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A descriptive observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. The clinical characteristics, etiologic agents, treatments and outcome of 33 cases of tinea capitis in the Mycology Unit at Francisco J. Muniz Hospital of Buenos Aires City between January 2015 and December 2019 were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 7 years, 21 of whom were male, 3 were HIV-positive and 22 had pets. The isolated etiologic agents were the following: Microsporum canis in 22 cases, Trichophyton tonsurans in 8, Nannizzia gypsea in 2 and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in one patient. Suppurative tinea capitis (krion Celsi) was detected in 10 cases and the same number of patients presented other skin locations of their dermatophytosis in addition to those in the scalp. Twenty-one cases were orally treated with griseofulvin and 12 with terbinafine. Those patients with suppurative tinea capitis received drops of betamethasone by mouth besides the antifungal drugs. All patients had good clinical and mycological response to the treatments, all lesions disappeared, and mycological studies turned negative by the end of the treatments. We conclude that both drugs were effective for the treatment of tinea capitis; however, lesions in those cases receiving terbinafine involuted more slowly.

Background Cryptococcosis is a severe universally distributed mycosis which mainly affects immunocompromised hosts. This mycosis is caused by yeasts of two species complex of the genus Cryptococcus: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Meningeal cryptococcosis is the most frequent clinical presentation of this disseminated mycosis. The oral mucosa involvement is extremely unusual. Case report We present a case of cryptococcosis with an unusual clinical form. The patient was assisted because she had an ulcerated lesion on the lingual mucosa. Encapsulated yeasts compatible with Cryptococcus were found in microscopic exams of wet preparations from lingual ulcer clinical samples obtained for cytodiagnosis and mycological studies. Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans var. grubii VNI) was isolated in culture. This patient did not know her condition of HIV seropositive before the appearance of the tongue lesion. Conclusions The involvement of the oral mucosa is uncommon in this fungal infection, but is important to include it in the differential diagnosis in HIV positive patients.

A 31-year-old woman, with signs of HIV infection (oral thrush, weight loss, asthenia) presented to our hospital with dyspnea and fever. A rapid HIV test yielded a positive result, and cryptococcal capsular antigen was detected in serum. In the mycological study of the clinical respiratory samples, yeasts compatible with Cryptococcus were observed under light microscope in a wet mount; structures compatible with Pneumocystis jirovecii were also observed in Giemsa stain. Treatment for both pathologies was prescribed but, unfortunately, the patient died 7 days after. The finding of two etiologic agents in the same clinical picture is rare but not exceptional, and it always must be considered in immunocompromised hosts.

PURPOSE. Caspase-associated recruitment domain-9 (CARD9) deficiency is an inborn error of immunity that typically predisposes otherwise healthy patients to single fungal infections and the occurrence of multiple invasive fungal infections is rare. It has been described as the first known condition that predisposes to extrapulmonary Aspergillus infection with preserved lungs. We present a patient that expands the clinical variability of CARD9 deficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Genetic analysis was performed by Sanger sequencing. Neutrophils and mononuclear phagocyte response to fungal stimulation were evaluated through luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence and whole blood production of the proinflammatory mediator IL-6 respectively. RESULTS. We report a 56-year-old Argentinean woman, whose invasive Exophiala spinifera infection at the age of 32 years was unexplained and reported in year 2004. At the age of 49 years, she presented with chronic pulmonary disease due to Aspergillus nomius. After partial improvement following treatment with caspofungin and posaconazole, right pulmonary bilobectomy was performed. Despite administration of multiple courses of antifungals, sustained clinical remission could not be achieved. We recently found that the patient’s blood showed an impaired production of interleukin (IL)-6 when stimulated with zymosan. We also found that she is homozygous for a previously reported CARD9 loss-of-function mutation (Q289*). CONCLUSIONS. This is the first report of a patient with inherited CARD9 deficiency and chronic invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) due to A. nomius. Inherited CARD9 deficiency should be considered in otherwise healthy children and adults with one or more invasive fungal diseases.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha oscillations have been related to heart rate variability (HRV) and both change in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We explored if task switching reveals altered alpha power and HRV in cognitively healthy individuals with AD pathology in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and whether HRV improves the AD pathology classification by alpha power alone. We compared low and high alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and HRV parameters during task switch testing between two groups of cognitively healthy participants classified by CSF amyloid/tau ratio: normal (CH-NAT, n=19) or pathological (CH-PAT, n=27). For the task switching paradigm, participants were required to name the color or word for each colored word stimulus, with two sequential stimuli per trial. Trials include color (cC) or word (wW) repeats with low load repeating, and word (cW) or color switch (wC) for high load switching. HRV was assessed for RR interval, standard deviation of RR-intervals (SDNN) and root mean squared successive differences (RMSSD) in time domain, and low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF ratio in frequency domain. Results showed that CH-PATs compared to CH-NATs presented: 1) increased (less negative) low alpha ERD during low load repeat trials and lower word switch cost (low alpha: p=0.008, Cohen's d=-0.83, 95% confidence interval -1.44 to -0.22, and high alpha: p=0.019, Cohen's d=-0.73, 95% confidence interval -1.34 to -0.13); 2) decreasing HRV from rest to task, suggesting hyper-activated sympatho-vagal responses. 3) CH-PATs classification by alpha ERD was improved by supplementing HRV signatures, supporting a potentially compromised brain-heart interoceptive regulation in CH-PATs. Further experiments are needed to validate these findings for clinical significance.

Utrophin is an autosomal paralogue of dystrophin, a protein whose deficit causes Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DMD/BMD). Utrophin is naturally overexpressed at the sarcolemma of mature dystrophin-deficient fibres in DMD and BMD patients as well as in the mdx Duchenne mouse model. Dystrophin and utrophin can co-localise in human foetal muscle, in the dystrophin-competent fibres from DMD/BMD carriers, and revertant fibre clusters in biopsies from DMD patients. These findings suggest that utrophin overexpression could act as a surrogate, compensating for the lack of dystrophin, and, as such, it could be used in combination with dystrophin restoration therapies. Different strategies to overexpress utrophin are currently under investigation. In recent years, many compounds have been reported to modulate utrophin expression efficiently in preclinical studies and ameliorate the dystrophic phenotype in animal models of the disease. In this manuscript, we discuss the current knowledge on utrophin protein and the different mechanisms that modulate its expression in skeletal muscle. We also include a comprehensive review of compounds proposed as utrophin regulators and, as such, potential therapeutic candidates for these muscular dystrophies. This work was supported by funding from Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII, Spain) and the European Regional Development Fund, (ERDF/FEDER), `A way of making Europe': Grant PI15/00333; Basque Government (grants 2016111029, 2018222035 and 2020333012) and Duchenne Parent Project Spain (grant 05/2016). P. S--M holds a Rio Hortega Fellowship from ISCIII (CM19/00104). V.A--G holds a Miguel Servet Fellowship from the ISCIII (CPII17/00004), part-funded by ERDF/FEDER. A. L--M acknowledges funding by Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute (BC/I/DIV/19/001). V. A--G also acknowledges funding from Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science). None of this funding represents a conflict of interest with the content of this review.

This study aimed to estimate the number of incident cases and hospital admissions attributable to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home for asthma, otitis media (OM), and lower respiratory infections (LRI) in children in Spain. The burden of respiratory disease caused by SHS exposure was estimated in terms of incident cases and hospitalized cases for asthma, OM, and LRI. Estimates were calculated using the population attributable fraction. The age-specific (0-1 year, 0-4 years, 5-11 years, and 0-11 years) prevalence of SHS exposure in children was estimated through a telephone survey performed in a representative sample of Spanish households with children in 2016. The risk estimates for all diseases were selected from international meta-analyses. The number of hospitalized cases was obtained for each disease from the Hospital Minimum Data Set provided by the Ministry of Health of Spain. Incident cases were obtained from the Global Health Data Exchange. In 2015, SHS exposure caused an estimated total of 136,403 incident cases of the following respiratory diseases: 9058 (8.5%) cases of asthma, 120,248 (8.5%) of OM, and 7097 (13.5%) of LRI in children aged 0–14 years old in Spain. Likewise, SHS exposure caused a total of 3028 hospitalized cases, with 379 (8.5%) for asthma and 167 (8.5%) for OM in children 0–11 years old, and 2482 (11.6%) for LRI in children

Background This study aims to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and the adoption of smoking bans in homes with children in Spain Methods We performed, in 2016, a cross-sectional study to a representative sample of Spanish households with children under 12 years old. We administered a telephone survey to the parents asking about smoking patterns at home, children’s SHS exposure and sociodemographic characteristics. Poisson regression models with robust variance were built to assess sociodemographic characteristics associated with household SHS exposure and the adoption of smoking rules. Results In this study participated 2411 families, 25.8% of which reported exposure at home and 84.4% implemented smoking bans. SHS exposure was associated with having one (aPR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.43–3.04) or two Spanish parents (aPR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.24–2.36), lower educational attainment (primary: aPR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.45–2.10; secondary: aPR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.17–1.60 compared with university studies), a family structure different from two-parent family (aPR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.14–1.67) and parents between 31 and 40 years (aPR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.57–0.99) and 41–50 years (aPR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47–0.81) compared with 18- to 30-year-old parents. The adoption of smoking bans was associated with two-parent family (aPR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.01–1.17), living with non-smokers (aPR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.31–1.62), parents of foreign origin (aPR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04–1.14) and younger children (0–3 years: aPR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01–1.09) compared with the oldest children (8–11 years). Conclusion The parent’s origin and the family structure were associated with SHS exposure and the adoption of smoking bans at home. Moreover, the number of smokers living at home was relevant for the adoption of smoking bans, and the educational attainment for SHS exposure. These factors should be taken into consideration when designing or implementing smoke-free home programmes.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (Pm) is a systemic disease, endemic in the American continent. There are two different clinical forms, the infant-juvenile or subacute form (PmS) and the chronic adult form (PmC). The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated paracoccidioidomycosis (PmHIV) shares characteristics with both of the previously mentioned forms. The objective of this work was to describe the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of the PmHIV and to compare them with the ones of PmS and the PmC. A retrospective analysis of 119 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis was performed. Ninety four suffered the chronic form, 11 the subacute one and 14 were coinfected with HIV. Patients with PmHIV presented a CD4+ T lymphocytes median of 70.5 cells/μl, 71.4% had fever, 64.3% had a miliary pattern on the chest radiography, 64.3% had hepatosplenomegaly, 64.3% had mucosal lesions and 50% had skin lesions. One patient died during his hospitalization. The clinical presentation of Pm in patients with HIV resembled the subacute form with fever, hepatomegaly and skin lesions. However, they also tended to present mucosal lesions, positive serology for Pm and pulmonary parenchyma lesions as usually seen in PmC (9/14 PmHIV patients had overlapping features, while 4/14 PmHIV patients clinically resembled PmS and 1/14 PmC). The incidence of Pm has not changed with the burden of AIDS as it has happened with other fungal infections but it appears clinically different from the classic clinical forms of the disease.

Representatives of academia, patient organisations, industry and the United States Food and Drug Administration attended a workshop on dystrophin quantification methodology. The aims of the workshop were to provide an overview of methods used to quantify dystrophin levels in human skeletal muscle and their applicability to clinical trial samples, outline the gaps with regards to validating the methods for robust clinical applications prior to regulatory agency review, and to align future efforts towards further optimizing these methods. The workshop facilitated a constructive but also critical discussion on the potential and limitations of techniques currently used in the field of translational research (western blot and immunofluorescence analysis) and emerging techniques (mass spectrometry and capillary western immunoassay). Notably, all participants reported variation in dystrophin levels between muscle biopsies from different healthy individuals and agreed on the need for a common reference sample.

The digital age has brought about great changes in the practice and design of marketing and advertising campaigns. In recent years, the development of new strategies such as influencer marketing has increased dramatically, involving minors who have become true protagonists in the marketing of toys, video games, fashion, etc., with the Instagram and YouTube platforms being the most widely used. This activity has been highly criticized recently, despite its occurrence worldwide with the main aim of broadcasting audiovisual content by minors, often including product placement and/or promotions that are not duly announced. However, in most cases, it is very difficult to prove the existence of a contractual relationship between the promoted brands and the minors. For this reason, a novel method was developed in this work to analyze the audiovisual content based on assertions in the message, thus enabling a determination of the characteristics and specific circumstances of the content broadcast by kidsfluencers (aged 15 or under) that would constitute camouflaged acts of illicit advertising. The results are conclusive and demonstrate the repeated presence of advertising in the videos analyzed. In Spain, this would represent a clear violation of the current legal framework and an obvious danger to minors or followers of these influencers. This situation could also be extrapolated to other societies that are dominated by the use and impact of new technologies and the internet, which should be updated and developing in accordance with new trends in the practice of marketing and advertising online. Resumen La era digital ha supuesto grandes cambios en la práctica y diseño de las campañas de marketing y publicidad. Nuevas estrategias, como la del marketing de influencers, han crecido vertiginosamente en los últimos años implicando a los más pequeños del hogar, que se han convertido en auténticos protagonistas del marketing de juguetes, videojuegos, moda, etc., siendo Instagram y YouTube las redes más utilizadas. Una actividad muy criticada en los últimos años, pese a ser una constante en todo el mundo, que tiene como principal cometido la emisión de contenidos audiovisuales por parte de menores que, sin embargo, frecuentemente son acciones de emplazamiento de producto y/o promociones no debidamente anunciadas. En la mayoría de las ocasiones resulta muy difícil demostrar la existencia de una relación contractual entre las marcas promocionadas y los menores. Para ello, en esta investigación se parte de la creación de un método propio de análisis del contenido audiovisual basado en aserciones estimativas del mensaje, mediante el cual es posible conocer las características y circunstancias concretas de los contenidos emitidos por los kidsfluencers (influencers menores de 15 años) que camuflarían actos de publicidad ilícita. Los resultados son concluyentes y demuestran la presencia reiterada de publicidad en los vídeos analizados. En España, esto supondría una clara infracción del marco jurídico actual y un evidente perjuicio para los menores y seguidores de estos influencers. Una realidad extrapolable a otras sociedades dominadas por el uso e impacto de las nuevas tecnologías e internet, que requieran actualizarse para avanzar, coherentemente, conforme a las nuevas tendencias en la praxis del marketing y la publicidad en la Red.

International audience; Scientific advance is based on reproducibility, corroboration, and availability of research results. However, large numbers of experimental results that contradict previous work do not get published and many research results are not freely available as they are hidden behind paywalls. As part of COST Action "DARTER", a network of researchers in the field of RNA therapeutics, we have performed a small survey among our members and their colleagues to assess their opinion on the subject of publishing contradictory or ambiguous results and their attitude to open access (OA) publishing. Our survey indicates that, although researchers highly value publication of "negative"results, they often do not publish their own, citing lack of time and the perception that those results may not be as highly cited. OA, on the other hand, seems to be widely accepted, but in many cases not actively sought by researchers due to higher costs associated with it.

Activity assessment of individual fish in a sea-cage could provide valuable insights into the behavior, but also physiological well-being and resilience, of the fish population in the cage. Acceleration can be monitored continuously with internal acoustic transmitter tags and is generally applied as a real-time proxy for activity. The objective of this study was to investigate the activity patterns of Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) by transmitter tags in a sea-cage and analyze correlations with water temperature, fish size and tissue weights. Experimental fish (N = 300) were transferred to an experimental sea-cage of which thirty fish (Standard Length SL = 18.3 ± 1.7 cm; Body Weight BW = 174 ± 39 g) were implanted with accelerometer tags. Accelerations were monitored for a period of 6 weeks (Nov.–Dec.) and were analyzed over the 6 weeks and 24 h of the day. At the end of the experimental period, tagged fish were again measured, weighed and dissected for tissue and filet weights, and correlations with accelerations were analyzed. Daily rhythms in accelerations under the experimental conditions were characterized by more active periods from 6 to 14 h and 18 to 0 h and less active periods from 0 to 6 h and 14 to 18 h. This W-shaped pattern remained over the experimental weeks, even with diurnal accelerations decreasing which was correlated to the dropping temperature. The increase in activity was not during, but just before feeding indicating food-anticipatory activity. Activity patterning can be useful for timing feeding events at the start of active periods, in this study between 6 and 11 h, and between 18 and 22 h. Acceleration was negatively correlated to heart and mesenteric fat mass, which was the exact contrary of our expectations for sustainedly swimming seabream. These results suggest that acceleration is a proxy for unsteady swimming activity only and research is required into the accelerations occurring during sustained swimming of seabream at various speeds., This work was supported by the EU H2020 RIA MedAID (Grant No. 727315). The funding source had no involvement in the conducted research and/or preparation of the article. Additionally, this study received Portuguese national funds from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology through project UIDB/04326/2020.

Welfare in aquaculture is a pressing topic. One of the main measures to improve the life of farmed fish is implementing environmental enrichment, which can include the addition of structural covers to rearing tanks. Here we test the effects of tank covers (fully covered, 50 % covered and uncovered) in an all-male population (N = 75 tagged individuals: 5 individuals per tank, 5 tanks per treatment) of farmed Nile tilapia using behavioural and physiological welfare indicators. Video recordings were performed over 21 days to evaluate overall swimming (swim bursts, freezing on the bottom or hovering in the water column) and aggression events (bites and chases). At the end of the experiment, blood was collected to assess circulating cortisol. Results showed a clearly lower welfare in the partially covered tanks regarding behavioural and physiological variables. The present study highlights the need to correctly study 1) the ethology of the farmed species and 2) the enrichment strategy to be implemented, before any measure is taken. While environmental enrichment is undoubtedly a much needed area of research and a promising solution to improve the welfare of farmed fish, a proper ethological assessment must be made a priori to avoid detrimental effects of poorly devised approaches. UID/Multi/04326/2020; IF/00482/2014/CP1217/CT0005; DL 57/2016/CP1361/CT0033 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Since the gene responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy was first described in 1987 [1], knowledge of neuromuscular diseases (NMD) has evolved rapidly. [...]

