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Mangrove land use changes of varied intensities have long been a problem in tropical mangrove forests. This has resulted in various degrees of mangrove land use modification, which catch many interests in the region for research. The research provided here is a bibliometric analysis of scholarly articles published around the world in various publication document types on changes in land use of tropical mangrove forests based on remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS). Scientific data analysis was undertaken by using bibliometric approaches on 6,574 papers extracted from the Scopus databases between 2010 and 2020. The findings revealed that the number of publications continuously climbed from under 400 to an average of 50-60 per year till 2019. The data showed that the mangrove forest modifications study gained traction when the highest number of citations, 9,236 in 2015, were observed. We can also notice that the overall number of citations fluctuated a lot during the first five years (2010-2015) but increased from 2013 to 2015. The findings demonstrate how remote sensing satellites have aided vegetation and land study in recent years. The findings also revealed that the analysis tools of Land Use Change, Vegetation Index, Mangrove, Tropical Country, Remote Sensing, and Tropical contributed to scientific knowledge of current issues of mangrove land use change in the tropical region. The authors' keywords, Remote Sensing in particular, supplied roughly 43%, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (13%), Vegetation Index (9%), and other keywords contributed less than 7%. The growth pattern of the keywords "MODIS" and "Landsat" implies that both will stay important over the next five years, according to an analysis of the type of satellite used in land use assessment. Meanwhile, papers pertaining to policy on land use change, food security, and forest resources were evaluated in order to highlight policy and academic research findings on the topics. The application of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, which is a very relevant tool that can be used in monitoring land use changes and assessing vegetation status because it is a desirable technique in measuring plant health and vigour, can help fill the research gaps presented in this study. This review can help with the development of better mangrove land use change approaches in tropical mangroves and around the world using satellite remote sensing and GIS.

Intensive aquaculture is an important source of organic waste and antibiotics into the marine environment. Yet, their impacts on benthic marine ecosystems are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the ecological impacts of fish feed waste alone and in combination with three different antibiotics (i.e., oxytetracycline, florfenicol and flumequine) in benthic ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea by performing a field experiment. We assessed the fate of the antibiotics in the sediment and their accumulation in wild fauna after two weeks of exposure. Moreover, we investigated the impact of the feed waste alone and in combination with the antibiotics on sediment physico-chemical properties, on benthic invertebrates, as well as on the microbiota and resistome of the sampled sediments. One week after the last antibiotic application, average oxytetracycline and flumequine concentrations in the sediment were1% and 15% of the applied dose, respectively, while florfenicol was not detected. Flumequine concentrations in wild invertebrates reached 3 μg g

The incorporation of novel drugs, such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulators, improved considerably the survival of patients with multiple myeloma.To evaluate the effect on survival of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulators in patients with multiple myeloma in two national hospitals.Review of clinical records from two hospitals of Santiago. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data was obtained from 144 patients with multiple myeloma diagnosed between 2002 and 2016.Information was retrieved from 78 patients at one center and from 66 at the other center. The mean age at diagnosis was 58 and 62 years, the proportion of males was 53% and 52%, and presentation at stage III was 34% and 46%, respectively. The use of novel drugs, mainly bortezomib, was 90% in one of the centers and 3% in the other one. The use of autologous stem-cell transplantation was 47% and 3% respectively. The median overall survival of patients from the centers with and without access to novel drugs was 117 and 71 months respectively (p0.05). The five-year overall survival was 93 and 43% respectively (p0.05).The use of novel drugs, especially bortezomib, and autologous stem-cell transplantation significantly improved the survival of multiple myeloma patients treated in national hospitals. It is necessary to include them as a first line treatment.

We present an Oblique Plane Microscope that uses a bespoke glass-tipped tertiary objective to improve the resolution, field of view, and usability over previous variants. Owing to its high numerical aperture optics, this microscope achieves lateral and axial resolutions that are comparable to the square illumination mode of Lattice Light-Sheet Microscopy, but in a user friendly and versatile format. Given this performance, we demonstrate high-resolution imaging of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, vimentin, the endoplasmic reticulum, membrane dynamics, and Natural Killer-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we image biological phenomena that would be otherwise challenging or impossible to perform in a traditional light-sheet microscope geometry, including cell migration through confined spaces within a microfluidic device, subcellular photoactivation of Rac1, diffusion of cytoplasmic rheological tracers at a volumetric rate of 14 Hz, and large field of view imaging of neurons, developing embryos, and centimeter-scale tissue sections.

Climate change is introducing new stressors into already stressed ecosystems. Among these, extreme events such as heat waves play a crucial role in determining the structure of ecosystems. We tested single and combined effects of overgrazing, burial and heat waves on the seedlings of the habitat-forming species Posidonia oceanica. At current heat wave temperatures, overgrazing in isolation had more deleterious effects than seed burial, and effects were synergistic and additive when both factors co-occurred. The combined effect of overgrazing and seed burial with current heat waves could hamper P. oceanica seedling development, with similar or even higher levels than the sole effect of heat waves in the near future (29 °C). The effects of overgrazing and seed burial are expected to be overridden if heat waves temperatures exceed 29 °C. These results suggest that co-occurring environmental stressors, in combination with current heat waves, could compromise the sexual recruitment of this seagrass. This work was carried out as part of Research Project NEREIDAS (Project Code: 2012-ES-92177- S), funded by the European Commission. C.S. was funded by the University of Alicante (Ref. UATALENTO 17-11).

