitats, a direct consequence of the upward movement of the treeline, highlights the necessity for increased monitoring and protection of alpine species in temperate and boreal zones in the future.

Released control of vapor pressure deficit on rainfed rice evapotranspiration responses to extreme droughts in the subtropical zone

Released control of vapor pressure deficit on rainfed rice evapotranspiration responses to extreme droughts in the subtropical zone

Oceanographic features boost latitudinal patterns in copepod body size distribution in the South Atlantic

AbstractThe South Atlantic Ocean (SAO) is an under‐sampled ocean where the influence of environmental drivers on copepod body size is poorly understood. This study investigated the body size distribution of copepods from 13°S to 64°S to test Bergmann's rule, which predicts the occurrence of smaller organisms in warmer areas. We hypothesized that additional influence of oceanographic features strengthens this pattern. Zooplankton were sampled during the austral summer from the chlorophyll maximum depth up to the surface, at approximately 100 m depth, using a 200‐μm net. The samples were analyzed using the ZooScan imaging system and were classified using the Ecotaxa tool. We estimated copepod family abundance, biomass, and size structure, and their relationships with environmental variables were assessed through generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Although most copepods increased in size at higher latitudes, not all families followed Bergmann's rule. Small adults of Clausocalanidae, Paracalanidae, Corycaeidae, and Oncaeidae contributed mostly in the Brazil Current (BC), while Calanidae copepodites disproportionately contributed to overall biomass, and Oithonidae adults were the most abundant in high latitudes. Copepod abundance or biomass hotspots were present in the southern limit of the warm BC, at the Subtropical Confluence Zone, and in the subantarctic waters at the Drake passage. Our results suggest that oceanographic features strengthen latitudinal body size relationships due to food availability, and the importance of different life history strategies.

Differences in Nitrogen Sources and Contributions in Shallow Groundwater in Plateau Lake Area with Different Climate Types

Clarifying the concentration, major sources, and contribution differences of nitrogen in shallow groundwater in plateau lake areas with different climate types can provide a novel direction for the control of nitrate （NO3-） pollution in regional groundwater. Taking the shallow groundwater around Erhai Lake in the subtropical monsoon climate zone and Chenghai Lake in the dry-hot valley area of the Jinsha River as the research objects, using hydrochemical indexes and multi-isotope techniques （δ15N-NO3-, δ18O-NO3-, δ18O-H2O, and δ2H-H2O） combined with the stable isotope （SIAR） model； the differences in nitrogen concentration in shallow groundwater around Erhai Lake and Chenghai Lake were analyzed, the sources of NO3- were identified, and the contribution rates of each pollution source were calculated. The results showed that water quality of more than 33% and 5% of shallow groundwater sampling points around Erhai Lake and Chenghai Lake was worse than the groundwater Class Ⅲ quality requirements （GB/T 14848） of 20 mg·L-1 for nitrate nitrogen （NO3--N）, respectively. The δ18O-H2O and δ2H-H2O in shallow groundwater around Erhai Lake and Chenghai Lake were parallel to the global and Chinese atmospheric precipitation lines, and a large intercept was present, indicating that atmospheric precipitation was not the major recharge source of groundwater in the two regions. The contribution rate of different NO3- sources in shallow groundwater around Erhai Lake was the highest for soil organic nitrogen （53.77%）, followed by nitrogen fertilizer （21.75%） and manure and sewage （21.55%）, and atmospheric deposition nitrogen （2.93%） was the lowest. Denitrification occurred in the transformation process of nitrogen in groundwater. The contribution rate of different NO3- sources in shallow groundwater around Chenghai Lake was manure and sewage （44.88%） > soil organic nitrogen （37.03%） > nitrogen fertilizer （16.17%） > atmospheric deposition nitrogen （1.92%）, and nitrification occurred in the transformation process of nitrogen in groundwater. The climate type significantly affected the shallow groundwater level, altering the migration and transformation process of nitrogen, thereby affecting the nitrogen concentration in groundwater and the contribution of NO3- as the chief source. However, the major source of NO3- was not affected by the climate type； however was more affected by land use, agricultural activities, and manure treatment methods.

Early Eocene Metasequoia and Taxodium (Cupressaceae) from Lingbao, Henan Province and their implication for a perhumid climate in central China

In this study, fossil leaves of Metasequoia Hu and Cheng, along with leaves and cones of Taxodium Richard, from the lower Eocene of the Xiangcheng Group in Lingbao, Henan Province, central China, were examined. These fossils have been taxonomically assigned to Metasequoia sp. (cf. M. glyptostroboides Hu and Cheng) and Taxodium dubium (Sternberg) Heer. The closest modern relatives are Metasequoia glyptostroboides and Taxodium distichum (Linnaeus) Richard, which typically thrive in humid environments, indicating that similar conditions may have prevailed in early Eocene. Through the Species Distribution Model (SDM) experiment, it was suggested that T. distichum is significantly influenced by precipitation levels, highlighting the importance of moisture in their historical distribution. Moreover, the analysis of the survival environments of native Metasequoia and Taxodium indicates that the annual precipitation in Lingbao during the early Eocene exceeded 1000 mm, which is roughly double the current annual precipitation in the area. This precipitation level is comparable to the present-day subtropical climate zone. During the late Eocene and early Oligocene, the seasonal variation in precipitation was intensified due to the strengthening of the East Asian monsoon, which constrained the seed germination and seedling survival. This may have contributed to the decline in the populations of Metasequoia and Taxodium in East Asia during that period.

Projecting future excess deaths associated with extreme precipitation events in China under changing climate: an integrated modelling study

Climate-change-induced extreme precipitation events have attracted global attention; however, the associated excess deaths burden has been insufficiently explored and remains unclear. We first defined an extreme precipitation event for each county when the daily total precipitation exceeded the county-specific 99·5th percentile of the daily precipitation from 1986 to 2005; then we estimated the associations between extreme precipitation events and cause-specific deaths in 280 Chinese counties using a two-stage time-series model. Second, we projected the excess deaths related to extreme precipitation events by combining the bias-corrected multi-model precipitation predictions derived under different combined emission-population scenarios of three representative concentration pathways (RCPs; RCP2·6, RCP4·5, and RCP8·5) and three shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP2, a business-as-usual scenario) populations (S1, low fertility rate; S2, medium fertility rate; and S3, high fertility rate). We quantified the climate and population contributions to the changes of future excess deaths nationwide and by climatic zones. Compared with the non-extreme precipitation days, the percentage increase of deaths associated with exposure to extreme precipitation days is 13·0% (95% CI 7·0-19·3) for accidental cause, 4·3% (2·0-6·6) for circulatory disease, and 6·8% (2·8-10·9) for respiratory disease. The number of annual average excess deaths related to extreme precipitation events during 1986-2005 was 2644 (95% CI 1496-3730) for accidental cause, 69 (33-105) for circulatory disease, and 181 (79-279) for respiratory disease. In the 2030s, the total number of excess deaths of these three causes will increase by 1244 (43%), 1756 (61%), and 2008 (69%) under RCP2·6, RCP4·5, and RCP8·5 scenarios combined with a medium-fertility-rate population (SSP2-S2), respectively, but will decrease by 3% under RCP2·6-SSP2-S2 and increase by 25% under RCP8·5-SSP2-S2 in the 2090s. Humid and water-limited regions in subtropical, middle-temperate, and plateau climate zones will face highly increased risks. Climate and population factors contributed disproportionally among the five climate zones. This study is the largest integrated projection exploring the disease burden associated with extreme precipitation events. The excess deaths will be amplified by climate and population changes. Improving mitigation and adaptation capacities is crucial when responding to precipitation extremes. National Natural Science Foundation of China and Wellcome Trust.

Seasonal dimorphism as an expression of sexual dimorphism: Influence of gonad maturity on the body shape of a rocky intertidal polyplacophoran

Seasonal dimorphism in the body shape of marine invertebrates has been poorly explored compared to vertebrates. We aim to investigate through traditional (body length/width ratio, dorsal elevation ratio and angle of elevation) and geometric (centroid size and shape geometric configurations) morphometrics the effect of gonad maturity (via the gonadosomatic index [GSI] and gonad development stages [GDS]) on changes in body shape in males and females of two latitudinally different populations of the broadcast-spawning intertidal mollusc Chiton articulatus. We confirmed that C. articulatus does not present external sexual dimorphism since sex does not have a significant effect on body shape (1%); instead, dimorphism was seasonal and related to the reproductive season, and varied across populations, probably because in the subtropical zone additional energy is invested in shell (scleritome) bending at the same time as the gonad matures, which is opposite of what occurs in the tropical zone. C. articulatus shows a narrower body shape (i.e., diminished body width) during its gonad maturity compared to the rest of the GDS and is corroborated by a body length/width ratio that contributes the greatest variation in the geometric shape descriptors (18%), just below the centroid size (24%). The expression of centroid size differences shows a correspondence with the change in body dimensions expressed by the three morphometric ratios during gonad maturity. The use of traditional body ratios over time may be useful in polyplacophoran molluscs as a proxy tool to estimate gonad maturity and to provide a reliable indication of the reproductive season.

Growth Rate in Cultured Crustose Coralline Algae of the Genus Phymatolithon and Sporolithon From Taiwan

ABSTRACTCoastal algal reef ecosystems, which are formed by the skeletal carbonate of crustose coralline algae (CCA), provide vital habitats for a diverse range of marine organisms and serve as valuable archives of long‐term environmental data. Despite the importance of these reef ecosystems, there is currently a lack of available information regarding the accretion rates of CCA in subtropical intertidal zones in the Taoyuan algal reef. We measured the vertical accretion and horizontal growth of CCA cultured in two aquaculture tanks over a 9‐month period. The vertical accretion and horizontal growth rate of CCA was approximately 0.29–0.43 and 5.5 μm·day−1 (the extrapolated annual value is equivalent to 0.11–0.16 and 2.0 mm·year−1, respectively). Newly colonized CCA had faster horizontal growth of approximately 110 μm·day−1 (equivalent to 40.2 mm·year−1). These results highlight the slow and gradual process of algal reef ecosystem formation in the subtropical intertidal zones. The CCA had a faster lateral growth rate as seen in the newly settled CCA. These findings contribute to our understanding of the overall growth dynamics of CCA.

Investigation of the distribution patterns in moinids (Crustacea: Cladocera: Moinidae) forming ephippia with two resting eggs

During last two decades, morphological and genetic studies of the microcrustaceans from the family Moinidae Goulden, 1968 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera) were intensified. However, species diversity within this family remains underestimated. It refers to both subtropical and tropical areas of different continents that have traditionally been less studied compared with Central Europe and some other Palaearctic regions. In addition to this, only a restricted set of morphological characteristics is used for the discrimination of species within the genus Moina Baird, 1850. Most common moinid taxa are considered species complexes rather than single species, making any biogeographic reconstruction difficult. Here, we present an investigation of distribution patterns in moinids that form ephippia with two resting eggs based on both a reexamination of data from the literature and from specimens in museum and personal collections. Also, we redescribed morphology of poorly known taxa from the arid regions of the Old World—Moina belli Gurney, 1904 and M. kaszabi Forró, 1988 and clarify their diagnostic morphological characters and distributional ranges. We found that M. belli and M. kaszabi are morphologically very similar. In both species, setae 1 and 2 of thoracic limb I are armed bilaterally by fine, densely located short setulae. Reliable differences between M. belli and M. kaszabi concern armature of the valve posteroventral portion. Among the moinids with two resting eggs in the ephippium, M. belli and M. kaszabi are morphologically closer to M. macrocopa (Straus, 1820) and M. americana Goulden, 1968. All these species have: (1) a dorsal head pore; (2) fine long hairs on head, valve and preanal margin of postabdomen; (3) thoracic limb I of male with a long exopodite. In general, an investigated group of moinids includes both species with relatively compact and very broad distributional ranges. We concluded that maximum diversity of the moinids forming ephippia with two resting eggs is characteristic of southern portions of Palaearctic and Nearctic zoogeographical regions and approximately corresponds to subtropical climate zone. We need to underline that M. macrocopa and M. americana have a great invasive potential. Both species were anthropogenically introduced in South America and have been successfully naturalized there. Their distribution in tropical regions of the Old World and Australia requires new precise investigations. A group of moinids forming ephippia with two resting eggs can be considered as a convenient model for biogeographical reconstructions, including studies on changes in aquatic ecosystems due to global climate warming, eutrophication and the introduction of non-native species. There is no doubt that subsequent joint application of morphological and genetic data will shed more light on the global phylogeographic structure of the entire family Moinidae.

Oral Chagas disease outbreak by bacaba juice ingestion: A century after Carlos Chagas' discovery, the disease is still hard to manage.

Orally transmitted acute Chagas disease (ACD) primarily affects low-visibility and low-income individuals in tropical and subtropical zones. Managing ACD remains challenging even after more than 100 years of its discovery. Its spread to non-endemic areas has made it a global health issue. The aim of this work is to demonstrate the difficulties encountered in handling a real-life situation. This report examines an outbreak of 39 cases of ACD due to oral transmission by bacaba juice ingestion that occurred in Pedro do Rosário, Maranhão, Brazil. A clinical and epidemiological investigation, including an entomological search, was conducted. Diagnosis criteria included positive peripheral blood smear (PBS), seroconversion of IgG, and a two-fold increase in IgG titer (laboratory criteria); and clinical findings, epidemiological exposure, and at least one positive IgG test (clinical-epidemiological criteria). In-house conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on 33 samples. All patients were treated with benznidazole. After 4.5 years, IgG levels were reassessed in 26 individuals. The mean age was 33.6 years, with no gender difference. The mean incubation period was 13.8 days, and the mean between symptom onset and treatment was 16.6 days. The most common symptoms were fever and lymphadenopathy (90%). Diagnostic success rates were 66.6% (laboratory criteria), 23% (clinical-epidemiological criteria), and 10.2% (high clinical suspicion despite negative tests). Test positivity rates were 69.7% (PBS), 91.4% (serology), and 100% (PCR). There were no deaths. Serological cure was achieved in 34.6% of cases, and IgG titers decreased in 15.3%. We encountered several barriers in managing ACD, including population vulnerability, reliance on outdated diagnostic techniques, lack of standardized molecular biology methods, and limited therapeutic options. This report underscores the importance of rapid surveillance and early treatment to prevent fatalities. We recommend the standardization of conventional PCR in diagnostic routines.