Environmental enrichment (EE) can improve the welfare of captive fish. Its objective is to provide new sensorial and motor stimulation in order to help meet their behavioural, physiological, morphological and psychological needs, whilst reducing stress and frequency of abnormal behaviours. In fish farms, rearing environments are usually designed from a human perspective and based on economic requirements, mainly for practical reasons for the farmer, with little consideration for animal welfare. Throughout aquaculture production cycles, many farming operations can be stressful for fish, and EE may not only help them cope with these stressful events but also improve their overall welfare. In recent years, increasing interest on the effects of EE in captive fish has focussed mainly on structural enrichment. However, there are many other enrichment strategies that merit attention (e.g. sensorial, occupational, social and dietary enrichment) and which may be of interest for fish farming. Here, we review in depth the existing literature on EE and its effects on the welfare of a wide range of farmed fish species, discussing the feasibility and potential applications of different EE strategies to promote fish welfare at a commercial scale. We also present a practical framework to address the design, validation and implementation of EE by the aquaculture industry, taking in consideration the technical challenges of providing enrichment for farmed fish. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Acoustic transmitters equipped with accelerometer sensors are considered a useful tool to study swimming activity, including energetics and movement patterns, of fish species in aquaculture and in nature. However, given the novelty of this technique, further laboratory-derived calibrations are needed to assess the characteristics and settings of accelerometer acoustic transmitters for different species and specific environmental conditions. In this study, we compared accelerometer acoustic transmitter outputs with swimming performance and body motion of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) in swim-tunnels at different flow speeds, which allowed us to characterize the swimming activity of this fish species of high aquaculture interest. Tag implantation in the abdominal cavity had no significant effects on swimming performance and body motion parameters. Accelerations, cost of transport and variations on head orientation (angle with respect to flow direction) were negatively related to flow speed in the tunnel, whereas oxygen consumption and frequencies of tail-beat and head movements increased with flow speed. These results show that accelerometer acoustic transmitters mainly recorded deviations from sustained swimming in the tunnel, due to spontaneous and explorative swimming at the lowest speeds or intermittent burst and coast actions to cope with water flow. In conclusion, accelerometer acoustic transmitters applied in this study provided a proxy for unsustained swimming activity, but did not contemplate the high-energy cost spent by gilthead seabream on sustained swimming, and therefore, it did not provide a proxy for general activity. Despite this limitation, accelerometer acoustic transmitters provide valuable insight in swim patterns and therefore may be a good strategy for advancing our understanding of fish swimming behavior in aquaculture, allowing for rapid detection of changes in species-specific behavioral patterns considered indicators of fish welfare status, and assisting in the refinement of best management practices.

Despite advancements in the radiotherapeutic management of brain malignancies, resultant sequelae include persistent cognitive dysfunction in the majority of survivors. Defining the precise causes of normal tissue toxicity has proven challenging, but the use of preclinical rodent models has suggested that reductions in neurogenesis and microvascular integrity, impaired synaptic plasticity, increased inflammation, and alterations in neuronal structure are contributory if not causal. As such, strategies to reverse these persistent radiotherapy-induced neurological disorders represent an unmet medical need. AM251, a cannabinoid receptor 1 reverse agonist known to facilitate adult neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, may help to ameliorate radiation-induced CNS impairments. To test this hypothesis, three treatment paradigms were used to evaluate the efficacy of AM251 to ameliorate radiation-induced learning and memory deficits along with disruptions in mood at 4 and 12 weeks postirradiation. Results demonstrated that acute (four weekly injections) and chronic (16 weekly injections) AM251 treatments (1 mg/kg) effectively alleviated cognitive and mood dysfunction in cranially irradiated mice. The beneficial effects of AM251 were exemplified by improved hippocampal- and cortical-dependent memory function on the novel object recognition and object in place tasks, while similar benefits on mood were shown by reductions in depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors on the forced swim test and elevated plus maze. The foregoing neurocognitive benefits were associated with significant increases in newly born (doublecortin+) neurons (1.7-fold), hippocampal neurogenesis (BrdU+/NeuN+mature neurons, 2.5-fold), and reduced expression of the inflammatory mediator HMGB (1.2-fold) in the hippocampus of irradiated mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that AM251 ameliorates the effects of clinically relevant cranial irradiation where overall neurological benefits in memory and mood coincided with increased hippocampal cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and reduced expression of proinflammatory markers.

Despite the international guidelines on the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the European scientific community was not sufficiently prepared to coordinate scientific efforts. To improve preparedness for future pandemics, we have initiated a network of nine European-funded Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Actions that can help facilitate inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinary communication and collaboration., M.H.V. has grants from FEDER (Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional) through COMPETE 2020 and from FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030457 ; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016390 : CANCEL STEM). V.A-G. holds a Miguel Servet Fellowship from the ISCIII (CPII17/00004), part-funded by ERDF/FEDER , and acknowledges funding from Ikerbasque (Basque Foundation for Science). T.B. has grants from Carraresi Foundation , EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme No 828835 FetOpen and MIND Food’s HUB-Regione Lombardia. J.D.L.R. acknowledges funding from ISCIII (project PI18/00591 ) cofounded by the EU FEDER funds. D.P-S. has grants RTI2018-097624-B-I00 ( AEI, MCI, Spain, and ERDF ), RD16/0006/0021 ( ISCIII, Spain, and ERDF ), and CSIC PTI Global Health ( PIE 202020E223/CSIC-COV19-100 ). H.H.H.W.S. has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 777111 (REPO-TRIAL). I.S. acknowledges funding from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia), Portugal. C.R. is supported by AIRC (Italian Association for Cancer Research; IG21408 ). C.R. has funding from PharmaMar . Y.D. acknowledges funding from the National Research Fund (grants C14/BM/8225223 , C17/BM/11613033 , and COVID-19/2020-1/14719577/miRCOVID ), the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and the Heart Foundation – Daniel Wagner of Luxembourg. P.T. acknowledges the support of H2020 project iPC “individualized Paediatric Cure” ( 826121 ).

Intensive aquaculture and poor management practices can cause stress and compromise welfare of farmed fish. This study aimed to assess the potential links between stocking densities and feeding methods with social and individual stress responses on juvenile seabream (Sparus aurata) through risk-taking and hypoxia tests. Seabream was first experimentally reared under two different densities: high (HD: 11-65 kg m−3) and low (LD: 3-15 kg m−3). After 120 days under these conditions, increment in fish weight was not affected by different stocking densities. HD seemed to induce a stronger schooling behavior on seabream juveniles seeking for the group safety during the risk test; while LD increased the mean number of movements per fish recorded and the time of first response. Additionally, HD conditions delayed the time of first response of proactive fish during hypoxia tests. Glucose levels were higher in reactive fish compared to proactive ones, being highly significant in fish reared at HD. In parallel, juvenile seabream was also experimentally reared for 106 days under two different feeding strategies: hand-feeding (HF) and self-demanding feeding (DF), which influenced fish growth and foraging behavior at group and individual level. HF method induced a positive effect on fish weight compared to DF systems. Time of first response during both hypoxia and risk-taking tests was shorter in HF fish than DF fish, and the mean number of movements per fish during risk-taking behavior tests was lower for DF fish compared to HF fish. No differences were found in glucose and cortisol concentrations between behavioral traits (proactive/reactive) and feeding strategies. Triggering actions of seabream in DF systems were also assessed, which seemed to be highly dependent on particular individuals and not related to proactive individuals. DF systems however reinforce the social hierarchy within the fish group, which might lead to a higher competitiveness for resources among fishes, increasing the social hierarchy, and therefore, the stress. The findings of this study provide valuable information to the industry for the management of fish stress and welfare under production conditions at social and individual level. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mostly known for their gene regulation properties, but they also play an important role in intercellular signaling. This means that they can be found in bodily fluids, giving them excellent biomarker potential. Myotonic Dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most frequent autosomal dominant muscle dystrophy in adults, with an estimated prevalence of 1:8000. DM1 symptoms include muscle weakness, myotonia, respiratory failure, cardiac conduction defects, cataracts, and endocrine disturbances. Patients display heterogeneity in both age of onset and disease manifestation. No treatment or cure currently exists for DM1, which shows the necessity for a biomarker that can predict disease progression, providing the opportunity to implement preventative measures before symptoms arise. In the past two decades, extensive research has been conducted in the miRNA expression profiles of DM1 patients and their biomarker potential. Here we review the current state of the field with a tissue-specific focus, given the multi-systemic nature of DM1 and the intracellular signaling role of miRNAs.

