Plankton Multiproxy Analyses in the Northern Patagonian Shelf, Argentina: Community Structure, Phycotoxins, and Characterization of Toxic Alexandrium Strains

The extensive Argentine continental shelf supports high plankton productivity and fish catches. In particular, El Rincón coastal area and the adjacent shelf fronts (38.5-42°S, 58.5-62°W) comprise diverse habitats and hold species of economic and ecological value. So far, studies of the microbial community present at the base of the food web remain scarce. Here, we describe the late winter plankton (5-200 μm) structure in terms of abundance, biomass, species composition, functional groups, and phycotoxin profiles in surface waters of El Rincón in September 2015. Diatoms are the most abundant and the largest contributors to carbon biomass at most stations. They dominated the coastal and inner-shelf (depths 20 μm) heterotrophic protists such as various ciliates and dinoflagellates species were more abundant offshore. Scanning of phycotoxins disclosed that paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were dominated by gonyautoxins-1/4 (GTX1/4), whereas lipophilic toxins were detected in low abundance, for example, domoic acid (DA). However, a bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. (up to 3.6 × 105 cells L-1) was detected at inner-shelf stations. Pectenotoxin-2 (PTX-2) and 13-desmethyl spirolide C (SPX-1) were the most abundant in the field. The PTX-2 co-occurred with Dinophysis spp., mainly D. tripos, while SPX-1 dominated at middle-shelf stations, where cells of Alexandrium catenella (1 strain) and A. ostenfeldii (3 strains) were isolated. The quantitative PSP profiles of the Alexandrium strains differed significantly from the in situ profiles. Moreover, the three A. ostenfeldii strains produced PSP and additionally, five novel spirolides. Phylogenetic analyses of these newly isolated strains from the South Atlantic revealed a new ribotype group, suggesting a biogeographical distinction in the population. The plankton survey presented here contributes baseline knowledge to evaluate potential ecosystem changes and track the global distribution of toxigenic species.Fil: Guinder, Valeria Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Tillmann, Urban. Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; AlemaniaFil: Krock, Bernd. Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; AlemaniaFil: Delgado, Ana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Krohn, Torben. Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; AlemaniaFil: Garzon Cardona, John Edison. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Metfies, Katja. Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; Alemania. Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity; AlemaniaFil: López Abbate, María Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Silva, Ricardo. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Lara, Ruben Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Desvendando a resposta autoimune contra o fígado: Hepatite Autoimune

Introduction: Autoimmune hepatitis is characterized as a condition in which the human immune system attacks liver cells, generating major inflammation. Treatment may involve immunosuppressive medications in an attempt to control the immune response. Symptoms may vary from person to person and diagnosis involves, in most cases, blood tests, imaging tests and liver biopsy. Objective: To understand the autoimmune response of the body of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Results: In addition to drug therapy, treatment includes some lifestyle adjustments, such as dietary adjustment, monitoring and stress control. In autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), analysis of prognostic factors provides crucial information about disease progression and treatment efficacy. Age at diagnosis emerges as a relevant indicator, suggesting that the onset of AIH at older ages may be associated with a possible faster progression.Introdução: A hepatite autoimune caracteriza-se como uma condição na qual o sistema imunológico humano ataca as células do fígado, gerando uma grande inflamação. O tratamento pode envolver medicamentos imunossupressores na tentativa de controle da resposta imune. Os sintomas podem variar de cada pessoa e o diagnóstico envolve na maioria dos casos testes sanguíneos, exames de imagem e biópsia hepática. Objetivo: Compreender a resposta autoimune do organismo de pacientes com a hepatite autoimune (HAI). Resultados: Além de terapia medicamentosa, o tratamento inclui alguns ajustes no estilo de vida, como adequação na dieta, monitoramento  e controle do estresse. Na hepatite autoimune (HAI), a análise de fatores prognósticos fornece informações cruciais sobre a progressão da doença e a eficácia do tratamento. A idade ao diagnóstico emerge como um indicador relevante, sugerindo que o início da HAI em idades mais avançadas pode estar associado a uma possível progressão mais rápida

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Alirocumab and cardiovascular outcomes after acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUN

Alirocumab and Cardiovascular Outcomes after Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUN