Phylogenomic analysis of Stylops reveals the evolutionary history of a Holarctic Strepsiptera radiation parasitizing wild bees.

Holarctic Stylops is the largest genus of the enigmatic insect order Strepsiptera, twisted winged parasites. Members of Stylops are obligate endoparasites of Andrena mining bees and exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism typical of Strepsiptera. So far, molecular studies on Stylops have focused on questions on species delimitation. Here, we utilize the power of whole genome sequencing to infer the phylogeny of this morphologically challenging genus from thousands of loci. We use a species tree method, concatenated maximum likelihood analysis and Bayesian analysis with a relaxed clock model to reconstruct the phylogeny of 46 Stylops species, estimate divergence times, evaluate topological consistency across methods and infer the root position. Furthermore, the biogeographical history and coevolutionary patterns with host species are assessed. All methods recovered a well resolved topology with close to all nodes maximally supported and only a handful of minor topological variations. Based on the result, we find that included species can be divided into 12 species groups, seven of them including only Palaearctic species, three Nearctic and two were geographically mixed. We find a strongly supported root position between a clade formed by the spreta, thwaitesi and gwynanae species groups and the remaining species and that the sister group of Stylops is Eurystylops or Eurystylops + Kinzelbachus. Our results indicate that Stylops originated in the Western Palaearctic or Western Palaearctic and Nearctic in the early Neogene or late Paleogene, with four independent dispersal events to the Nearctic. Cophylogenetic analyses indicate that the diversification of Stylops has been shaped by both significant coevolution with the mining bee hosts and host-shifting. The well resolved and strongly supported phylogeny will provide a valuable phylogenetic basis for further studies into the fascinating world of Strepsipterans.

Effects of livestock on arthropod biodiversity in Iberian holm oak savannas revealed by metabarcoding.

Increasing food production while avoiding negative impacts on biodiversity constitutes one of the main challenges of our time. Traditional silvopastoral systems like Iberian oak savannas ("dehesas") set an example, where free-range livestock has been reared for centuries while preserving a high natural value. Nevertheless, factors decreasing productivity need to be addressed, one being acorn losses provoked by pest insects. An increased and focalized grazing by livestock on infested acorns would kill the larvae inside and decrease pest numbers, but increased livestock densities could have undesired side effects on ground arthropod communities as a whole. We designed an experimental setup including areas under trees with livestock exclosures of different ages (short-term: 1-year exclusion, long-term: 10-year exclusion), along with controls (continuous grazing), using DNA metabarcoding (mitochondrial markers COI and 16S) to rapidly assess arthropod communities' composition. Livestock removal quickly increased grass cover and arthropod taxonomic richness and diversity, which was already higher in short-term (1-year exclosures) than beneath the canopies of control trees. Interestingly, arthropod diversity was not highest at long-term exclosures (≥10 years), although their community composition was the most distinct. Also, regardless of treatment, we found that functional diversity strongly correlated with the vegetation structure, being higher at trees beneath which there was higher grass cover and taller herbs. Overall, the taxonomic diversity peak at short term exclosures would support the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, which relates it with the higher microhabitat heterogeneity at moderately disturbed areas. Thus, we propose a rotatory livestock management in dehesas: plots with increased grazing should co-exist with temporal short-term exclosures. Ideally, a few long-term excluded areas should be also kept for the singularity of their arthropod communities. This strategy would make possible the combination of biological pest control and arthropod conservation in Iberian dehesas.

Species delimitation in the cyanolichen genus Rostania.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigate species limits in the cyanobacterial lichen genus Rostania (Collemataceae, Peltigerales, Lecanoromycetes). Four molecular markers (mtSSU rDNA, ß-tubulin, MCM7, RPB2) were sequenced and analysed with two coalescent-based species delimitation methods: the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent model (GMYC) and a Bayesian species delimitation method (BPP) using a multispecies coalescence model (MSC), the latter with or without an a priori defined guide tree. RESULTS: Species delimitation analyses indicate the presence of eight strongly supported candidate species. Conclusive correlation between morphological/ecological characters and genetic delimitation could be found for six of these. Of the two additional candidate species, one is represented by a single sterile specimen and the other currently lacks morphological or ecological supporting evidence. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that Rostania includes a minimum of six species: R. ceranisca, R. multipunctata, R. occultata 1, R. occultata 2, R. occultata 3, and R. occultata 4,5,6. Three distinct Nostoc morphotypes occur in Rostania, and there is substantial correlation between these morphotypes and Rostania thallus morphology.

