Establishing a governance threshold in small-scale fisheries to achieve sustainability

The lack of effective governance is a major concern in small-scale fisheries. The implementation of governance that encompasses the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic, and ecological) is still a worldwide challenge. We examined nine stalked barnacle fisheries (Pollicipes pollicipes) across Southwest Europe to better understand the relationship between governance elements and sustainability. Our results show that nested spatial scales of management, the access structure, co- management, and fisher’s participation in monitoring and surveillance promote sustainability. However, it is not the mere presence of these elements but their level of implementation that drives sustainability. Efforts should be placed in the accomplishment of a minimum combination of local scales of management, access rights through individual quotas, instructive-consultative co- management and functional participation. Surpassing this threshold in future governance structures will start to adequately promote social, economic and ecologically sustainability in small-scale fisheries

Application of Hansch’s Model to Capsaicinoids and Capsinoids: A Study Using the Quantitative Structure−Activity Relationship. A Novel Method for the Synthesis of Capsinoids

We describe a synthetic approach for two families of compounds, the capsaicinoids and capsinoids, as part of a study of the quantitative relationship between structure and activity

Non-Baryonic Dark Matter - Observational Evidence and Detection Methods

The evidence for the existence of dark matter in the universe is reviewed. A general picture emerges, where both baryonic and non-baryonic dark matter is needed to explain current observations. In particular, a wealth of observational information points to the existence of a non-baryonic component, contributing between around 20 and 40 percent of the critical mass density needed to make the universe geometrically flat on large scales. In addition, an even larger contribution from vacuum energy (or cosmological constant) is indicated by recent observations. To the theoretically favoured particle candidates for non-baryonic dark matter belong axions, supersymmetric particles, and of less importance, massive neutrinos. The theoretical foundation and experimental situation for each of these is reviewed. Direct and indirect methods for detection of supersymmetric dark matter are described in some detail. Present experiments are just reaching the required sensitivity to discover or rule out some of these candidates, and major improvements are planned over the coming years.Comment: Submitted to Reports on Progress in Physics, 59 pages, LaTeX, iopart macro, 14 embedded postscript figure

On the Long-Term Hydroclimatic Sustainability of Perennial Bioenergy Crop Expansion over the United States

Large-scale cultivation of perennial bioenergy crops (e.g., miscanthus and switchgrass) offers unique opportunities to mitigate climate change through avoided fossil fuel use and associated greenhouse gas reduction. Although conversion of existing agriculturally intensive lands (e.g., maize and soy) to perennial bioenergy cropping systems has been shown to reduce near-surface temperatures, unintended consequences on natural water resources via depletion of soil moisture may offset these benefits. The hydroclimatic impacts associated with perennial bioenergy crop expansion over the contiguous United States are quantified using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model dynamically coupled to a land surface model (LSM). A suite of continuous (2000–09) medium-range resolution (20-km grid spacing) ensemble-based simulations is conducted using seasonally evolving biophysical representation of perennial bioenergy cropping systems within the LSM based on observational data. Deployment is carried out only over suitable abandoned and degraded farmlands to avoid competition with existing food cropping systems. Results show that near-surface cooling (locally, up to 5°C) is greatest during the growing season over portions of the central United States. For some regions, principal impacts are restricted to a reduction in near-surface temperature (e.g., eastern portions of the United States), whereas for other regions deployment leads to soil moisture reduction in excess of 0.15–0.2 m3 m−3 during the simulated 10-yr period (e.g., western Great Plains). This reduction (~25%–30% of available soil moisture) manifests as a progressively decreasing trend over time. The large-scale focus of this research demonstrates the long-term hydroclimatic sustainability of large-scale deployment of perennial bioenergy crops across the continental United States, revealing potential hot spots of suitable deployment and regions to avoid

On the joint production of research and training

Universities and research institutions have the responsibility to produce science and to provide training to new generations of researchers. In this paper, we propose a model to analyze the determinants of a senior scientist’s decisions about allocating time between these tasks. The results of this decision depend upon the characteristics of the research project, the senior scientist’s concern for training and the expected innate ability of the junior scientist involved. We analyze the role that a regulator can play in defining both the value of scientific projects and the future population of independent scientists.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The MACHO Project LMC Variable Star Inventory. VI. The Second-overtone Mode of Cepheid Pulsation From First/Second Overtone (FO/SO) Beat Cepheids

