Taxonomic revision of Hilmylepis Skryabin & Matevosyan, 1942 (Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae).

Three species of Hilmylepis Skryabin & Matevosyan, 1942 are redescribed: H. nagatyi (Hilmy, 1936) from shrews Crocidura foxi, C. theresae, C. giffardi and C. occidentalis in the Ivory Coast; H. raillieti (Joyeux & Baer, 1950) on the basis of syntypes from C. russula in France; and H. prokopici Genov, 1970 from C. leucodon and C. suaveolens in Bulgaria. The holotype of H. sharpiloi Tkach & Velikanov, 1990 from Diplomesodon pulchellum in Turkmenistan is figured and a brief description of the species, based on that of Tkach & Velikanov (1990), is presented. The major reliable diagnostic characters of Hilmylepis are re-evaluated. The number and length of the rostellar hooks, the shape of the rostellum and the host-range of Hilmylepis spp. are considered as the main distinguishing characters applicable at the species level. An amended generic diagnosis and an identification key to Hilmylepis spp. are presented.

Palaearctic species of the genus Confluaria Ablasov (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae): redescriptions of C. podicipina (Szymanski, 1905) and C. furcifera (Krabbe, 1869), description of C. pseudofurcifera n. sp., a key and final comments.

Redescriptions are provided of Confluaria podicipina (Szymanski, 1905) (specimens from Podiceps nigricollis and Tachybaptus ruficollis from Bulgaria) and C. furcifera (Krabbe, 1869) (syntypes from P. grisegena from Denmark and specimens from P. grisegena, P. nigricollis and T. ruficollis from Bulgaria). C. pseudofurcifera n. sp. is described from P. cristatus from Switzerland and Bulgaria. The previous records of C. furcifera from P. cristatus in Switzerland (Joyeux & Baer, 1950), Poland (Jarecka, 1958; Korpaczewska, 1960), Czech Republic (Rysavy & Sitko, 1995) and Baltic Coast (Galkin, 1986) are recognised as belonging to C. pseudofurcifera. Confluaria Ablasov in Spasskaya, 1966 is recognised as a valid genus and Dimorphocanthus Maksimova, 1989 is confirmed as its synonym. A key to the Palaearctic species of Confluaria is presented.

Palaearctic species of the genus Confluaria Ablasov (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae): a redescription and synonymy of C. capillaris (Rudolphi, 1810).

The types of Confluaria capillaris (Rudolphi, 1810) from Podiceps auritus in (?) Germany and the types of C. capillaroides (Fuhrmann, 1906) from Podiceps dominicus in Brazil are redescribed. C. capillaroides is recognised as a junior synonym of C. capillaris (new synonymy). Data on specimens of the same species from P. cristatus and P. grisegena in Bulgaria are also presented. The previous records of the two nominal species are critically analysed in view of the present redescriptions. The host range of C. capillaris includes only grebes of the genus Podiceps, i.e. P. auritus, P. cristatus, P. grisegena, P. dominicus and P. nigricollis; the records in other hosts (Gaviiformes, Charadriiformes and Passeriformes) are considered erroneous or doubtful. The geographical range includes Europe, Central Asia and northern South America.

Palaearctic species of the genus Confluaria Ablasov (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae): redescriptions of C. multistriata (Rudolphi, 1810) and C. japonica (Yamaguti, 1935), and a description of Confluaria sp.

Confluaria multistriata (Rudolphi, 1810) is redescribed on the basis of specimens from Tachybaptus ruficollis from the material of Rudolphi and Dollfus and new specimens from the same host species from Bulgaria. The types of C. japonica (Yamaguti, 1935) from T. ruficollis are also redescribed and figured. A single specimen from the collection of Krabbe, described as Taenia multistriata, is re-examined and recognised as belonging to a different species of Confluaria, the status of which remains to be established. Criteria for distinguishing the three species are proposed. In view of the present results, some of the previous records of C. multistriata and C. japonica are re-evaluated. The synonymy of the genera Colymbilepis Spasskaya, 1966 and Confluaria Ablasov in Spasskaya, 1966 is confirmed.

Redescription of the type-species of the cestode genus Deltokeras (Cyclophyllidea: Paruterinoidea).

The syntypes of Deltokeras ornitheios Meggitt, 1927 (the type-species of Deltokeras Meggitt, 1927), a parasite of Urocissa erythrorhyncha (Passeriformes, Corvidae) in South Asia, are redescribed. Deltokeras is considered a monotypic genus. An amended generic diagnosis is presented.

Intermittent brief periods of ischemia have a cumulative effect and may cause myocardial necrosis.

We investigated the effects of brief intermittent periods of ischemia on myocardial viability. Brief periodic coronary occlusions were produced up to 18 times by inflating and deflating the balloon of an intracoronary No. 2F catheter for periods of 15, 10 or 5 minutes, followed by 15-minute periods of reperfusion. Creatine kinase (CK) release, triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, and light and electron microscopy were used to detect the presence of myocardial necrosis. For the study of CK release, blood was taken from the great cardiac vein and the aorta before and at 5-minute intervals during each left anterior descending coronary occlusion, as well as during and 1, 5, 10 and 15 minutes after balloon deflation. In seven of 24 dogs with 15-minute occlusions, in five of 21 dogs with 10-minute occlusions, and in three of 32 dogs with 5-minute occlusions, small but distinct areas of subendocardial necrosis were present. In all dogs with morphologic proof of necrosis, there was periodic release of CK into the great cardiac vein, which peaked immediately after reperfusion, reflecting CK washout. Thus, brief periods of ischemia, which when single do not cause necrosis, have a cumulative effect and may cause myocardial necrosis. This mechanism of necrosis may be relevant clinically in patients with frequent anginal episodes. Since many dogs of this study did not have any myocardial necrosis, the findings also suggest that intermittent reperfusion has a beneficial effect and may prevent necrosis, even when total occlusion time exceeds 200 minutes.

Scanning electron microscopic studies on males of trichinella species.

Ultrastructure of the cuticle and pseudobursa of adult males of four species of Trichinella has been studied by SEM. T. nativa differs markedly from T. spiralis, T. nelsoni and Trichinella sp. in the form of the pseudobursa. Trichinella sp. differs only slightly from T. spiralis and T. nelsoni. The ultrastructure of the cuticle revealed no characters suitable for the differentiation of the taxons under study.

Isolation of Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 from small mammals in Bulgaria.

Authors examined a total of 3849 specimens of mammals included in 36 species from different region of Bulgaria. Adiaspiromycosis was detected microscopically in 18 mammals species. Strains of Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 was isolated from 6 species--Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Musmusculus and Rattus norvegicus.