Salt Water Use Research Articles

Application of fulvic acid and potassium fertilization to reduce the harmful effect of salt water stress on growth, productivity and nutritional status of tomato plants

Water is a key resource for sustainable agricultural development in Egypt. The scarcity of fresh water resources in Egypt has led to the use of salt water for irrigation. Therefore, the aim of the research was to study the effect of potassium fertilization and spraying with fulvic acid on tomato plants irrigated with salt water and grown in sandy soil during two successive growing seasons. Different rates of the potassium fertilization combined with different concentrations of fulvic acid foliar application. The rates of K fertilization were 150, 200 and 300 Kg K2O per hectare of the recommended fertilizer unit (300 kg K2O ha-1). While, the concentrations of fulvic acid were 500, 1000 and 2000 mgl-1. Increasing the spraying concentration of fulvic acid from 500 to 2000 ppm resulted in a significant improvement in the parameters of growth, quantity and quality yield of tomato plants with an increase in potassium fertilization rates from 150 to 300 K2O kg ha-1with the use of saline irrigation water. Increasing the concentration of fulvic acid spraying led to the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in tomato leaves increased with an increase in potassium fertilization rates.Therefore, it can be said that spraying fulvic acid with the use of potassium fertilization is one of the successful solutions in reducing the effect of irrigation with salt water on the growth and yield of tomato plants.

Examining the Effects of Biochar in Spinach Cultivation with Increased Irrigation Water Salinity on Some Physical and Physiological Properties of the Plant

The inadequacy of fresh water resources in today's conditions has revealed the use of salty water as an alternative water source in agricultural irrigation but salinity, which is shown as the most important source of abiotic stress, increases osmotic stress and decreases the water intake of the plant, resulting in a physiological drought. For this reason, there is a need for applications to improve the decreasing efficiency in the use of salt water in irrigation through different practical and economic approaches. This study investigating the effects of biochar application into the soil against irrigation water salinity in spinach cultivation on some physical and physiological properties of the plant was carried out in five-liter pots in greenhouse conditions, in a completely randomized factorial experimental design with three replications, in three different irrigation water salinity levels with NaCl salt source [I0: tap water; 0.4 (control), I1: 2.5, I2: 5 dS m-1] and three different biochar dosage based on weight [B0: 0 (control), B1: 1.5, B2: 3%] conditions. As a result of the study, plant height, leaf number and area, shoot wet weight from physical properties and chlorophyll and leaf relative water contents from physiological properties decreased with increasing irrigation water salinity levels but the membrane damage decreased, while the physical and physiological properties of spinach increased with the increasing mixing ratio of biochar to the soil, excluding membrane damage. It was found that the use of biochar against irrigation water salinity can be recommended considering that mixing biochar to the soil against irrigation water salinity in spinach cultivation regulates the physical and physiological properties of the plant but to obtain more comprehensive information on this subject, evaluation of different irrigation water salinity and biochar ratios in terms of field studies has emerged as a recommendable result.

Gowanus Canal Superfund Site. V: Evaluation of ISS Cylinder Sample Crusts Formed During EPA 1315M Testing

The main purpose of treatability testing is to tailor a proposed remedial approach and related testing to site-specific conditions to ensure the maximum possible applicability of the bench-scale results at the full scale, and thus the success of the approach. One such adaption involves the use of modified (“M”) EPA 1315 tests to assess the leaching of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under simulated brackish-water conditions to provide insights into the mass transfer rates that result from the in situ stabilization/solidification (ISS) of sediments at coastal sites heavily impacted by nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs). As shown in this study, the use of saltwater (SW) baths during EPA 1315M testing can result in the formation of surface crusts on ISS samples and mass-transfer reductions in naphthalene, this effect being very pronounced in Gowanus Canal sediments. At the same time, the pH of the SW bath can drop from greater than 11 for a corresponding deionized water (DIW) bath to approximately 8, thus enabling biological activity. The newly formed ISS sample crusts (primarily aragonite and brucite) were similar in many respects to crusts that form on concrete under marine exposure conditions, based on mineralogical and x-ray-based analyses. However, surprisingly, while some SW baths were shown to be biologically active based on gene-probing analyses, petroleum hydrocarbon degraders, when present, did not necessarily reduce the observed leaching rates. The authors concluded that, while the surface crusts do appear to be associated with mass-transfer reductions, to varying degrees, remedial design should conservatively proceed on the basis of EPA 1315M tests utilizing DIW baths only, and any crusts potentially occurring under field conditions constitute an inherent benefit.

Magnetized Saline Water Irrigation Enhances Soil Chemical and Physical Properties

Due to rapid population growth and pressure on water resources, it is necessary to use economic and non-traditional techniques for irrigation. One of these techniques is the use of salt water after treatment with a magnetic force. A simulation experiment was conducted with soil columns using three quantities of saline water: 0, 3, and 6 g L−1 (S0, S3, and S6). Magnetic forces of 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 gauss were used to study the effects of magnetic forces on leachate and soil physicochemical properties at different depths. The results at all soil depths showed that the pH decreased with increasing salinity from S0 to S3 and S6 by an average of 8.44, 8.28, and 8.27%, respectively. Soil EC decreased significantly with depth by 10–35%. The maximum SAR, SSP, and CROSS values (16.3, 51.1, and 17.6, respectively) were reported when no magnetic force was used, while the lowest values (13.9, 49.9, and 15.3) were recorded when using 3000 gauss under S6 within the soil profile. Magnetizing the water halved the EC of the leachate under S0, while it decreased the EC by 12.4% under S3. Increasing the magnetic force enhanced the leachate SAR, SSP, and CROSS values by 4.9–20.4% on average under S3 and S6. Magnetic forces augmented the hydraulic conductivity at the same salinity level and with increasing salinity, resulting in an increment of 50% at S3 and S6 compared with S0. After nine hours, the maximum cumulative infiltration rate was under 1000 and 4000 gauss. Our results demonstrated the important effects of magnetically treated irrigation water and could therefore support its application in agriculture under conditions of low water resources and quality.

A Review of Salinity's Impact on Relevant Aquatic Drug Approval Technical Sections.

Currently, in the USA, there are no aquatic animal drugs approved for use in saltwater-reared finfish. As U.S. aquaculture expands into the marine environment, it is imperative to maximize the current knowledge base to make new approvals for saltwater use as efficient as possible. This article reviews literature relevant to how the saltwater environment may affect the Effectiveness, Target Animal Safety, and Human Food Safety major technical sections of a new animal drug approval. Though research on this subject is limited, there are pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies that have utilized euryhaline species to isolate salinity as the independent variable. I summarize these studies to demonstrate patterns that could facilitate more effective and efficient transfer of data previously used for freshwater drug approvals to be used for potential saltwater approvals. Research suggests that drug residue clearance rates are generally faster or at least similar in salt water if other factors are held constant, suggesting that consistent or shorter withdrawal times may be appropriate for saltwater application. However, faster clearance rates may cause a reduction in efficacy in some cases. The effects of salt water on drug toxicity are much less clear, are possibly highly compound dependent, and deserve further research. This suggests that any future drug approvals for saltwater use should begin by identifying the appropriate effective dose in salt water before addressing the other technical sections.

Sustainable biopolymer soil stabilization in saline rich, arid conditions: a \u2018micro to macro\u2019 approach

