Assessing coastal benthic macrofauna community condition using best professional judgement – Developing consensus across North America and Europe

Benthic indices are typically developed independently by habitat, making their incorporation into large geographic scale assessments potentially problematic because of scaling inequities. A potential solution is to establish common scaling using expert best professional judgment (BPJ). To test if experts from different geographies agree on condition assessment, sixteen experts from four regions in USA and Europe were provided species-abundance data for twelve sites per region. They ranked samples from best to worst condition and classified samples into four condition (quality) categories. Site rankings were highly correlated among experts, regardless of whether they were assessing samples from their home region. There was also good agreement on condition category, though agreement was better for samples at extremes of the disturbance gradient. The absence of regional bias suggests that expert judgment is a viable means for establishing a uniform scale to calibrate indices consistently across geographic regions

Diferentes fontes protéicas para a alimentação do jundiá (Rhamdia quelen) Different protein sources for jundiá (Rhamdia quelen) feeding

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o crescimento e a composição de filés de juvenis de jundiá (Rhamdia quelen) alimentados com diferentes fontes protéicas, durante 60 dias. Utilizaram-se 540 peixes (peso médio inicial=15,00&plusmn;0,62g, comprimento total inicial=11,98&plusmn;0,35cm) distribuídos ao acaso em 18 caixas de 280L (30 peixes/caixa) em sistema de recirculação de água. Testaram-se seis tratamentos (com três repetições): CL (farinha de carne e ossos + levedura), SL (farelo de soja + levedura), S (somente farelo de soja), CS (farinha de carne e ossos + farelo de soja), PL (farinha de peixe + levedura) e PS (farinha de peixe + farelo de soja). Foram estimados parâmetros de desempenho (peso, comprimento total, fator de condição, taxa de crescimento específico, taxa de eficiência protéica) aos 30 e 60 dias, composição centesimal e taxas de deposição de proteína e gordura nos filés ao final do experimento. Os parâmetros peso, comprimento total e taxa de crescimento específico foram superiores nos tratamentos compostos pela combinação das farinhas de origem animal (carne e ossos e peixe) com farelo de soja. A quantidade de gordura e proteína depositada no filé dos peixes também foi superior nestes tratamentos (CS e PS). Os rendimentos de carcaça e filé não diferiram entre os tratamentos. A combinação das farinhas de carne e ossos e de peixes com farelo de soja possibilita bom crescimento e maior deposição de proteína e gordura nos filés de juvenis de jundiá.<br>This study aimed at verifing the growth and fillet composition of jundiá juveniles (Rhamdia quelen) fed with different protein sources, for 60 days. It was used 540 fish (initial weight=15.00&plusmn;0.62g, initial length=11.98&plusmn;0.35cm) at random distributed in 18 tanks of 280L (30 fish/tank) in a water re-use system. 6 treatments were tested (with 3 repetitions): CL (meat and bone meal + yeast), SL (soybean meal + yeast), S (only soybean meal), CS (meat and bone meal + soybean meal), PL (fish meal + yeast) and PS (fish meal + soybean meal). They were dear development parameters (weight, total length, condition factor, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio) to the 30 and 60 days, centesimal composition and protein and fat deposition in the filets at the end of the experiment. The parameters weight, total length and specific growth rate were higher in the treatments composed by the combination of the feedstufs of animal origin (meat and bone and fish meal) with soybean meal. The fat and protein deposited in the filet of the fish was also higher in these treatments (CS and PS). The carcass and filet yeld didn’t differ among the treatments. This concluded that the combination of meat, and bone, and fish meal with soybean meal make good growth and higher protein and fat deposition in the filets of jundiá juveniles

Psoriatic arthritis screening tools: study design and methodologic challenges - reply from authors

No abstract available