Decompression Surgery Options for Metastatic Cervical Spine Lesions.

Background: Metastatic spinal lesions occur in 70% of patients with incurable cancer, and the most common site for bone metastases is the spine. Over the last decade, medical science has made significant progress in treating tumor damage to the spine. The study examined the efficacy of decompression surgery for patients with metastatic cervical spine lesions contributing to spinal cord compression. Methods: The study enrolled 38 patients (27 females and 11 males, average age of 61.35±8.49 years) with metastatic cervical spine lesions resulting in cord compression relieved with surgery. Patients experienced improvement in pain and motor within one month of surgery addressing cervical metastatic disease. Results: Complete or partial regression of pain syndrome 10 days after surgery was observed in 26 (68.4%) patients, one month later - in 33 (86.8%) patients, one year later - in 35 (92.1%) patients. Regression of neurological symptoms on the 10th day after surgery was observed in 8 (21.1%) patients, one month later - in 21 (55.3%) patients, one year later - in 34 (89.5%) patients. Two patients died between 3 and 12 months after surgery, having a worsening of their neurological status and pain syndrome. Conclusions: Decompression surgeries for metastatic lesions of the cervical spine with spinal cord compression resulted in effective reduction of pain and neurological dysfunction.

Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails.

Soil life supports the functioning and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Springtails (Collembola) are among the most abundant soil arthropods regulating soil fertility and flow of energy through above- and belowground food webs. However, the global distribution of springtail diversity and density, and how these relate to energy fluxes remains unknown. Here, using a global dataset representing 2470 sites, we estimate the total soil springtail biomass at 27.5 megatons carbon, which is threefold higher than wild terrestrial vertebrates, and record peak densities up to 2 million individuals per square meter in the tundra. Despite a 20-fold biomass difference between the tundra and the tropics, springtail energy use (community metabolism) remains similar across the latitudinal gradient, owing to the changes in temperature with latitude. Neither springtail density nor community metabolism is predicted by local species richness, which is high in the tropics, but comparably high in some temperate forests and even tundra. Changes in springtail activity may emerge from latitudinal gradients in temperature, predation and resource limitation in soil communities. Contrasting relationships of biomass, diversity and activity of springtail communities with temperature suggest that climate warming will alter fundamental soil biodiversity metrics in different directions, potentially restructuring terrestrial food webs and affecting soil functioning.

High-quality genomes reveal significant genetic divergence and cryptic speciation in the model organism Folsomia candida (collembola).

The collembolan Folsomia candida Willem, 1902, is widely distributed throughout the world and has been frequently used as a test organism in soil ecology and ecotoxicology studies. However, it is questioned as an ideal "standard" because of differences in reproductive modes and cryptic genetic diversity between strains from various geographical origins. In this study, we obtained two high-quality chromosome-level genomes of F. candida, for a parthenogenetic strain (named FCDK, 219.08 Mb, 25,139 protein-coding genes) and a sexual strain (named FCSH, 153.09 Mb, 21,609 protein-coding genes), reannotated the genome of the parthenogenetic strain reported by Faddeeva-Vakhrusheva et al. in 2017 (named FCBL, 221.7 Mb, 25,980 protein-coding genes) and conducted comparative genomic analyses of the three strains. High genome similarities between FCDK and FCBL based on synteny, genome architecture, mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences suggest that they are conspecific. The seven chromosomes of FCDK are each 25%-54% larger than the corresponding chromosomes of FCSH, showing obvious repetitive element expansions and large-scale inversions and translocations but no whole-genome duplication. The strain-specific genes, expanded gene families and genes in nonsyntenic chromosomal regions identified in FCDK are highly related to the broader environmental adaptation of parthenogenetic strains. In addition, FCDK has fewer strain-specific microRNAs than FCSH, and their mitochondrial and nuclear genes have diverged greatly. In conclusion, FCDK/FCBL and FCSH have accumulated independent genetic changes and evolved into distinct species after 10 million years ago. Our work provides important genomic resources for studying the mechanisms of rapidly cryptic speciation and soil arthropod adaptation to soil ecosystems.

Two new species of Onychiuridae (Collembola) from East Siberia (Russia).

