The Conservation and Management of Tunas and Their Relatives: Setting Life History Research Priorities

Scombrids (tunas, bonitos, Spanish mackerels and mackerels) support important fisheries in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters around the world, being one of the most economically- and socially-important marine species globally. Their sustainable exploitation, management and conservation depend on accurate life history information for the development of quantitative fisheries stock assessments, and in the fishery data-poor situations for the identification of vulnerable species. Here, we assemble life history traits (maximum size, growth, longevity, maturity, fecundity, spawning duration and spawning interval) for the 51 species of scombrids globally. We identify major biological gaps in knowledge and prioritize life history research needs in scombrids based on their biological gaps in knowledge, the importance of their fisheries and their current conservation status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. We find that the growth and reproductive biology of tunas and mackerel species have been more extensively studied than for Spanish mackerels and bonitos, although there are notable exceptions in all groups. We also reveal that reproductive biology of species, particular fecundity, is the least studied biological aspect in scombrids. We identify two priority groups, including 32 species of scombrids, and several populations of principal market tunas, for which life history research should be prioritized following the species-specific life history gaps identified in this study in the coming decades. By highlighting the important gaps in biological knowledge and providing a priority setting for life history research in scombrid species this study provides guidance for management and conservation and serves as a guide for biologists and resource managers interested in the biology, ecology, and management of scombrid species

Spatio-temporal distribution of juvenile oceanic whitetip shark incidental catch in the western Indian Ocean

Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is an important top predator in pelagic ecosystems currently classified as globally Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This species is incidentally caught by fisheries targeting highly migratory tunas and billfishes throughout the Indian Ocean. Understanding the temporal, spatial and environmental factors influencing the capture of this species is essential to reduce incidental catches. In this study, we used generalized additive models to analyze the spatio-temporal distributions of the juvenile oceanic whitetip shark catches and the environmental conditions in the western Indian Ocean using observer data from 2010 to 2020 of the European Union and associated flags purse seine fishery. We found sea surface temperature and nitrate concentration to be the most important environmental variables predicting the probability of catching an oceanic whitetip shark. A higher probability of capture was predicted in areas where sea surface temperature was below 24°C and with low nitrate concentrations close to zero and intermediate values (1.5-2.5 mmol.m-3). We also found a higher probability of capture in sets on fish aggregating devices than in sets on free schools of tuna. The Kenya and Somalia basin was identified to have higher probabilities of capture during the summer monsoon (June to September) when upwelling of deep cold waters occurs. We provide the first prediction maps of capture probabilities and insights into the environmental preferences of oceanic whitetip shark in the western Indian Ocean. However, the causal mechanisms behind these insights should be explored in future studies before they can be used to design spatial management and conservation strategies, such as time-area closures, for bycatch avoidance.Postprin

Integration of oceanographic information off the Washington and Oregon coasts into west coast groundfish ecology and fisheries management

To date, the use of oceanographic data in fisheries management has been limited by the scarcity and the difficulty of accessing complete oceanographic datasets. Consequently, fish stocks are managed with limited knowledge about the habitat where fish live and incomplete understanding of what oceanographic conditions affect their populations. With the long-term goal to improve science for ecosystem-based management of the West Coast groundfish fishery, this study had three objectives. First, the assembling and merging of disperse oceanographic datasets for temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and current velocity from the 1930s to the year 2004 off the Washington and Oregon coasts. Second, the generation of oceanographic data products relevant for fisheries research, consisting of the computation and the plotting of climatological monthly means, standard deviations and coefficients of variation for a variety of ocean variables at several depths. Third, the development of an exploratory example of how oceanographic information collected in this study can be of use to improve the science and management of groundfish. Thus, a study was developed to investigate if groundfish distribution and abundances are associated with any ocean habitat or individual oceanographic variables, using a combination of univariate, classification and ordination techniques. The fish data were derived from a routine bottom trawl survey conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA-NWFSC). Five ocean habitats with distinct physical and biological characteristics were identified off the Washington and Oregon coast: Offshore Habitat, Upwelling Habitat, Highly Variable Upwelling Habitat, River Plume Habitat, and Highly Variable Habitat. These ocean habitats were characteristic of cold-regime summer upwelling conditions. Overall, the analyses suggested that the species composition differ among the five ocean habitats. Some species were highly indicative of some habitats; however, overall the associations were weak due to the high degree of overlap of ocean habitats in terms of species composition. All the analyses were consistent in associating shallower species with the shallowest habitats (the Highly Variable, River Plume and Upwelling habitats) and the deeper species with the deeper habitats (the Offshore and the Highly Variable Upwelling habitats), suggesting that groundfish are adapted to wide environmental ranges. In addition, the overall abundance and diversity of groundfish was higher in the shallower habitats. In contrast, groundfish species showed strong associations with individual environmental factors, primarily depth, surface chlorophyll-a, and salinity and temperature at the bottom of the seafloor, indicating that groundfish distributions are mainly organized along depth gradients. Latitudinal variations in upwelling intensity, river discharge and productivity along the coast were also important factors influencing shallow species distributions and abundances. For example, three regions with high chlorophyll-a concentrations were associated with large abundances of specific groundfish species. These regions were found over Heceta Bank, over the Juan de Fuca canyon and in the Columbia River Plume. This study began with the assembly of several ocean variables and the development of some preliminary ocean data products relevant to fisheries studies. However, the addition of other ocean variables, such as dissolved oxygen, and the computation of new ocean products, such as mixed-layer depth, and thermocline depth and strength, would be valuable. Future work should involve more interdisplinary studies between fisheries and oceanography, the integration of oceanographic information off the west coast of the U.S., and the collection of concurrent ocean data at each fish trawl location