MACHO Project photometry of 45 LMC FO/SO beat Cepheids which pulsate in the first and second overtone (FO and SOo, respectively) has been analysed to determine the lightcurve characteristics for the SO mode of Cepheid pulsation. We predict that singly-periodic SO Cepheids will have nearly sinusoidal lightcurves; that we will only be able to discern SO Cepheids from fundamental (F) and (FO) Cepheids for P <= 1.4 days; and that the SO distribution will overlap the short-period edge of the LMC FO Cepheid period-luminosity relation (when both are plotted as a function of photometric period). We also report the discovery of one SO Cepheid candidate, MACHO*05:03:39.6$-$70:04:32, with a photometric period of 0.775961 +/- 0.000019 days and an instrumental amplitude of 0.047 +/- 0.009 mag in V.Comment: 23 pages, 7 Encapsulated PostScript figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Ultrasonic evidence of an uncorrelated cluster formation temperature in manganites with first-order magnetic transition at T_C

Ultrasonic attenuation and phase velocity measurements have been carried out in the ferromagnetic perovskites La_{2/3}Ca_{1/3}MnO_3 and La_{2/3}Sr_{1/3}MnO_3. Data show that the transition at the Curie temperature, T_C, changes from first- to second-order as Sr replaces Ca in the perovskite. The compound with first-order transition shows also another transition at a temperature T* > T_C. We interpret the temperature window T_C < T < T* as a region of coexistence of a phase separated regime of metallic and insulating regions, in the line of recent theoretical proposals.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Disnea progresiva en varón de 47 años

We report the case of a 47 year old male whose cardinal symptom was progressive dyspnea. We describe the diag- nostic process highlighting the usefulness of pulmonary and cardiac ultrasound. We stress the importance in this patient to take into account their personal history (Hodgkin’s lymphoma treated more than 10 years earlier) and the finding of a left bundle branch block in the electrocardiogram.Presentamos el caso de un varón de 47 años cuyo síntoma cardinal era la disnea progresiva. Describimos su proceso diagnóstico destacando la utilidad de la ecografía pulmonar y cardíaca. Resaltamos la importancia en este enfermo de tener en cuenta sus antecedentes (linfoma de Hodgkin tratado hacía más de 10 años) y el hallazgo de un bloqueo de rama izquierda en el electrocardiograma

Mitochondrial permeability transition is a central coordinating event of apoptosis.

In a number of experimental systems, the early stage o the apoptotic process, i.e. the stage that precedes nuclear disintegration, is characterized by the breakdown of the inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ(m)). This ΔΨ(m) disruption is mediated by the opening of permeability transition (PT) pores and appears to be critical for the apoptotic cascade, since it is directly regulated by Bcl-2 and since mitochondria induced to undergo PT in vitro become capable of inducing nuclear chromatinolysis in a cell-free system of apoptosis. Here, we addressed the question of which apoptotic events are secondary to mitochondrial PT. We tested the effect of a specific inhibitor of PT, bongkrekic acid (BA), a ligand of the mitochondrial academic nucleotide translocator, on a prototypic model of apoptosis; glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte death. In addition to abolishing the apoptotic ΔΨ(m) disruption, BA prevents a number of phenomena linked to apoptosis: depletion of nonoxidized glutathione, genetic generation of reactive oxygen species, translocation of NFκB, exposure of phosphatidylserine residues on the outer plasma membrane, cytoplasmic vacuolization, chromatin condensation, and oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. BA is also an efficient inhibitor of p53- dependent thymocyte apoptosis induced by DNA damaged. These data suggest that a number of apoptotic phenomona are secondary to PT. In addition, we present data indicating that apoptotic ΔΨ(m) disruption is secondary to transcriptional events. These data connect the PT control point to the p53- and ICE/Ced 3-regulated control points of apoptosis and place PT upstream of nuclear and plasma membrane features of PCD.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Pedunculate cirripedes of the genus Pollicipes: 25 years after Margaret Barnes' review

Twenty-five years ago, Margaret Barnes reviewed the genus Pollicipes published in Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review. Our review complements and updates Barnes (1996). An endemic species of Pollicipes, P. caboverdensis, from Cape Verde Islands, has since been described, joining the three previously known extant species (P. polymerus, northeastern Pacific Ocean, P. elegans, tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, and P. pollicipes, north-eastern Atlantic Ocean). Most research has been on Pollicipes polymerus and P. pollicipes. We provide a georeferenced map of the worldwide distribution of Pollicipes. All Pollicipes species are harvested throughout their geographic distributions with varying intensity and levels of management. Phylogeography and population genetics are new areas developed since Barnes (1996). We update systematics and morphological studies (adult descriptions, cirral form and function, and adhesion). Various aspects of the life history of Pollicipes (reproduction, larval phase, settlement, recruitment and growth), the biological assemblages associated with Pollicipes and post-settlement population processes are reviewed. Pollution and geochemical studies are outlined before a detailed appraisal of Atlantic and Pacific fisheries. Considerable progress has been made in emerging areas, particularly phylogeography, adhesion and cement, fisheries management and aquaculture. Research gaps are highlighted, despite the much progress in the last quarter-century