This study reviews published information on
Mugil cephalus
from around the world, with recent genetic studies indicating that the flathead mullet may indeed be a species complex. Disciplines that are ...covered range from the taxonomy, genetics and systematics, through a variety of biological and ecological attributes, to biomarker and fisheries studies. The eurytopic nature of
M. cephalus
is emphasized, with the migratory life history covering a succession of very different aquatic environments (e.g. rivers, estuaries, coastal lakes/lagoons, marine littoral, open ocean), each of which is occupied for varying lengths of time, depending on the population characteristics within a region and the life-history stage of the species. Interpretation of these movements over time has been greatly enhanced by the use of otolith micro-chemistry which has enabled scientists to map out the different habitats occupied by individual fish at the different life stages. The range of physico-chemical attributes within these environments necessitates a wide tolerance to differing conditions, especially with regard to salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature, all of which are discussed in this review. The importance of
M. cephalus
to the ecological functioning of coastal systems is emphasized, as well as the pivotal role that this species fulfills in fisheries in some parts of the world. The parasites range from internal trematode and cestode infestations, to external branchyuran and copepod parasites, which use
M. cephalus
as either an intermediate or final host. The value of the flathead mullet as a biomarker for the monitoring of the health of coastal habitats is discussed, as well as its potential as an indicator or sentinel species for certain ecosystems.
We report the first measurement of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) on argon using a liquid argon detector at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source. Two ...independent analyses prefer CEvNS over the background-only null hypothesis with greater than 3σ significance. The measured cross section, averaged over the incident neutrino flux, is (2.2±0.7)×10^{-39} cm^{2}-consistent with the standard model prediction. The neutron-number dependence of this result, together with that from our previous measurement on CsI, confirms the existence of the CEvNS process and provides improved constraints on nonstandard neutrino interactions.
Background. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is the most common infectious complication after solid organ transplantation, frequently affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are limited data on ...quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for plasma CMV DNA as an adjunct diagnostic method for GI tract disease in kidney and liver transplant recipients. Methods. We reviewed all records of adult kidney and liver transplant recipients with a GI tract biopsy and plasma CMV qPCR result within 15 days of biopsy during a 6.5-year period at our center. CMV GI tract disease was defined as histopathologic evidence of CMV on biopsy by immunohistochemistry or visualization of inclusion bodies. Results. GI tract biopsy and qPCR results were available for 81 kidney and liver transplant recipients; 20 cases of confirmed CMV GI tract disease were identified. Overall, the sensitivity of qPCR for diagnosing CMV GI tract disease was 85% (95% confidence interval CI, 61%–96%), and the specificity was 95% (95% CI, 85%–99%). For CMV-seronegative recipients (R - ) with CMV-seropositive donors (D + ), the sensitivity of qPCR was 100% (95% CI, 59%–99%), and the specificity was 80% (95% CI, 30%–99%). The lowest sensitivity was observed in CMV D + /R + cases (72.7%; 95% CI, 39%–93%). The mean plasma CMV copy number in patients with GI tract disease was 3.84 log10 (38 334 copies/mL). Conclusions. Plasma CMV qPCR had good sensitivity and excellent specificity for CMV GI tract disease in kidney and liver transplant recipients. Its sensitivity was 100% in CMV D + /R - cases but 72.7% in CMV D + /R + cases. This variation in assay performance according to host serostatus may reflect differences in disease pathogenesis.
DNA barcoding grey mullets Durand, J.-D.; Hubert, N.; Shen, K.-N. ...
Reviews in fish biology and fisheries,
03/2017, Letnik:
27, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Despite the ecological and commercial importance of grey mullets (fish family Mugilidae), their taxonomy and systematics are still much debated. Reasons for this are the low level of morphometric ...variability and the relatively poor phylogenetic information borne by the morpho-anatomical characters used thus far in diagnosing species. Here, we evaluate the potential of
DNA
barcoding to accurately delineate species and assign unknown specimens to taxa in the family Mugilidae. Our reference sample consists of 257 individuals from 91 lineages characterized by their nucleotide sequences at the
COI
, cytochrome
b
, and 16S rRNA loci. These lineages correspond to 55 species according to the current taxonomy, and 36 presumed cryptic species. All known and presumed cryptic species within the ‘
Mugil cephalus
’ (
n
= 15) and ‘
M. curema
’ (
n
= 6) species complexes, as well as within genera
Chelon
(
n
= 10),
Crenimugil
(
n
= 6),
Osteomugil
(
n
= 6), and
Planiliza
(
n
= 18) were successfully recovered as distinct lineages by
COI
gene sequences (598 bp), demonstrating the utility of this marker to delineate species in the family Mugilidae. Inconsistencies in the labeling of sequences deposited in GenBank were ascribed to species misidentification. A proportion of these misidentifications occurred in the course of dedicated barcoding surveys, further emphasizing the need for an accurate and exhaustive reference barcoding database for Mugilidae.
Potential trophic competition between two sympatric mullet species, Mugil cephalus and Mugil curema, was explored in the hypersaline estuary of the Saloum Delta (Senegal) using δ13C and δ15N ...composition of muscle tissues. Between species, δ15N compositions were similar, suggesting a similar trophic level, while the difference in δ13C compositions indicated that these species did not feed from exactly the same basal production sources or at least not in the same proportions. This result provides the first evidence of isotopic niche segregation between two limno‐benthophageous species belonging to the geographically widespread, and often locally abundant, Mugilidae family.
