Changes of fatty acid profiles in fillets of Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) during frozen storage

In this study changes in fatty acids profile during frozen storage at -18°C of Cobia (Rachycentron canadum), caught from the Persian Gulf (Bandar Abbas) were studied. Changes in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), EPA+DHA/C16, n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA (n-3/n-6) and polyunsaturated fatty acids /saturated fatty acids (PUFA/SFA) were investigated during a six- month storage at -18°C. Eighteen fatty acids were found in Cobia, with higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (46.07%), monounsaturated fatty acids (33.72%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (15.44%). The MUFAs and PUFAs reduced from 33.72 to 26.26% and 15.44 to 10.78%, respectively. Palmitic acid (C16:0, 27.42% of total fatty acids) and stearic acid (C18:0, 12.62%) were the dominant saturated fatty acids. The major unsaturated fatty acids were determined as docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n3, 5.76%), oleic acid (C18:1n9, 25.76%) and linoleic acid (C18:2n6, 4.38%). As a result of the frozen storage (up to 6 months), marked content decreases were found in fatty acid groups such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and n-3 polyunsaturated, as well as in the n-3/n-6 ratio and it means that the nutritional value of Cobia has decreased

The Molecular Signature More Than the Site of Localization Defines the Origin of the Malignancy

The diagnosis of the primary origin of metastases to the thyroid gland is not easy, in particular in case of concomitant lung adenocarcinoma which shares several immunophenotypical features. Although rare, these tumors should be completely characterized in order to set up specific therapies. This is the case of a 64-years-old woman referred to our institution for a very advanced neoplastic disease diagnosed both as poorly differentiated/anaplastic thyroid cancer (PDTC/ATC) for the huge involvement of the neck and concomitant lung adenocarcinoma (LA). Neither the clinical features and the imaging evaluation nor the tumor markers allowed a well-defined diagnosis. Moreover, the histologic features of the thyroid and lung biopsies confirmed the synchronous occurrence of two different tumors. The molecular analysis showed a c.34G>T (p.G12C) mutation in the codon 12 of K-RAS gene, in both tissues. Since, this mutation is highly prevalent in LA and virtually absent in PDTC/ATC the lung origin of the malignancy was assumed, and the patient was addressed to the correct therapeutic strategy

Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 13

This is the thirteenth of a series of miscellaneous contributions, by various authors, where hitherto unpublished data relevant to both the Med-Checklist and the Euro+Med (or Sisyphus) projects are presented. This instalment deals with the families Amaryllidaceae (incl. Alliaceae), Apocynaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Compositae, Crassulaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Gramineae, Hydrocharitaceae, Iridaceae, Labiatae, Liliaceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Myrtaceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Pittosporaceae, Primulaceae (incl. Myrsinaceae), Ranunculaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae and Umbelliferae. It includes new country and area records and taxonomic and distributional considerations for taxa in Allium, Anthemis, Atriplex, Centaurea, Chasmanthe, Chenopodium, Delphinium, Digitaria, Elodea, Erigeron, Eucalyptus, Hypecoum, Leptorhabdos, Luffa, Malvaviscus, Melia, Melica, Momordica, Nerium, Oxalis, Pastinaca, Phelipanche, Physalis, Pittosporum, Salvia, Scorzoneroides, Sedum, Sesleria, Silene, Spartina, Stipa, Tulipa and Ziziphus, new combinations in Cyanus, Lysimachia, Rhaponticoides and Thliphthisa, and the reassessment of a replacement name in Sempervivum

Ecological barriers mediate spatiotemporal shifts of bird communities at a continental scale

This study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant P2BEP3_195232) and by the Academy of Finland (project 323527 and project 329251).Species' range shifts and local extinctions caused by climate change lead to community composition changes. At large spatial scales, ecological barriers, such as biome boundaries, coastlines, and elevation, can influence a community's ability to shift in response to climate change. Yet, ecological barriers are rarely considered in climate change studies, potentially hindering predictions of biodiversity shifts. We used data from two consecutive European breeding bird atlases to calculate the geographic distance and direction between communities in the 1980s and their compositional best match in the 2010s and modeled their response to barriers. The ecological barriers affected both the distance and direction of bird community composition shifts, with coastlines and elevation having the strongest influence. Our results underscore the relevance of combining ecological barriers and community shift projections for identifying the forces hindering community adjustments under global change. Notably, due to (macro)ecological barriers, communities are not able to track their climatic niches, which may lead to drastic changes, and potential losses, in community compositions in the future.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The future distribution of wetland birds breeding in Europe validated against observed changes in distribution

Wetland bird species have been declining in population size worldwide as climate warming and land-use change affect their suitable habitats. We used species distribution models (SDMs) to predict changes in range dynamics for 64 non-passerine wetland birds breeding in Europe, including range size, position of centroid, and margins. We fitted the SDMs with data collected for the first European Breeding Bird Atlas and climate and land-use data to predict distributional changes over a century (the 1970s-2070s). The predicted annual changes were then compared to observed annual changes in range size and range centroid over a time period of 30 years using data from the second European Breeding Bird Atlas. Our models successfully predicted ca. 75% of the 64 bird species to contract their breeding range in the future, while the remaining species (mostly southerly breeding species) were predicted to expand their breeding ranges northward. The northern margins of southerly species and southern margins of northerly species, both, predicted to shift northward. Predicted changes in range size and shifts in range centroids were broadly positively associated with the observed changes, although some species deviated markedly from the predictions. The predicted average shift in core distributions was ca. 5 km yr(-1) towards the north (5% northeast, 45% north, and 40% northwest), compared to a slower observed average shift of ca. 3.9 km yr(-1). Predicted changes in range centroids were generally larger than observed changes, which suggests that bird distribution changes may lag behind environmental changes leading to 'climate debt'. We suggest that predictions of SDMs should be viewed as qualitative rather than quantitative outcomes, indicating that care should be taken concerning single species. Still, our results highlight the urgent need for management actions such as wetland creation and restoration to improve wetland birds' resilience to the expected environmental changes in the future