Water scarcity in semi-arid/arid regions is driving the use of salt water in mining operations. A consequence of this shift, is the potentially unheeded effect upon Mine Tailing (MT) management. With existing stabilization/solidification methodologies exhibiting vulnerability to MT toxicity and salinity effects, it is essential to explore the scope for more environmentally durable sustainable alternatives under these conditions. Within this study we investigate the effects of salinity (NaCl, 0–2.5 M) and temperatures associated with arid regions (25 °C, 40 °C), on Locust Bean Gum (LB) biopolymer stabilization of MT exemplar and sand (control) soil systems. A cross-disciplinary ‘micro to macro’ pipeline is employed, from a Membrane Enabled Bio-mineral Affinity Screen (MEBAS), to Mineral Binding Characterisation (MBC), leading finally to Geotechnical Verification (GV). As predicted by higher Fe2O3 LB binding affinity in saline in the MEBAS studies, LB with 1.25 M NaCl, results in the greatest soil strength in the MT exemplar after 7 days of curing at 40 °C. Under these most challenging conditions for other soil strengthening systems, an overall UCS peak of 5033 kPa is achieved. MBC shows the critical and direct relationship between Fe2O3-LB in saltwater to be ‘high-affinity’ at the molecular level and ‘high-strength’ achieved at the geotechnical level. This is attributed to biopolymer binding group’s increased availability, with their ‘salting-in’ as NaCl concentrations rises to 1.25 M and then ‘salting-out’ at higher concentrations. This study highlights the potential of biopolymers as robust, sustainable, soil stabilization additives in challenging environments.

Growth, foliar gas exchange and biomass accumulation in passion fruit seedlings irrigated with saline waters and due to the applications of salt stress attenuators

The use of substances attenuating the harmful effects of salts on plants is an important strategy for the use of salt water in agriculture. The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth, gas exchange and biomass accumulation of passion fruit seedlings (Passiflora edulis Sims) irrigated with salt water due to the application of salt stress attenuators. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a 5 x 3 x 2 factorial scheme, with three replications, referring to the electrical conductivities of the irrigation water (1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 dS m-1), three doses of humic acids (0, 10 and 20 mL) and two doses of citric acid (0 and 10 mL) as attenuators, respectively. Increased salinity of irrigation water reduced growth, accumulation of dry shoot biomass and gas exchange (stomatal conductance, transpiration, net photosynthesis, CO2 internal concentration) of passion fruit sourced seedlings. Citric acid did not attenuate the negative effects of the salts and negatively interfered in the growth and accumulation of dry biomass of the shoots of passion fruit, mainly to the seedlings irrigated with water of low salinity. Humic substances at a dose of 20 mL promoted higher growth of passion fruit sprouts but were not sufficient to attenuate the negative effects of irrigation water salts. Therefore, citric acid and humic substances, under the conditions of the study, are not an option to use saline water in the production of passion fruit seedlings

Liquid Metal Logic for Soft Robotics

While there are many soft matter sensing and actuation technologies, there is far less choice when it comes to soft material devices for control and computation. One solution is the Soft Matter Computer (SMC) which can perform both analogue and digital computations in soft materials. This computer processes a fluidic input pattern consisting of alternating regions of conducting and insulating fluids into an electronic output signal. However, the use of salt water as the conductive fluid means that the Soft Matter Computer has high electrical resistance and requires an AC voltage, making untethered operation impractical. In this letter, we introduce the liquid metal Soft Matter Computer (LM-SMC), which uses galinstan as an alternative conductive fluid. We show that by switching to a liquid metal-sodium hydroxide fluidic input, we reduce the electrical resistance of the SMC by three orders of magnitude, allowing operation at DC voltages of 2 Volts and under. We characterise the stability of the liquid metal input patterns and demonstrate the potential of the LM-SMC by using it to control bipolar ionic polymer metal composite and shape memory alloy actuators. By enabling fully soft computation and control of multiple actuators from a single low voltage DC source, the LM-SMC enables a new class of intelligent and untethered soft machines.

Effect of Tytanit® on the Physiological Activity of Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) Grown in Salinity Conditions

Abstract Progressive global warming and decreasing freshwater resources are forcing to look for alternative solutions in plants cultivation. The use of saltwater and cultivation in saline areas becomes increasingly common. Wild strawberry is a rich source of antioxidant compounds beneficial for human health. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Tytanit® on the physiological activity of wild strawberry grown under different salinity levels (32.5, 50 and 100 mM L−1 NaCl). Assimilatory pigments content, free proline concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence and relative water content were measured at two phenological phases BBCH 15 and 60. Results analysis revealed that the applicability of Tytanit® to mitigate physiological stress in wild strawberry caused by salinity did not produce the desired effect.

Salt Toxicity: A Systematic Review and Case Reports

IntroductionSalt toxicity is a rare form of hypernatremia that typically occurs after a single massive ingestion of salt over a short period of time (minutes/hours). It is a dangerous imbalance capable of causing significant neurological injury; quick recognition of salt toxicity is crucial to allow treatment before permanent brain injury occurs. The purpose of this review is to assist emergency nurses in gaining knowledge on the causes, pathophysiology, symptoms, and treatment of salt toxicity. MethodsA systematic search for case reports of hypernatremia due to salt toxicity was conducted in the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases. The search terms used were salt, sodium, hypernatremia, toxicity, poisoning, case reports, case series, and cases. The following were the inclusion criteria: publication dates between January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2019; evidence of an acute large oral or gastric tube ingestion of salt over a short period of time (minutes/hours); admission for treatment within hours of the event; laboratory verification of hypernatremia; and full-text article available electronically in English. The following were the exclusion criteria: an unclear history, high salt consumption over a period of days, high sodium intake via the intravenous route, and breast feeding. ResultsOnly 15 cases met the inclusion criteria for the review. Patients described in the case reports ranged in age from 5 days to 73 years. Forty percent of the patients were children less than 15 years old. Of the 14 cases with known outcomes, 50% were fatal. The most frequent causes of salt toxicity were salt water emetics, intentional administration of large quantities of salt to a child by a caregiver, and suicide attempts. Among the other causes were unintentional salt overload in infant formula, an exorcism ritual, and a college prank. DiscussionFindings from this review of 15 case reports in which a large salt load was ingested over a short period of time suggest that salt toxicity is a rare condition associated with high mortality. In addition, salt toxicity can occur in patients of all ages for a variety of reasons; the most frequently identified reasons in this review were use of salt water as an emetic and child abuse by the intentional administration of a high salt load by a caregiver. For patients whose massive exposure to salt is recent (such as minutes to hours), rapidly reducing the serum sodium concentration may prevent irreversible neurological injury.

Technological transfers in the Mediterranean on the verge of Romanization: Insights from the waterproofing renders of Nora (Sardinia, Italy)

Abstract The paper reports the results of a multi-analytical characterization study on the renders constituting the waterproofing coatings of 11 cisterns located in the Punic-Roman archaeological site of Nora (Southern Sardinia, Italy). The multi-layer layout of the coatings is related both to the practice of putting several strata of render in a synchronic plastering phase, and to frequent restoration activities related to the prolonged use of the cisterns. The aims of this study are (a) to determine the compositional and textural properties of the binding materials, (b) to define the coating systems employed in diachronic plastering phases, and (c) to identify the role of diverse cultural influences in the modification of the render recipes along time. The combined interpretation of the results obtained through petrographic, mineralogical, microstructural and microchemical analyses allowed discriminating different render types employing various pozzolanic additives, whose utilization is related both to Punic and Roman technological practices. Furthermore, the cementation processes of the renders were studied through an in-detail mineralogical and spectroscopic characterization of their binder fractions. The results demonstrated that hydraulic reactions were often enhanced through specific treatments of the binding mixtures, such as the combined use of different pozzolanic additives, the adoption of comminution processes to increase their reactive specific surface and the use of saltwater to enhance silica and alumina activity in solution through pH increase. Such technological practices promoted in some cases not only the precipitation of Ca-based pozzolanic reaction products (C-S-H and AFm phases), but also the formation of nanostructured anthropogenic magnesium-silicate-hydrate (M-S-H) phyllosilicate gels, leading to a further increase of the cohesive properties of the binding mixtures. A combined interpretation of the results with the cistern construction chronologies confirmed that cistern coating techniques in Nora were still largely influenced by Punic traditions even two centuries after the Roman conquest of Sardinia.

Misinformation on salt water use among Nigerians during 2014 Ebola outbreak and the role of social media

Objective: To determine the spread of misinformation on salt water among Nigerians, salt water use for Ebola prophylaxis, and the role played by the social media during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Methods: Information was collected from the general Nigerian population through online Google forms which were majorly disseminated via Facebook and WhatsApp platforms. The data retrieved was analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 703 questionnaires were included in the final analysis. The respondents’ mean age was (30.2±6.7) years, predominantly male (73.2%). Almost all of them (95.0%) had received some message to use salt water, 37.4% of whom received such message on social media. Around a half of them ever made an attempt to verify the health information they received on social media (50.9%), and about a quarter (24.0%) of them had used salt water during the outbreak. Many of them had used salt water because they believed it would not harm them (52.0%). Salt water was less likely to be used by those who had received such message on social media, as well as by those who had received some contrary information to salt use. Conclusions: Social media could serve as an effective tool in propagating health information and should be actively engaged by health agencies, to spread accurate information.

Germination and morphophysiology of passion fruit seedlings under salt water irrigation1

ABSTRACT The use of salt water in irrigation can reduce the growth and yield of agricultural crops. This study aimed to assess the germination, emergence, physiology and growth of passion fruit seedlings of two varieties under salt water irrigation. The study was conducted in two stages: the first carried out in a laboratory and the second in a greenhouse, using a randomized block design, in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme, corresponding to two passion fruit varieties (BRS RC and BRS GA1) and four levels of irrigation water electrical conductivity (0.2 dS m-1, 2.2 dS m-1, 4.2 dS m-1 and 6.2 dS m-1), with four replications. The BRS GA1 variety exhibited the highest germination index and rate, in the germination stage, despite being more sensitive to salinity than the BRS RC. There was no damage to the photosynthetic apparatus in the BRS GA1 seedlings during growth, as demonstrated by the higher leaf biomass, when compared to the BRS RC variety.

Contribution of electromagnetic and tomographic technique to the study of the impact of salinity in soils of the experimental station of Al Ain Atti (Errachidia, Morocco)

Soil salinity is widespread particularly in arid areas. Much work has been done to remedy this natural contamination and make them more favorable to receive experimental soil of vegetation adapted to grow in these contrasting environments of scarce water resources. Over the 80 years, Morocco has experienced excessive dryness whose effects have been severely felt in the region of Errachidia. The depletion of the Quaternary alluvial aquifer has required the exploitation of deep reservoirs. In order to optimize the use of salt water in arid, the Institute of Agricultural Research tested soil experimenting three plant species; the Triplex, Acacia and Cypress. This experiment was not only economic objectives; increasing agricultural yields and production, but also reduce the impact of desertification in this region. So these are environmental reasons which have led researchers to realize this experiment whose purpose is to examine the ability of these plants to grow and adapt to irrigation by saline water from the deep aquifer in place. The experimental site is located on the left bank of the national road to Erfoud (Errachidia). In its entirety, the redesigned covering about 10 hectares. The studies that have been conducted mainly concerned pedogenetic analyzes and observations the development height of the plantation tested, regardless of the experimental ground heterogeneity. This is why we undertook a geophysical survey which aims to provide information on the quality of the tested soils and accumulation of salinity at different depths of the experimental ground. To achieve our goal, we used the technique of electrical and electromagnetic investigation in order to identify the main lines of a possible spatial heterogeneity. Recall that the work of OKAY (2010) on an experiment coring by examining the evolution of the newly formed fracturing have proved that the result of resistivity measurement is correlated with that of the chargeability. The electrical resistivity is closely related to the concentration of mineral particles. Characterization studies at the La Ronde tailings mine (Agnico-Eagle Ltd, in Abitibi), showed quite encouraging results (Campos, 2004; Anterrieu, 2006). Since it is a salt-bearing areas (highly conductive) and given that the induced polarization is very sensitive to the ground conductivity; by measurement of residual potential, so we took measures chargeability tomography, the result is compared to the resistivity measured at different soils (control and irrigated), which will better clarify the impact of salinity on the quality of the disturbed soil. Indeed, the chargeability response it possible to characterize the different irrigated soils and its variation is attributed not only to the effect of saline irrigation but also the existence of an heterogeneity of the original ground. Prospecting in electrical tomography has displayed vertically and horizontally anomalies existing within the experimental site of the station of Ain Al Atti, it showed that:- accumulation of salinity becomes wider going from the control ground to that of Acacias.- surveyed the ground at least appear more homogeneous in surface, but their conductivity varies in depth.- salinity origin and the concretion formed on the surface greatly influenced chargeability and resistivity measured on the different experimental soils.

