Occurrence of larval ascaridoid nematodes in the Argentinean short-finned squid Illex argentinus from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (off Falkland Islands).

The Argentinean short-finned squid (Illex argentinus) is an oceanic, neritic species widely distributed off the east coast of South America, representing the most abundant commercially exploited squid species in these waters. Despite the great commercial importance of Argentinean short-finned squid as a food resource, and as frozen product exported to Europe, the presence of zoonotic anisakid nematodes, especially in the mantle of the squid, is poorly known. The occurrence and site of infection of larval ascaridoid nematodes in 70 I. argentinus caught off the Falkland Islands were investigated. Squids were examined using the UV-Press method. In total, 30 nematodes were detected in the viscera and mantle. According to morphology, 27 were third-stage larvae (L3) belonging to genus Anisakis, while three were L3 assigned to Hysterothylacium. Anisakis pegreffii (n = 27) were identified by sequence analysis of the mtDNA cox2 and the partial EF1 α-1 region of nDNA genes; Hysterothylacium aduncum (N = 3) were identified by sequence analysis of the ITS rDNA region. These findings represent the first molecular identification of A. pegreffii and H. aduncum in I. argentinus. Both prevalence (P = 15.7%) and abundance (A = 0.39) of infection with A. pegreffii were low, and even lower values of infection were recorded for H. aduncum (P = 2.1%, A = 0.04). Only 3 out of 70 (4.3%) squids hosted A. pegreffii larvae in the mantle. Larvae infecting viscera were coiled and mainly attached to outer surface of visceral organs. Mantle-infecting larvae were situated in the posterior half. Thus, these results suggest that - although low - the risk of acquiring anisakiasis from consumption of raw, marinated and/or undercooked short-finned squid products still exists.

Especial y marginal: hacia una problematización de la intervención estatal en la salud de los veteranos de Malvinas (1984-2000) / Special and marginal: towards a problematization of the state intervention regarding the health of Malvinas veterans (1984-2000)

RESUMEN El objetivo de este artículo es dar cuenta de las modalidades en que fue instituida la salud del veterano argentino de la guerra de Malvinas como un problema de intervención estatal entre 1984 y 2000. Para ello nos centramos en el concepto de problematización como un modo de análisis de las prácticas y el pensamiento político. El texto consta de tres apartados: en el primero se presentan las bases metodológicas para el análisis de las políticas públicas, mientras que el segundo y el tercero están destinados al análisis de una serie de leyes, proyectos de ley, decretos, informes, etc., producidos por diferentes esferas estatales en torno al veterano de guerra y su situación sanitaria. La hipótesis de lectura que proponemos es que el veterano o excombatiente de Malvinas fue problematizado como un segmento poblacional marginal, aunque la estabilización de un tratamiento específico tardó más de quince años en materializarse.

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to account for the modalities in which Malvinas veterans' health was constituted as a problem requiring state intervention between 1984 and 2000. In order to do so, we have focused on the concept of problematization as a way to analyze practices and political thought. The text consists of three sections: the first one presents the methodological basis of the analysis of public policies, whereas the second and third ones intend to analyze a series of laws, bills, decrees, reports and other documents produced by different state spheres about war veterans and their health situation. The hypothesis that we propose is that the Malvinas veterans were problematized as a marginal segment of the population, although the stabilization of a specific treatment took more than fifteen years to materialize

Distributional records of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Ophiuroidea from samples curated at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA): check-list update of the group in the Terra Nova Bay area (Ross Sea) and launch of the MNA 3D model 'virtual gallery'.

The distributional records of Ophiuroidea stored at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, Section of Genoa) are presented, corresponding to 1595 individuals that belong to 35 species and 17 genera. Specimens were collected in 106 different sampling stations at depths ranging from 21 to 1652 m in the framework of 14 Antarctic expeditions to the Ross Sea, one to the Antarctic Peninsula, and one to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Three species, Amphiura joubini Koehler, 1912, Amphiura (Amphiura) angularis Lyman, 1879, and Ophiura flexibilis (Koehler, 1911), are reported as new records for the Terra Nova Bay area, whose check-list of species increases from 15 to 18 species. The determination of these three new records was based both on morphological identification and molecular analyses (COI barcoding). Some of the genetically characterised specimens were also documented through photogrammetry and micro-computed tomography and represent the first bulk of 3D models that will be available through the MNA and Sketchfab websites, both for research and educational purposes.

Organohalogenated contaminants in plasma and eggs of rockhopper penguins: Does vitellogenin affect maternal transfer?

Although many studies have investigated organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs) in yolk, little is known about the mechanisms and timing of transfer of OHCs from the female to the egg. Vitellogenin, a yolk precursor, has been suggested to play a role in this transport. We here report for the first time the temporal changes in OHC and an index of vitellogenin concentrations in female plasma from the pre-laying period to clutch completion in free-living birds: the southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) breeding in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. In addition, OHC concentrations in the corresponding clutches were analysed. OHC concentrations in female plasma and in the yolk of both the first (A-) and the second (B-)eggs followed a similar pattern, with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) > Σpolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) > Σdichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) > Σmethoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) > Σchlordanes (CHLs) > Σpolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) ≈ Σhexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). The higher concentrations of MeO-PBDEs compared to PBDEs indicate a diet containing naturally-produced MeO-PBDEs. All OHC compounds except for PBDEs increased from the pre-laying period to A-egg laying and subsequently declined from A-egg laying to B-egg laying, and female plasma vitellogenin showed the same pattern. For ΣPCBs and ΣMeO-PBDEs, we found positive correlations between female plasma during A-egg laying and both eggs, and for HCB between female plasma and A-eggs only. During pre-laying, only ΣMeO-PBDEs correlated between both eggs and female plasma, and no correlations between OHC concentrations in eggs and female plasma were found during B-egg laying, highlighting that maternal transfer of OHCs is time- and compound-specific. Finally, female vitellogenin concentrations did not significantly correlate with any OHC compounds in either female plasma or eggs, and our results therefore did not confirm the suggested role of vitellogenin in the maternal transfer of OHC molecules into their eggs.