The status of the Pacific sardine resource and its management

The Pacific sardine fishery has declined from a catch of almost 8 hundred-thousand tons in the nineteen thirties to relative insignificance at present. This decline was primarily due to the decline of the northern subpopulation. Scientists feel that the only remedial measure which would be effective is a complete ban on sardine fishing in California and northern Baja California. (17pp.

Cruise Report 71-KB-5: Pelagic Fish Program

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Dungeness crab research program: Report for the Year 1976

All larval stages of the 1976 year class, with the exception of the 5th zoeal stage, were found in Gu1f waters January through March. The first post-larval stage was collected in San Pablo Bay in May. Fifty percent of 1976 year class crabs entered the Bay complex as compared to nearly 80% in 1975. The 1976 year class appears relatively weak. No electrophoretic polymorphism was found in Cancer magister to be of value in Dungeness crab population determinations. Multi-variate correlations comparing crab landings with an array of oceanographic parameters and the crab density dependent factor were computer-run for both northern and central California. The most significant correlating factors at the time late stage larvae prevail were sea level and atmospheric pressure for central California and, for northern California, the density dependent factor and sea surface temperature. Female crabs held at controlled temperatures indicated gonad maturation and spawning may be induced by increased temperature. Analyses of crab tissues revealed burdens of petroleum hydrocarbons, silver, selenium, cadmium, and PCB's higher in central California crabs, while DDE was found in higher amounts in northern California crab tissue. Thru-flow culture systems were developed which should yield about 163 megalopae of Dungeness crabs in 63 days from 1,200 laboratory hatched zoeae.(46pp.

Meta-analysis of five genome-wide association studies identifies multiple new loci associated with testicular germ cell tumor

The international Testicular Cancer Consortium (TECAC) combined five published genome-wide association studies of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT; 3,558 cases and 13,970 controls) to identify new susceptibility loci. We conducted a fixed-effects meta-analysis, including, to our knowledge, the first analysis of the X chromosome. Eight new loci mapping to 2q14.2, 3q26.2, 4q35.2, 7q36.3, 10q26.13, 15q21.3, 15q22.31, and Xq28 achieved genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8). Most loci harbor biologically plausible candidate genes. We refined previously reported associations at 9p24.3 and 19p12 by identifying one and three additional independent SNPs, respectively. In aggregate, the 39 independent markers identified to date explain 37% of father-to-son familial risk, 8% of which can be attributed to the 12 new signals reported here. Our findings substantially increase the number of known TGCT susceptibility alleles, move the field closer to a comprehensive understanding of the underlying genetic architecture of TGCT, and provide further clues to the etiology of TGCT

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster and Vector Mosquito Developmental Genes

Genome sequencing projects have presented the opportunity for analysis of developmental genes in three vector mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles gambiae. A comparative genomic analysis of developmental genes in Drosophila melanogaster and these three important vectors of human disease was performed in this investigation. While the study was comprehensive, special emphasis centered on genes that 1) are components of developmental signaling pathways, 2) regulate fundamental developmental processes, 3) are critical for the development of tissues of vector importance, 4) function in developmental processes known to have diverged within insects, and 5) encode microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate developmental transcripts in Drosophila. While most fruit fly developmental genes are conserved in the three vector mosquito species, several genes known to be critical for Drosophila development were not identified in one or more mosquito genomes. In other cases, mosquito lineage-specific gene gains with respect to D. melanogaster were noted. Sequence analyses also revealed that numerous repetitive sequences are a common structural feature of Drosophila and mosquito developmental genes. Finally, analysis of predicted miRNA binding sites in fruit fly and mosquito developmental genes suggests that the repertoire of developmental genes targeted by miRNAs is species-specific. The results of this study provide insight into the evolution of developmental genes and processes in dipterans and other arthropods, serve as a resource for those pursuing analysis of mosquito development, and will promote the design and refinement of functional analysis experiments

The ABC130 barrel module prototyping programme for the ATLAS strip tracker

For the Phase-II Upgrade of the ATLAS Detector, its Inner Detector, consisting of silicon pixel, silicon strip and transition radiation sub-detectors, will be replaced with an all new 100 % silicon tracker, composed of a pixel tracker at inner radii and a strip tracker at outer radii. The future ATLAS strip tracker will include 11,000 silicon sensor modules in the central region (barrel) and 7,000 modules in the forward region (end-caps), which are foreseen to be constructed over a period of 3.5 years. The construction of each module consists of a series of assembly and quality control steps, which were engineered to be identical for all production sites. In order to develop the tooling and procedures for assembly and testing of these modules, two series of major prototyping programs were conducted: an early program using readout chips designed using a 250 nm fabrication process (ABCN-25) and a subsequent program using a follow-up chip set made using 130 nm processing (ABC130 and HCC130 chips). This second generation of readout chips was used for an extensive prototyping program that produced around 100 barrel-type modules and contributed significantly to the development of the final module layout. This paper gives an overview of the components used in ABC130 barrel modules, their assembly procedure and findings resulting from their tests.Comment: 82 pages, 66 figure

