Revealing environmental synchronicity that enhances anchovy recruitment in the Mediterranean Sea.

Small pelagic fishes in the Mediterranean Sea constitute about half of the total landings, of which almost one-third is European anchovy. Anchovy abundance mainly depends on early life stage and juvenile survival and growth, which are susceptible to shifts in environmental processes. Due to the commercial importance of this species, it is necessary to elucidate the processes affecting recruitment strength for effective fishery management, using environmental indices to set more appropriate harvesting limits. Here, we constructed a simple index to capture synchronicity between enrichment and retention/concentration processes, which are known to affect anchovy abundance, during the first year of life. Three ecosystems in the Mediterranean were examined: Gulf of Lions, Adriatic Sea, and Strait of Sicily. The synchronicity index (SI) represented the synergic evolution over time of the chlorophyll-a concentration (CHL, enrichment process) and mixed layer depth (MLD, concentration/retention processes), and was related with the abundance of anchovy recruits obtained from published survey reports. Considering different ecosystems, when the SI was significantly higher, anchovy recruitment was promoted. This result indicated SI is consistent across ecosystems in explaining anchovy abundance fluctuations and thus could be used to enhance fisheries management and extended to assess the impact of projected environmental changes.

What is in our seas? Assessing anthropogenic litter on the seafloor of the central Mediterranean Sea.

Abundance, composition, and distribution of macro-litter found on the seafloor of the Strait of Sicily between 10 and 800 m depth has been studied using data collected by bottom trawl surveys MEDITS from 2015 to 2019. Three waste categories based on the items use were considered: single-use, fishing-related and generic-use. Over 600 sampling sites, just 14% of these were litter-free. The five-years average density of seafloor litter was 79.6 items/km2 and ranged between 46.8 in 2019 and 118.1 items/km2 in 2015. The predominant waste type was plastic (58% of all items). Regardless of material type, single-use items were a dominant (60% of items) and widespread (79% of hauls) fraction of litter with a mean density of 48.4 items/km2. Fishing-related items accounted for 12% of total litter items. Percentage of dirty hauls and litter density increased with depth. Analysis of the relation density-depth indicates a progressive increase of litter density beyond depth values situated within the interval 234-477 m depending on the litter category. A significant decrease in litter density by categories was observed over the period. Patterns of spatial distribution at the higher depths (200-80 0m) resulted stable over the years. Density hotspots of fishing-related items were found where the fishing activity that uses fish aggregating devices (FADs) is practised and in the proximity of rocky banks. Single-use and generic-use objects densities were greater on the seafloor along main maritime routes than other areas. Comparisons between the percentage of hauls littered with anthropic waste from the mid-1990s against those in 2018-19 highlighted an increase of about 10.8% and 15.3% for single-use items and fishing-related items respectively, and a decrease of 18.6% for generic-use items. This study provides a snapshot of the current situation of littering in the central Mediterranean Sea and represents a solid baseline against which the effectiveness of current and future mitigation strategies of the litter impact on marine environment can be measured.

Behavioural responses of fish groups exposed to a predatory threat under elevated CO2.

Most of the studies dealing with the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on fish behaviour tested individuals in isolation, even when the examined species live in shoals in the wild. Here we evaluated the effects of elevated CO2 concentrations (i.e. ∼900 µatm) on the shelter use and group cohesion of the gregarious damselfish Chromis viridis using groups of sub-adults exposed to a predatory threat. Results showed that, under predatory threat, fish reared at elevated CO2 concentrations displayed a risky behaviour (i.e. decreased shelter use), whereas their group cohesion was unaffected. Our findings add on increasing evidence to account for social dynamics in OA experiments, as living in groups may compensate for CO2-induced risky behaviour.

Biogenic habitat shifts under long-term ocean acidification show nonlinear community responses and unbalanced functions of associated invertebrates.

Experiments have shown that increasing dissolved CO2 concentrations (i.e. Ocean Acidification, OA) in marine ecosystems may act as nutrient for primary producers (e.g. fleshy algae) or a stressor for calcifying species (e.g., coralline algae, corals, molluscs). For the first time, rapid habitat dominance shifts and altered competitive replacement from a reef-forming to a non-reef-forming biogenic habitat were documented over one-year exposure to low pH/high CO2 through a transplant experiment off Vulcano Island CO2 seeps (NE Sicily, Italy). Ocean acidification decreased vermetid reefs complexity via a reduction in the reef-building species density, boosted canopy macroalgae and led to changes in composition, structure and functional diversity of the associated benthic assemblages. OA effects on invertebrate richness and abundance were nonlinear, being maximal at intermediate complexity levels of vermetid reefs and canopy forming algae. Abundance of higher order consumers (e.g. carnivores, suspension feeders) decreased under elevated CO2 levels. Herbivores were non-linearly related to OA conditions, with increasing competitive release only of minor intertidal grazers (e.g. amphipods) under elevated CO2 levels. Our results support the dual role of CO2 (as a stressor and as a resource) in disrupting the state of rocky shore communities, and raise specific concerns about the future of intertidal reef ecosystem under increasing CO2 emissions. We contribute to inform predictions of the complex and nonlinear community effects of OA on biogenic habitats, but at the same time encourage the use of multiple natural CO2 gradients in providing quantitative data on changing community responses to long-term CO2 exposure.

Radon, helium and uranium survey in some thermal springs located in NW Himalayas, India: mobilization by tectonic features or by geochemical barriers?

