Functional diversity of the macro‑invertebrate community in the port area of Kerkennah Islands (Tunisia)

The harbour area of Sidi Youssef in Kerkennah islands is characterized by specific anthropogenic pressures linked to fishing activities. To study the functional diversity of benthic macro invertebrates, 10 stations located around the port and along the ship canal were sampled by SCUBA diving. Collected invertebrates were identified, counted and preserved. For the functional organization of the community, the most common biodiversity indices and functional groups were assessed at each station, and main physical and chemical parameters were measured. Results showed that the main apparent anthropogenic stress, that could lead to negative impacts on the studied area, was related to dredging/harbour activities. Suspension feeders, consisting essentially of polychaetes, which may be disturbed by water turbidity, dominated the stations farthest from the port, where the intensity of harbour activities is obviously reduced. On the contrary, carnivores dominated inside the port, possibly benefiting from fish scraps discarded at the area, while stations close to the port appeared to be more balanced trophically. The applied biotic indices showed that the area is in good ecological status, except of the navigation channel and the port entrance, which were slightly degraded

Efectos de los procesos de ahumado sobre el valor nutricional y la composición de ácidos grasos de la lucioperca (Sander lucioperca)

This study aimed to estimate the nutritional quality of Sander lucioperca fillets and alterations in lipid quality following hot and cold smoking processes. Our results revealed that the total fat content of zander fillets was 1.86 g/100g. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were higher than saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in fresh tissue samples. Arachidonic, docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids were the most abundant PUFAs. Differences in the fatty acid compositions of the smoked and fresh fillet were significant, with a decrease in (PUFAs) in the proportion of total fatty acids. The fatty acid profile of the neutral lipids was unchanged after the cold smoking process, whereas PUFAs decreased significantly during both smoking processes, especially the hot smoking process. Our findings showed a partial alteration of polar lipids. Both smoking treatments produced lipoperoxidation and lipid oxidation in the fillets. Other investigational smoking conditions should be tested to reduce such oxidation and hydrolysis in fillets, which could be susceptible to off-flavors and off-odors.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo estimar la calidad nutricional de los filetes de lucioperca y las alteraciones en la calidad de los lípidos tras el proceso de ahumado en caliente y en frío. Nuestros resultados revelaron que el contenido total de grasa de los filetes de lucioperca fue de 1.86 g/100 g. Los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (PUFA) fueron más altos que los ácidos grasos saturados y monoinsaturados en muestras de tejido fresco. Los ácidos grasos araquidónico, docosahexaenoico y eicosapentaenoico fueron los PUFA más abundantes. Las diferencias en la composición de ácidos grasos del filete ahumado y fresco fueron significativas, con una disminución de la proporción (PUFA) en los ácidos grasos totales. El perfil de ácidos grasos de los lípidos neutros se mantuvo sin cambios en el proceso de ahumado en frío, mientras que los PUFA disminuyeron significativamente durante ambos procesos de ahumado, especialmente en el proceso de ahumado en caliente. Nuestros resultados mostraron una alteración parcial de los lípidos polares. Ambos tratamientos de ahumado indicaron lipo-peroxidación y oxidación de lípidos en los filetes. Otras condiciones de ahumado se deben probar en investigación para reducir dicha oxidación e hidrólisis en los filetes, que podrían ser responsables de sabores y olores desagradables

Composición bioquímica y potencial antioxidante del pepino del mar Mediterráneo comestible Holothuria tubulosa

