Distinguishing colour variants of <i>Serapias perez-chiscanoi</i> (Orchidaceae) from related taxa on the Iberian Peninsula

Serapias perez-chiscanoi has a stable and uniform appearance with green flowers. Throughout its distribution area, however, plants have been found with deviant pink to red flowers that show similarities with other taxa that are occasionally pale flowered. S. perez-chiscanoi is easy to differentiate from S. cordigera subsp. cordigera by the colour of the flowers (S. cordigera subsp. cordigera has red to purple flowers) and the fact that the hypochile dimensions of S. perez-chiscanoi are significantly smaller. It is, however, more difficult to distinguish it from individuals of S. cordigera subsp. gentilii with pale flowers, which occur frequently. The two taxa differ in colour pattern and floral dimensions, especially the hypochile length, which is shorter in S. perez-chiscanoi. Pale-flowered individuals of another species, S. parviflora, are easily distinguished by their significantly smaller flowers. S. perez-chiscanoi occurs in Spain in the autonomous regions of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha and in Portugal, S. cordigera subsp. gentilii seems to occur along the coastal regions of SW Portugal, while S. cordigera subsp. cordigera and S. parviflora are distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula

Distinción de variantes en color de Serapias perez-chiscanoi (Orchidaceae) en relación con táxones de la Península Ibérica

Serapias perez-chiscanoi has a stable and uniform appearance with green flowers. Throughout its distribution area, however, plants have been found with deviant pink to red flowers that show similarities with other taxa that are occasionally pale flowered. S. perez-chiscanoi is easy to differentiate from S. cordigera subsp. cordigera by the colour of the flowers (S. cordigera subsp. cordigera has red to purple flowers) and the fact that the hypochile dimensions of S. perez-chiscanoi are significantly smaller. It is, however, more difficult to distinguish it from individuals of S. cordigera subsp. gentilii with pale flowers, which occur frequently. The two taxa differ in colour pattern and floral dimensions, especially the hypochile length, which is shorter in S. perez-chiscanoi. Pale-flowered individuals of another species, S. parviflora, are easily distinguished by their significantly smaller flowers. S. perez-chiscanoi occurs in Spain in the autonomous regions of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha and in Portugal, S. cordigera subsp. gentilii seems to occur along the coastal regions of SW Portugal, while S. cordigera subsp. cordigera and S. parviflora are distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula.La Serapias perez-chiscanoi tiene una apariencia estable y uniforme con flores verdes. Sin embargo, a lo largo de su área de distribución, se han encontrado ejemplares de flores con coloraciones desviantes de color rosa hasta rojo que muestran similitudes con otros táxones que presentan ocasionalmente flores pálidas. Serapias perez-chiscanoi es fácil de diferenciar con respecto a S. cordigera subsp. cordigera por el color de las flores (S. cordigera subsp. cordigera tiene flores de rojizas hasta púrpura) y por las dimensiones significativamente más peque - ñas del hipoquilo de S. perez-chiscanoi. Sin embargo es más difícil hacer una distinción con respecto a S. cordigera subsp. gentilii, ya que los individuos de este taxon presentan flores pálidas, lo que ocurre con frecuencia. Estos dos táxones se diferencian por el patrón de colores y por las pequeñas dimensiones de las piezas florales, especialmente el tamaño del hipoquilo más corto en S. perez-chiscanoi. Los individuos de flores pálidas de S. parviflora se pueden distinguir fácilmente gracias a sus flores de pequeño tamaño. Serapias perez-chiscanoi se localiza en España en las comunidades autónomas de Extremadura y Castilla-La Mancha y en Portugal, S. cordigera subsp. gentilii se puede encontrar en las zonas costeras del suroeste de Portugal, mientras que S. cordigera subsp. cordigera y S. parviflora se encuentran en la mayor parte de la Península Ibéric

Developmental neurotoxicity of environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals and mixtures thereof in a zebrafish embryo behavioural test

Humans are exposed daily to complex mixtures of chemical substances via food intake, inhalation, and dermal contact. Developmental neurotoxicity is an understudied area and entails one of the most complex areas in toxicology. Animal studies for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) are hardly performed in the context of regular hazard studies, as they are costly and time consuming and provide only limited information as to human relevance. There is a need for a combination of in vitro and in silico tests for the assessment of chemically induced DNT in humans. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo (ZFE) provides a powerful model to study DNT because it shows fast neurodevelopment with a large resemblance to the higher vertebrate, including the human system. One of the suitable readouts for DNT testing in the zebrafish is neurobehaviour (stimulus-provoked locomotion) since this provides integrated information on the functionality and status of the entire nervous system of the embryo. In the current study, environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals and their mixtures were investigated using the zebrafish light-dark transition test. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to three neuroactive compounds of concern, carbamazepine (CBZ), fluoxetine (FLX), and venlafaxine (VNX), as well as their main metabolites, carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide (CBZ 10,11E), norfluoxetine (norFLX), and desvenlafaxine (desVNX). All the studied compounds, except CBZ 10,11E, dose-dependently inhibited zebrafish locomotor activity, providing a distinct behavioural phenotype. Mixture experiments with these pharmaceuticals identified that dose addition was confirmed for all the studied binary mixtures (CBZ-FLX, CBZ-VNX, and VNX-FLX), thereby supporting the zebrafish embryo as a model for studying the cumulative effect of chemical mixtures in DNT. This study shows that pharmaceuticals and a mixture thereof affect locomotor activity in zebrafish. The test is directly applicable in environmental risk assessment; however, further studies are required to assess the relevance of these findings for developmental neurotoxicity in humans

Distinguishing colour variants of Serapias perez-chiscanoi (Orchidaceae) from related taxa on the Iberian Peninsula

Serapias perez-chiscanoi has a stable and uniform appearance with green flowers. Throughout its distribution area, however, plants have been found with deviant pink to red flowers that show similarities with other taxa that are occasionally pale flowered. S. perez-chiscanoi is easy to differentiate from S. cordigera subsp. cordigera by the colour of the flowers (S. cordigera stJ bsp. cordigera has red to purple flowers) and the fact that the hypochlle dimensions of S. perez-chiscanoi are significantly smaller. It is, however, more difficult to distinguish it from individuals of S. cordigera subsp. gentilii with pale flowers, which occurfrequently. The two taxa differ in colour pattern and floral dimensions, especially the hypochile length, which is shorter in S. perez-chiscanoi. Pale-flowered individuals of another species, S. parviflora, are easily distinguished by their significantly smaller flowers. S. perez-chiscanoi occurs in Spain in the auonomous regions of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha and In Portugal, S. cordigera subsp. gentilii seems to occur along the coastal regions of SW Portugal, while S. cordigera subsp. cordigera and S. parviflora are distributed throughout the IberianLa Serapias perez-chiscanoi tiene una apariencia estable y uniforme con flores verdes. Sin embargo, a lo largo de su área de distribución, se han encontrado ejemplares de flores con coloraciones desviantes de color rosa hasta rojo que muestran similitudes con otros táxones que presentan ocasionalmente flores pálidas. Serapias perez-chiscanoi es fácil de diferenciar con respecto a S. cordigera subsp. cordigera por el color de las flores (S. cordigera subsp. cordigera tiene flores de rojizas hasta púrpura) y por las dimensiones significativamente más pequeñas del hipoquilo de S. perez-chiscanoi. Sin embargo es más difícil hacer una distinción con respecto aS. cordigera subsp. gentilii, ya que los individuos de este taxon presentan flores pálidas, lo que ocurre con frecuencia. Estos dos táxones se diferencian por el patrón de colores y por las pequeñas dimensiones de las piezas florales, especialmente el tamaño del hipoquilo más corto en S. perez-chiscanoi. Los individuos de flores pálidas de S. parviflora se pueden distinguir fácilmente gracias a sus flores de pequeño tamaño. Serapias perez-chiscanoi se localiza en España en las comunidades autónomas de Extremadura y Castilla-La Mancha y en Portugal, S. cordigera subsp. gentilii se puede encontrar en las zonas costeras del suroeste de Portugal. mientras que S. cordigera subsp. cordigera y S. parviflora se encuentran en la mayor parte de la Penlnsula Ibérica

Baseline characteristics of the HAARLEM study: 100 male amateur athletes using anabolic androgenic steroids.