Two new species of Onychiuridae (Collembola) from Buryatia (Russia, East Siberia), Supraphorura chernovae sp. nov. and Thalassaphorura transbaikalica sp. nov., are herein described and illustrated. Supraphorura chernovae sp. nov. differs from its closest species, S. furcifera (Brner, 1901), by its dorsal pso formula as 32/022/23232, presence of 1 pso on the subcoxae 1 of all legs, and a larger set of vesicles on the PAO. Thalassaphorura transbaikalica sp. nov. is most similar to T. tibiotarsalis Sun, Chen & Deharveng, 2010 by the same dorsal pso formula (32/233/33343) and presence of 7 chaetae on the distal whorl of all tibiotarsi, but differs from the latter species specially by the presence of 1 pso on the subcoxa 1 of leg 1 (T. tibiotarsalis has 2 pso), number of vesicles on the PAO (1314 vs. 1718), number of chaetae on the subcoxa 1 of legs 13 (4, 4, 4 vs. 3, 3, 3), and ratio of the empodial appendage and claw (0.80.9 vs. 0.5). After our study there are now 47 recorded species of Onychiuridae recorded from East Siberia.

New and little-known Isotominae (Collembola, Isotomidae) from South Africa.

Three new species, Parisotoma ruseki sp. nov., P. yehlathi sp. nov., and Folsomotoma amyliuae sp. nov. are described from South Africa. Parisotoma ruseki sp. nov. is characterized by four posterior s-chaetae on each side of the three first abdominal segments and seven posterior chaetae on dens, Parisotoma yehlathi sp. nov. by five s-chaetae and eight chaetae on dens, respectively. All s-chaetae on the body of Folsomotoma amyliuae sp. nov. are short, unlike its congeners. The genera Folsomotoma and Halisotoma are recorded for the first time in South Africa.

New species of the genus Philotella Najt amp; Weiner, 1985 (Collembola, Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) from the Russian Far East.

Eight new species of the genus Philotella, i.e. P. pax sp. nov., P. oligotricha sp. nov., P. cedrina sp. nov., P. aliniensis sp. nov., P. amurica sp. nov., P. alba sp. nov., P. pallida sp. nov., and P. caeca sp. nov., are described based on extensive ecological samplings conducted by specialists of the Department of Zoology and Ecology, Moscow State Pedagogical University, in various parts of the Russian Far East. Three previously known species were transferred from the genus Micranurida to Philotella to become P. grana (Lee Kim, 1984) comb. nov., P. porcella (Fjellberg, 1985) comb. nov. and P. japonica (Tamura, 1998) comb. nov. The main diagnostic features of the genus and its differences from the most similar genera of the subfamily Pseudachorutinae are discussed, and a regional key for identifying the Eastern Palearctic species of the genus is given.

Mitogenome selection in the evolution of key ecological strategies in the ancient hexapod class Collembola.

A longstanding question in evolutionary biology is how natural selection and environmental pressures shape the mitochondrial genomic architectures of organisms. Mitochondria play a pivotal role in cellular respiration and aerobic metabolism, making their genomes functionally highly constrained. Evaluating selective pressures on mitochondrial genes can provide functional and ecological insights into the evolution of organisms. Collembola (springtails) are an ancient hexapod group that includes the oldest terrestrial arthropods in the fossil record, and that are closely associated with soil environments. Of interest is the diversity of habitat stratification preferences (life forms) exhibited by different species within the group. To understand whether signals of positive selection are linked to the evolution of life forms, we analysed 32 published Collembola mitogenomes in a phylomitogenomic framework. We found no evidence that signatures of selection are correlated with the evolution of novel life forms, but rather that mutations have accumulated as a function of time. Our results highlight the importance of nuclear-mitochondrial interactions in the evolution of collembolan life forms and that mitochondrial genomic data should be interpreted with caution, as complex selection signals may complicate evolutionary inferences.

A Multifield Study on Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate: A Reagent Able to Build a New Cycle on Diaminoimidazoles.

A new effective method for the synthesis of imidazo[1,5-b]pyridazines derivatives (yields = 68-89%) by the interaction of 1,2-diamino-4-phenylimidazole with DMAD, in methanol and in the presence of a catalytic amount of acetic acid, is proposed. The course of reaction has been examined by classical organic methods, HPLC-MS analysis, and quantum-chemical calculations.

A new blind genus of Anurophorinae (Collembola: Isotomidae) with seven anal spines from Northwest China.

A new genus and species of Anurophorinae, Heptacanthella yinae gen. et sp. nov., is described from Xinjiang Province, Northwest China. The new genus has four spines on Abd. V in p1 and p2 position and three spines on Abd. VI in m0 and m1 position, seven anal spines in all distally on the abdomen. It can be distinguished from other spined genera of the subfamily by the position and number of the anal spines. A comparison of spinal armament of last abdominal segments in 13 genera of Anurophorinae is made here. Heptacanthella yinae gen. et sp. nov. is also characterised by the absence of eyes, pigment, furca and retinaculum, presence of reticulated cuticle and an s-formula of 33/22224 (s) and 10/001 (ms). The value of anal spines in taxonomy of Isotomidae is discussed.

