Variabilidad morfológica y genética del pejerrey Odontesthes regia (Humboldt, 1821) en el mar peruano y su implicancia en la determinación de stocks

Publicación a texto completo no autorizada por el autorEvalúa la variabilidad morfológica y genética a nivel poblacional en el pejerrey a lo largo del mar como herramientas que permitan corroborar la existencia de uno o más stocks en el mar peruano. Para ello, primero se determina el número de individuos pertenecientes a cada subespecie en base a los caracteres morfológicos propuestos para su identificación, y asimismo con los marcadores COI y 16S. Luego el análisis poblacional se divide en dos componentes: morfológico y genético. El componente morfológico es evaluado mediante un análisis morfométrico multivariado tanto alométrico como de forma, el primero con 20 variables y el segundo con 11 variables, y además un análisis merístico multivariado con 5 variables. En cuanto al componente genético, se emplea 710 pb de la región control mitocondrial (D-loop) con 124 individuos. Como primer hallazgo, se determina que la categoría de subespecie es inadecuada y no aporta a la variabilidad morfológica o genética de la especie. El análisis morfológico permite detectar que la variabilidad morfológica es elevada y existen por lo menos tres grupos morfológicos diferentes. En tanto, el análisis genético evidencia una elevada diversidad genética con un patrón de disminución de sur a norte y una escasa estructuración genética entre localidades. Se concluye que la variabilidad morfológica y genética son elevadas en el mar peruano, sin embargo en base al marcador D-loop la población de pejerrey solo está compuesta por una unidad genética, la cual se contrasta con la existencia de por lo menos tres grupos morfológicos, por lo que se propone la existencia de tres stocks fenotípicos para el manejo de la pesquería del recurso.Tesi

Diversification of cephalic shield shape and antenna in phyllosoma I of slipper and spiny lobsters (Decapoda: Achelata)

Slipper (Scyllaridae) and spiny (Palinuridae) lobsters show a complex life cycle with a planktonic larval phase, named phyllosoma. This unique larval form within Achelata (Decapoda) is characterized by a transparent dorsoventrally compressed body and a pair of antennae. This conspicuous morphology has been attributed to adaptive specialization of planktonic life. Early studies suggest that phyllosoma morphology has remained constant over the evolutionary history of Achelata, while recent evidence points out large morphological changes and that diversification of phyllosoma larvae is a consequence of radiation and specialization processes to exploit different habitats. Given the ecological and evolutive significance of phyllosoma, we used shape variation of the first phyllosoma stage (phyllosoma I) and a time-calibrated phylogeny of extant Achelata to study how diversification of phyllosoma I shape occurred along with the evolutionary history of Achelata. Our results show a conserved phyllosoma I with a pear-shaped cephalic shield and large antennae in spiny lobsters and older groups of slipper lobsters, yet highly specialized phyllosoma I with wide rounded cephalic shield and short antennae in younger groups of slipper lobsters. Analyses revealed two bursts of lineage diversification in mid and late history without a slowdown in recent times. Both bursts preceded large bursts of morphological disparity. These results joined with the allopatric distribution of species and convergence of phyllosoma I shapes between largely divergent groups suggest that diversification involves nonadaptive radiation processes. However, the correlation of a major direction of shape with the maximum distribution depth of adults and the occurrence of the second burst of diversification post-extinction of competitors within Achelata presuppose some ecological opportunities that might have promoted lineage and morphological diversification, fitting to the characteristic components of adaptive radiations. Therefore, we conclude that diversification of Achelata presents a main signature of nonadaptive radiation with some components of adaptive radiation

