Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) biomass estimation during transfers using acoustic and optic techniques

Our results show that the use of an acoustic transducer in transfers offers the possibility of performing an automatic counting with error below 10%, which is decreased to 1.2% after improving structure and algorithms. Moreover, the proposed procedure for automatic sizing using stereoscopic system achieved an accurate estimation of SFL distribution compared to true data from harvests, automatically measuring 20% of the fis

Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern and mortality in the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) Project: a prospective cohort study

Moderate alcohol intake has been related to lower mortality. However, alcohol use includes other dimensions beyond the amount of alcohol consumed. These aspects have not been sufficiently studied as a comprehensive entity. We aimed to test the relationship between an overall alcohol-drinking pattern and all-cause mortality. In a Mediterranean cohort study, we followed 18394 Spanish participants up to 12 years. A validated 136-item FFQ was used to assess baseline alcohol intake. We developed a score assessing simultaneously seven aspects of alcohol consumption to capture the conformity to a traditional Mediterranean alcohol-drinking pattern (MADP). It positively scored moderate alcohol intake, alcohol intake spread out over the week, low spirit consumption, wine preference, red wine consumption, wine consumed during meals and avoidance of binge drinking. During the follow-up, 206 deaths were identified. For each 2-point increment in a 0-9 score of adherence to the MADP, we observed a 25% relative risk reduction in mortality (95% CI 11, 38%). Within each category of alcohol intake, a higher adherence to the MADP was associated with lower mortality. Abstainers (excluded from the calculations of the MADP) exhibited higher mortality (hazard ratio 1 center dot 82, 95% CI 1 center dot 14, 2 center dot 90) than participants highly adherent to the MADP. In conclusion, better adherence to an overall healthy alcohol-drinking pattern was associated with reduced mortality when compared with abstention or departure from this pattern. This reduction goes beyond the inverse association usually observed for moderate alcohol drinking. Even moderate drinkers can benefit from the advice to follow a traditional MADP

Deficiency of Pkc1 activity affects glycerol metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In pressProtein kinase C is apparently involved in the control of many cellular systems: the cell wall integrity pathway, the synthesis of ribosomes, the appropriated reallocation of transcription factors under specific stress conditions and also the regulation of N-glycosylation activity. All these observations suggest the existence of additional targets not yet identified. In the context of the control of carbon metabolism, previous data demonstrated that Pkc1 p might play a central role in the control of cellular growth and metabolism in yeast. In particular, it has been suggested that it might be involved in the derepression of genes under glucose-repression by driving an appropriated subcellular localization of transcriptional factors, such as Mig1 p. In this work, we show that pkc1∆ mutant is unable to grow on glycerol because it cannot perform the derepression of GUT1 gene that encodes for glycerol kinase. Additionally, active transport is also partially affected. Using this phenotype, we were able to isolate a new pkc1∆ revertant. We also isolated two transformants identified as the nuclear exportin Msn5 and the histone deacetylase Hos2 extragenic suppressors of this mutation. Based on these results, we postulate that Pkc1 p may be involved in the control of the cellular localization and/or regulation of the activity of nuclear proteins implicated in gene expression.Fundação Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (FUFOP). Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) - CBS-1875/95. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - 300998/89-9 to R.L.B., 301255/01-6 to L.G.F

Proyecto BIACOP: estimación de biomasa en jaulas de Atún Rojo con métodos acústicos y ópticos

Este proyecto tiene como objeto final la configuración de un sistema que proporcione la estimación del número y la biomasa de atunes de forma automática en entornos semi-controlados. Para ello se llevarán a cabo desarrollos, que configuren la integración de los datos obtenidos por sistemas acústicos y ópticos en dicho entornos. En concreto este proyecto pretende: - Desarrollar un sistema automático que sea capaz de estimar la distribución de tallas y pesos de los atunes que habitan en una jaula flotante. - Desarrollar un sistema automático que cuantifique las capturas, tanto del número de individuos capturados como de la distribución de sus tallas y pesos, y por tanto de la biomasa total, durante el proceso de transferencia de los atunes entre jaulas. Para conseguir los objetivos será necesario realizar: 1. Una selección de componentes hardware y software que tengan un rendimiento apropiado para adquirir datos acústicos y ópticos en el medio marino 2. Fases de adquisición y almacenamiento de datos acústicos y ópticos para configurar bases de datos cuyo objetivos serán: a) evaluar las diferentes versiones del sistema durante la fase de desarrollo b) confeccionar estadísticas de valores y parámetros relacionales 3. Fases de pruebas y validación de los equipos y métodos desarrollados en situaciones reales de funcionamiento 4. Diseño e integración de aquellos elementos hardware del sistema acústico y del sistema de visión por computador que resulten necesarios para la configuración del sistema final 5. Implementación y desarrollo de algoritmos, tanto para el procesamiento de los datos acústicos, como para el procesamiento y análisis de las imágenes adquiridas, necesarios para el funcionamiento de la aplicación y del sistema final propuesto Las ventajas del sistema resultante frente a los ya existentes son: 1. Sistema totalmente automático: El sistema detectará de forma automática instantáneas adecuadas de los atunes en las que sea correcto adquirir valores biométricos de los mismos para caracterizar su talla y su peso. Para ello será necesario el procesamiento y sincronización de la señal acústica y óptica. 2. Sistema de gran precisión: El trabajar con dos tipos de datos (acústico y óptico) sobre los mismos individuos nos permite verificar los valores estimados sobre sus características biométricas y conseguir una mayor precisión y ajuste. 3. Sistema tolerante con aguas turbias o con poca transparencia: Los sistemas acústicos obtienen información con independencia de la turbidez o claridad del agua. El trabajar con datos acústicos nos permite dar referencias al sistema de visión sobre distancias de individuos detectados, consiguiendo una mejor aproximación del procesamiento de imágenes realizado. 4. Sistema respetuoso con el bienestar animal y su desarrollo: En este proyecto se propone un sistema no invasivo. Nuestro sistema estará dotado únicamente de los elementos tecnológicos y acústicos necesarios para extraer datos y del soporte de los mismos, y en todo caso del sistema de sujeción que confiera la necesaria estabilidad de los mismos. 5. Sistema para ventanas de transferencia de tamaño adecuado al atún rojo: La tecnología acústica proporciona información complementaria a los sistemas ópticos. La utilización de ambas tecnologías permitiría complementar la utilización de un sistema óptico estereoscópico, y mejorar la amplitud del campo efectivo de nuestro sistema, pudiendo prescindir de la información estereoscópica en los casos en que las distancias de trabajo dificultan su aplicación, o incluso ofrecer información puramente acústica. RESULTADOS La medida estereoscópica ventral automatizada de atunes en jaulas y transferencias ofrece nformación biométrica sin errores accidentales asociados a la medida del operador. Nuevas relaciones biométricas pueden estudiarse a partir de las herramientas desarrolladas. La utilización de una estructura de paso entre jaulas posibilita la instalación de sensores en posiciones estables y la repetibilidad de las condiciones de medida El uso de un transductor acústico en las transferencias ofrece el conteo automático con errores menores al 10 %Comisión Europea mediante la decisión ejecutiva de la Comisión de la UE de 10 de julio de 2013 (2013/410/UE), relativa a una participación financiera de la Unión en los programas de control de la actividad pesquera realizados por los estados miembros

Alcohol intake, wine consumption and the development of depression: the PREDIMED study

Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed. Depression, the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide, has been related to alcohol intake. We aimed to prospectively assess the association between alcohol intake and incident depression using repeated measurements of alcohol intake. METHODS: We followed-up 5,505 high-risk men and women (55 to 80 y) of the PREDIMED Trial for up to seven years. Participants were initially free of depression or a history of depression, and did not have any history of alcohol-related problems. A 137-item validated food frequency questionnaire administered by a dietician was repeated annually to assess alcohol intake. Participants were classified as incident cases of depression when they reported a new clinical diagnosis of depression, and/or initiated the use of antidepressant drugs. Cox regression analyses were fitted over 23,655 person-years. RESULTS: Moderate alcohol intake within the range of 5 to 15 g/day was significantly associated with lower risk of incident depression (hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.53 to 0.98) versus abstainers). Specifically, wine consumption in the range of two to seven drinks/week was significantly associated with lower rates of depression (HR (95% CI) = 0.68 (0.47 to 0.98)). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate consumption of wine may reduce the incidence of depression, while heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk

Isotemporal substitution of inactive time with physical activity and time in bed: cross-sectional associations with cardiometabolic health in the PREDIMEDPlus study

