Phylogeography of the Atlanto-Mediterranean sea cucumber Holothuria (Holothuria) mammata: the combined effects of historical processes and current oceanographical pattern.

We assessed the genetic structure of populations of the widely distributed sea cucumber Holothuria (Holothuria) mammata Grube, 1840, and investigated the effects of marine barriers to gene flow and historical processes. Several potential genetic breaks were considered, which would separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins, the isolated Macaronesian Islands from the other locations analysed, and the Western Mediterranean and Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). We analysed mitochondrial 16S and COI gene sequences from 177 individuals from four Atlantic locations and four Mediterranean locations. Haplotype diversity was high (H=0.9307 for 16S and 0.9203 for COI), and the haplotypes were closely related (π=0.0058 for 16S and 0.0071 for COI). The lowest genetic diversities were found in the Aegean Sea population. Our results showed that the COI gene was more variable and more useful for the detection of population structure than the 16S gene. The distribution of mtDNA haplotypes, the pairwise F(ST) values and the results of exact tests and amova revealed: (i) a significant genetic break between the population in the Aegean Sea and those in the other locations, as supported by both mitochondrial genes, and (ii) weak differentiation of the Canary and Azores Islands from the other populations; however, the populations from the Macaronesian Islands, Algarve and West Mediterranean could be considered to be a panmictic metapopulation. Isolation by distance was not identified in H. (H.) mammata. Historical events behind the observed findings, together with the current oceanographic patterns, were proposed and discussed as the main factors that determine the population structure and genetic signature of H. (H.) mammata.

Listado tasonómico de los asteroideos (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) de la plataforma y el talud superior del Caribe colombiano / Taxonomic list of the asteroids (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from the shelf and superior slope from the Colombian Caribbean

Between 1998 and 2001 we surveyed the benthic macrofauna of the continental shelf and its upper slope in the Colombian Caribbean. The INVEMAR-MACROFAUNA I-II expeditions used a "semi-ballon" net were for 10 minute bottom drags from Punta Gallinas (Guajira) to Arboletes (Antioquia). These covered seven ecological sectors from the Colombian Caribbean: Guajira (GUA), Palomino (PAL), Tayrona (TAY), Magdalena (MAG), Archipiélagos Coralinos (ARCO), Morrosquillo (MOR), and Darié (DAR). We collected 4109 Asteroidea individuals belonging to six orders, 13 families, 26 genera, four subgenera, 35 species and eight subspecies. Luidia barbadensis, Luidia heterozona barimae, Luidia ludwigi scotti, Luidia sarsi elegans, Prionaster elegans, Cheiraster (Cheiraster) planus, Cheiraster (Cheiraster) sepitus, Cheiraster (Barbadosaster) echinulatus, Pseudarchaster gracilis gracilis, Rosaster alexandri, Pteraster acicula, Pteraster militarioides militarioides, Doraster constellatus, Mammaster sigsbeei and Coronaster briareus are first records for the Colombian Caribbean. Luidia sarsi elegans, Marginaster pectinatus, Tamaria halperni and Stephanasterias albula are first records for the south Caribbean and Pterasterpersonatus and Dipsacaster antillensis are first records for the Caribbean sea

[Psychological factors influencing smoking persistence in coronary patients]. / Fatores psicológicos intervenientes na manutenção do tabagismo em portadores de doença arterial coronária.

PURPOSE: To study the psychological factors influence on the maintenance of smoking in coronary patients. METHODS: Questionnaire was applied in 40 smoking coronary patients, to investigate the tobacco's dependence type and degree, resistance degree, readiness level to abstinence and attitudes/emotions that favors tobacco's use. Male sex was predominant (75%) with age ranging from 25 to 80 (mean 52) years. RESULTS: Regarding the tobacco psychological type dependence, 75% of patients smoke to lower tension, 47.5% presenting a moderate resistance to quit smoking. Concerning the readiness to abstinence, 42.5% of patients were found to be in the contemplative stage. CONCLUSION: The coronary patient quit smoking treatment must include interventions aimed to provide instruments to cope with stressful situations and to increase the motivation to reach an action and maintenance abstinence smoking stage.