Activating mutations in HER2 (ERBB2) drive the growth of a subset of breast and other cancers and tend to co-occur with HER3 (ERBB3) missense mutations. To characterize the role of HER3 mutations in HER2-mutant tumors, we integrated computational structural modeling with biochemical and cell biological analyses. Computational modeling predicted that the frequent HER3E928G kinase domain mutation enhances the affinity of HER2/HER3, stabilizes the HER2 active conformation, and reduces binding of HER2 to its inhibitor neratinib, potentially explaining the lower clinical response of HER2/HER3 co-mutant tumors. Co-expression of mutant HER2 and HER3 enhanced HER2/HER3 co-immunoprecipitation and ligand-independent activation of HER2/HER3 and PI3K/AKT, resulting in enhanced growth, invasiveness, and resistance to HER2-targeted therapies, which was reversed by treatment with PI3Kα inhibitors.SignificanceThe HER2 TKI neratinib has shown clinical activity against cancers harboring HER2 activating mutations. However, not all HER2-mutant tumors respond, suggesting that co-occurring mutations may limit sensitivity. We found that co-occurring HER3 mutations resulted in reduced sensitivity to HER2 TKIs and HER2 antibodies by disrupting neratinib binding and preventing the dissociation of HER2/HER3, respectively. Cells expressing HER2/HER3 mutations were sensitive to the combination of a HER2 TKI and a PI3Kα inhibitor, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy against these refractory tumors. Our results provide a mechanistic rationale for the evolutionary selection of co-occurring HER2/HER3 mutations and the recent clinical observations that HER3 mutations are associated with a lesser response to neratinib in HER2-mutant cancers.

The araphid diatom genus Hyalosynedra is a very common component of marine benthic communities, occurring as an epiphyte or colonizing hard substrata, and has a worldwide distribution. The ...

Biofouling causes major functional and economic problems for aquaculture due to their settlement and subsequent growth on fish-cage netting. As biofouling management is an economic and environmental issue, feasible management practices are clearly required to balance industries and environmental requirements. The most frequent way to control biofouling in aquaculture is by applying Cu-based antifouling paints on fish nets to prevent the undesired growth of biofouling. The most important fish species employed in marine fish farming are cultivated with knotted nylon and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UW-polyethylene) nettings. In this study, we examined the effects of two commercial Cu coatings and two manufactured net materials (nylon and UW-polyethylene) on biofouling biomass, community structure, Cu bioaccumulation and the metal composition of fouling assemblages in order to provide farmers with a tool to help reduce the environmental impact of the biocide employed for coating nets. The MDS ordination of the samples coated with both paints on nylon and UW-polyethylene nets showed a gradual modification of community structure associated with rising Cu concentrations. The PCA analysis indicated that the ordination of trace element composition of biofouling varied between concentrations and nets in both paints. The experiments revealed that the fouling biomass decreased following negative exponential regression with an increasing Cu concentration. The increase in fouling biomass with reduced Cu bioaccumulation was greater in nylon than in UW-polyethylene nets. In the nylon nets, the median bioaccumulation on nets (CuF-50) rose with an 0.75- to 0.82-fold increase in the basal biomass. Conversely, biomass increased 0.50- to 0.63-fold the basal or minimum fouling biomass with a full antifouling paint concentration (B0) when CuF-50was calculated in the UW-polyethylene nets. These results suggest that similar reductions in bioaccumulated Cu in both nets could be achieved without sacrificing excessive fouling biomass increases.

Activating mutations in HER2 (ERBB2) drive the growth of a subset of breast and other cancers and tend to co-occur with HER3 (ERBB3) missense mutations. The HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor neratinib has shown clinical activity against HER2-mutant tumors. To characterize the role of HER3 mutations in HER2-mutant tumors, we integrate computational structural modeling with biochemical and cell biological analyses. Computational modeling predicts that the frequent HER3E928G kinase domain mutation enhances the affinity of HER2/HER3 and reduces binding of HER2 to its inhibitor neratinib. Co-expression of mutant HER2/HER3 enhances HER2/HER3 co-immunoprecipitation and ligand-independent activation of HER2/HER3 and PI3K/AKT, resulting in enhanced growth, invasiveness, and resistance to HER2-targeted therapies, which can be reversed by combined treatment with PI3Kα inhibitors. Our results provide a mechanistic rationale for the evolutionary selection of co-occurring HER2/HER3 mutations and the recent clinical observations that HER3 mutations are associated with a poor response to neratinib in HER2-mutant cancers.

RESUMEN Las metastasis cerebrales son los tumores cerebrales mas frecuentes y son un desafio medico. Los tumores tienen una capacidad diferente de metastatizarse en el cerebro y deben tener la capacidad de penetrar la barrera hematoencefalica, interactuar con las celulas residentes y sobrevivir. La clinica es variada dependiendo del sitio afectado, asi como los riesgos asociados de convulsion. Genomicamente se ha documentado cada vez mas que las metastasis cerebrales cambian la expresion de sus mutaciones. Por lo tanto, la eleccion del tratamiento es compleja, considerando la primaria, el numero de metastasis y los sitios afectados. La radioterapia ha sido durante mucho tiempo la eleccion de los pacientes que no son candidatos a la cirugia, y se espera que los avances reduzcan especialmente la toxicidad cognitiva. El conocimiento genomico de las metastasis cerebrales y la presencia de terapias dirigidas e inmunoterapias modificadas que penetran la barrera hematoencefalica han sido clave, se espera que en el futuro se realicen mas estudios de combinaciones de tratamientos de radioterapia con terapias de inmunoterapia y dirigidas.

