Effects of cadmium, copper and zinc on growth of four isolated algae from a highly polluted Argentina river.

Toxicity of cadmium, copper and zinc was tested on four green algal species (Ankistrodesmus fusiformis, Chlorella ellipsoidea, Monoraphidium contortum and Scenedesmus acuminatus) isolated from a highly polluted river (Matanza-Riachuelo River, Buenos Aires, Argentina). The relative abundance of these species in river waters showed that C. ellipsoidea was the most abundant species (mean 4,540 ind mL(-1)), whereas the less abundant species was S. acuminatus (mean 220 ind mL(-1)). The most sensitive species was A. fusiformis, which EC50 were Cd = 141 µg L(-1), Cu = 72 µg L(-1), and Zn = 199 µg L(-1), whereas C. ellipsoidea was the most resistant species to copper (EC50 = 489 µg L(-1)) and cadmium (EC50 = 429 µg L(-1)), and M. contortum and S. acuminatus were the most resistant species to zinc (EC50 = 381 and 394 µg L(-1), respectively).

Direct and indirect effects of the glyphosate formulation Glifosato Atanor® on freshwater microbial communities.

Glyphosate-based formulations are among the most widely used herbicides in the world. The effect of the formulation Glifosato Atanor(®) on freshwater microbial communities (phytoplankton, bacterioplankton, periphyton and zooplankton) was assessed through a manipulative experiment using six small outdoor microcosms of small volume. Three of the microcosms were added with 3.5 mg l(-1) of glyphosate whereas the other three were left as controls without the herbicide. The treated microcosms showed a significant increase in total phosphorus, not fully explained by the glyphosate present in the Glifosato Atanor(®). Therefore, part of the phosphorus should have come from the surfactants of the formulation. The results showed significant direct and indirect effects of Glifosato Atanor(®) on the microbial communities. A single application of the herbicide caused a fast increase both in the abundance of bacterioplankton and planktonic picocyanobacteria and in chlorophyll a concentration in the water column. Although metabolic alterations related to oxidative stress were induced in the periphyton community, the herbicide favored its development, with a large contribution of filamentous algae typical of nutrient-rich systems, with shallow and calm waters. An indirect effect of the herbicide on the zooplankton was observed due to the increase in the abundance of the rotifer Lecane spp. as a consequence of the improved food availability given by picocyanobacteria and bacteria. The formulation affected directly a fraction of copepods as a target. It was concluded that the Glifosato Atanor(®) accelerates the deterioration of the water quality, especially when considering small-volume water systems.

Prescription patterns and appropriateness of NSAID therapy according to gastrointestinal risk and cardiovascular history in patients with diagnoses of osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be based on the assessment of both gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiovascular (CV) risk for the individual patient. We aimed to assess the GI/CV risk profile and the pharmacological management of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in clinical practice. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre, observational study of consecutive OA patients that visited 1,760 doctors throughout the Spanish National Health System (NHS) in a single day. The presence of GI risk factors, CV histories, hypertension and current pharmacological treatments was recorded. RESULTS: Of the 60,868 patients, 17,105 had a diagnosis of OA and were evaluable. The majority (93.4%) had more than one GI risk factor and 60.3% were defined to be at high-GI risk. Thirty-two percent had a history of CV events, 57.6% were treated with anti-hypertensive therapy and 22.6% had uncontrolled hypertension. One-fifth of patients were treated with non-NSAID therapies, whereas the remaining patients received NSAIDs. Non-selective NSAIDs (nsNSAID) plus proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2)-selective NSAIDs alone were more frequently prescribed in patients at increased GI risk. Patients with a positive CV history received nsNSAIDs or COX-2-selective NSAIDs in 41.3% and 31.7% of cases, respectively. When both the GI and CV histories were combined, 51% of the overall population was being prescribed drugs that were either not recommended or contraindicated. CONCLUSIONS: Over 90% of patients with OA are at increased GI and/or CV risk. In over half of these patients, the prescription of NSAIDs was not in accordance with current guidelines or recommendations made by regulatory agencies.

Factors involved in the colonisation of building façades by algae and cyanobacteria in France.

Algae and cyanobacteria are colonisers of building façades. A multivariate analysis of data gathered during a sampling campaign around France proved that precipitation, hygrometry, thermal amplitude, distance from the sea and proximity to vegetation were environmental parameters influencing this colonisation. Other influencing factors could be attributed to the nature of the façade coating, mineral substrata being more frequently colonised, and to the architecture, favouring in some cases the formation of damp conditions and thus the colonisation of the building envelope.

Ecosistemas de aguas continentales

El objetivo de este libro es el de permitir la realización de trabajos de investigación limnología orientados, principalmente, al desarrollo de los cursos universitarios de grado y postgrado, así como también servir de guia referencia y consulta a los investigadores activos en las diferentes ramas del estudio de las aguas dulces

Ecosistemas de aguas continentales

El objetivo de este libro es el de permitir la realización de trabajos de investigación limnología orientados, principalmente, al desarrollo de los cursos universitarios de grado y postgrado, así como también servir de guia referencia y consulta a los investigadores activos en las diferentes ramas del estudio de las aguas dulces