Human Health Risk Assessment For Arsenic: A Critical Review

Millions of people are exposed to arsenic resulting in a range of health implications.This paper provides an up-to-date review of the different sources of arsenic (water, soil and food), indicators of human exposure (biomarker assessment of hair, nail, urine and blood), epidemiological and toxicological studies on carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health outcomes, and risk assessment approaches. The review demonstrates a need for more work evaluating the risks of different arsenic species such as; arsenate, arsenite monomethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonous acid, dimethylarsinic acid and dimethylarsinous acid as well as a need to better integrate the different exposure sources in risk assessments

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Arsenic health problem in Northern Chile : evaluation and control; a case study; final report

Spanish version available in IDRC Digital Library: Contaminación con arsénico en el norte del Chile : evaluación y control; un estudio de caso; informe fina

Contaminación con arsénico en el norte de Chile : evaluación y control; un estudio de caso; informe final

English version available in IDRC Digital Library: Arsenic health problem in Northern Chile : evaluation and control; a case study; final repor

Desempenho e composição da carcaça de cordeiros deslanados terminados em confinamento com diferentes dietas Performance and carcass composition of shorn lambs finished in a feedlot on different diets

Este trabalho foi realizado com os objetivos de avaliar os efeitos da alimentação e do genótipo sobre as características quantitativas de carcaça de cordeiros terminados em confinamento e estimar sua margem bruta. Foram utilizados 18 cordeiros de cada genótipo: Morada Nova, Santa Inês e mestiços Dorper &#215; Santa Inês. As rações foram constituídas de 2,5 Mcal EM/kg MS e 2,94 Mcal EM/kg MS. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 &#215; 2. As dietas influenciaram o ganho de peso diário, o peso de corpo vazio, o escore corporal, a eficiência alimentar e o tempo de confinamento, enquanto o genótipo promoveu diferenças em todas as variáveis estudadas. A densidade calórica das dietas influenciou os rendimentos biológicos, de carcaça quente e fria, esses dois últimos influenciados pelos genótipos. A dieta mais energética (2,94 Mcal EM/kgMS) proporcionou maiores pesos absolutos de pescoço, paleta, costela, lombo e perna, porém, em valores relativos, cordeiros alimentados com diferentes níveis energéticos não diferiram quanto a essas características, independentemente do nível energético da dieta. Os rendimentos percentuais dos cortes foram influenciados pelos genótipos, exceto o corte pescoço. Os pesos de todos os cortes foram influenciados pelos genótipos. A maior margem bruta de carcaça foi obtida com ração de maior nível energético.<br>This study was performed with the objective of assessing the effects of feed and genotype on the quantitative characteristics of carcasses of lambs finished in a feedlot and estimate gross margins. Eighteen lambs of each genotype were used: Morada Nova, Santa Inês and cross-breed Dorper &#215; Santa Inês. Feeds with low and high energetic levels consisted of 2.5 Mcal ME/kg DM and 2.94 Mcal ME/kg DM, respectively. A randomized complete design was used, with a 3 &#215; 2 factorial scheme. The diets influenced daily weight gain, empty body weight, body score, feed efficiency and feedlot days, whilst the genotype promoted differences in all the variables studied. The caloric density of the diets influenced the biological hot and cold carcass yields, and the latter two were influenced by genotype. The more energetic diet (2.94 Mcal EM/kgDM) resulted in higher absolute weights of neck, shoulder, rib, loin and leg, but, in relative values, lambs fed with different energetic levels did not differ for these characteristics, regardless of the energetic level of the diet. The percentage yield of the cuts was influenced by the genotypes, except for the neck. The weights of all the cuts were influenced by genotypes. The treatment with the highest energy level resulted in the largest gross margin

A solution to the challenges of interdisciplinary aggregation and use of specimen-level trait data

Understanding variation of traits within and among species through time and across space is central to many questions in biology. Many resources assemble species-level trait data, but the data and metadata underlying those trait measurements are often not reported. Here, we introduce FuTRES (Functional Trait Resource for Environmental Studies; pronounced few-tress), an online datastore and community resource for individual-level trait reporting that utilizes a semantic framework. FuTRES already stores millions of trait measurements for paleobiological, zooarchaeological, and modern specimens, with a current focus on mammals. We compare dynamically derived extant mammal species' body size measurements in FuTRES with summary values from other compilations, highlighting potential issues with simply reporting a single mean estimate. We then show that individual-level data improve estimates of body mass—including uncertainty—for zooarchaeological specimens. FuTRES facilitates trait data integration and discoverability, accelerating new research agendas, especially scaling from intra- to interspecific trait variability. © 2022 The AuthorsOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]