Sexual conflict and intrasexual polymorphism promote assortative mating and halt population differentiation.

Sexual conflict is thought to be an important evolutionary force in driving phenotypic diversification, population divergence, and speciation. However, empirical evidence is inconsistent with the generality that sexual conflict enhances population divergence. Here, we demonstrate an alternative evolutionary outcome in which sexual conflict plays a conservative role in maintaining male and female polymorphisms locally, rather than promoting population divergence. In diving beetles, female polymorphisms have evolved in response to male mating harassment and sexual conflict. We present the first empirical evidence that this female polymorphism is associated with (i) two distinct and sympatric male morphological mating clusters (morphs) and (ii) assortative mating between male and female morphs. Changes in mating traits in one sex led to a predictable change in the other sex which leads to predictable within-population evolutionary dynamics in male and female morph frequencies. Our results reveal that sexual conflict can lead to assortative mating between male offence and female defence traits, if a stable male and female mating polymorphisms are maintained. Stable male and female mating polymorphisms are an alternative outcome to an accelerating coevolutionary arms race driven by sexual conflict. Such stable polymorphisms challenge the common view of sexual conflict as an engine of rapid speciation via exaggerated coevolution between sexes.

Early burst in body size evolution is uncoupled from species diversification in diving beetles (Dytiscidae).

Changes in morphology are often thought to be linked to changes in species diversification, which is expected to leave a signal of early burst (EB) in phenotypic traits. However, such signal is rarely recovered in empirical phylogenies, even for groups with well-known adaptive radiation. Using a comprehensive phylogenetic approach in Dytiscidae, which harbours ~4,300 species with as much as 50-fold variation in body size among them, we ask whether pattern of species diversification correlates with morphological evolution. Additionally, we test whether the large variation in body size is linked to habitat preference and whether the latter influences species turnover. We found, in sharp contrast to most animal groups, that Dytiscidae body size evolution follows an early-burst model with subsequent high phylogenetic conservatism. However, we found no evidence for associated shifts in species diversification, which point to an uncoupled evolution of morphology and species diversification. We recovered the ancestral habitat of Dytiscidae as lentic (standing water), with many transitions to lotic habitat (running water) that are concomitant to a decrease in body size. Finally, we found no evidence for difference in net diversification rates between habitats nor difference in turnover in lentic and lotic species. This result, together with recent findings in dragonflies, contrasts with some theoretical expectations of the habitat stability hypothesis. Thus, a thorough reassessment of the impact of dispersal, gene flow and range size on the speciation process is needed to fully encompass the evolutionary consequences of the lentic-lotic divide for freshwater fauna.

Anisomeriini diving beetles-an Atlantic-Pacific Island disjunction on Tristan da Cunha and Robinson Crusoe Island, Juan Fernández?

Anisomeriini diving beetles contain only two enigmatic species, representing a remarkable disjunction between the Pacific Juan Fernández Islands (Anisomeria bistriata) and the South Atlantic Tristan da Cunha Archipelago (Senilites tristanicola). They belong to the Colymbetinae, which contain 140 species worldwide. Here we aim to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Anisomerinii and use > 9000 bp DNA sequence data from 13 fragments of 12 loci for a comprehensive sampling of Colymbetinae species. Analyses under different optimization criteria converge on very similar topologies, and show unambiguously that Anisomeria bistriata and Senilites tristanicola belong to the Neotropical Rhantus signatus species group, a comparatively recent clade within Colymbetinae. Anisomeriini therefore are synonomized with Colymbetini and both species are transferred to Rhantus accordingly, resulting in secondary homonymy of Rhantus bistriatus (Brullé, 1835) with Rhantus bistriatus (Bergsträsser, 1778). We propose the replacement name Rhantus selkirki Jäch, Balke & Michat nom. nov. for the Juan Fernández species. Presence of these species on remote islands is therefore not relictary, but the result of more recent range expansions out of mainland South America. Finally, we suggest that Carabdytini should be synonymized with Colymbetini. Our study underpins the Hennigian principle that a natural classification can be derived only from the search for shared apomorphies between species, not from differences.

