Environmental characterization of the stagno longu of posada, sardinia: assessing the benthic community and ecological quality status

Os invertebrados macrobentónicos foram investigados em seis locais na Stagno Longu, uma lagoa costeira do nordeste da Sardenha (Itália), a fim de realizar a primeira caracterização ambiental de sua fauna bentónica. Apesar da lagoa pertencer à Rede Natura 2000, à lista da Convenção de Ramsar das zonas húmidas de importância internacional e de ter sido recentemente adicionada ao Programa Homem e Biosfera (MAB) da UNESCO, ainda falta um plano de gestão especifico, bem como programas de avaliação e monitorização ambiental. Em 2000, a Diretiva-Quadro da Água da União Europeia (DQA) estabeleceu uma estrutura jurídica para a proteção e melhoria de todas as massas de água europeias, através de uma abordagem holística baseada no ecossistema. A DQA exigiu que todos os Estados-Membros (EM) protegessem e melhorassem a qualidade em todas as suas massas de água e definiu como objetivo final alcançar pelo menos um “bom estado” até 2015 ou, o mais tardar, até 2027. A diretiva requer, de todos os EM, a avaliação do Estado da Qualidade Ecológica (EQS) para todas as massas de água. A composição e a abundância de macroinvertebrados bentónicos, além do seu papel central no funcionamento do ecossistema aquático, é um Elemento de Qualidade Biológica (BQE) amplamente utilizado na avaliação do estado da qualidade ecológica em águas costeiras e de transição. Muitos estudos descreveram como as biocenoses macrobentónicas respondem de forma relativamente rápida a perturbações de origem antropogénica. Deste modo, está bem documentado que atividades humanas que resultem na emissão de esgotos urbanos ou industriais, as atividades agrícolas e a destruição de habitats aumentam as concentrações de compostos orgânicos e de nutrientes, provocam alterações em todo o ecossistema e em particular nas comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos. Para cumprir a implementação da DQA e determinar a integridade biológica, houve necessidade de aplicar metodologias que incorporassem respostas bióticas através da avaliação de todos os processos, desde os indivíduos aos ecossistemas. Em particular, numerosos índices baseados nos macroinvertebrados foram desenvolvidos para avaliar o EQS em lagoas costeiras europeias. Através do recente exercício europeu de intercalibração, diferenças significativas na classificação do EQS entre os EM foram harmonizadas, comparando e ajustando os limites de “Bom estado ecológico” em grandes unidades geográficas com tipos semelhantes de massas de água. Para as águas de transição italianas no Mediterrâneo, os índices adotados foram derivados de AMBI multivariado (M-AMBI) (Muxika et al., 2007) e usados em conjunto com o Índice Biótico Marinho (AMBI). Estes índices dependem das características das comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos, como riqueza de espécies, diversidade de espécies, abundância e sensibilidade das espécies a perturbações antropogénicas. A estrutura taxonómica da comunidade bentónica de Stagno Longu foi caracterizada como típica de lagoas de água salobra com fauna de meios mesohalinos, comparável à de outras lagoas do Mediterrâneo. Apesar do pequeno tamanho e baixa profundidade média da lagoa, a sua comunidade bentónica era numericamente dominada por crustáceos, poliquetas e bivalves. Os taxa predominantes incluíram o poliqueta depositívoro Neanthes nubila, e organismos que se alimentam de detritos e restos de matéria orgânica à superfície do sedimento, de pequeno tamanho, como o poliqueta Streblospio sp. e os anfípodes Corophium ascherosicum, Gammarus sensibilis e Corophium sextonae. Os filtradores foram quase exclusivamente representados pelo bivalve Scrobicularia plana. O poliqueta depositívoro Neanthes nubila foi a espécie mais abundante na bacia norte (estações 1 e 2) durante as amostragens de inverno e verão. A comunidade desta bacia apresentou a menor abundancia e riqueza de espécies. A bacia oeste mostrou uma estrutura diferente da comunidade: durante o inverno, a parte interna (estacão 3) foi dominada por Scrobicularia plana, enquanto a parte externa (estacão 4) por Streblospio sp.. Durante o verão, Scrobicularia plana continuou a dominar toda a bacia, juntamente com Corophium. A bacia leste, a mais próxima do canal do mar, apresentou a maior abundancia e riqueza de espécies (estações 5 e 6) e caracterizou-se pela dominância do poliqueta Streblospio sp. e dos crustáceos Corophium ascherosicum, C. sextonae, Gammarus insensibilis e Cyathura carinata. Essas espécies são geralmente inteiramente marítimas, encontradas em estuários e águas costeiras (Levin, 2001), mas provavelmente colonizam também áreas lagunares que estão em contato imediato com o mar. Entre as variáveis espaciais e temporais medidas, a localização da bacia e a composição dos sedimentos foram os fatores que mais contribuíram para a estrutura e distribuição das comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos. Estas comunidades foram submetidas à variabilidade espacial das variáveis físicas da lagoa, sobretudo no nível de confinamento relacionado com a distância à entrada do mar. Os resultados da análise multivariada n-MDS, com base nas semelhanças da fauna betónica, confirmaram que a lagoa Stagno Longu é caracterizada por três comunidades distintas, altamente correlacionadas com sua localização na bacia. A composição dos sedimentos (das camadas superficiais e sub-superficiais) da entrada em direção à ligação marítima de cada bacia influenciou a composição e a estrutura da comunidade de macrofauna betónica ao longo da lagoa. A bacia