Efecto de diferentes dietas sobre la regeneración tisular en "Dendrophyllia cornigera" (Lamarck, 1816)

[Resumen] Dendrophyllia cornigera (Lamarck, 1816) es una especie de coral escleractinio de agua fría que se encuentra a profundidades de (30-) 200-800 m. Al tratarse de una especie ahermatípica, la heterotrofía es su principal vía de captación de energía. Por otro lado, posee la capacidad de regenerar el tejido vivo que recubre su esqueleto. Esta capacidad es vital para la integridad y supervivencia de las colonias. En este trabajo, se estudió el efecto de diferentes tipos de dieta (Artemia salina adulta congelada, caballa, mejillón y pienso) sobre la capacidad de regeneración tisular en D. cornigera. Para ello, se puso en marcha una instalación acuariológica donde se dotó al material biológico de las condiciones necesarias para su mantenimiento. La capacidad de regeneración tisular se estudió mediante el cálculo de la Tasa de Regeneración Tisular (expresada en mm2/día), que mostró diferencias significativas entre los diferentes grupos de dieta (p=0.001). Por otro lado, se representó la Superficie Regenerada de cada tipo de dieta frente al tiempo transcurrido. Por último, se realizó un seguimiento fotográfico de las colonias para obtener un registro visual de la capacidad de regeneración tisular. Los resultados mostraron que la dieta compuesta de Artemia salina adulta congelada fue la que arrojó valores más elevados de Tasa de Regeneración Tisular, así como una recuperación de superficie más rápida que el resto de dietas. Este estudio supone un acercamiento a las técnicas que pueden ser empleadas para la recuperación de corales de agua fría en ambientes controlados.[Abstract] Dendrophyllia cornigera (Lamarck, 1816) is a scleractinian, cold-water coral species that can be found in depths from (30-) 200-800 m. As it is an ahermatipic species, heterotrophy is its main mechanism of energy intake. On the other hand, it has the capacity to regenerate the living tissue that covers its skeleton. This capacity is vital for the integrity and survival of the colonies. In this essay, the effect that different diets (frozen adult Artemia salina, mackerel, mussel and feed) could cause on the capacity of tissue regeneration in D. cornigera was studied. For that purpose, an aquariologic system was set up, where the biological material was provided with all the necessary conditions for its maintenance. The capacity of tissue regeneration was analyzed via Tissue Regeneration Rate (mm2/day), which showed significant differences between the different groups (p=0.001). Besides, Regenerated Surface of each diet group vs time was represented. Lastly, a photographic monitoring of the colonies was made to obtain a visual register of the capacity of tissue regeneration. The results showed that the diet consisted of frozen adult Artemia salina generated the highest values of Tissue Regeneration Rate, additionally to create the fastest regeneration of surface. This study means an approach to the techniques that can be used to recover cold-water corals in controlled environmentsTraballo fin de mestrado (UDC.CIE). Bioloxía mariña Curso 2014/201

Climate-induced changes in the suitable habitat of cold-water corals and commercially important deep-sea fishes in the North Atlantic

The deep sea plays a critical role in global climate regulation through uptake and storage of heat and carbon dioxide. However, this regulating service causes warming, acidification and deoxygenation of deep waters, leading to decreased food availability at the seafloor. These changes and their projections are likely to affect productivity, biodiversity and distributions of deep-sea fauna, thereby compromising key ecosystem services. Understanding how climate change can lead to shifts in deep-sea species distributions is critically important in developing management measures. We used environmental niche modelling along with the best available species occurrence data and environmental parameters to model habitat suitability for key cold-water coral and commercially important deep-sea fish species under present-day (1951–2000) environmental conditions and to project changes under severe, high emissions future (2081–2100) climate projections (RCP8.5 scenario) for the North Atlantic Ocean. Our models projected a decrease of 28%–100% in suitable habitat for cold-water corals and a shift in suitable habitat for deep-sea fishes of 2.0°–9.9° towards higher latitudes. The largest reductions in suitable habitat were projected for the scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa and the octocoral Paragorgia arborea, with declines of at least 79% and 99% respectively. We projected the expansion of suitable habitat by 2100 only for the fishes Helicolenus dactylopterus and Sebastes mentella (20%–30%), mostly through northern latitudinal range expansion. Our results projected limited climate refugia locations in the North Atlantic by 2100 for scleractinian corals (30%–42% of present-day suitable habitat), even smaller refugia locations for the octocorals Acanella arbuscula and Acanthogorgia armata (6%–14%), and almost no refugia for P. arborea. Our results emphasize the need to understand how anticipated climate change will affect the distribution of deep-sea species including commercially important fishes and foundation species, and highlight the importance of identifying and preserving climate refugia for a range of area-based planning and management tools.S

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Actas del V Congreso ISUF-H Costa Rica 2021: Ciudades espontáneas versus ciudades planificadas: distintos retos, distintas realidades

En el año 2021 celebramos en Costa Rica la V edición del Congreso ISUF-H, los días 1, 2 y 3 de diciembre, con la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Costa Rica como anfitriona del evento. El congreso “Ciudades espontáneas versus ciudades planificadas: distintos retos, distintas realidades” propuso como eje central una reflexión crítica sobre los procesos de urbanización planificada y urbanización espontánea, en el cual se fomente un abordaje de las ciudades como expresión de organización social, económica, ambiental y cultural, enfatizando el carácter ideológico de la urbanización y subrayando su continua construcción como resultado de construcciones complejas. La celebración de un nuevo congreso en América Latina, permitió reforzar la tradición crítica en el abordaje de las ciudades, y reforzar también la necesidad de plantear una perspectiva latinoamericana de los estudios urbanos, y por consiguiente de una teoría urbana latinoamericana. En esta ocasión el congreso se centró en ahondar en la temática de la forma urbana, desde perspectivas transversales que involucren las amplias disciplinas que asumen como objeto de discusión las problemáticas de la ciudad contemporánea y cuestionan la dicotomía planteada entre lo espontáneo y lo planificado. Para la Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Costa Rica y su Laboratorio de Ciudad y Territorio es un honor haber podido llevar a cabo esta nueva edición del congreso de la Asociación ISUF-H como segunda sede en un país latinoamericano. Relevante para fortalecer la temática de la forma urbana en la región, reforzando alianzas y estableciendo nuevas redes que permitan compartir conocimientos a partir de las experiencias de esas diversidades urbanas. Auspiciar el debate en torno a la morfología urbana y las diferencias entre esas ciudades espontáneas y las planificadas, fue una oportunidad para reunir a expertos de las distintas latitudes hispánicas.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ingeniería::Facultad de Ingeniería::Escuela de Arquitectur

The Value of a Deep-Sea Collection of the Azores (NE Atlantic Ocean): Marine invertebrate biodiversity in an era of global environmental change

The deep ocean is the largest and least explored biome with the highest richness of species and phylogenetic biodiversity on Earth. The high costs of using sophisticated technological means to access deep-sea ecosystems gives an inestimable value to specimens collected in these environments. Azorean scientists have long started collaborating with fishermen to collect deep-sea marine invertebrate fauna accidentally captured during fishing activities, thus obtaining deep-sea organisms opportunistically. Specimens have been stored and catalogued at the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries – University of the Azores’ Marine Biological Reference Collection (COLETA) since 2006. The collection has been continuously growing through oceanographic cruises and fisheries observer programs in the framework of several national and international collaborations. Currently, COLETA has 14367 specimens and samples corresponding to 10827 databased entries representing mostly corals (3415) and sponges (1941) of the deep sea (Fig. 1), for which data are available until 2012 (Institute of Marine Research (IMAR - Azores), Portugal and Department of Oceanography and Fisheries (DOP) - UAC, Portugal 2015). Specimens and associated metadata have contributed for the the taxonomy, population genetics and life history (age, growth, reproduction) of corals and other organisms. The homonym COLETA database, besides the taxonomic identification and photography of the specimen, has metadata including geographic location, depth, and the method of collection (e.g. survey, fishing). Thus, COLETA has also been instrumental in the mapping of distribution of biodiversity and vulnerable marine ecosystems such as coral gardens, sponge grounds, hidrarian gardens and sea pen fields in the Azores Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Efforts have been made to make COLETA compatible with other databases, such as the database of historical records of cold-water coral occurrences in the Azores (e.g. Prince Albert of Monaco Campaigns in the 19th century) and other fisheries databases, in order to maximize its potential to study trends in biodiversity loss related to climate change and fisheries impacts. Underwater images of live specimens from video surveys have also been cross-referenced with specimens stored at COLETA in an effort to join taxonomists and ecologists in the characterization of new habitats. Curated collections and datasets based on vouchered records, which can be continuously consulted, are essential to study deep-sea biodiversity. A continuously growing collection has also the potential of adding a time frame to the study of the impact of climate change, fishing and pollution on the deep-sea. In an era of biodiversity loss, COLETA represents a good example of where physical specimens and associated metadata databases can be combined to research and discover species, to achieve ecosystem conservation and guide marine spatial planning

Ecophysiology of Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata from Formigas seamount (Azores): the influence of different water masses

Water masses have been identified as potential important drivers of cold-water corals (CWC) distribution. It has been hypothesized that Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) driven the CWC colonization of North-East Atlantic after the last glacial period, promoting transport of coral larvae and fenerating suitable environmental conditions enhancing croal growth. Several seamounts inhabited by the CWC Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata are directly influenced by the MOW along its way west to Azores Islands. To advance in the exploration of the possible influence of MOW on the past and current distribution of Atlantic CWC, this study experimentally assessed the respiration rates of L. pertusa and M. oculata, under the influence of Mediterranean and Atlantic waters

Description and quantification of the deep-sea megabenthic communities in Ormonde seamount (Gorringe Bank, NE Atlantic) using video analysis

The Gorringe Bank is a seamounts complex located at the eastern tip of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary separating Eurasia and Africa. Despite its early discovery at the end of the XIX century, the knowledge of the benthic communities and other associated fauna is still very scarce in this region, particularly in the deep areas below 200 m. The Ormonde seamount is one of the two main summits of Gorringe Bank, which rises from 5000 m to 33 m depth. In this study, we characterised the deep-sea communities in the Ormonde seamount from 900 to 2000 m depth by analysing underwater videos recorded by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during the MEDWAVES survey (EU H2020 project ATLAS). We provided for the first time, detailed and quantitative information on species composition, densities, spatial distribution and state of conservation compared to other well studied seamounts. The surveyed areas were strongly dominated by sponges, but the presence of patches of cold-water corals were also notable and some other vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) were identified. Spatial patterns in the deep-sea communities were also analysed as a result of the different water masses that bathed the area, exhibiting higher biodiversity in the presence of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). Studies of deep-sea ecosystems not only improve our knowledge of the deep ocean but also are essential defining an appropriate management plan and conservation measures