Le parasite isopode, Anilocra physodes, nouvelle source de nourriture pour le poisson lézard Synodus saurus (Synodontidae)

Copyright © 2015 Société Française d'Ichtyologie.During a wide project carried out on the behavior and reproduction of the Atlantic lizardfish Synodus saurus in the Azores (NE Atlantic), specimens of the ectoparasitic isopod Anilocra physodes were discovered in various stomachs contents of these piscivorous predatory fish. This intriguing result allowed us to conclude for the first time that fish species can ingest their own parasites, which becomes doubly beneficial, since it releases them from para- sites but it is also a new food source.RÉSUMÉ: Au cours de différents travaux menés sur le comportement et la reproduction du poisson lézard de l’Atlantique, Synodus saurus, aux Açores (Atlantique NE), des ectoparasites isopodes, Anilocra physodes, ont été découverts dans divers contenus stomacaux de ces prédateurs piscivores. Ce résultat intriguant nous a permis de conclure pour la première fois que des espèces de poissons peuvent ingérer leurs propres parasites, ce qui peut être doublement bénéfi- que pour eux, qui, tout en s’en libérant, disposent d’une nouvelle source de nourriture

Qualidade e Segurança Alimentar em unidades fabris produtoras de enchidos no Alentejo

Portugal, tal como outros países do Mediterrâneo, tem uma grande diversidade de enchidos secos fermentados. A produção tradicional de enchidos é muito diversa e os produtos possuem caraterísticas organoléticas muito particulares que agradam aos consumidores. Estas caraterísticas sensoriais estão relacionadas não só com os processos de fabrico, mas também com a flora microbiana autóctone. Por outro lado, a segurança dos produtos fermentados nem sempre se atinge com facilidade uma vez que no seu processamento não existe uma etapa que elimine os agentes patogénicos. Neste tipo de produtos estão normalmente presentes bactérias benéficas como estafilococos coagulase negativos e bactérias do ácido lático (BAL). Estes grupos bacterianos são responsáveis pelo sabor e aroma caraterísticos dos enchidos e também por aumentarem o seu tempo de vida de prateleira. De um modo geral, as estirpes dos referidos grupos bacterianos têm um papel muito importante para a segurança alimentar porque, se bem adaptados aos substratos, por exclusão competitiva condicionam o crescimento de microrganismos patogénicos e alterantes. As BAL são particularmente úteis pela sua capacidade produtora de ácido láctico e, em alguns casos, de bacteriocinas geralmente ativas contra agentes patogénicos, tais como Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes e Salmonella spp., enquanto os estafilococos coagulase negativos são principalmente redutores de nitratos, contribuindo assim para o desenvolvimento da cor. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a ocorrência de Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes e E. coli em diferentes superfícies (parede da sala de enchimento, picadora, misturadora e enchedora) de três fábricas, bem como em enchidos tradicionais Portugueses em diferentes fases de cura: massa, meio da cura e produto final. Adicionalmente foram avaliados o número de microrganismos mesófilos em cada superfície e produto, bem como o número de estafilococos coagulase negativos e BAL. Em geral as superfícies apresentavam-se higienizadas, no entanto algumas mostraram níveis baixos de contaminação com L. monocytogenes e E. coli. Não foi detetada qualquer contaminação com Salmonella spp. nos diversos produtos analisados, independentemente do estado de cura, mas foram encontrados diferentes níveis de contaminação com L. monocytogenes e E. coli. O número de BAL é geralmente superior ao de estafilococos coagulase negativos. Agradecimentos Este trabalho foi financiado por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto PTDC/AGR-ALI/119075/2010 e dos Projetos Estratégicos PEst-C/AGR/UI0115/2011 e PEst-OE/AGR/UI0115/2014. Os autores agradecem à empresa PALADARES ALENTEJANOS, Lda. a colaboração prestada no âmbito do projeto PRODER 13.021 (QREN/PRODER/Medida 4.1)

Cost effectiveness analysis of larval therapy for leg ulcers

Objective: To assess the cost effectiveness of larval therapy compared with hydrogel in the management of leg ulcers. Design: Cost effectiveness and cost utility analyses carried out alongside a pragmatic multicentre, randomised, open trial with equal randomisation. Population: Intention to treat population comprising 267 patients with a venous or mixed venous and arterial ulcers with at least 25% coverage of slough or necrotic tissue. Interventions: Patients were randomly allocated to debridement with bagged larvae, loose larvae, or hydrogel. Main outcome measure: The time horizon was 12 months and costs were estimated from the UK National Health Service perspective. Cost effectiveness outcomes are expressed in terms of incremental costs per ulcer-free day (cost effectiveness analysis) and incremental costs per quality adjusted life years (cost utility analysis). Results: The larvae arms were pooled for the main analysis. Treatment with larval therapy cost, on average, 96.70 pound ((sic)109.61; $140.57) more per participant per year (95% confidence interval -491.9 pound to 685.8) pound than treatment with hydrogel. Participants treated with larval therapy healed, on average, 2.42 days before those in the hydrogel arm (95% confidence interval -0.95 to 31. 91 days) and had a slightly better health related quality of life, as the annual difference in QALYs was 0.011 (95% confidence interval -0.067 to 0.071). However, none of these differences was statistically significant. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio for the base case analysis was estimated at 8826 pound per QALY gained and 40 pound per ulcer-free day. Considerable uncertainty surrounds the outcome estimates. Conclusions: Debridement of sloughy or necrotic leg ulcers with larval therapy is likely to produce similar health benefits and have similar costs to treatment with hydrogel. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN55114812 and National Research Register N0484123692

Juvenile Sphyraena viridensis, preyed by the lizard fish Synodus saurus. A new predatory association from the Azores

Copyright © 2008 Société Française d’Ichtyologie.Les juvéniles de Sphyraena viridensis, proies de Synodus saurus, une nouvelle association prédateur-proie aux Açores. Au cours d’un travail sur l’écologie (comportement, alimentation et reproduction) du poisson lézard, Synodus saurus, aux Açores (Atlantique NE) nous avons découvert, dans plusieurs contenus stomacaux, des exemplaires postlarvaires et des juvéniles de la bécune à bouche jaune Sphyraena viridensis. Non seulement cette découverte nous a permis d’obtenir, pour la première fois, des postlarves de cette espèce de barracuda mais nous avons réussi à décrire une action de prédation d’un poisson épibenthique envers une espèce pélagique

Growth and nutritional responses of bean and soybean genotypes to elevated CO2 in a controlled environment

In the current situation of a constant increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration, there is a potential risk of decreased nutritional value and food crop quality. Therefore, selecting strong-responsive varieties to elevated CO2 (eCO2) conditions in terms of yield and nutritional quality is an important decision for improving crop productivity under future CO2 conditions. Using bean and soybean varieties of contrasting responses to eCO2 and different origins, we assessed the effects of eCO2 (800 ppm) in a controlled environment on the yield performance and the concentration of protein, fat, and mineral elements in seeds. The range of seed yield responses to eCO2 was −11.0 to 32.7% (average change of 5%) in beans and −23.8 to 39.6% (average change of 7.1%) in soybeans. There was a significant correlation between seed yield enhancement and aboveground biomass, seed number, and pod number per plant. At maturity, eCO2 increased seed protein concentration in beans, while it did not affect soybean. Lipid concentration was not affected by eCO2 in either legume species. Compared with ambient CO2 (aCO2), the concentrations of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and potassium (K) decreased significantly, magnesium (Mg) increased, while zinc (Zn), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) were not changed under eCO2 in bean seeds. However, in soybean, Mn and K concentrations decreased significantly, Ca increased, and Zn, Fe, P, and Mg concentrations were not significantly affected by eCO2 conditions. Our results suggest that intraspecific variation in seed yield improvement and reduced sensitivity to mineral losses might be suitable parameters for breeders to begin selecting lines that maximize yield and nutrition under eCO2.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of serotonin in the modulation of cooperative behavior

We examined the modulatory role of serotonin in cooperation between unrelated individuals. The identification of the neurohormonal candidates that may modulate levels of cooperation in marine cleaning mutualisms has been a major aim in recent years. Our results provide evidence that serotonin is a driver of cooperative behavioral activities and contribute to the understanding of neural pathways of cooperation, which aim to unravel the basic drive of animal tendencies to cooperate with other

Angolan cymbopogon citratus used for therapeutic benefits: nutritional composition and influence of solvents in phytochemicals content and antioxidant activity of leaf extracts

Folk medicine is a relevant and effective part of indigenous healthcare systems which are, in practice, totally dependent on traditional healers. An outstanding coincidence between indigenous medicinal plant uses and scientifically proved pharmacological properties of several phytochemicals has been observed along the years. This work focused on the leaves of a medicinal plant traditionally used for therapeutic benefits (Angolan Cymbopogon citratus), in order to evaluate their nutritional value. The bioactive phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of leaf extracts prepared with different solvents (water, methanol and ethanol) were also evaluated. The plant leaves contained ~60% of carbohydrates, protein (~20%), fat (~5%), ash (~4%) and moisture (~9%). The phytochemicals screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, and terpenoids in all extracts. Methanolic extracts also contained alkaloids and steroids. Several methods were used to evaluate total antioxidant capacity of the different extracts (DPPH; NO; and H2O2 scavenging assays, reducing power, and FRAP). Ethanolic extracts presented a significantly higher antioxidant activity (p < 0.05) except for FRAP, in which the best results were achieved by the aqueous extracts. Methanolic extracts showed the lowest radical scavenging activities for both DPPH; and NO; radicals

Dopamine disruption increases negotiation for cooperative interactions in a fish

Humans and other animals use previous experiences to make behavioural decisions, balancing the probabilities of receiving rewards or punishments with alternative actions. The dopaminergic system plays a key role in this assessment: for instance, a decrease in dopamine transmission, which is signalled by the failure of an expected reward, may elicit a distinct behavioural response. Here, we tested the effect of exogenously administered dopaminergic compounds on a cooperative vertebrate's decision-making process, in a natural setting. We show, in the Indo-Pacific bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, that blocking dopamine receptors in the wild induces cleaners to initiate more interactions with and to provide greater amounts of physical contact to their client fish partners. This costly form of tactile stimulation using their fins is typically used to prolong interactions and to reconcile with clients after cheating. Interestingly, client jolt rate, a correlate of cheating by cleaners, remained unaffected. Thus, in low effective dopaminergic transmission conditions cleaners may renegotiate the occurrence and duration of the interaction with a costly offer. Our results provide first evidence for a prominent role of the dopaminergic system in decision-making in the context of cooperation in fish.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preliminary notes on the reproductive biology of the lizardfish, Synodus saurus (Actynopterygii: Synodontidae) in the Azores

Copyright © 2003 Société Française d’Ichtyologie.Between March and November 2000, 307 specimens of the lizardfish Synodus saurus (Linnaeus 1758) were captured on several coastal areas of Terceira Island, Azores. This species is an important coastal epibenthic predator. Although common, its biology, namely its reproduction, is virtually unknown. During the study period, 206 females (155 mm to 460 mm TL) and 101 males (269 mm to 290 mm TL), were captured. Sex ratio was 2:1 with more males in June. Gonados-somatic Index (GSI) for females and males attained its maximum values during Spring and Summer, showing that these are the most intensive reproduction periods. Hepato-somatic Index (HSI) suggests that this species may well recur on body reserves for energy metabolization in gonad development. Nevertheless, more studies are necessary in order to confirm this assumption. Ovarian histology, presenting different oocytarian phases, indicates that this species has an asynchronous posture. The male increment of June, associated to higher GSI values, suggests that this could represent a moment of intense competition for females, within the studied area.RÉSUMÉ: Notes préliminaires sur la reproduction du poisson lézard, Synodus saurus (Actinopterygii : Synodontidae) aux Açores. Entre mars et novembre 2000, 307 poissons lézard, Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758) ont été capturés à divers endroits de la côte de l’île Terceira, aux Açores. Cette espèce est un important prédateur épibenthique. Bien qu’elle soit une espèce assez commune, sa biologie, et surtout sa reproduction, est virtuellement inconnue. Pendant cette étude, 206 femelles (de 155 mm à 460 mm LT) et 101 mâles (de 269 à 290 mm LT) ont été capturés. Le sexe ratio était de 2:1, avec plus de mâles en juin. L’indice gonado-somatique (GSI) pour les femelles et les mâles, a atteint ses valeurs les plus élevées au printemps et en été, ce qui montre que ces mois constituent la période de reproduction la plus intense. L’indice hépato-somatique (HSI), indique que les réserves corporelles sont susceptibles d’être utilisées pour le développement des gonades. Cependant, cette hypothèse doit être confirmée par d’autres études. L’histologie de l’ovaire, qui présente des phases ovocitaires différentes, indique que S. saurus a une ponte asynchrone. L’augmentation du nombre de mâles en juin, associée aux valeurs plus élevées de GSI, suggère l’existence, à cette période, d’une intense compétition pour les femelles

Preserving the nutritional quality of crop plants under a changing climate: importance and strategies

Background: Global climate is changing more rapidly than ever, threatening plant growth and productivity while exerting considerable direct and indirect effects on the quality and quantity of plant nutrients. Scope: This review focuses on the global impact of climate change on the nutritional value of plant foods. It showcases the existing evidence linking the effects of climate change factors on crop nutrition and the concentration of nutrients in edible plant parts. It focuses on the effect of elevated CO2 (eCO2), elevated temperature (eT), salinity, waterlogging and drought stresses, and what is known regarding their direct and indirect influence on nutrient availability. Furthermore, it provides possible strategies to preserve the nutritional composition of plant foods under changing climates. Conclusions: Climate change has an impact on the accumulation of minerals and protein in crop plants, with eCO2 being the underlying factor of most of the reported changes. The effects are clearly dependent on the type, intensity and duration of the imposed stress, plant genotype and developmental stage. Strong interactions (both positive and negative) can be found between individual climatic factors and soil availability of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), iron (Fe) and phosphorous (P). The development of future interventions to ensure that the world's population has access to plentiful, safe and nutritious food may need to rely on breeding for nutrients under the context of climate change, including legumes in cropping systems, better farm management practices and utilization of microbial inoculants that enhance nutrient availability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio