Teucrium francoi M. Seq., Capelo, J.C. Costa & R. Jardim, a new species of Teicrium gr. scorodonia (Lamiaceae) from Madeira

The species formerly recognized as Teucrium scorodonia in Madeira is here described as new: Teucrium francoi M. Seq., Capelo, J.C. Costa & R. Jardim. Morphologically close to species of Teucrium gr. scorodonia [T. scorodonia L., T. pseudoscorodonia Desf., T. siculum (Raf.) Guss. and T. kotschyanum Poech], it exhibits, nonetheless, some distinct diagnostic characters. The indumentum density and type of hairs of T. francoi are clearly distinct from those of related species, as are the shape and dimensions of the leaves and bracts, calyx, and corolla, which are all taken as taxonomically significant diagnostic features. A diagnosis and a distribution map are presented for this new species. Morphology, ecology, biogeography, and conservation issues are discussed. Teucrium francoi, which is an endemic from Madeira (Portugal), is to be found mostly in the scope of the association Teucrio francoi– Origanetum virentis J.C. Costa, Capelo, Jardim, Sequeira, Lousã & Rivas-Martínez, but also occurs in somewhat humid habitats, such as open stands of Rosa mandonii Déségl. associated with small stream

Shark conservation hindered by lack of habitat protection

Many of the world's shark populations are in decline, indicating the need for improved conservation and management. Well managed and appropriately located marine parks and marine protected areas (MPAs) have potential to enhance shark conservation by restricting fisheries and protecting suitable habitat for threatened shark populations. Here, we used shark occurrence records collected by commercial fisheries to determine suitable habitat for pelagic sharks within the Australian continental Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and to quantify the amount of suitable habitat contained within existing MPAs. We developed generalised linear models using proportional occurrences of pelagic sharks for three families: Alopiidae (thresher), Carcharhinidae (requiem), and Lamnidae (mackerel) sharks. We also considered aggregated species from the Lamnidae and Carcharhinidae families ('combined sharks' in the models). Using a set of environmental predictors known to affect shark occurrence, including chlorophyll-a concentration, salinity, sea surface temperature, and turbidity, as well as geomorphological, geophysical, and sedimentary parameters, we found that models including sea surface temperature and turbidity were ranked highest in their ability to predict shark distributions. We used these results to predict geographic regions where habitat was most suitable for pelagic sharks within the Australian EEZ, and our results revealed that suitable habitat was limited in no-take zones within MPAs. For all shark groupings, suitable habitats were found mostly at locations exposed to fishing pressure, potentially increasing the vulnerability of the pelagic shark species considered. Our predictive models provide a foundation for future spatial planning and shark management, suggesting that strong fisheries management in addition to MPAs is necessary for pelagic shark conservation

Reproduction of the blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, in western Portugal: microscopic gonad analysis reveals indeterminate fecundity and skipped spawning patterns

Blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, is the fifth most landed fish species in mainland Portugal, but information on its reproductive biology is scarce. From September 2018 to August 2019, 626 specimens were collected from commercial vessels to clarify the reproductive strategy of the T. picturatus population off the west coast of Portugal. The proportion and length range of males and females were similar. Only three of the specimens collected were categorized as immature, indicating that the fish caught in the fishery are primarily mature. The spawning season lasted from late January until the end of March, with gonadosomatic indices being similar for males and females. Fecundity was indeterminate, and estimated batch fecundity ranged between 6,798 (at 25.4 cm TL) and 302,358 oocytes (at 33.8 cm TL). The low number of females showing direct evidence of imminent or recent spawning suggests a low number of spawning events. In addition, 12.7% of females were considered non-reproductive due to ovary abnormalities including parasitic infection by Kudoa species, atretic structures and skipped spawning events. This study highlights the importance of accounting for skipped spawning events and ovary abnormalities in the management of species fisheries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An integrated in vitro approach unveils the biocompetence and glutathiolomic profile of a human hepatocyte-like cell 3d model

Funding: This work was supported by FCT (Portugal) through the research grant PTDC/MED-TOX/29183/2017. Acknowledgments: The authors thank ECBio S.A. for providing the hnMSCs and F.A. Beland (NCTR, Jefferson, AR, USA) for the kind donation of nevirapine. FCT (UID/DTP/04138/2019, UID/QUI/00100/2019, RECI/QEQ-MED/0330/2012, SFRH/BD/144130/2019 to J.S.R., SFRH/BD/110945/2015 to P.F.P. and CEECIND/02001/2017 to A.M.M.A) are also acknowledged.The need for competent in vitro liver models for toxicological assessment persists. The differentiation of stem cells into hepatocyte-like cells (HLC) has been adopted due to its human origin and availability. Our aim was to study the usefulness of an in vitro 3D model of mesenchymal stem cell-derived HLCs. 3D spheroids (3D-HLC) or monolayer (2D-HLC) cultures of HLCs were treated with the hepatotoxic drug nevirapine (NVP) for 3 and 10 days followed by analyses of Phase I and II metabolites, biotransformation enzymes and drug transporters involved in NVP disposition. To ascertain the toxic effects of NVP and its major metabolites, the changes in the glutathione net flux were also investigated. Phase I enzymes were induced in both systems yielding all known correspondent NVP metabolites. However, 3D-HLCs showed higher biocompetence in producing Phase II NVP metabolites and upregulating Phase II enzymes and MRP7. Accordingly, NVP-exposure led to decreased glutathione availability and alterations in the intracellular dynamics disfavoring free reduced glutathione and glutathionylated protein pools. Overall, these results demonstrate the adequacy of the 3D-HLC model for studying the bioactivation/metabolism of NVP representing a further step to unveil toxicity mechanisms associated with glutathione net flux changes.publishersversionpublishe

Cysteine as a Multifaceted Player in Kidney, the Cysteine-Related Thiolome and Its Implications for Precision Medicine

Funding Information: This research was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (PTDC/MED-TOX/30418/2017) and iNOVA4Health (UID/Multi/04462/2013). M.J.C., D.G.F.F. and J.M. were supported by FCT (PhD grant SFRH/BD/131331/2017, PhD grant PD/BD/135484/2018 and postdoctoral contract PTDC/MED-TOX/30418/2017, respectively).In this review encouraged by original data, we first provided in vivo evidence that the kidney, comparative to the liver or brain, is an organ particularly rich in cysteine. In the kidney, the total availability of cysteine was higher in cortex tissue than in the medulla and distributed in free reduced, free oxidized and protein-bound fractions (in descending order). Next, we provided a comprehensive integrated review on the evidence that supports the reliance on cysteine of the kidney beyond cysteine antioxidant properties, highlighting the relevance of cysteine and its renal metabolism in the control of cysteine excess in the body as a pivotal source of metabolites to kidney biomass and bioenergetics and a promoter of adaptive responses to stressors. This view might translate into novel perspectives on the mechanisms of kidney function and blood pressure regulation and on clinical implications of the cysteine-related thiolome as a tool in precision medicine.publishersversionpublishe

Reply to: Shark mortality cannot be assessed by fishery overlap alone

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Outstanding challenges in the transferability of ecological models

Predictive models are central to many scientific disciplines and vital for informing management in a rapidly changing world. However, limited understanding of the accuracy and precision of models transferred to novel conditions (their ‘transferability’) undermines confidence in their predictions. Here, 50 experts identified priority knowledge gaps which, if filled, will most improve model transfers. These are summarized into six technical and six fundamental challenges, which underlie the combined need to intensify research on the determinants of ecological predictability, including species traits and data quality, and develop best practices for transferring models. Of high importance is the identification of a widely applicable set of transferability metrics, with appropriate tools to quantify the sources and impacts of prediction uncertainty under novel conditions

Reply to: Caution over the use of ecological big data for conservation

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