Digging into boring bryozoans: new characters and new species of Immergentiidae.

Immergentia is an endolithic genus of ctenostome bryozoans and the sole member of the Immergentiidae. Etchings of their typical spindled-shaped and sometimes enantiomorphic borehole aperture in calcium carbonate substrates are accomplished by chemical dissolution. The tentacle crown of the bryozoan is essentially the only body part that extends beyond the shell surface when protruded. Previously, species were mainly described using external colony and zooidal characteristics or whole mounts, with partial histological sections conducted on a single species in 1947. Modern approaches, however, are hitherto missing. We examined the soft body morphology of Immergentia from different locations with confocal laser scanning microscopy and the production of 3D reconstructions. In addition, zooidal characteristics such as tentacle number, size, tubulets, and interzooidal distances were used to distinguish and describe species. The combination of conventional and modern methods revealed the presence of a cardiac constrictor and intercalary kenozooids that can interpose between the cystid appendages, something not previously reported in immergentiids, thus necessitating an amendment of the family diagnosis. The polypide typically has eight to ten tentacles, and the anus is positioned in the low or mid-lophophoral area. In addition, sequence data, including the mitogenome and the nuclear ribosomal genes (18S and 28S) of four species from five locations, are presented for the first time. Based on molecular and morphological data, a novel intertidal immergentiid from France, Immergentia stephanieae sp. nov., and a subtidal species from New Zealand, I. pohowskii sp. nov., are described. This work supplements the rather sparse existing knowledge on Immergentiidae and proposes additional characteristics to complement existing descriptions in order to enhance future species identification. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13127-024-00645-y.

Fouling bryozoans in Argentine harbours (Southwest Atlantic): new records and the description of a new species.

Non-indigenous bryozoans are frequent components of biofouling assemblages in harbour environments worldwide. We performed a survey of artificial hard substrates in six harbours spanning 16 degrees of latitude along the coast of Argentina, from Ingeniero White (38º47' S) to Ushuaia (54º48' S). Microeciella argentina n. sp., distributed in warm-temperate waters of northern Patagonia and Buenos Aires Province, is described. The non-indigenous species (NIS) Callopora dumerilii, Smittoidea spinigera and Stephanollona boreopacifica are recorded here for the first time in the Southwest Atlantic. Their occurrence in fouling assemblages of warm-temperate harbours and their previous absence in these areas suggest that they probably arrived in Argentina by international shipping traffic. Callopora dumerilii is native to Europe and the northeast Atlantic. Smittoidea spinigera and Stephanollona boreopacifica are native to China and Korea, respectively. The morphological differences between S. spinigera and the Californian species S. prolifera, which is invading European harbours in the North Sea, are discussed. Bugula neritina, Bugulina flabellata, Cryptosula pallasiana and Fenestrulina delicia, common in harbours of Buenos Aires Province, are here recorded in Patagonia, highlighting the importance of regional shipping traffic to secondary spread of NIS. Arachnidium fibrosum, Buskia socialis, Anguinella palmata, Aetea cultrata, Bicellariella edentata and Exochella moyanoi, previously known from Brazil, and Hippothoa divaricata, are here recorded in Argentina. This study shows that warm-temperate harbours in Buenos Aires Province and northern Patagonia are particularly prone to the introduction of non-indigenous bryozoans.

Marine fouling invasions in ports of Patagonia (Argentina) with implications for legislation and monitoring programs.

Ports are a key factor in the understanding and solving of most problems associated with marine invasive species across regional and global scales. Yet many regions with active ports remain understudied. The aim of this work was to (a) identify and quantify the marine fouling organisms in all Patagonian ports of Argentina classifying them as native, exotic or cryptogenic species through a rapid assessment survey and experimental studies, (b) survey the environmental and anthropogenic variables of these ports and (c) analyze and discuss these results in the light of the South America context for the study of marine invasive species, legislation and commerce. We found 247 fouling species, including 17 introduced, one of which is a new record for the region, and other 15 species currently considered cryptogenic species that will need further attention to clarify their status. The analysis of mobile and sessile taxa, together with the environmental variables measured in this study and the port movement, allow us to discuss individual ports' vulnerability to future introductions. This is the first large scale study performed for this region on this topic, and it will help in developing monitoring programs and early detection plans to minimize new species introductions along the marine coastline of southern South America.

Inmunoglobulina endovenosa en la prevención de infecciones bacteriana hospitalarias en recien nacidos prematuros / Intravenous immunoglobulin as preventive therapy of nosocomiall bacterial infections in premature infants

Introducción.La hipogammaglobulinemia del prematuro es una de las causas de su mayor susceptibilidad a las infecciones.Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo:a)evaluar la eficacia de inmunoglobulina endovenosa(IgEV)para disminuir la incidencia de infeciones bacterianas hospitalarias(IBH),su gravedad y mortalidad asociada a infección y b)detectar efectos adversos de la droga.Material y Métodos.Se seleccionaron 115 recién nacidos(RN)con peso al nacer(PN) entre 1000 y 1800 g ingresados a la unidad neonatal en primer día de vida.Se estratificaron según PN y se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en grupos tratado(GT)y control(GT).Al GT se le administró IgEV 500mg/kg el 1 y el 8 día.Se monitoreó infección hasta el alta.Conclusión.La IgEV en la forma administrada no demostró disminuir la incidencia ni la gravedad de IBH,ni la mortalidad relacionada a infección en este grupo de pacientes.No se observaron signos de intolerancia a la infusión

Estudio epidemiológico sobre colonización bacteriana de los recién nacidos asistidos en la unidad de cuidados intensivos del Hospital Materno Infantil Ramón Sarda / Epidemiologic study of bacterial colonization of the newborn infants assited in the intensive care unit of the Hospital Materno-infantil Ramón Sarda

Con la finalidad de conocer el tipo de gérmenes que colonizan a los recién nacidos en las unidades de cuidados intensivos y su sensibilidad bacteriana, su distribución, su relación con edad postnatal, antibióticoterapia e infección, se estudió la colonización bacteriana aerobia en 31 recién nacidos de la unidad de cuidados intensivos del Hospital Materno Infantil Ramón Sardá entre el 1-1-85 y el 30-9-85. Se tomaron muestras de materia fecal, exudado de fauces, cordón umbilical y aspirado gástrico (estas últimas solo en recién nacidos con sonda nasogástrica), en las primeras 24 horas de vida, 48 horas depués y semanalmente hasta el alta o el mes de vida. Se efectuaron antibiogramas de los gérmenes aislados. Se monitoreó infección en todos los recién nacidos estudiados. Se obtuvieron en total 425 muestras para cultivo: 114 de materia fecal, cordón umbilical, y exudado de fauces respectivamente y 86 de aspirado gástrico. Predominaron en general los gérmenes Gram negativos y de éstos los más frecuentemente hallados fueron Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli y Pseudomonas aeruginosa. De los gérmenes Gram positivos los más frecuentes fueron Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus epidermidis y Staphylococcus aureus. Los Gram negativos fueron más frecuentes en materia fecal, cordón umbilical y aspirado gástrico que en fauces donde predominó el Streptococcus viridans. Sin embargo, la presencia de este germen no previno la colonización de las fauces con flora de tipo fecal. También en aspirado...