Radon, helium and uranium measurements have been carried out in hot water springs in the Parbati and Beas valleys of Himachal Himalaya. Most of these hot springs are known as famous pilgrimage centers. The activity of dissolved radon in the liquid phase is found to vary widely, by an order of magnitude, between 10 and 750 Bq L(-1), whereas, the dissolved helium content in these thermal springs varies between 10 and 100 ppm. The uranium contents are low and vary from <0.01 to 5 microg L(-1). The measured values of radon, helium and uranium are possibly controlled by structural geology, namely the presence of pervious fault systems, and by the lithology of the leached host rocks. Redox-potential geochemical barriers cause the mobilization of uranile ions in solution (UO2+); the most plausible hypothesis is when the conditions are oxidising, confirming the importance of physico-chemical conditions up to the supergenic environment, to control the fluid geochemistry of the U-He-222Rn system. Some evidence is available from both geothermometric considerations and geochemical data which will be reported elsewhere, whereas the present study is focused on U decay series-noble gas geochemistry. The first analysis of collected 3He/4He data is consistent with a crustal signature at the studied thermal springs.

The geochemical monitoring for the earthquake prediction research : State of art at ING (Italy)

Some results of the ING research program on geochemical earthquake forerunners, launched in 1990, are discussed.(AU)

A comparison of a microdiffusion method for ethanol and the Abbott TDx ethanol assay.

A simple, rapid ethanol screen based on a microdiffusion technique (Analytical Systems, Marion Laboratories) has been evaluated and compared to an established enzymatic procedure (Abbott TDx). They showed agreement in 484 of 488 biological specimens and all control specimens. They disagreed on 4 specimens--3 positive by the Marion method and negative by TDx, and 1 positive by TDx and negative by Marion. The discrepancies could not be elucidated because insufficient quantities of samples remained. The microdiffusion method was found to be a dependable, reproducible screening test for the presence of reducing volatiles in urine. There is insufficient data to evaluate its effectiveness in serum or whole blood. It is particularly suited for screening negative specimens before quantitating positive specimens by a suitable alternate quantitative method.

The effect of ibuprofen on serum digoxin concentrations.

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of ibuprofen (Motrin), in daily doses of at least 1600 mg, on steady-state digoxin concentrations. A total of 12 ambulatory patients (10, female; 2, male), with a mean age of 66 years (38-81 yr), completed the study. An initial baseline serum digoxin level was obtained, with follow-up levels at 7 days and, whenever possible, 28 days after ibuprofen initiation. Serum creatinine concentrations were not significantly different from baseline to 7 or 28 days of ibuprofen therapy. Results show a statistically significant (p less than 0.05) increase in digoxin levels after seven days of ibuprofen. The mean increase was 59 percent (range, 10.7-325.4 percent), with 10 of the 12 patients displaying increased seven-day levels. Digoxin levels drawn 28 days after ibuprofen initiation were not statistically different from baseline or seven-day digoxin levels.

Effect of serum separator blood collection tubes on drug concentrations.

Using the EMIT assay, we tested clinical samples from patients receiving 12 commonly monitored drugs to evaluate the effect of serum separator gel contained in serum separator blood collection tubes (SST) (Becton-Dickinson). There were significant concentration decreases for lidocaine, pentobarbital, and phenytoin. In vitro experiments demonstrated that this effect on phenytoin was dependent on time of exposure to the gel and volume of whole blood, but was not dependent on the presence of red blood cells or initial concentration. Bias attributed to the use of SST could interfere with the usefulness of clinical results at the upper and lower limits of the therapeutic range. This problem can be minimized by processing samples of at least 2 ml within 1 h.

[Acute mercury poisoning in children. Report on four cases (author's transl)]. / Intoxication aiguë par le mercure chez l'enfant. A propos de quatre observations.

The authors report four cases of acute mercury poisoning in children ranged from one week to twelve years of age. All were of favourable course and one of them is particularly well-documented with regard to mercury excretion. Case reports are followed by a clinical study of mercury intoxication with a review of literature about recent therapeutic advances.

[Study of the antidepressive effects of a biological transmethylating agent (S-adenosyl-methione or SAM)]. / Studio degli effetti antidepressivi di un transmetilante biologico (S-adenosil-metionina-SAMe).

A research has been made in monotherapy and double blind in order to study the antidepressive effects of S-adenosil-L-methionine (SAMe) on homogeneous groups of patients suffering from relapsing endogenous depression out responding to tryciclique tymoleptiques or suffering from neurotic depression. In this last case the drug in question was being studied against amytriptiline. The antidepressive effects of SAMe have been evident and statistically highly interesting, precocious, free from collateral effects and maniacal rebounds. The sample positive effects were noticed also in those patients not responding to tryclique tymoleptiques. Any biochemical mechanism following the central action of SAMe are being discussed.

[Study of a new hypnotic drug: Ro 5-4200 (flunitrazepam)]. / Contributo clinico allo studio di un nuovo ipnotico: Ro 5-4200 (flunitrazepam).

The Authors carried out a clinical study of a new benzodiazepinic derivative (Ro 5-4200) presenting hypnotic properties particularly "interesting". The results emerged from this study confirmed the hypnotic efficacy of the preparation also in case of insomnia of a certain seriousness, as well as its excellent tolerance.

[Acute poisoning of an infant by cutaneous application of a local counterirritant and pulmonary antiseptic salve]. / Intoxication aiguë du nourrisson par application cutanée d'une pommade révulsive locale et antiseptique pulmonaire

The case of acute poisoning reported here raises the question of the harmlessness of preparations destined for cutaneous application in infants. After describing the method perfected for the identification and estimation of camphor, menthol and thymol in biological material, the authors present the toxicological, clinical and biological arguments in favour of the notion that the cutaneous resorption of these substances was responsible for this acute intoxication in an infant. Particular attention should be paid to poisoning which may result, in the newborn and infant, from the cutaneous application of active substances.