Abnormal domination of gilt sardine (Sardinella aurita) in the middle shelf ichthyoplankton community of Gulf of Cádiz (SW Iberian Peninsula) in summer: related changes in the hydrologic structure and implications in the larval fish and mesozooplankton assemblages finded.

During the yearly ‘Ictio.Alborán-Cádiz’ (1994–1997) multidisciplinary oceanographic surveys, the eggs and larvae of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) are generally the dominant in the middle shelf ichthyoplankton community of the Gulf of Cádiz in summer. In the 1995 survey a notorius change have detected: the maximum localized abundance for ichthyoplanktonic components of gilt sardine (Sardinella aurita) have multiplied x 10 (eggs) and x 20 (larvae) the anchovy’s components. In this paper we discuss the observed changes in the hydrologic structure and in the larval fish and mesozooplankton assemblages (cluster analysis)

Correlation between BMI and motor coordination in children

Objectives: To analyze the association between motor coordination (MC) and body mass index (BMI) across childhood and early adolescence. Design: This study is cross-sectional. Methods: Data were collected in 7175 children (boys n = 3616, girls n = 3559), ages 6–14 years. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight [body mass (kg)/height (m2)]. Motor coordination was evaluated using Kiphard-Schilling’s body coordination test (KTK). Spearman’s rank correlation was used to study the association between BMI and MC. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in MC between children of normal weight, overweight and obese children. Results: Correlations between MC and BMI were negative and varied between 0.05 and 0.49. The highest negative correlations for both boys and girls was at 11 years of age. There was a general pattern of increasing negative correlations in both genders from 6 to 11 years of age and then a decrease in correlation strengths through 14 years of age. In both boys (χ2 (2) = 324.01; p < 0.001) and girls (χ2 (2) = 291.20; p < 0.001) there were significant differences in MC between the three groups’ weight status. Normal weight children of both sexes demonstrated significantly higher MC scores than overweight. Obese children in both sexes had the lowest MC scores among all three groups. Conclusion: Motor coordination demonstrated an inverse relationship with BMI across childhood and into early adolescence. The strength of the inverse relation increased during childhood, but decreased through early adolescence. Overweight and obese children of both sexes demonstrated significantly lower MC than normal weight children

Functionalized protein nanoemulsions by incorporation of chemically modified BSA

The incorporation of bioactive compounds in stealth nanoparticles or nanoemulsions enhances their half-life in systemic circulation and can overcome the problems associated with the free drug. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-drug conjugates were produced with either methotrexate (MTX), a potent anticancer agent, or vancomycin (VCM), a potent antibiotic. Those conjugates were used to produce functionalized BSA nanoemulsions in a formulation composed by aqueous phase and organic phase. BSA-Folic acid (FA) conjugates were also produced allowing specific folate receptor (FR) mediated targeting of cancer cells (KB cell line). All conjugates had similar effects either in solution or in the form of nanoemulsions: BSA-MTX as anti-proliferative over Caco-2 cell line and BSA-VCM as lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) comparatively to VCM solution on Staphylococcus aureus strain Newman. The production of nanoemulsions using BSA-drug conjugates for obtaining vectors loaded with stabilized drugs offers a good, flexible template for a wide range of medical applications.Ana Loureiro (SFRH/BD/81479/2011) holds a scholarship from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT). Goncalo J. L. Bernardes is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge and an Investigador FCT at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa. This work has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement NMP4-LA-2009-228827 NANOFOL. This work was supported by FEDER through POFC - COMPETE and by Portuguese funds from FCT through the project PEst-OE/BIA/UI4050/2014

Miliários inéditos da Geira (via XVIII do Itinerário de Antonino, Norte de Portugal) associados às milhas XXX e XXXI a «Bracara Augusta»

The route XVIII of the Antonine Itinerary or uia noua, setting back to the Flavian period, came forward as a new direct link between two capitals of the western territory of Hispania Citerior: Bracara Augusta and Asturica Augusta. One of the most impressive aspects related to this route, considering that it doesn’t have origin in Augustan times, is the large number of milestones associated, which catapults it to the forefront of those with the highest density of these epigraphic supports throughout the whole empire. This ar ticle presents two milestones attributable to the sons of Constantine, which were recovered, in the 1990s, at miles XXX and XXXI a Bracara Augusta, in the Gerês mountain range (Terras de Bouro, Braga, Portugal). A revision of the text of a third milestone attributable to Maximinus and Maximus and more recently recovered at the first of these miles is also made. A peculiar aspect of one of the unpublished milestones is the fact that it preserves traces of painting associated with the inscription. A complete epigraphic study is carried out, also attending the sense of these supports in the local landscape context.La uia noua o vía XVIII del Itinerario de Antonino tiene origen en época flavia y establece la conexión directa entre dos capitales del extremo de la Hispania citerior: Bracara Augusta y Asturica Augusta. Uno de los aspectos más impactantes en relación con esta vía, teniendo en cuenta que no tiene raíces en época de Augusto, es el gran número de miliarios que le están asociados, lo que la coloca entre las que poseen mayor densidad de estos soportes epigráficos en todo el imperio. Se estudian dos miliarios recuperados, en la década de 1990, en las millas XXX y XXXI a Bracara Augusta, ubicadas en la sierra de Gerês (Terras de Bouro, Braga, Portugal), atribuibles a los hijos de Constantino I, haciéndose asimismo la revisión de un tercero, de Maximino y Máximo, relativo a la primera de estas millas y de descubrimiento más reciente. Una particularidad de uno de estos miliarios inéditos es el hecho de que conserva restos de pintura asociada a la inscripción. Se hace el estudio epigráfico completo, también con enfoque al significado de estos soportes en el contexto paisajístico local

one-step extraction and separation of betalains and chlorophylls using thermoreversible aqueous biphasic systems

This work was partly developed within the scope of the projects CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, LA/P/0006/2020 and the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LA/P/0008/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Globally, up to 50% of root crops, fruits and vegetables produced is wasted. Beetroot stems and leaves fit into this scenario, with only a small fraction being used in cattle food. One way of approaching this problem is through their valorisation, by extracting and recovering valuable compounds present in this type of waste that could be used in other applications, while contributing towards a circular economy. In this work, a new integrated process using thermoreversible aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) composed of quaternary ammonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) and polypropyleneglycol 400 g mol−1 (PPG) is shown to allow the one-step extraction and separation of two pigment classes—betalains and chlorophylls—from red beet stems and leaves. The pigment extraction was carried out with a monophasic aqueous solution of the IL and PPG, whose phase separation was then achieved by a temperature switch, resulting in the simultaneous separation of chlorophylls and betalains into opposite phases. A central composite design was used to optimise the extraction parameters (time, temperature, and solid : liquid (S/L) ratio) of both pigment extraction yields, reaching at 20 °C, 70 min and a S/L ratio of 0.12 a maximum extraction yield of 6.67 wt% for betalains and 1.82 wt% for chlorophylls (per weight of biomass). Moreover, it is shown that aqueous solutions of ILs better stabilise betalains than the gold standard solvent used for the extraction method. Among the studied systems, the ABS comprising the IL N-ethyl-N-methyl-N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) bromide ([N21(2OH)(2OH)]Br) presented the best separation performance, with an extraction efficiency of 92% and 95% for chlorophylls and betalains, respectively, for opposite phases. The pigments were removed from the respective phases using affinity resins, with high recoveries: 96% for betalains and 98% for chlorophylls, further allowing the IL reuse. Finally, the cyto- and ecotoxicities of the quaternary ammonium-based ILs were determined. The obtained results disclosed low to negligible toxicity in the thousands of mg L−1 range, with [N21(2OH)(2OH)]Br being harmless from an ecotoxicological point of view. Overall, it is shown here that the developed process is an innovative approach for the one-step extraction and selective separation of pigments contributing to the valorisation of waste biomass.publishersversionpublishe

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Snapshot of viral infections in wild carnivores reveals ubiquity of parvovirus and susceptibility of Egyptian mongoose to feline panleukopenia virus

The exposure of wild carnivores to viral pathogens, with emphasis on parvovirus (CPV/FPLV), was assessed based on the molecular screening of tissue samples from 128 hunted or accidentally road-killed animals collected in Portugal from 2008 to 2011, including Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon, n = 99), red fox (Vulpes vulpes, n = 19), stone marten (Martes foina, n = 3), common genet (Genetta genetta, n = 3) and Eurasian badger (Meles meles, n = 4). A high prevalence of parvovirus DNA (63%) was detected among all surveyed species, particularly in mongooses (58%) and red foxes (79%), along with the presence of CPV/FPLV circulating antibodies that were identified in 90% of a subset of parvovirus-DNA positive samples. Most specimens were extensively autolysed, restricting macro and microscopic investigations for lesion evaluation. Whenever possible to examine, signs of active disease were not present, supporting the hypothesis that the parvovirus vp2 gene fragments detected by real-time PCR possibly correspond to viral DNA reminiscent from previous infections. The molecular characterization of viruses, based on the analysis of the complete or partial sequence of the vp2 gene, allowed typifying three viral strains of mongoose and four red fox’s as feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) and one stone marten’s as newCPV-2b type. The genetic similarity found between the FPLV viruses from free-ranging and captive wild species originated in Portugal and publicly available comparable sequences, suggests a closer genetic relatedness among FPLV circulating in Portugal. Although the clinical and epidemiological significance of infection could not be established, this study evidences that exposure of sympatric wild carnivores to parvovirus is common and geographically widespread, potentially carrying a risk to susceptible populations at the wildlife-domestic interface and to threatened species, such as the wildcat (Felis silvestris) and the critically endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus).publishe