Biomedical subjects

J Figuerola

Publications and source records attributed to J Figuerola.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Lead poisoning in wild birds from southern Spain: a comparative study of wetland areas and species affected, and trends over time.

We studied lead (Pb) shot contamination in sediments from the Guadalquivir marshes and six other closed-basin lagoons in Southern Spain that are of major importance for threatened species of waterbirds. Shot densities were relatively low in Doñana, ranging from 0 to 25 shot/m(2) in the top 10 cm of sediments. The density at Medina lagoon (Ramsar site) was 148 shot/m(2), making it the most contaminated wetland known in Europe. Densities in the other five lagoons ranged from 9 to 59 shot/m(2). We studied the prevalence of ingested Pb shot in waterbirds from Doñana and found a lower prevalence in ducks than previously recorded in other Spanish wetlands. Lead shot were also found embedded in tissues of some waterbirds, proving that protected species such as the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) are subjected to illegal hunting. The prevalence of embedded shot for geese was especially high (44% for trapped birds). Lead shot were detected in 2.8% of the pellets of the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) which usually preys on geese. We found that the prevalence of ingested Pb shot in geese and in Spanish imperial eagles has significantly decreased in recent years, possibly due to restrictions on hunting activity, efforts to remove shot from a sand dune used by geese to obtain grit, and to the high rainfall in Doñana during the last years that permitted waterfowl to stay more within the protected areas.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

After the Aznalcóllar mine spill: arsenic, zinc, selenium, lead and copper levels in the livers and bones of five waterfowl species.

In April 1998, a holding lagoon containing pyrite ore processing waste, failed and released 5-6 million m3 of highly polluting sludge and acidic water. Over 2650 ha of the internationally important Doñana Natural Park became contaminated, along with < 100 ha of the more pristine Doñana National Park. In order to assess the affect of the spill on waterfowl from Doñana, bone and liver samples from 124 individuals have been analysed for As, Pb, Cu, Zn and Se. Five species have been studied, from the Rallidae (rails), Anatini (dabbling ducks) and Aythyini (pochards) families. Geometric mean bone concentrations 2-3 months after the spill were in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb > Se > As, while liver concentrations were in the order of Zn > Cu > Se > Pb > As. Dry weight bone concentrations ranged from n.d-1.76 mg kg(-1) As, 109.4-247.6 mg kg(-1) Zn, 0.06-1.27 mg kg(-1) Se, n.d-134.11 mg kg(-1) Pb, and 2.18-8.92 mg kg(-1) Cu. Wet weight liver concentrations ranged from n.d-0.34 mg kg(-1) As, 29.8-220.1 mg kg(-1) Zn, 0.15-0.85 mg kg(-1) Se, n.d-3.80 mg kg(-1) Pb, and 7.30-742.96 mg kg(-1) Cu. The most important factor related to the accumulation of these metals was commonly species; however, location and sex also had important effects on liver As levels, location and age affected Cu levels, while Zn and Pb were affected by age, sex and location. Birds from Natural Park areas were found to have significantly higher levels of bone Zn, Pb and Cu, and liver As and Cu than birds from National Park areas. Female birds had higher liver As, Zn and Pb than males; whilst adults appeared to have lower bone As and Zn but higher liver Pb than chicks/juveniles. Although metal concentrations were elevated in certain individuals, in the majority of birds studied, they did not reach levels widely considered to be toxic. However, it would appear that As and Cu liver levels (which may be indicative of short-medium term pollutant exposure) were elevated in waterbirds which died in the spill contaminated Natural Park, 2-3 months after the disaster.

Accidents↗

PubMed2004

Ecological, morphological and phylogenetic correlates of interspecific variation in plasma carotenoid concentration in birds.

Carotenoids are important as pigments for bright coloration of animals, and as physiologically active compounds with a wide array of health-related benefits. However, the causes of variation in carotenoid acquisition and physiology among species are poorly known. We measured the concentration of carotenoids in the blood of 80 wild bird species differing in diet, body size and the extent of carotenoid-based traits. Preliminary analyses showed that diet significantly explains interspecific variability in plasma carotenoids. However, dietary influences were apparently overridden by phylogenetic relationships among species, which explained most (65%) of this variability. This phylogenetic effect could be due partly to its covariation with diet, but may also be caused by interspecific differences in carotenoid absorption from food to the blood stream, mediated, for example by endothelial carriers or gut parasites. Carotenoid concentrations also decreased with body size (which may be explained by the allometric relationship between ingestion rate and body mass), and correlated positively with the extent of carotenoid-dependent coloration of plumage and bare parts. Therefore, the acquisition of carotenoids from the diet and their use for both health and display functions seem to be constrained by ecological and physiological aspects linked to the phylogeny and size of the species.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Brighter yellow blue tits make better parents.

