Age determination procedures for benthic fish in Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO)

This handbook presents a summary of the age estimation procedures used in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) for some of the main commercial benthic species of fish for the Spanish fleet: megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis), four spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), white anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius), black anglerfish (Lophius budegassa). It provides information about the sampling program, the morphology of hard parts (otoliths and illicia), their extraction, preparation, and the age estimation criteria. A summary of information related to the accuracy, validation and corroboration of age of each species is also presented, as well as that related to the precision, quality control and verification of age

The energy of waves in the photosphere and lower chromosphere: III. Inversion setup for Ca II H spectra in local thermal equilibrium

The Ca II H line is one of the strongest lines in the solar spectrum and provides continuous information on the solar atmosphere from the photosphere to the lower chromosphere. We describe an inversion approach that reproduces observed Ca II H spectra assuming LTE. We developed an inversion strategy based on the SIR code. The approach uses a two-step procedure with an archive of pre-calculated spectra to fit the line core and a subsequent iterative modification to improve the fit in the line wing. Simultaneous spectra in the 630nm range can optionally be used to fix the continuum temperature. The method retrieves 1D temperature stratifications neglecting lateral radiative transport. LOS velocities are included by an empirical approach. An archive of about 300.000 pre-calculated spectra is more than sufficient to reproduce the line core of observed Ca II H spectra both in quiet Sun and in active regions. The final thermodynamical stratifications match observed and best-fit spectra to a level of about 0.5 (1) % of Ic in the line wing (core). Inversion schemes based on pre-calculated spectra allow one a reliable and relatively fast retrieval of solar properties from observed chromospheric spectra. The approach can be easily extended to an 1D NLTE case by a simple exchange of the pre-calculated archive spectra.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. The animation will only be provided in the A&A online sectio

The energy of waves in the photosphere and lower chromosphere: IV. Inversion results of Ca II H spectra

Most static 1D atmosphere models in the quiet Sun predict a rise of the gas temperature at chromospheric layers, but numerical simulations only yield an increase in the brightness temperature. We investigate the thermal structure in the solar chromosphere as derived from an LTE inversion of Ca II H spectra in QS and active regions. We investigate the temperature stratifications on differences between magnetic and field-free regions in the QS, and between QS and ARs. We determine the energy content of individual calcium bright grains (BGs). The rms temperature fluctuations are below 100 K in the photosphere and 200-300 K in the chromosphere. The average temperature stratification in the QS does not exhibit a clear chromospheric temperature rise, opposite to the AR case. We find an energy content of about 7*10E18 J for BGs that repeat with a cadence of about 160 secs. The precursors of BGs have a vertical extent of about 200 km and a horizontal extent of about 1 Mm. The comparison of observed with synthetic NLTE profiles confirms that the solar chromosphere in the QS oscillates between an atmosphere in radiative equilibrium and one with a moderate chromospheric temperature rise. Two-dimensional x-z temperature maps exhibit nearly horizontal canopy-like structures with a few Mm extent around photospheric magnetic field concentrations at a height of about 600 km. The large difference between QS regions and ARs, and the better match of AR and non-LTE reference spectra suggest that magnetic heating processes are more important than commonly assumed. The temperature fluctuations in QS derived by the LTE inversion do not suffice on average to maintain a stationary chromospheric temperature rise. The spatially and vertically resolved information on the temperature structure allows one to investigate in detail the topology and evolution of the thermal structure in the lower solar atmosphere.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures + 1 page Appendix, accepted by A&

Common variations in estrogen-related genes are associated with severe large-joint osteoarthritis: a multicenter genetic and functional study

OBJECTIVE: Several lines of evidence suggest that estrogens influence the development of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to explore the association of two common polymorphisms within the aromatase (CYP19A1) and estrogen receptor (ER) alpha (ESR1) genes with severe OA of the lower limbs. METHODS: The rs1062033 (CYP19A1) and rs2234693 (ESR1) single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped in 5528 individuals (3147 patients with severe hip or knee OA, and 2381 controls) from four centres in Spain and the United Kingdom. Gene expression was measured in femoral bone samples from a group of patients. RESULTS: In the global analysis, both polymorphisms were associated with OA, but there was a significant sex interaction. The GG genotype at rs1062033 was associated with an increased risk of knee OA in women [odds ratio (OR) 1.23; P=0.04]. The CC genotype at rs2234693 tended to be associated with reduced OA risk in women (OR 0.76, P=0.028, for knee OA; OR=0.84, P=0.076 for hip OA), but with increased risk of hip OA in men (OR 1.28; P=0.029). Women with unfavourable genotypes at both loci had an OR of 1.61 for knee OA (P=0.006). The rs1062033 genotype associated with higher OA risk was also associated with reduced expression of the aromatase gene in bone. CONCLUSIONS: Common genetic variations of the aromatase and ER genes are associated with the risk of severe OA of the large joints of the lower limb in a sex-specific manner. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that estrogen activity may influence the development of large-joint OA

Liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry evaluationof fungicides reactivity in free chlorine containing water samples

