A survey of the South African shore-angling fishery

Roving creel surveys and aerial surveys of shore-angling were undertaken as part of a national investigation into linefishing in South Africa. Shore patrols utilized a random stratified sampling procedure to collect catchand-effort data, and a questionnaire provided information on fishing effort, angler demographics, economics and attitudes towards current regulations. A total of 1 677 patrols, covering 19 616 km, was conducted betweenApril 1994 and February 1996, during which period 9 523 anglers had their catches checked and 4 490 were interviewed. A further 16 497 km were covered by aerial surveys, when 22 609 anglers were counted. Fromthe aerial surveys, angler densities were highest on the KwaZulu-Natal coast (4.65 anglers.km–1), followed by the Southern Cape coast (2.29 anglers.km–1), the Eastern Cape coast (0.36 anglers.km–1) and the WestCoast (0.12 anglers.km–1). Catch rates varied from 1.5 kg.angler –1.day–1 on the Southern Cape coast to 0.45 kg.angler–1.day–1 on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Total effort was estimated at 3.2×106 angler days.year–1 and the total catch was estimated at 4.5×106 fish.year–1 or 3 000 tons.year–1. Targeted species varied regionally, with elf Pomatomus saltatrix (29%) being the most sought after species on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, kob Argyrosomus japonicus (18%) on the Eastern Cape coast and galjoen Dichistius capensis on the Southern Cape coast (30%) and along the West Coast (50%). The catch composition by mass was dominated byP. saltatrix on the KwaZulu-Natal coast (29%), the Eastern Cape coast (26%), and on the Southern Cape coast (56%) and by white stumpnose Rhabdosargus globiceps (40%) on the West Coast. Although anglersgenerally supported the regulations currently governing the linefishery, the questionnaire results showed that knowledge and compliance of them was poor. A low level of law enforcement was found, except for inKwaZulu-Natal. Management of the linefishery is discussed in relation to the findings of this study

The Higgs System in and Beyond the Standard Model

After the discovery of the Higgs boson particle on the 4th of July of 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider, sited at the european CERN laboratory, we are entering in a fascinating period for Particle Physics where both theorists and experimentalists are devoted to fully understand the features of this new particle and the possible consequences for High Energy Physics of the Higgs system both within and beyond the Standard Model of fundamental particle interactions. This paper is a summary of the lectures given at the third IDPASC school (Santiago de Compostela, Feb. 2013, Spain) addressed to PhD students, and contains a short introduction to the main basic aspects of the Higgs boson particle in and beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 62 pages, 31 figures, Lectures of the IDPASC School at Santiago de Compostela, Spain, February 201

An economic valuation of the South African linefishery

Economic data collected during 1995 and 1996 in a national survey of shore-anglers and skiboat fishermen is used to provide an economic assessment of aspects of recreational, subsistence and commercial linefishing on the South African coastline. Results show that more than 90% of shore-anglers have incomes which lie in the highest two quintiles of the distribution of incomes, and tha

Relative performance of wheat genotypes under individual and combined water deficit and salinity stress

49-58Ascertaining the genetic variability and its relationships among valuable genetic resources is important for crop improvement programme. Here, we assessed the response of eleven wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes using cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) based on morphophysiological data and yield under nine different environments. Wheat genotype WH 1080 maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency under individual stress of 50% water deficit (drought) and 100 mM NaCl (salt), whereas under interactive stresses KRL 370 and KRL 283 were found to be the best genotypes. The highest value of Na+/K+ ratio in shoots was recorded for WH 1080 (1.167) and lowest in KRL 283 (0.612) under combined stresses. Proline accumulation was maximum in KRL 330 (3.17 mg g-1 FW) and minimum in KRL 283 (2.8 mg g-1 FW). Significantly higher reduction (73.4%) was observed in HD 2009 for grain weight/plant at 100 mM NaCl + 50% WD stress treatment whereas minimum reduction of 39.18% was recorded in KRL 370 in comparison to the control treatment. The PCA showed that the first three components comprising about 91% of the total variation for which the variables were analyzed. AMMI model revealed KRL 210 to be stable genotype as being close to center on biplot. E5 environment (100 mM NaCl) was most stable followed by E9 (50% WD + 100 mM NaCl). HD 2888, C-306, HD 2851 and HD 2009 were having positive interaction with E1 (Control) whereas WH 1080 had positive interaction with water deficit environments i.e. E2 and E3 (25 and 50% WD) while KRL 433 had highest positive interaction with combined water deficit and salt stress environments E6, E7, E8 and E9, followed by KRL 370. Similarly, KRL 283, KRL 330, KRL 210 and Kharchia 65 had high positive interaction with saline environments E4 and E5. Findings of the experiment would be beneficial to wheat breeders, specifically the location-specific promising genotypes could possibly be used to develop/breed MAGIC populations to tag genes/alleles conferring drought and salinity tolerance

