ARN/ADN e índices de condición derivados de larvas de anchoíta y merluza como información relevante para la gestión integral de las pesquerías

The nutritional condition of anchovy and Argentine hake larvae in the Northern Patagonian Frontal System (NPFS) area was studied in the austral spring of 2018. We hypothesized that this area provides adequate features for larval growth and survival. The RNA/DNA index (RD) and its derived index of growth performance were employed. A critical RD value for starvation was calculated. The percentage of individuals under starvation and in optimal growth conditions was calculated. Because the period of study was the beginning of the hake spawning period, a limited number of larvae of this species were collected. The RD index showed a significant increase throughout larval ontogeny for anchovy larvae, being 1.84±1.39 (N=739) and 2.77±1.50 (N=220) in the pre-flexion and flexion stages respectively. These values were significantly higher at stations close to the NPFS and at the upper level of the water column. No differences were observed throughout the day. The area inside the NPFS showed a lower proportion of starved anchovy and a higher proportion of individuals in optimal growth, standing as a favourable nursing area. For hake larvae, the average RD was 1.64±0.55 (N=15). The great sensitivity of the RD index makes it a powerful tool for assessing the probability of larval survival and posterior recruitment into fisheries and allowing the identification of favourable rearing areas for these important species for fisheries.Se estudió el estado nutricional de larvas de anchoíta y merluza argentina en la zona del Sistema Frontal Norpatagónico (SFNP) (primavera austral 2018). Nuestra hipótesis fue que esta área proporciona características adecuadas para el crecimiento y la supervivencia de las larvas. Se empleó el índice de ARN/ADN (RD) y su índice derivado denominado performance de crecimiento. Se calculó un valor crítico de RD para la inanición. Se determinó el porcentaje de individuos en inanición y en condiciones óptimas de crecimiento. Debido a que el período de estudio fue al inicio del período de desove de la merluza, se recolectó un número limitado de larvas de esta especie. El índice RDs mostró un aumento significativo a lo largo de la ontogenia para las larvas de anchoíta; siendo 1,84±1,39 (N=739) y 2,77±1,50 (N=220) en preflexión y flexión respectivamente. Estos valores fueron significativamente más altos en las estaciones cercanas a SFNP y en el nivel superior de la columna de agua. No se observaron diferencias a lo largo del día. El área al interior del SFNP presentó una menor proporción de anchoíta en inanición y una mayor proporción de individuos en óptimo crecimiento, destacándose como un área favorable para la crianza. Para las larvas de merluza, el RD promedio fue de 1,64±0,55 (N=15). La gran sensibilidad del índice RDs lo convierte en una poderosa herramienta para evaluar la probabilidad de supervivencia de las larvas y posterior reclutamiento en las pesquerías; permitiendo la identificación de áreas de cría favorables para estas especies con relevancia pesquera

Maternal effects on fecundity and egg quality of the Patagonian stock of Argentine Hake (Merluccius hubbsi)

The influences of age, size, and condition of spawning females on fecundity and oocyte quality were analyzed for the Patagonian stock of Argentine Hake (Merluccius hubbsi). Samples of mature females were collected in the spawning area as part of 2 research surveys conducted in January 2010 and 2011, during the peak of the reproductive season. Batch fecundity (BF) ranged between 40,500 (29 cm total length [TL]) and 2,550,000 (95 cm TL) hydrated oocytes, and was positively correlated with TL, gutted weight, age, hepatosomatic index (HSI), and the relative condition factor (Kn). Relative fecundity ranged between 85 and 1040 hydrated oocytes g–1 and showed significant positive relationships with gutted weight, HSI, and Kn; however, coefficients of determination were low for all regressions. Dry weights of samples of 100 hydrated oocytes ranged between 1.8 and 3.95 mg and were positively correlated with all variables analyzed, including batch and relative fecundity. Multiple regression models created with data of the morphophysiological characteristics of females supported maternal influences on fecundity and egg weights. Within the studied size range (29–95 cm TL), larger individuals had better somatic and egg condition, mainly revealed by higher HSI and hydrated oocytes with larger oil droplets (275.71μm [standard error 1.49]). These results were associated with the higher feeding activity of larger females during the spawning season in comparison with the feeding activity of young individuals (<5 years old); the better nutritional state of larger females, assumed to result from more feeding, was conducive to greater production of high-quality eggs

