Diet reveals links between morphology and foraging in a cryptic temperate reef fish.

Predators select prey so as to maximize energy and minimize manipulation time. In order to reduce prey detection and handling time, individuals must actively select their foraging space (microhabitat) and populations exhibit morphologies that are best suited for capturing locally available prey. We explored how variation in diet correlates with habitat type, and how these factors influence key morphological structures (mouth gape, eye diameter, fin length, fin area, and pectoral fin ratio) in a common microcarnivorous cryptic reef fish species, the triplefin Helcogrammoides cunninghami. In a mensurative experiment carried out at six kelp-dominated sites, we observed considerable differences in diet along 400 km of the Chilean coast coincident with variation in habitat availability and prey distributions. Triplefins preferred a single prey type (bivalves or barnacles) at northern sites, coincident with a low diversity of foraging habitats. In contrast, southern sites presented varied and heterogeneous habitats, where triplefin diets were more diverse and included amphipods, decapods, and cumaceans. Allometry-corrected results indicated that some morphological structures were consistently correlated with different prey items. Specifically, large mouth gape was associated with the capture of highly mobile prey such as decapods, while small mouth gape was more associated with cumaceans and copepods. In contrast, triplefins that capture sessile prey such as hydroids tend to have larger eyes. Therefore, morphological structures co-vary with habitat selection and prey usage in this species. Our study shows how an abundant generalist reef fish exhibits variable feeding morphologies in response to the distribution of potential habitats and prey throughout its range.

Description of medication errors detected at a drug information centre in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and describe actual or potential medication errors related to drug information inquiries made by staff members of a teaching hospital to a Drug Information Centre from January 2012 to December 2013. METHODS: Data were collected from the records of inquiries made by health care professionals to the Drug Information Centre throughout this period. RESULTS: During the study period, the Drug Information Centre received 3,500 inquiries. Of these, 114 inquiries had medication errors. Most errors were related to prescribing, preparation, and administration and were classified according to severity as category B (57%) (potential errors) and categories C (26.3%) and D (15.8%) (actual errors that did not result in harm to the patient). Error causes included overdose (13.2%), wrong route of administration (11.4%), inadequate drug storage (11.4%), and wrong dosage form (8.8%). The drugs most frequently involved in errors were vitamin K (4.4%), vancomycin (3.5%), and meropenem (3.5%). CONCLUSION: In this study, it was not possible to measure the reduction in error rate involving medication use because of the lack of previous data on this process in the institution. However, our findings indicate that the Drug Information Centre may be used as a strategy to seek improvements in processes involving medication use.

Description of medication errors detected at a drug information centre in Southern Brazil / Descripción de los errores de medicación detectados en un centro de información sobre medicamentos en el sur de Brasil

Objective: To identify and describe actual or potential medication errors related to drug information inquiries made by staff members of a teaching hospital to a Drug Information Centre from January 2012 to December 2013. Methods: Data were collected from the records of inquiries made by health care professionals to the Drug Information Centre throughout this period. Results: During the study period, the Drug Information Centre received 3,500 inquiries. Of these, 114 inquiries had medication errors. Most errors were related to prescribing, preparation, and administration and were classified according to severity as category B (57%) (potential errors) and categories C (26.3%) and D (15.8%) (actual errors that did not result in harm to the patient). Error causes included overdose (13.2%), wrong route of administration (11.4%), inadequate drug storage (11.4%), and wrong dosage form (8.8%). The drugs most frequently involved in errors were vitamin K (4.4%), vancomycin (3.5%), and meropenem (3.5%). Conclusion: In this study, it was not possible to measure the reduction in error rate involving medication use because of the lack of previous data on this process in the institution. However, our findings indicate that the DrugInformation Centre may be used as a strategy to seek improvements in processes involving medication use (AU)