The adequate handling of central venous catheters is a key element in the management of patients with cancer. Catheter-associated deep vein thrombosis is frequently observed in patients with malignant diseases; however, despite being a common complication among these patients, objective information concerning its epidemiology, clinical course, prophylaxis and treatment strategies is very limited. The reported incidence of catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) is highly variable, depending on symptomatic events, or if patients are screened for asymptomatic thrombosis. Several factors have been identified as potential predisposing factors for CRT, both technical and pathological aspects. The anticoagulant of choice is still unclear; while low-molecular-weight heparin is most commonly used, recent studies assessing the role of direct oral anticoagulants in the treatment of CRT show promise as an alternative, but the evidence remains insufficient and the decision must be made on a case-by-case basis.

INTRODUCTION Mesenteric and portal venous thromboses are rare diseases with high mortality rates and are strongly associated with hepatic cirrhosis, and abdominal inflammatory or tumoral processes, but in some cases can be the first sign of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) or hereditary thrombophilia. JAK2V617F mutation detection is an important diagnostic tool for MPN patients. The aim of this study was to describe the JAK2V617F mutation prevalence on Chilean patients suffering from a primary splanchnic venous thrombosis (SVT), in order to assess how it relates to primary MVT and PVT in our specific population. METHODS A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients referred to the University of Chile Clinical Hospital with mesenteric and/or portal venous thrombosis diagnosis over a 7-year period. Patients with primary thrombosis underwent hereditary thrombophilia study and JAK2V617F mutation screening. RESULTS A total of 123 patients had splanchnic venous thrombosis (mesenteric and/or portal) as their main discharge diagnosis. Sixty patients (49%) had primary mesenteric or portal venous thrombosis (no attributable secondary cause). Hereditary thrombophilia and MPN were diagnosed in 21.6% and 43.3% of SVT patients, respectively. Twenty SVT patients remained without an etiologic diagnosis. In MPN patients, almost all had the JAK2V617F mutation (92.3%). About 16% of patients who had positive JAK2V617F mutation did not meet diagnostic criteria for MPN. CONCLUSIONS In this Chilean cohort, half of mesenteric or portal venous thrombosis showed no secondary cause. In this group, the main causes were MPN and hereditary thrombophilia. Nearly, all MPN patients had JAK2V617F mutation, but there was a group of patients having JAK2V617F mutation but did not meet MPN criteria.

Human pressure leaves a mark on coastal ecosystems that can be used to study the ecology of marine species. This study compared the trace elements (TEs) composition and isotopic niche metrics of the squid Loligo vulgaris, the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis and the octopus Octopus vulgaris in the western Mediterranean Sea. The results revealed that anthropogenic pressure clearly affected coastal waters and the habitat use of these three cephalopods. Anthropogenic pressure in coastal areas, measured by the LUSI index, correlated with the TEs composition of cephalopods. The DistLM analysis showed that Cr and Zn were strong predictor variables of the LUSI matrix on all three cephalopod species. In this study, isotopic niche, combined with the CAP analysis of TEs, were plotted in a bivariate manner, which could refer to an “anthropo-niche”. We provide a useful heuristic scheme for analyzing the interplay among coastal influence, trophic level, and the TEs from environment.

This work was carried out within the research project POSIPLANT (project code: CTM2011-27377), funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion from Spain.

The characteristic wedge-shape and large size of some diatom species in the genus Licmophora can make them seem relatively easy to identify. However, this is not always the case, as many specific diagnoses are based solely on light microscopy, type material is not available and species may be difficult to distinguish from each other. This study provides the description and phylogenetic position of Licmophora colosalis sp. nov., which has large cells and extremely long dichotomously branched stalks that form macroscopic arborescent colonies. Material for this study was collected from a hypersaline Mediterranean lagoon but this species has also been reported from Florida and the Red Sea. It was studied using scanning electron microscopy and sequencing of the nuclear small subunit rDNA (SSU) and the chloroplast marker rbcL. Its colonies and cell morphometry are compared with three morphologically similar taxa: Licmophora remulus, Licmophora gigantea and Licmophora grandis.

