Effect of a generalist mesopredator on modular and unitary sessile prey associated with a foundation species.

Unitary and modular sessile organisms both dominate in marine benthic communities, commonly preyed upon by the same generalist predators. The differences between unitary and modular defensive strategies may underlie the ways generalist predators control community structure, but this has never been empirically examined. We hypothesize that the individual size of an omnivorous mesopredatory shrimp affects the relative vulnerability of unitary and modular prey and hence translates into community structure.

Effects of a trophic cascade on a multi-level facilitation cascade.

The role of cascades in natural communities has been extensively studied, but interactions between trophic and facilitation cascades are unexplored. In the White Sea (65°N) shallow subtidal, bivalve primary facilitators provide hard substrate for secondary facilitator barnacles, that, in turn, provide substrate for conspecifics, ascidians, red algae and multiple associated organisms, composing a multi-level facilitation cascade. Previous research revealed that predation by the whelk Boreotrophon clathratus accounts for ~7% of adult barnacle mortality.

Epibenthic predators control mobile macrofauna associated with a foundation species in a subarctic subtidal community.

Foundation species (FS) are strong facilitators providing habitat for numerous dependent organisms. The communities shaped by FS are commonly structured by interplay of facilitation and consumer control. Predators or grazers often indirectly determine community structure eliminating either FS or their principal competitors.

Cockles, barnacles and ascidians compose a subtidal facilitation cascade with multiple hierarchical levels of foundation species.

Facilitation cascades occur when multiple foundation species in a community are involved in a hierarchy of positive interactions, and consist of a primary facilitator which positively affects secondary facilitators, each supporting a suit of dependent species. There is no theoretical limit to the number of levels in a facilitation cascade, yet the existence of more than two has rarely been examined. We manipulated biogenic substrate produced by a primary facilitator (cockle shells) and a secondary facilitator (barnacles and their empty tests) in a space-limited subtidal community to test the hypothesis that solitary ascidians would be the third-level facilitator.

Template guided transperineal saturation biopsy of the prostate: lessons for focal and urethra-sparing high-dose-rate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate results of prostate transperineal saturation biopsy as a guide for focal high-dose-rate brachytherapy in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).

Material And Methods: Template guided saturation biopsy was performed in 67 primary patients with suspicion for prostate cancer. Biopsy was performed under ultrasonography (US) control with the help of brachytherapy grid and 5 mm distance between samples.

Bored to Death: Community-Wide Effect of Predation on a Foundation Species in a Low-Disturbance Arctic Subtidal System.

The strength of top-down control by consumers is predicted to decrease with latitude, but most data confirming this assumption come from latitudes <60°, while empirical studies of predation in sub-arctic and arctic marine habitats are few. A barnacle Balanus crenatus is a native foundation species in the shallow subtidal of the White Sea (65° N), hosting a diverse (250+ species) assemblage of macrobenthic organisms. On mixed sediments live barnacles share primary substrates (shells and gravel) with numerous empty barnacle tests, 7% of which had drill holes of an unidentified origin.

KIT mutations in Russian patients with mucosal melanoma.

A single institution series of 48 mucosal melanomas (MMs) has been analyzed for the presence of KIT mutations using high-resolution melting and sequencing of abnormally melted DNA fragments. The analysis of exons 9, 11, 13, and 17 has revealed eight of 48 (17%) nonsynonymous alterations, including zero of seven head and neck, six of 24 anorectal, one of 15 genitourinary, one of one gastric, and zero of one mediastinal MMs. Seven of these mutations were potentially associated with the tumor sensitivity to KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Multiple foundation species shape benthic habitat islands.

Pattern generation by foundation species (FS) is a primary structuring agent in marine and terrestrial communities. Prior research, focused on single-species or guild-dominated habitats, stressed the role of facilitation in maintaining community structure. However, many habitats are developed by multiple FS from different guilds.