Forensic reconstruction of Ictalurus punctatus invasion routes using on-line fishermen records

In this work, the presence of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the Portuguese section of the Guadiana drainage (Iberian Peninsula) is confirmed based on morphological and molecular species identification. The spatial and temporal dispersal of this non-native catfish was also reconstructed for the Guadiana drainage, based mostly on online fishermen records with minor contributions from the few scientific reports available. The obtained records (mainly from angling fora) span the period since the species\u27 first reported presence in Iberia (1980s) up to the present, and support a westward invasion pattern of non-native fish (NNF) reported for the Iberian fish invasion hotspot. The invasion pathway is driven mainly by natural dispersal downstream at a rate between 8 and 42 km per year. Yet, at least four introduction events within the Guadiana drainage can unambiguously be assigned to human translocations after the initial human-mediated introduction. The present study reinforces the usefulness and relevance of using validated on-line fishermen records, provides a more complete and updated distribution range of NNF species and enables assessment of their dispersal patterns. This is of particular importance because it allows near real-time monitoring of NNF dispersal, including first occurrences of NNF, at minimal cost

Metal-resistant rhizobacteria change soluble-exchangeable fraction in multi-metal-contaminated soil samples

There is a complex interaction between various components of the soil ecosystem, including microbial biomass and soil chemical contaminants such as heavy metals and radionuclides, which may greatly affect the efficiency of bioremediation techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate microbial capacity to change pH, changes in the metal soluble-exchangeable fraction, and effects of initial heavy metal contents on soil samples in microbial solubilization/immobilization capacity. The soil samples used in this study were collected at a known metal-contaminated site. Three highly metal-resistant bacteria were isolated from rhizosphere soil samples collected on weed species identified as Senecio brasiliensis, Senecio leptolobus, and Baccharis trimera. A completely randomized experimental design in a factorial arrangement was used, with three replicates. In general, with an acid pH, the isolates neutralized the contaminated growth media. In a neutral or basic initial pH, increases in pH were observed in the media, so these bacteria have an alkalizing effect on the growth media. Soluble metal contents were quite different and depend on the microbial species and heavy metal contents in the soil samples. The soluble-exchangeable fraction of metal such as Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ba may be unavailable after inoculation with heavy metalresistant rhizobacteria. A promising approach seems to be the application of inoculants with metal-resistant bacteria in bioremediation of multi-metal-polluted environments to improve the efficiency of this environmentally friendly technology

Electrochemical changes and nutrient dynamics in the solution of soil with rice irrigated with treated industrial leachate

A utilização de efluentes industriais tratados na irrigação do arroz por alagamento pode provocar alterações eletroquímicas e aumentar o teor de nutrientes na solução do solo. Para testar essa hipótese, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a dinâmica dos atributos químicos e eletroquímicos da solução do solo sob cultivo de arroz irrigado com lixiviado industrial tratado, contendo 820 mg L-1 de Na. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, utilizando-se como unidades experimentais vasos preenchidos com 20 kg de solo, em delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram: controle (irrigação com água destilada) e quatro proporções do lixiviado (25, 50, 75 e 100 %). As coletas de solução do solo foram feitas semanalmente a partir do quarto dia após o início do alagamento (DAA) até 84 DAA. A solução do solo foi amostrada na profundidade de 10 cm e analisada para os principais nutrientes e o Na, bem como para a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO5), relação de adsorção de sódio (RAS), condutividade elétrica (CE) e potencial redox (EH). A irrigação com o lixiviado aumentou os teores de K, Ca, Mg, S, P, N-NH+ 4, N-NO− 3 e Na, assim como os valores de RAS e CE, para valores considerados prejudiciais para as plantas. Foi observada diminuição do potencial redox na solução do solo pela irrigação com lixiviado industrial tratado. Os teores de DBO5 e o N-NH+ 4 diminuíram com o tempo de alagamento. Em proporções menores que 25 %, o lixiviado industrial tratado pode aumentar os teores de nutrientes em solução sem causar interferência do Na para as plantas.The use of treated industrial wastewater in flood irrigation of rice may cause electrochemical changes and increase the nutrient content in the soil solution. To test this hypothesis, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the dynamics of the chemical and electrochemical properties of the soil solution under flooded rice irrigated with treated industrial leachate containing 820 mg L-1 of Na. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using pots filled with 20 kg of soil in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments were control (irrigation with distilled water) and four ratios of the leachate (25, 50, 75, and 100 %). Samples of soil solution were taken weekly from the fourth day after the start of flooding (DAF) until 84 DAF, The soil solution was sampled by means of 50 mm diameter PVC collectors at 10 cm depth, and analyzed for key nutrients and Na, as well as for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electrical conductivity (EC), and redox potential (EH). Irrigation with leachate increased the levels of Ca, Mg, S, P, NH+ 4 -N, NO− 3-N and Na, as well as the values of the SAR and the value of EC, to levels considered harmful to plants. A decrease in EH was observed in the soil solution through irrigation with treated industrial leachate. The levels of BOD5 and NH+ 4 -N decreased with time of flooding. At proportions of less than 25 %, the treated industrial leachate can increase the levels of nutrients in the soil solution without Na reaching critical levels for plants

