Identification of potential recruitment bottlenecks in larval stages of the giant fan mussel Pinna nobilis using specific quantitative PCR

Pinna nobilis is an endangered species of fan mussel found along coastal Mediterranean waters requiring special attention for conservation. Populations are restricted in number, due to anthropogenic disturbances, disease, and in some areas, low rates of recruitment. To date, the difficulties associated with the identification of planktonic stages have prompted the use of benthic collectors as a proxy for quantifying larval supply, despite important information being lost regarding planktonic processes. We present evidence of spawning utilizing a qPCR assay developed for detecting genomic DNA of P. nobilis to enable specific identification of planktonic stages to augment knowledge of P. nobilis life history. In the Ebro Delta, Spain, it has been used to study what might be limiting their reproduction locally. We demonstrate the ability to differentiate DNA of P. nobilis from other bivalve mollusks and distinguish between fertilized and unfertilized eggs of P. nobilis, which may be a crucial point for understanding the low level of recruitment seen in this natural population. We also show evidence of larval presence during the expected spawning period, although abundance in positive samples were so low that they pose new questions about factors controlling the availability of planktonic stages of P. nobilis.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Transformation of sheep milk into hard cheese and ricotta: Effect on fatty acid profile

The fatty acid (FA) profile of sheep milk fat distinguishes it both qualitative and quantitatively, among other reasons, because of the nutraceutical function of some FA present, such as conjugated linoleic acid isomers, rumenic acid and C18:2t10c12. The objective of this research was to determine whether heating sheep milk modifies the FA profile in the production of hard cheese and ricotta (R). Two independent experiments were designed: In Exp. 1, raw or pasteurized milk (LC) (LP) was transformed into hard cheese (QLC/QLP); In Exp. 2, R was obtained from raw milk. Samples of raw/pasteurized milk, R, and hard cheese were analyzed for FA profile by gas chromatography and expressed as g FA/100 g TFA. A multivariate descriptive analysis (Discriminant Analysis) and a separate (univariate) analysis were performed for each FA. For univariate analysis, the mean values of different FA for each treatment were analyzed by ANOVA with a 5% significance level, and when differences were significant, compared by Tukey test for Exp. 1 and Student t-test for Exp. 2. No significant differences in the mean FA profile were detected between treatments in both experiments. Thus, the heat treatment and cheese-making process applied to sheep milk did not alter the FA profile

Francés: Aprender desde el placer

Durante el transcurso del segundo cuatrimestre del ciclo lectivo 2011 se inició, en el Colegio Nacional, un período de análisis del Bloque Académico, una instancia de reflexión en el interior de cada departamento para luego compartir las experiencias con los restantes y poder generar un espacio de análisis institucional. Compartir y difundir las prácticas áulicas haciendo hincapié en los logros y revisando las debilidades, permitió promover una etapa de revisión de nuestras prácticas docentes y, también, de nuestras formas de evaluación. Cuando las autoridades de la institución nos convocaron para trabajar en la articulación de segundo y tercer años, nos propusimos reflexionar a nivel departamental con el fin de establecer cuáles eran las metas irrenunciables de segundo, cuál era el perfil de alumno que debería egresar del Bloque sabiendo que no existen los alumnos “ideales” sino alumnos “reales” que tendrían que alcanzar las metas propuestas por el profesor y acordadas conjuntamente con ellos. También procuramos identificar los intereses y las problemáticas de nuestros alumnos para poder lograr un punto de encuentro que permitiese el ingreso, la permanencia y el egreso significativo de todos ellos. Cabe aclarar que, para la mayoría de los alumnos, segundo año es el primer contacto que tienen con el idioma francés.Colegio Nacional "Rafael Hernández

Práticas seguras na assistência cirúrgica: uma reflexão teórica

Objective: Carry out a theoretical reflection on safe practices related to surgical care.Objetivo: Realizar uma reflexão teórica sobre as práticas seguras relacionadas à assistência cirúrgica

Práticas seguras na assistência cirúrgica: uma reflexão teórica

Objective: Carry out a theoretical reflection on safe practices related to surgical care.Objetivo: Realizar uma reflexão teórica sobre as práticas seguras relacionadas à assistência cirúrgica

