Microbiota composition of the dorsal patch of reproductive male Leptonycteris yerbabuenae.

Bacteria and other types of microbes interact with their hosts in several ways, including metabolic pathways, development, and complex behavioral processes such as mate recognition. During the mating season, adult males of the lesser long-nosed agave pollinator bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) develop a structure called the dorsal patch, which is located in the interscapular region and may play a role in kin recognition and mate selection. Using high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, we identified a total of 2,847 microbial phylotypes in the dorsal patches of eleven specimens. Twenty-six phylotypes were shared among all the patches, accounting for 30 to 75% of their relative abundance. These shared bacteria are distributed among 13 families, 10 orders, 6 classes and 3 phyla. Two of these common bacterial components of the dorsal patch are Lactococcus and Streptococcus. Some of them-Helcococcus, Aggregatibacter, Enterococcus, and Corynebacteriaceae-include bacteria with pathogenic potential. Half of the shared phylotypes belong to Gallicola, Anaerococcus, Peptoniphilus, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, and Peptostreptococcus and specialize in fatty acid production through fermentative processes. This work lays the basis for future symbiotic microbe studies focused on communication and reproduction strategies in wildlife

Estados ecosistémicos coexistentes en una laguna costera tropical bajo eutrofización creciente en la cayería norte de Cuba

Through a nested suite of methods here we contrast the coexistence of different ecosystem states in a tropical coastal lagoon, the Laguna Larga, with increasing eutrophication stress between 2007 and 2009. Water temperature averaged 27.4°C in the lagoon and showed a slight positive trend during the study period. Salinity averaged 35.0±6.2, exhibiting high spatial and temporal variability, and also a slight positive trend in time. In contrast, dissolved oxygen showed a substantial decreasing trend (–0.83 ml L–1 y–1; –13.3% y–1) over the period, while nutrients increased dramatically, particularly total phosphorus (2.6 µM y–1), in both cases sustaining the progression of eutrophication in the lagoon during the three years we sampled. The Karydis nutrient load-based trophic index showed that the lagoon has a spatial pattern of increasing eutrophication from the sea and the outer sector (oligotrophic-mesotrophic) to the central (mesotrophic) and the inner sector (mesotrophic-eutrophic). Two ecosystem states were found within the lagoon. In the outer oligotrophic sector, the dominant primary producers were macroalgae, seagrasses and benthic diatoms, while mollusc assemblages were highly diverse. In the inner and central sectors (where trophic status increased toward the inner lagoon) a phytoplankton-dominated ecosystem was found where mollusc assemblages are less diverse. In spite of the progression of eutrophication in the lagoon, these two different ecosystems coexisted and remained unchanged during the study period. Apparently, the effect of water residence time, which increases dramatically toward the inner lagoon, dominated over that of nutrient loadings, which is relatively more homogeneously distributed along the lagoon. Therefore, we consider that actions that reduce the water residence time are likely the most effective management options for this and other similarly choked lagoons.Mediante la conjunción de una diversidad de métodos y observaciones, se contrasta la coexistencia de diferentes estados ecosistémicos en Laguna Larga, una laguna costera tropical sometida a una eutrofización creciente entre 2007 y 2009. La temperatura media en la laguna fue de 27.4°C y mostró una ligera tendencia positiva en este periodo. La salinidad mostró alta variabilidad espacial y temporal alrededor de una media de 35.0±6.2 y también tuvo una tendencia temporal positiva. En contraste, el oxígeno disuelto mostró una sustancial tendencia negativa (–0.83 ml L–1 y–1; –13.3% y–1) en el mismo periodo, al tiempo que los nutrientes se incrementaron drásticamente, en particular el fósforo total, a una tasa de 2.6 µM y–1, respaldando ambas tendencias el incremento de la eutrofización a lo largo de los tres años observados. El índice trófico de Karydis, basado en las cargas de nutrientes, mostró un patrón espacial de incremento de la eutrofización desde el mar hacia el sector exterior (oligotrófico-mesotrófico), el sector central (mesotrófico) y el sector interior (mesotrófico-eutrófico). Se identificaron dos estados ecosistémicos dentro de la laguna. En el oligotrófico sector exterior, los productores primarios dominantes fueron macroalgas, pastos marinos y diatomeas bénticas, en tanto que las asociaciones de moluscos fueron altamente diversas. En los sectores central e interior (incrementándose el estatus trófico hacia este último), se encontró un estado ecosistémico dominado por el fitoplancton y en el que las asociaciones de moluscos son menos diversas. A pesar del incremento de la eutrofización, estos dos ecosistemas distintos coexistieron y permanecieron sin cambios durante el periodo estudiado. En Laguna Larga, el efecto del tiempo de residencia del agua, que se incrementa dramáticamente hacia el interior de la laguna, domina aparentemente sobre el de la carga externa de nutrientes, que está distribuida de manera relativamente más homogénea a lo largo de la laguna. Por ello, consideramos que las acciones dirigidas a disminuir el tiempo de residencia del agua son probablemente las más efectivas en esta laguna y otras similarmente aisladas

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Retention in Tropical Eutrophic Reservoirs with Water Level Fluctuations: A Case Study Using Mass Balances on a Long-Term Series

Nitrogen and phosphorous loading drives eutrophication of aquatic systems. Lakes and reservoirs are often effective N and P sinks, but the variability of their biogeochemical dynamics is still poorly documented, particularly in tropical systems. To contribute to the extending of information on tropical reservoirs and to increase the insight on the factors affecting N and P cycling in aquatic ecosystems, we here report on a long-term N and P mass balance (2003–2018) in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, which showed that this tropical eutrophic reservoir lake acts as a net sink of N (−41.7 g N m y) and P (−2.7 g P m y), mainly occurring through net sedimentation, equivalent to 181% and 68% of their respective loading (23.0 g N m y and 4.2 g P m y). The N mass balance also showed that the Valle de Bravo reservoir has a high net N atmospheric influx (31.6 g N m y), which was 1.3 times the external load and likely dominated by N fixation. P flux was driven mainly by external load, while in the case of N, net fixation also contributed. During a period of high water level fluctuations, the net N atmospheric flux decreased by 50% compared to high level years. Our results outlining water regulation can be used as a useful management tool of water bodies, by decreasing anoxic conditions and net atmospheric fluxes, either through decreasing nitrogen fixation and/or promoting denitrification and other microbial processes that alleviate the N load. These findings also sustain the usefulness of long-term mass balances to assess biogeochemical dynamics and its variability.This research was funded by UNAM, PAPIIT-IN207702 and CONACYT-SEMARNAT, C01-1125 projects to M.M-

Vertical Boundary Mixing Events during Stratification Govern Heat and Nutrient Dynamics in a Windy Tropical Reservoir Lake with Important Water-Level Fluctuations: A Long-Term (2001–2021) Study

hysical processes play important roles in controlling eutrophication and oligotrophication. In stratified lakes, internal waves can cause vertical transport of heat and nutrients without breaking the stratification, through boundary mixing events. Such is the case in tropical Valle de Bravo (VB) reservoir lake, where strong diurnal winds drive internal waves, boundary mixing, and hypolimnetic warming during stratification periods. We monitored VB during 21 years (2001–2021) when important water-level fluctuations occurred, affecting mixing and nutrient flux. Stability also varied as a function of water level. Hypolimnetic warming (0.009–0.028 °C day−1) occurred in all the stratifications monitored. We analyzed temperature distributions and modeled the hypolimnion heat budget to assess vertical mixing between layers (0.639–3.515 × 10−6 m3 day−1), vertical diffusivity coefficient KZ (2.5 × 10−6–13.6 × 10−6 m2 s−1), and vertical nutrient transport to the epilimnion. Nutrient flux from the metalimnion to the epilimnion ranged 0.42–5.99 mg P m−2day−1 for soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and 5.8–101.7 mg N m−2day−1 for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Vertical mixing and the associated nutrient fluxes increase evidently as the water level decreases 8 m below capacity, and they can increase up to fivefold if the water level drops over 12 m. The observed changes related to water level affect nutrient recycling, ecosystemic metabolic balance, and planktonic composition of VB.This research was funded by UNAM (PAPIIT-IN207702 and PAPIIT-IN111321) and by CONACYT-SEMARNAT (C01-1125) projects to M.M.-I.Peer reviewe

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries