Potential interactions between metazoan parasites of the Mayan catfish Ariopsis assimilis and chemical pollution in Chetumal Bay, Mexico

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.M. Vidal-Martínez ◽  
M.L. Aguirre-Macedo ◽  
E. Noreña-Barroso ◽  
G. Gold-Bouchot ◽  
P.I. Caballero-Pinzón

AbstractThe effect of pollutants on the intensity of infection of metazoan parasites in the Mayan catfish, Ariopsis assimilis was investigated. Data were collected on pollutants and metazoan parasites from 76 catfish from five localities in Chetumal Bay in October, 1996. Nineteen pollutants (pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) were found in the catfish livers. Heavy metal content was not determined. Nineteen metazoan parasite species were recovered. After controlling for fish length and sampling station, there was a significant negative linear relationship between the intensity of the larval digenean Mesostephanus appendiculatoides and 1,1,1,-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) concentrations. This negative relationship may be explained either by the effect of the pesticide on the mortality of (i) free-living larval forms, (ii) metacercariae in the fish, (iii) infected fish or (iv) intermediate host snails. There were significant differences between fish parasitized and not parasitized with M. appendiculatoides with respect to their DDT concentrations. There were also significant differences between the variances of the mean Clark's coefficient of condition values between catfish parasitized and not parasitized by M. appendiculatoides, with the variance of non-parasitized catfish being significantly larger. The results provided statistical evidence that DDT has a detrimental effect on M. appendiculatoides infection intensity. Furthermore, the significantly larger variance value of Clark's coefficient for non-parasitized fish suggested that DDT affects both the parasite and general host condition.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Cardoso Torres ◽  
CX Resende ◽  
PG Diogo ◽  
P Araujo ◽  
RA Pinto ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Adults with repaired aortic coarctation (CoA) require lifelong follow-up due to late complications, including left ventricular (LV) myocardial dysfunction. Age at the time of CoA repair is an important prognostic factor in these patients (pts). Purpose To evaluate LV size, ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) values using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in a population of adult pts with repaired CoA and to assess the relationship between these echocardiographic parameters and age at the time of CoA repair. Methods Retrospective analysis of adult pts with repaired CoA, followed in a Grown Up Congenital Heart Disease Centre. Pts with hemodynamically significant concomitant cardiac lesions were ruled out. Epidemiologic and clinical data were obtained from clinical records. Transthoracic echocardiograms were reviewed in order to assess GLS using 2DSTE (Echopac Software, GE). Results The study population consisted of 63 pts (61.9% male), with a mean age of 35.3 years at the time of the echocardiographic evaluation. The mean age at the time of the CoA repair was 117 months (95% CI 89.8-144.1 months). Surgical repair was performed in 46 pts (73%): resection with subclavian artery flap aortoplasty (n = 21); patch aortoplasty (n = 15) and head-to-head anastomosis (n = 10). In 10 pts there was no data regarding the type of surgical repair. Seven pts (11.1%) were submitted to percutaneous intervention (6 with aortic stent implantation and 1 with balloon aortic angioplasty). Mean LVEF was 63.4% (CI 95% 55.6 – 71.2%) and mean LV end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) was 50mm (CI 95% 43-57mm). Mean GLS was - 17.3 (CI 95% 14.8- 19.8), which is inferior to the mean normal values reported for the software used. Age at the time of CoA repair had a statistically significant positive linear relationship with LVEDD (r= 0.282; p= 0.026) and a linear negative relationship with both GLS (r= -0,29; p= 0.022) and LVEF (r= -0.33; p= 0.05). Conclusion Older age at the time of CoA repair was associated with increased LVEDD and decreased GLS and LVEF. Also, GLS may be an important tool for the identification of subclinical LV dysfunction in adult pts with repaired CoA.


2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Y. Yuan ◽  
Han Y. H. Chen ◽  
Ling H. Li

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) can be divided into two components, i.e. N productivity (A) and the mean residence time (MRT). Controlled experiments indicate that there is not a trade-off between A and MRT within species, but this theory has not been well tested in field conditions. Here, we studied the A, MRT and NUE of Stipa krylovii Roshev. in a grassland over 4 years of N fertilisation experimentation. The three parameters (A, MRT and NUE) were significantly related to soil N supply and there was a negative relationship between A and MRT within this species (r = –0.775, P < 0.05), i.e. plants with higher A had lower MRT. Our results showed a trade-off between A and MRT within this Stipa species and this observed trade-off was attributed to different responses of A and MRT to soil fertility.


Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Telesiński ◽  
Anna Kiepas-Kokot

The objective of this study was to assess the soil pollution on an industrial wasteland, where coal-tar was processed in the period between 1880 and 1997, and subsequent to assess the decline in the content of phenols and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during enhanced natural attenuation. The soil of the investigated area was formed from a layer of uncompacted fill. Twelve sampling points were established in the investigated area for collecting soil samples. A study conducted in 2015 did not reveal any increase in the content of heavy metals, monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX), and cyanides. However, the content of PAHs and phenols was higher than the content permitted by Polish norms in force until 2016. In the case of PAHs, it was observed for individual compounds and their total contents. Among the various methods, enhanced natural attenuation was chosen for the remediation of investigated area. Repeated analyses of the contents of phenols and PAHs were conducted in 2020. The results of the analyses showed that enhanced natural attenuation has led to efficient degradation of the simplest substances—phenol and naphthalene. The content of these compounds in 2020 was not elevated compared to the standards for industrial wastelands. The three- and four-ring hydrocarbons were degraded at a lower intensity. Based on the mean decrease in content after 5-year enhanced natural attenuation, the compounds can be arranged in the following order: phenols > naphthalene > phenanthrene > fluoranthene > benzo(a)anthracene > chrysene > anthracene.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 529
Author(s):  
Wafa Boulajfene ◽  
Montassar Lasram ◽  
Sabiha Zouari-Tlig

This work aims to assess the spatial and temporal variations of four biomarkers activities and to integrate their biological responses in a battery using the gastropod Phorcus turbinatus. The monitoring was carried out during the period between April 2014 and January 2015 at six stations along the northern and the northeastern coasts of Tunisia. The Fulton condition factor was estimated and the activities of catalase, acetylcholinesterase and glutathione-S-transferase were evaluated by spectrophotometry. A multi-biomarker battery approach was used to assess ecosystems’ condition and to identify environmental impacts on the organisms. The results suggest that the enzymatic activities of CAT and GST depend especially on seasons. As for AChE activity, it was similar between seasons and stations. The values of the integrated biological response were maximal at Jarzouna in summer and at Sidi Daoued in winter, indicating the presence of severe stressors suffered by the organisms. This perturbation may be due to the enrichment of the waters by xenobiotics, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, insecticides, phosphate wastes, PCBs and pesticides. Thus, P. turbinatus seems to be a good bioindicator of chemical pollution, constituting an adequate tool for a bio-monitoring program.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahareh Honari ◽  
Seyed Mehran Homam ◽  
Maryam Nabipour ◽  
Zahra Mostafavian ◽  
Arezou Farajpour ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders with physical, emotional, and social consequences. Previous studies indicate that epilepsy symptoms can highly affect the epileptic patients’ satisfaction in life. The aim of the present study is to investigate the QOL of People with Epilepsy (PWE) in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. Methods In this study, 100 patients were randomly selected. After confirmation of the diagnosis of epilepsy by neurologists and fulfilling the entrance criteria, patients completed the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 inventory (QOLIE-31) questionnaire. Finally, data was analyzed statistically by SPSS software. Results The study sample comprised 100 PWE, aged 18–74 years (34 ± 13), of whom 58 (58%) were females. Tonic-colonic seizure was the most common (60%) type of seizure. The obtained score of each subscale and the range of the QOLIE-31 total score was 16.40–79.18 with the mean of 50 (SD = 16). The energy-fatigue subscale score was significantly higher in patients younger than 35 (p = 0.018). The data analysis showed that the seizure worry subscale was significantly higher in single patients (p = 0.04). Duration of epilepsy had a positive correlation with QOLIE-31 total score (p = 0.038), and a negative relationship with energy-fatigue subscale (p = 0.018). In contrast with previous studies, which reported the frequency of the epileptic episodes as the most important predictor of QOL, our results showed no significant correlation between the number of the episodes and overall QOL score (p = 0.063). However, the number of episodes was significantly correlated with emotional well-being and cognition subscales. Furthermore, the results indicated that poor QOL score is correlated with depressed mood. Conclusion In fact, the ultimate and preferred outcome of all treatments and care interventions is the patient’s QOL. Thus, improvement of the QOL by means of obtaining more information about its contributing factors, in PWE should be one of the main goals in the patients’ treatment.


1969 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Maxwell

In 1932 all 11-year-old children in Scottish schools were given a group intelligence test, and a sample of 1000 was individually tested. The future careers of this sample were followed till 1939. In 1968, 709 of the original sample could be traced, and data about education, employment, and family were obtained. In 1947, a parallel survey was conducted in Scotland, and a sample of 1208 children was individually tested, and followed up for 16 years. The same data about education, employment and family are available for the 1947 Sample.A comparison between length of school education indicates a greater proportion completing a full secondary education in the 1947 than in the 1932 Sample. Proportionally, more of the 1947 Sample graduated from university. In marriage, it is possible to cut across the 1932 Sample at the age of 27 years, to make direct comparison with the 1947 Sample at the same age. The greatest incidence of marriage is in the middle range of IQ, but later records for the 1932 Sample show a relative uniformity of marriage over the IQ range. The pattern for occupational class is similar. There is a slight tendency to later marriage in the 1932 Sample. Two measures of differential fertility for IQ are used. For both samples, there is a negative relationship between the mean IQs of the sample members and the number of their sibs, more marked for the 1947 Sample. The number of children born to members of the two samples before the age of 27 years shows a similar relationship, but in the following 20 years the pattern for the 1932 Sample changes to one with a peak of mean IQ at two children. It is suggested that linear differential fertility for IQ may be a function of the age of the parent.


2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-585
Author(s):  
Masoumeh Golshan ◽  
Maryam Dastoorpour ◽  
Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary

Pseudomonas facilis and Pseudomonasspp., isolated on the basis of its ability to grow on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, was assayed for biosurfactant production (BP) potentials by measuring the surface tension (ST) of the culture supernatant at different time intervals. The strains in three levels of initial inoculum size (OD600 nm = 0.5, 1, 1.5) were added to medium to determine if bacterial inoculum size affects solubilization of phenanthrene (PHE).The result showed that although the two strains reduced the mean ST to less than 34.12 mN m−1 at the end of day 6, mean solubilization activity of PHE reached 77.05 mg L−1 on the sixth day. There was a significant increase in BP over time (P = 0.008); reaching its peak, 157.84 mg L−1, at the end of the sixth day. Mean solubilization activity of PHE was not significantly different for the two strains (P = 0.216). The time-course study revealed that the ST reduction and BP potential was enhanced as inoculation size increased, leading to higher PHE solubility during the incubation time. However, the trend of increase in PHE solubility was not totally in the same way to cell growth and BP. It may be suggested that more bacterial density needs to be inoculated for practical application of effective bioremediation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo D. Jimenez Castro ◽  
Abhinaya Venkatesan ◽  
Elizabeth Redman ◽  
Rebecca Chen ◽  
Abigail Malatesta ◽  
...  

AbstractThe hookworm Ancylostoma caninum is the most prevalent nematode parasite of dogs. Recently, we confirmed multiple-drug resistance (MDR) in several A. caninum isolates to all anthelmintic drug classes approved for the treatment of hookworms in dogs in the United States (USA). Cases of MDR hookworms appear to be highly overrepresented in greyhounds, suggesting that the MDR worms evolved on racing greyhound farms/kennels. The aims of this study were to evaluate the range of drug-resistant phenotypes and genotypes of the A. caninum infecting greyhounds. Fecal samples from recently retired greyhounds originating from geographically diverse areas of the USA were acquired from two greyhound adoption kennels, one active greyhound racing kennel, and three veterinary practices that work with adoption kennels. Fecal egg counts (FECs) were performed on fecal samples from 219 greyhounds, and despite almost all the dogs having been treated with one or more anthelmintics in the previous two to four weeks, the mean FEC was 822.4 eggs per gram (EPG). Resistance to benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones were measured using the egg hatch assay (EHA) and the larval development assay (LDA) respectively. We performed 23 EHA and 22 LDA on either individual or pooled feces, representing 81 animals. Mean and median IC50 and IC95 values for the EHA were 5.3 uM, 3.6 uM, and 24.5 uM, 23.4 uM respectively. For the LDA, mean and median IC50 values were 749.8 nM, >1000 nM respectively. These values range from 62 to 68 times higher than those we measured in our susceptible laboratory isolates. Pre-treatment fecal samples could not be obtained, however, post-treatment samples representing 219 greyhounds were collected. For samples collected <10 days post-treatment with albendazole, moxidectin, or a combination of febantel-pyrantel-moxidectin, the mean FEC were 349, 333, and 835 EPG, respectively. Samples collected 10-21 days post-treatment with albendazole, moxidectin, or pyrantel, yielded mean FEC of 1874, 335, and 600 EPG, respectively. Samples collected >21 days post-treatment with albendazole or moxidectin yielded mean FEC of 1819 and 1117 EPG, respectively. We obtained DNA from hookworm eggs isolated from 70 fecal samples, comprised of 60 individual dogs and 10 pools from multiple dogs. Deep sequencing of the isotype 1 β-tubulin gene revealed the presence of the F167Y (TTC>TAC) resistance polymorphism in 99% of these samples, with 69% having ≥75% resistant allele frequency. No resistance-associated polymorphisms were seen at any of the other β-tubulin codons previously reported as associated with benzimidazole resistance in Strongylid nematodes. These clinical, in vitro, and genetic data provide strong evidence that racing and recently retired greyhound dogs in the USA are infected with MDR A. caninum at very high levels in terms of both prevalence and infection intensity.


Author(s):  
IKECHUKWU OFOMATA ◽  
LYNDA ONYINYE OBODOECHI ◽  
REGINALD IKECHUKWU OBIDIKE ◽  
JOHN ANAELOM NWANTA

Objective: This study evaluated the presence and concentration of PAHs in singed and unsinged hides and skin of slaughter cattle and goats and smoked and non-smoked fish in Awka urban area of Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: Sixty samples of singed and unsinged hides and skin for were collected from Kwata slaughterhouse in Awka town where fish tissues were also collected from fish smoking spots in Awka urban. The samples were examined for the presence PAHs such as: benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[a]anthracene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector. Results: The result showed that the mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene and indeno [1-2-3cd]pyrene in unsinged cattle hides were 7.89±7.77 and 2.25±0.97 respectively. The mean concentrations upon singeing were of 15.81±14.93 and 3.55±2.89. The mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in unsigned goat skins were 6.52±10.77; 6.58±5.93 and 3.48±0.00 respectively. When the goatskin was singed, the mean concentrations were 17.50±26.03; 10.84±11.19 and 8.79±11.77. The mean concentrations (µg/kg) of benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[k]flouranthene and indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in non-smoked fish were 8.65±9.67; 2.11±2.10 and 54.76±60.35 respectively. When the fish were smoked, the mean concentrations of 26.42±40.21; 6.64±11.11 and 599.36±1395.61 were recorded respectively. In all species of animals sampled, no trace of benzo[a]anthracene was detected. Conclusion: The mean concentrations of all carcinogenic PAHs detected in this work were below the maximum permissible level set by World Health Organization (WHO) and European Commission (30µg/kg) with the exception of indeno[1-2-3cd]pyrene in smoked and non-smoked fish, which was far above the permissible level.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 4795-4800
Author(s):  
R. Marin Galvin

The E-PRTR EU Regulation can be followed for the evaluation of the level of pollutants of emerging concern in treated wastewater. This regulation is of regional responsibility in the UE, and establishes for the Andalusian region of Spain the following pollution parameters as mandatory to be controlled periodically in treated wastewater in Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) with more than 100.000 equivalent inhabitants of treatment capacity: COD, N-Kjeldahl, total P, Cl-, F- (conventional pollution); As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Zn and Pb, as heavy metals; PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), adsorbed organic halides (AOXs), benzene and chloroform, as organic compounds. This paper shows results obtained in the application of the E-PRTR Regulation to the wastewater of Cordoba during 2009-2018. As shown, average of COD, N-Kjeldahl an total P values, respectively, in urban and treated wastewater were 604 and 89 mg/L, 54.1 and 33.4 mg/L and 3.4 and 1.4 mg/L. With respect to heavy metals, the mean content in treated wastewater was 0.135 mg/L, starting from 0.226 mg/L in raw wastewater. The majority of these are Cu and Zn (0.043 mg/L and 0.107 mg/L, respectively, in raw wastewater). For pollutants of emerging concern, the mean content of PAHs was 13 ng/L in treated water vs 31 ng/L in raw wastewater. Moreover, concentration of AOXs in raw wastewater was of 20 ng/L while in treated wastewater decreased up to 16 ng/L. Also, benzene content in raw wastewater and treated wastewater decreased from 40 ng/L to 11 ng/L. Finally, the major organic compound was chloroform, with a level in raw wastewater of 5.6 ng/L that was reduced along the treatment up to 3.2 ng/L. The provided data indicated a low concentration of the compounds of emerging concern in the wastewater of Cordoba and its minimal impact on the receiving aquatic environment (the Guadalquivir river).


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