The distributions of phytoplankton taxa and biomass were recorded to assess their association to ... more The distributions of phytoplankton taxa and biomass were recorded to assess their association to environmental variables in the Río de la Plata, a shallow and highly turbid estuary. Forty-seven CTD stations covering the whole estuary were sampled from 5 to 16 November 2001. At 31 stations, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and light intensity at 50 cm depth intervals were recorded in situ; also, samples were taken for measurement of dissolved nutrient levels (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate), suspended particulate matter and particulate organic matter loads, chlorophyll (a, b, and c) concentration, and phytoplankton identification. Stations ordination (multi-dimensional scaling, MDS, analysis) on environmental data suggested two main groups (upper–middle and lower estuary) but stressed the gradual change of conditions along the ecosystem. MDS on pigment data suggested a tendency for higher biomass levels in the lower estuary; MDS based on species indicated two main groups corresponding to lower and upper–middle estuarine stations. Spearman rank correlations of environmental and pigment similarity matrices suggested that salinity, the ratio of mixed to photic depth, and nitrates were the variables best explaining pigments distribution; in turn, the variables best explaining species distribution were salinity and seston. Results suggest an overriding importance of salinity-light gradients in modulating biomass levels and species distribution in the Río de la Plata. This result is consistent with processes known to modulate phytoplankton distribution and production in other highly turbid estuaries.
The marine areas of Uruguay consist of the Río de la Plata estuary and the adjacent shelf and slo... more The marine areas of Uruguay consist of the Río de la Plata estuary and the adjacent shelf and slope, part of the Subtropical Convergence Ecosystem. In this paper, the main advances in the knowledge of marine life in these areas (the known) are reviewed in order to discuss future lines of research (the unknown). Information has been separately analysed for the plankton, nekton, and benthos in each of 3 areas-the littoral, the shelfs and the "open ocean". Current knowledge of marine life is uneven among the groups and areas. In the case of the plankton, research has concentrated on the near-shore waters and focused on taxonomy and distribution. Little is known about the responses of organisms to environmental variability and about biological processes. The nekton of coastal and estuarine areas is better known, but, with shelf and slope assemblages, research has focused on exploited species. The main unknowns for the nekton are how trophodynamics, reproduction, and recruitment processes are linked to environmental variability and the effect of fisheries on community structure. Littoral benthos, in particular the macroinfauna of sandy beaches, is much better studied and spatial patterns of community distribution have been identified at different scales and in relation to environmental variables. Also, at the population level, there is information about distribution, responses to disturbances, dynamics, and the roles of biotic and abiotic factors in modulating population variability. Information is mainly lacking for the sub-tidal fringe and regarding the macro-ecology of population dynamics, the dispersive abilities of larval phases, and the effects of toxic blooms on suspension feeders. Knowledge of the benthos of estuaries and more so of the shelf and slope environments is rather scarce. For the latter two, faunal inventories are far from complete. Topics identified for future research include taxonomy, macro-scale community structure and its temporal variability in relation to environmental gradients, diverse aspects of population dynamics trophodynamics and the effects of human intervention on ecosystems. The incorporation of both experimental and modelling approaches is considered important for future investigations.
This study assesses the levels of depression, anxiety, and delirium during admission to three adu... more This study assesses the levels of depression, anxiety, and delirium during admission to three adult critical care units (CCU) and the performance of CCU staff with respect to detection and treatment. During a 1-month period, 96 consecutive patients were evaluated on the first day of admission by an independent rater, using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Confusional Assessment Method. Frequency of alcohol use and demographic data were recorded. CCU teams rarely made diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or delirium. On at least one screening test, 29.2% of patients were positive. Delirium was present in 7.3%, depression in 13.7%, anxiety in 24%, and possible problem drinking in 37.9%. Although some form of psychiatric treatment was offered to 58%, there was low agreement between psychiatric diagnoses made by the independent rater and the diagnoses made and treatments used by CCU staff. This suggests that the CCU staff are using psychotropic medications without any clear documentation and perhaps clear understanding of the psychiatric diagnoses they are treating. In summary, we found high rates of psychiatric disorders in adult CCU patients but low rates of detection and only moderate rates of treatment by CCU staff.
La evolución biológica es el conjunto de transformaciones o cambios a través del tiempo que ha or... more La evolución biológica es el conjunto de transformaciones o cambios a través del tiempo que ha originado la diversidad de formas de vida que existen sobre la Tierra a partir de un antepasado común.
