Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser sturio L., 1758 restoration and gravel extraction in the Gironde estuary

The Gironde estuary, in the southwest of France, is the last Western European estuary where all diadromous fish still migrate. In addition, the Gironde-Garonne-Dordogne basin is the last system known where the reproduction of the Atlantic sturgeon takes place. The Gironde estuary is an essential habitat for the completion of the life history of this diadromous species. A European recovery plan launched in 1994 has shown the significance of the estuary for feeding and acclimatization of juveniles before their first journey to the sea. The Atlantic sturgeon has been threatened in the last 50 years, mostly by gravel extraction in spawning grounds and unadapted fishing regulations that have led to overfishing. Since the end of the 19th century, several measures connected to navigation (dykes, rockfill, groynes) have been carried out in the Gironde estuary. This estuary, although only industrialised to a slight extent, has suffered from dredging since the creation of the navigation channel in 1875. Although gravel extraction is commonly recognised as causing serious damage to fish habitats, new gravel extraction projects in the Gironde estuary are under consideration. A qualitative risk factor analysis, based on the latest knowledge on the biology and ecology of the Atlantic sturgeon, shows that these projects lead to maximum risk for the survival of this species. Taking into account the present fragility of the sturgeon population, protective measures must be taken as a precaution. These would rule out any further gravel extraction.El estuario del Gironda, en el sudoeste de Francia, es el último estuario de Europa occidental donde todavía migran todos los peces diadromos. Además, la cuenca Gironda-Garona-Dordoña es el último sistema conocido donde tiene lugar la reproducción del esturión atlántico. El estuario del Gironda es un hábitat esencial para la realización del ciclo vital de esta especie diadroma. Un plan de recuperación europeo iniciado en 1994 ha mostrado la importancia del estuario para la alimentación y aclimatación de los juveniles antes de su primer viaje al mar. El esturión atlántico ha sido amenazado en los últimos 50 años, principalmente por la extracción de grava en los frezaderos y por los obsoletos reglamentos que han provocado su sobrepesca. Desde finales del siglo XIX, diversas medidas relativas a la navegación (diques, relleno con piedras, espigón) se han llevado a cabo en el estuario del Gironda. Este estuario, industrializado, aunque sólo de forma ligera, ha sufrido dragados desde la creación de un canal de navegación en 1875. Si bien la extracción de grava se reconoce comúnmente como causante de graves daños en los hábitats de peces, se están considerando nuevos proyectos de extracción de grava en el estuario del Gironda. Un análisis de los factores de riesgo cualitativos, basado en los últimos conocimientos de la biología y ecología del esturión atlántico, muestra que estos proyectos conllevan el máximo riesgo para la supervivencia de esta especie. Teniendo en cuenta la fragilidad actual de la población de esturión, deben tomarse medidas protectoras como precaución. éstas deberían excluir cualquier extracción adicional de grava.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

MISE EN PLACE D’UNE DÉMARCHE QUALITÉ DANS LE CADRE DE L’ÉCHANTILLONNAGE D’UNE POPULATION DE GRANDE ALOSE (ALOSA ALOSA).

National audienceIf the protocols of data acquisition are not formalized enough, in ecology or in population dynamics, we run the risk that, with time and different operators, there will be a non-measurable drift. The consequences may be serious when it comes to interpretations. To limit these risks, we have tried to standardize all stages of sampling data acquisition on functioning of the Alosa alosa population in the Gironde Garonne Dordogne drainage basin. After a detailed analysis of the acquisition stage, we have split it into 3 main parts: the sampling procedure, the operative mode of sampling in the field and the operative mode of cleaning and mounting scales in the laboratory. Each part is shown chronologically; each task is explained and the exact path of information is specified throughout the transcriber chain (fish, scales, and data). Supplementary difficulties are essentially due to the time necessary to write the protocol in due form. On the other hand, at the moment of the carrying out the study, security and standardization save time for the data reliability.Pour éviter les risques de dérives méthodologiques ou d'hétérogénéité au fil du temps ou des opérateurs il est nécessaire pour une bonne qualité des travaux réalisés en écologie comme en dynamique des populations de disposer de protocoles d'acquisition de données formalisés suffisamment détaillés. Dans le cadre de l'analyse du fonctionnement de la population de grande alose Alosa alosa du bassin versant Gironde Garonne Dordogne (France) nous avons mené un travail de standardisation des différentes étapes de l'acquisition des données d'échantillonnage. Après une analyse détaillée et exhaustive de la démarche d'acquisition nous avons identifié trois parties : la procédure d'échantillonnage, le mode opératoire des prélèvements sur le terrain et le mode opératoire de la préparation et du montage des écailles au laboratoire. Chacune de ces parties est présentée chronologiquement, le cheminement de l'information est précisé au long de la chaîne des transcripteurs (poissons, écailles, données) et certaines étapes clés sont précisées à titre d'illustration. Les contraintes supplémentaires engendrées par cette formalisation sont essentiellement dues au temps requis pour la rédaction des protocoles selon les normes de l'assurance qualité ; en revanche au cours de la réalisation de l'étude cette démarche apporte un gain de temps et une amélioration de fiabilité des données en la sécurisant et en la standardisant. C'est également une étape indispensable pour envisager l'accréditation de laboratoire

