First record of a proseriate flatworm predating on a rhabdocoel (Platyhelminthes: Proseriata and Rhabdocoela).

Microturbellarian flatworms comprise a diverse assemblage amongst meiofauna. These animals primarily exhibit carnivorous feeding habits, preying on various organisms, such as crustaceans, annelids and even other microturbellarians. However, details of their diet are poorly known.

A database of freshwater macroinvertebrate occurrence records across Cuba.

In light of the ongoing freshwater biodiversity crisis, detailed knowledge regarding the spatial distribution of freshwater species is urgently required, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Here we present a database of georeferenced occurrence records of four freshwater invertebrate taxa groups across Cuba, namely flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida), insects (Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Hemiptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera), crabs and shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda), and mollusks (Mollusca). We collated the geographic occurrence information from scientific literature, unpublished field records, museum collections and online databases.

Orostylis gen. nov., a new genus of Dalytyphloplanida with seven new species (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela).

We describe a new genus of dalytyphloplanid rhabdocoels, with seven new species. Orostylis gen. nov.

A revision of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 (Rhabdocoela: Schizorhynchia), with the description of six new species.

A comprehensive morphological and taxonomic account of the members of the genus Cheliplana de Beauchamp, 1927 is presented. Six new species are described: Cheliplana asinaraensis n. sp.

Six new species of Archimonocelididae Meixner, 1938 (Platyhelminthes, Proseriata) from the Pacific, with proposal of a new genus.

The genus Tajikacelis n. gen. is introduced for species of Archimonocelididae (Proseriata) characterized by the lack of atrial spines in the copulatory organ and by the opening of the seminal vesicles into the prostate vesicle at its ventral side.

Taxonomy and phylogeny of Koinocystididae (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia), with the description of three new genera and twelve new species.

The taxon Koinocystididae is the third most species-rich family within Eukalyptorhynchia. However, its diversity and phylogeny have been largely neglected in former studies. We introduce three new genera and twelve new species of Koinocystididae including Simplexcystis asymmetrica gen.

Schizorhynchia (Platyhelminthes, Rhabdocoela) from eastern Cuba, with the description of fifteen new species.

We report on the schizorhynch species collected in a survey in the eastern region of Cuba. Eighteen species were identified, of which only three are known to science: Cheliplana asica, C. terminalis, and Carcharodorhynchus flavidus.

First record of Polycystididae (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia) from Cuba, with the description of a new genus and five new species, and remarks and the description of one new species from Panama.

The first records of Polycystididae from Cuba are provided and discussed. In total nine species have been collected, five of which are new to science, one representing a new genus. Polycydora intermedia gen.

Systematics and biogeography of Cuban porcelain crabs (Decapoda: Anomura: Porcellanidae).

Marine crustaceans are a well-known invertebrates group in Cuban waters, but some taxa are not well catalogued and the literature about them is scattered. In this work, we present the checklist of porcelain crabs of Cuban Archipelago, including the literature registers and unpublished author's data. A key to the identification of 8 genera and 23 species of the Cuban porcelain crabs is provided.

Brachyrhynchus n. gen. n. sp., a new genus of Polycystididae Graff, 1905 (Rhabdocoela: Kalyptorhynchia), with the description of three new species from the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.

Three new species of Polycystididae are described: Brachyrhynchus triplostylis n. gen. n.

Modelling age-dependent force of infection from prevalence data using fractional polynomials.

The force of infection is one of the primary epidemiological parameters of infectious diseases. For many infectious diseases it is assumed that the force of infection is age-dependent. Although the force of infection can be estimated directly from a follow up study, it is much more common to have cross-sectional seroprevalence data from which the prevalence and the force of infection can be estimated.

Freshwater Rhabdocoela (Platyhelminthes) from ephemeral rock pools from Botswana, with the description of four new species and one new genus.

Four new species of freshwater rhabdocoel flatworms from ephemeral rock pools in southeastern Botswana are described and discussed. Two of them, Syringoplana kolasai n. gen.

A tree based lack-of-fit test for multiple logistic regression.

Several omnibus tests have been developed to assess the fit of a regression model. But many of these lack-of-fit tests focus on the simple regression setting. Here, we focus on multiple logistic regression.

Ca2+ uptake in mitochondria occurs via the reverse action of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in metabolically inhibited MDCK cells.

In ischemic or hypoxic tissues, elevated Ca2+ levels have emerged as one of the main damaging agents among other Ca2+-independent mechanisms of cellular injury. Because mitochondria, besides the endoplasmic reticulum, play a key role in the maintainance of cellular Ca2+ homeostasis, alterations in the mitochondrial Ca2+ content ([Ca2+]m) were monitored in addition to changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) during metabolic inhibition (MI) in renal epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. [Ca2+]i and [Ca2+]m were monitored via, respectively, fura 2 and rhod 2 measurements.

Partial identification of a peptide that stimulates the primary urine production of single isolated Malpighian tubules of the forest ant, Formica polyctena.

A peptide was purified from a 10% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) head/thorax extract of 300,000 ants with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fluid secretion assay of single isolated Malpighian tubules was used as a bioassay. The purity of F.

Characterization of Na(+) currents in isolated dorsal unpaired median neurons of Locusta migratoria and effect of the alpha-like scorpion toxin BmK M1.

A primary cell culture was developed for efferent dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons of the locust. The isolated somata were able to generate Tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive action potentials in vitro. The alpha-like scorpion toxin BmK M1, from the Asian scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch, prolonged the duration of the action potential up to 50 times.

Loss of cell volume regulation during metabolic inhibition in renal epithelial cells (A6): role of intracellular pH.

In renal ischemia, tubular obstruction induced by swelling of epithelial cells might be an important mechanism for reduction of the glomerular filtration rate. We investigated ischemic cell swelling by examining volume regulation of A6 cells during metabolic inhibition (MI) induced by cyanide and 2-deoxyglucose. Changes in cell volume were monitored by recording cell thickness (T(c)).

Highly Selective Route for Producing Unsymmetrically Substituted Monomers toward Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers Derived from Poly(p-phenylene vinylene).

A new convenient route for producing unsymmetrically substituted sulfinyl monomers of precursor polymers toward poly(p-phenylene vinylene) is described. Upon treating a symmetrical bissulfonium salt with a thiolate anion, an unexpected high selectivity for the monosubstituted thioethers (90%) is obtained. Optimization of the reaction conditions showed that the stoichiometry of the reactants in this reaction is important to ensure the high selectivity and to prevent unwanted side reactions.