Background: Activating mutations in ERBB2 (HER2) are found in ~2% of solid tumors, including ~5% of metastatic breast cancers. The spectrum of HER2 mutations varies according to tumor type, with kinase domain (KD) missense mutations being most common in breast cancer, while exon 20 insertions are most common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Breast cancer cells engineered with activating HER2 mutations show elevated HER2 phosphorylation and enhanced oncogenic growth. Activating mutations of other receptor tyrosine kinases such as EGFR affect receptor internalization, but whether HER2 mutations alter receptor internalization is not yet known. In addition, clinical responses to HER2 antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) like T-DM1 have been noted in HER2-mutant NSCLC, raising the possibility that HER2 mutations alter receptor internalization, thus enhancing ADC sensitivity. Therefore, we aimed to 1) determine whether mutant HER2 receptor internalization is altered, and 2) determine whether altered internalization contributes to HER2 ADC sensitivity in HER2-mutant breast cancer. Methods: HER2 subcellular localization was investigated by immunofluorescence (IF) in MCF7 cells where HER2L755S, HER2V777L, or HER2L869R (or HER2WT) have been ‘knocked-in' using AAV-mediated recombination. We used ELISA-based endocytosis assays to quantify the internalization efficiency of trastuzumab-labeled HER2 in cell lines with WT and mutant HER2. Cell viability upon treatment with T-DM1 was tested using conventional 2D and 3D growth assays. Results: Partial colocalization of HER2 with clathrin, measured by IF, was observed in MCF7 cells, which was not affected by HER2 mutations. In the endocytosis assay, trastuzumab was inefficiently internalized over a period of 4 hours. In MCF7 or MCF10A breast epithelial cells, introduction of HER2L755S, HER2V777L, or HER2L869R did not significantly affect internalization following trastuzumab labeling, or after stimulation with EGF or neuregulin. In line with these results, MCF7 cells expressing HER2L755S, HER2V777L, or HER2L869R were not sensitive to T-DM1 in 2D cell viability assays or 3D Matrigel assays. In contrast, HER2 internalization was significantly more efficient in BT474 cells with wild-type HER2 amplification, which was accompanied by exquisite sensitivity of BT474 cells to T-DM1 both in vitro and in vivo. HER2 endocytic efficiency was significantly increased in MCF10A cells ectopically expressing HER2S310F, a mutation in the extracellular domain, or HER2A775>YVMA, a common insertion mutation in NSCLC. Conclusion: Breast cancer cells expressing HER2 KD missense mutations do not exhibit enhanced HER2 internalization and are not sensitive to T-DM1. However, cells with the HER2S310F mutation and the HER2A775>YVMA insertion showed enhanced HER2 endocytosis, consistent with clinical responses to T-DM1 in NSCLC patients with these mutations. Citation Format: Hiroaki Akamatsu, Rosa Mino, Marcel Mettlen, Dan Ye, Dhivya R. Sudhan, Albert Lin, Arnaldo Marin, Alberto Servetto, Kyung-min Lee, Sumanta Chatterjee, Sandra L. Schmid, Carlos L. Arteaga, Ariella B. Hanker. HER2 missense mutations in breast cancer cells do not alter HER2 internalization or sensitivity to T-DM1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3675.

Background: FGFR1 amplification occurs in ~ 15% of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers. In these tumors, nuclear FGFR1 has been shown to interact with DNA, but its engagement in transcription regulation remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the mechanisms underpinning the genomic role of FGFR1 in ER+/FGFR1-amplified breast cancer. Methods: FGFR1-ChIP-Seq was performed in CAMA1 ER+/FGFR1-amplified human breast cancer cells to identify genomic distribution of FGFR1. IP with FLAG antibody followed by Mass Spectrometry (MS) was carried out on nuclear plus chromatin fractions of CAMA1 cells overexpressing 3XFLAG-FGFR1 to uncover the nuclear FGFR1 interactome. Results: FGFR1-ChIP-Seq detected 4408 peaks in CAMA1 cells cultured in estrogen-free conditions, with marked enrichment of GC-rich consensus motifs. 67% of peaks were enriched at promoter regions. ChIP-PCR confirmed FGFR1 binding to several genomic loci in ER+/FGFR1-amplified cell lines (CAMA1 and MDA-MB-134) and PDX (HCI-011). Further, MS uncovered RNA Polymerase II subunits among the top nuclear FGFR1 interacting proteins. FGFR1 mainly bound Pol II phosphorylated on Ser5 (Pol II S5P), a marker of transcription initiation, in CAMA1, MDA-MB-134 and HCI-011 cell extracts. Pol II S5P-ChIP-Seq revealed that 65% (2867/4408) of FGFR1 peaks were shared with Pol II S5P in CAMA1 cells. Also, ChIP-Seq revealed that 95% of FGFR1 peaks overlapped with both H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, markers of active transcription. Consistent with these results, RNA-Seq of CAMA1 cells showed that expression of FGFR1-bound genes was markedly higher than non FGFR1-bound genes (p1), whose expression is likely regulated by nuclear FGFR1. A high signature score correlated with resistance to letrozole (p Conclusions: These findings support a prominent role for FGFR1 in the transcriptional machinery of breast cancer cells. Whether this transcriptional action is causal to antiestrogen resistance in ER+/FGFR1-amplified breast cancer is currently under investigation. Citation Format: Alberto Servetto, Rahul Kollipara, Luigi Formisano, Kyung-min Lee, Albert Lin, Dhivya R. Sudhan, Ariella B. Hanker, Sumanta Chatterjee, Hiroaki Akamatsu, Arnaldo Marin, Saurabh Mendiratta, Ralf Kittler, Carlos L. Arteaga. FGFR1 associates with gene promoters and regulates transcription in ER+/FGFR1-amplified breast cancer: Implications for endocrine resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1304.

Therapy for submassive pulmonary embolism (intermediate risk), remains controversial. New evidence has appeared that may help us in the process of decision making. We review the relevant literature, outline prognostic factors, and discuss current recommendations and controversies regarding the available alternatives such as systemic and catheter-directed thrombolytic use.

Extreme weather events are major drivers of ecological change, and their occurrence is likely to increase due to climate change. The transient increases in atmospheric temperatures are leading to a greater occurrence of heat waves, extreme events that can produce a substantial warming of water, especially in enclosed basins such as the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we tested the effects of current and predicted heat waves on the early stages of development of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Temperatures above 27 °C limited the growth of the plant by inhibiting its photosynthetic system. It suffered a reduction in leaf growth and faster leaf senescence, and in some cases mortality. This study demonstrates that the greater frequency of heat waves, along with anticipated temperature rises in coming decades, are expected to negatively affect the germination of P. oceanica seedlings. This workwas carried out within the research project NEREIDAS (project code: 2012-ES-92177- S), funded by the European Commission under the Trans-European Transport Network Programme (TEN-T).

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica on the cycling of a wide set of trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Tl, V and Zn). We measured the concentration of these trace elements in different compartments of P. oceanica (leaves, rhizomes, roots and epiphytes) in a non-polluted seagrass meadow representative of the Mediterranean and calculated the annual budget from a mass balance. We provide novel data on accumulation dynamics of many trace elements in P. oceanica compartments and demonstrate that trace element accumulation patterns are mainly determined by plant compartment rather than by temporal variability. Epiphytes were the compartment, which showed the greatest concentrations for most trace elements. Thus, they constitute a key compartment when estimating trace element transfer to higher trophic levels by P. oceanica. Trace element translocation in P. oceanica seemed to be low and acropetal in most cases. Zn, Cd, Sr and Rb were the trace elements that showed the highest release rate through decomposition of plant detritus, while Cs, Tl and Bi showed the lowest. P. oceanica acts as a sink of potentially toxic trace elements (Ni, Cr, As and Ag), which can be sequestered, decreasing their bioavailability. P. oceanica may have a relevant role in the cycling of trace elements in the Mediterranean.

Beneficial effects of microorganisms on plant productivity are well known from terrestrial ecosystems, but no corresponding effects on marine plants have been described. We tested the hypothesis that the bacteria Marinomonas posidonica and M. mediterranea, which have been described as a forming component of the microbiota on Posidonia oceanica, influence leaf growth and epiphytic communities of this seagrass. We carried out 4 treatments: (1) seedlings inoculated with M. mediterranea or (2) M. posidonica and seedlings to which (3) sterilized seawater (sterile control) or (4) fresh seawater (field control) was added. Two experiments were performed: a growth assay in the laboratory under sterile conditions measuring leaf area after 3 mo, and an epiphyte assay in which the seedlings were transferred to the field. Leaves were sampled after 3 mo to analyse the community structure of epiphytes. The growth experiment showed that inoculation with M. posidonica enhanced leaf growth of P. oceanica compared with the controls to which no bacterial strain was added. In contrast, inoculation with M. mediterranea did not stimulate leaf growth. Likewise, inoculation with M. posidonica induced changes in epiphyte structure and can be expected to have a regulatory effect on macroepiphyte structure.

The aim of this work was to study the dispersion of particulate wastes derived from marine fish farming and correlate the data with the impact on the seabed. Carbon and nutrients were correlated with the physico-chemical parameters of the sediment and the benthic community structure. The sedimentation rates in the benthic system were 1.09, 0.09 and 0.13 g m−2 day−1 for particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively. TP was a reliable parameter for establishing the spatial extent of the fish farm particulate wastes. Fish farming was seen to influence not only physico-chemical and biological parameters but also the functioning of the ecosystem from a trophic point of view, particularly affecting the grazers and the balance among the trophic groups. POC, PON and TP sedimentation dynamics reflected the physico-chemical status of the sediment along the distance gradient studied, while their impact on the benthic community extended further. Therefore, the level of fish farm impact on the benthic community might be underestimated if it is assessed by merely taking into account data obtained from waste dispersion rates. The benthic habitat beneath the fish farm, Maërl bed, was seen to be very sensitive to aquaculture impact compared with other unvegetated benthic habitats, with an estimated POC-carrying capacity to maintain current diversity of 0.087 g C m−2 day−1 (only 36% greater than the basal POC input). Environmental protection agencies should define different aquaculture waste load thresholds for different benthic communities affected by finfish farming, according to their particular degree of sensitivity, in order to maintain natural ecosystem functions. This work was funded by the project AGL2004-08350-C02-01/ACU and the research programme CICYT-FEDER (project 1FD97-1128) from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología from Spain, and two predoctoral grants, one to C. S. from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and one to F. N. from the ALBAN programme (EU).

The photosynthetic adaptive features of non-dormant seeds in Posidonia oceanica were studied in order to evaluate the effects of light on germination success. Transmission electron micrographs showed the presence of chloroplasts in the epidermal cells, close to the nucleus at the periphery of the cytoplasm. The well-developed thylakoid membranes and the presence of starch granules indicated that the chloroplasts were photosynthetically active. The relationship between photosynthesis versus irradiance in P. oceanica seeds incubated at 15 and 21°C was analysed. The net photosynthesis in the non-dormant seed of P. oceanica was positive and compensated its respiration demand (90 μmol quanta m−2 s−1) at both temperatures. Net photosynthesis was negative at the other irradiance values. To test the effects of light on germination success, seeds were placed both in dark and light conditions. Germination success was significantly higher in light rather than in dark condition. The characteristics observed in the photosynthesis in P. oceanica seed could be a mechanism to guarantee seedling survival in temperate waters, demonstrating though the specialized nature of this species.

