Size and age at onset of sexual maturity of female Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus L. (Crustacea: Nephropidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)

The reproductive cycle of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) female was investigated to determine the size and age at onset of sexual maturity (SOM), as a baseline to establish the minimum catchable size. Samples were gathered in four seasonal (Spring 1986 - Winter 1987) trawl surveys on the Italian side of the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). The relative frequency of females in different stages of maturation and in berried conditions was observed. According to the ovary stages, gonadal maturation is attained during Spring and Summer; berried animals occur almost exclusively in Summer and Autumn, in about 40% of the sample. Length structure changes slightly by location and by season; recruitment to the gear occurs more or less continuously. Gaussian components appear to be highly overlapped; the resolution of the length frequency distribution values leads to the identification of multiple cohorts, five of which were well represented. The population attains 50% of maturity at 30-32 mm CL, corresponding to an age of 5 years. The mean size of the first Gaussian component from the catch (about 22 mm CL) is well below the estimated size at 50% maturity, suggesting a precocious recruitment to the fishery.No disponibl

Reproductive features of the deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris (Crustacea: Penaeidae), in the Strait of Sicily

The deep‑water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846), is one of the most valuable and heavily exploited demersal species of the Mediterranean bottom trawl fisheries. The basic life traits of this shrimp, in particular its reproductive aspects, are regularly monitored during experimental trawl surveys carried out in the Mediterranean Sea. Gonadic condition and maturity status for estimating the size at onset of sexual maturity are commonly assessed in females, using macroscopic color scales, histologically validated only in a few geographical areas. In this study, histological analyses were performed on rose shrimps collected from a trawl survey carried out in the Strait of Sicily, in order to support the empirical 4‑stage macroscopic scale locally employed. Ovaries from females of different sizes, ranging between 16 mm and 40 mm carapace length, were collected and used for microscopic examination of their structure, for oocytes counts and for oocyte diameter frequency distributions; oocytes diameter was measured by imaging analysis. The collected data were also used to estimate other basic vital parameters of the rose shrimp population. The histological observations show a broad correspondence between ovarian development and macroscopic features; therefore, the classifications derived by the empirical scale remain suitable for estimating the maturity parameters

Evidence of lipofuscin accumulation in the deep-water red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827)

Lipofuscin, a non-degradable, degenerative fluorescent pigment which accumulates in post-mitotic cells, represents a promising method for ageing marine crustaceans. The presence and accumulation of lipofuscin has been studied in the deep-water red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827) to assess its use as a tool for ageing larger (i.e., older) specimens and thus improve knowledge of the growth and longevity of this species. Specimens, gathered during experimental trawl surveys carried out in the Strait of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea), were stored directly on-board in 10% buffered formaldehyde solution; their brain was thereafter removed, prepared with various current histological techniques and examined with a binocular microscope. Thin sections of the olfactory lobe cell mass were also analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, and the lipofuscin concentration was measured through image analysis. Various indices were computed for each individual by pooling data from many images: number and coverage of the lipofuscin granules per unit area, and mean individual area of the granules. Lipofuscin was detected in all specimens investigated with characteristics (grain typology and dimension) strictly resembling those already described in other crustacean species. The present preliminary results encourage further studies to develop and validate a methodology based on the use of lipofuscin for improving the relative ageing of large A. foliacea shrimps

Kolebanja nekih indeksa rasta gospodarskih iskorištavanog sredozemnog oslića

In this paper, some life‑history estimates concerning the females of the Mediterranean hake Merluccius merluccius (L., 1758), i.e. the parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function (L∞, K, and t0), the maximum-ever lengths (Lmax-e), and the lengths at full maturity (Lmst) were gathered from the pertinent literature and used to derive 5 growth performance indexes (K, φ’, RL=Lmst/ L∞, t50% and ω). The original datasets (n= 70) and the corresponding growth performance indexes were organized and analyzed by various geographical units (GFCM’s geographical sub‑area, GSA; GFCM’s statistical division, GD; and biological province, BP). The parameter distribution resulted to be normal only for the growth performance indexes K and RL; a significant relationship correlation was detected between K and t50%, between φ’ and ω, and between K and ω. The examination of the available historical data showed a scattered and unbalanced geographical distribution by GSA (e.g. 13 of 20 GSAs had less than 5 datasets each), a variability which was higher intra‑GSA than inter‑GSAs (as evidenced by the box‑plots) and no clear geographical trend. GD and BP presented similar patterns, with significant geographical effects only in the RL. Present results suggest that, even if geographical effects are expected, they are obscured by the uncertainty of the original parameters, especially those related to the von Bertalanffy growth function (vBGF). Consequently, growth performance indexes should be used (and interpreted) with caution.U ovom radu, iznesene su neke procjene rasta koji se odnosi na ženke sredozemnog oslića (Merluccius merluccius L., 1758) tj. parametara rasta von Bertalanffy-eve jednadžbe rasta (L∞, K, i t0), maksimalna dužina ikad postignuta (Lmx-e), te dužina u punoj zrelosti (Lmst), a koji su prikupljeni iz literature i korišteni za dobivanje 5 različitih indeksa rasta (K, φ’, RL=Lmst/L∞, t50% i ω). Originalni setovi (n = 70) i odgovarajući indeksi rasta su organizirani / sistematizirani i analizirani prema različitim geografskim jedinicama (GFCM-a zemljopisno podpodručje, GSA, GFCM-a statistička podjela, GD, te biološka pokrajina, BP). Parametar raspodjele rezultirao je normalno samo za izvedbe rasta indeksa K i RL; značajna korelacija povezanosti je utvrđena između K i t50%,, između φ ‘i ω, te između K i ω. Pregled dostupnih povijesnih podataka pokazao je raspršenu i neujednačenu geografsku raspodjelu po GSA (npr. 13 preko 20 GSAs imali su manje od 5 skupova podataka svaki), više varijabilnosti unutar GSA od međudjelovanja GSAs (o čemu svjedoči okvir box-plotova) i nejasan geografski trend. GD i BP prikazuju slične obrasce, sa značajnim geografskim učincima samo u RL. Trenutni rezultati pokazuju da, čak i ako su geografski učinci očekivani, oni su prikriveni nesigurnošću izvornih parametara, posebno onih koje se odnose na rast prikazan von Bertalanffy-evom funkcijom (vBGF), pa stoga performanse rasta indeksa treba koristiti (i interpretirati) s oprezom