Molecular phylogeny of Lymantriinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Erebidae) inferred from eight gene regions.

To understand the evolutionary history of Lymantriinae and test the present higher-level classification, we performed the first broad-scale molecular phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily, based on 154 exemplars representing all recognized tribes and drawn from all major biogeographical regions. We used two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal RNA) and six nuclear genes (elongation factor-1α, carbamoylphosphate synthase domain protein, ribosomal protein S5, cytosolic malate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and wingless). Data matrices (in total 5424 bp) were analysed by parsimony and model-based evolutionary methods (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference). Based on the results of the analyses, we present a new phylogenetic classification for Lymantriinae composed of seven well-supported tribes, two of which are proposed here as new: Arctornithini, Leucomini, Lymantriini, Orgyiini, Nygmiini, Daplasini trib. nov. and Locharnini trib. nov. We discuss the internal structure of each of these tribes and address some of the more complex problems with the genus-level classification, particularly within Orgyiini and Nygmiini.

The utility of CAD in recovering Gondwanan vicariance events and the evolutionary history of Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae).

BACKGROUND: Aciliini presently includes 69 species of medium-sized water beetles distributed on all continents except Antarctica. The pattern of distribution with several genera confined to different continents of the Southern Hemisphere raises the yet untested hypothesis of a Gondwana vicariance origin. The monophyly of Aciliini has been questioned with regard to Eretini, and there are competing hypotheses about the intergeneric relationship in the tribe. This study is the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis focused on the tribe Aciliini and it is based on eight gene fragments. The aims of the present study are: 1) to test the monophyly of Aciliini and clarify the position of the tribe Eretini and to resolve the relationship among genera within Aciliini, 2) to calibrate the divergence times within Aciliini and test different biogeographical scenarios, and 3) to evaluate the utility of the gene CAD for phylogenetic analysis in Dytiscidae. RESULTS: Our analyses confirm monophyly of Aciliini with Eretini as its sister group. Each of six genera which have multiple species are also supported as monophyletic. The origin of the tribe is firmly based in the Southern Hemisphere with the arrangement of Neotropical and Afrotropical taxa as the most basal clades suggesting a Gondwana vicariance origin. However, the uncertainty as to whether a fossil can be used as a stem-or crowngroup calibration point for Acilius influenced the result: as crowngroup calibration, the 95% HPD interval for the basal nodes included the geological age estimate for the Gondwana break-up, but as a stem group calibration the basal nodes were too young. Our study suggests CAD to be the most informative marker between 15 and 50 Ma. Notably, the 2000 bp CAD fragment analyzed alone fully resolved the tree with high support. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Molecular data confirmed Aciliini as a monophyletic group. 2) Bayesian optimizations of the biogeographical history are consistent with an influence of Gondwana break-up history, but were dependent on the calibration method. 3) The evaluation using a method of phylogenetic signal per base pair indicated Wnt and CAD as the most informative of our sampled genes.

Bayesian tests of topology hypotheses with an example from diving beetles.

We review Bayesian approaches to model testing in general and to the assessment of topological hypotheses in particular. We show that the standard way of setting up Bayes factor tests of the monophyly of a group, or the placement of a sample sequence in a known reference tree, can be misleading. The reason for this is related to the well-known dependency of Bayes factors on model-specific priors. Specifically, when testing tree hypotheses it is important that each hypothesis is associated with an appropriate tree space in the prior. This can be achieved by using appropriately constrained searches or by filtering trees in the posterior sample, but in a more elaborate way than typically implemented. If it is difficult to find the appropriate tree sets to be contrasted, then the posterior model odds may be more informative than the Bayes factor. We illustrate the recommended techniques using an empirical test case addressing the issue of whether two genera of diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), Suphrodytes and Hydroporus, should be synonymized. Our refined Bayes factor tests, in contrast to standard analyses, show that there is strong support for Suphrodytes nesting inside Hydroporus, and the genera are therefore synonymized.

