NEKE ZNAČAJKE ZUBATKA, Salmo dentex (HECKEL, 1851), ENDEMIČNE PASTRVE IZ NERETVE U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI

The paper confirms the presence of endemic dentex trout, Salmo dentex population in the Neretva River, Bosnia–Herzegovina. All catches were limited to main flow of the Neretva River close to town of Čapljina and colder areas of Hutovo Blato wetlands. All caught specimens of dentex trout fed on smaller fish. But, without preference to particular fish species.U radu se potvrđuje postojanje populacije endemičnog zubatka, Salmo dentex, u rijeci Neretvi u Bosni i Hercegovini. Svi primjerci zubatka ulovljeni su u glavnom toku Neretve ispod grada Čapljine i u hladnijim vodama močvare Hutovo blato. Opisane su neke biološke značajke ulovljenih primjeraka. Svi su se ulovljeni primjerci hranili primjercima manjih riba, ali bez preferencije prema nekom posebnom plijenu

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENDEMIC DENTEX TROUT, Salmo dentex (Heckel, 1851) FROM THE NERETVA RIVER, BOSNIA–HERZEGOVINA

The paper confirms the presence of endemic dentex trout, Salmo dentex population in the Neretva River, Bosnia–Herzegovina. All catches were limited to main flow of the Neretva River close to town of Čapljina and colder areas of Hutovo Blato wetlands. All caught specimens of dentex trout fed on smaller fish. But, without preference to particular fish species

Life-history trait of the Mediterranean keystone species Patella rustica: growth and microbial bioerosion

The age and shell growth patterns in populations of Patella rustica of the Adriatic Sea were determined by analyzing the inner growth lines visible in shell sections. Marginal increment analysis showed annual periodicity with annual growth line being deposited in May. The growth analysis of 120 individual shells showed that 90.8 % of collected individuals were less than 4 years of age and only two individuals (1.6 %) were older than 6 years. Population structure was described and the generalized von Bertalanffy growth parameters were calculated: asymptotic length (L∞) was 38.22 mm and the growth constant (K) was 0.30 year-1. Growth performance index value of P. rustica (Ø’) was 2.64 and is among the lowest ranges reported for limpet species. Patella rustica shells were degraded to different degrees by microbial bioerosion. Microboring organisms identified were pseudofilamentous and filamentous cyanobacteria Hormathonema paulocellulare, Hyella caespitosa, Mastigocoleus testarum and Leptolyngbya sp. The overall intensity of infestation was relatively low, but increased in severity with shell length. The damage was most often restricted to the oldest parts of the shell, i.e. apex of the shell, posing difficulties in determining the exact position of the first growth line. The present study is first to introduce the use of inner growth lines in Patella rustica shell sections as a reliable method for age determination and it provides the first insight into the growth patterns of this keystone species while taking the interference of microbial shell bioerosion in consideration

RECRUITMENT OF JUVENILE GOLDEN GREY MULLET, Liza aurata (Risso, 1810) AND FLATHEAD GREY MULLET, Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 IN THE NERETVA RIVER ESTUARY

Istraživani su novačenje, rast i prehrana mlađi cipla zlatca, Liza aurata (Risso, 1810) i cipla bataša, Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 na području ušća Neretve. Uzorkovano je na trima postajama: na pjeskovito–muljevitim plažama ušća Male Neretve i ušća Kanala materijal se prikupljao priobalnom mrežom potegačom, a u luci Ploče, na postaji s većom dubinom i kamenitom podlogom »špurtilom«. Ulovljenim je ribama izmjerena ukupna dužina tijela (Lt) te ukupna masa (W). Određeni postotak učestalosti pojavljivanja plijena (%F), postotak brojnosti plijena (%N) i koeficijent praznosti probavila (%V). Analizirana je kompeticija između vrsta temeljena na vremenskom i prostornom preklapanju njihova novačenja. Mlađ cipla zlatca bila je prisutna u ulovu od listopada do ožujka, a s najmanjim dužinskim kategorijama, od 15 do 20 mm, od listopada do siječnja. Analiza dužinsko–masenog odnosa pokazuje da populacija cipla zlatca na području ušća Neretve ima negativan alometrijski rast. U sadržaju probavila od listopada do veljače prevladavaju kopepodi reda Harpacticoida. U ožujku je zabilježeno značajno povećanje kukaca, a u prosincu račića podreda Gammaridea. Mlađ cipla bataša zabilježena je u uzorcima od rujna do studenoga. Najmanje uzrasne kategorije od 10 do 15 mm ukupne dužine pojavljuju se u rujnu i listopadu. Analizom dužinsko–masenog odnosa ustanovljeno je da uzorci na svim trima postajama pokazuju negativan alometrijski rast. U probavilima cipla bataša dominantna su skupina također bili harpaktikoidni kopepodi. Utvrđena je statistički značajna kompeticija (SI = 0,747) između mlađi cipla zlatca i cipla bataša na postaji ušće Male Neretve, uglavnom zbog visokog udjela Harpacticoida u probavilima obiju vrsta.Research of recruitment, growth and diet of golden grey mullet (Liza aurata) and flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) was carried out on the sampling sites in estuary of Neretva; Mala Neretva, Kanal and port of Ploče. On sandy–muddy beaches, samples were collected using seine net and on deeper sites with rocky bottoms, samples were collected by using small »dip net«. Total length of body and total weight were measured. Stomach contents were analysed using inverted microscope. Prey frequency (%F), abundance (%N) and coefficient of empty stomach (%V) were determined. Also possible food competition between different species of mullet juveniles was studied, based on space and time overlap of their recruitment. Recruitment of golden grey mullet (length category of 15–20 mm in samples) lasted from October to January. Analysis of lenght–weight relationship in the area of estuary of Mala Neretva showed that population has a negative alometric growth. In analyzed stomach contents from October to February, dominant were harpacticoid copepods. There was a substantial increase in the percentage of insects in March, and gammarids in December. Juveniles of flathead grey mullet were found in samples from September to November, with small length categories of 10–15 mm in September and October. Analysis of length–weight relationship established that samples on all three sites had a negative alometric growth. Fast growth was recorded during all three months because the sea temperature was above 20 °C. In the stomachs of flathead grey mullet juveniles the dominant prey group was also harpacticoids on all three sites. Statistically significant level of competition (SI= 0.747) was determined between L. aurata and M. cephalus in the estuary of Mala Neretva, mainly because of high percentage of harpacticoids in prey content of both species

