The aquaculture supply chain in the time of covid-19 pandemic: Vulnerability, resilience, solutions and priorities at the global scale.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein in this PFSC. We performed a rapid global assessment to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emerging control measures on the aquaculture supply chain. Socio-economic effects of the pandemic were analysed by surveying the perceptions of stakeholders, who were asked to describe potential supply-side disruption, vulnerabilities and resilience patterns along the production pipeline with four main supply chain components: a) hatchery, b) production/processing, c) distribution/logistics and d) market. We also assessed different farming strategies, comparing land- vs. sea-based systems; extensive vs. intensive methods; and with and without integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, IMTA. In addition to evaluating levels and sources of economic distress, interviewees were asked to identify mitigation solutions adopted at local / internal (i.e., farm-site) scales, and to express their preference on national / external scale mitigation measures among a set of a priori options. Survey responses identified the potential causes of disruption, ripple effects, sources of food insecurity, and socio-economic conflicts. They also pointed to various levels of mitigation strategies. The collated evidence represents a first baseline useful to address future disaster-driven responses, to reinforce the resilience of the sector and to facilitate the design reconstruction plans and mitigation measures, such as financial aid strategies.

Transmission electron microscopy of the gastrointestinal tract of Nile perch Lates niloticus / Uso de microscopía electrónica de transmisión para visualizar el tracto gastrointestinal de la perca del Nilo Lates niloticus

The ultrastructure of the gastrointestinal tract of Nile perch was described using Transmission Electron Microscopy standard procedures. Investigations revealed the presence of mucous cells, blood vessels and oil droplets plus several nerve cells and muscle bundles in the oral cavity. Further observations revealed columnar epithelial cells in the oesophagus, with a ragged surface, high electron dense cytoplasm, intercellular spaces, mitochondria and mucus granules. The lamina propria of the oesophagus was composed of loose connective tissue, blood vessels, nerve cells and several leucocytes, while the muscularis externa was composed of striated muscle bundles with the a Z line, A band and I band. The stomach was characterized by mucosal glandular cells with electron dense granules, a prominent nucleus, mitochondria, and secretory canaliculi. The liver had an isotropic parenchyma composed of several hepatocytes with a single spherical euchromatic nucleus. The exocrine pancreatic cells in the liver occurred around large blood vessels, had large centrally positioned nuclei with electron dense nucleolus, electron dense granules, Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum, and mitochondria which dominated the cytoplasm of pancreatic cells.

La ultraestructura del tracto gastrointestinal de la perca del Nilo fue descrita utilizando un procedimiento estándar de Microscopía Electrónica de Transmisión (MET). Las investigaciones revelaron la presencia de células mucosas, vasos sanguíneos y pequeñas gotas de aceite, además de varias células nerviosas y haces musculares en la cavidad oral. Nuevas observaciones revelaron células epiteliales columnares en el esófago, con una superficie irregular, citoplasma elevado y electrodenso, espacios intercelulares, mitocondrias y gránulos mucosos. La lámina propia del esófago se compone de tejido conectivo laxo, vasos sanguíneos, células nerviosas y numerosos leucocitos, mientras que la muscular externa se compone de haces musculares estriados, con presencia de la línea Z, banda A y banda I. El estómago se caracteriza por presentar células glandulares mucosas con gránulos electrodensos , un núcleo prominente, mitocondrias y canalículos secretores. El hígado presentó un parénquima isotrópico compuesto de varios hepatocitos con un solo núcleo eucromático y esférico. Las células pancreáticas exocrinas se encontraron alrededor de grandes vasos sanguíneos, presentando grandes núcleos posicionados centralmente, con nucleólos densos, gránulos electrodensos en el retículo endoplasmático rugoso, y mitocondrias, que dominaron el citoplasma de las células pancreáticas.

Variability in the attainment of functional milestones during the acute care admission after total joint replacement.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify patients' functional improvement in the immediate postoperative period after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: A prospective observational study design was used to examine the number of physical therapy treatment sessions and postoperative days required to attain independence in 4 critical functional milestones, with independence defined as the ability to perform the activity without the assistance of another person. The 4 functional milestones selected were the ability to perform supine to sit transfers; sit to stand transfers; ambulation to 100'; and the ability to climb stairs. Consecutive patients undergoing elective THA or TKA for the first time at a community teaching hospital were entered into the study. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 81 patients undergoing elective THA or TKA (33 THA and 48 TKA). There was wide variability in the number of physical therapy sessions and postoperative days required to attain each of the 4 milestones and all 4 milestones. Climbing stairs was the most difficult task, followed by walking 100', performing sit to stand transfers, and performing supine to sit transfers. The achievement of the latter 2 milestones was similar. CONCLUSION: Our examination of patients' progress in attaining specific functional milestones is a unique approach to outcome assessment that emphasizes the physical therapy aspect of postsurgical rehabilitation. A wide variability in patients' functional progress during the acute care admission after elective THA or TKA was demonstrated. The reasons for this variability need to be explored since they may have important implications for planning rehabilitation related to THA, TKA or other orthopedic reconstructive procedures.