Neactaeonina argentina, new species, and family placement of the genus Neactaeonina thiele, 1912 (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Neactaeonina argentina, a new species from the outer Argentine shelf off Buenos Aires province, is described. The species is characterized by the elongate, low-spired shell, with shouldered, nearly straight whorls, deep suture, and sculpture composed of numerous, broad, flat spiral cords. The radula is similar to that previously described for the type species, Neactaeonina cingulata Thiele, 1912, except in having a greater number of teeth. The present study provides the first information on the anatomy and histology of the genital system, and details of the radula anatomy of Neactaeonina, both unknown to date. The study of anatomical characters demonstrates that Neactaeonina has clear similarities with other Acteonidae, with a combination of features present in Acteon (such as the presence of a strongly calcified shell, with well-developed operculum; mantle cavity opening anteriorly; nervous system with only the cerebropleural ganglia fused; a single allosperm sac associated with the female system; radula without cardinal tooth; and oral cuticle with rod-like processes); and some characters present in acteonid genera other than Acteon (e.g., the number and morphology of teeth, and processes of the oral cuticle). However, Neactaeonina shows some characters thus far not reported for any other genus currently placed into the Acteonidae: salivary glands with laminar structure, male genital system with an open portion, a single allosperm sac opening distally, and a flat and triangular copulatory organ.Fil:Zelaya, D.G. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina

Apple snail perivitellins, multifunctional egg proteins

Egg reserves of most gastropods are accumulated surrounding the fertilised oocyte as a perivitelline fluid (PVF). Its proteins, named perivitellins, play a central role in reproduction and development, though there is little information on their structural-functional features. Studies of mollusc perivitellins are limited to Pomacea. A proteomic study of the eggs of P. canaliculata identified over 59 proteins in the PVF, most of which are of unknown function, and have not been isolated and characterised. Information on molecular structure of the most abundant perivitellins of P. canaliculata have shown that they possess other functions besides being storage proteins, most remarkably in defence against predation and abiotic factors. They are a cocktail containing at least neurotoxic, antinutritive and antidigestive perivitellins, with others that may provide the eggs with a bright and conspicuous colour (aposematic signal). This review compiles the current knowledge of Pomacea perivitellins with emphasis on the novel physiological roles they play in the reproductive biology of these gastropods that have evolved the ability to lay their eggs above the water.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Apple snail perivitellins, multifunctional egg proteins

Egg reserves of most gastropods are accumulated surrounding the fertilised oocyte as a perivitelline fluid (PVF). Its proteins, named perivitellins, play a central role in reproduction and development, though there is little information on their structural-functional features. Studies of mollusc perivitellins are limited to Pomacea. A proteomic study of the eggs of P. canaliculata identified over 59 proteins in the PVF, most of which are of unknown function, and have not been isolated and characterised. Information on molecular structure of the most abundant perivitellins of P. canaliculata have shown that they possess other functions besides being storage proteins, most remarkably in defence against predation and abiotic factors. They are a cocktail containing at least neurotoxic, antinutritive and antidigestive perivitellins, with others that may provide the eggs with a bright and conspicuous colour (aposematic signal). This review compiles the current knowledge of Pomacea perivitellins with emphasis on the novel physiological roles they play in the reproductive biology of these gastropods that have evolved the ability to lay their eggs above the water.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Proteomas de huevos de ampuláridos con estrategias de oviposición aérea y sumergida

La familia Ampullariidae presenta dos estrategias de desove muy diferentes: dentro del agua en masas gelatinosas y fuera del agua en masas calcificadas y casi siempre coloreadas. Se ha postulado que la adquisición del desove fuera del agua representó un hecho clave en la historia evolutiva del grupo, pues las especies con esta estrategia reproductiva están más ampliamente distribuidas y tienen mayor número de especies; el origen evolutivo de dicha estrategia, sin embargo, no está claro pues los géneros que la comparten (Pila y Pomacea) estarían evolutivamente distantes. Los componentes del fluido perivitelino de los huevos, especialmente sus proteínas, han sido ampliamente estudiados y sus propiedades se han vinculado con la mencionada ventaja del desove fuera del agua. La mayoría de los estudios se han centrado en especies de Pomacea, que presenta proteínas que actúan a la vez como reserva nutricia y como defensa bioquímica. En contraste, nada se sabe acerca de los componentes de los huevos en los géneros con desove acuático, lo que impide contrastar las hipótesis mencionadas.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Dietary Fat Patterns and Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis in Spain