The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study

Background: Loneliness is experienced by a third of older adults in the UK and is a modifiable potential risk factor for depressive symptoms. It is unclear how the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms persists over time, and whether it is independent of related social constructs and genetic confounders. We aimed to investigate the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms, assessed on multiple occasions during 12 years of follow-up, in a large, nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 years and older in England. / Methods: We did a longitudinal study using seven waves of data that were collected once every 2 years between 2004 and 2017, from adults aged 50 years and older in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The exposure was loneliness at baseline (wave two), measured with the short 1980 revision of the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). The primary outcome was a score indicating severity of depression measured at six subsequent timepoints (waves three to eight), using the eight-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Analyses were linear multilevel regressions, before and after adjusting for social isolation, social support, polygenic risk scores, and other sociodemographic and health-related confounders. The secondary outcome was depression diagnosis, measured using a binary version of the CES-D. / Findings: 4211 (46%) of 9171 eligible participants had complete data on exposure, outcome, and confounders, and were included in our complete case sample. After all adjustments, a 1-point increase in loneliness score was associated with a 0·16 (95% CI 0·13–0·19) increase in depressive symptom severity score (averaged across all follow-ups). We estimated a population attributable fraction for depression associated with loneliness of 18% (95% CI 12–24) at 1 year of follow-up and 11% (3–19) at the final follow-up (wave eight), suggesting that 11–18% of cases of depression could potentially be prevented if loneliness were eliminated. Associations between loneliness and depressive symptoms remained after 12 years of follow-up, although effect sizes were smaller with longer follow-up. / Interpretation: Irrespective of other social experiences, higher loneliness scores at baseline were associated with higher depression symptom severity scores during 12 years of follow-up among adults aged 50 years and older. Interventions that reduce loneliness could prevent or reduce depression in older adults, which presents a growing public health problem worldwide. / Funding: National Institute on Aging and a consortium of UK Government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research

Phenomenological Consequences of sub-leading Terms in See-Saw Formulas

Several aspects of next-to-leading (NLO) order corrections to see-saw formulas are discussed and phenomenologically relevant situations are identified. We generalize the formalism to calculate the NLO terms developed for the type I see-saw to variants like the inverse, double or linear see-saw, i.e., to cases in which more than two mass scales are present. In the standard type I case with very heavy fermion singlets the sub-leading terms are negligible. However, effects in the percent regime are possible when sub-matrices of the complete neutral fermion mass matrix obey a moderate hierarchy, e.g. weak scale and TeV scale. Examples are cancellations of large terms leading to small neutrino masses, or inverse see-saw scenarios. We furthermore identify situations in which no NLO corrections to certain observables arise, namely for mu-tau symmetry and cases with a vanishing neutrino mass. Finally, we emphasize that the unavoidable unitarity violation in see-saw scenarios with extra fermions can be calculated with the formalism in a straightforward manner.Comment: 22 pages, matches published versio

Effects of oral semaglutide on cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or chronic kidney disease: Design and baseline characteristics of SOUL, a randomized trial