Background: The use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is common among visitors of fitness centers. Knowledge about health risks of AAS use is limited due to lack of clinical studies. Methods: One hundred men, at least 18 years old, intending to start a cycle of AAS were recruited. Baseline demographical data and reasons for AAS use were recorded. Subjects provided samples of AAS for analysis with UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Results: One hundred and eleven men were seen for a baseline visit. Nineteen percent had competed in bodybuilding competitions. Recent illicit drug use was reported by 56%. Seventy-seven percent of participants had used AAS in the past, and 97% of them had experienced side effects. After exclusion, 100 men comprised the cohort for follow-up. The AAS cycle performed had a median duration of 13 weeks (range 2-52), and the average dose of AAS equivalents was 901 mg per week (range 250-3.382). Subjects used other performance and image–enhancing drugs (PIEDs) such as growth hormone (21%). In total, 272 AAS samples were analyzed and 47% contained the AAS indicated on the label. The principal reason for AAS use was gain of muscle mass (44%). Forty-eight percent self-reported to being addicted to AAS. Conclusion: The HAARLEM study cohort shows that strength athletes use AAS in a wide variety of cycles and often also use illicit drugs and other potentially harmful PIEDs. The quality of the AAS used is strikingly low. Follow-up of the cohort will provide novel data regarding health risks of AAS use

Cytostatica in het Nederlands oppervlaktewater

Cytostatica (medicatie bij chemokuren) zijn belangrijk voor de behandeling van kanker. Restanten van cytostatica komen via de urine in het afvalwater terecht, dat wordt gezuiverd en op oppervlaktewater geloosd. Naar aanleiding van vragen uit de zorgsector heeft het RIVM de milieurisico's van deze stoffen onderzocht. Uit dit onderzoek blijkt dat restanten van de meeste cytostatica geen risico voor het milieu in oppervlaktewater vormen. Ze worden voldoende afgebroken door het menselijk lichaam en in de rioolwaterzuiveringsinstallatie verwijderd. Van sommige andere cytostatica kon vanwege een gebrek aan milieugegevens geen beoordeling worden gemaakt. Behalve naar cytostatica is gekeken naar milieurisico's van restanten van medicatie voor immuun- en hormoontherapie. Dit zijn twee tumorspecifieke anti-kankertherapieën die de laatste jaren steeds vaker gebruikt worden vanwege hun voordelen ten opzichte van de klassieke cytostatica. De werkzame stoffen in immuuntherapie worden door het menselijk lichaam volledig afgebroken en vormen dus geen risico. Ook de twee onderzochte stoffen die gebruikt worden bij hormoontherapie, vormen geen risico voor het oppervlaktewater. Voor dit onderzoek zijn gebruiksgegevens van cytostatica in vier ziekenhuizen gebruikt, omdat deze gegevens in Nederland niet centraal worden bijgehouden. Hiermee is berekend hoeveel van deze stoffen in het oppervlaktewater terecht kan komen. Het risico voor het milieu is vervolgens bepaald door deze gegevens te vergelijken met gegevens over giftigheid voor waterorganismen. Er is niet gekeken naar gevolgen van de aanwezigheid van deze stoffen voor de drinkwaterzuivering.Cytostatics are important medicines to treat cancer patients. Via urine, cytostatic residues end up in waste water that is treated in waste water treatment plants and subsequently discharged into surface waters. Research from RIVM shows that for most cytostatics, their residues do not pose a risk to the environment. They are sufficiently metabolised in the human body and removed in waste water treatment plants. For some other cytostatics, the risk assessment could not be performed due to a lack of environmental information. Besides for cytostatics, environmental risks of immunotherapy and hormone therapy (with two example compounds) were assessed. The use of these tumour specific therapies has increased due to their advantages compared to classical cytostatics. The active ingredients in immunotherapy are fully metabolized in the human body and thus are no risk to the environment. Two substances used in hormone therapy were assessed. They also do not pose a risk to the environment. For this research project, use data on cytostatics from four Dutch hospitals were used, since these data are not recorded on a national scale. With these data, the amount of cytostatic residues entering surface waters was estimated. The environmental risk was assessed by comparing these data with information on toxicity to aquatic organisms. No assessment of the consequences of the presence of these compounds for drinking water treatment was made.Ministerie van I&