The Use of Cryodehydratated Animal Anatomical Segments for Veterinary Anatomy Teaching

Anatomical education in the Veterinary Schools around the world has been supported by diverse kinds of innovations such as digital resources and applications, being the use of cadaver’s dissections very limited. In the present study, the use of cryodehydrated anatomical pieces of musculoskeletal structures from large and small animals were experimented for five years and the vantages and advances were computed. The material was prepared using a fixation of fresh material with 10% formalin followed by dissections and freezed-unfreezed sequences until completely be dried. Paints were performed to give a natural appearance. The material produced, including complete limbs from large and small animals had a good quality and preservation of the structures such as ligaments, muscle mass, tends and aponeuroses. The topographical relationships were perfectly maintained and revealed to be a reliable material for the practices class of musculoskeletal anatomy. The method used was easy applied, very cheap, of stress-free manipulation and storage and due to its high durability reduced the discharge of biological wastes and chemical products. The students show very friendly to this kind of material what reflected in high coefficient of approval during the practical examinations. The experience of create additional assignment to teaching how to prepare the material was successful and have been a great integration opportunity to students from last years of the course work together and share experiences with the beginners, when they check anatomic contents considering the applicability in clinics and surgical assignments

ENSAMBLAJE DE HELMINTOS DE AVES ACUÁTICAS (PELECANIFORMES: ARDEIDAE) DEL SUR DE RIO GRANDE DEL SUR Y UN LISTADO DE HELMINTOS DE GARZAS DE BRASIL

Se examinaron 44 ejemplares pertenecientes a las nueve especies de Ardeidae del extremo sur del estado de Rio Grande do Sul. El objetivo del estudio fue relatar la ocurrencia de las especies de helmintos para las aves, cuantificar las infecciones por especie hospedadora, además de presentar una revisión de helmintos de Ardeidae de Brasil. Las aves acuáticas fueron positivas para 18 tasas, cinco Nematoda, nueve Trematoda y cuatro Acanthocephala. Los nuevos registros de helmintos para Ardeidae en Brasil fueron reportados. Ardea cocoi y Ardea alba se destacaron por el número de especies asociadas

Implementation of Electronic Transmission of Chemical Occurrence Data in Portugal

Relatório elaborado em: 22-Mai-2013EFSA supporting publications 2014:EN-537 (External Scientific Report)ABSTRACT: The present report describes the work done in the project Implementation of the Electronic Transmission of Chemical Occurrence Data in Portugal. The objective of the project was to implement and test an electronic system for the transmission of food contaminant data to EFSA and create a national database, according to EFSA standards. This document describes also the challenges encountered during the implementation of the standard model and makes a general analysis on its limitations and potential developments.SUMMARY: The collection of analytical data on food and feed is an important task of the European Food Safety Authority - EFSA and an essential component in risk assessment. Following the statements of Regulation (EC) n.º 178/2002 Member States (MS) have the responsibility to report to EFSA data produced under the official control of food and feed. This information reached EFSA under various formats and supports - paper, various digital formats, among others - compromising their use due to the slowness and difficulty of compiling and comparing data. Therefore, and in order to improve the comparability of technical data received and analyzed and facilitate their transmission, EFSA created in 2010, a data model that standardizes the language and the information to report about each sample and each test result designated by “Standard Sample Description for food and feed” – SSD and the “Guidance on Data Exchange”, both recommended for use for data transmissions by MS. Portugal, through INSA, applied to EFSA’s call for proposals CFP/EFSA/DATEX/2011/01 with the project "Implementation of Electronic transmission of chemical occurrence data in Portugal”, (Grant agreement CFP/EFSA/DATEX/2011/01/02) which had the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) as a mentor country. FSAI past experience on implementing proper software and tools to support the SSD format, was a crucial starting point for executing the project and provided Portuguese authorities an important assistance with standards compliance, database structure and data submissions. This project that started in December 2011, was implemented in close collaboration with the competent authorities and official national laboratories, and had as main objectives: i) the creation of an informatic system and a national database for the collection and transmission of electronic data from chemical contaminants in food and feed according to the data model SSD, ii) the compilation and transmission of national data produced from 2009 to 2011, and iii) the standardization and improvement of data collection in this area. This document describes the encoding and mapping strategy for chemical occurrence data produced by the Portuguese authorities, how the national database is populated, the transformations required to support the SSD standard terminology supplied by EFSA and how these transformations will be maintained in the future. It also describes the initiatives to standardize and improve data collection for chemical occurrence in food and feed.EFS

