64 research outputs found
Climate-induced environmental conditions influencing interannual variability of Mediterranean bluefin (Thunnus thynnus) larval growth
Daily growth variability of bluefin (Thunnus thynnus)
larvae sampled in their Balearic Sea spawning grounds
during the 2003–2005 spawning seasons was examined.
Multi-factorial ANOVA was applied to study
the effects of environmental variables, such as temperature
at 10 m depth (T10), microzooplankton dry
weight (MDW) and protein/dry weight ratio (PROT/
MDW) on larval growth. The 2003 bluefin tuna
(BFT) larval cohort showed the fastest growth, recognizable
from enhanced otolith and somatic mass increment
compared to the 2004–2005 larval cohorts. The
2003 BFT larvae showed greater recent growth than
the 2004–2005 BFT cohorts, which decreased in the
last stages of development. Growth differences
between the 2004 and 2005 larval cohorts were not
significant. The environmental conditions between
2003 and 2004–2005 were highly contrasting as a
result of the 2003 warming anomaly. Somatic and otolith
growth rates (OGR) were significantly related to
T10 and MDW, as well as to the PROT/MDW ratios.
Nonetheless, the effect of T10 on OGR depended on
the relative high (H) or low (L) levels of MDW and
PROT/DW. Higher OGR was observed when T10 was
high, MDW was low and PROT/DW was high. This
environmental scenario conditions were met during
2003, which recorded the highest surface temperature
and low planktonic biomass. Somatic growth,expressed as larval DW growth increase (DWGR),
showed three-factor significant interactions with
T10*MDW*PROT/MDW, in which the two-way
interactions of MDW*PROT/MDW showed differences
in the function of T10 levels.Postprin
Characterization of the plankton community composition in Málaga Bay (NW Alboran Sea) by means of integrative taxonomy.
The Alboran Sea is highly dynamic from a hydrographical point of view. Depending on the strength of the currents and the direction of the wind the surface coastal water masses can be either of Atlantic or Mediterranean origin. This variability affects both the phytoplankton and zooplankton components of the community inhabiting the Bay of Málaga. In addition, fish larvae distribution varies with the diel cycle, affecting zooplankton distribution in shallow waters. In order to provide a first insight into the variability of the planktonic community composition in the area during a 24 hour cycle, we applied an integrative approach combining morphological and molecular tools
Molecular characterization of the diet of the planktonic community in Málaga Bay (NW Alboran Sea)
The seasonal changes in structure and functioning of the pelagic trophic web in Málaga Bay (NW Alboran Sea) are related to the annual hydrological cycle. However, time series analyses have shown that the relationship between interannual hydrological variability and the plankton community composition is weak. This might be due to different human-induced pressures (nutrient pollution, coastal fisheries) acting on different compartments of the trophic web. The net effect of all these factors would depend on how the ecosystem channels changes in the composition and abundance of each trophic level. Interactions of phytoplankton-ciliates-zooplankton might have a central role in the regulation of the trophic web in Málaga Bay, although the trophic relations of the dominant groups remain still undefined. In order to identify the dominant trophic relationships we aimed to characterise the diet of key ichthyo- and mesozooplankton species in the field. Given that gut content preys (phyto- and microplankton) are fragile and not easy to identify visually, we developed species-specific molecular markers to detect their presence/absence within the predators gut
Dendritic cell deficiencies persist seven months after SARS-CoV-2 infection
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infection induces an exacerbated inflammation driven by innate immunity components. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the defense against viral infections, for instance plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), have the capacity to produce vast amounts of interferon-alpha (IFN-α). In COVID-19 there is a deficit in DC numbers and IFN-α production, which has been associated with disease severity. In this work, we described that in addition to the DC deficiency, several DC activation and homing markers were altered in acute COVID-19 patients, which were associated with multiple inflammatory markers. Remarkably, previously hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients remained with decreased numbers of CD1c+ myeloid DCs and pDCs seven months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, the expression of DC markers such as CD86 and CD4 were only restored in previously nonhospitalized patients, while no restoration of integrin β7 and indoleamine 2,3-dyoxigenase (IDO) levels were observed. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the immunological sequelae of COVID-19
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