Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a nematode parasite that causes eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Disease presents following the ingestion of third-stage larvae residing in the intermediate mollusk host and disease manifests as an acute inflammation of the meninges characterized by eosinophil infiltrates which release a battery of proinflammatory and cytotoxic agents in response to the...

Characterisations of the long–term behaviour of heart rate variability in humans have emerged in the last few years as promising candidates to became clinically significant tools. We present two different statistical analyses of long time recordings of the heart rate variation in the Eastern Oyster. The circulatory system of this marine mollusk has important anatomical and physiological dissimi...

We report an interesting process whereby the formation of nanoparticle assemblies on and nanoporosities within calcite crystals is directed by an intrinsically disordered C-RING mollusk shell nacre protein, AP7. Under mineralization conditions, AP7 forms protein phases that direct the nucleation of ordered calcite nanoparticles via a repetitive protein phase deposition process onto calcite crys...

Nerve block can eliminate spasms and chronic pain. Kilohertz frequency alternating current (KHFAC) produces a safe and reversible nerve block. However, KHFAC-induced nerve block is associated with an undesirable onset response. Optical inhibition using infrared (IR) laser light can produce nerve block without an onset response, but heats nerves. Combining KHFAC with IR inhibition [alternating c...

The gill withdrawal reflex of the marine mollusk, Ap&u californica, shows habituation and sensitization, two simple forms of learning. In order to extend the cellular studies on synaptic plasticity underlying the changes in the reflex behavior, and to explore further the development of synaptic plasticity during synapse formation, we have sought to establish the neural circuit of the gill withd...

The toxic profile of lawsone (2-hydroxy-[1,4]naphthoquinone) and a series of [1,4]naphthoquinone derivatives was evaluated against the brine shrimp Artemia salina and against the mollusk Biomphalaria glabrata, the main transmitting vector of schistosomiasis in Brazil. Of the seventeen compounds tested nine fell below the threshold of 100 microg/mL set for potential molluscicidal activity by the...

Members of the polychaete taxon Sabellariidae Johnston, 1865 are known to live in sand tubes cemented onto rocky substrata, mollusk shells, or sea grasses. Of 37 known Sabellaria species, only nine were reported for the Brazilian coast, in all cases being associated with aggregates of other species. The genus is considered cosmopolitan. Herein we describe for the first time an aggregate of sabe...

Microbial conversion behavior was investigated with several standard arsenicals. As typical origin of marine micro-organisms, sediments, macro-algae, mollusk intestine and suspended substances were used. The degradation of arsenobetaine was observed with every origin, suggesting the ubiquitous occurrence of arsenobetaine-decomposing microorganisms in marine environment. Especially, the microorg...

Variations in sea surface conditions and level through the Holocene Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea, were reconstructed based on study of core sediments from outer using modern analog technique applied to dinocysts addition diatoms, TOC, δ13Corg, CaCO3, grain size data. The chronostratigraphy was defined accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dates mollusk shells. results indicated an increase water dept...