Temporal variation in growth of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) larvae in the Panama Bight, 1990

Tuna larvae (at flexion, postflexion, and transformation stages) were collected by dip net and light traps at night in the northwestern Panama Bight during the season of reduced upwelling (June−September) of 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997. The larvae were identified as yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) by mtDNA analysis. Ichthyoplankton data from bongo and Tucker trawl tows were used to examine the potential prey abundance in relation to the mean size-at-age and growth rates of the yellowfin tuna larvae and their otoliths. The most rapid growth rates occurred during June 1990 when plankton volumes were at their highest levels. The lowest plankton volumes coincided with the lowest growth rates and mean sizes-at-age during the August−September 1991 period. High densities of larval fish were prevalent in the ichthyoplankton tows during the 1991 period; therefore intra- and interspecific competition for limited food resources may have been the cause of slower growth (density-dependent growth) in yellowfin tuna larvae The highest mean seasurface temperature and the lowest mean wind stress occurred during an El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event during the 1997 period. There appeared to be no clear association between these environmental factors and larval growth rates, but the higher temperatures may have caused an increase in the short-term growth of otoliths in rela

Furthering post-human political ecologies

This critical review aims to facilitate explicit, ongoing consideration for how post-human geographies and polit- ical ecology stand to bene t one another empirically and theoretically. In it, we argue that post-human political ecologies are well-equipped to ensure that the broader post-human turn in geographical thought engages criti- cally with the roles that humans and non-humans play in enactments of injustice – both as subjects of (in)justice and as beings whose actions have justice implications for myriad forms of life. By engaging with empirics drawn from research on tiger conservation in India, we deploy myth as a conceptual tool and as an heuristic device to illustrate how post-human political ecologies might further engage with the politics and power asymmetries em- bedded in conservation science and practice. To conclude, this critical review summarizes the merits of bringing the ‘cutting edge’ of post-human geographical literature into dialogue with the traditional concerns of political ecology and recaps the potential power that myth retains as an analytic in post-human political ecologies

A review of IATTC research on the early life history and reproductive biology of scombrids conducted at the Achotines Laboratory from 1985 to 2005

English: For nearly a century, fisheries scientists have studied marine fish stocks in an effort to understand how the abundances of fish populations are determined. During the early lives of marine fishes, survival is variable, and the numbers of individuals surviving to transitional stages or recruitment are difficult to predict. The egg, larval, and juvenile stages of marine fishes are characterized by high rates of mortality and growth. Most marine fishes, particularly pelagic species, are highly fecund, produce small eggs and larvae, and feed and grow in complex aquatic ecosystems. The identification of environmental or biological factors that are most important in controlling survival during the early life stages of marine fishes is a potentially powerful tool in stock assessment. Because vital rates (mortality and growth) during the early life stages of marine fishes are high and variable, small changes in those rates can have profound effects on the properties of survivors and recruitment potential (Houde 1989). Understanding and predicting the factors that most strongly influence pre-recruit survival are key goals of fisheries research programs. Spanish: Desde hace casi un siglo, los científicos pesqueros han estudiado las poblaciones de peces marinos en un intento por entender cómo se determina la abundancia de las mismas. Durante la vida temprana de los peces marinos, la supervivencia es variable, y el número de individuos que sobrevive hasta las etapas transicionales o el reclutamiento es difícil de predecir. Las etapas de huevo, larval, y juvenil de los peces marinos son caracterizadas por tasas altas de mortalidad y crecimiento. La mayoría de los peces marinos, particularmente las especies pelágicas, son muy fecundos, producen huevos y larvas pequeños, y se alimentan y crecen en ecosistemas acuáticos complejos. La identificación los factores ambientales o biológicos más importantes en el control de la supervivencia durante las etapas tempranas de vida de los peces marinos es una herramienta potencialmente potente en la evaluación de las poblaciones. Ya que las tasas vitales (mortalidad y crecimiento) durante las etapas tempranas de vida de los peces marinos son altas y variables, cambios pequeños en esas tasas pueden ejercer efectos importantes sobre las propiedades de los supervivientes y el potencial de reclutamiento (Houde 1989). Comprender y predecir los factores que más afectan la supervivencia antes del reclutamiento son objetivos clave de los programas de investigación pesquera

Spawning and early development of captive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