Virtual Immunology: Software for Teaching Basic Immunology

The authors of this publication are on ResearchGate and have made the full-text available on their profiles.Made available in DSpace on 2015-09-21T17:25:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license.txt: 1914 bytes, checksum: 7d48279ffeed55da8dfe2f8e81f3b81f (MD5) thais_faggioni_etal_IOC_2013.pdf: 582196 bytes, checksum: 0a9f2638aee82fa5b0f7eb39aa0548f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Comunicação Celular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Comunicação Celular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Comunicação Celular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Comunicação Celular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Comunicação Celular. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.As immunology continues to evolve, many educational methods have found difficulty in conveying the degree of complexity inherent in its basic principles. Today, the teaching–learning process in such areas has been improved with tools such as educational software. This article introduces “Virtual Immunology,” a software program available free of charge in Portuguese and English, which can be used by teachers and students in physiology, immunology, and cellular biology classes. We discuss the development of the initial two modules: “Organs and Lymphoid Tissues” and “Inflammation” and the use of interactive activities to provide microscopic and macroscopic understanding in immunology. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, were questioned along with university level professors about the quality of the software and intuitiveness of use, facility of navigation, and aesthetic organization using a Likert scale. An overwhelmingly satisfactory result was obtained with both students and immunology teachers. Programs such as “Virtual Immunology” are offering more interactive, multimedia approaches to complex scientific principles that increase student motivation, interest, and comprehension

Electrochemical changes and nutrient dynamics in the solution of soil with rice irrigated with treated industrial leachate

A utilização de efluentes industriais tratados na irrigação do arroz por alagamento pode provocar alterações eletroquímicas e aumentar o teor de nutrientes na solução do solo. Para testar essa hipótese, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a dinâmica dos atributos químicos e eletroquímicos da solução do solo sob cultivo de arroz irrigado com lixiviado industrial tratado, contendo 820 mg L-1 de Na. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, utilizando-se como unidades experimentais vasos preenchidos com 20 kg de solo, em delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram: controle (irrigação com água destilada) e quatro proporções do lixiviado (25, 50, 75 e 100 %). As coletas de solução do solo foram feitas semanalmente a partir do quarto dia após o início do alagamento (DAA) até 84 DAA. A solução do solo foi amostrada na profundidade de 10 cm e analisada para os principais nutrientes e o Na, bem como para a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio (DBO5), relação de adsorção de sódio (RAS), condutividade elétrica (CE) e potencial redox (EH). A irrigação com o lixiviado aumentou os teores de K, Ca, Mg, S, P, N-NH+ 4, N-NO− 3 e Na, assim como os valores de RAS e CE, para valores considerados prejudiciais para as plantas. Foi observada diminuição do potencial redox na solução do solo pela irrigação com lixiviado industrial tratado. Os teores de DBO5 e o N-NH+ 4 diminuíram com o tempo de alagamento. Em proporções menores que 25 %, o lixiviado industrial tratado pode aumentar os teores de nutrientes em solução sem causar interferência do Na para as plantas.The use of treated industrial wastewater in flood irrigation of rice may cause electrochemical changes and increase the nutrient content in the soil solution. To test this hypothesis, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the dynamics of the chemical and electrochemical properties of the soil solution under flooded rice irrigated with treated industrial leachate containing 820 mg L-1 of Na. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using pots filled with 20 kg of soil in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments were control (irrigation with distilled water) and four ratios of the leachate (25, 50, 75, and 100 %). Samples of soil solution were taken weekly from the fourth day after the start of flooding (DAF) until 84 DAF, The soil solution was sampled by means of 50 mm diameter PVC collectors at 10 cm depth, and analyzed for key nutrients and Na, as well as for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electrical conductivity (EC), and redox potential (EH). Irrigation with leachate increased the levels of Ca, Mg, S, P, NH+ 4 -N, NO− 3-N and Na, as well as the values of the SAR and the value of EC, to levels considered harmful to plants. A decrease in EH was observed in the soil solution through irrigation with treated industrial leachate. The levels of BOD5 and NH+ 4 -N decreased with time of flooding. At proportions of less than 25 %, the treated industrial leachate can increase the levels of nutrients in the soil solution without Na reaching critical levels for plants