Objetivo: Identificar y describir los errores de medicación potenciales y reales relacionados con consultas de información sobre medicamentos realizadas por personal sanitario de un hospital universitario a un centro de información sobre medicamentos entre enero 2012 y diciembre 2013. Métodos: Se recogieron los datos de las fichas de consultas realizadas por el personal sanitario al centro de información de medicamentos durante este periodo. Resultados: Durante el periodo de estudio el centro de información de medicamentos recibió 3.500 consultas. De esas, 114 consultas tenían errores de medicación. La mayoría de los errores estaban relacionados con prescripción, preparación y administración, y se clasificaron de acuerdo a su gravedad como categoría B (57%) (errores potenciales) y categorías C (26,3%) y D (15,8%) (errores reales que o produjeron daño en el paciente). Las causas de ero incluían sobredosis (13,2%), via de administración equivocada (11,4%), almacenamiento inadecuado del medicamento (11,4%), y forma farmacéutica equivocada (8,8%). Los medicamentos más involucrados en los errores eran la vitamina K (4,4%), vancomicina (3,5%), y meropenem (3,5%). Conclusión: En este estudio no fue posible medir la reducción de la tasa de errores relativos al uso de medicamentos por la falta de datos previos sobre este proceso en la institución. Sin embargo, nuestros hallazgos indican que el centro de información de medicamentos puede ser utilizado como una estrategia para buscar mejoras en el proceso de uso de medicamentos (AU)

Symbiodinium identity alters the temperature-dependent settlement behaviour of Acropora millepora coral larvae before the onset of symbiosis.

The global distribution of marine species, many of which disperse during the larval stages, is influenced by ocean temperature regimes. Here, we test how temperature and the coral symbionts (Symbiodinium) affect survival, symbiont uptake, settlement success and habitat choice of Acropora millepora larvae. Experiments were conducted at Heron Island (Australia), where larvae were exposed to 22.5, 24.5, 26.5 and 28.5°C. Within each temperature treatment, larvae were offered symbionts with distinct characteristics: (i) homologous Symbiodinium type C3, (ii) regionally homologous thermo-tolerant type D1, and (iii) heterologous thermo-tolerant type C15, as well as controls of (iv) un-filtered and (v) filtered seawater. Results show that lower instead of higher temperatures adversely affected recruitment by reducing larval survival and settlement. Low temperatures also reduced recruit habitat choice and initial symbiont densities, both of which impact on post-settlement survival. At lower temperatures, larvae increasingly settle away from preferred vertical surfaces and not on crustose coralline algae (CCA). Surprisingly, substrate preference to CCA was modified by the presence of specific symbiont genotypes that were present ex-hospite (outside the coral larvae). When different symbionts were mixed, the outcomes were non-additive, indicating that symbiont interactions modify the response. We propose that the observed influence of ex-hospite symbionts on settlement behaviour may have evolved through ecological facilitation and the study highlights the importance of biological processes during coral settlement.

Descrição das notificações de queixas técnicas de medicamentos recebidas pelafarmacovigilância do Hospital de Clínicasde Porto Alegre / Description of technical drugs complaintsat the pharmacovigilance of Hospital deClínicas de Porto Alegre

Introdução: Farmacovigilância é definida como o conjunto de atividades relativas à detecção, avaliação, compreensão e prevenção de efeitos adversos ou queixas técnicas dos medicamentos. Objetivo: Descrever as notificações espontâneas de produtos com suspeita de desvios de qualidade, recebidas pela farmacovigilância do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre no período de 2008 a 2012. Método: Realizado estudo descritivo com dados recebidos pela farmacovigilância e Serviço de Parecer Técnico da instituição, tendo como variáveis: notificadores, produtos, desvios de qualidade, presença de erros de medicação e medidas adotadas após avaliação do produto. Resultados: No período, foram recebidas 191 notificações espontâneas de produtos com suspeita de desvio de qualidade, sendo os funcionários da farmácia (48,7%) e a enfermagem (35,1%) os responsáveis pelo maior número de notificações.Das notificações, em 12,6% foram identificados erros de medicação, 60,2% foram encaminhas para avaliação da indústria e 13% receberam parecer desfavorável para uso na instituição. Conclusão: É fundamental que os profissionais de saúde façam a notificação dos problemas detectados para que se mantenha ou melhore a qualidade e segurança dos produtos.

Background: Pharmacovigilance is defined as a set of activities related to detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects and drug-related technical complaints. Aims: To describe spontaneous reports about products with suspected quality defects filed at the Pharmacovigilance Department of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between 2008 and 2012.Method: Descriptive study with data from the Pharmacovigilance Department and Technical Expert Service of the hospital including the following variables: author of the report, products, quality defects, medication errors, measures adopted after product assessment. Results: In the period assessed, there were 191 spontaneous reports of products with suspected quality defects. Pharmacists and nurses accounted for most reports (48.7 and 35.1%, respectively). Of all reports, 12.6% described medication errors, 60.2% were forwarded to the pharmaceutical industry for assessment, and 13% resulted in drugs not being recommended for use at the hospital. Conclusion: Consistent reporting of drug-related problems by health professionals is extremely important to maintain and improve product quality and safety.