Por qué el azúcar de la fruta es bueno para la salud y el de los procesados no

El consumo de fruta como tal en nuestra dieta es saludable. Procesada o disuelta en líquidos o en forma de zumo, menos

Enhancing the mechanical features of clay surfaces by the absorption of nano-SiO2 particles in aqueous media. Case of study on Bronze Age clay objects

[EN] Nanoparticles are known to be able to enhance the performance of low dense materials, achieving the small intergranular spaces to further interact with the matrix. In this work, a consolidation treatment of an ancient clay material is reported. It is based on the use of silica nanoparticles dispersed in an aqueous medium as a more sustainable approach than those currently used in the conservation field. The effective consolidation has been determined by ensuring an appropriate mechanical surface resistance using the nanoindentation technique as non-destructive measurements. Moreover, the ability of SiO(2 )nanoparticles to fill the microstructure is studied by scanning electron microscopy. As a case report, several low-strength clay fragments dated from the Bronze Age were surface treated with a commercial aqueous suspension of SiO2 nanoparticles that were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) displaying dimensions of about 20 nm in diameter. Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM) revealed that nanoparticles filled the inter-granular spaces of the clay, leading to a nanostructured material. The nanoindentation results showed an increase in surface resistance against scratching. Meanwhile, the nanohardness and elastic modulus increased 10 times (from 15 to 150 MPa) and 8 times (from 1 to 8 GPa), respectively due to the nano-SiO2 treatment, confirming the consolidation effect of the nanoparticles.Authors acknowledge the financial support of Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R. Authors also acknowledge the support of Helena Bonet, Director of the Prehistory Museum of Valencia and Ma Jesus de Pedro, conservator of this Museum, and to the Photographic Archive Department. M.P. Arrieta wishes to thank the financial support of MINECO for a Juan de la Cierva (FJCI-2014-20630) contract.Rayón, E.; Arrieta, MP.; Pasies -Oviedo, T.; López-Martínez, J.; Jorda Moret, JL. (2018). Enhancing the mechanical features of clay surfaces by the absorption of nano-SiO2 particles in aqueous media. Case of study on Bronze Age clay objects. Cement and Concrete Composites. 93:107-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.07.005S1071179

Upgrading argan shell wastes in wood plastic composites with biobased polyethylene matrix and different compatibilizers

The present study reports on the development of wood plastic composites (WPC) based on micronized argan shell (MAS) as a filler and high-density polyethylene obtained from sugarcane (Bio-HDPE), following the principles proposed by the circular economy in which the aim is to achieve zero waste by the introduction of residues of argan as a filler. The blends were prepared by extrusion and injection molding processes. In order to improve compatibility between the argan particles and the green polyolefin, different compatibilizers and additional filler were used, namely polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA 3 wt.-%), maleinized linseed oil (MLO 7.5 phr), halloysite nanotubes (HNTs 7.5 phr), and a combination of MLO and HNTs (3.75 phr each). The mechanical, morphological, thermal, thermomechanical, colorimetric, and wettability properties of each blend were analyzed. The results show that MAS acts as a reinforcing filler, increasing the stiffness of the Bio-HDPE, and that HNTs further increases this reinforcing effect. MLO and PE-g-MA, altogether with HNTs, improve the compatibility between MAS and Bio-HDPE, particularly due to bonds formed between oxygen-based groups present in each compound. Thermal stability was also improved provided by the addition of MAS and HNTs. All in all, reddish-like brown wood plastic composites with improved stiffness, good thermal stability, enhanced compatibility, and good wettability properties were obtained.Fil: Jorda Reolid, Maria. Asociación de Investigación de la Industria del Juguete; ArgentinaFil: Gomez Caturla, Jaume. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; EspañaFil: Ivorra Martinez, Juan. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; EspañaFil: Stefani, Pablo Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Rojas Lema, Sandra. Asociación de Investigación de la Industria del Juguete; ArgentinaFil: Quiles Carrillo, Luis. Asociación de Investigación de la Industria del Juguete; Argentin