The sea cucumber or holothurian is a marine species which has been prized in some Asian coun­tries for its nutritional qualities. The purpose of this work was to study the biochemical composition and free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities of Holothuria tubulosa tegument from the Bizerta lagoon in north­ern Tunisia. The obtained data demonstrated that the extract of sea cucumber teguments exhibited high bio­chemical levels (such as moisture 80.77%, protein 7.07%, lipids 10.21%, energy value 13.64 Kcal/g ww), and an important nutritional value (including n-3/n-6: 2.11, EPA+DHA: 20.96, AI: 1.38 and TI: 0.54). High anti­oxidant activities were recorded in the integument by the radical scavenging tests of ABTS and DPPH as well as by the total antioxidant capacity and the FRAP in comparison with the BHT standard. Our results showed that H. Tubulosa tegument has high nutritional value with high antioxidant activities and could be considered a nutraceutical product.El pepino de mar o la holoturia es una especie marina apreciada en algunos países asiáti­cos por sus cualidades nutricionales. El propósito de este trabajo fue estudiar la composición bioquímica y las actividades antioxidantes y de eliminación de radicales libres del tegumento de Holothuria tubulosa de la laguna de Bizerta, en el norte de Túnez. Los datos obtenidos demuestran que el extracto de tegumentos de pepino de mar mostró altos niveles bioquímicos (como humedad 80,77%, proteína 7,07%, lípidos 10,21%, valor energético 13,64 Kcal/gww) y un valor nutricional importante (incluyendo n-3/ n-6: 2,11, EPA+DHA: 20,96, AI: 1,38 y TI: 0,54). Se registraron altas actividades antioxidantes en el tegumento mediante las pruebas de eliminación de radicales de ABTS y DPPH, así como por la capacidad antioxidante total y el FRAP, y esto, en comparación con el estándar BHT. Nuestros resultados mostraron que el tegumento de H. Tubulosa tiene un valor nutricional importante con una alta actividad antioxidante y podría considerarse un producto nutracéutico

Long-term field and laboratory leaching tests of cemented radioactive wastes

Experiments with real and simulated radioactive cementitious wasteforms were set up to compare the leaching behaviour of cementitious wasteforms containing nuclear power plant operational waste in field and laboratory test conditions. Experiments revealed that the average annual Cs-137 leach rate in deionised water was about thirty-five times greater compared with the measured average value for the 1st year of the field test. Cumulative leached fraction of Cs-137 for 1st year (3.74%) was close to values reported in literature for similar laboratory experiments in deionised water, however more than two orders of magnitude higher than the 1st year leached fraction of Cs-137 in the repository test (0.01%). Therefore, to compare field and laboratory test results, a scaling factor is required in order to account for surface to volume factor difference, multiplied by a temperature factor and a leach rate decrease coefficient related to the ground water composition. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Efecto de procesos de ahumado frío y caliente y la adición de extracto polifenólico natural de Dunaliella salina sobre la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil de filetes de Sander lucioperca almacenados durante 90 días

The effects of cold and hot smoking and the addition of Dunaliella salina polyphenol extract on the biochemical quality and shelf-life of Sander lucioperca fillets after storage for 90 days at 0-4 °C were examined. The results showed a significant increase in protein, lipid, free fatty acid, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl contents, and a decrease in peroxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and volatile base nitrogen levels in cold (CSF) and hot (HSF) smoked fillets covered with or without extract and stored for 1, 20, and 90 days compared to fresh fillets (FF). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids exhibited a significant increase in FF and CSF and HSF covered with or without extract. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids revealed a significant decrease in FF and CSF and HSF with or without extract. Therefore, cold and hot smoking and polyphenol extract improved the biochemical quality and storage shelf-life of fillets for 90 days at 0-4 °C.Se examinaron los efectos del ahumado en frío y en caliente y la adición de extracto de polifenoles de Dunaliella salina sobre la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil de filetes de Sander lucioperca almacenados durante 90 días a 0-4 °C. Los resultados mostraron un aumento significativo en los contenidos de proteínas, lípidos, ácidos grasos libres y 1,1-difenil-2-picrilhidrazilo, y una disminución en las sustancias reactivas de peróxido y ácido tiobarbitúrico, y los niveles de nitrógeno básico volátil en frío (LCR) y caliente (HSF) de filetes ahumados cubiertos con o sin extracto y almacenados durante 1, 20 y 90 días en comparación con los filetes frescos (FF). Los ácidos grasos saturados y monoinsaturados exhibieron un aumento significativo en FF y LCR y HSF cubiertos con o sin extracto. Los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados totales revelaron una disminución significativa en FF y CSF y HSF con o sin extracto. Por lo tanto, el ahumado en frío y en caliente y el extracto de polifenoles mejoraron la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil durante el almacenamiento de los filetes durante 90 días a 0-4 °C

Cambios en la composición de los ácidos grasos y evaluación de la oxidación de lípidos y proteínas en almejas comerciales (Ruditapes decussatus) cocinadas

This study aimed to provide information about the changes in fatty acid composition and quality in Ruditapes decussatus tissue after four culinary treatments (steamed, baked, grilled and fried). All treated samples showed a significant decrease in moisture and protein. In contrast, a significant increase in fat content resulted from the grilled and fried treatments. Saturated fatty acid was significantly higher in fresh clams than all cooking processes, except in fried ones. Monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid varied significantly between fresh and cooked clams with high values recorded for fried clams. The n-3/n-6 ratio, peroxide index, EPA+DHA and atherogenicity index decreased significantly after the cooking processes particularly in fried clams. The mineral levels (Mg, Ca and Mn) of cooked clams decreased considerably with grilled and fried treatments. The impacts of cooking on the fatty acid composition and protein content in clam tissue was evaluated by lipid peroxidation (TBARS, PV, FFA, TOR) and protein oxidation (AOPP and PCO), which varied statistically in fried, steamed, grilled and baked samples; indicating alterations in cooked clam tissues structure. Based on our results, steaming is recommended for the preparation of clams because it preserves the most nutritional tissue quality.El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo proporcionar información innovadora sobre los cambios en la composición y calidad de los ácidos grasos presentes en el tejido de Ruditapes decussatus tras cuatro tratamientos culinarios distintos (vapor, horno, parrilla y fritura). Todas las muestras tratadas mostraron una disminución significativa en el contenido de humedad y proteínas. Por el contrario, los tratamientos a la parrilla y frito resultaron en un aumento significativo de la cantidad de grasa. El contenido en ácidos grasos saturados fue significativamente mayor en las almejas frescas comparado con todas las almejas cocinadas, a excepción de las fritas. Los ácidos grasos mono- y poliinsaturados variaron significativamente entre las almejas frescas y cocinadas, mostrando el valor más alto en las almejas fritas. La relación n-3/n-6, el índice de peróxidos, el contenido de EPA + DHA y el índice de aterogenicidad disminuyeron significativamente después de todos los procesos de cocción, especialmente en las almejas fritas. Los niveles de minerales (Mg, Ca y Mn) de las almejas cocinadas disminuyeron considerablemente tras los tratamientos a la parrilla y frito. El impacto del cocinado sobre la calidad de los ácidos grasos y las proteínas se evaluó mediante la medida de la peroxidación de lípidos (TBARS, PV, FFA, TOR) y la oxidación de proteínas (AOPP y PCO), valores que variaron significativamente en las muestras fritas, al vapor, a la parrilla y al horno, indicando una alteración de la estructura de los tejidos de la almeja cocinada. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, se recomienda la cocción al vapor para la preparación de las almejas, ya que es el tratamiento que mejor preserva calidad nutricional de los tejidos

Accelerated epigenetic aging and DNA methylation alterations in Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy

Berardinelli–Seip Congenital Lipodystrophy type 2 (CGL2) is a very rare human genetic disorder with potential significance to the understanding of the pathobiology of aging. CGL2 patients display characteristic progeroid features and suffer from type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver. In this study, we profiled genome-wide DNA methylation levels in CGL2 patients with BSCL2 mutations to study epigenetic age acceleration and DNA methylation alterations. This analysis revealed significant age acceleration in blood DNA of CGL2 patients using both first and second generation epigenetic clocks. We also observed a shortened lifespan of C. elegans following knockdown of the BSCL2 homolog seip-1 on a daf-16/Foxo mutant background. DNA methylation analysis revealed significant differentially methylated sites enriched for lyase activity, kinase regulator activity, protein kinase regulator activity, and kinase activator activity. We could also observe significant hypomethylation in the promoter of the Dual Specificity Phosphatase 22 (DUSP22) gene when comparing CGL2 patients vs controls. We conclude that in line with the observed progeroid features, CGL2 patients exhibit significant epigenetic age acceleration and DNA methylation alterations that might affect pathways/genes of potential relevance to the disease

Anthropogenic, Direct Pressures on Coastal Wetlands

Coastal wetlands, such as saltmarshes and mangroves that fringe transitional waters, deliver important ecosystem services that support human development. Coastal wetlands are complex social-ecological systems that occur at all latitudes, from polar regions to the tropics. This overview covers wetlands in five continents. The wetlands are of varying size, catchment size, human population and stages of economic development. Economic sectors and activities in and around the coastal wetlands and their catchments exert multiple, direct pressures. These pressures affect the state of the wetland environment, ecology and valuable ecosystem services. All the coastal wetlands were found to be affected in some ways, irrespective of the conservation status. The main economic sectors were agriculture, animal rearing including aquaculture, fisheries, tourism, urbanization, shipping, industrial development and mining. Specific human activities include land reclamation, damming, draining and water extraction, construction of ponds for aquaculture and salt extraction, construction of ports and marinas, dredging, discharge of effluents from urban and industrial areas and logging, in the case of mangroves, subsistence hunting and oil and gas extraction. The main pressures were loss of wetland habitat, changes in connectivity affecting hydrology and sedimentology, as well as contamination and pollution. These pressures lead to changes in environmental state, such as erosion, subsidence and hypoxia that threaten the sustainability of the wetlands. There are also changes in the state of the ecology, such as loss of saltmarsh plants and seagrasses, and mangrove trees, in tropical wetlands. Changes in the structure and function of the wetland ecosystems affect ecosystem services that are often underestimated. The loss of ecosystem services impacts human welfare as well as the regulation of climate change by coastal wetlands. These cumulative impacts and multi-stressors are further aggravated by indirect pressures, such as sea-level rise

Anthropogenic, Direct Pressures On Coastal Wetlands

Coastal wetlands, such as saltmarshes and mangroves that fringe transitional waters, deliver important ecosystem services that support human development. Coastal wetlands are complex social-ecological systems that occur at all latitudes, from polar regions to the tropics. This overview covers wetlands in five continents. The wetlands are of varying size, catchment size, human population and stages of economic development. Economic sectors and activities in and around the coastal wetlands and their catchments exert multiple, direct pressures. These pressures affect the state of the wetland environment, ecology and valuable ecosystem services. All the coastal wetlands were found to be affected in some ways, irrespective of the conservation status. The main economic sectors were agriculture, animal rearing including aquaculture, fisheries, tourism, urbanization, shipping, industrial development and mining. Specific human activities include land reclamation, damming, draining and water extraction, construction of ponds for aquaculture and salt extraction, construction of ports and marinas, dredging, discharge of effluents from urban and industrial areas and logging, in the case of mangroves, subsistence hunting and oil and gas extraction. The main pressures were loss of wetland habitat, changes in connectivity affecting hydrology and sedimentology, as well as contamination and pollution. These pressures lead to changes in environmental state, such as erosion, subsidence and hypoxia that threaten the sustainability of the wetlands. There are also changes in the state of the ecology, such as loss of saltmarsh plants and seagrasses, and mangrove trees, in tropical wetlands. Changes in the structure and function of the wetland ecosystems affect ecosystem services that are often underestimated. The loss of ecosystem services impacts human welfare as well as the regulation of climate change by coastal wetlands. These cumulative impacts and multi-stressors are further aggravated by indirect pressures, such as sea-level rise