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Retinoid X receptor gamma signaling accelerates CNS remyelination

The molecular basis of CNS myelin regeneration (remyelination) is poorly understood. We generated a comprehensive transcriptional profile of the separate stages of spontaneous remyelination that follow focal demyelination in the rat CNS and found that transcripts that encode the retinoid acid receptor RXR-γ were differentially expressed during remyelination. Cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage expressed RXR-γ in rat tissues that were undergoing remyelination and in active and remyelinated multiple sclerosis lesions. Knockdown of RXR-γ by RNA interference or RXR-specific antagonists severely inhibited oligodendrocyte differentiation in culture. In mice that lacked RXR-γ, adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells efficiently repopulated lesions after demyelination, but showed delayed differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes. Administration of the RXR agonist 9-cis-retinoic acid to demyelinated cerebellar slice cultures and to aged rats after demyelination caused an increase in remyelinated axons. Our results indicate that RXR-γ is a positive regulator of endogenous oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation and remyelination and might be a pharmacological target for regenerative therapy in the CNS

Fish Bulletin 174. The California Halibut, Paralichthys californicus, Resource and Fisheries

This Fish Bulletin, "The California Halibut, Paralichthys californicus, Resource and Fisheries," is the result of a 3-year process which began with an idea to hold a workshop to update management strategies. It soon became apparent that a diverse and relatively large group of academic, private, and government (state, federal, and local) scientists independently were either already conducting research or interested in developing, from historical databases, a better understanding of some aspects of the biology of, or fisheries for, California halibut. Because of the breadth of research and the level of interest, the California Department of Fish and Game developed the concept of holding a symposium to help fisheries managers better understand the status of current research, to identify areas where additional research is needed, and to publish this information in one peer-reviewed document. At this point, a committee of volunteers was formed and we began a timely team effort to plan and develop the symposium. To optimize the results of the symposium, a general call for papers was made inviting anyone involved with California halibut research to participate. Based upon the response, symposium sessions were established for: 1) Habitat, Distribution, and Early Life History; 2) Adult Life History; 3) Commercial Fisheries; 4) Recreational Fisheries; and 5) Management, Population Dynamics, and Fisheries Interactions. The symposium was held May 23–24, 1989 in San Pedro, California. It was sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game, National Marine Fisheries Service, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, and the Cabrillo Marine Museum, whose staff also hosted the symposium. The symposium attracted approximately 150 people and included 25 papers authored or co-authored by scientists representing a diverse group of private and public organizations, which included: California State University, Northridge; Centro de Investigación Cientifica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (CISESE); Coastal Research Center, San Rafael; ERC-Environmental and Energy Services Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Diablo Canyon Laboratory; MBC Applied Environmental Sciences, Costa Mesa; MEC Analytical Sciences, Carlsbad; Minerals Management Service; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla; University of California, Davis—School of Fisheries; University of California, Santa Barbara—Marine Science Institute; and the VANTUNA Research Group, Occidental College. The symposium was concluded with a panel discussion designed to gain perspectives from representatives of academia, the commercial and recreational fishing industries, and fisheries management on, "Where we should go with research and management as it relates to the California halibut."After the symposium, we began the somewhat arduous task of extracting final draft papers from a group of contributors, many of whom had made a commitment above and beyond their regular workday requirements, and submitting these drafts for peer review. We thank the authors for their diligence and acknowledge the reviewers for their professional reviews and, most gratefully, timely responses

Fish Bulletin 143. Southern California Marine Sportfishing Survey: Private Boats, 1964; Shoreline, 1965–66

Effort, catch, and catch rates for southern California sportfishing from private boats and from the shoreline were estimated for one-year periods. These categories represent two of four major types of marine sportfishing; the others are fishing from party boats and from piers and jetties.Probability sampling plans employing fisherman interviews were used in obtaining the basic data for the surveys. Shoreline surveys were supplemented by aerial progressive counts of fishing poles.Private boat sportfishing activities during 1964 were estimated at 2.8 million man hours (mh) of fishing. The catch of almost 1 million fish was composed primarily of five species, Pacific bonito, California halibut, white croaker, sand bass, and kelp bass.A 12-month survey, 1965–66, revealed that surf fishermen expended an estimated 1.7 million mh of effort in taking 0.5 million fish. More fishing effort was expended from the bay shoreline, 869,557 mh, than from the open coast, 776,732 mh. The catch in each area was markedly different. White croaker, queenfish, and smelt (jack and top) were the most significant species in inland bays, while for the open coast, barred surfperch, opaleye, and California corbina were most important.A synoptic picture of the annual sportfishing activities and harvest in southern California was constructed. The total effort from party boats, piers, jetties, private boats, and the shoreline was estimated to be 12.3 million man hours of fishing. Three groups contributed well over half of the 7.3 million fish captured: tunas, 1.9 million; sea basses, 1.4 million; and croakers, 1.1 million. Pacific bonito, with 1.6 million fish, made the largest contribution by a single species. California barracuda was second with 0.6 million and white croaker was third with 0.5 million