Strategies to establish the structure and the evaluation system of the student projects in the bachelor engineering in industrial design and product development at Universitat Politècnica de València campus of Alcoi

[EN] The Bachelor Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development is a multidisciplinary degree, in which a wide range of disciplines have a key role in the final projects developed by the students of the fourth grade. At Universitat Politècnica de València ¿ Campus d¿Alcoi, a number of lecturers are involved in an Education Project in order to change and adapt the evaluation system of the student projects. The current model is based on developing the work with the help of a supervisor and the evaluation carried out by other three teachers, who form the panel. In the frame of the Education Project, some teachers are trying to apply new strategies to improve both the supervising process and the evaluation system of the projects. First of all, an index is provided to the students to adapt the structure of their work. Then, it is intended that a number of teachers, each one from a different specialization, supervise the progress of the students weekly. Finally, the same teachers will take part in the evaluation as examiners. All this work must be integrated in the 120 attendance hours established to develop the project, which correspond to the 12 ECTS. In the frame of the new teaching-learning methodologies, the aim of this Education Project is to provide a system to develop and evaluate the student final projects, taking into account the role of students, supervisors and examiners in every stage of the work.Juliá Sanchis, E.; Jorda-Vilaplana, A.; Valor Valor, M.; Pla-Ferrando, L.; Sempere Ripoll, S.; Picó Silvestre, JF.; Bonet-Aracil, M.... (2017). Strategies to establish the structure and the evaluation system of the student projects in the bachelor engineering in industrial design and product development at Universitat Politècnica de València campus of Alcoi. EDULEARN Proceedings (Internet). 249-255. doi:10.21125/edulearn.2017.0106S24925

DEFINITION OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE STUDENT PROJECTS FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT IN THE BACHELOR ENGINEERING IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AT UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA CAMPUS OF ALCOI

[EN] The Bachelor Engineering in Industrial Design and Product Development establishes the final project as a compulsory stage to achieve the degree. Due to the wide range of industrial products that can be designed, there is an extensive number of topics. The students can choose their final project according to the specialization they have studied all along the fourth academic year. At Universitat Politècnica de València ¿ Campus d¿Alcoi, three specializations can be studied: a) Product Design; b) Production and Innovation, and c) Textile and Fashion Design. Due to the multidisciplinary approach, there is a need to define a general index, both for students and lecturers, which contains the minimum contents of every type of project. Part of the work consists of analysing the three types of projects and the basic structure for each one, depending on the specialization. In addition, there is a particular project based on communication issues. A team of lecturers are involved in an education project at Universitat Politècnica de València. There is, at least, one representative for each specialization. The team has been working based on the last five years presented final projects and with a National Standard UNE 157001:2014: general criteria for the formal preparation of the documents constituting a technical project. The aim of this part of the project is to define the main structure for the minimum contents that these projects must include for their assessment. Finally, a document has been prepared as a basic guideline for students and lecturers, with definitions and instructions. Despite being four different topics, results show a common part which must be fulfilled by every project. Apart from the common part, every specialization has defined the particular features to be included. This document is useful for every part in the process: students to focus on the tasks to develop, lecturers to guide the students and introduce the process and the panel of teachers to obtain the basis for the evaluation.Bonet-Aracil, M.; Valor Valor, M.; Jorda-Vilaplana, A.; Sempere Ripoll, S.; Juliá Sanchis, E.; Pla-Ferrando, L.; Picó Silvestre, JF.... (2017). DEFINITION OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE STUDENT PROJECTS FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT IN THE BACHELOR ENGINEERING IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AT UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA CAMPUS OF ALCOI. EDULEARN Proceedings (Internet). 9471-9474. doi:10.21125/edulearn.2017.0789S9471947

Function of Glia in Aging and the Brain Diseases.

Microglia cells during aging, neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation show different morphological and transcriptional profiles (related to axonal direction and cell adhesion). Furthermore, expressions of the receptors on the surface and actin formation compared to young are also different. This review delves into the role of glia during aging and the development of the diseases. The susceptibility of different regions of the brain to disease are linked to the overstimulation of signals related to the immune system during aging, as well as the damaging impact of these cascades on the functionality of different populations of microglia present in each region of the brain. Furthermore, a decrease in microglial phagocytosis has been related to many diseases and also has been detected during aging. In this paper we also describe the role of glia in different illness, such as AD, ALS, pain related disorders, cancer, developmental disorders and the problems produced by opening of the blood brain barrier. Future studies will clarify many points planted by this review