The utility of B-type natriuretic peptide in the diagnosis of heart failure in the emergency department: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dyspnea is a common chief complaint in the emergency department (ED); differentiating heart failure (HF) from other causes can be challenging. Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) is a new diagnostic test for HF for use in dyspneic patients in the ED. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the accuracy of BNP in the emergency diagnosis of HF.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We searched MEDLINE (1975–2005) supplemented by reference tracking. We included studies that reported the sensitivity and specificity of BNP for diagnosing HF in ED patients with acute dyspnea. Two reviewers independently assessed study quality. We pooled sensitivities and specificities within five ranges of BNP cutoffs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten studies including 3,344 participants met inclusion criteria. Quality was variable; possible verification or selection bias was common. No studies eliminated patients with obvious medical causes of dyspnea. Most studies used the Triage BNP assay; all utilized a clinical reference standard. Pooled sensitivity and specificity at a BNP cutoff of 100–105 pg/ml were 90% and 74% with negative likelihood ratio (LR) of 0.14; pooled sensitivity was 81% with specificity of 90% at cutoffs between 300 and 400 pg/ml with positive LR of 7.6.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our analysis suggests that BNP has moderate accuracy in detecting HF in the ED. Our results suggest utilizing a BNP of less than 100 pg/ml to rule out HF and a BNP of greater than 400 pg/ml to diagnose HF. Many studies were of marginal quality, and all included patients with varying degrees of diagnostic uncertainty. Further studies focusing on patients with diagnostic uncertainty will clarify the real-world utility of BNP in the emergency management of dyspnea.</p

Turnover des assistants parlementaires à l’Assemblée nationale : comme dans une entreprise de services

Le collaborateur – ou assistant – parlementaire travaille dans l’ombre des députés à l’Assemblée nationale. Souvent mis sous pression, rares sont ceux qui en font leur carrière. À l’Assemblée, les collaborateurs vont et viennent au fil des mandats. En utilisant des données publiques, nous avons cherché à quantifier le renouvellement du personnel parmi les collaborateurs parlementaires et à caractériser les parlementaires selon le comportement qui ressort de leur mode de recrutement. (Premier paragraphe

Quatrefoil light traps for free-swimming stages of cymothoid parasitic isopods and seasonal variation in their species compositions in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan

Cymothoid parasitic isopods infest a wide range of fish of different taxa living in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Most research on the reproductive season of Cymothoidae has been done by collecting or monitoring host fish afflicted with cymothoid parasites. However, collecting ecological data on cymothoid species that infest non-commercial or endangered fishes is complex and challenging. We used a quatrefoil light trap to investigate the seasonal change in species composition of cymothoid free-swimming stages in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. We also collected preliminary data for efficient light-trap sampling and showed its effectiveness in cymothoid-related research. From October 2020 to December 2021, 613 cymothoid free-swimming stages were sampled monthly. All obtained individuals were identified as Mothocya parvostis (596), Ceratothoa verrucosa (12), and Ceratothoa carinata (5) by DNA barcoding using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Based on the number of M. parvostis mancae collected each month, M. parvostis was anticipated to reproduce from June to December, with two reproduction peaks each year, and C. verrucosa and C. carinata were expected to reproduce in June, July, and September, and September and October, respectively. In addition, free-swimming juveniles were captured, presumably after they had left their optional intermediate hosts. Furthermore, the most effective time to harvest cymothoids with light traps may be during high tide on the night of the new moon. This study serves as a methodological framework for future research on cymothoids using light traps

Multisource Sonification for Visual Substitution in an Auditory Memory Game: One, or Two Fingers?

Presented at the 17th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD2011), 20-23 June, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary.The See ColOr project aims at developing a mobility system for blind persons based on image color sonification. Within this project the present work addresses the optimal use of auditory-multi-touch interaction, and in particular the matter of the number of fingers needed for efficient exploration. To determine the actual significance of mono and multi-touch interaction onto the auditory feedback, a color matching memory game was implemented. Sounds of this game were generated by touching a tablet with one or two fingers. A group of 20 blindfolded users was tasked to find color matches into an image grid represented on the tablet by listening to their associated color-sound representation. Our results show that for an easy task aiming at matching few objects, the use of two fingers is moderately more efficient than the use of one finger. Whereas, against our intuition, this cannot be statistically confirmed in the case of similar tasks of increasing difficulty