Exploring the response of a key Mediterranean gorgonian to heat stress across biological and spatial scales.

Understanding the factors and processes that shape intra-specific sensitivity to heat stress is fundamental to better predicting the vulnerability of benthic species to climate change. Here, we investigate the response of a habitat-forming Mediterranean octocoral, the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) to thermal stress at multiple biological and geographical scales. Samples from eleven P. clavata populations inhabiting four localities separated by hundreds to more than 1500 km of coast and with contrasting thermal histories were exposed to a critical temperature threshold (25 °C) in a common garden experiment in aquaria. Ten of the 11 populations lacked thermotolerance to the experimental conditions provided (25 days at 25 °C), with 100% or almost 100% colony mortality by the end of the experiment. Furthermore, we found no significant association between local average thermal regimes nor recent thermal history (i.e., local water temperatures in the 3 months prior to the experiment) and population thermotolerance. Overall, our results suggest that local adaptation and/or acclimation to warmer conditions have a limited role in the response of P. clavata to thermal stress. The study also confirms the sensitivity of this species to warm temperatures across its distributional range and questions its adaptive capacity under ocean warming conditions. However, important inter-individual variation in thermotolerance was found within populations, particularly those exposed to the most severe prior marine heatwaves. These observations suggest that P. clavata could harbor adaptive potential to future warming acting on standing genetic variation (i.e., divergent selection) and/or environmentally-induced phenotypic variation (i.e., intra- and/or intergenerational plasticity).

Population collapse of habitat-forming species in the Mediterranean: a long-term study of gorgonian populations affected by recurrent marine heatwaves.

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced marine protected area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were first affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003-2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e. reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs.

Detrimental effects of ocean acidification on the economically important Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum).

The mean predicted decrease of 0.3-0.4 pH units in the global surface ocean by the end of the century has prompted urgent research to assess the potential effects of ocean acidification on the marine environment, with strong emphasis on calcifying organisms. Among them, the Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum) is expected to be particularly susceptible to acidification effects, due to the elevated solubility of its Mg-calcite skeleton. This, together with the large overexploitation of this species, depicts a bleak future for this organism over the next decades. In this study, we evaluated the effects of low pH on the species from aquaria experiments. Several colonies of C. rubrum were long-term maintained for 314 days in aquaria at two different pH levels (8.10 and 7.81, pHT ). Calcification rate, spicule morphology, major biochemical constituents (protein, carbohydrates and lipids) and fatty acids composition were measured periodically. Exposure to lower pH conditions caused a significant decrease in the skeletal growth rate in comparison with the control treatment. Similarly, the spicule morphology clearly differed between both treatments at the end of the experiment, with aberrant shapes being observed only under the acidified conditions. On the other hand, while total organic matter was significantly higher under low pH conditions, no significant differences were detected between treatments regarding total carbohydrate, lipid, protein and fatty acid composition. However, the lower variability found among samples maintained in acidified conditions relative to controls, suggests a possible effect of pH decrease on the metabolism of the colonies. Our results show, for the first time, evidence of detrimental ocean acidification effects on this valuable and endangered coral species.

Dacriocistocele con mucocele nasal congénito como causa de dificultad respiratoria neonatal / Dacryocystocele with nasal mucocele causing neonatal respiratory distress

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[Neonatal candidiasis and liposomal amphotericin B treatment: our experience]. / Candidiasis neonatales y tratamiento con anfotericina B liposomal: nuestra experiencia.

OBJECTIVE: Nosocomial Candidiasis in low birth weight (LBW) infants have increased. Toxic side effects limit the use of conventional Amphotericin B for treatment of fungal infections. The liposomal forms have lowered this risk considerably, even at higher doses. Our aim was to evaluate treatment response to liposomal Amphotericin B in neonates with Candidiasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen neonates diagnosed both clinically and biologically of Candidiasis infection and who were treated with liposomal Amphotericin B from June 1994 through July 1997 were included. Duration of treatment, when culture became negative, secondary effects, complications, other medication, basal pathology and clinical course were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean gestational age was 36 +/- 6 weeks and 60% were preterm. Mean age at diagnosis was 13.4 days. Eleven patients presented sepsis (1 C. Sp., 9 C. albicans and 1 C. parapsilosis). They were treated with liposomal Amphotericin B, starting dose 0.5-1 mg/kg/day). One patient had associated 5-fluorocytosine. Cultures became negative at approximately 13 days and mean duration of therapy was 21.13 days. Seven patients showed additional bacterial infections. Side effects during treatment were anemia and hypotension. CONCLUSIONS: Liposomal Amphotericin B has been effective in the treatment of Candidiasis without toxic signs that can be attributed solely to the medication.

[The newborn infant of the drug addicted mother. Clinical and therapeutic problems]. / Recién nacido de madre drogadicta. Problemas clínicos y terapéuticos.

A revision of 16 newborns and their heroin-addicted mothers was carried out. The mean maternal age was 23.06 +/- 3.43 years, and mean duration of addiction was 3.07 +/- 1.43 years. The last dose of heroin was administered less than 24 hours prior to giving birth in every [corrected] case except one. Antenatal care was irregular and previous abortions were frequent. Two mothers had a history of syphilis, five had markers for anti-HIV antibodies. The mean duration of pregnancy was 37.8 +/- 2.28 weeks, and unknown in five cases. Mean birth weight was 2.715 +/- 281 g. Withdrawal symptoms were observed in 13 babies. Of these, 12 required treatment with phenobarbital and in 1 case with chlorpromazine as well. In 9 babies, hepatitis B prophylaxis was carried out and three had HIV antibodies.