To characterize infants affected with perinatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who were referred to regional neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and their related short-term outcomes.
This ...is a descriptive study evaluating the data collected prospectively in the Children's Hospital Neonatal Database, comprised of 27 regional NICUs within their associated children's hospitals. A consecutive sample of 945 referred infants born ⩾36 weeks' gestation with perinatal HIE in the first 3 days of life over approximately 3 years (2010-July 2013) were included. Maternal and infant characteristics are described. Short-term outcomes were evaluated including medical comorbidities, mortality and status of survivors at discharge.
High relative frequencies of maternal predisposing conditions, cesarean and operative vaginal deliveries were observed. Low Apgar scores, profound metabolic acidosis, extensive resuscitation in the delivery room, clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures, abnormal EEG background and brain imaging directly correlated with the severity of HIE. Therapeutic hypothermia was provided to 85% of infants, 15% of whom were classified as having mild HIE. Electrographic seizures were observed in 26% of the infants. Rates of complications and morbidities were similar to those reported in prior clinical trials and overall mortality was 15%.
Within this large contemporary cohort of newborns with perinatal HIE, the application of therapeutic hypothermia and associated neurodiagnostic studies appear to have expanded relative to reported clinical trials. Although seizure incidence and mortality were lower compared with those reported in the trials, it is unclear whether this represented improved outcomes or therapeutic drift with the treatment of milder disease.
To determine the species diversity of cichlids in the Banc d'Arguin National Park (PNBA) and their phylogenetic relationships with other species in West Africa, a morphometric and meristic and ...molecular phylogenetic study was conducted. Both approaches not only confirm the presence of Sarotherodon melanotheron in PNBA but also demonstrate the presence of a second species from the genus Coptodon. While morphometric characteristics match the description of the Guinean tilapia Coptodon guineensis, phylogenetic reconstructions based on three mitochondrial and one nuclear DNA fragment demonstrate that C. guineensis is paraphyletic over its range. Because different lineages of C. guineensis are allopatric, the distribution of C. guineensis should be restricted to Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The many other lineages of this species should be considered as C. sp. aff. guineensis.
With the persistence of a drought since the late 1960s, some West African estuaries became permanently reversed in term of salinity gradient and hypersaline waters are present in their upstream part ...(salinity >60). To understand the mechanisms regulating fish recruitment intensity in these estuaries and evaluate the consequences of freshwater shortages on juvenile habitat quality, a growth study was conducted in the Saloum hypersaline estuary (Senegal). The Mugilidae fish family, highly representative of estuarine environments, was targeted and several species sampled (Chelon dumerili, Mugil bananensis and M. cf. curema sp. M). Juveniles were sampled monthly all the year round in three areas of the estuary exhibiting strongly contrasted habitat conditions. Otolith sections were used to estimate the ages, reconstruct growth trajectories, estimate the duration of the oceanic larval phase, and evaluate juvenile growth variability along the salinity gradient. Analyses revealed that the temporal recruitment variability of C. dumerili, with 2 annual cohorts, was not mainly induced by growth-selection mechanisms, but probably more by predation pressures. Juveniles exhibited significantly faster growth rates in the lower salinity suggesting that benthic food availability was a strong factor controlling habitat quality of early juveniles. Salinity had also a clear impact when reducing the growth in hypersaline conditions and/or selecting slower growing individuals. Moderate freshwater inputs positively affected the nursery function of the estuary for mugilids by enhancing the productivity of the first trophic levels. In a long term, the global change could have an impact of the mugilid fishery and its management.
The Neolithic transition is a particularly favorable field of research for the study of the emergence and evolution of cultures and cultural phenomena. In this framework, high-precision chronologies ...are essential for decrypting the rhythms of emergence of new techno-economic traits. As part of a project exploring the conditions underlying the emergence and dynamics of the development of the first agro-pastoral societies in the Western Mediterranean, this paper proposes a new chronological modeling. Based on 45 new radiocarbon (14C) dates and on a Bayesian statistical framework, this work examines the rhythms and dispersal paths of the Neolithic economy both on coastal and continental areas. These new data highlight a complex and far less unidirectional dissemination process than that envisaged so far.
Using an 185-kg NaITl array, COHERENT has measured the inclusive electron-neutrino chargedcurrent cross section on 127I with pion decay-at-rest neutrinos produced by the Spallation Neutron Source at ...Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Iodine is one the heaviest targets for which low-energy (≤ 50 MeV) inelastic neutrino-nucleus processes have been measured, and this is the first measurement of its inclusive cross section. After a five-year detector exposure, COHERENT reports a flux-averaged cross section for electron neutrinos of ${9.2}_{—1.8}^{+2.1}$ × 10—40 cm2. This corresponds to a value that is ~41% lower than predicted using the MARLEY event generator with a measured Gamow-Teller strength distribution. In addition, the observed visible spectrum from charged-current scattering on 127I has been measured between 10 and 55 MeV, and the exclusive zero-neutron and one-or-more-neutron emission cross sections are measured to be ${5.2}_{—3.1}^{+3.4}$ × 10—40 and ${2.2}_{—2.2}^{+3.5}$ × 10—40 cm2, respectively.
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