Drivers of Collembola assemblages along an altitudinal gradient in northeast China.

Altitudinal changes in the diversity of plants and animals have been well documented; however, soil animals received little attention in this context and it is unclear whether their diversity follows general altitudinal distribution patterns. Changbai Mountain is one of few well-conserved mountain regions comprising natural ecosystems on the Eurasian continent. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and community composition of Collembola along ten altitudinal sites representing five vegetation types from forest to alpine tundra. Among 7834 Collembola individuals, 84 morphospecies were identified. Species richness varied marginally significant with altitude and generally followed a unimodal relationship with altitude. By contrast, the density of Collembola did not change in a consistent way with altitude. Collembola communities changed gradually with altitude, with local habitat-related factors (soil and litter carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, litter carbon content, and soil pH) and climatic variables (precipitation seasonality) identified as major drivers of changes in Collembola community composition. Notably, local habitat-related factors explained more variation in Collembola assemblages than climatic variables. The results suggest that local habitat-related factors including precipitation and temperature are the main drivers of changes in Collembola communities with altitude. Specifically, soil and litter carbon-to-nitrogen ratio correlated positively with Collembola communities at high altitudes, whereas soil pH correlated positively at low altitudes. This documents that altitudinal gradients provide unique opportunities for identifying factors driving the community composition of not only above- but also belowground invertebrates.

The genus Micranurida Börner, 1901 sensu Deharveng 1982 (Collembola, Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) in the fauna of the Russian Far East.

A review of the genus Micranurida from the East Palaearctic fauna is performed, with two new species described from the Russian Far East: Micranurida sectilis sp. nov. and Micranurida distincta sp. nov.

Two new «nosed¼ species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola: Neelidae) from Russia.

Two new species with forehead processes are described from the east of the European part and Western Siberia. Megalothorax processus sp. nov. has a long cuticular process extended at the tip. The cuticular process in M. roseus sp. nov. is formed by a group of four papillae. Two other species, M. potapovi Schneider, Porco & Deharveng, 2016 and M. sanctistephani Christian, 1998, with a "nose" in the frontal part of the head are known from the Far East of Russia and West Europe, respectively. The «noses¼ probably arise independently in the four species; their function is unclear. Apart from the form of the forehead processes M. processus sp. nov. differs from M. roseus sp. nov. by the shape of sensilla within sensory fields (flame-shaped vs. globular) and the absence of chaeta а0 (vs. present in M. roseus sp. nov.). Chaetotaxy of the frontal part of the head and abdomen is reduced in both species.

Sympatry of genetic lineages of Parisotomanotabilis s. l. (Collembola, Isotomidae) in the East European Plain.

Parisotomanotabilis (Schaeffer, 1896) is one of the most abundant eurytopic species of springtails in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, and is often used as a model species for studies on the genetics of soil microarthropod populations. Six genetic lineages (L0, L1, L2, L3, L4-Saltzwedel, L4-Hebert) are known which are distributed mainly parapatrically in Western and Central Europe. Individuals of P.notabilis from 21 locations on the East European Plain were analyzed. Three genetic lineages were found: L1, L2, L4-Hebert. In contrast to Western and Central Europe, the coexistence of two or three lineages was revealed in about half of the locations on the East European Plain. The most diverse genetic composition of P.notabilis populations was noted in natural forests and slightly disturbed habitats, while the least diverse was in places with a high anthropogenic influence.

Taxonomy of the Proisotoma complex. VI. Rediscovery of the genus Bagnallella Salmon, 1951 and epitoky in Bagnallelladavidi (Barra, 2001), comb. nov. from South Africa.

The genus Bagnallella Salmon is restored and given a diagnosis. It takes an intermediate position between Proisotoma Börner and Cryptopygus Willem complexes and is characterized by the separation of the two last abdominal segments (like in Proisotoma) and 3 and 5 s-chaetae on the fourth and fifth abdominal segments (like in Cryptopygus and its allies). A list of and key to species belonging to Bagnallella is given. Bagnallellabiseta comb. nov., B.dubia comb. nov., B.sedecimoculata comb. nov., and B.tenella comb. nov. are commented and redescribed. Morphology of Bagnallelladavidi (Barra), comb. nov. is described from the specimens from South Africa. So far B.davidi appears to be a complex of forms differing in size of the furca and macrochaetae. Two types of strongly modified males were found and described. Antennae, ventral side of abdomen, posterior edge of abdominal tergites, and mandibles are affected with epitoky. The nature of the discovered strong polymorphism is unclear.