Background: This study explored the association between inactive time and measures of adiposity, clinical parameters, obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome components. It further examined the impact of reallocating inactive time to time in bed, light physical activity (LPA) or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on cardio-metabolic risk factors, including measures of adiposity and body composition, biochemical parameters and blood pressure in older adults. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 2189 Caucasian men and women (age 55-75 years, BMI 27-40 Kg/m2) from the PREDIMED-Plus study (http://www.predimedplus.com/). All participants had ≥3 components of the metabolic syndrome. Inactive time, physical activity and time in bed were objectively determined using triaxial accelerometers GENEActiv during 7 days (ActivInsights Ltd., Kimbolton, United Kingdom). Multiple adjusted linear and logistic regression models were used. Isotemporal substitution regression modelling was performed to assess the relationship of replacing the amount of time spent in one activity for another, on each outcome, including measures of adiposity and body composition, biochemical parameters and blood pressure in older adults. Results: Inactive time was associated with indicators of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Reallocating 30 min per day of inactive time to 30 min per day of time in bed was associated with lower BMI, waist circumference and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (all p-values < 0.05). Reallocating 30 min per day of inactive time with 30 min per day of LPA or MVPA was associated with lower BMI, waist circumference, total fat, visceral adipose tissue, HbA1c, glucose, triglycerides, and higher body muscle mass and HDL cholesterol (all p-values < 0.05). Conclusions: Inactive time was associated with a poor cardio-metabolic profile. Isotemporal substitution of inactive time with MVPA and LPA or time in bed could have beneficial impact on cardio-metabolic health

Relationship between olive oil consumption and ankle-brachial pressure index in a population at high cardiovascular risk

The aim of this study was to ascertain the association between the consumption of different categories of edible olive oils (virgin olive oils and olive oil) and olive pomace oil and ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) in participants in the PREDIMED-Plus study, a trial of lifestyle modification for weight and cardiovascular event reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity harboring the metabolic syndrome. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the PREDIMED-Plus trial. Consumption of any category of olive oil and olive pomace oil was assessed through a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted to assess associations between olive oil consumption and ABI. Additionally, ABI ≤1 was considered as the outcome in logistic models with different categories of olive oil and olive pomace oil as exposure. Results: Among 4330 participants, the highest quintile of total olive oil consumption (sum of all categories of olive oil and olive pomace oil) was associated with higher mean values of ABI (beta coefficient: 0.014, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.002, 0.027) (p for trend = 0.010). Logistic models comparing the consumption of different categories of olive oils, olive pomace oil and ABI ≤1 values revealed an inverse association between virgin olive oils consumption and the likelihood of a low ABI (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% CI [0.56, 0.97]), while consumption of olive pomace oil was positively associated with a low ABI (OR 1.22 95% CI [1.00, 1.48]). Conclusions: In a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk, total olive oil consumption was associated with a higher mean ABI. These results suggest that olive oil consumption may be beneficial for peripheral artery disease prevention, but longitudinal studies are needed

Total and Subtypes of Dietary Fat Intake and Its Association with Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in a Mediterranean Population at High Cardiovascular Risk

Background: The effect of dietary fat intake on the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and in turn on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear in individuals at high CVD risk. Objective: To assess the association between fat intake and MetS components in an adult Mediterranean population at high CVD risk. Design: Baseline assessment of nutritional adequacy in participants (n = 6560, men and women, 55-75 years old, with overweight/obesity and MetS) in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED)-Plus randomized trial. Methods: Assessment of fat intake (total fat, monounsatured fatty acids: MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids: PUFA, saturated fatty acids: SFA, trans-fatty acids: trans-FA, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and ω-3 FA) using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and diet quality using 17-item Mediterranean dietary questionnaire and fat quality index (FQI). Results: Participants in the highest quintile of total dietary fat intake showed lower intake of energy, carbohydrates, protein and fiber, but higher intake of PUFA, MUFA, SFA, TFA, LA, ALA and ω-3 FA. Differences in MetS components were found according to fat intake. Odds (5th vs. 1st quintile): hyperglycemia: 1.3-1.6 times higher for total fat, MUFA, SFA and ω-3 FA intake; low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c): 1.2 higher for LA; hypertriglyceridemia: 0.7 lower for SFA and ω-3 FA intake. Conclusions: Dietary fats played different role on MetS components of high CVD risk patients. Dietary fat intake was associated with higher risk of hyperglycemia