Author(s): Arakaki, Xianghong; Hung, Shao‐Min; Wei, Ke; Tran, Thao; Arechavala, Rebecca Johnson; Kleinman, Michael T; Kloner, Robert; Fonteh, Alfred N; King, Kevin; Harrington, Michael G

Background: Recently, the clinical entity of EVALI (E-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury) was described and has similarities to COVID -19 pneumonia. We determined in a quantitative manner the inflammatory changes in the lungs associated with EVALI in a rodent model that does not include use of marijuana, vitamin E oil, or nicotine, which had been implicated as a cause. Methods: Adult Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to either pure air (n=5) or electronic cigarette (eC) vapor (propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin, tobacco flavoring) using a device with a nickel-chromium alloy (NC) heating element at 70 Watts (n=6) for 2 hours. The e-liquid did not contain nicotine, marijuana, or Vitamin E oil. Rats were euthanized within a few days of exposure and H&E-stained lung sections were assessed. Inflammatory cells were counted from 10 random areas per section at 20х magnification. Results: Alveolar structure appeared normal in the air group (Figure, panel C); the eC group using the NC heating element showed alveolar inflammation (D). The numbers of inflammatory cells per high power field in the lung parenchyma were significantly greater in the rats exposed to eC using NC heating element (67.5 ± 44.5) compared to the air group (6.7 ± 0.3; P < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). The predominant cell type was mononuclear and secondary were neutrophils. Other features included accumulation of fibrin and inflammatory cells in the lumen of the trachea (A); thickened alveolar walls; and red blood cell congestion (D). Inflammation of the nasal passages was also observed (B). Exposure of rats to e cigarettes using a stainless steel heating element did not result in EVALI, and the amount of inflammatory cells was closer to air exposed rats (7.2± 0.4). Conclusion: Vaping using a nichrome heating element at high power leads to respiratory tract pathology and a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells in the alveoli. EVALI occurred without marijuana, vitamin E oil or nicotine.

E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury was recognized in the United States in the summer of 2019 and is typified by acute respiratory distress, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and fever, associated with vaping. It can mimic many of the manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Some investigators have suggested that E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury was due to tetrahydrocannabinol or vitamin E acetate oil mixed with the electronic cigarette liquid. In experimental rodent studies initially designed to study the effect of electronic cigarette use on the cardiovascular system, we observed an E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury‐like condition that occurred acutely after use of a nichrome heating element at high power, without the use of tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine. Lung lesions included thickening of the alveolar wall with foci of inflammation, red blood cell congestion, obliteration of alveolar spaces, and pneumonitis in some cases; bronchi showed accumulation of fibrin, inflammatory cells, and mucus plugs. Electronic cigarette users should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating electronic cigarette units at high settings; the possibility that certain heating elements may be deleterious; and that E‐cigarette or vaping product use–associated lung injury may not be dependent upon tetrahydrocannabinol, vitamin E, or nicotine.

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) generate nicotine containing aerosols for inhalation and have emerged as a popular tobacco product among adolescents and young adults, yet little is known about their health effects due to their relatively recent introduction. Few studies have assessed the long-term effects of inhaling E-cigarette smoke or vapor. Here, we show that two months of E-cigarette exposure causes suppression of bone marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Specifically, the common myeloid progenitors and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors were decreased in E-cig exposed animals compared to air exposed mice. Competitive reconstitution in bone marrow transplants was not affected by two months of E-cig exposure. When air and E-cig exposed mice were challenged with an inflammatory stimulus using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), competitive fitness between the two groups was not significantly different. However, mice transplanted with bone marrow from E-cigarette plus LPS exposed mice had elevated monocytes in their peripheral blood at five months post-transplant indicating a myeloid bias similar to responses of aged hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to an acute inflammatory challenge. We also investigated whether E-cigarette exposure enhances the selective advantage of hematopoietic cells with myeloid malignancy associated mutations. E-cigarette exposure for one month slightly increased JAK2V617F mutant cells in peripheral blood but did not have an impact on TET2&minus, /&minus, cells. Altogether, our findings reveal that chronic E-cigarette exposure for two months alters the bone marrow HSPC populations but does not affect HSC reconstitution in primary transplants.

Acoustic telemetry techniques are very useful tools to monitor in detail the swimming behavior and spatial use of fish in artificial rearing environments at individual and group levels. We evaluated the feasibility of using passive acoustic telemetry to monitor fish welfare in sea-cage aquaculture at an industrial scale, characterizing for the first time the diel swimming and distribution patterns of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) at fine-scale. Ten fish were implanted with acoustic tags equipped with pressure and acceleration sensors, and monitored in a commercial-size sea-cage for a period of 1 month. Overall, fish exhibited clear differences in day vs. night patterns both on swimming activity and vertical distribution throughout the experiment. Space use increased at night after the implementation of structural environmental enrichment in the sea-cage. Acoustic telemetry may represent an advancement to monitor fish farming procedures and conditions, helping to promote fish welfare and product quality., This study belongs to “SPYFISH” project, partially funded by the Edith Maryon Foundation (Basel, Switzerland); but also received Portuguese national funds from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology through project UID/Multi/04326/2019 as well as from the Open Philanthropy Project through the “The CAREFISH program – Improving fish welfare through stakeholder communication: from research to fish farms” led by fair-fish international association (Denens, Switzerland).

Background Recurrent vulvovaginitis is a growing problem that affects millions of women worldwide. In many cases it is treated as vulvovaginal candidiasis, but there is not always microbiological confirmation. Aims To determine the etiology of vulvovaginitis in a group of patients. Methods This is a cross-sectional study in which the data from the medical records of 316 adult patients who consulted for vulvovaginitis were analyzed. Eighty nine percent of the cases had already suffered previous episodes. Results The median age was 34 (265 patients were between 16 and 45 years old). Yeasts were isolated in culture from 211 (66.8%) patients, although pseudo-hyphae and yeasts were observed in only 166 samples (52.5%) in the direct microscopic examination. Multiple predisposing factors were found, among which the use of contraceptives or previous antibiotics stand out. Most of the patients (almost 90%) had been treated with antifungals, with or without microbiological confirmation. Candida albicans was isolated in 187 (88.6%) patients, followed by Candida glabrata in 6 (2.8%) patients. Association with bacterial vaginosis was found in 35.1% and with intermediate bacterial microbiota in 33.2% of the cases. A remarkably high proportion of C. albicans isolates resistant to fluconazole (80.1%) and itraconazole (58.8%) was found. Conclusions A microbiological analysis is essential to confirm the diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, whether simple, complicated, or recurrent. Identifying the isolated yeast species and determining its susceptibility to antifungal agents are particularly important.

The fast development of camera technologies opens a breakthrough opportunity for animal ecology, particularly at the marine realm where observing wildlife is challenging. These outstanding technological advances are meeting with the impressive capabilities of artificial intelligence for enabling automatic extraction of relevant information from videos and images. Altogether, this may be a unique opportunity for a qualitative jump in marine wildlife assessment but substantial strengthening of the links between theorists, empiricists and engineers is still required. Specifically, a recent theory proposes that animal density can be estimated from (1) the counted animals per frame, (2) the area surveyed by the camera and (3) the probability of detecting an animal that is actually within the area surveyed by the camera. However, a potential drawback for applying this theory to the real world is that environmental dependencies of camera's detection probability may lead to biased estimates of animal density. Therefore, here we propose a sampling protocol and a statistical model of general application for estimating (and accounting for) the environmental factors affecting fish detectability when estimating fish density with cameras. The method implies one calibration sampling with cameras and with the preferred reference method at the same time and place. The relevance of this method is that, once calibrated, it can be used to obtain unbiased estimates of fish density at new sites and moments using only cameras. Thus, fish density could be estimated at the temporal and the spatial scale needed, but with substantially less cost-effort than any other reference methods (e.g., underwater visual censuses). As a proof of concept, we evaluated the dependence of camera's detection probability on habitat complexity (e.g., cavities, rocks, seagrass, etc.) as a proxy for the hiding capability of a small serranid. In that specific case, probability of detection seems to be independent of habitat complexity. However, the sampling protocol and the statistical model provided here open the opportunity to estimate fish density using underwater cameras at wider temporal and/or spatial scales, which will help to better understanding the ultimate drivers of marine fish population dynamics and further development of science-based management., GFB were supported by a PhD fellowship (FPI-INIA) from the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA). PAL was supported by a Juan de la Cierva Incorporación postdoctoral grant (IJCI-2015-25595). This work was funded by R + D project PHENOFISH (CTM2015-69126-C2-1-R; MINECO) and is a contribution of the Joint Research Unit IMEDEA-LIMIA.

Reduction of threading dislocation density in top-down fabricated GaN nanocolumns (NCs) via their successive lateral shrinkage by anisotropic wet etch and lateral overgrowth by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is studied by transmission electron microscopy. The fabrication process involves a combination of dry and wet etches to produce NC arrays of a low fill factor (

Resumen: Objetivo: El objetivo principal del estudio es analizar la relación entre la exposición al humo ambiental de tabaco (HAT) en niños/as y el asma, las sibilancias y la salud percibida. Método: Estudio transversal mediante encuesta telefónica a una muestra representativa de 2411 menores de 12 años de España. Se describió la exposición al HAT en el ámbito privado y en el ámbito público, así como la prevalencia de asma, sibilancias y mala salud percibida autodeclaradas. La asociación entre los indicadores de salud y la exposición al HAT se analizó mediante modelos multivariados de regresión de Poisson con variancia robusta según edad y nivel de estudios. Resultados: La prevalencia de exposición al HAT en menores fue del 29,2% en el ámbito privado y del 42,5% en el ámbito público. No se observó asociación entre la exposición al HAT y el asma, las sibilancias y la mala salud percibida en menores de 5 años. En menores de 6-11 años con padres/madres con estudios primarios o secundarios, presentar asma (razón de prevalencia ajustada [RPa]: 2,1; intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 1,2-3,8) y una peor salud percibida (RPa: 1,6; IC95%: 1,1-2,1) se asociaron positivamente con la exposición al HAT en el ámbito privado. En menores con progenitores o tutores con estudios universitarios se observó una asociación negativa entre presentar asma (RPa: 0,3; IC95%: 0,1-0,7) y sibilancias (RPa: 0,3; IC95%: 0,1-0,8) y la exposición al HAT. Conclusiones: Existen diferencias en la asociación entre la exposición al HAT y el asma, las sibilancias y una peor salud percibida según el nivel de estudios. Se deberían planificar intervenciones con perspectiva de equidad dirigidas a disminuir la exposición al HAT en la infancia. Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to estimate the association between second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in children and asthma, wheezing and perceived health. Method: A cross-sectional study based on a telephone survey was performed on a representative sample of 2411 children under 12 years old in Spain. Exposure to SHS in private and public settings, and the prevalence of asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health were described. The association between health indicators and SHS exposure was analyzed using multivariate Poisson regression models with robust variance according to age and educational level. Results: The prevalence of SHS exposure in children was 29.2% in private settings and 42.5% in public settings. There was no association between SHS exposure and asthma, wheezing and perceived poor health in children ≤5 years. In children aged 6-11 years with parents with primary/secondary education, presenting asthma (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.2-3.8) and worse perceived health (aPR: 1.6; 95%CI: 1.1-2.1) were positively associated with SHS exposure in private settings. In children with parents with university studies, a negative association between SHS exposure and asthma (aPR: .3; 95%CI: 0.1-0.7) and wheezing (aPR: 0.3; 95%CI: 0.1-0.8) was observed. Conclusions: There are differences in the association between SHS exposure and asthma, wheezing and poor perceived health according to educational level. Interventions with an equity perspective aimed at reducing SHS exposure in childhood should be implemented.

Objective: identify the vaginal colonizing Candida species and VVC species, predisposing factors and susceptibility against fluconazole in pregnant women attending gynecological outpatient of a maternal clinic in Cartagena (Colombia). Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a common infection that affects a large proportion of women of childbearing age. It is estimated that about 75% of healthy women have had at least one episode of VVC in her life. Vaginal colonization by Candida spp. can vary from 10 to 17% and this is increased by 35% during pregnancy. The epidemiological behavior of Candida in VVC tends to be variable and this will depend on the level of vaginal estrogens, conditions of immunosuppression or chronicity of the process. Materials and Methods: the laboratory study included the direct examination of vaginal swabs, by fresh and differential staining of smears and cultures. The isolated species were identified by phenotypic tests and by multiplex PCR and CLSI M27-A3 microdilution method was used to evaluate susceptibility to fluconazole. Results: the frequent clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, did not correspond with the laboratory diagnosis in which predominated the intermediate biota. The results showed Candida albicans as the most common isolated species, followed by Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei . Candida colonization occurred in 71.4% and 28.6% of the population was diagnosed with vaginal candidiasis. All isolates were susceptible to fluconazole. Conclusion: The most common factors for colonization were related to clothing and for vaginal candidiasis to the use of vaginal lubricants.

Bivalve cultivation, in single cultivation or in polyculture (including integrated multitrophic aquaculture; IMTA), is generally limited to eutrophic waters. We carried out a modeling study to test if, under meso- and oligotrophic conditions, depth could be a key factor for bivalve productivity associated to IMTA and other polyculture strategies. We applied the model Farm Aquaculture Resource Management (FARM) at three strata of the water column in two coastal fish farm areas in the Mediterranean Sea, using water column variables sampled seasonally to estimate the potential mussel production. According to FARM, mussel production was high in both areas and, in some cases, almost doubled when mussels were cultured below 25-m depth compared to shallower levels. Phytoplankton abundance is expected to notably influence mussel production compared to particulate organic matter. Thus, in meso- and oligotrophic stratified waters, where chlorophyll maximum is relatively deep, depth can be a key factor for the productivity of mussel cultivation. The obtained results could help to maximize the production of suspension-feeding bivalve cultivation and, therefore, the expansion and development of sustainable aquaculture in non-eutrophic marine waters. This work has been funded by the project SUMERGI+DOS (CTAQUA1-12I) from the Centro Tecnológico de Acuicultura de Andalucía, the project CGL2015-70136-R from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y Ciencia from Spain, and a Juan de la Cierva research grant to C. S. (Ref. JCI-2012-12413) from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y Ciencia from Spain.

Escape incidents of farmed fish involve economic losses to fish farms, interactions with local fisheries and environmental impacts to coastal ecosystems. More attention should clearly be paid to preventive measures. It is also essential to develop and establish contingency plans in case of escapes, to mitigate potentially negative socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Three mark-and-recapture experiments simulating escape incidents of sea bass (N = 1000 ind.), sea bream (N = 1000 ind.) and meagre (N = 1000 ind.) were carried out at three coastal fish farms located along the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. First, targeted experimental fishing trials in collaboration with artisanal netters were attempted at each location as potential fast-response contingency plans for recapturing escapees. Targeted fishing was successful on meagre (N = 38 ind., CPUE: 2.2 ind 10 m−2 h−1) and sea bream (N = 8 ind., CPUE: 1.3 ind 10 m−2 h−1), while no sea bass were recaptured. Secondly, recaptures reported from local fishermen (professional and recreational) during the study period were also considered. Altogether, total recapture rates were similar among the three species (sea bass: 5.4%; sea bream: 7.1%; meagre: 8.7%), although the spatial and temporal observations of recaptures varied among species. Recreational fishermen were the only contributors, recapturing 54 tagged sea bass (angling: 85%; spear-fishing: 15%) in mainly shallow coastal waters and about three km distance from the fish-farm during the weeks after release. A total of 71 escaped sea bream were recaptured by both recreational and artisanal fishermen, contributing similarly (recapture rates: 47.9% and 40.8% of total, respectively). Most sea bream recaptures were during the first nine days after release (86% of total recaptures), mainly near the farm facilities (95%), mainly by experimental and artisanal netting (38 and 47 individuals respectively) again near the facility. In parallel, an underwater visual census was carried out at coastal locations and Natura 2000 sites in each study area, to assess the presence of escapees in marine habitats of special interest. Neither escaped sea bass nor escaped meagre were observed during underwater surveys, and only three tagged sea bream were found together at artificial reefs. Given that recaptures of tagged fish differed among fish species and fishing techniques following simulated escape incidents at W-Mediterranean coastal facilities, diverse potential contingency plans are here discussed. This research was part of ESCAFEP project, cofunded by the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and the Biodiversity Foundation, in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment.

Resumen Antecedentes: La histoplasmosis es una micosis de gran relevancia en pacientes con SIDA. El cuadro clínico puede ser muy variado y, en enfermos que no desarrollan lesiones cutáneas, el diagnóstico suele demorar varias semanas. Objetivo: Establecer pautas que permitan emplear un tratamiento empírico y precoz en pacientes con histoplasmosis asociada al SIDA sin manifestaciones tegumentarias y determinar las características clínicas, microbiológicas y algunos parámetros bioquímicos en los casos de difícil diagnóstico. Métodos: Se analizaron las historias clínicas de 86 pacientes con histoplasmosis. Fueron seleccionados 31 enfermos con histoplasmosis asociada con SIDA sin lesiones cutáneas. Resultados: La fiebre fue el síntoma más frecuente (96,7%), el compromiso pulmonar se comprobó en 22 enfermos (70,9%). El patrón radiológico más frecuentemente hallado en las radiografías de tórax fue el miliar o micronodulillar bilateral [(12/22), 54,5%]. Diecinueve enfermos presentaron esplenomegalia. Los hemocultivos demostraron una sensibilidad de 93,3% (28/30) y la serología fue positiva en 23,5% de los casos. Fallecieron ocho pacientes (25,8%). Los pacientes con recuentos de linfocitos T CD4+ menores a 50 céls/μl, albúmina menor a 2,5 g/dl y pancitopenia evidenciaron un pronóstico desfavorable. Conclusiones: En los pacientes con infección por VIH, fiebre asociada a esplenomegalia y lesiones micronodulillares bilaterales en la radiografía de tórax debe considerarse el tratamiento empírico con anfotericina B cuando existan signos o síntomas de mal pronóstico, debido al tiempo de demora hasta el diagnóstico definitivo. Previo a iniciar el tratamiento deben tomarse todas las muestras para los estudios microbiológicos que permitan confirmar luego la presunción diagnóstica.

A small escape incident of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) tagged with acoustic transmitters (N = 25) from a commercial farm located in a coastal bay of the eastern Adriatic Sea was simulated to enable evaluation of recapture strategies and escapee management. Over a three-month monitoring period, tagged individuals showed spatial distribution closely related to fish farms, where 72% and 68% of tagged fish were present at the farm during the second and third weeks of post-release. Upon initial release, escaped seabream had a small total home range (0.142 km2) that encompassed the farm site. Short term residence differed among tagged fish. Few fish (28%) remained in the proximity of the fish farm for longer than one month ; most were likely angled or moved outside the acoustic array. Fish that moved elsewhere, have the potential to cause the greatest ecological and genetic impact as they likely will be the quickest to adapt to natural conditions. Considering the capture impact of the limited recreational fishery on this small scale escape event, fish recapture by this type of fishery within two weeks of escape could be feasible and is highly recommended.

A 21 year-old man, HIV infected, and with poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment, consulted us due to a papular rash on trunk and extremities, showing simultaneously hypochromic stains on his back. He was afebrile and hemodynamically stable. In the mycological study of the clinical samples taken from different lesions, yeasts compatible with Malassezia were observed. Oral itraconazole was prescribed, with an excellent clinical response. Finding the same etiolologic agent in 2different clinical pictures on a single patient is extremely rare.

To examine site fidelity and potential for ecosystem impacts, 20 escapee cod (Gadus morhua L.) from fjord-based cod farms were tagged with acoustic transmitters, released in the vicinity of the same farm, and their subsequent behaviour and survival monitored using a fixed array of acoustic receivers. Most individuals demonstrated high fidelity to their farm where tagged, and this increased during the polar night. Only five individuals (25%) were occasionally detected at another farm (4 km distance), and only three cod (15%) migrated out of the fjord during the 6-month study period. Vertical movements were consistently greater in the hours around noon than at night, a behaviour inconsistent with that observed for wild fish. A high mortality rate (40%) was observed during the first 4 months post-release, and actual mortality may have been even higher, limiting the potential for negative ecosystem effects from cod escapees. Findings from this study are used to discuss the development of recapture strategies for minimising potential impacts from cod escapees to ensure sustainable farming activity. European Union’s 7th Research Framework Prevent Escape, Grant/Award Number: 226885.

Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) aquaculture has rapidly spread around the Mediterranean Sea. Fish escapes from sea cages are one of the major problems for the industry and also represent a threat to the marine environment. Fishery catches are also influenced by escape events, being mirrored in increased landings of cultured species. However, within the Mediterranean, studies shedding light on the incidence of escaped individuals in fisheries landings are scarce. Firstly, the present study describes a simple scale-examination methodology to distinguish escaped from wild S. aurata landed by coastal fisheries. Secondarily, the incidence of escapees is assessed within landings of the species in the western Mediterranean. The scale readings revealed a monthly incidence of escapees between 11.2 and 20.8%, representing 6.8% of the total income derived from these landings. Moreover, morphological differences between wild fish captured near and far from fish farms point towards escape events as a source of potential genetic admixture between cultured and wild genotypes. Socio-economic and ecological implications of escapees are discussed, and a set of management guidelines proposed, to prevent and/or mitigate the negative influences of escaped fish on the ecosystem and traditional users of the coast such as fisheries. This research is part of the project FATFISH (CTM2009-14362-C02-01), financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain.

The case of a 60 year old woman with hemoptysis and a thin-walled cavitary lesion at the upper lobe of the right lung is presented. The woman presented at the Mycology Unit of the Muniz Hospital in Buenos Aires City 3 months after the beginning of her clinical manifestations. A hyaline micelial fungus with chlamido-arthroconidias was isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage. Immunodiffusion and counter-immnunoelectrophoresis with coccidioidin and histoplasmin rendered positive results against both antigents, and skin tests with coccidioidin and histoplasmin were also positive with strong reactions. The isolated fungus was identified as Coccidioides posadasii at the National Microbiology Institute Carlos Malbran, by means of a molecular technique. The patient was treated with itraconazole by oral route at a daily dose of 200mg with good clinical response, but due to the persistence of the lung cavity, a surgical removal of the upper lobe of the right lung had to be scheduled.

A 48 year-old immunocompetent woman, who had a nodular lesion in the neck and a dense infiltrate at the lower lobe of the left lung, presented at the Mycology Unit of Muniz Hospital of Buenos Aires City. The pulmonary infiltrate disappeared spontaneously 3 months later. The histopathological study of the nodular lesion showed capsulated yeasts (mucicarmin and alcian blue positive stains) compatible with Cryptococcus. The mycological study of a new sample, obtained by a nodular puncture, allowed the isolation of yeasts, identified as Cryptococcus gattii (VGII). Latex test for Cryptococcus capsular antigen in serum was positive (1/100). CSF cultures rendered negative results. Fluconazole at a daily dose of 800mg was given during 45 days with partial improvement; as cultures from a new clinical sample were positive for Cryptococcus, the antimycotic was changed to itraconazole 400mg/day for 5 months, with an excellent clinical response.

Current production systems of finfish aquaculture, and in particular intensive farming systems, can cause welfare problems leading not only to poor condition of the fish but also to a decrease in product quality. Adding structural environmental enrichment (EE) to bare rearing environments may improve the welfare of certain cultured fish. In this study we experimentally demonstrate the positive effects of adding structural EE on rearing environments of juvenile seabream (Sparus aurata). Fish maintained for 35 days with EE showed less aggression and interactions with the net pen, and lower erosion of pectoral and caudal fins, compared to fish kept in bare conditions (non-enriched, NE). In addition, EE modified the horizontal distribution of fish in the experimental cage, increasing the use of the inner areas. Non-significant effects of EE were observed on fish body condition and growth, and on brain monoamines levels and mortality. Nevertheless, this work highlights the potential use of structural EE to improve welfare of juvenile seabream, which might be feasible to apply at larger-commercial scale., This study received Portuguese national funds from FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology through project UID/Multi/04326/2019, and Spanish national funds from MINECO (R+D project: PHENOFISH; ref. CTM2015- 69126-C2-1-R).