Bayesian species delimitation reveals generalist and specialist parasitic wasps on Galerucella beetles (Chrysomelidae): sorting by herbivore or plant host.

BACKGROUND: To understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of species interactions in food webs necessitates that interactions are properly identified. Genetic analyses suggest that many supposedly generalist parasitoid species should rather be defined as multiple species with a more narrow diet, reducing the probability that such species may mediate indirect interactions such as apparent competition among hosts. Recent studies showed that the parasitoid Asecodes lucens mediate apparent competition between two hosts, Galerucella tenella and G. calmariensis, affecting both interaction strengths and evolutionary feedbacks. The same parasitoid was also recorded from other species in the genus Galerucella, suggesting that similar indirect effects may also occur for other species pairs. METHODS: To explore the possibility of such interactions, we sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to resolve the phylogeny of both host and parasitoid and to test the number of parasitoid species involved. We thus collected 139 Galerucella larvae from 8 host plant species and sequenced 31 adult beetle and 108 parasitoid individuals. RESULTS: The analysis of the Galerucella data, that also included sequences from previous studies, verified the five species previously documented as reciprocally monophyletic, but the Bayesian species delimitation for A. lucens suggested 3-4 cryptic taxa with a more specialised host use than previously suggested. The gene data analyzed under the multispecies coalescent model allowed us to reconstruct the species tree phylogeny for both host and parasitoid and we found a fully congruent coevolutionary pattern suggesting that parasitoid speciation followed upon host speciation. CONCLUSION: Using multilocus sequence data in a Bayesian species delimitation analysis we propose that hymenopteran parasitoids of the genus Asecodes that infest Galerucella larvae constitute at least three species with narrow diet breath. The evolution of parasitoid Asecodes and host Galerucella show a fully congruent coevolutionary pattern. This finding strengthens the hypothesis that the parasitoid in host search uses cues of the host rather than more general cues of both host and plant.

The effect of geographical scale of sampling on DNA barcoding.

Eight years after DNA barcoding was formally proposed on a large scale, CO1 sequences are rapidly accumulating from around the world. While studies to date have mostly targeted local or regional species assemblages, the recent launch of the global iBOL project (International Barcode of Life), highlights the need to understand the effects of geographical scale on Barcoding's goals. Sampling has been central in the debate on DNA Barcoding, but the effect of the geographical scale of sampling has not yet been thoroughly and explicitly tested with empirical data. Here, we present a CO1 data set of aquatic predaceous diving beetles of the tribe Agabini, sampled throughout Europe, and use it to investigate how the geographic scale of sampling affects 1) the estimated intraspecific variation of species, 2) the genetic distance to the most closely related heterospecific, 3) the ratio of intraspecific and interspecific variation, 4) the frequency of taxonomically recognized species found to be monophyletic, and 5) query identification performance based on 6 different species assignment methods. Intraspecific variation was significantly correlated with the geographical scale of sampling (R-square = 0.7), and more than half of the species with 10 or more sampled individuals (N = 29) showed higher intraspecific variation than 1% sequence divergence. In contrast, the distance to the closest heterospecific showed a significant decrease with increasing geographical scale of sampling. The average genetic distance dropped from > 7% for samples within 1 km, to < 3.5% for samples up to > 6000 km apart. Over a third of the species were not monophyletic, and the proportion increased through locally, nationally, regionally, and continentally restricted subsets of the data. The success of identifying queries decreased with increasing spatial scale of sampling; liberal methods declined from 100% to around 90%, whereas strict methods dropped to below 50% at continental scales. The proportion of query identifications considered uncertain (more than one species < 1% distance from query) escalated from zero at local, to 50% at continental scale. Finally, by resampling the most widely sampled species we show that even if samples are collected to maximize the geographical coverage, up to 70 individuals are required to sample 95% of intraspecific variation. The results show that the geographical scale of sampling has a critical impact on the global application of DNA barcoding. Scale-effects result from the relative importance of different processes determining the composition of regional species assemblages (dispersal and ecological assembly) and global clades (demography, speciation, and extinction). The incorporation of geographical information, where available, will be required to obtain identification rates at global scales equivalent to those in regional barcoding studies. Our result hence provides an impetus for both smarter barcoding tools and sprouting national barcoding initiatives-smaller geographical scales deliver higher accuracy.

Biodiversity into your hands - A call for a virtual global natural history 'metacollection'.

BACKGROUND: Many scientific disciplines rely on correct taxon delineations and identifications. So does a great part of the general public as well as decision makers. Researchers, students and enthusiastic amateurs often feel frustrated because information about species remains scattered, difficult to access, or difficult to decipher. Together, this affects almost anyone who wishes to identify species or verify identifications. Many remedies have been proposed, but we argue that the role of natural history collections remains insufficiently appreciated. We suggest using state-of-the-art mass imaging technology and to join forces to create a global natural history metacollection on the internet, providing access to the morphology of tens of millions of specimens and making them available for automated digital image analysis. DISCUSSION: Robotic high-resolution imaging technology and fast (high performance) computer-based image stitching make it now feasible to digitize entire collection drawers typically used for arthropod collections, or trays or containers used for other objects. Resolutions of 500 megapixels and much higher are already utilized to capture the contents of 40x50 cm collection drawers, providing amazing detail of specimens. Flanked by metadata entry, this helps to create access to tens of thousands of specimens in days. By setting priorities and combining the holdings of the most comprehensive collections for certain taxa, drawer digitizing offers the unique opportunity to create a global, virtual metacollection.The taxonomic and geographic coverage of such a collection could never be achieved by a single institution or individual. We argue that by joining forces, many new impulses will emerge for systematic biology, related fields and understanding of biodiversity in general.Digitizing drawers containing unidentified, little-curated specimens is a contribution towards the beginning of a new era of online curation. It also will help taxonomists and curators to discover and process the millions of "gems" of undescribed species hidden in museum accessions. SUMMARY: Our proposal suggests creating virtual, high-resolution image resources that will, for the first time in history, provide access for expert scientists as well as students and the general public to the enormous wealth of the world's natural history collections. We foresee that this will contribute to a better understanding, appreciation and increased use of biodiversity resources and the natural history collections serving this cause.

Morphology of the larvae of Rhantaticus congestus (Klug, 1833) and phylogenetic comparison with other known Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Dytiscinae).

We describe the second- and third instar larvae of the diving beetle Rhantaticus congestus (Klug, 1833), including detailed morphometric and chaetotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, terminal abdominal segment and urogomphi in order to discover useful characters for distinguishing Rhantaticus Sharp, 1882 larvae from those of other known Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Dytiscinae). A parsimony analysis based on 94 larval characteristics of nine Aciliini species in five genera (Acilius Leach, 1817, Graphoderus Dejean, 1833, Rhantaticus, Sandracottus Sharp, 1882, Thermonectus Dejean, 1833) was conducted using the program TNT. Rhantaticus shares with all these genera several larval character states which support its inclusion in the Aciliini. Whereas Rhantaticus larva stands out from other known genera by several unique character states, our parsimony analysis did not recover any clear phylogenetic position of this genus within the Aciliini.

Myocardial External Efficiency in Asymptomatic Severe Primary Mitral Regurgitation Using 11C-Acetate PET.