TU‐H‐206‐09: Acceptance Testing of Ultrasound Systems for Shear Wave Elastography Measurements

Purpose:Acceptance testing of shear wave elastography on ten ultrasound systems is reported. Furthermore, variations in testing procedures related to coupling medium, number of operators, and phantom homogeneity were investigated.Methods:Shear wave speed measurements were made on ten systems (GE LOGIQ E9 XDclear 2.0 ultrasound scanner with C1‐6 and 9L transducers). Measurements were acquired using the CIRS Model 039 shear wave liver fibrosis phantoms (“soft” and “hard” phantoms, with stiffness of ∼3.5 and 45 kPa, respectively) at two depths (3 and 7 cm for C1‐6; 1 and 4 cm for 9L), by two operators. Each measurement was repeated for five times without specifying the transducer location on the phantom. 45 ppm salt water (as recommended by QIBA) was used for coupling. Furthermore, phantom homogeneity was investigated by comparing C1‐6 measurements made at five positions marked on each phantom. Three operators acquired C1‐6 measurements on one scanner, and one repeated the measurements after a week. US gel was compared with salt water as a coupling medium.Results:Averaged shear wave speed using the ten C1‐6 and 9L transducers are summarized in Table 1. The greatest maximum deviation of an individual measurement from the group mean (Table 2) was 5.4% of the mean and 2.3 times the standard deviation among all groups. Salt water and US coupling gel showed no significant difference. Velocities from the five measurement locations had a maximum deviation of 5.9% or less. The maximum inhomogeneity averaged over the two phantoms and all measurement locations was 2.6%. Inter‐ and intra‐operator coefficients of variation were all ≤ 2.2%.Conclusion:The measurement variations were considered to be reasonable, and all equipment was accepted. The use of salt water versus gel for acoustic coupling, single versus multiple phantom measurement locations, or single versus multiple operators would not cause significant differences in acceptance test results.Pengfei Song and Shigao Chen receive royalties from GE Medical Systems for the shear wave elastography technology.

Flow-Electrode Capacitive Deionization Using an Aqueous Electrolyte with a High Salt Concentration.

Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is novel capacitive deionization (CDI) technology that exhibits continuous deionization and a high desalting efficiency. A flow-electrode with high capacitance and low resistance is required for achieving an efficient FCDI system with low energy consumption. For developing high-performance flow-electrode, studies should be conducted considering porous materials, conductive additives, and electrolytes constituting the flow-electrode. Here, we evaluated the desalting performances of flow-electrodes with spherical activated carbon and aqueous electrolytes containing various concentrations of NaCl in the FCDI unit cell for confirming the effect of salt concentration on the electrolyte of a flow-electrode on desalting efficiency. We verified the necessity of a moderate amount of salt in the flow-electrode for compensating for the reduction in the performance of the flow-electrode, attributed to the resistance of water used as the electrolyte. Simultaneously, we confirmed the potential use of salt water with a high salt concentration, such as seawater, as an aqueous electrolyte for the flow-electrode.

Effects of NaCl and seawater induced salinity on survival and reproduction of three soil invertebrate species

The increase of global mean temperature is raising serious concerns worldwide due to its potential negative effects such as droughts and melting of glaciers and ice caps leading to sea level rise. Expected impacts on soil compartment include floodings, seawater intrusions and use of saltwater for irrigation, with unknown effects on soil ecosystems and their inhabitants. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of salinisation on soil ecosystems due to sea level rise. The reproduction and mortality of three standard soil invertebrate species (Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus crypticus, Hypoaspis aculeifer) in standard artificial OECD soil spiked with serial dilutions of seawater/gradient of NaCl were evaluated according to standard guidelines. An increased sensitivity was observed in the following order: H. aculeifer≪E. crypticus≈F. candida consistent with the different exposure pathways: springtails and enchytraeids are exposed by ingestion and contact while mites are mainly exposed by ingestion due to a continuous and thick exoskeleton. Although small differences were observed in the calculated effect electrical conductivity values, seawater and NaCl induced the same overall effects (with a difference in the enchytraeid tests where a higher sensitivity was found in relation to NaCl). The adverse effects described in the present study are observed on soils not considered saline. Therefore, the actual limit to define saline soils (4000μScm−1) does not reflect the existing knowledge when considering soil fauna.