The effect of excess weight on circulating inflammatory cytokines in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis individuals

Background: Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with both excess weight and psychosis. However, no previous studies have addressed the direct effect of body mass index (BMI) on basal serum cytokines in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Objectives: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of BMI on basal serum cytokine levels in FEP patients and control subjects, separating the total sample into two groups: normal-weight and overweight individuals. Methods: This is a prospective and open-label study. We selected 75 FEP patients and 75 healthy controls with similar characteristics to patients according to the following variables: sex, age, and cannabis and tobacco consumption. Both controls and patients were separated into two groups according to their BMI: subjects with a BMI under 25 were considered as normal weight and those with a BMI equal to or more than 25 were considered as overweight. Serum levels of 21 cytokines/chemokines were measured at baseline using the Human High Sensitivity T Cell Magnetic Bead Panel protocol from the Milliplex® Map Kit. We compared the basal serum levels of the 21 cytokines between control and patient groups according to their BMI. Results: In the normal-weight group, IL-8 was the only cytokine that was higher in patients than in the control group (p = 0.001), whereas in the overweight group, serum levels of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, p = 0.000; IL-1?, p = 0.003), two chemokines (IL-8, p = 0.001; MIP-1?, p = 0.001), four Th-1 and Th-2 cytokines (IL-13, p = 0.009; IL-2, p = 0.001; IL-7, p = 0.001; IL-12p70, p = 0.010), and one Type-3 cytokine (IL-23, p = 0.010) were higher in patients than in controls. Conclusions: Most differences in the basal serum cytokine levels between patients and healthy volunteers were found in the overweight group. These findings suggest that excess weight can alter the homeostasis of the immune system and therefore may have an additive pro-inflammatory effect on the one produced by psychosis in the central nervous system.Funding: The present study was carried out at the Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, under the following grant support from MINECO SAF2013-46292-R, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla. No pharmaceutical company has participated in the study concept and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the results, and drafting of the manuscript. We thank the Valdecilla Biobank for blood sampling handling and storage. We also wish to thank the participants and their families for enrolling in this study. The study, designed and directed by B C-F, conformed to international standards for research ethics and was approved by the local institutional review board

The aquaculture supply chain in the time of covid-19 pandemic: vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein in this PFSC. We performed a rapid global assessment to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emerging control measures on the aquaculture supply chain. Socio-economic effects of the pandemic were analysed by surveying the perceptions of stakeholders, who were asked to describe potential supply-side disruption, vulnerabilities and resilience patterns along the production pipeline with four main supply chain components: a) hatchery, b) production/processing, c) distribution/logistics and d) market. We also assessed different farming strategies, comparing land- vs. sea-based systems; extensive vs. intensive methods; and with and without integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, IMTA. In addition to evaluating levels and sources of economic distress, interviewees were asked to identify mitigation solutions adopted at local / internal (i.e., farm-site) scales, and to express their preference on national / external scale mitigation measures among a set of a priori options. Survey responses identified the potential causes of disruption, ripple effects, sources of food insecurity, and socio-economic conflicts. They also pointed to various levels of mitigation strategies. The collated evidence represents a first baseline useful to address future disaster-driven responses, to reinforce the resilience of the sector and to facilitate the design reconstruction plans and mitigation measures, such as financial aid strategies.publishe

The synergistic impacts of anthropogenic stressors and COVID-19 on aquaculture: a current global perspective