The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered one of the oldest and largest living organisms on Earth. Notwithstanding, given the difficulty of monitoring its fruits and seeds in the field, the development of P. oceanica during its sexual recruitment is not completely understood. We studied the stages of development of P. oceanica seeds from their dispersion in the fruit interior to their settlement in sediment through histological, ultrastructural and mesocosm experiments. P. oceanica sexual recruitment can be divided into three main stages that focus on maximising photosynthesis and anchoring the seedlings to the sediment. In the first stage (fruit dispersion), seeds perform photosynthesis while being transported inside the fruit along the sea surface. In the second stage (seed adhesion), seeds develop adhesive microscopic hairs that cover the primary and secondary roots and favour seed adhesion to the substrate. In the last stage (seedling anchorage), roots attach the seedlings to the substrate by orienting them towards the direction of light to maximise photosynthesis. The adaptations observed in P. oceanica are similar to those in other seagrasses with non-dormant seeds and fruits with membranous pericarps, such as Thalassia sp. and Enhalus sp. These common strategies suggest a convergent evolution in such seagrasses in terms of sexual recruitment. Understanding the sexual recruitment of habitat-forming species such as seagrasses is necessary to adequately manage the ecosystems that they inhabit.

The ability of bivalve culture in the proximity of an open water fin fish farm to reduce the environmental impact caused by organic wastes was tested. The experiment involved floating net cages containing cultured gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in the western Mediterranean. Two bivalve species, oyster (Ostrea edulis) and mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), were deployed for 3 months along a distance transect running from 0 to 1800 m from the fish cages. Shell growth, flesh dry weight, the concentration of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen, and metal accumulation (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) in the bivalves were analyzed. Bivalves showed significant growth compared with their respective starting sizes, although closeness to the fish farm did not enhance such growth. The stable isotopes content indicated that there was no relationship between the main input of organic matter from the fish farm (the feed) and the trophic behavior of the bivalves. Neither did metal accumulation show a trend along the distance gradient from the fish farm. All the results were consistent in indicating that neither oysters nor mussels fed on fin fish farming wastes. This work demonstrates that the polyculture of fin fish and bivalves does not represent an appropriate tool for reducing the environmental impact of fin fish aquaculture in open water. The work was supported by the Programme AlBan, the European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America (FNM scholarship No. E07D401236EC) and by FPU predoctoral grant of the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología from Spain.

Behavioural responses are linked to complex biochemical and physiologic changes and may act as sensitive indicators of the sublethal effects of pollutants. This article investigates changes in the locomotor activity rhythms of the amphipod Gammarus aequicauda exposed to cadmium (Cd) as a model to study the effect of pollutants on an ecologically important species. Under a 12:12 h light-to-dark cycle, G. aequicauda showed a strict nocturnal rhythm, with 90.2±0.4% of their total daily activity occurring during the night. Under constant darkness, circadian rhythms persisted for 10 days, with a mean periodicity of 24.32 h, thus confirming endogenous control. Exposure to sublethal concentrations of Cd (0.16, 0.20, 0.24, and 0.28 mg l(-1)) did not change the nocturnal activity patterns of G. aequicauda, although their swimming activity during the night was significantly decreased by exposure to concentrations of 0.24 and 0.28 mg Cd l(-1). In conclusion, locomotor activity bioassays using the amphipod G. aequicauda appeared to be a sensitive indicator of Cd contamination, and sensitivity and tolerance to Cd in short-term bioassays may depend on the time of the day tests are carried out. These results provide further support for the idea that behavioural end points in amphipods are useful indicators of pollutant exposure and that future studies should take circadian rhythms into consideration.

Eutrophication is widely recognised as one of the major menaces to coastal environments, particularly enclosed bays and lagoons. Although there is a general understanding of the consequences of eutrophication in these systems, there is a lack of sufficient knowledge concerning biotic feedbacks that influence eutrophication patterns and the resistance capacity of coastal environments. In this paper, the isotope ratios of main producers and consumers of a Mediterranean lagoon were examined in order to elucidate the fate of anthropogenic inputs from the main watercourse flowing into the lagoon. The results of the study of stable isotope data in the Mar Menor lagoon reflected that the whole benthic community plays an important role as a natural 'filter' that removes excess nutrients from the water column and stores them in the sediments, thereby enhancing lagoon resistance to eutrophication.

Coastal zones are widely recognised as being particularly vulnerable to future environmental change. Although a significant number of previous papers warn of an increasing tendency in the appearance of eutrophication processes in such systems, very few papers have evaluated the influence of global climate change on eutrophication. In the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain), the high biomass of the main primary producer, Caulerpa prolifera Forsskal (Lamououx), covers most of the bottom, and has probably increased the resistance of the lagoon to eutrophication processes through the high uptake of nutrients from the water column and their retention in the sediments, avoiding high phytoplankton densities. Nevertheless, if climate change predictions become true, the current status of the lagoon is likely to collapse, since future environmental conditions could make C. prolifera unable to reach values of net photosynthesis greater than zero, and eutrophication processes are expected to appear. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two food webs from the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, differing in the distance from the desert-stream through which mining wastes were discharged, were examined by reference to essential (Zn and Cu) and non-essential (Pb and Cd) metal concentrations and stable isotopes content (C and N). The partial extraction technique applied, which reflects the availability of metals to organisms after sediment ingestion, showed higher bioavailable metal concentrations in sediments from the station influenced by the mining discharges, in agreement with the higher metal concentrations observed in organisms, which in many cases exceeded the regulatory limits established in Spanish legislation concerning seafood. Spatial differences in essential metal concentrations in the fauna suggest that several organisms are exposed to metal levels above their regulation capacity. Differences in isotopic composition were found between both food webs, the wadi-influenced station showing higher delta(15)N values and lower delta(13)C levels, due to the discharge of urban waste waters and by the entrance of freshwater and allochthonous marsh plants. The linear-regressions between trophic levels (as indicated by delta(15)N) and the metal content indicated that biomagnification does not occur. In the case of invertebrates, since the "handle strategy" of the species and the physiological requirements of the organisms, among other factors, determine the final concentration of a specific element, no clear relationships between trophic level and the metal content are to be expected. For their part, fish communities did not show clear patterns in the case of any of the analyzed metals, probably because most fish species have similar metal requirements, and because biological factors also intervened. Finally, since the study deals with metals, assumptions concerning trophic transfer factors calculation may not be suitable since the metal burden originates not only from the prey but also from adsorption over the body surfaces and seawater ingestion.

The environmental impact of two fish farms was assessed by larval toxicity bioassays using the sea urchin Paracetrotus lividus . Larval toxicity bioassays have become important for regulatory and monitoring programs, largely because they are assumed to be good indicators of ecological damage to benthic infaunal communities. The study was conducted in two Mediterranean fish farms which produce gilthead sea bream ( Sparus aurata ) and tuna ( Tunna tuna ), respectively. The data obtained from sediment toxicity tests and the physico–chemical characteristics of sediment were examined in two farming production periods to determine the relationships between toxicity and sediment impact. In the gilthead sea bream fish farm, only the sampling stations located at 0 and 35 m were classified as toxic (significant differences from control, p Sea urchin larval toxicity was significantly correlated with sulphides and seasonally, with total ammonia nitrogen in both fish farms. The results reported here are promising and indicate that embryo–larval bioassays with the sea urchin P. lividus represent a sensitive tool for describing the environmental impact of fish farming.

Two sampling methods, an array of physical-chemical and biological indicators, and uni-multivariate statistical procedures were compared on the basis of sensitivity to detect any impact and cost-effectiveness criteria, applied to environmental monitoring of fish farming. Sampling was conducted in a western Mediterranean gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and meagre (Argyrosomus regius) farm (San Pedro del Pinatar, SE Spain). Both sampling methods (Van Veen grab vs SCUBA diving) provided similar results for all the parameters except redox potential. The most sensitive chemical parameters of the sediment were total phosphorus, total ammonium nitrogen and acid volatile sulphide, but the latter was the only one which correlated with the macrobenthic community structure. The application of univariate methods to biological indicators only showed a clear trend in two (AMBI and BENTIX) of the five indices used. Both biotic indices, although statistically correlated with the spatial pattern of the macrobenthic community, provided different quality status categorization that could lead to misinterpretation and so, validation in offshore conditions is required. Nevertheless, multivariate analysis of macrofauna confirmed a noticeable spatial pattern, at the same time that this statistical strategy has been proven and validated in a wide range of marine community studies.

Historical mining activities have led to the presence of enormous quantities of mining wastes, which cover large extensions of the Cartagena-La Union mining district (SE, Spain). In the present work, we study the pulse entrance of mining wastes through two temporary streams (wadis) into the Mar Menor coastal lagoon in two torrential rain events and during a dry period. The characteristics of the runoff pointed to the generation of acid mine drainages in wastes, the acidified stormwater runoff loaded with particulate and dissolved heavy metals causing toxicity in the lagoon waters. The dissolved metals, which mainly affected the sampling stations located close to the wadi discharges, were rapidly eliminated from the water column, whereas the particulate metals were transported further and affected a wider area. Finally, both particulate and dissolved metals are eliminated from the water column and are accumulated in the sediments of the lagoon. The results of the water toxicity tests using sea-urchin embry...

Tuna farming is based on fishing bluefin tuna in their natural habit of the western Mediterranean and fattening them in floating cages. Although this type of aquaculture is expanding rapidly in the Mediterranean Sea, very little information is available for an environmental impact assessment and environmental monitoring of tuna ranching. Spatial and temporal scales of impact need to be established before the norms and regulations affecting this new branch of aquaculture can be properly implemented. The biotic indices measured pointed to detectable impact only under the cages, although multivariate techniques defined an environmental gradient of stressed macrofaunal assemblages. The benthic surveys carried out indicated that high impact was restricted to a radius of roughly 5 m from the cages with a transitional radius at 35 m. This zone was characterized by high densities of opportunistic species. There was a further zone of moderately stressed benthic environment extending to about 180–220 m from the cages. This moderately stressed zone exhibited slight changes in community structure, because the densities of some species were stimulated. At distances greater than 220 m from the tuna farm, the system apparently returned to normal conditions. The fallow period produced partial remediation of the area affected, except in the sediment underneath the cages where even a 6-month fallow period was not sufficient for the community to totally recover.