Voriconazole versus amphotericin B or fluconazole in cancer patients with neutropenia.

Opportunistic fungal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in neutropenic cancer patients and antifungal therapy is used both empirically and therapeutically in these patients. To compare the benefits and harms of voriconazole with those of amphotericin B and fluconazole when used for prevention or treatment of invasive fungal infections in cancer patients with neutropenia. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library (2014, Issue 1 2014), MEDLINE (to January 2014). Letters, abstracts and unpublished trials were accepted. Contact was made with trial authors and industry. Randomised clinical trials comparing voriconazole with amphotericin B or fluconazole. Data on mortality, invasive fungal infection, colonisation, use of additional (escape) antifungal therapy and adverse effects leading to discontinuation of therapy were extracted independently by two review authors. Three trials were included. One trial compared voriconazole to liposomal amphotericin B as empirical treatment of fever of unknown origin (suspected fungal infection) in neutropenic cancer patients (849 patients, 58 deaths). The second trial compared voriconazole to amphotericin B deoxycholate in the treatment of confirmed and presumed invasive Aspergillus infections (391 patients, 98 deaths). The third trial compared fluconazole to voriconazole for prophylaxis of fungal infections in patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation (600 patients, number of deaths not stated). In the first trial, voriconazole was significantly inferior to liposomal amphotericin B according to the trial authors' prespecified criteria. More patients died in the voriconazole group and a claimed significant reduction in the number of breakthrough fungal infections disappeared when patients arbitrarily excluded from the analysis by the trial authors were included. In the second trial, the deoxycholate preparation of amphotericin B was used without any indication of the use of premedication to counter side effects and replacement of electrolytes or use of salt water. This choice of comparator resulted in a marked difference in the duration of treatment on the trial drugs (77 days with voriconazole versus 10 days with amphotericin B) and precluded meaningful comparisons of the benefits and harms of the two drugs. The third trial failed to find a difference in fungal free survival or invasive fungal infections at 180 days when voriconazole was compared to fluconazole. Liposomal amphotericin B is significantly more effective than voriconazole for empirical therapy of fungal infections in neutropenic cancer patients and should be preferred. For treatment of aspergillosis, there are no trials that have compared voriconazole with amphotericin B given under optimal conditions. For prophylactic fungal treatment in patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation, there was no difference between voriconazole and fluconazole regarding fungal free survival or invasive fungal infections.

Behavioral responses of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) (Foster) to saltwater versus freshwater

The most common penguin species found along the coast of Brazil is the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus). These penguins spend most of their time foraging for food in the oceans. This information is vital to the maintenance of this species in captivity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the behavioral response of a group of Magellanic Penguins (S. magellanicus) in two different conditions of water--fresh and salt. The work was divided into two phases. First, animals were kept in enclosures with access to freshwater. Then they were housed with access to saltwater. Behaviors were recorded by scan sampling per interval of time, totaling 7,200 records for each animal. The results show that the use of saltwater for this group of animals kept in captivity was more effective for increasing the time the animals spent in the water, increasing foraging behavior, stimulating swimming, and providing display of typical behaviors of the species, showing that access to a saltwater environment is an important tool in trying to provide well-being for this species in captivity.

Thermoregulatory Behavior in Migratory European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)

Abstract Birds in hyper-arid environments have acute problems of energy and water balance, and thermoregulate both physiologically and behaviorally. I report on European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) engaged in a previously unreported thermoregulatory behavior of diving into the sea and in salt ponds with high levels of salinity. This behavior may also explain the previously reported, but unexplained, finding of bee-eaters inside a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in the Red Sea. These observations should instigate future experiments on the subject of selective use of salt water for evaporative cooling and thermoregulatory behavior by desert birds.