norte, mais confinada, apresenta sedimentos com elevado conteúdo de finos (areia fina, silte e argila) e matéria orgânica, sendo a comunidade bentónica dominada por um elevado número de depositívoros de superfície (Neanthes nubila) e de espécies oportunistas como Streblospio sp. e Polydora hoplura. Indo em direção ao centro, a bacia oeste – composta por carbonato de cálcio (principalmente conchas de bivalves), cascalho e argila – mostrou-se dominada por filtradores; e a bacia leste, por sua vez, apresentou maior diversidade de depositivores de superfície e de sub-superfície e de filtradores, sendo composta principalmente por areia. Um facto interessante é a alteração sazonal da dominância dos poliquetas sobre os crustáceos, durante o inverno, para a relação inversa durante o verão. Além disso, as espécies de crustáceos (Corophium ascherosicum, Corophium sextonae e Melita palmata), mesmo que em pequeno número, estão entre as que mais contribuíram para distinções entre bacias, nas duas estações do ano. Quanto ao padrão espacial, foram obtidos valores mais altos do Índice de Diversidade de Shannon-Winner em estações próximas ao canal do mar (bacia leste e oeste) e valores mais baixos nas estações mais internas (bacia norte). Com base nos resultados de AMBI, todos as estações, tanto no inverno quanto no verão, foram classificadas como levemente perturbadas (BI-2), enquanto através da aplicação do M-AMBI se concluiu que o estado ecológico da maioria dos estações – tanto no inverno como no verão – era moderado exceto no estação 5, que apresentou um bom estado no inverno, mas moderado no verão; e na estação 6, que foi sempre classificada como tendo um bom estado ecológico. De particular interesse é o facto das estações na parte interna da lagoa apresentarem valores mais altos do valor do AMBI em comparação às externas, o que aponta para ambientes ligeiramente perturbados. Há que realçar que faltam os valores das condições de referência da lagoa, o que faz com que os resultados do M-AMBI devam ser avaliados com precaução, sendo necessário mais estudos para confirmar o estado ecológico da lagoa. Este estudo representa uma primeira caracterização ambiental e análise quantitativa de comunidades macrobentónicas e as relações com a composição de sedimentos no Stagno Longu da Posada. Foi demonstrado que as comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentónicos foram influenciadas por variações temporais e espaciais. Este trabalho fornece conhecimentos fundamentais sobre as características básicas da área acima mencionada, sobre a sua fauna betónica e o estado ecológico. Essas informações representam referências básicas para futuros programas de monitorização, que serão essenciais para garantir a gestão dos recursos hídricos e a implementação de outras ações politicas. No caso da lagoa costeira de Stagno Longu, este estudo oferece as informações necessárias para realizar com êxito pesquisas futuras, sobretudo com foco em programas de monitorização das condições ambientais, da hidrologia da área assim como das suas comunidades, o que permitirá uma gestão baseada nos ecossistemas, no uso sustentável de recursos e, por fim, promover a conservação e a proteção de modo eficaz, necessárias para melhorar a coerência entre os objetivos económicos, sociais e ambientais.Macrobenthic invertebrate assemblages were investigated at six sites in Stagno Longu, northeastern Sardinian costal lagoon (Italy), in order to perform the first environmental characterization of the benthic fauna and to assess the ecological quality status. Despite the fact that this coastal lagoon belongs to Nature2000 sites, Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance and recently was added to the Man and Biosphere program (MAB), it still lacks specific management plan as well as environmental assessment and monitoring programs. Benthic assemblages comprised 32 taxa, of which Streblospio sp., Neanthes nubila, Corophium ascherusicum and Scrobicularia plana contributed the most to the abundance. Multivariate analysis showed the role of seasonal variations (higher species richness during summer season and more abundance during winter), basin’s location and its relative location into the lagoon in influencing benthic assemblages composition. This study also explored the relationship between macrobenthos community and sediment composition which was found to influence abundance, diversity and richness of benthic assemblages. Sediments from the North basin of the lagoon was mostly muddy (rich in OC (organic matter content), H2O content and fine sands) presenting high numbers of sub-surface deposit feeders (Neanthes nubila); the West basin comprised calcium carbonate (CC) (mostly death hard-shell of Bivalvia), gravel and clay and, dominated by filter feeders, while the East basin was mainly composed by sand and showed higher diversity of surface, sub-surface deposit feeders and filter feeders. Recently, several indices have been proposed to be used as ecological indicators in estuarine and coastal waters. The ecological quality of the Stagno Longu was assessed using biotic indices AMBI and M-AMBI which revealed the lagoon to be in a moderate and moderate to good status, respectively. In conclusion, our results provide fundamental knowledge on the basic characteristics of the above-mentioned area, its benthic fauna and the current EQS. Altogether, those information represents basic references for further monitoring programs, which will be essential to ensure management of water resources and implementation of further policy action in order to improve the coherence between economic, societal and environmental goals

Variability of prey preferences and uptake of anthropogenic particles by juvenile white seabream in a coastal lagoon nursery ground

Marine plastic litter, originating from land-based sources, enters the marine environment by passing through coastal ecosystems such as lagoons and estuaries. As early life history stages (ELHS) of many commercially important fish species rely on these transitional areas as nursery grounds, we hypothesized that they encounter a spatial gradient of habitat quality and pollution from inner to outer parts of their vital environment. With sizes < 5 mm, anthropogenic particles (AP), among them microplastic (MP) fibers and fragments, entail a high bioavailability for ELHS of fish, potentially facilitating AP uptake at early developmental stages which may have implications for their survival and growth. This study provides a contextualization baseline between feeding preferences and uptake of AP by the white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) in an estuarine nursery ground on the southern coast of Portugal. Juvenile fish showed a generalized, omnivorous feeding mode with differences in trophic resource utilization between individuals collected at distinct seagrass meadows in the lagoon. A total of 23.13% of the fish (n = 147) were detected with AP in the gastrointestinal tract, and the mean number of AP per AP-feeding individual was 1.64 +/- 1.04, with anthropogenic fibers (n = 47) occurring more frequently than fragments (n = 9). Knowledge of the underlying factors for MP ingestion will be greatly enhanced by considering environmental conditions along with species-stage and life-stage specific feeding modes and prey preferences which shape the uptake probability of anthropogenic fibers and fragments.LA/P/0101/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Participant Reactions to Two-Way Immersion (TWI) Programs

The purpose of this study was to elicit participant reactions to two-way immersion (TWI) programs in the United States of America. A large number of recent studies have focused on instructor views and perspectives of two-way immersion programs, so this study aimed to gain insight from students who are, or who have, participated in TWI programs throughout North America. One hundred fifty-one TWI schools throughout the United States were contacted and asked to participate in this study. Two similar surveys were developed, one for current TWI students, and another for former TWI students. Students from these two groups were asked to fill out a confidential online survey that addressed specific linguistic skills, abilities, and preferences, as well as connection to the cultures of the target language. Forty-eight percent of the survey respondents were native speakers of English, and the remaining 52% were non-native speakers of English. The number of respondents to the former student survey was so low that the data were inconclusive, and, therefore, will not be included in this study. Since the survey was conducted online, the data were stored in a comma-delimited format for further evaluation. The data were then tallied and analyzed for common themes

Genetic determinants in a critical domain of ns5a correlate with hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients infected with hcv genotype 1b