Subjects with asymptomatic moderate-to-severe or severe primary mitral regurgitation are closely observed for signs of progression or symptoms requiring surgical intervention. The role of myocardial metabolic function in progression of mitral regurgitation is poorly understood. We used 11C-acetate PET to noninvasively measure myocardial mechanical external efficiency (MEE), which is the energetic ratio of external cardiac work and left ventricular (LV) oxygen consumption. Methods: Forty-seven patients in surveillance with mitral regurgitation and no or minimal symptoms prospectively underwent PET, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI on the same day. PET was used to simultaneously measure cardiac output, LV mass, and oxygen consumption to establish MEE. PET findings were compared between patients and healthy volunteers (n = 9). MEE and standard imaging indicators of regurgitation severity, LV volumes, and function were studied as predictors of time to surgical intervention. Patients were followed a median of 3.0 y (interquartile range, 2.0-3.8 y), and the endpoint was reached in 22 subjects (47%). Results: MEE in patients reaching the endpoint (23.8% ± 5.0%) was lower than in censored patients (28.5% ± 4.5%, P = 0.002) or healthy volunteers (30.1% ± 4.9%, P = 0.001). MEE with a cutoff lower than 25.7% was significantly associated with the outcome (hazard ratio, 7.5; 95% CI, 2.7-20.6; P < 0.0001) and retained independent significance when compared with standard imaging parameters. Conclusion: MEE independently predicted time to progression requiring valve surgery in patients with asymptomatic moderate-to-severe or severe primary mitral regurgitation. The study suggests that inefficient myocardial oxidative metabolism precedes clinically observed progression in mitral regurgitation.

The Naucoridae (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) of Madagascar, with revisions of Temnocoris and Tsingala (Laccocorinae).

The island nation of Madagascar was surveyed extensively through a series of expeditions to determine the fauna of Naucoridae. Previously, 17 species in four genera had been reported from the country. All taxa previously recorded from Madagascar were re-collected, with the exception of three species, Macrocoris flavicollis Signoret, Temnocoris starmuhlneri Poisson, and Tsingala nossibeanus (Bergroth). Macrocoris flavicollis is removed from the list of species occurring in Madagascar. Within Laccocorini (Laccocorinae), a new genus, Gonioathrix n.gen. is described; Temnocoris and Tsingala are revised; three new species are described in Temnocoris (T. leachi n.sp., T. montandoni n.sp., T. poissoni n.sp.) and four in Tsingala (T. angulata n.sp., T. latiforma n.sp., T. spatulata n.sp., T. trilobata n.sp.). Lectotypes are designated for Afronaucoris madagascariensis (Montandon), Tsingala humeralis (Signoret), and T. naucoroides (Montandon). In Macrocorinae, a new species of Macrocoris, M. namorona n.sp., from Ranomafana National Park is described. These taxonomic actions bring the total for the country to five genera and 25 species. Distributions, habitat associations, and a key to the species are presented.

Larval morphology of the Madagascan endemic diving beetle genus Hovahydrus Biström, 1982 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) and phylogenetic comparison with other known Hyphydrini.

We describe for the first time the instar III larva of the diving beetle genus Hovahydrus Biström, 1982, based on H. praetextus (Guignot, 1951) and a new species yet to be described (identified here as Hovahydrus sp. near H. minutissimus (Régimbart, 1903)). We include detailed morphometric and chaetotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, last abdominal segment and urogomphi in order to discover useful characters for distinguishing Hovahydrus larvae from those of other known Hyphydrini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae). A provisional parsimony analysis based on larval characteristics of 11 Hyphydrini species in eight genera was conducted using the program TNT. Larval morphology supports a close relationship between Hovahydrus, Hyphydrus Illiger, 1802, and the endemic South Africa genera Andex Sharp, 1882, Coelhydrus Sharp, 1882, Darwinhydrus Sharp, 1882 and Primospes Sharp, 1882.

A 33-year follow-up after valvular surgery for carcinoid heart disease.

AIMS: Valvular surgery has improved long-term prognosis in severe carcinoid heart disease (CaHD). Experience is limited and uncertainty remains about predictors for survival and strategy regarding single vs. double-valve surgery. The aim was to review survival and echocardiographic findings after valvular surgery for CaHD at our institution. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1986 and 2019, 60 consecutive patients, median age 64 years, underwent valve surgery for severe CaHD. Operations involved combined tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) and pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in 42 cases, and TVR-only or TVR with pulmonary valvotomy (no PVR) in 18 patients. All implanted valves were bioprosthetic. Preoperative echocardiography, creatinine, NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), and 24-h urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were obtained. 30-Day mortality was 12% (n=7), and 8% for the most recent decade 2010-2019. Median survival was 2.2 years and maximum survival 21 years. Patients undergoing combined TVR and PVR had significantly higher survival compared with operations without PVR (median 3.0 vs. 0.9 years, P = 0.02). Preoperative levels of NT-pro-BNP and 5-HIAA in the top quartile predicted poor survival. On preoperative echocardiograms, pulmonary regurgitation was severe in 51% and indeterminate in 17%. Postoperative echocardiography confirmed relatively good durability of bioprostheses, relative to the patients' limited oncological life expectancy. CONCLUSION: Valvular surgery in CaHD has an acceptable perioperative risk. Survival for combined TVR and PVR was significantly higher compared with operations without PVR. Bioprosthetic valve replacement appears to have adequate durability. Preoperative echocardiography may underestimate pulmonary pathology. Combined TVR and PVR should be considered in most patients.