This study examines the mechanisms of aposematism (unprofitability of prey combined with a conspicuous signal) in the aeolidioidean Cratena peregrina (Gmelin, 1791). We investigated if marine fish avoid attacking aeolidioidean nudibranchs, which are an unprofitable group of prey for most predators. We analysed the interaction between aeolids and predatory fish in laboratory and field assays, with both live aeolids and artificial models. In the first experiment, we offered normal and blue-dyed C. peregrina to fish in the field. The number of attacks by fish was independent of the density of the prey, albeit the normal aeolids were attacked less frequently than the blue ones. The fact that all normal C. peregrina survived, whereas 12 – 20% of the blue aeolids died after fish attacks, suggests that aposematic coloration provides a selective advantage against fish predators. Field and laboratory assays with artificial aeolids were employed to test the effects of different factors (number of cerata, colour pattern, nematocysts), or a combination of factors, on fish learning. Fish learned to avoid unpalatable models with the colour pattern of C. peregrina. After three to four training sessions with unprofitable models, fish avoided profitable models with the same colour pattern. Our results suggest that the colour pattern of C. peregrina combined with the presence of dorsal appendages and nematocysts make fish avoid aeolids.

Recent findings have shown that photosynthesis in the skin of the seed of Posidonia oceanica enhances seedling growth. The seagrass genus Posidonia is found only in two distant parts of the world, the Mediterranean Sea and southern Australia. This fact led us to question whether the acquisition of this novel mechanism in the evolution of this seagrass was a pre-adaptation prior to geological isolation of the Mediterranean from Tethys Sea in the Eocene. Photosynthetic activity in seeds of Australian species of Posidonia is still unknown. This study shows oxygen production and respiration rates, and maximum PSII photochemical efficiency (Fv : Fm) in seeds of two Australian Posidonia species (P. australis and P. sinuosa), and compares these with previous results for P. oceanica. Results showed relatively high oxygen production and respiratory rates in all three species but with significant differences among them, suggesting the existence of an adaptive mechanism to compensate for the relatively high oxygen demands of the seeds. In all cases maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II rates reached similar values. The existence of photosynthetic activity in the seeds of all three species implicates that it was an ability probably acquired from a common ancestor during the Late Eocene, when this adaptive strategy could have helped Posidonia species to survive in nutrient-poor temperate seas. This study sheds new light on some aspects of the evolution of marine plants and represents an important contribution to global knowledge of the paleogeographic patterns of seagrass distribution.

Therapy for submassive pulmonary embolism (intermediate risk), remains controversial. New evidence has appeared that may help us in the process of decision making. We review the relevant literature, outline prognostic factors, and discuss current recommendations and controversies regarding the available alternatives such as systemic and catheter-directed thrombolytic use.

The Mar Menor is a Mediterranean coastal lagoon of high conservation interest, but highly threatened by non-point pollution derived from agricultural lands. This is the first comprehensive study that evaluates the inputs into the Mar Menor from a drainage channel and the Albujon wadi, the main watercourse, and their influence on the trophic state of the lagoon. Discharge variation during the study period was closely related to the precipitation pattern. Suspended sediments and particulate organic matter loads greatly increased with flash floods. Nitrate concentrations, too, increased after heavy autumn rains through washing of the nitrates accumulated in soils, although no significant correlations were found between nitrate concentrations and precipitation or discharge. The nitrate load depended on several factors including the intensity and frequency of precipitation, and the nitrates accumulated in soils as a result of fertilisation. Phosphate concentrations decreased with higher flows. The total input into the lagoon from the two discharges estimated for the period September 2002–October 2003 were 10,142 t.yr−1of suspended sediments, 389 t.yr−1 of particulate organic matter, 2,010 t.yr−1 of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (93 % as NO−3) and 178 t.yr−1 of soluble reactive phosphorus. The Albujon wadi exported about 80% of the N load and 70% of the P load. Higher flows contributed approximately 80% of the total discharge and nutrient loads, 99% of suspended sediment and 88% of the particulate organic matter. Mean suspended solids and nutrient concentrations in the lagoon followed a spatial pattern, decreasing with distance from the mouth of the Albujon wadi. Water nitrate and phosphate concentrations in the Mar Menor lagoon were lower than reference limits for eutrophic conditions, except after heavy rains. Nutrient concentrations were positively correlated with precipitation variables and particulate and nutrient inputs. Phosphorus was the most limiting nutrient in the Mar Menor, the DIN:SRP ratios found being higher than the Redfield ratio on all sampling dates. Phytoplankton bloom in the lagoon was only found next to the Albujon mouth during late summer and extending 5000 m into the lagoon in autumn as a consequence of large freshwater discharge caused by flash floods. Around 53.6% of the variation in chlorophyll a in the lagoon was explained by the NH4 and NO3 inputs and distance from the Albujon mouth. A good deal of P input into the lagoon is retained in the sediments, supporting a high biomass of the benthic macroalga Caulerpa prolifera in spring and summer.