Aim: To describe the design of the SOUL trial (Semaglutide cardiOvascular oUtcomes triaL) and the baseline clinical data of its participants. Materials and methods: In SOUL, the effects of oral semaglutide, the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, on the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events in individuals with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic CV disease (ASCVD) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) will be assessed. SOUL is a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled CV outcomes trial comparing oral semaglutide (14 mg once daily) with placebo, both in addition to standard of care, in individuals aged ≥50 years with type 2 diabetes and evidence of ASCVD (coronary artery disease [CAD], cerebrovascular disease, symptomatic peripheral arterial disease [PAD]) and/or CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). The primary outcome is time from randomization to first occurrence of a major adverse CV event (MACE; a composite of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction or nonfatal stroke). This event-driven trial will continue until 1225 first adjudication-confirmed MACEs have occurred. Enrolment has been completed. Results: Overall, 9650 participants were enrolled between June 17, 2019 and March 24, 2021 (men 71.1%, White ethnicity 68.9%, mean age 66.1 years, diabetes duration 15.4 years, body mass index 31.1 kg/m2, glycated haemoglobin 63.5 mmol/mol [8.0%]). The most frequently used antihyperglycaemic medications at baseline were metformin (75.7%), insulin and insulin analogues (50.5%), sulphonylureas (29.1%), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (26.7%) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (23.0%). At randomization, 70.7% of participants had CAD, 42.3% had CKD, 21.1% had cerebrovascular disease and 15.7% had symptomatic PAD (categories not mutually exclusive). Prevalent heart failure was reported in 23.0% of participants. Conclusion: SOUL will provide evidence regarding the CV effects of oral semaglutide in individuals with type 2 diabetes and established ASCVD and/or CKD

A rocky planet transiting a nearby low-mass star

M-dwarf stars -- hydrogen-burning stars that are smaller than 60 per cent of the size of the Sun -- are the most common class of star in our Galaxy and outnumber Sun-like stars by a ratio of 12:1. Recent results have shown that M dwarfs host Earth-sized planets in great numbers: the average number of M-dwarf planets that are between 0.5 to 1.5 times the size of Earth is at least 1.4 per star. The nearest such planets known to transit their star are 39 parsecs away, too distant for detailed follow-up observations to measure the planetary masses or to study their atmospheres. Here we report observations of GJ 1132b, a planet with a size of 1.2 Earth radii that is transiting a small star 12 parsecs away. Our Doppler mass measurement of GJ 1132b yields a density consistent with an Earth-like bulk composition, similar to the compositions of the six known exoplanets with masses less than six times that of the Earth and precisely measured densities. Receiving 19 times more stellar radiation than the Earth, the planet is too hot to be habitable but is cool enough to support a substantial atmosphere, one that has probably been considerably depleted of hydrogen. Because the host star is nearby and only 21 per cent the radius of the Sun, existing and upcoming telescopes will be able to observe the composition and dynamics of the planetary atmosphere.Comment: Published in Nature on 12 November 2015, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature15762. This is the authors' version of the manuscrip

Variations of training load, monotony, and strain and dose-response relationships with maximal aerobic speed, maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength in professional soccer players

This study aimed to identify variations in weekly training load, training monotony, and training strain across a 10-week period (during both, pre- and in-season phases); and to analyze the dose-response relationships between training markers and maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength. Twenty-seven professional soccer players (24.9±3.5 years old) were monitored across the 10-week period using global positioning system units. Players were also tested for maximal aerobic speed, maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength before and after 10 weeks of training. Large positive correlations were found between sum of training load and extension peak torque in the right lower limb (r = 0.57, 90%CI[0.15;0.82]) and the ratio agonist/antagonist in the right lower limb (r = 0.51, [0.06;0.78]). It was observed that loading measures fluctuated across the period of the study and that the load was meaningfully associated with changes in the fitness status of players. However, those magnitudes of correlations were small-to-large, suggesting that variations in fitness level cannot be exclusively explained by the accumulated load and loading profile

The role of clathrin in post-golgi trafficking in toxoplasma gondii

Apicomplexan parasites are single eukaryotic cells with a highly polarised secretory system that contains unique secretory organelles (micronemes and rhoptries) that are required for host cell invasion. In contrast, the role of the endosomal system is poorly understood in these parasites. With many typical endocytic factors missing, we speculated that endocytosis depends exclusively on a clathrin-mediated mechanism. Intriguingly, in Toxoplasma gondii we were only able to observe the endogenous clathrin heavy chain 1 (CHC1) at the Golgi, but not at the parasite surface. For the functional characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii CHC1 we generated parasite mutants conditionally expressing the dominant negative clathrin Hub fragment and demonstrate that CHC1 is essential for vesicle formation at the trans-Golgi network. Consequently, the functional ablation of CHC1 results in Golgi aberrations, a block in the biogenesis of the unique secretory microneme and rhoptry organelles, and of the pellicle. However, we found no morphological evidence for clathrin mediating endocytosis in these parasites and speculate that they remodelled their vesicular trafficking system to adapt to an intracellular lifestyle