Remaining forests on the Central Highlands of Madagascar-Endemic and endangered aquatic beetle fauna uncovered.

Madagascar is known for its high endemism and as many as 90% of this unique diversity are forest-dwellers. Unfortunately, the forest cover of Madagascar is decreasing at an alarming rate. This decrease can also affect aquatic insects, but our knowledge on aquatic insect diversity and distribution on Madagascar are limited. Although the eastern rainforests are considered the most diverse, the Central Highlands of Madagascar also harbors unique microendemic fauna but has been less studied. Here, we analyze the aquatic Adephaga beetle fauna of three remaining protected forests of the Central Highlands. Diversity, abundance, and uniqueness are compared between and within natural forests and surrounding grasslands. At least 15 undescribed species were found, highlighting the Central Highlands as an important area for endemism. The natural forests and the surrounding grasslands differed significantly in species assemblages. Interestingly, the three remaining forests differed in their assemblages with the geographically more distant Manjakatompo Ankaratra having the most unique fauna but also the highest altitude span. By contrast, the species composition was similar between the peripheral zones of each of the three remaining forests. The similarity of the fauna in the peripheral open habitats illustrates how some local forest endemics are replaced with widespread generalists in degraded habitats. Our study shows that the remaining forests of the Central Highlands of Madagascar are important refuges of unique fauna at high risk of extinction.

Cardiac Imaging in Carcinoid Heart Disease.

Carcinoid disease is caused by neuroendocrine tumors, most often located in the gut, and leads in approximately 20% of cases to specific, severe heart disease, most prominently affecting right-sided valves. If cardiac disease occurs, it determines the patient's prognosis more than local growth of the tumor. Surgical treatment of carcinoid-induced valve disease has been found to improve survival in observational studies. Cardiac imaging is crucial for both diagnosis and management of carcinoid heart disease; in the past, imaging was accomplished largely by echocardiography, but more recently, imaging for carcinoid heart disease has increasingly become multimodal and warrants awareness of the particular diagnostic challenges of this disease. This paper reviews the pathophysiology and manifestations of carcinoid heart disease in light of the different imaging modalities.

Spatio-temporal variation in water beetle assemblages across temperate freshwater ecosystems.

Ecological communities are structured by several mechanisms, including temporal, spatial and environmental factors. However, the simultaneous effects of these factors have rarely been studied. Here, we investigated their role on water beetle assemblages sampled over a period of 18 years. Water beetles were sampled in the spring of each year in lotic and lentic water bodies from mainland region of Kalmar and Öland Island in southeastern Sweden. We assessed how past assemblage structure, environmental factors and spatial variables correlated with current assemblage structure using a variation partitioning approach. We also tested for correlates of temporal beta diversity of water beetle assemblages with multiple regressions. We found that past water beetle assemblage structure explained current water beetle assemblage structure better than the environmental and spatial correlates. We also observed that temporal beta diversity of water beetle assemblages was mainly due to species gain rather than to species loss. Finally, environmental variables (e.g., hydroperiod, habitat size and hydrology) and timespan between sampling events explained part of temporal beta diversity and contribution of species loss to total assemblage dissimilarity variation. Despite the fact that most variation remained unexplained, we found that ecological factors that have been thought to be important for water beetle richness and abundance in past studies (e.g. water body size, water permanence, shore slope, and whether the water body is lentic or lotic) were also correlated to temporal beta diversity. From a conservation point of view, our study suggest that temporal variability of assemblage structure should be included in biological monitoring because of its potential to predict current assemblage structure.