The effects of nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis strain used as probiotic on Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) growth, gut microbiota, and transcriptional response.

The present research tested the effects of dietary nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis on growth performance, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, transcriptional response, and microbiota in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). A feeding trial was conducted with fish weighting 70-90 g. Fish were tagged with passive, integrated transponders and distributed in nine 500-L tanks with 40 fish each. Fish were fed for 12 weeks with either a control (diet A) or experimental diets (diets B and C) in triplicate (3 tanks/diet). Extruded pellets of diets B and C were supplemented with a low (2 x 109 CFU/kg) and a high (5 x 109 CFU/kg) dose of probiotic, respectively. No significant differences were found between groups for the feed conversion ratio or specific growth rates. However, the final body weight of fish fed diet C was significantly higher than the control group with intermediate values for fish fed diet B. Histological analysis conducted using a semi-quantitative scoring system showed that probiotic did not alter the morphology of the intestine and did not trigger inflammation. With regard to the transcriptomic response, a customized PCR array layout was designed to simultaneously profile a panel of 44 selected genes. Significant differences in the expression of key genes involved in innate and acquired immunity were detected between fish fed probiotic and control diets. To analyze the microbiota associated to the feeds and the gut autochthonous microbial communities, we used the Illumina MiSeq platform for sequencing the 16S rRNA gene and a metagenomics pipeline based on VSEARCH and RDP databases. The analysis of gut microbiota revealed a lack of colonization of the probiotic in the host\u2019s intestinal mucosa. However, probiotic did modulate the fish gut microbiota, confirming that colonization is not always necessary to induce host modification. In fact, diets B and C were enriched with Actinomycetales, as compared to diet A, which instead showed a higher percentage of Pseudomonas, Sphyngomonas, and Lactobacillus genera. These results were confirmed by the clear separation of gut bacterial community of fish fed with the probiotic from the bacterial community of control fish group in the beta-diversity and PLS-DA (supervised partial least-squares discriminant analysis) analyses

The signatures of Anthropocene defaunation: cascading effects of the seed dispersal collapse

Anthropogenic activity is driving population declines and extinctions of large-bodied, fruit-eating animals worldwide. Loss of these frugivores is expected to trigger negative cascading effects on plant populations if remnant species fail to replace the seed dispersal services provided by the extinct frugivores. A collapse of seed dispersal may not only affect plant demography (i.e., lack of recruitment), but should also supress gene flow via seed dispersal. Yet little empirical data still exist demonstrating the genetic consequences of defaunation for animal-dispersed plant species. Here, we first document a significant reduction of seed dispersal distances along a gradient of human-driven defaunation, with increasing loss of large- and medium-bodied frugivores. We then show that local plant neighbourhoods have higher genetic similarity and smaller effective population sizes when large seed dispersers become extinct (i.e., only small frugivores remain) or are even partially downgraded (i.e., medium-sized frugivores providing less efficient seed dispersal). Our results demonstrate that preservation of large frugivores is crucial to maintain functional seed dispersal services and their associated genetic imprints, a central conservation target. Early signals of reduced dispersal distances that accompany the Anthropogenic defaunation forecast multiple, cascading effects on plant populations

Associação entre comportamento alimentar, consumo de cigarro, drogas e episódios depressivos em adolescentes Association between eating behavior and smoking, use of illicit drugs and depressive episodes in adolescents

Objetivo Identificar a prevalência de sintomas de transtornos alimentares em estudantes do sexo feminino matriculadas no ensino fundamental da rede estadual do município de Toledo (PR), bem como relacionar esses sintomas com o hábito de fumar, o uso de drogas e episódios depressivos. Métodos Foram utilizados os instrumentos Teste de Investigação Bulímica de Edimburgo, com escala de sintoma e gravidade, e o Eating Attitudes Test-26, acrescido de perguntas sobre tabagismo, uso de drogas e episódios depressivos. A amostra constituiu-se de cerca de 300 estudantes do sexo feminino, na faixa etária entre 10 e 15 anos. Resultados Os resultados demonstraram que as estudantes apresentaram prevalências de sintomas de transtornos alimentares na ordem de 4,2% para a escala Teste de Investigação Bulímica de Edimburgo e 3,6% para o Eating Attitudes Test-26. A prevalência de consumo de cigarro foi de 4,2%, do uso de drogas, 4,9% e de episódios depressivos, 10,7%. Observaram-se associações significativas entre episódios depressivos e os seguintes parâmetros: Teste de Investigação Bulímica de Edimburgo - escala de sintomas (p=0,04) e Teste de Investigação Bulímica de Edimburgo - escala de gravidade (p=0,02). Os hábitos de fumar (p=0,01) e de usar drogas (p=0,04) também apresentaram associação com Teste de Investigação Bulímica de Edimburgo - escala de sintomas. Conclusão Verificou-se nas estudantes deste estudo elevada probabilidade de desenvolver comportamentos de risco, tais como transtornos alimentares e episódios depressivos.<br>Objective The goal of this study was to identify the prevalence of symptoms of eating disorders in female students enrolled in state elementary schools and investigate a possible association between these eating disorders and smoking, illicit drug use and depressive episodes. Methods The Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh with symptom and severity scales and the Eating Attitudes Test - 26 with additional questions on smoking, illicit drug use and depressive episodes were used. The sample consisted of roughly 300 female students aged 10 to 15 years. Results The results showed that 4.2% and 3.6% of the students presented symptoms of eating disorders according to the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh and Eating Attitudes Test - 26, respectively. The rates of smoking, illicit drug use and depressive episodes were 4.2%, 4.9% and 10.7%, respectively. Depressive episodes were significantly associated with the following parameters: Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh - symptom scale (p=0.04) and Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh - severity scale (p=0.02). Smoking (p=0.01) and illicit drug use (p=0.04) were also associated with the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh - symptom scale. Conclusion This study found that these students were at high risk of developing risky behaviors, such as eating disorders and depressive episodes