In this study we describe the courtship and spawning behaviors of captive yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), their spawning periodicity, the influence of physical and biological factors on spawning and hatching, and egg and early-larval development of this species at the Achotines Laboratory, Republic of Panama, during October 1996 through March 2000. Spawning occurred almost daily over extended periods and at water temperatures from 23.3° to 29.7°C. Water temperature appeared to be the main exogenous factor controlling the occurrence and timing of spawning. Courtship and spawning behaviors were ritualized and consistent among three groups of broodstock over 3.5 years. For any date, the time of day of spawning (range: 1330 to 2130 h) was predictable from mean daily water temperature, and 95% of hatching occurred the next day between 1500 and 1900 h. We estimated that females at first spawning averaged 1.6−2.0 years of age. Over short time periods (<1 month), spawning females increased their egg production from 30% to 234% in response to shortterm increases in daily food ration of 9% to 33%. Egg diameter, notochord length (NL) at hatching, NL at first feeding, and dry weights of these stages were estimated. Water temperature was significantly, inversely related to egg size, egg-stage duration, larval size at hatching, and yolksac larval duration

Intracellular Na\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e Concentration ([Na\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e]i) Is Elevated in Diabetic Hearts Due to Enhanced Na\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e–Glucose Cotransport

BACKGROUND: Intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) regulates Ca2+ cycling, contractility, metabolism, and electrical stability of the heart. [Na+]i is elevated in heart failure, leading to arrhythmias and oxidative stress. We hypothesized that myocyte [Na+]i is also increased in type 2 diabetes (T2D) due to enhanced activity of the Na+-glucose cotransporter. METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this hypothesis, we used myocardial tissue from humans with T2D and a rat model of late-onset T2D (HIP rat). Western blot analysis showed increased Na+-glucose cotransporter expression in failing hearts from T2D patients compared with nondiabetic persons (by 73±13%) and in HIP rat hearts versus wild-type (WT) littermates (by 61±8%). [Na+]i was elevated in HIP rat myocytes both at rest (14.7±0.9 versus 11.4±0.7 mmol/L in WT) and during electrical stimulation (17.3±0.8 versus 15.0±0.7 mmol/L); however, the Na+/K+-pump function was similar in HIP and WT cells, suggesting that higher [Na+]i is due to enhanced Na+ entry in diabetic hearts. Indeed, Na+ influx was significantly larger in myocytes from HIP versus WT rats (1.77±0.11 versus 1.29±0.06 mmol/L per minute). Na+-glucose cotransporter inhibition with phlorizin or glucose-free solution greatly reduced Na+ influx in HIP myocytes (to 1.20±0.16 mmol/L per minute), whereas it had no effect in WT cells. Phlorizin also significantly decreased glucose uptake in HIP myocytes (by 33±9%) but not in WT, indicating an increased reliance on the Na+-glucose cotransporter for glucose uptake in T2D hearts. CONCLUSIONS: Myocyte Na+-glucose cotransport is enhanced in T2D, which increases Na+ influx and causes Na+ overload. Higher [Na+]i may contribute to arrhythmogenesis and oxidative stress in diabetic hearts

A description of the thermal power system analyser structure and commands

This report describes a system comprised of a set of interactive commands and a data base which aids in the modeling of thermal power systems with the aid of a computer. This system, named TPSA (Thermal Power System Analyser), is implemented as a subsystem within the Multics interactive system, which runs on a Honeywell 6180 computer. TPSA deals with models and data bases. A TPSA model is a program capable of computing various output parameters of a thermal power system when given the values of necessary input variables. A TPSA data base is a collection of named variables which a model can access to obtain the value of a parameter or record a result. The interactive commands facilitate setting desired values of the input variables, executing the program, and displaying the selected output variables at the end of the program run. Some special commands, generally found useful in modeling work are also included. Procedure to modify the data base or to create a new data base is described. Some typical examples are included that provide a record of the interactive session with TPSA, illustrating model execution and use of the "probe" command for debugging the program

First anatomical network analysis of fore- and hindlimb musculoskeletal modularity in bonobos, common chimpanzees, and humans

Studies of morphological integration and modularity, and of anatomical complexity in human evolution typically focus on skeletal tissues. Here we provide the first network analysis of the musculoskeletal anatomy of both the fore- and hindlimbs of the two species of chimpanzee and humans. Contra long-accepted ideas, network analysis reveals that the hindlimb displays a pattern opposite to that of the forelimb: Pan big toe is typically seen as more independently mobile, but humans are actually the ones that have a separate module exclusively related to its movements. Different fore- vs hindlimb patterns are also seen for anatomical network complexity (i.e., complexity in the arrangement of bones and muscles). For instance, the human hindlimb is as complex as that of chimpanzees but the human forelimb is less complex than in Pan. Importantly, in contrast to the analysis of morphological integration using morphometric approaches, network analyses do not support the prediction that forelimb and hindlimb are more dissimilar in species with functionally divergent limbs such as bipedal humans