Background/Objective: Evidence from basic and clinical studies suggests that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) might be relevant mediators of the development of complications in acute pancreatitis (AP). Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes in patients with AP from regions in Spain with different patterns of dietary fat intake. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed with data from 1,655 patients with AP from a Spanish prospective cohort study and regional nutritional data from a Spanish cross-sectional study. Nutritional data considered in the study concern the total lipid consumption, detailing total saturated fatty acids, UFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) consumption derived from regional data and not from the patient prospective cohort. Two multivariable analysis models were used: (1) a model with the Charlson comorbidity index, sex, alcoholic etiology, and recurrent AP; (2) a model that included these variables plus obesity. Results: In multivariable analysis, patients from regions with high UFA intake had a significantly increased frequency of local complications, persistent organ failure (POF), mortality, and moderate-to-severe disease in the model without obesity and a higher frequency of POF in the model with obesity. Patients from regions with high MUFA intake had significantly more local complications and moderate-to-severe disease; this significance remained for moderate-to-severe disease when obesity was added to the model. Conclusions: Differences in dietary fat patterns could be associated with different outcomes in AP, and dietary fat patterns may be a pre-morbid factor that determines the severity of AP. UFAs, and particulary MUFAs, may influence the pathogenesis of the severity of AP

Proteomas de huevos de ampuláridos con estrategias de oviposición aérea y sumergida

La familia Ampullariidae presenta dos estrategias de desove muy diferentes: dentro del agua en masas gelatinosas y fuera del agua en masas calcificadas y casi siempre coloreadas. Se ha postulado que la adquisición del desove fuera del agua representó un hecho clave en la historia evolutiva del grupo, pues las especies con esta estrategia reproductiva están más ampliamente distribuidas y tienen mayor número de especies; el origen evolutivo de dicha estrategia, sin embargo, no está claro pues los géneros que la comparten (Pila y Pomacea) estarían evolutivamente distantes. Los componentes del fluido perivitelino de los huevos, especialmente sus proteínas, han sido ampliamente estudiados y sus propiedades se han vinculado con la mencionada ventaja del desove fuera del agua. La mayoría de los estudios se han centrado en especies de Pomacea, que presenta proteínas que actúan a la vez como reserva nutricia y como defensa bioquímica. En contraste, nada se sabe acerca de los componentes de los huevos en los géneros con desove acuático, lo que impide contrastar las hipótesis mencionadas.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Application of an offshore wind farm layout optimization methodology at Middelgrunden wind farm

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is freely available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.This article explores the application of a wind farm layout evaluation function and layout optimization framework to Middelgrunden wind farm in Denmark. This framework has been built considering the interests of wind farm developers in order to aid in the planning of future offshore wind farms using the UK Round 3 wind farms as a point of reference to calibrate the model. The present work applies the developed evaluation tool to estimate the cost, energy production, and the levelized cost of energy for the existing as-built layout at Middelgrunden wind farm; comparing these against the cost and energy production reported by the wind farm operator. From here, new layouts have then been designed using either a genetic algorithm or a particle swarm optimizer. This study has found that both optimization algorithms are capable of identifying layouts with reduced levelized cost of energy compared to the existing layout while still considering the specific conditions and constraints at this site and those typical of future projects. Reductions in levelized cost of energy such as this can result in significant savings over the lifetime of the project thereby highlighting the need for including new advanced methods to wind farm layout design.This work is funded in part by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) 699 and RCUK energy program for IDCORE (EP/J500847/1)

Apple snail perivitellins, multifunctional egg proteins

Egg reserves of most gastropods are accumulated surrounding the fertilised oocyte as a perivitelline fluid (PVF). Its proteins, named perivitellins, play a central role in reproduction and development, though there is little information on their structural-functional features. Studies of mollusc perivitellins are limited to Pomacea. A proteomic study of the eggs of P. canaliculata identified over 59 proteins in the PVF, most of which are of unknown function, and have not been isolated and characterised. Information on molecular structure of the most abundant perivitellins of P. canaliculata have shown that they possess other functions besides being storage proteins, most remarkably in defence against predation and abiotic factors. They are a cocktail containing at least neurotoxic, antinutritive and antidigestive perivitellins, with others that may provide the eggs with a bright and conspicuous colour (aposematic signal). This review compiles the current knowledge of Pomacea perivitellins with emphasis on the novel physiological roles they play in the reproductive biology of these gastropods that have evolved the ability to lay their eggs above the water.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

AmpuBase: a transcriptome database for eight species of apple snails (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae)

Gastropoda, with approximately 80,000 living species, is the largest class of Mollusca. Among gastropods, apple snails (family Ampullariidae) are globally distributed in tropical and subtropical freshwater ecosystems and many species are ecologically and economically important. Ampullariids exhibit various morphological and physiological adaptations to their respective habitats, which make them ideal candidates for studying adaptation, population divergence, speciation, and larger-scale patterns of diversity, including the biogeography of native and invasive populations. The limited availability of genomic data, however, hinders in-depth ecological and evolutionary studies of these non-model organisms.Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plat