Diet of Hyphessobrycon auca (Pisces, characidae) in Iberá Wetland (Northeastern, Argentina)

Hyphessobrycon auca Almirón, Casciotta, Bechara & Ruiz Díaz, 2004, inhabit small lakes located at the northwest of Iberá wetland in Argentina. This research describes sorne aspects of its feeding. Samples were collected from its type locality from 2007 to 2009. Analysis of 70 digestive tracts of individuals ranging from 24 to 56 mm standard length (SL) showed that higher plants, algae, and quironomids larvae dominated the diet in terms of relative volume and occurrence frequency. Therefore, this species was characterized as omnivorous, but there was a growing trend towards herbivory when size class incremed. Smaller size class (< 35 mm SL) fed on higher proportion of animal preys such as quironomids larvae and protozoans, in contrast to larger ones who consumed almost exclusively plants and algae

Análisis de la diversidad de peces en ambientes asociados al río Paraná en el área de la represa de Yacyretá

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la diversidad de la ictiofauna en el valle aluvial del río Paraná, entre las localidades de Ituzaingó y Puerto Abra, zona de influencia de la represa de Yacyretá (Argentina). Los datos incluyen el período 2004-2015. Las campañas se realizaron cada tres meses (cuatro por año), abarcando así todas las estaciones. Los peces fueron colectados empleando un equipo de pesca eléctrica. Se eligieron cuatro zonas de muestreos representativas del gradiente longitudinal del río. La diversidad alfa fue medida a través de los índices de Shannon-Wiener, el índice de diversidad verdadera de Jost, el índice de diversidad de Simpson y el índice de dominancia de Simpson, mientras que la diversidad beta se evaluó con el índice de Whittaker y el coeficiente de Jaccard. Además se realizó un análisis de correlación entre los valores de diversidad y la distancia de las zonas con respecto a la represa. Se identificaron 173 especies de peces distribuidas en 11 órdenes y 32 familias. La riqueza estimada para este tramo del río fue de 200 especies. La diversidad específica de las diferentes zonas, sus curvas de rango abundancia y las curvas de acumulación de especies tendieron a disminuir aguas abajo de la represa. Los índices de diversidad alfa utilizados arrojaron los valores más altos en la zona de Itá Ibaté, de posición intermedia a la represa. La diversidad beta fue moderada y similar entre ambientes. Los resultados sugieren diferencias en la estructura de la comunidad de peces en los ambientes del valle aluvial estudiado, que responden a cambios ambientales relacionados con el gradiente longitudinal desde Ituzaingó como punto más cercano a la represa, hasta Puerto Abra como punto más distante

Radiation dose reduction at a price: the effectiveness of a male gonadal shield during helical CT scans

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that 60 million computed tomography (CT) scans were performed during 2006, with approximately 11% of those performed on children age 0–15 years. Various types of gonadal shielding have been evaluated for reducing exposure to the gonads. The purpose of this study was to quantify the radiation dose reduction to the gonads and its effect on image quality when a wrap-around male pediatric gonad shield was used during CT scanning. This information is obtained to assist the attending radiologist in the decision to utilize such male gonadal shields in pediatric imaging practice. METHODS: The dose reduction to the gonads was measured for both direct radiation and for indirect scattered radiation from the abdomen. A 6 cm(3 )ion chamber (Model 10X5-6, Radcal Corporation, Monrovia, CA) was placed on a Humanoid real bone pelvic phantom at a position of the male gonads. When exposure measurements with shielding were made, a 1 mm lead wrap-around gonadal shield was placed around the ion chamber sensitive volume. RESULTS: The use of the shields reduced scatter dose to the gonads by a factor of about 2 with no appreciable loss of image quality. The shields reduced the direct beam dose by a factor of about 35 at the expense of extremely poor CT image quality due to severe streak artifacts. CONCLUSION: Images in the direct exposure case are not useful due to these severe artifacts and the difficulties in positioning these shields on patients in the scatter exposure case may not be warranted by the small absolute reduction in scatter dose unless it is expected that the patient will be subjected to numerous future CT scans

Two new species of Odontostilbe historically hidden under O. microcephala (Characiformes: Cheirodontinae)

Specimens historically identified as Odontostilbe microcephala from the upper rio Paraná and Andean piedmont tributaries of the río Paraguay are reviewed and split in three species. We found that the distribution of O. microcephala is restricted to the Andean slope of the río Paraguay basin. The species is distinguished from congeners with subterminal mouth by the elongate body, usually 10-12 gill rakers on upper branch and smaller horizontal orbital diameter (24.6-32.8 % HL, mean 28.7%). Specimens from upper rio Paraná constitute two new species, diagnosed from other Cheirodontinae by the presence of mesopterygoid teeth, grouped on median portion and forming a continuous row. The new species are distinguished from each other by having premaxillary teeth with five cusps vs. nine cusps and by the number of lamellae in left and right sides of central median raphe of olfactory rosette with 20-21 vs. 11-12.Espécimes historicamente identificados com Odontostilbe microcephala do rio Paraná e tributários do río Paraguay, foram revisados e separados em três espécies. A distribuição de O. microcephala é restrita ao sopé andino da bacia do río Paraguay. A espécie é distinta das congêneres com boca subterminal pela forma alongada, geralmente 10-12 rastros branquiais no ramo superior e menor diâmetro horizontal da órbita (24,6-32,8 % CC, média 28,7%). Espécimes do alto rio Paraná constituem duas espécies novas diagnosticadas de outros Cheirodontinae pela presença de dentes no mesopterigoide, agrupados em sua porção média e formando uma fileira continua. As novas espécies distinguem-se por ter dentes premaxilares com cinco cúspides vs. nove cúspides e pelo número de lamelas nos lados esquerdo e direito da rafe central da roseta olfativa com 20-21 vs. 11-12

Cichlid biogeography: comment and review

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72313/1/j.1467-2979.2004.00148.x.pd