In the period February 1989 to December 1998, the fish population on the Loano artificial reef (Ligurian Sea, Italy) was visually censused almost on a monthly basis (105 censuses). A total of 44 taxa ...were identified. Over the 10 years, species richness per census and the Shannon–Wiener diversity index gradually increased. The progressive evolution of the community has shown both the appearance of new species (Phycis phycis, Epinephelus marginatus, Muraena helena, Parablennius gattorugine) and the disappearance of others (Gobius cruentatus). Some species typical of hard substrata (Apogon imberbis, Scorpaena notata, Serranus cabrilla) have gradually increased in density over the 13 years since construction of the reef, indicating that stabilization of the community is a slow and long-term process. Copyright 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Feeding habits of four fish species (Diplodus annularis, Scorpaena porcus,Scorpaena notata, and Serranus cabrilla) caught on the Loano artificial reef were studied to assess the role played by the ...reef in their diet. Samples were obtained either by spear fishing on the reef or by a trammel net in the surrounding area. Diet composition in terms of decapods and amphipods (constituting the main prey groups) was compared with the species composition within these taxa present on the reef and on surrounding bottoms sampled using various techniques (e.g. suction sampling and grabs). S. porcus and S. notata caught with trammel nets feed very little on reef species (only 5% and 6%, respectively, of individuals belonging to species common to stomach contents and the blocks). The specimens of S. notata and S. cabrilla, caught by spear fishing on the blocks forming the reef, prove to be more closely related to the artificial structures, with 58% and 78%, respectively, of individuals belonging to species common to both. D. annularis feeds on a wider spectrum of species that are almost all present on the reef blocks (91%). Copyright 2002 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Visual census activities were implemented on a monthly basis from February 1989 to December 1998 to analyze trends in the fish population on the Loana artificial reef. This reef is located in the ...Ligurian Sea off the coast of Italy. Researchers documented gradual increases in the values for species richness per census and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. Analyses of the evolution of the community have identified the arrival of several new species, including Phycis phycis, Epinephelus marginatus, Muraena helena, and Parablennius gattorugine. Other species have disappeared from the region, including Gobius cruentatus. Gradual increases in the density of certain species typically favoring hard substrata have also been documented. Observed data underscored the long-term nature of reef community stabilization processes.
The aim of this study is to increase our knowledge of short-term (month) and long-term (3 year) trends in communities settled on hard artificial substrata at different depths off Loano (Lat. ...44°07′22″ Long. 8°16′25″). An artificial reef complex was built
in response to protection, mitigation and restoration needs in an area subjected to illegal trawling, destruction of seagrass beds and the discharge of muddy material. The reef complex consisted of large concrete blocks (2 × 2 × 2 m) arranged in pyramids and single small concrete
blocks (1.2 × 1.2 × 1.2 m). Short-term observations were intended to show seasonal changes in the settlement periods for exploitable resources such as oysters (Ostrea edulis). The long-term investigations were intended to show the pattern of sessile biota development, climax
stages and interaction with fishes. To accomplish these objectives, asbestos panels (20 × 30 × 0.4 cm) were immersed for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months at four stations in different depths. Photographic and removal sampling have been used since 1986. Results indicated consistent increases
in biomass, cover and number of sessile species with time of panel immersion. Decreases were observed in relation to depth, particularly from stations at −18 m to −30 m. Similar patterns of community development occurred over all 3 years. After 1 year the community was dominated
by encrusting bryozoans, serpulids, hydroids, barnacles, ascidians, bivalves and algae (also Corallinaceae), although they occurred in different proportions according to depth. Mussels were never dominant, as has been described for other artificial reefs in the Adriatic (Ancona) and Middle
Tyrrhenian Sea (Fregene). The activity of the sea-urchins Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula in cleaning the substrata is described. Five years after the immersion of concrete blocks a climax has not yet been reached. The community is still changing: in particular large
algae and sponges are increasing.
Thirty months after the construction of the Loano artificial reef a study of fish abundance was started. The method used both direct censuses at monthly intervals and limited fishing activity with ...longlines and trammels. The monthly census was carried out by two divers in the central
part of the artificial reef made up of pyramids, each consisting of five concrete cubic blocks with 2-m sides. The census was carried out in two main phases: first the observer counted the fish moving around him for 15 min and then he explored the holes and the internal corridors. The second
phase consisted of a 25-m crosswise movement between two pyramids. Observations were carried out over a period of 2 years, from February 1989 to February 1991, and 66 species of fish and invertebrates of fishing importance were caught and/or observed in the Loano artificial reef; 41 species
(of which three were Crustaceans and two Cephalopods) were censused during the above-mentioned dives. The most numerous families were Sparidae and Labridae, followed by Serranidae. The predominance of the first two families seems to be one of the general characteristics of rocky sea-bed fish
communities in the northwest Mediterranean. Seasonal changes in the qualitative and quantitative assemblages of fish are described. An important contribution to these changes was the appearance of juveniles, mainly in the latter half of the summer and in the autumn. It was in this period that
the maximum fish density occurred, while the minimum was registered in June. The number of fishes increased with the age of the artificial reef and the evolution of macrobenthos settlement. In particular the development of algae improved the reef's attractiveness to the Labridae species.
