Comparative assessment of the acute toxicity of commercial bio-based polymer leachates on marine plankton.

Conventional plastics have become a major environmental concern due to their persistence and accumulation in marine ecosystems. The development of potential degradable polymers (PBP), such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polylactic acid (PLA), has gained attention as an alternative to mitigate plastic pollution, since they have the potential to biodegrade under certain conditions, and their production is increasing as replacement of conventional polyolefins. This study aimed to assess and compare the toxicity of leachates of pre-compounding PBP (PLA and the PHA, polyhydroxybutyrate-covalerate (PHBv)) and polypropylene (PP) on five marine planktonic species.

Bioconcentration and lethal effects of gas-condensate and crude oil on nearshore copepod assemblages.

The progressive establishment of gas platforms and increasing petroleum accidents pose a threat to zooplankton communities and thus to pelagic ecosystems. This study is the first to compare the impacts of gas-condensate and crude oil on copepod assemblages. We conducted microcosm experiments simulating slick scenarios at five different concentrations of gas-condensate and crude oil to determine and compare their lethal effects and the bioconcentration of low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (LMW-PAHs) in eastern Mediterranean coastal copepod assemblages.

Does water column stratification influence the vertical distribution of microplastics?

Microplastic pollution has been confirmed in all marine compartments. However, information on the sub-surface microplastics (MPs) abundance is still limited. The vertical distribution of MPs can be influenced by water column stratification due to water masses of contrasting density.

Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web?

Microplastics (MPs) overlap in size with phytoplankton and can be ingested by zooplankton, transferring them to higher trophic levels. Copepods are the most abundant metazoans among zooplankton and the main link between primary producers and higher trophic levels. Ingestion of MPs has been investigated in the laboratory, but we still know little about the ingestion of MPs by zooplankton in the natural environment.

Aggregative Behaviour of Spiny Butterfly Rays ( Linnaeus, 1758) in the Shallow Coastal Zones of Gran Canaria in the Eastern Central Atlantic.

The presence of spiny butterfly rays, , in waters less than 20 m deep off the Canary Islands shows marked seasonality, with relatively high abundances in the summer and autumn. Large aggregations of sometimes hundreds of individuals, primarily females, appear in specific shallow areas of the archipelago and seem to be associated with the seasonal variation in water temperature. This seasonal pattern of presence or absence in shallow areas suggests that spiny butterfly rays migrate into deeper waters or other unknown areas during the rest of the year.

Abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface waters of the Kattegat/ Skagerrak (Denmark).

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants in the ocean, and there is a general concern about their persistence and potential effects on marine ecosystems. We still know little about the smaller size-fraction of marine MPs (MPs <300 μm), which are not collected with standard nets for MPs monitoring (e.g.

Microscopic Findings in the Cardiac Muscle of Stranded Extreme Deep-Diving Cuvier's Beaked Whales ().

Considerable information has been gained over the last few decades on several disease processes afflicting free-ranging cetaceans from a pathologist's point of view. Nonetheless, there is still a dearth of studies on the hearts of these species. For this reason, we aimed to improve our understanding of cardiac histological lesions occurring in free-ranging stranded cetaceans and, more specifically, in deep-diving Cuvier's beaked whales.

Nocardiosis in Free-Ranging Cetaceans from the Central-Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Contiguous Mediterranean Sea.

We report the pathologic features of nocardiosis in five free-ranging delphinids from the Canary Islands and Andalusia, namely four striped dolphins () and one bottlenose dolphin (). All animals had a multiorgan (disseminated) pattern of infection involving suppurative to pyogranulomatous and thromboembolic lesions in two or more organs. Most affected organs were (by decreasing order) lung, pulmonary lymph nodes, liver, kidney, adrenal glands, and central nervous system.

Antitumoral potential of carbamidocyclophanes and carbamidocylindrofridin A isolated from the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum stagnale BEA 0605B.

Three carbamidocyclophanes, A, F and V, and carbamidocylindrofridin A were isolated from the cultured freshwater cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum stagnale, collected in the Canary Islands. The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated through NMR, HRMS and ECD spectroscopy. The absolute configuration of carbamidocyclophane A was confirmed using X-ray-diffraction.

Violent encounter or capital punishment? Evidence of lethal violence in an indigenous burial from Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain).

This paper focuses on an unusual Pre-Hispanic burial, 11-12 century cal AD, from Fuerteventura Island. The pattern of injuries of the skeletal remains, together with the grave's features suggest exceptional circumstances of death and funerary treatment differing from those commonly observed elsewhere among the indigenous population of the Canary Archipelago. The study first uses forensic anthropology techniques to characterise the individual's injuries before turning to archaeological and ethno-historical records of the indigenous populations to identify the potential scenarios explaining the fatal injuries.

Accuracy of CAPRA-S Score for Predicting Long-Term Biochemical Progression After Radical Prostatectomy.

Background: The Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Postsurgical (CAPRA-S) score is a tool to stratify patients into groups according to their risk for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the CAPRA-S score for predicting biochemical progression at 5 and 10 years in our cohort of patients after radical prostatectomy.

Patients And Methods: Between June 2004 and December 2015, radical prostatectomy was performed as the main treatment option for patients with localized prostate cancer.

Molecular, serological, pathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological investigation of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil reveals new cetacean hosts.

Brucella-exposure and infection is increasingly recognized in marine mammals worldwide. To better understand the epidemiology and health impacts of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil, molecular (conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR), serological (Rose Bengal Test [RBT], Competitive [c]ELISA, Serum Agglutination Test [SAT]), pathological, immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or microbiological investigations were conducted in samples of 129 stranded or by-caught marine mammals (orders Cetartiodactyla [n = 124], Carnivora [n = 4] and Sirenia [n = 1]).

Comparative Immunopathology of Infection in Free-Ranging Dolphins From Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic.

(CeMV; ) causes epizootic and interepizootic fatalities in odontocetes and mysticetes worldwide. Studies suggest there is different species-specific susceptibility to CeMV infection, with striped dolphins (), bottlenose dolphins (), and Guiana dolphins () ranking among the most susceptible cetacean hosts. The pathogenesis of CeMV infection is not fully resolved.

Comparative histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical studies on CeMV infection among Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic cetaceans.

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a major natural cause of morbidity and mortality in cetaceans worldwide and results in epidemic and endemic fatalities. The pathogenesis of CeMV has not been fully elucidated, and questions remain regarding tissue tropism and the mechanisms of immunosuppression. We compared the histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical features in molecularly confirmed CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Atlantic (Brazil) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Northeast-Central Atlantic (Canary Islands, Spain) and the Western Mediterranean Sea (Italy).

Pathologic findings and causes of death of stranded cetaceans in the Canary Islands (2006-2012).

This study describes the pathologic findings and most probable causes of death (CD) of 224 cetaceans stranded along the coastline of the Canary Islands (Spain) over a 7-year period, 2006-2012. Most probable CD, grouped as pathologic categories (PCs), was identified in 208/224 (92.8%) examined animals.

Use of data mining to predict significant factors and benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation.

Data mining (DM) is a technique used to discover pattern and knowledge from a big amount of data. It uses artificial intelligence, automatic learning, statistics, databases, etc. In this study, DM was successfully used as a predictive tool to assess disyllabic speech test performance in bilateral implanted patients with a success rate above 90%.

MTHFR polymorphisms and serum cobalamin affect plasma homocysteine concentrations differentially in females and males.

A total of 523 subjects (297 females and 226 males) from the Canary Islands Nutrition Study (ENCA) were studied in order to examine the effect of the MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and 1793G>A polymorphisms, adjusted for age, serum (S)‑folate and S‑cobalamin levels, on total plasma homocysteine concentrations (tHcy). Genotyping was performed with Pyrosequencing® technology. The MTHFR 677T‑allele was associated with increased tHcy concentrations only in males (P=0.

Echocardiographic study of structure and functional cardiac profile of football referees.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze, through echocardiography, the structure and functional cardiac profile of national category Spanish soccer referees.

Methods: The sample consisted of 54 licensed referees, who belonged to the Football Inter-Insular Federation of Las Palmas. The sample presented a mean age of 28.

Mumps orchitis in the post-vaccine era (1967-2009): a single-center series of 67 patients and review of clinical outcome and trends.

Since the introduction of the mumps vaccine, the age of appearance of mumps infection has shifted from children to adolescents and young adults, groups with a higher incidence of disease complications and sequelae. During the years 2000-2001, the Gran Canaria Island was part of an epidemic of mumps. In that period, our institution attended 67 cases of serologically confirmed acute mumps orchitis, the most serious complication of mumps infection in young postpubertal males.

Black and bright-blood sequences magnetic resonance angiography and gross sections of the canine thorax: an anatomical study.

In this study, images of the canine thorax in transverse, dorsal and sagittal planes were obtained by black-blood T1 spin-echo pulse sequence and bright-blood gradient-echo sequence magnetic resonance imaging. The images were correlated with macroscopic cryosections and anatomical dissection of cadavers with blood vessels containing latex. Non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography was obtained from two mature Beagle breed dogs.

Steroid binding sites in liver membranes: interplay between glucocorticoids, sex steroids, and pituitary hormones.

Steroid hormones activate target cells through specific receptors that discriminate among ligands based upon recognition of distinct structural features. For most known steroids, membrane and nuclear receptors co-exist in many target cells. However, while the structure of the nuclear receptors and their function as transcriptional activators of specific target genes is generally well understood, the identity of the membrane receptors remains elusive.

Role of pituitary hormones on 17alpha-ethinylestradiol-induced cholestasis in rat.

Estrogens cause intrahepatic cholestasis in susceptible women during pregnancy, after administration of oral contraceptives, or during postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. 17alpha-Ethinylestradiol (EE) is a synthetic estrogen widely used to cause experimental cholestasis in rodents with the aim of examining molecular mechanisms involved in this disease. EE actions on the liver are thought to be mediated by estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and pituitary hormones.

Nutritional determinants of plasma total homocysteine distribution in the Canary Islands.

Objective: We sought to define plasma homocysteine reference values in healthy individuals in the Canary Islands and to determine its relations to folate and vitamin B12 intakes and concentrations.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Population-based representative sample of 557 participants, aged 18-65 years, from the Canary Islands Nutrition Survey (ENCA).

Olive oil consumption and risk of breast cancer in the Canary Islands: a population-based case-control study.

Background: Breast cancer mortality and incidence rates in the Canary Islands, and particularly in Gran Canaria, are higher than those in the rest of Spain.

Objectives And Design: A case-control study was designed to assess the role of differential fatty acid intakes and olive oil consumption on breast cancer risk in the Canary Islands. The study was conducted between 1999 and 2001, including a total of 755 women: 291 incident cases with confirmed breast cancer and 464 controls randomly selected from the Canary Island Nutrition Survey (ENCA).