The distributions of phytoplankton taxa and biomass were recorded to assess their association to ... more The distributions of phytoplankton taxa and biomass were recorded to assess their association to environmental variables in the Río de la Plata, a shallow and highly turbid estuary. Forty-seven CTD stations covering the whole estuary were sampled from 5 to 16 November 2001. At 31 stations, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and light intensity at 50 cm depth intervals were recorded in situ; also, samples were taken for measurement of dissolved nutrient levels (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate), suspended particulate matter and particulate organic matter loads, chlorophyll (a, b, and c) concentration, and phytoplankton identification. Stations ordination (multi-dimensional scaling, MDS, analysis) on environmental data suggested two main groups (upper–middle and lower estuary) but stressed the gradual change of conditions along the ecosystem. MDS on pigment data suggested a tendency for higher biomass levels in the lower estuary; MDS based on species indicated two main groups corresponding to lower and upper–middle estuarine stations. Spearman rank correlations of environmental and pigment similarity matrices suggested that salinity, the ratio of mixed to photic depth, and nitrates were the variables best explaining pigments distribution; in turn, the variables best explaining species distribution were salinity and seston. Results suggest an overriding importance of salinity-light gradients in modulating biomass levels and species distribution in the Río de la Plata. This result is consistent with processes known to modulate phytoplankton distribution and production in other highly turbid estuaries.
The marine areas of Uruguay consist of the Río de la Plata estuary and the adjacent shelf and slo... more The marine areas of Uruguay consist of the Río de la Plata estuary and the adjacent shelf and slope, part of the Subtropical Convergence Ecosystem. In this paper, the main advances in the knowledge of marine life in these areas (the known) are reviewed in order to discuss future lines of research (the unknown). Information has been separately analysed for the plankton, nekton, and benthos in each of 3 areas-the littoral, the shelfs and the "open ocean". Current knowledge of marine life is uneven among the groups and areas. In the case of the plankton, research has concentrated on the near-shore waters and focused on taxonomy and distribution. Little is known about the responses of organisms to environmental variability and about biological processes. The nekton of coastal and estuarine areas is better known, but, with shelf and slope assemblages, research has focused on exploited species. The main unknowns for the nekton are how trophodynamics, reproduction, and recruitment processes are linked to environmental variability and the effect of fisheries on community structure. Littoral benthos, in particular the macroinfauna of sandy beaches, is much better studied and spatial patterns of community distribution have been identified at different scales and in relation to environmental variables. Also, at the population level, there is information about distribution, responses to disturbances, dynamics, and the roles of biotic and abiotic factors in modulating population variability. Information is mainly lacking for the sub-tidal fringe and regarding the macro-ecology of population dynamics, the dispersive abilities of larval phases, and the effects of toxic blooms on suspension feeders. Knowledge of the benthos of estuaries and more so of the shelf and slope environments is rather scarce. For the latter two, faunal inventories are far from complete. Topics identified for future research include taxonomy, macro-scale community structure and its temporal variability in relation to environmental gradients, diverse aspects of population dynamics trophodynamics and the effects of human intervention on ecosystems. The incorporation of both experimental and modelling approaches is considered important for future investigations.
This study assesses the levels of depression, anxiety, and delirium during admission to three adu... more This study assesses the levels of depression, anxiety, and delirium during admission to three adult critical care units (CCU) and the performance of CCU staff with respect to detection and treatment. During a 1-month period, 96 consecutive patients were evaluated on the first day of admission by an independent rater, using the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale and the Confusional Assessment Method. Frequency of alcohol use and demographic data were recorded. CCU teams rarely made diagnoses of anxiety, depression, or delirium. On at least one screening test, 29.2% of patients were positive. Delirium was present in 7.3%, depression in 13.7%, anxiety in 24%, and possible problem drinking in 37.9%. Although some form of psychiatric treatment was offered to 58%, there was low agreement between psychiatric diagnoses made by the independent rater and the diagnoses made and treatments used by CCU staff. This suggests that the CCU staff are using psychotropic medications without any clear documentation and perhaps clear understanding of the psychiatric diagnoses they are treating. In summary, we found high rates of psychiatric disorders in adult CCU patients but low rates of detection and only moderate rates of treatment by CCU staff.
La evolución biológica es el conjunto de transformaciones o cambios a través del tiempo que ha or... more La evolución biológica es el conjunto de transformaciones o cambios a través del tiempo que ha originado la diversidad de formas de vida que existen sobre la Tierra a partir de un antepasado común.
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