523 research outputs found

    Pennella filosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Pennellidae) from Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces, Coryphaenidae) captured in western Mediterranean (Balearic Islands). Morphological and biological aspects

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    Sixty one fishes of the species Coryphaena hippurus (Linneo, 1758) have been examined for the presence of the pennellid copepod Pennella filosa (Linneo, 1758) from western Mediterranean (Balearic Islands). Prevalence was 46%. Head, neck, genital complex and abdomen were measured as well as horns. The cefalotorax of the parasites were attached in different locations on fishes but mainly on fins and dorsolateral muscles. Mean intensity, mean abundance and range were determined and data has been analysed by means of Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Likewise ecological aspects of the parasitism and some data of biological cycle were examined.Se han examinado sesenta y un especímenes de Coryphaena hippurus (Linneo, 1758) para hallar la presencia del copépodo del género Pennella Pennella filosa (Linneo, 1758) del Mediterráneo occidental (Islas Baleares). La prevalencia fue del 46%. Se realizaron mediciones de cabeza, cuello, complejo genital y abdomen, así como de los “cuernos”. El cefalotórax de los parásitos estaba adherido a diferentes partes del cuerpo de los peces, pero principalmente a las aletas y a los músculos dorsolaterales. Se determinaron la intensidad media, la abundancia media y el rango, y se analizaron los datos mediante el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson. Igualmente, se examinaron aspectos ecológicos del parasitismo y algunos datos del ciclo biológico.Ciencias del Ma

    Antioxidants: Positive or Negative Actors?

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    The term "antioxidant" is one of the most confusing definitions in biological/medical sciences. In chemistry, "antioxidant" is simply conceived "a compound that removes reactive species, mainly those oxygen-derived", while in a cell context, the conceptual definition of an antioxidant is poorly understood. Indeed, non-clinically recommended antioxidants are often consumed in large amounts by the global population, based on the belief that cancer, inflammation and degenerative diseases are triggered by high oxygen levels (or reactive oxygen species) and that through blocking reactive species production, organic unbalances/disorders can be prevented and/or even treated. The popularity of these chemicals arises in part from the widespread public mistrust of allopathic medicine. In fact, reactive oxygen species play a dual role in dealing with different disorders, since they may contribute to disease onset and/or progression but may also play a key role in disease prevention. Further, the ability of the most commonly used supplements, such as vitamins C, E, selenium, and herbal supplements to decrease pathologic reactive oxygen species is not clearly established. Hence, the present review aims to provide a nuanced understanding of where current knowledge is and where it should go.Antoni Sureda acknowledges the support of Institute of Health Carlos III (Project CIBEROBNCB12/03/30038). Natália Martins thank to Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT–Portugal) for the Strategic project ref. UID/BIM/04293/2013 and “NORTE2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte” (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000012)

    Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Europe 2014: More than 40 000 transplants annually

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    A record number of 40 829 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in 36 469 patients (15 765 allogeneic (43%), 20 704 autologous (57%)) were reported by 656 centers in 47 countries to the 2014 survey. Trends include: continued growth in transplant activity, more so in Eastern European countries than in the west; a continued increase in the use of haploidentical family donors (by 25%) and slower growth for unrelated donor HSCT. The use of cord blood as a stem cell source has decreased again in 2014. Main indications for HSCT were leukemias: 11 853 (33%; 96% allogeneic); lymphoid neoplasias; 20 802 (57%; 11% allogeneic); solid tumors; 1458 (4%; 3% allogeneic) and non-malignant disorders; 2203 (6%; 88% allogeneic). Changes in transplant activity include more allogeneic HSCT for AML in CR1, myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) and aplastic anemia and decreasing use in CLL; and more autologous HSCT for plasma cell disorders and in particular for amyloidosis. In addition, data on numbers of teams doing alternative donor transplants, allogeneic after autologous HSCT, autologous cord blood transplants are presented

    EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF MICROPLASTICS INGESTION IN SPARUS AURATA

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    Increasing global research has identified microplastics (MPs) to be impacting marine organisms. The present work aimed at investigating the physiological and behavioral effects of thirty-six juvenile Sparus aurata exposed to control, virgin and weathered MPs enriched diets during a 21-day period under controlled conditions. Physiological effects were assessed in liver and brain using the following biomarkers: activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GRd), the detoxifying enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as indicative of lipid peroxidation. Individuals were recorded for behavior analysis (i.e. social interactions and feeding behavior). Results revealed an increase in cellular stress from control to weathered fish groups, with the virgin group showing intermediate levels in all quantified biomarkers. Significant differences were found in the liver for all biomarkers except for MDA, suggesting that exposure time to MPs in this experiment is long enough to trigger the activation of antioxidant enzymes but not to produce cell damage by lipid peroxidation. In brain tissue samples, fish from the weathered group presented significantly higher values for CAT and SOD, highlighting its function as primary antioxidants. Regarding behavioral effects, results showed that the two MPs enriched groups were significantly bolder during social interactions and, although no significantly, tended to be more active during feeding. In conclusion, MPs which have been weathered in marine environmental conditions produces a higher physiological response than virgin MPs but also, a physiological response is variable depending on the tissue analyzed. In addition, a short period to MP exposure seems to affect overall social and feeding behavior but, further research is needed to assess long-term effects of MP ingestion and its potential consequences on fish populations
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