The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation, are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the context of other anthropogenic-driven threats including global climate change. Both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent significant economic challenges to aquaculture systems across the globe, threatening the supply chain of one of the most important sources of animal protein, with potential disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. A web survey was conducted in 47 countries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess how aquaculture activities have been affected by the pandemic, and to explore how these impacts compare to those from climate change. A positive correlation between the effects of the two categories of drivers was detected, but analysis suggests that the pandemic and the anthropogenic stressors affect different parts of the supply chain. The immediate measurable reported losses varied with aquaculture typology (land vs. marine, and intensive vs. extensive). A comparably lower impact on farmers reporting the use of integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) methods suggests that IMTA might enhance resilience to multiple stressors by providing different market options under the COVID-19 pandemic. Results emphasize the importance of assessing detrimental effects of COVID-19 under a multiple stressor lens, focusing on areas that have already locally experienced economic loss due to anthropogenic stressors in the last decade. Holistic policies that simultaneously address other ongoing anthropogenic stressors, rather than focusing solely on the acute impacts of COVID-19, are needed to maximize the long-term resilience of the aquaculture sector.publishe

Clinico-radiological features, molecular spectrum, and identification of prognostic factors in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy due to inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPase) deficiency

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 35 (DEE 35) is a severe neurological condition caused by biallelic variants in ITPA, encoding inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase, an essential enzyme in purine metabolism. We delineate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of DEE 35, analyzing possible predictors for adverse clinical outcomes. We investigated a cohort of 28 new patients and reviewed previously described cases, providing a comprehensive characterization of 40 subjects. Exome sequencing was performed to identify underlying ITPA pathogenic variants. Brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans were systematically analyzed to delineate the neuroradiological spectrum. Survival curves according to the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test were used to investigate outcome predictors in different subgroups of patients. We identified 18 distinct ITPA pathogenic variants, including 14 novel variants, and two deletions. All subjects showed profound developmental delay, microcephaly, and refractory epilepsy followed by neurodevelopmental regression. Brain MRI revision revealed a recurrent pattern of delayed myelination and restricted diffusion of early myelinating structures. Congenital microcephaly and cardiac involvement were statistically significant novel clinical predictors of adverse outcomes. We refined the molecular, clinical, and neuroradiological characterization of ITPase deficiency, and identified new clinical predictors which may have a potentially important impact on diagnosis, counseling, and follow-up of affected individuals

Cardiomyopathy as presenting sign of glycogenin-1 deficiency-report of three cases and review of the literature.

We describe a new type of cardiomyopathy caused by a mutation in the glycogenin-1 gene (GYG1). Three unrelated male patients aged 34 to 52 years with cardiomyopathy and abnormal glycogen storage on endomyocardial biopsy were homozygous for the missense mutation p.Asp102His in GYG1. The mutated glycogenin-1 protein was expressed in cardiac tissue but had lost its ability to autoglucosylate as demonstrated by an in vitro assay and western blot analysis. It was therefore unable to form the primer for normal glycogen synthesis. Two of the patients showed similar patterns of heart dilatation, reduced ejection fraction and extensive late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. These two patients were severely affected, necessitating cardiac transplantation. The cardiomyocyte storage material was characterized by large inclusions of periodic acid and Schiff positive material that was partly resistant to alpha-amylase treatment consistent with polyglucosan. The storage material had, unlike normal glycogen, a partly fibrillar structure by electron microscopy. None of the patients showed signs or symptoms of muscle weakness but a skeletal muscle biopsy in one case revealed muscle fibres with abnormal glycogen storage. Glycogenin-1 deficiency is known as a rare cause of skeletal muscle glycogen storage disease, usually without cardiomyopathy. We demonstrate that it may also be the cause of severe cardiomyopathy and cardiac failure without skeletal muscle weakness. GYG1 should be included in cardiomyopathy gene panels

Clinico-radiological features, molecular spectrum, and identification of prognostic factors in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy due to inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase (ITPase) deficiency.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 35 (DEE 35) is a severe neurological condition caused by biallelic variants in ITPA, encoding inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase, an essential enzyme in purine metabolism. We delineate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of DEE 35, analyzing possible predictors for adverse clinical outcomes. We investigated a cohort of 28 new patients and reviewed previously described cases, providing a comprehensive characterization of 40 subjects. Exome sequencing was performed to identify underlying ITPA pathogenic variants. Brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans were systematically analyzed to delineate the neuroradiological spectrum. Survival curves according to the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to investigate outcome predictors in different subgroups of patients. We identified 18 distinct ITPA pathogenic variants, including 14 novel variants, and two deletions. All subjects showed profound developmental delay, microcephaly, and refractory epilepsy followed by neurodevelopmental regression. Brain MRI revision revealed a recurrent pattern of delayed myelination and restricted diffusion of early myelinating structures. Congenital microcephaly and cardiac involvement were statistically significant novel clinical predictors of adverse outcomes. We refined the molecular, clinical, and neuroradiological characterization of ITPase deficiency, and identified new clinical predictors which may have a potentially important impact on diagnosis, counseling, and follow-up of affected individuals