Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-01"
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- A multi-sensor approach to monitor the ongoing restoration of edaphic conditions for salt marsh species facing sea level rise: An adaptive management case study in Camargue, FrancePublication . Davranche, Aurélie; Arzel, Céline; Pouzet, Pierre; Carrasco, Rita; Lefebvre, Gaëtan; Lague, Dimitri; Thibault, Marc; Newton, Alice; Fleurant, Cyril; Maanan, Mohamed; Poulin, BrigitteThe Camargue or Rhone delta is a coastal wetland in southern France of which parts formerly devoted to salt production are undergoing a renaturation process. This study assessed a multisensor approach to investigate the link between sediment size distribution, habitat development mapped with Worldview 2, flooding durations estimated with time series of SENTINEL 2 images and elevation modelled with a LIDAR point cloud in former saltworks. A Random Forest classification algorithm was used to map the vegetation distributions of Sarcocornia fruticosa and Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, main representatives of the NATURA 2000 "Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)" habitat on the site. The best habitat map was ob-tained when considering the species separately. The random forest Out-of-bag errors were 1.43 % for S. fruticosa and 2.18 % for A. macrostachyum. Both species were generally distributed on different elevation and flooding duration zones considering mean values. Flooding duration was estimated with the Water In Wetland index (WIW) based on 15 Sentinel-2 scenes. Two models related to sediment grain size distribution were developed: one predicting the flooding duration and one predicting the halophilous scrub distribution. Maps of flooding duration, sediment grain size distribution and elevation highlighted two main zones in the study area: a western section with coarser sediments, shorter flooding durations and higher elevations under sea influence; an eastern section with finer sediments, longer hydroperiods and lower elevations under a historic river influence. This multidisciplinary approach offers perspectives for using space-based data over large scales to monitor changes in edaphic conditions of coastal areas facing natural and anthropogenic forcings. The results call for further in-vestigations to predict the dynamic distribution of other coastal habitats following climate change impacts, such as sea level rise.
- Wellness tourism: a bibliometric analysis approachPublication . Martins, Patrícia Raquel Fernandes; De jesus, Saúl; Pocinho, Margarida; Patrícia Valle, Patrícia Oom do ValleAn emerging field, wellness tourism can reduce stress levels and foster positive emotions, leading to a healthy balance of body, mind, and spirit and satisfying consumer experiences that enhance personal well-being. As a distinct subcategory of health tourism, it is often erroneously interchanged with medical tourism in the literature. Moreover, up to this point, no comprehensive review has assessed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellness tourism research. A bibliometric review was conducted to fill this gap. Data was collected in June 2023 through the Web of Science (WoS) database. The selection process encompassed articles published from January 2013 to June 2023. A total of 143 relevant peer-reviewed articles published in English-language journals were selected. Data were analyzed through evaluation techniques based on productivity and impact measures and relational techniques via mapping the results through VOSviewer software. Based on these findings, potential directions and suggestions for future research were proposed.
- Intraspecific genetic lineages of a marine mussel show behavioural divergence when exposed to microplastic leachatesPublication . Cozzolino, Lorenzo; Nicastro, Katy R; Hubbard, Peter; Seuront, Laurent; McQuaid, Christopher D.; Zardi, Gerardo IWorldwide, microplastic pollution has numerous negative implications for marine biota, exacerbating the effects of other forms of global anthropogenic disturbance. Mounting evidence shows that microplastics (MPs) not only cause physical damage through their ingestion, but also act as vectors for hazardous compounds by leaching absorbed and adsorbed chemicals. Research on the effects of plastic pollution has, however, largely assumed that species respond uniformly, while ignoring intraspecific diversity (i.e., variation within a single species). We investigated the effects of plastic leachates derived from factory-fresh (virgin) and beached microplastics on the behavioural responses of two genetic lineages of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Through laboratory behavioural experiments, we found that during exposure to leachates from beached microplastics (beached MPLs), Atlantic specimens moved significantly less than Mediterranean individuals in terms of both (i) proportion of individuals responding through movement and (ii) net and gross distances crawled. In contrast, no significant intraspecific differences were observed in the behaviour of either adults or recruits when exposed to MPLs from virgin microplastics (virgin MPLs). Additionally, the reception of cues from three amino acids (Lcysteine, proline and L-leucine) at increasing concentrations (10-5 M to 10-3 M in charcoal-filtered seawater) was tested by electrophysiological analysis using mussels exposed to beached MPLs or control seawater. We found significant intraspecific differences in response to 10-3 M L-cysteine (regardless of treatment) and 10-4 M L-cysteine (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and to 10-3 M proline (in mussels exposed to beached MPLs) and 10-5 M L-leucine. Our study suggests that intraspecific variation in a marine mussel may prompt different responses to plastic pollution, potentially triggered by local adaptation and physiological variability between lineages. Our work highlights the importance of assessing the effects of intraspecific variation, especially in environmental sentinel species as this level of diversity could modulate responses to plastic pollution.
- Plant-based silver nanoparticles ecotoxicity: perspectives about green technologies in the one health contextPublication . Silva Brito, Rafaella; Bebianno, Maria; Rocha, Thiago LopesSilver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have extensive applications in nanomedicine and parasitology, particularly as antifungal, bactericidal, antiviral, larvicidal, mosquitocidal, and tick-killing agents. Plant-based AgNPs (PB-AgNPs) have been studied as a safer and biocompatible strategy to collaborate in disease control. However, knowledge concerning the toxicity of PB-AgNPs in non-target organisms is still limited. A scientometric and systematic review was conducted to comprehensively understand the potential toxicity associated with these nanoparticles. In brief, the assessment of PB-AgNPs toxicological and ecotoxicity aspects needs to be aligned with their development for target organisms. Our review demonstrates that different PB-AgNPs can cause lethal and sublethal effects like increased oxidative stress, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, hematotoxicity, and, DNA damage, alongside others, particularly in aquatic organisms. Besides, the toxicity of PB-AgNPs for terrestrial and some aquatic organisms remains poorly understood. Additionally, the similar LC50 range between non-target aquatic organisms and target organisms highlights the potential ecological impact of PB-AgNPs. Comprehensive toxicological assessments and further research are crucial to ensure the safe and sustainable use of PB-AgNPs in a One Health context.
- Surgical management of severe mandibular actinomycosis: segmental mandibulectomy and fibula free flap for optimal outcomesPublication . Leite, Paula Maria; Chaves, Carolina F; Morgado, Bruno; Zenha, Horácio; Costa, HorácioActinomycosis is a chronic, suppurative, granulomatous bacterial infection primarily associated with Actinomyces israelii. The condition can be categorized into three distinct clinical types based on the affected anatomical region: cervicofacial, pulmonary, or abdominopelvic actinomycosis. The standard treatment for actinomycosis involves antibiotic therapy, with an empiric penicillin regimen as the first-line approach. Surgical interventions comprise curettage of the affected bone, resection of necrotic tissues, excision of existing sinus tracts, and drainage of abscesses. These procedures are considered a last resort for cases of actinomycosis unresponsive to antibiotic therapy. In this context, we present a case of severely unresponsive actinomycosis that necessitated aggressive surgical resection of the infected mandibular bone, followed by immediate reconstruction using a fibula-free flap. The outcome yielded both favorable functional and aesthetic results.
- Establishment of local diagnostic reference levels for abdomen and chest radiographies in the region of Algarve, PortugalPublication . Arriaga, A.; Gonçalves, Cláudia; Teles, P.; Santos, Joana; Simãozinho, Paula; Sousa-Santos, Patrick Emanuell MesquitaPurpose: To assess doses variabilities in the same abdomen and chest RX exams for adults, to check the need for dose harmonization. To calculate Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRL), mandatory in the European Union, for the Algarve district in Portugal. Our results can be a valuable reference for the Portuguese official determination of DRLs, still in progress.Method: We considered 4,936 abdomen and 41,320 chest radiographs of adults, covering 7 health centres and 35 radiographers in Algarve. Entrance skin dose (ESD) was calculated for each radiograph and the corresponding uncertainty estimated. Mean doses per centre and per technician, and their uncertainties, were calculated to access dose variabilities. DRLs, set at the 3rd quartile of the total ESD distribution, were determined for a standard patient and for intervals of body mass index (BMI) to study their correlation with patient anatomical variations. Standard quartile errors were estimated.Results: Our results suggest significant dispersion in applied ESDs among different centres and radiographers. Estimates of DRLs also show small fluctuations across years and an important dependence on BMI intervals. For a standard patient, they are 8.7 +/- 0.1 (abdomen) and 0.44 +/- 0.01 (chest), while the European DRLs are, respectively, 5.1 and 0.2 (all in mGy).Conclusions: Results suggest that there is room for dose optimization and harmonization with European DRLs, urging a national dose survey and the establishment of official national DRLs. Official DRLs in intervals of BMI would be quite beneficial, to avoid unnecessary dose exposures.
- Growth strategies of Chlorella vulgaris in seawater for a high production of biomass and lipids suitable for biodieselPublication . Rautenberger, Ralf; Détain, Alexandre; Skjånes, Kari; Schulze, Peter S.C.; Kiron, Viswanath; Morales-Sánchez, DanielaChlorella vulgaris is a freshwater microalga that synthesises large amounts of saturated lipids, which makes it suitable for production of bioenergy and biofuels. Since its cultivation usually requires freshwater, it competes with agriculture, economic development and ecological conservation for this limited natural resource. This study investigated the possibility of the partial replacement of freshwater by seawater (50 %) in the growth medium for a more sustainable biomass and lipid production. Chlorella vulgaris 211-11b was cultivated as shake-flask cultures in Bold's Basal Medium (BBM) formulated with 50 % freshwater and 50 % seawater under photoautotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic conditions for eight days with glucose as organic carbon source in the latter two cases. The alga's best growth performance and highest lipid contents (49 % DW 1), dominated by palmitioleic and oleic acid, occurred under mixotrophic rather than photoautotrophic and heterotrophic conditions. This study demonstrates a more economic and ecologically sustainable biomass and lipid production of C. vulgaris by saving 50 % freshwater, which is available for other purposes.
- An integrated coastal ecosystem monitoring strategy: Pilot case in Naf-Saint Martin Peninsula, BangladeshPublication . Sarker, Subrata; Krug, Lilian; Islam, Kazi Mainul; Basak, Shyamal Chandra; Huda, A. N. M. Samiul; Hossain, Md. Shahadat; Das, Nabanita; Riya, Shashowti Chowdhury; Liyana, Eurida; Chowdhury, Gawsia WahidunnessaRapid population growth creating an excessive pressure on the marine environment and thus monitoring of marine ecosystem is essential. However, due to high technical and financial involvement, monitoring of coastal ecosystem is always challenging in developing countries. This study aims to develop an integrated coastal ecosystem monitoring system that combines scientific sampling, numerical model simulation and citizen science observations to monitor the coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh. This concept of integrated monitoring approach was piloted from January 2022 to April 2023 at the South East coastal zone of Bangladesh. Scientific sampling and numerical model simulations were performed for temperature and salinity data collection. Citizen science approach was employed to collect data on environmental conditions, fisheries, plankton, other marine resources, and plastic pollution. Numerical model simulations and citizen scientists observations of temperature and salinity showed good agreement with the scientifically collected data. In addition, citizen scientists observations on fisheries, plankton, other marine resources and plastic pollution were also in line with the existing database and previous studies. The proposed integrated monitoring approach presents a viable technique, creating a new avenue for coastal and marine ecosystem monitoring where infrastructural facilities are limited.
- An analysis of coastal sand dune management in Oregon (United States) from the 19th to the 21st centuryPublication . Sampath, D.M.R.; Freitas, J.G.; A. Dias, JoãoThe Drivers -Pressures -State -Impact -Response (DPSIR) framework was employed to understand the land use policies developed to manage coastal sand dunes and their consequences in Oregon, United States of America, during two contrasting periods: from the 19th to the late 20th century and from there to the early 21st century. A combination of historical data and scientific literature was used for this study. Dune destabilization became a socio-economic issue as Euro-Americans settled in Oregon in the 19th century. Ammophila arenaria and Ammophila breviligulata were widely used for stabilization. This led to a paradigm shift regarding dunes, at a time when their management was becoming more complex due to socio-natural factors. As non-native beachgrasses turned invasive causing the loss of biodiversity and habitats, their removal became the focus to restore the active dunes to support the natural processes of the ecosystem. However, the removal of these beachgrasses, particularly, Ammophila arenaria, results in low dune heights, increasing the risk of coastal flooding by reducing their effectiveness as a natural defense against sea -level rise and extreme storm surges. The reason for the contrasting dune management policies in Oregon since the 1930 s is that the management response to environmental impacts due to human drivers creates new drivers, pressures, and corresponding impacts, as shown in the DPSIR analysis. Thus, land use policies for managing coastal dunes in Oregon and other places must balance efforts to restore the native biodiversity while minimizing coastal flooding in a context of accelerating and continuous sea -level rise in the 21st century.
- Exploring foraging preference of local fish species towards non-indigenous fouling communities near marinas: Insights from Remote Video Foraging System (RVFS) trialsPublication . Chebaane, Sahar; Pais, Miguel Pessanha; Engelen, Aschwin; Ramalhosa, Patrício; Silva, Rodrigo; Gizzi, Francesca; Canning-Clode, João; Bernal-Ibáñez, Alejandro; Monteiro, João GamaNon-indigenous species (NIS) spread from marinas to natural environments is influenced by niche availability, habitat suitability, and local biotic resistance. This study explores the effect of indigenous fish feeding behaviour on NIS proliferation using fouling communities, pre-grown on settlement plates, as two distinct, representative models: one from NIS-rich marinas and the other from areas outside marinas with fewer NIS. These plates were mounted on a Remote Video Foraging System (RVFS) near three marinas on Madeira Island. After 24-h, NIS abundance was reduced by 3.5 %. Canthigaster capistrata's preference for marinas plates suggests potential biotic resistance. However, Sparisoma cretense showed equal biting frequencies for both plate types. The cryptogenic ascidian Trididemnum cereum was the preferred target for the fish. Our study introduces a global framework using RVFS for in-situ experiments, replicable across divers contexts (e.g., feeding behaviour, biotic resistance), which can be complemented by metabarcoding and isotopic analysis to confirm consumption patterns.