The extremely high diversity of Collembola in relict forests of Primorskii Krai of Russia.

BACKGROUND: The diversity of soil animals of relict forest ecosystems in East Asia continues to be insufficiently studied and almost not represented in international databases, including GBIF. This article is based on 7550 records of 175 species which were collected in Ussuriiskii, Sikhote-Alinskii and Kedrovaya Pad' natural reserves of Russian Far East in 2016-2017. A multi-scale sampling design allowed us to estimate population densities and local species richness of Collembola at areas of different sizes. The work continues the digitization of the collections of the Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPSU) and their publication through GBIF.org, which began in 2019. This article is based on original data including 2377 specimens of springtails from eight forests and 648 soil cores. NEW INFORMATION: Within the framework of modern taxonomy, this work represents the first publication of lists of Collembola species of forests of Primorsky Krai. The work focused on the relict protected cedar-deciduous forests. Nine species new to science were described and data on the fauna of the region were significantly revised. Considerable contribution was made to the biogeography of Collembola of East Asia. The design of the sampling allowed us to draw conclusions about the species saturation of springtails at various spatial scales within the habitat: from a few square cm to 100 sq. m. Number of species reached record high values reflecting the benchmark state of Collembola communities of undisturbed old temperate forest ecosystems.

A new species of Anurophorus (Collembola: Isotomidae) from South Korea, with notes on its molecular data.

A new species, Anurophorus hallaensis sp. nov. was collected from the withered leaves of Korean fir (Abies koreana Wilson), which is distributed at higher than 1,300 m in altitude on Mt. Hallasan (Jeju Island, South Korea). The morphology and two partial gene regions of this species are described herein. Anurophorus hallaensis sp. nov. showed the same formulas of macrochaetae and sensilla on thoracic segment II to abdominal segment IV as those exhibited by A. laricis Nicolet and A. palearcticus Potapov; however, this new species can be distinguished from them by the number of knobbed hairs on ventral side of legs. Partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and ribosomal DNA (28S rDNA) were used as DNA barcodes to distinguish between A. hallaensis sp. nov. and closely related congeners. The results of the present study indicate that the COI and rDNA are useful for species discrimination within the genus Anurophorus. An identification key to the Korean species of Anurophorus is provided.

New species and records of Entomobryidae and Orchesellidae (Collembola) from the East Caucasus (Russia).

We studied Entomobryidae and Orchesellidae springtails collected throughout Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan, Russia. Three new species of the genus Entomobrya (E. multisetis sp. nov., E. hirsutothorax sp. nov., and E. kremenitsai sp. nov.), and one of Entomobryoides (E. dagestanicus sp. nov.) are described. Taxonomic information for Entomobrya nicoleti (Lubbock, 1868), Willowsia potapovi Zhang et al., 2011, and Heteromurus nitidus (Templeton, 1836) in Templeton Westwood 1836 from the Caucasus are given.

New species and a new record of Entomobryinae (Collembola, Entomobryomorpha) from Amurskaya Region (the Far East of Russia).

The studied area (Far East of Russia) is very little investigated for the Entomobryidae family. A specific sampling in the area has made it possible to detect the presence of four and one new species of the genera Entomobrya and Willowsia respectively, which are herein described (E. amurica sp. nov., E. mediostriata sp. nov., E. umbroviolacea sp. nov., E. bicincta sp. nov. and W. babykinae sp. nov.) from the western part of the Far East of Russia. Homidia hjesanica is also recorded.

The complete mitochondrial genome of an enigmatic predaceous springtail Metisotoma macnamarai from northeast China.

The complete mitogenome of Metisotoma macnamarai (Folsom 1918) (Collembola, Isotomidae), a member of obligatory predaceous genus Metisotoma Maynard, 1951, was sequenced. It has a length of 15,177 bp, comprising 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs. The mitogenome has the following base composition: A = 37.1%, T = 33.3%, G = 11.8%, and C = 17.4%. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood (ML) indicates that M. macnamarai clusters as sister taxon to the genus Isotomurus, with high statistical support.

Vertagopus (Collembola, Isotomidae) of Iran and Caucasus.

The materials on the genus Vertagopus Börner from the Caucasus and Iran are revised. Two new species, V. persicus sp. nov. and V. nunataki sp. nov., are described and fauna of the genus in the Western Asia is commented.