Parâmetros sanguíneos da arraia de água doce Potamotrygon orbignyi Castelnau, 1855 (Potamotrygonidae) da Bacia do Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil.

A região Amazônica apresenta a maior diversidade de espécies de potamotrigonídeos, algumas com distribuição ampla como as arraias Paratrygon aiereba, Potamotrygon motoro e Potamotrygon orbignyi, sendo essa última encontrada nas bacias dos rios Amazonas, Orinoco e nos rios das Guianas e do Suriname. No Amazonas, as arraias de água doce são exploradas há mais de duas décadas pela pesca ornamental e, atualmente, cerca de 10.000 espécimes/ano são exportados. Deste total, 10% pertencem à espécie P. orbignyi, mesmo com participação aparentemente baixa, esta espécie é a mais valorizada entre todos os peixes ornamentais comercializados junto ao mercado internacional. A grande valorização de P. orbignyi se deve ao alto policromatismo, além da dificuldade de captura, uma vez que essa arraia vive associada às praias, margens de ilhas e igarapés de fundo arenoso e sem folhas. Embora a hematologia de peixes seja uma ferramenta biológica valiosa, o progresso no estabelecimento de parâmetros hematológicos das diversas espécies de peixes é lento e na literatura os dados são isolados e frequentemente incompletos, principalmente, no que se refere às arraias de água doce. Desta forma, este trabalho teve por objetivo descrever os parâmetros bioquímicos e hematológicos da arraia P. orbignyi

Relação peso-comprimento e fator de condição de Ancistrus hoplogenys Günther, 1864 (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) do Médio Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil.

As espécies de peixes do gênero Ancistrus possuem alto valor comercial no mercado de aquariofilia devido à aparência exótica e ao formato anatômico diferenciado do corpo. De acordo com o IBAMA, o Estado do Amazonas exportou legalmente, em 2007, 64.452 exemplares desse gênero. Atualmente, existem 59 espécies válidas de Ancistrus, sendo que A. hoplogenys se destaca pelo contraste das suas cores e pela grande abundância nas áreas de pesca do médio Rio Negro. Apesar da importância econômica, pouco se conhece sobre as características morfométricas desta espécie. A relação peso-comprimento é uma importante ferramenta na biologia e ecologia de peixes, fornecendo informações sobre seu peso e biomassa, permitindo comparações entre o crescimento de diferentes espécies ou populações diferentes de uma mesma espécie, tanto em ambiente natural como em cativeiro. Além disso, é um indicador quantitativo do bem estar do peixe, avaliado pelo fator de condição, que é obtido a partir dessa relação. Com base nessas informações, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a relação peso-comprimento e o fator de condição de A. hoplogenys em ambiente natural, visando contribuir com o conhecimento da morfometria e ecologia desta espécie, bem como estabelecer bases para comparações com outras espécies

Cross-sectional associations between air pollution and chronic bronchitis: an ESCAPE meta-analysis across five cohorts

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess associations of outdoor air pollution on prevalence of chronic bronchitis symptoms in adults in five cohort studies (Asthma-E3N, ECRHS, NSHD, SALIA, SAPALDIA) participating in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) project. METHODS: Annual average particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PMabsorbance, PMcoarse), NO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and road traffic measures modelled from ESCAPE measurement campaigns 2008-2011 were assigned to home address at most recent assessments (1998-2011). Symptoms examined were chronic bronchitis (cough and phlegm for ≥3 months of the year for ≥2 years), chronic cough (with/without phlegm) and chronic phlegm (with/without cough). Cohort-specific cross-sectional multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using common confounder sets (age, sex, smoking, interview season, education), followed by meta-analysis. RESULTS: 15 279 and 10 537 participants respectively were included in the main NO2 and PM analyses at assessments in 1998-2011. Overall, there were no statistically significant associations with any air pollutant or traffic exposure. Sensitivity analyses including in asthmatics only, females only or using back-extrapolated NO2 and PM10 for assessments in 1985-2002 (ECRHS, NSHD, SALIA, SAPALDIA) did not alter conclusions. In never-smokers, all associations were positive, but reached statistical significance only for chronic phlegm with PMcoarse OR 1.31 (1.05 to 1.64) per 5 µg/m(3) increase and PM10 with similar effect size. Sensitivity analyses of older cohorts showed increased risk of chronic cough with PM2.5abs (black carbon) exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Results do not show consistent associations between chronic bronchitis symptoms and current traffic-related air pollution in adult European populations

Galactic constraints on supernova progenitor models

Aims. To estimate the mean masses of oxygen and iron ejected per each type of supernovae (SNe) event from observations of the elemental abundance patterns in the Galactic disk and constrain the relevant SNe progenitor models. Methods. We undertake a statistical analysis of the radial abundance distributions in the Galactic disk within a theoretical framework for Galactic chemical evolution which incorporates the influence of spiral arms. This framework has been shown to recover the non-linear behaviour in radial gradients, the mean masses of oxygen and iron ejected during SNe explosions to be estimated, and constraints to be placed on SNe progenitor models. Results. (i) The mean mass of oxygen ejected per core-collapse SNe (CC SNe) event (which are concentrated within spiral arms) is similar to 0.27 M-circle dot; (ii) the mean mass of iron ejected by tardy Type Ia SNe (SNeIa, whose progenitors are older/longer-lived stars with ages greater than or similar to 100 Myr and up to several Gyr, which do not concentrate within spiral arms) is similar to 0.58 M-circle dot; (iii) the upper mass of iron ejected by prompt SNeIa (SNe whose progenitors are younger/shorter-lived stars with ages less than or similar to 100 Myr, which are concentrated within spiral arms) is <= 0.23 M-circle dot per event; (iv) the corresponding mean mass of iron produced by CC SNe is <= 0.04 M-circle dot per event; (v) short-lived SNe (core-collapse or prompt SNeIa) supply similar to 85% of the Galactic disk's iron. Conclusions. The inferred low mean mass of oxygen ejected per CC SNe event implies a low upper mass limit for the corresponding progenitors of similar to 23 M-circle dot, otherwise the Galactic disk would be overabundant in oxygen. This inference is the consequence of the non-linear dependence between the upper limit of the progenitor initial mass and the mean mass of oxygen ejected per CC SNe explosion. The low mean mass of iron ejected by prompt SNeIa, relative to the mass produced by tardy SNeIa (similar to 2.5 times lower), prejudices the idea that both sub-populations of SNeIa have the same physical nature. We suggest that, perhaps, prompt SNeIa are more akin to CC SNe, and discuss the implications of such a suggestion

Assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of l-arginine produced by fermentation using Corynebacterium&#160;glutamicum NITE SD 00285 for all animal species

l-Arginine is an amino acid that is conditionally essential for mammalian neonates, some strict carnivores, birds and fish. The subject of this opinion is a request for renewal of authorisation of l-arginine produced by a strain of Corynebacterium&nbsp;glutamicum. The strain designation has changed to its new deposition number, NITE SD 00285, but the strain is otherwise unchanged from the previous opinion. It is not genetically modified and possesses no antibiotic resistance of safety concern. Minor changes in downstream processing following fermentation have been made. The FEEDAP Panel&nbsp;notes that two out of five batches did not meet the specification of the current authorisation (minimum 98% on a dry matter basis). The FEEDAP Panel&nbsp;concludes that l-arginine produced by fermentation to C.&nbsp;glutamicum NITE SD 00285 remains safe for the target species, consumers of products from animals fed the additive and the environment under the approved conditions of authorisation. The additive is considered as irritant to skin, corrosive to eyes and poses a risk by inhalation

Safety and efficacy of l-lysine monohydrochloride and concentrated liquid l-lysine (base) produced by fermentation using Corynebacterium glutamicum strain KCCM 10227 for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel&nbsp;on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on l-lysine monohydrochloride and concentrated liquid l-lysine (base) produced using Corynebacterium glutamicum KCCM 10227 when used as nutritional additives in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The active substance is l-lysine. l-lysine HCl and concentrated liquid l-lysine (base) produced by the strain C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 10227 do not represent a risk for the target species, the consumer and the environment. l-lysine HCl produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 10227 is hazardous by inhalation, it is not irritant to skin but mildly irritant to eyes and it is not a skin sensitiser. Concentrated liquid l-lysine (base) produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 10227 is hazardous by inhalation, not irritant to skin and eyes and it is not a skin sensitiser. l-lysine HCl and concentrated liquid l-lysine (base) are considered as efficacious sources of the essential amino acid l-lysine for non-ruminant animal species. For the supplemental l-lysine to be as efficacious in ruminants as in non-ruminant species, it would require protection against degradation in the rumen

Safety and efficacy of l-tryptophan produced by fermentation with Corynebacterium&#160;glutamicum KCCM 80176 for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel&nbsp;on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on l-tryptophan produced by fermentation with a genetically modified strain of Corynebacterium&nbsp;glutamicum (KCCM 80176) when used as a nutritional additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. Viable cells of the production strain and its recombinant DNA were not detected in the additive. l-Tryptophan manufactured by fermentation using C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 does not give rise to any safety concern with regard to the genetic modification of the production strain. The use of l-tryptophan produced using C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 in supplementing feed to compensate for tryptophan deficiency in feedingstuffs is safe for non-ruminant target species and in ruminants when a rumen-protected form is used. The use of l-tryptophan produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 in animal nutrition presents no safety concerns to consumers of animal products. l-Tryptophan produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 is considered not toxic by inhalation, not irritant to skin or eyes and not a dermal sensitiser. l-Tryptophan produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 is safe for the environment. l-Tryptophan produced by C.&nbsp;glutamicum KCCM 80176 is regarded as an effective source of the amino acid l-tryptophan for all non-ruminant species. If l-tryptophan is intended for use in ruminants, it should be protected from ruminal degradation