Liquid chromatography (LC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), based on the use of a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flightmass analyzer, was used to investigate the reactivity of nine fungicides in free chlorine-containingwater samples. Three of the selected compounds (fenhexamide, FEN; pyrimethanil, PYR; and cyprodinil, CYP) displayed a poor stability in presence of moderate chlorine levels; thus, the effects of different parameters on their half-lives (t1/2) were evaluated. Sample pH, bromide traces, and the watermatrix affected their relative stabilities. Despite such variations, the three fungicides are degraded at significant rates not only in ultrapure, but also in surface water spiked with chlorine levels up to 2mgml 1 , and when mixed with chlorinated tap water, generating several transformation products (TPs). The time-course of precursorspecies and their TPs was followed in the LC-MS mode, using the information contained in accurate, full scan mass spectra (MS) to propose the empirical formulae of TPs. Thereafter, their ion product scan (MS/MS) spectra were considered to set their chemical structures; allowing,in some cases, to distinguish between isomeric TPs. The reaction pathway of FEN, the less stable fungicide, involved just an electrophilic substitutionof hydrogen per chlorine, or bromine, and cleavage of themolecule to render an amide. PYR and CYP shared common reaction routes consisting of halogenation, hydroxylation, and condensation processes leading to complexmixtures of TPs, which were relatively stable to further transformations

Seasonality in the condition of megrim and its somatic growth in Cantabrian Sea and Galician waters

The megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) is a bottom-living species, important part of the benthic community in the Cantabrian Sea, and commercially exploited by the European fisheries. Robust and updated biological information of megrim is required for a deeper knowledge of its life history traits and an adequate stock assessment process and management. Condition factor, weight conversion factors and length-weight relationships are analyzed in Cantabrian Sea and Galician waters based on 7458 specimens from a time-series of 22 years (1998-2019) of commercial landings and from a research survey (2017). The influence of factors as the season, year, multi-year period, fish sex and maturity in the Le Cren’s condition factor (K) were analyzed. A clear seasonal pattern in K, more prominent in females was found, with the lowest condition in April (after the spawning period), and a progressive increase to the highest values from November to February, showing the relevance of K as indicator of the nutritional / reproductive status of megrim. The linear weight conversion equation and the power length-weight equations were also estimated and sexual and temporal differences were found. The somatic parameters obtained here are available to be used in the annual assessment of the Atlantic Iberian stock. Our findings will contribute to facilitating better exploitation, management and conservation of this Iberian resource

KSHV latent protein LANA2 inhibits sumo2 modification of p53

Tumor suppressor p53 plays a crucial antiviral role and targeting of p53 by viral proteins is a common mechanism involved in virus oncogenesis. The activity of p53 is tightly regulated at the post-translational levels through a myriad of modifications. Among them, modification of p53 by SUMO has been associated with the onset of cellular senescence. Kaposi s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) expresses several proteins targeting p53, including the latent protein LANA2 that regulates polyubiquitylation and phosphorylation of p53. Here we show that LANA2 also inhibits the modification of p53 by SUMO2. Furthermore, we show that the reduction of p53-SUMO2 conjugation by LANA2, as well as the p53-LANA2 interaction, both require the SUMOylation of the viral protein and its interaction with SUMO or SUMOylated proteins in a non-covalent manner. Finally, we show that the control of p53-SUMO2 conjugation by LANA2 correlates with its ability to inhibit SUMO2- and type I interferon-induced senescence. These results highlight the importance of p53 SUMOylation in the control of virus infection and suggest that viral oncoproteins could contribute to viral infection and cell transformation by abrogating p53 SUMOylation.La Caixa FoundationInstituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII

Seasonality in the condition and variability in somatic relationships of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) in the northeast Atlantic

Somatic parameters’ estimation of megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis), an economically important flatfish species and relevant one in the benthic community, is essential in fisheries biology. It helps us to deepen our understanding of the species life history traits and an adequate stock assessment and fishery management. Le Cren’s condition factor (K), weight-length relationships and weight conversion factors were studied in megrim for more than two decades time-series (1998–2019) and wide area with a relevant fishing activity and the species is distributed into two stocks: northern Bay of Biscay-nBB and Celtic Sea-CS stock, and southern Bay of BiscaysBB and Galician waters-Gw stock. Around 30,000 specimens, mostly collected from commercial landings by the research institutions IEO and AZTI, were sampled. Total fish length, total weight and commercial gutted weight were obtained, and five-year periods were defined throughout in the time-series. The influence of several factors, as seasonality, temporality, fish sex, maturity, abundance, and environmental conditions on the megrim condition were analyzed for each stock by GLM, being the season the most relevant factor. A clear seasonal pattern found for K, with the lowest values in spring, was found in both populations for the first time based on a multiyear period analysis. The pattern was more prominent in females and less marked in immature, related to the reproduction process. The lowest condition value was observed in May in nBB-CS and a month earlier in sBB-Gw (both after the spawning period). A progressive increase (favorable feeding conditions) followed to highest values in November–February, showing the relevance of K as indicator of the nutritional/reproductive status of megrim. Temporality (five-year periods) also had a much smaller effect on condition than seasonality. Megrim condition was inversely related to its abundance, and to the NAO index in the nBB-CS stock. Total weight-length, gutted weight-length and total weight-gutted weight relationships were fitted for each megrim stock and their temporal variations were analyzed. The large sample size, size range and time-series available allowed obtaining robust somatic parameters for the total weight-length relationships (a = 0.0049, b = 3.1012; a = 0.0041, b = 3.1682, respectively in nBB-CS stock and sBB-Gw stock), gutted weight-length relationships (a = 0.0046, b = 3.1033; a = 0.0042, b = 3.1510, respectively in nBB-CS and sBB-Gw stock), and weight conversion factors (1.049; 1.056, respectively in nBB-CS and sBB-Gw stock). They were considered the most appropriate to be used in the stock assessment of both stocks. A historical analysis of the temporal variability of the weight-length relationships showed different trends between stocks.European Union through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)En prensa2,24