Whether or not bird ornaments are a signal for direct (e.g. good parents) or indirect (e.g. good genes) benefits to prospective partners in sexual selection is controversial. Carotene coloration in Parus species is directly related to the ingestion of caterpillars, so that a brightly carotene-coloured tit may be signalling its ability to find caterpillars, a main high-quality food source for good fledgling development, and hence its parental abilities. If carotene-based plumage coloration is related to the good-parent hypothesis, we predict that yellow plumage brightness of tit fathers should be positively correlated to their investment in offspring provisioning. Here, we use cross-fostering experiments in blue tits (Parus caeruleus) to show that chick development (as measured by tarsus length) is related to yellowness of the foster father, but not to that of the genetic parents. Using these data, we were able to measure, for the first time to our knowledge, the separate contribution of genetic and environmental factors (i.e. parental plumage coloration) to chick development, and hence parental investment. Our data, which relate carotenoid coloration to models of good parents, and data from other authors, which relate ultraviolet coloration to good-genes models, stress that different kinds of coloration within an individual may provide different units of information to prospective females.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Sexual size dimorphism in shorebirds, gulls, and alcids: the influence of sexual and natural selection.

Charadrii (shorebirds, gulls, and alcids) have an unusual diversity in their sexual size dimorphism, ranging from monomorphism to either male-biased or female-biased dimorphism. We use comparative analyses to investigate whether this variation relates to sexual selection through competition for mates or natural selection through different use of resources by males and females. As predicted by sexual selection theory, we found that in taxa with socially polygynous mating systems, males were relatively larger than females compared with less polygynous species. Furthermore, evolution toward socially polyandrous mating systems was correlated with decreases in relative male size. These patterns depend on the kinds of courtship displays performed by males. In taxa with acrobatic flight displays, males are relatively smaller than in taxa in which courtship involves simple flights or displays from the ground. This result remains significant when the relationship with mating system is controlled statistically, thereby explaining the enigma of why males are often smaller than females in socially monogamous species. We did not find evidence that evolutionary changes in sexual dimorphism relate to niche division on the breeding grounds. In particular, biparental species did not have greater dimorphism in bill lengths than uniparental species, contrary to the hypothesis that selection for ecological divergence on the breeding grounds has been important as a general explanation for patterns of bill dimorphism. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that sexual selection has had a major influence on sexual size dimorphism in Charadrii, whereas divergence in the use of feeding resources while breeding was not supported by our analyses.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

[Bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma].

We submit the case of a child afflicted with a mucoepidermoid bronchial tumor. The patient is a boy, aged seven, who after undergoing antibiotic treatment for six weeks because of a fever and atelectasia-condensation in the right lower lobe showed no signs of clinical improvement and was sent to our department to undergo further study and treatment. A bronchoscopy performed shows a polypoid mass that partially blocks the main bronchial tube a few milimiters under the access to the right upper lobe. A biopsy is carried out and the anatomopathological test shows there is a low degree epidermoid carcinoma. We decide to perform a lobectomy which for the tumor location and the lung condition has to be medium and lower right. We proceed to remove the adenopaty of hilium not affected by the tumor. The postoperative period develops without incidents. A check-up bronchoscopy performed three months later shows two polypoid masses in the right bronchial tube which, once a biopsy is performed, proved to be granulation tissue. Twelve months after undergoing surgery, the patient's condition is good, there is no evidence of tumor relapse and the breathing capacity is adequate, though there is an obstructive restrictive pattern in the espirometry. Even taking into consideration that lung tumors are extremely unusual, the epidermoid carcinoma is the one which most frequently occurs. The tumor's low malignancy is a sign that points to a good prognosis. Performing conservative surgery by means of bronchoplasty should be taken into account so as to keep the sequelae on the lung condition to a minimum, even though in this case the tumor location made it impossible.

Bronchial Neoplasms↗

PubMed1993