Metal-resistant rhizobacteria change soluble-exchangeable fraction in multi-metal-contaminated soil samples

There is a complex interaction between various components of the soil ecosystem, including microbial biomass and soil chemical contaminants such as heavy metals and radionuclides, which may greatly affect the efficiency of bioremediation techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate microbial capacity to change pH, changes in the metal soluble-exchangeable fraction, and effects of initial heavy metal contents on soil samples in microbial solubilization/immobilization capacity. The soil samples used in this study were collected at a known metal-contaminated site. Three highly metal-resistant bacteria were isolated from rhizosphere soil samples collected on weed species identified as Senecio brasiliensis, Senecio leptolobus, and Baccharis trimera. A completely randomized experimental design in a factorial arrangement was used, with three replicates. In general, with an acid pH, the isolates neutralized the contaminated growth media. In a neutral or basic initial pH, increases in pH were observed in the media, so these bacteria have an alkalizing effect on the growth media. Soluble metal contents were quite different and depend on the microbial species and heavy metal contents in the soil samples. The soluble-exchangeable fraction of metal such as Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ba may be unavailable after inoculation with heavy metalresistant rhizobacteria. A promising approach seems to be the application of inoculants with metal-resistant bacteria in bioremediation of multi-metal-polluted environments to improve the efficiency of this environmentally friendly technology

A multi-taxa assessment of aquatic non-indigenous species introduced into Iberian freshwater and transitional waters

Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), leading to multi-faceted ecological, economic and health impacts worldwide. The Iberian Peninsula comprises an exceptionally biodiverse Mediterranean region with a high number of threatened and endemic aquatic species, most of them strongly impacted by biological invasions. Following a structured approach that combines a systematic review of available information and expert opinion, we provide a comprehensive and updated multi-taxa inventory of aquatic NIS (fungi, macroalgae, vascular plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) in Iberian inland waters. Moreover, we assess overall patterns in the establishment status, introduction pathways, native range and temporal introduction trends of listed NIS. In addition, we discuss the legal coverage provided by both national (Spanish and Portuguese) and European NIS regulations. We inventoried 326 aquatic NIS in Iberian inland waters, including 215 established, 96 with uncertain establishment status and 15 cryptogenic taxa. Invertebrates (54.6%) and vertebrates (24.5%) were the groups with the highest number of NIS, with Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Chordata being the most represented phyla. Recorded NIS originated from diverse geographic regions, with North and South America being the most frequent. Vertebrates and vascular plants were mostly introduced through intentional pathways (i.e. release and escape), whereas invertebrates and macroalgae arrived mostly through unintentional ways (i.e. contaminant or stowaway). Most of the recorded NIS were introduced in Iberian inland waters over the second half of the 20th century, with a high number of NIS introductions being reported in the 2000s. While only 8% of the recorded NIS appear in the European Union list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern, around 25% are listed in the Spanish and Portuguese NIS regulations. This study provides the most updated checklist of Iberian aquatic NIS, meeting the requirements set by the EU regulation and providing a baseline for the evaluation of its application. We point out the need for coordinated transnational strategies to properly tackle aquatic invasions across borders of the EU members