HCV is an important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCV NS5A domain‐1 interacts with cellular proteins inducing pro‐oncogenic pathways. Thus, we explore genetic variations in NS5A domain‐1 and their association with HCC, by analyzing 188 NS5A sequences from HCV genotype‐1b infected DAA‐naïve cirrhotic patients: 34 with HCC and 154 without HCC. Specific NS5A mutations significantly correlate with HCC: S3T (8.8% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.01), T122M (8.8% vs. 0.0%, p &lt; 0.001), M133I (20.6% vs. 3.9%, p &lt; 0.001), and Q181E (11.8% vs. 0.6%, p &lt; 0.001). By multivariable analysis, the presence of &gt;1 of them independently correlates with HCC (OR (95%CI): 21.8 (5.7–82.3); p &lt; 0.001). Focusing on HCC‐group, the presence of these mutations correlates with higher viremia (median (IQR): 5.7 (5.4–6.2) log IU/mL vs. 5.3 (4.4–5.6) log IU/mL, p = 0.02) and lower ALT (35 (30–71) vs. 83 (48–108) U/L, p = 0.004), suggesting a role in enhancing viral fitness without affecting necroinflammation. Notably, these mutations reside in NS5A regions known to interact with cellular proteins crucial for cell‐cycle regulation (p53, p85‐PIK3, and β‐ catenin), and introduce additional phosphorylation sites, a phenomenon known to ameliorate NS5A interaction with cellular proteins. Overall, these results provide a focus for further investigations on molecular bases of HCV‐mediated oncogenesis. The role of these NS5A domain‐1 mutations in triggering pro‐oncogenic stimuli that can persist also despite achievement of sustained virological response deserves further investigation

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages

Germline <i>NUP98</i> Variants in Two Siblings with a Rothmund–Thomson-Like Spectrum: Protein Functional Changes Predicted by Molecular Modeling

Two adult siblings born to first-cousin parents presented a clinical phenotype reminiscent of Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS), implying fragile hair, absent eyelashes/eyebrows, bilateral cataracts, mottled pigmentation, dental decay, hypogonadism, and osteoporosis. As the clinical suspicion was not supported by the sequencing of RECQL4, the RTS2-causative gene, whole exome sequencing was applied and disclosed the homozygous variants c.83G>A (p.Gly28Asp) and c.2624A>C (p.Glu875Ala) in the nucleoporin 98 (NUP98) gene. Though both variants affect highly conserved amino acids, the c.83G>A looked more intriguing due to its higher pathogenicity score and location of the replaced amino acid between phenylalanine-glycine (FG) repeats within the first NUP98 intrinsically disordered region. Molecular modeling studies of the mutated NUP98 FG domain evidenced a dispersion of the intramolecular cohesion elements and a more elongated conformational state compared to the wild type. This different dynamic behavior may affect the NUP98 functions as the minor plasticity of the mutated FG domain undermines its role as a multi-docking station for RNA and proteins, and the impaired folding can lead to the weakening or the loss of specific interactions. The clinical overlap of NUP98-mutated and RTS2/RTS1 patients, accounted by converging dysregulated gene networks, supports this first-described constitutional NUP98 disorder, expanding the well-known role of NUP98 in cancer

Pan-European Study on the Prevalence of the Feline Leukaemia Virus Infection - Reported by the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD Europe)

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus associated with fatal disease in progressively infected cats. While testing/removal and vaccination led to a decreased prevalence of FeLV, recently, this decrease has reportedly stagnated in some countries. This study aimed to prospectively determine the prevalence of FeLV viraemia in cats taken to veterinary facilities in 32 European countries. FeLV viral RNA was semiquantitatively detected in saliva, using RT-qPCR as a measure of viraemia. Risk and protective factors were assessed using an online questionnaire to report geographic, demographic, husbandry, FeLV vaccination, and clinical data. The overall prevalence of FeLV viraemia in cats visiting a veterinary facility, of which 10.4% were shelter and rescue cats, was 2.3% (141/6005; 95% CI: 2.0%-2.8%) with the highest prevalences in Portugal, Hungary, and Italy/Malta (5.7%-8.8%). Using multivariate analysis, seven risk factors (Southern Europe, male intact, 1-6 years of age, indoor and outdoor or outdoor-only living, living in a group of ≥5 cats, illness), and three protective factors (Northern Europe, Western Europe, pedigree cats) were identified. Using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, the origin of cats in Europe, pedigree, and access to outdoors were important predictors of FeLV status. FeLV-infected sick cats shed more viral RNA than FeLV-infected healthy cats, and they suffered more frequently from anaemia, anorexia, and gingivitis/stomatitis than uninfected sick cats. Most cats had never been FeLV-vaccinated; vaccination rates were indirectly associated with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. In conclusion, we identified countries where FeLV was undetectable, demonstrating that the infection can be eradicated and highlighting those regions where awareness and prevention should be increased