Historia de la vegetación del sitio Huapilacuy II durante el Holoceno Medio a partir del análisis polínico y de macrofósiles vegetales, Isla Grande de Chiloé, Chile

This study examines the new fossiliferous site Huapilacuy II of Mid-Holocene age (7,344±51-6,865±58 cal years BP.) located in the northwestern coast of the Isla Grande de Chiloé. This area was not affected by the successive Pleistocene glaciations, and therefore it presents a biogeographic relevance as a potential area of refugia and stability for the vegetation. The presence of plant macrofossils contained in a sedimentary sequence of ca. 300 cm thick, confers a special interest to the site, due to the scarce information available on this type of indicator in paleoenvironmental studies of southern Chile. Additionally, several pollen-based reconstructions from the southern Lake District of Chile (40-44˚ S), document the Holocene sequence of recolonization by the different temperate rainforests types that today occupy this region, although there are non-Holocene records for the Pacific coast of the region. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the local environmental conditions and paleoecology based on the stratigraphic context and the analysis of plant macrofossils at the site Huapilacuy II. In addition, based on the pollen analysis of the deposit, we provide new information to reconstruct the regional characteristics of the vegetation during the Middle-Holocene. In particular, the plant macrofossil record of marsh species contained in the sediments of the lower section of the studied sedimentary sequence, together with the pollen analysis of the same sequence, document a first phase of plant colonization at 7,344±51 cal yrs. BP, with predominance of Poaceae, ferns, and trees with regeneration capacity in open areas, such as Embothrium coccineum and Drimys winteri. The analysis of leaf macrofossils and palynomorphs recovered from several intercalated layers, from the middle section of the sedimentary sequence, show the local and regional development of dense and very humid forests dominated by Aextoxicon punctatum, associated with several species of Myrtaceae. The presence of soil moisture indicator species, such as Luma chequen, Myrceugenia sp. and Myrtaceae Blepharocalyx-type is consistent with the sedimentary environment and the local development of swamp or riverine forests. This hygrophile forest environment is also consistent with the assemblage of fossil mosses, dominated by species that grow today in dense closed-canopy forests, such as Weymouthia, Ptychomnium, Rigodium, Porothamnium and Eucamptodon. The regional correlation of the pollen spectra from Huapilacuy II and other records from the Lake District allows us to establish latitudinal and longitudinal differences of tree composition in the temperate-rainforests that expanded during the Early to Mid-Holocene. In particular, this study established for the northwestern coast of the Isla Grande de Chiloé the presence of the coastal association of the valdivian forest (As. Lapagerio-Aextoxiconetum), currently distributed along the Chilean coastline between 30˚- 43˚S. In contrast, the Valdivian associations recorded in other areas of the region exhibit the dominance of Eucryphia cordifolia, Caldcluvia paniculata, Weinmannia trichosperma and different species of Nothofagus. Despite the differences in tree composition, the fossil bryophyte species recorded in several of the sites compared are common with those reported for Huapilacuy II, thus showing the wide ecological range of Chilean bryophytes associated with closed-canopy temperate-rainforests.

Fungal endophytes of some medicinal plant growing in northwestern coast of Egypt: Isolation, identification and two-way clustering analysis of its antimicrobial activity

One of hidden mine of antibiotics is endophytic fungi especially that inhibited medicinal plants. In this regard, leaves, stems, fruits and bulbs of some commonly medicinal plants growing in Northwestern coast of Egypt were subjected for isolation of endophytic fungi with screening study of its antimicrobial activity. Practically, more than one hundred (101) endophytic fungal species isolated from Scorpiurus muricatus, Mellilotus indicus, Lotus polyphyllos, Ononis vaginalis, Nicotiana glauca, Lycium europaeum, Asphodelus aestivus, Echium angustifolium,Fagonia cretica, Pancratium maritimum,and Carduus getulus were tested in vitro for their antimicrobial activities against E. coli, Pseudomonas argenosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, Candida albicanus, Candida glabrata, Penicillium expansum, Aspergillus flavus. The values of applied diversity indices revealed significant differences in presence, absence and abundance among endophytic fungal isolates. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report of Alternaria pluriseptata as endophytic species with most dominant and most active in its anitimicrobial activity among the isolated species. Seven distinctive groups were revealed from the two-way cluster analysis showing the intensity of antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens: Twenty-five percent of the isolates (26 strains assembled together in group V) exhibited no antimicrobial activity against all tested pathogens while six percent (6 isolates) assembled in group VII revealed high antimicrobial activity against five pathogens.

TBE in Latvia

Aggregated data on TBE cases in Latvia are available from 1955,1 but serological testing for TBE began in the 1970’s.2 Since TBE became notifiable in Latvia, epidemiological changes of disease incidence have been dramatic. Between 1990–2000 Latvia had the highest rates of TBE incidence in the world, ranging from 8 to 53 cases per 100,000 population.2 Although the incidence decreased significantly in the past 10 years to about half – from 14.58/100,000 in 2010 to 7.86/100,000 in 2018 – Latvia still ranks very high among all countries in Europe with an annual incidence of 11.45/100,000 in 2020. The distribution of TBE cases in Latvia varies between different regions with the highest incidence usually registered near the northwestern coast.

‘A Very Difficult Troublesome Affair’: Some Unlikely Help for the Pretender

In April 1746, only weeks after th e decisive defeat of the Jacobite army at Culloden, a British warship, HMS Triton, stopped the Gordon, a suspicious-looking ship off Scotland's northwestern coast, near Skye. The strange craft proved to have been taken over on a voyage to America by its human cargo of Irish indentured servants – men, women and children – some 113 souls, with the intention of joining the Stuart rebel forces in Scotland. After taking the servants as prisoners, Captain Brett of the Triton had to confront the question of how to clear his ship of the unwelcome guests, a dilemma that included such questions as ownership, jurisdiction, claims to compensation, and lines of authority. After weeks of frustration, all was finally resolved by the discharging the bulk of the prisoners to Carrickfergus Castle. Brett was able to resume his naval duties, and most of the servants were soon back on their way to a life in the colonies. This incident, minor as it was in itself, is a possibly unique example of political expression by members of the Irish underclass during the Jacobite insurrection of 1745.

Squat lobsters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Galatheoidea) from off the northwestern coast of the Baja California Peninusla, Mexico

Four species of squat lobsters were collected off the northwestern coast of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, during an exploratory survey of fishing resources. Janethogalathea californiensis, described from California was previously known from off the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula (two localities) and from the Gulf of California (three localities). Of the three species of Munida collected during the survey, M. tenella is recorded off the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula for the first time. These are the fourth record of M. hispida and the second record of M. quadrispina in western Mexico.