Hydrodynamic Model Ensembles for Climate Change Projections in Estuarine Regions

In the current context of climate change, understanding the effects of the changing conditions on estuaries is of utmost importance to protect populations and ecosystems. Given the diversity of impacts depending on the region, there is a need for local and dedicated studies to understand and mitigate the risks. Numerical models can provide forecasts of extreme floods and sea-level rise (SLR). However, they can present inaccuracies. In this work, the ensemble technique was applied to improve the numerical modeling forecasting for estuaries by considering scenarios of extreme river flow discharges (EFDs) and SLR scenarios for 2050 and 2100. The simulations were performed for two different estuarine regions in northern Portugal, and the superensemble was constructed with the results of two different numerical models. The results differed per estuary, highlighting the importance of a local approach. For the Douro estuary dynamics, the results showed that for the EFD, the effects of the SLR were not noticeable, indicating that, in this estuary, the river component was more important than the maritime component. In contrast, the Minho estuary dynamics were found to be affected by the SLR along the whole estuarine region, indicating a maritime influence and a worsening of the flood conditions for future scenarios

Fungal colonization on body surfaces of dead south American Sea lions on sandy beaches, and an evaluation of risk of contamination to humans at southern Brazil/ Colonização fúngica em superfícies corporais de leões marinhos mortos da América do Sul em praias arenosas, e uma avaliação do risco de contaminação para os seres humanos no sul do Brasil

At the interface between public health and marine ecology, there is a knowledge gap concerning the extent to which the carbon that enters sandy sediments when large biomass marine mammals decompose changes the sediment, bringing risks to human health. This study aimed to: 1) identify the fungal microbiota present in decomposing carcasses of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) found on beaches on the coast of southern Brazil, and 2) verify the extent to which the fungal microbiota are dispersed in the sandy sediment around the carcasses, presenting risks to human health. Samples of the corporal surface of 10 carcasses of O. flavescens deposited on beaches along the southern coast of Brazil, in a moderate decomposition state, as well as of the sand around the carcasses, were collected for analysis. Fungal microbiota was identified to genus level based on their macro- and micro- morphological characteristics.From carcasses were identified: Trichoderma, Aspergillus, Penicilium, Cladosporium and Fusarium.  Aspergillus and Cladosporium were the most frequently taxa in the sand around the carcasses and in the control samples. Furthermore, their distribution around the carcasses was not compatible with the findings of fungi from the respective parts of the body, suggesting that these microorganisms were of a marine origin, and that their presence in the sand is not exclusively associated with the presence of the carcasses. The presence of Aspergillus in the carcass and sandy sediment reaffirms its regional distribution and the human risk due to dispersion of the spores from carcasses caused by wind

Helminth component community of the loggerhead sea Turtle,Caretta caretta from Madeira Archipelago, Portugal

The helminth fauna of pelagic-stage loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, is still poorly known. Here, we describe the helminth-component community of healthy, free-ranging juvenile loggerhead sea turtles captured in the waters around Madeira Island, Portugal. Fifty-seven were used in this study. The esophagus, stomach, intestine, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, trachea, bronchi, urinary bladder, heart, left and right aortas, and coelomic cavity were macroscopically inspected; organs and tissues were removed and washed through a sieve. A search for parasites was made using a stereoscopic microscope; recovered parasites were fixed and stored in 70% alcohol until staining and identification. Prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance values were recorded. In total, 156 parasite specimens belonging to 9 species were found: nematodes included Anisakis simplex s.l. (larvae) and an unidentified species; digenetic trematodes present were Enodiotrema megachondrus, Rhytidodes gelatinosus, Pyelosomum renicapite, and Calycodes anthos; acanthocephalans included Bolbosoma vasculosum and Rhadinorhynchus pristis; a single cestode, Nybelinia sp., was present. Parasite infections were found to have both low prevalences and intensities. Possible reasons for this include the oligotrophic conditions of the pelagic habitat around Madeira; a 'dilution effect' because of the vastness of the area; and the small size, and thus ingestion rate, of the turtles. Results are discussed in terms of the various turtle populations that may use the waters surrounding Madeira. This work provides valuable information on the parasite fauna of a poorly known stage in the life of loggerhead sea turtles, thereby filling a fundamental gap with regard to features of the parasite fauna in this species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fishhook Lesions in Loggerhead Sea Turtles