Recruitment Disruption and the Role of Unaffected Populations for Potential Recovery After the Pinna nobilis Mass Mortality Event

A devastating mass mortality event (MME) very likely caused by the protozoan Haplosporidium pinnae first detected in 2016 in the Western Mediterranean Sea, is pushing the endemic bivalve Pinna nobilis to near extinction. Populations recovery, if possible, will rely on larval dispersal from unaffected sites and potential recolonization through recruitment of resistant juveniles. To assess the impact of the MME on the species’ larval recruitment, an unprecedented network of larval collector stations was implemented over several thousands of kilometers along the Western Mediterranean coasts during the 3 years after the onset of the MME. The findings of this network showed a generalized disruption in recruitment with dramatic consequences for the recovery of the species. However, there were exceptions to this pattern and recruits were recorded in a few sites where the resident population had been decimated. This hints to the importance of unaffected populations as larval exporting sources and the role of oceanographic currents in larval transport in the area, representing a beacon of hope in the current extremely worrying scenario for this emblematic species.En prens

Tracking a mass mortality outbreak of pen shell Pinna nobilis populations: A collaborative effort of scientists and citizens

A mass mortality event is devastating the populations of the endemic bivalve Pinna nobilis in the Mediterranean Sea from early autumn 2016. A newly described Haplosporidian endoparasite (Haplosporidium pinnae) is the most probable cause of this ecological catastrophe placing one of the largest bivalves of the world on the brink of extinction. As a pivotal step towards Pinna nobilis conservation, this contribution combines scientists and citizens’ data to address the fast- and vast-dispersion and prevalence outbreaks of the pathogen. Therefore, the potential role of currents on parasite expansion was addressed by means of drift simulations of virtual particles in a high-resolution regional currents model. A generalized additive model was implemented to test if environmental factors could modulate the infection of Pinna nobilis populations. The results strongly suggest that the parasite has probably dispersed regionally by surface currents, and that the disease expression seems to be closely related to temperatures above 13.5 °C and to a salinity range between 36.5–39.7 psu. The most likely spread of the disease along the Mediterranean basin associated with scattered survival spots and very few survivors (potentially resistant individuals), point to a challenging scenario for conservation of the emblematic Pinna nobilis, which will require fast and strategic management measures and should make use of the essential role citizen science projects can play.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adult spawning and early larval development of the endangered bivalve Pinna nobilis

[EN] The development of aquaculture activities has posed an alternative solution for the preservation of some overexploited shell¿sh ¿sheries worldwide. In the same way, endemic Mediterranean bivalves such as Pinna nobilis, highly threatened by habitat loss and coastal pollution, could found in aquaculture a solution for preserving the continuity of the species. Given the endangered status of the species, the biological and ecological processes regulating natural populations have been well studied, but there are still important knowledge gaps preventing the development of viable arti¿cial cultures. This study describes for the ¿rst time the larval development of P. nobilis (from fertilization until pediveliger larval stages) in captivity conditions. Moreover, di¿erent rearing tanks of 5, 16 and 80 L, larvae density from 1 to 600 larvae mL¿1, light conditions, food doses, were tested in order to establish the bases for the optimal rearing of the species and provide a source of individuals for restoring ¿eld populations. Results showed that 16 L tanks with a concentration of 2 larvae mL¿1, constant temperature of 21 °C, 12/12 h photoperiod and fed with an ¿optimal¿ mixture of 25 cells per ¿L of Chaetoceros calcitrans + 33.3 cells per¿L ofPavlova lutheri + 100 cells per¿L ofIsochrysis galbana¿ appear to be the best conditions to rearlarvae ofP. nobilis.Di¿erentcaptivity conditions such as loweror highertank volume, larvae density, or food doses; light privation did not report better results for larval development.The present study was financed by the Caisse d'Epargne Cote d'Azur. We are also grateful to the research crew of the Institut Oceanographique Paul Ricard and the Catholic University of Valencia for their technical support and help collecting and maintaining fan mussels. Special thanks to the reviewers for their constructive and necessary suggestions.Trigos, S.; Vicente, N.; Prado, P.; Espinos Gutierrez, FJ. (2018). Adult spawning and early larval development of the endangered bivalve Pinna nobilis. Aquaculture. 483:102-110. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2017.10.015S10211048

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients