Environmental and anthropogenic drivers affect the abundance of anchovy and mysids in the Guadalquivir Estuary (SW Spain)

Natural drivers, acting at various spatio-temporal scales firstly determine the distribution and abundance of species. On top of this natural forcing we usually find anthropogenic effects. Disentangling the relative influence of these two sources of variability has always been a challenge in ecology, and particularly in fisheries science. The Guadalquivir Estuary (SW Spain) serves as nursery ground for several commercial species in the Gulf of Cadiz. This study aims at quantifying the relative influence of biological (predator-prey effects), environmental (e.g. temperature, winds) and anthropogenic (dam discharges) effects on this nursery function with the focus on an important species, anchovy. We used data from a monitoring programme consisting of monthly records since 1997 at two sites: Tarfia (32 km) and Bonanza (8 km) (distance from the river mouth). Nonparametric models (GAM) were fit to the data to estimate the partial effects of the various covariates. We found positive and linear effects of temperature and mysids on anchovy abundance in both stations, while turbidity, winds and freshwater input had a negative effect, reducing fish abundance. A dam, 110 km upstream from the Guadalquivir mouth regulates freshwater discharges, directly influencing the estuarine habitat quality and extent, as captured by our models. In order to separate the anthropogenic effects from natural variability we further ran the models on a number of scenarios combining a range of dam discharges and environmental conditions. Water management stands out as a key node where potentially conflicting interests (irrigators, electric power, shipping, aquaculture, fisheries) converge. By focussing on the consequences that the effects of these activities ultimately have on the anchovy fishery, through this nursery function, our study aims to contribute to the process of making the ecosystem approach operational in the Gulf of Cadiz

Delivery of antimicrobial peptides for the treatment of mycobacteriosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which resides inside macrophages, has always been recognized as one of the most “successful” pathogens. Standard treatments have already been used for decades and, therefore, resistances to the first-line medicines are increasing. Additionally, poor patient compliance with stringent therapies is often pointed out as a major reason leading to treatment failure. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), a promising new class of broad spectrum antibiotics, are less prone to result in pathogen resistances due to their target (cellular membranes) and rapid action. In our laboratory we search for AMPs with potent activity against mycobacteria and try to develop efficient delivery systems based on self-assembled colloidal nanocarriers. Additionally, this systems are expected to reduce peptide toxicity and enhance selective uptake on infected cells. Finally, the use of encapsulated drugs in mycobacterial therapy may help reducing drug administration schedules which would ultimately improve patient compliance

Feeding spectra and activity of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus kensleyi (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae) at La Plata basin

Background: In inland water systems, it is important to characterize the trophic links in order to identify the ‘trophic species’ and, from the studies of functional diversity, understand the dynamics of matter and energy in these environments. The aim of this study is to analyze the natural diet of Trichodactylus kensleyi of subtropical rainforest streams and corroborate the temporal variation in the trophic activity during day hours. Results: A total of 15 major taxonomic groups were recognized in gut contents. The index of relative importance identified the following main prey items in decreasing order of importance: vegetal remains, oligochaetes, chironomid larvae, and algae. A significant difference was found in the amount of full stomachs during day hours showing a less trophic activity at midday and afternoon. The index of relative importance values evidenced the consumption of different prey according to day moments. Results of the gut content indicate that T. kensleyi is an omnivorous crab like other trichodactylid species. Opportunistic behavior is revealed by the ingestion of organisms abundant in streams such as oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. The consumption of allochthonous plant debris shows the importance of this crab as shredder in subtropical streams. However, the effective assimilation of plant matter is yet unknown in trichodactylid crabs. Conclusions: This research provides knowledge that complements previous studies about trophic relationships of trichodactylid crabs and supported the importance of T. kensleyi in the transference of energy and matter from benthic community and riparian sources to superior trophic levels using both macro- and microfauna.Fil: Williner, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias; ArgentinaFil: de Azevedo Carvalho, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Collins, Pablo Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentin

Caracterização ecofisiológica de sorgo granífero inoculado por Azospirillum brasilense e submetido à restrição hídrica.

O sorgo é o quinto cereal mais produzido no mundo, cuja característica marcante consiste em maior tolerância à seca em relação a outras gramíneas. A inoculação de plantas por rizobactérias promotoras do crescimento pode remodelar seu sistema radicular, mitigando os efeitos do déficit hídrico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de inoculantes à base de Azospirillum brasilense na mitigação do estresse hídrico sob diferentes níveis de adubação nitrogenada. O experimento foi conduzido em condições controladas com o sorgo granífero BRS 332. As plantas foram submetidas a duas condições hídricas; dois diferentes inoculantes à base de A. brasilense, além do tratamento sem inoculação e, dois níveis de adubação nitrogenada. Foram avaliadas diferentes características ecofisiológicas e de produção. A inoculação com A. brasilense aumentou significativamente o sistema radicular, parte aérea e produção de grãos, especialmente em condição de baixa dose de nitrogênio, minimizando os efeitos da restrição hídric

Relação entre deficiência de vitamina D, Síndrome Metabólico e obesidade em mulheres

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Development of technologies to support the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancer to support the primary health care

54/2017). Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).Purpose: Primary Health Care (PHC) is the coordinator of health care in Brazil and needs to be strengthened in the diagnostic field to increase health care quality. Aiming to improve the diagnostic tools currently available in PHC, this work describes the process of development and validation of two point-of-care biomedical devices for screening patients with syphilis or different kinds of cancer. Methods: The development of these devices followed nine stages of action based on the requirements established by the Ministry of Health. During development, both systems followed the stages of circuit planning, software simulation to verify the components used, cost assessment for the acquisition of features, simulation in contact matrix, development of the embedded system, and planning of the printed circuit board and storage box. Results: Both devices underwent preliminary functionality tests to assess their quality. The performance tests applied on the device to diagnose syphilis performed 8,733,194 requests, with a flow of 2426 requests/second, reaching the desired parameters of robustness, integrity, durability, and stability. In addition, functioning tests on the cancer-screening device indicated the ability to detect standard fluorescence in a minimal (150 uL) sample volume. Conclusions: Together, the methodology used for developing the devices resulted in promising equipment to improve the diagnosis and meet the requirements for executing technologies for testing and triaging patients in PHC.publishersversionpublishe