This study describes four cases of loggerhead sea turtles with fishhooks in the gastrointestinal tract. Two dead turtles with a hook in the esophagus had local fibrosis with an invagination of the keratinized stratified squamous epithelium surrounding the hook, isolating it from the subjacent stroma, one had a hook in the cloaca which was expelled spontaneously, and one had plication of the intestine with necrosis caused by the long monofilament line attached to the hook lodged in the esophagus. Lethal injuries were related to the effect of strangulation and traction produced by the line throughout the gastrointestinal tract rather than the presence of the hook in the esophageal mucosa. Hook size, point of attachment to the gastrointestinal tract, the presence or not of a long monofilament line, and the traction applied by it could be crucial for turtle survival

A commercial blend of macroalgae and microalgae promotes digestibility, growth performance, and muscle nutritional value of European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) juveniles

Algae can leverage aquaculture sustainability and improve the nutritional and functional value of fish for human consumption, but may pose challenges to carnivorous fish. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of a commercial blend of macroalgae (Ulva sp. and Gracilaria gracilis) and microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris and Nannochloropsis oceanica) in a plant-based diet up to 6% (dry matter basis) on digestibility, gut integrity, nutrient utilization, growth performance, and muscle nutritional value of European seabass juveniles. Fish (11.3 ± 2.70 g) were fed with isoproteic, isolipidic, and isoenergetic diets: (i) a commercial-type plant-based diet with moderate fishmeal (125 g kg−1 DM basis) and without algae blend (control diet; Algae0), (ii) the control diet with 2% algae blend (Algae2), (iii) the control diet with 4% algae blend (Algae4), and (iv) the control diet with 6% algae blend (Algae6) for 12 weeks. The digestibility of experimental diets was assessed in a parallel study after 20 days. Results showed that most nutrients and energy apparent digestibility coefficients were promoted by algae blend supplementation, with a concomitant increase in lipid and energy retention efficiencies. Growth performance was significantly promoted by the algae blend, the final body weight of fish fed Algae6 being 70% higher than that of fish fed Algae0 after 12 weeks, reflecting up to 20% higher feed intake of algae-fed fish and the enhanced anterior intestinal absorption area (up to 45%). Whole-body and muscle lipid contents were increased with dietary algae supplementation levels by up to 1.79 and 1.74 folds in Algae 6 compared to Algae0, respectively. Even though the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was reduced, the content of EPA and DHA in the muscle of algae-fed fish increased by nearly 43% compared to Algae0. The skin and filet color of juvenile European seabass were significantly affected by the dietary inclusion of the algae blend, but changes were small in the case of muscle, meeting the preference of consumers. Overall results highlight the beneficial effects of the commercial algae blend (Algaessence®) supplementation in plant-based diets for European seabass juveniles, but feeding trials up to commercial-size fish are needed to fully assess its potential

Adhesives from liquefied eucalypt bark and branches

Adhesives made from lignin are one of the most promising alternatives to common ureaformaldehyde adhesives. One of the possible sources is from wood or bark liquefaction at low temperatures and pressure. The possibility of using forest wastes for the production of adhesives was the objective of this work. Eucalypt bark and branches are wastes produced in the company Pedrosa & Irmãos, which is a forest management company based in Portugal (Leiria). The wastes were liquefied with polyalcohols catalyzed by sulfuric acid. The water insoluble fraction of the liquefied material was used for the production of the bio-adhesive. Both fractions were characterized and the bonding performance of the bio-adhesive was tested by ABES. The bio-adhesives obtained from bark or branches were similar, exhibiting a bonding strength approximately half of the conventional UF resin.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio