Do benthic biofilters contribute to sustainability and restoration of the benthic environment impacted by offshore cage finfish aquaculture?

Benthic biofilters were deployed under a cage fish farm and in two reference locations to assess the influence of the farm on the biofilters and the surroundings, as well as to verify the usefulness of this technology as a mitigation tool. The biofilters underneath the farm recruited a fouling community practically identical to that of the control biofilters, which included a variety of trophic strategies. The former showed a higher 15N enrichment, indicating that fouling beneath the farm was benefiting from the farm waste. The waste retention efficiency was low (0.02 g N m(-2) month(-1)) beneath the farm. Benthic biofilters aggregated demersal wild fish around and within them. Pelagic wild fish also frequently used the biofilters beneath the farm, forming compact shoals around them. The increased complexity of the habitat below the fish farm enhanced biodiversity, but this improvement did not lead to the recovery of the sediments around the biofilters.

Fusión de imágenes de gated-SPECT y angiotomografía computarizada en la enfermedad coronaria. Importancia de la correlación anatomicofuncional / Image fusion of gated-SPECT and CT angiography in coronary artery disease. Importance of anatomic-functional correlation

Paciente de 77 años de edad ingresado por un síndrome coronario agudo sin elevación del segmento ST. Se estratificó su riesgo mediante gated-SPECT de perfusión miocárdica, evidenciándose una ligera isquemia inferior, por lo cual se optimizó el tratamiento médico y recibió el alta hospitalaria. El paciente continuó con disnea de esfuerzo, y se le realizó una angiotomografía computarizada coronaria que mostró lesiones intensas en la arteria coronaria derecha (CD) proximal. La fusión SPECT-tomografía computarizada correlacionó el defecto de perfusión miocárdica con la arteria descendente posterior proveniente de la arteria CD en un territorio de irrigación codominante. Posteriormente se indicó un cateterismo cardiaco para su tratamiento. El uso actual de los estudios de fusión de imágenes se limita a pacientes en los cuales es difícil la asignación de un defecto de perfusión a una determinada arteria coronaria. En nuestro paciente, las imágenes de fusión contribuyeron a discernir la arteria responsable del territorio isquémico entre la arteria CD y la arteria circunfleja(AU)

A 77-year old patient was admitted for acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation. His risk was stratified using the myocardial perfusion gated SPECT, mild inferior ischemia being observed. Thus, medical therapy was optimized and the patient was discharged. He continued with exertional dyspnea so a coronary CT angiography was performed. It revealed severe lesions in the proximal RCA. SPECT-CT fusion images correlated the myocardial perfusion defect with a posterior descending artery from the RCA, in a co-dominant coronary area. Subsequently, cardiac catheterism was indicated for his treatment. The current use of image fusion studies is limited to patients in whom it is difficult to attribute a perfusion defect to a specific coronary artery. In our patient, the fusion images helped to distinguish between the RCA and the circumflex artery as the culprit artery of ischemia(AU)

[Image fusion of gated-SPECT and CT angiography in coronary artery disease. Importance of anatomic-functional correlation]. / Fusión de imágenes de gated-SPECT y angiotomografía computarizada en la enfermedad coronaria. Importancia de la correlación anatomicofuncional.

A 77-year old patient was admitted for acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation. His risk was stratified using the myocardial perfusion gated SPECT, mild inferior ischemia being observed. Thus, medical therapy was optimized and the patient was discharged. He continued with exertional dyspnea so a coronary CT angiography was performed. It revealed severe lesions in the proximal RCA. SPECT-CT fusion images correlated the myocardial perfusion defect with a posterior descending artery from the RCA, in a co-dominant coronary area. Subsequently, cardiac catheterism was indicated for his treatment. The current use of image fusion studies is limited to patients in whom it is difficult to attribute a perfusion defect to a specific coronary artery. In our patient, the fusion images helped to distinguish between the RCA and the circumflex artery as the culprit artery of ischemia.

Protocolo corto esfuerzo reposo frente a protocolo largo en la gated-SPECT de perfusión miocárdica de pacientes con miocardiopatía isquémica / Short exercise-rest versus long myocardial perfusion gated SPECT protocols in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

Objetivo. Analizar la función sistólica ventricular izquierda y la perfusión miocárdica entre los protocolos corto esfuerzo reposo en un solo día y largo en 2 días de la gated-SPECT (Single Photon Emision Computed Tomography) de perfusión miocárdica en pacientes con miocardiopatía isquémica. Métodos. Estudio prospectivo de 40 pacientes (59,6±8,9 años, 3 mujeres) con miocardiopatía isquémica (fracción de eyección (FE) ventricular izquierda <=40%) estudiados mediante gated-SPECT. Entre 5–10 días después de realizar el protocolo corto esfuerzo reposo (gated-SPECT-1) los pacientes fueron recitados para un segundo estudio de reposo (gated-SPECT-2) para comparar los resultados de la FE y de las diferencias de la suma de puntuación de perfusión en reposo (ΔSPR=SPR1–SPR2) y de la suma de puntuación de perfusión diferencial (ΔSPD=SPD1–SPD2) entre ambos protocolos. Resultados. En 26 pacientes (65%) la FE de la gated-SPECT-2 fue superior (37 vs 34%, p=0,008) a la de la gated-SPECT-1 y en 11 pacientes (27,5%) el incremento fue >=5%. No hubo diferencias clínicas ni coronariográficas significativas entre los pacientes con y sin aumento de la fracción de eyección >=5%. En el análisis múltivariante ΔSPR (IC95%: −1,1 a −29,2) y ΔSPD (0,179–1,236) fueron predictoras del incremento de la FE ≥5% entre ambos estudios. Conclusiones. En los pacientes con miocardiopatía isquémica la práctica de un protocolo corto esfuerzo reposo puede infravalorar la FE del ventrículo izquierdo. El aturdimiento miocárdico postestrés y la posible contaminación de las imágenes de reposo con las del esfuerzo previo en el protocolo corto permitirían explicar en parte estos resultados(AU)

Objective. The purpose of this study was to analyze left systolic ventricular function and myocardial perfusion characteristics between short one day exercise-rest and long two days gated SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) protocols in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Methods. A prospective study of 40 patients (59.6±8.9 years, 3 women) with IHD (left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) <=40%) was performed with myocardial perfusion gated SPECT. From 5 to 10 days after a one-day exercise-rest study (gated SPECT-1), patients were called back for a second rest study (gated SPECT-2) in order to compare EF and differences in perfusion summed rest score (ΔSRS=SRS1–SRS2) and summed difference score (ΔSDS=SDS1–SDS2) between both protocols. Results. Between rest-gated SPECT-1 (short protocol) and rest-gated SPECT-2 (long protocol) EF increased (34% vs 37%, P= 0.008) in 26 patients (65%), and in 11 patients (27.5%) the increase was >=5%. There were no significant differences in clinical and coronary angiography variables between patients with and without increase of the EF >=5%. In the multivariate analysis, ΔSRS (95% CI: −1.1 to −29.2) and ΔSDS (0.179–1.236) were predictors for this EF increase between both studies. Conclusions. Exercise-rest short protocol can underestimate EF in patients with CM. Stunning but also contamination of rest images by previous exercise images in a short protocol could explain these results(AU)

[Short exercise-rest versus long myocardial perfusion gated SPECT protocols in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy]. / Protocolo corto esfuerzo reposo frente a protocolo largo en la gated-SPECT de perfusión miocárdica de pacientes con miocardiopatía isquémica.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze left systolic ventricular function and myocardial perfusion characteristics between short one day exercise-rest and long two days gated SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) protocols in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). METHODS: A prospective study of 40 patients (59.6±8.9 years, 3 women) with IHD (left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) ≤40%) was performed with myocardial perfusion gated SPECT. From 5 to 10 days after a one-day exercise-rest study (gated SPECT-1), patients were called back for a second rest study (gated SPECT-2) in order to compare EF and differences in perfusion summed rest score (ΔSRS=SRS1-SRS2) and summed difference score (ΔSDS=SDS1-SDS2) between both protocols. RESULTS: Between rest-gated SPECT-1 (short protocol) and rest-gated SPECT-2 (long protocol) EF increased (34% vs 37%, P= 0.008) in 26 patients (65%), and in 11 patients (27.5%) the increase was ≥5%. There were no significant differences in clinical and coronary angiography variables between patients with and without increase of the EF ≥5%. In the multivariate analysis, ΔSRS (95% CI: -1.1 to -29.2) and ΔSDS (0.179-1.236) were predictors for this EF increase between both studies. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise-rest short protocol can underestimate EF in patients with CM. Stunning but also contamination of rest images by previous exercise images in a short protocol could explain these results.