The fish population of a flat marine area (near Imperia in the Ligurian Sea), depths between 4 and 8 m, colonized by the allochthonous alga Caulerpa taxifolia (Valhl) C. Agardh, was studied during a ...series of observations from October 1994 to October 1996. Visual censuses and catches using 200 m trammel nets were carried out. Fifty different fish species were observed, Sparidae and Labridae, with 12 and 10 species respectively, were the two most represented families. Maximum Shannon-Weaver index obtained by censuses was 3.29 and by net catch 3.40. Abundances of Symphodus tinea and Scorpaena porcus seemed to be a characteristic of this community. A comparison with fishing data obtained in a control area without C. taxifolia, but colonized by the phanerogam Cymodocea nodosa, gave an idea of the changes produced in the fish population as a consequence of the spread of the allochthonous alga. A comparison with Mediterranean rocky environments indicated the existence of some shared qualitative characteristics as well as lower fish densities on the Caulerpa at the Imperia site.
Despite its primary economic importance, genomic information on olive tree is still lacking. 454 pyrosequencing was used to enrich the very few sequence data currently available for the Olea europaea ...species and to identify genes involved in expression of fruit quality traits.
Fruits of Coratina, a widely cultivated variety characterized by a very high phenolic content, and Tendellone, an oleuropein-lacking natural variant, were used as starting material for monitoring the transcriptome. Four different cDNA libraries were sequenced, respectively at the beginning and at the end of drupe development. A total of 261,485 reads were obtained, for an output of about 58 Mb. Raw sequence data were processed using a four step pipeline procedure and data were stored in a relational database with a web interface.
Massively parallel sequencing of different fruit cDNA collections has provided large scale information about the structure and putative function of gene transcripts accumulated during fruit development. Comparative transcript profiling allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes with potential relevance in regulating the fruit metabolism and phenolic content during ripening.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) is a necrotizing small vessel vasculitis with little or absent immune deposits (pauci-immune vasculitis), usually associated with the presence of antineutrophil ...cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) and a wide spectrum of organ manifestations.
In our report we describe the case of a 74-year-old Asian man, who rapidly developed lower limb weakness and impaired renal and pulmonary functions. ANCA detection remained borderline throughout the disease course. Electrophysiological and instrumental studies revealed a picture of neuromuscular involvement; renal and muscle biopsies disclosed a small vessel vasculitis. He was started on a targeted immunosuppressive combination therapy and his clinical status progressively improved. In the framework of a multi-organ disease, microscopic polyangiitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in case of acute/subacute onset of muscle weakness, even in the absence of ANCA detection.
●Peripheral nervous system involvement could be the first clinical manifestation of AAV.●Patients with pathology consistent with AAV may be ANCA negative on testing.●When laboratory tests result negative, a biopsy of involved organs should be performed.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic state, in relation to the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus disease- 2, responsible for the coronavirus ...disease- 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemical blast of COVID-19 uncovered well known weakness of financial chain and put our economic organizations facing off dramatic consequences if new strategies will not be developed to adapt health-care on detailed sub-groups of patients. Frail individual aged >65 years affected by cardiovascular disease are an aged population that showed a particular attitude to contract infection and a higher mortality rate compared to general population. In this brief article, we will focus on the management of issues related to cardiovascular patients facing coronavirus infection, in particular in the most fragile groups of the population such as the elderly, increasingly numerous and affected by multimorbidity. Protecting aged populations will be a central question, probably primary in everyone’s interest.
The aim of our study was to characterize the repolarization disorders propensity induced by drug-drug interaction. In this observational retrospective study, we report our experience on all elderly ...patients with ascertained diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 through nasopharyngeal swab with real time-polymerase chain reaction at our Pugliese-Ciaccio hospital in Catanzaro, who received hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), with or without azithromycin (AZY). 33 hospitalized patients were examined. We calculated QT value, cQT, QT dispersion, and cQT dispersion and examined possible progression on the basal electrocardiogram (T0) and after the insertion of the drug (T1). The QT value is increased by T0 vs T1 (370±40.74 vs 420±36.91 ms; P=0.000), as well as the cQT value (408±25.40 vs 451.54±58.81; P=0.003), the QT dispersion (QTd: 36.36±14.53 vs 50.90±13.12 ms; P=0.000); the dispersion of cQTc (cQTd 46.27±18.72 vs 63.18±21.93 ms; P=0.001). The ΔQT was 37.44±44.09 while the ΔcQT was 32.01±56.47). The main determinant of QTc prolongation is the number of drug at risk of prolongation of the QT that could influence the ventricular repolarization phase. The use of HCQ in combination with AZY, in patients suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2, can favor the onset of serious side effects, even potentially fatal. Finally, the measures of QTd and cQTd confirmed additional electrocardiographic parameters useful in identifying patients being treated with drugs at risk of potential adverse arrhythmic events following drug interaction.
PDF