Increased plasma levels of mitochondrial DNA and pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis

The role of damage-associated molecular patterns in multiple sclerosis (MS) is under investigation. Here, we studied the contribution of circulating high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to neuroinflammation in progressive MS. We measured plasmatic mtDNA, HMGB1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines in 38 secondary progressive (SP) patients, 35 primary progressive (PP) patients and 42 controls. Free mtDNA was higher in SP than PP. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were increased in progressive patients. In PP, tumor necrosis factor-α correlated with MS Severity Score. Thus, in progressive patients, plasmatic mtDNA and pro-inflammatory cytokines likely contribute to the systemic inflammatory status

Innovative Vibrating Hydraulic Dredge for Striped Venus (Chamelea gallina) Fishing

Special issue Evaluation of New Technological Solutions in Agriculture.-- 16 pages, 5 figures, 6 tables, supplementary materials https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/agriengineering4010001/s1.-- Data Availability Statement: Not applicableThis work proposes the experimentation of an innovative hydraulic dredge for clam fishing (Chamelea gallina) in the Adriatic Sea (Italy). This innovative gear aimed at increasing the selectivity of the typical hydraulic dredge used currently, while at the same reducing the impact on benthos through the conception, installation, and experimentation of innovative technological solutions, consisting mainly of a vibrating bottom panel on the dredge and a “warning device” on the dredge mouth. Comparative experiments of the traditional vs. the modified gear, employing two boats fishing in parallel on the northern coast of Abruzzi (Adriatic Sea) and contrasting the catch with both paired comparisons and through modelling, showed that the innovative hydraulic dredge retains fewer undersize clams while yielding similar amounts of commercial product, moreover of higher quality; at the same time, it takes on board less discard, and catches significantly less vagile fauna. In short, the innovative gear is gaining five times over a list of six parameters considered as positive and/or advantageous for the clam fishery. The results allow proposals of potential improvements to clam-fishing instruments to make the selection processes more effective while promoting a lower impacting fishery, which is essential for clam managementThis work has been funded by the Italian Ministry for Policies regarding Food, Agriculture and Forestry (MiPAAF), within the framework of the measure 1.39 of the program FEAMP 2014 2020With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)Peer reviewe

Anti-chemokine antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection correlate with favorable disease course.

Infection by SARS-CoV-2 leads to diverse symptoms, which can persist for months. While antiviral antibodies are protective, those targeting interferons and other immune factors are associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Instead, we discovered that antibodies against specific chemokines are omnipresent after COVID-19, associated with favorable disease, and predictive of lack of long COVID symptoms at one year post infection. Anti-chemokine antibodies are present also in HIV-1 and autoimmune disorders, but they target different chemokines than those in COVID-19. Finally, monoclonal antibodies derived from COVID- 19 convalescents that bind to the chemokine N-loop impair cell migration. Given the role of chemokines in orchestrating immune cell trafficking, naturally arising anti-chemokine antibodies associated with favorable COVID-19 may be beneficial by modulating the inflammatory response and thus bear therapeutic potential. One-Sentence Summary Naturally arising anti-chemokine antibodies associate with favorable COVID-19 and are predictive of lack of long COVID

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Search for New Physics with Jets and Missing Transverse Momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for new physics is presented based on an event signature of at least three jets accompanied by large missing transverse momentum, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns collected in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. No excess of events is observed above the expected standard model backgrounds, which are all estimated from the data. Exclusion limits are presented for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Cross section limits are also presented using simplified models with new particles decaying to an undetected particle and one or two jets

Search for anomalous t t-bar production in the highly-boosted all-hadronic final state

A search is presented for a massive particle, generically referred to as a Z', decaying into a t t-bar pair. The search focuses on Z' resonances that are sufficiently massive to produce highly Lorentz-boosted top quarks, which yield collimated decay products that are partially or fully merged into single jets. The analysis uses new methods to analyze jet substructure, providing suppression of the non-top multijet backgrounds. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns. Upper limits in the range of 1 pb are set on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction for a topcolor Z' modeled for several widths, as well as for a Randall--Sundrum Kaluza--Klein gluon. In addition, the results constrain any enhancement in t t-bar production beyond expectations of the standard model for t t-bar invariant masses larger than 1 TeV.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physics; this version includes a minor typo correction that will be submitted as an erratu