1966

Proper Watering by Earl P. Grey (page 1) Soil Structure and Plant Feeding for Trees and Shrubs on the Golf Course by William Teece (2) Power Golf Carts: A Blessing or a Curse by David Dunlavey (3) A Comparison by Paul White (3) Trees on a Golf Course by Oliver Leech (5) Turf Management Majors Want a Golf Team by Richard Rossiter (6) Class Will of \u2766 (7)Famous Last Words from 1966 (8) Turf Heating with Electric Cables by J.R. Barrett, Jr. and W.H. Daniel (A-1) Poa Annua Restriction by C. F. Kerr and W.H. Daniel (A-9) Phosphorus by Marvin H. Ferguson (A-14) Role of Potassium in Turf Grass management by R. E. Wagner (A-16) Role of Minor Elements in Turfgrass Management by Alexander Radko (A-22) Rhizoctonia Brown patch and Pythium Diseas by Malcolm C. Shurtleff (A-27) Sclerotinia Dollar Spot and Snow Mold by Noel Jackson (A-32) Fusarium Blight - Disease of Turf Grasses by George A. Bean (A-35) Observing the Weather - Old and New Techniques by Robert C. Copeland (A-39) Water Supply by Allan Grieve Jr. (A-41) Establishment and Maintenance of Campus Turf by William A. Lambert (A-51) Athletic Field Management by J. T. Williams (A-56

Bovine Lactoferrin Counteracts Toll-Like Receptor Mediated Activation Signals in Antigen Presenting Cells

Lactoferrin (LF), a key element in mammalian immune system, plays pivotal roles in host defence against infection and excessive inflammation. Its protective effects range from direct antimicrobial activities against a large panel of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, to antinflammatory and anticancer activities. In this study, we show that monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MD-DCs) generated in the presence of bovine LF (bLF) fail to undergo activation by up-modulating CD83, co-stimulatory and major histocompatibility complex molecules, and cytokine/chemokine secretion. Moreover, these cells are weak activators of T cell proliferation and retain antigen uptake activity. Consistent with an impaired maturation, bLF-MD-DC primed T lymphocytes exhibit a functional unresponsiveness characterized by reduced expression of CD154 and impaired expression of IFN-γ and IL-2. The observed imunosuppressive effects correlate with an increased expression of molecules with negative regulatory functions (i.e. immunoglobulin-like transcript 3 and programmed death ligand 1), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3. Interestingly, bLF-MD-DCs produce IL-6 and exhibit constitutive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation. Conversely, bLF exposure of already differentiated MD-DCs completely fails to induce IL-6, and partially inhibits Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist-induced activation. Cell-specific differences in bLF internalization likely account for the distinct response elicited by bLF in monocytes versus immature DCs, providing a mechanistic base for its multiple effects. These results indicate that bLF exerts a potent anti-inflammatory activity by skewing monocyte differentiation into DCs with impaired capacity to undergo activation and to promote Th1 responses. Overall, these bLF-mediated effects may represent a strategy to block excessive DC activation upon TLR-induced inflammation, adding further evidence for a critical role of bLF in directing host immune function