SCIENTISTS in the UK have observed a fascinating new fact about sex changing fish: the direction of sex change has implication for population numbers. More than 400 species of fish are sequential hermaphrodites: that’s to say, they are born one sex and change to the opposite sex later in life to maximise their number of offspring. Species that change from male-to-female are called protandrous and ones changing female-to-male are termed protogynous. Marine biologists at the University of Salford explored the influence of the direction of sex change and found population numbers to be smaller for fish that change from female into male than the other way around.

Dr Chiara Benvenuto, from the University of Salford, one of the authors of the study published today in Scientific Reports, said: “Until now, studies have mostly looked at differences between species that change sex or not, but we’re interested in the direction of sex change. “While fecundity and reproductive success are expected to increase with size for both females and males, the fitness advantage can increase more rapidly for one sex than the other: this is when sex change can occur. 

 People are not the only ones suffering from the symptoms and problems of food intolerance and allergies. Other mammals, such as cats, dogs and horses, are affected as well. The Messerli Research Institute, a cooperation between Vetmeduni Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna, has now condensed the knowledge about human and animal food allergies and intolerances into a new European position paper. The paper highlights the strong similarities in animal and human symptoms and triggers of adverse food reactions. More importantly, the publication stresses the need for more comparative studies on the mechanisms and the diagnosis of food intolerance, and on formulating adequate measures. Diarrhea after a glass of milk, an itchy palate after eating apples, swelling in the face after consuming chicken eggs or a severe asthma attack due to peanut dust are all signs of a food intolerance or allergy. But these symptoms are not limited to us humans, because other mammals such as dogs, cats and horses may exhibit similar symptoms after feeding. The number of pets affected by food allergies and intolerances has even converged with that of humans.

 ll Ministero della salute, continua a monitorare con attenzione le informazioni relative alla circolazione in Europa di lotti di uova e derivati contaminati da fipronil, un antiparassitario addizionato a un detergente utilizzato nelle pulizie degli allevamenti di pollame in alcuni Paesi europei. Tale trattamento non autorizzato ha comportato una contaminazione delle uova prodotte dalle galline presenti in stabilimenti non italiani. Allo stato attuale non risulta, peraltro, che si siano manifestati in alcun Paese dell’Unione casi di intossicazione umana legata all’utilizzo delle uova contaminate; tale evenienza è peraltro poco probabile, in considerazione del livello di contaminazione rilevato e del normale consumo medio di uova nella popolazione europea. In ogni caso il Ministero, a partire dall’8 agosto, in stretta collaborazione con le autorità sanitarie regionali e i Carabinieri Nas, ha messo in atto misure per la gestione delle segnalazioni pervenute tramite il sistema di allerta RASFF, che riguardano anche l’Italia; si sono messe in atto le procedure per l’identificazione, il blocco e l’eventuale rintraccio delle partite. 
Inoltre è stato avviato dall’11 agosto, sul territorio nazionale, un piano straordinario di verifiche con campionamento di carni di pollame, uova e prodotti derivati, nonché di prodotti alimentari contenenti uova o derivati, per la ricerca del fipronil.