Three-Component Copper-Phosphonate-Auxiliary Ligand Systems: Proton Conductors and Efficient Catalysts in Mild Oxidative Functionalization of Cycloalkanes

The synthesis, structural characterization, topological analysis, proton conductivity, and catalytic properties are reported of two Cu(II)-based compounds, namely a dinuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu2(μ-VPA)2(phen)2(H2O)2]· 8H2O (1) (H2VPA = vinylphosphonic acid, phen = 1,10- phenanthroline) and a 1D coordination polymer [Cu(μ- SO4)(phen)(H2O)2]∞ (2). Their structural features and Hbonding interactions were investigated in detail, showing that the metal−organic structures of 1 and 2 are extended by multiple hydrogen bonds to more complex 2D or 1D Hbonded architectures with the kgd [Shubnikov plane net (3.6.3.6)/dual] and SP 1-periodic net (4,4)(0,2) topology, respectively. These nets are primarily driven by the H-bonding interactions involving water ligands and H2O molecules of crystallization; besides, the (H2O)4/(H2O)5 clusters were identified in 1. Both 1 and 2 are moderate proton conductors, with proton conductivity values, σ = 3.65 × 10−6 and 3.94 × 10−6 S·cm−1, respectively (measured at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity). Compounds 1 and 2 are also efficient homogeneous catalysts for the mild oxidative functionalization of C5−C8 cycloalkanes (cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cycloheptane, and cyclooctane), namely for the oxidation by H2O2 to give cyclic alcohols and ketones and the hydrocarboxylation by CO/H2O and S2O82− to the corresponding cycloalkanecarboxylic acids as major products. The catalytic reactions proceed under mild conditions (50−60 °C) in aqueous acetonitrile medium, resulting in up to 34% product yields based on cycloalkane substrate.Proyecto MAT2016-77648-R del MINECO y proyecto FQM-1656 de la Junta de Andalucí

Reclutamiento de la merluza argentina, Merluccius hubbsi, del stock patagónico: una revisión de las principales características que afectan el potencial reproductivo y la supervivencia durante las primeras etapas de la vida

Understanding the causes that generate variability of recruitment in marine populations constitutes one of the greatest challenges in fishery science. Our predictive capacity to explain these variations is relatively low, due to the interaction of exogenous and endogenous factors, which vary across time and space within populations. In order to gain information on recruitment fluctuations of the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) from Patagonian stock, we reviewed the results obtained analyzing the reproductive ecology, trophic and energetic dynamics during different stages of development of this species, and its relationship with environmental variables. We observed that the reproductive potential is strongly influenced by characteristics of the parental stock, particularly females, in terms of their size, age and condition. This feature, called ‘maternal effect’, suggests that the spawning stock biomass, commonly used as an index of productivity in fishery assessment, is a poor predictor of recruitment. We also observed that survival during hake early life is affected by the spatial coincidence with the North Patagonian Frontal System, characterized by a high concentration of nutrients, high productivity, and food availability. Physical conditions and larval density in the nursery area affected the nutritional state and mortality of hake, mainly by competition for food or predation. It was observed that the transition of juveniles from pelagic to demersal habitat occurs over a longer period than previously recognized for this species, stressing the importance of using acoustic information to complement data from bottom trawls. This is one of the main topics to be further developed in order to estimate new recruitment indices for Argentine hake, along with other research items proposed to improve stock assessment.Comprender las causas que generan la variabilidad del reclutamiento en las poblaciones marinas constituye uno de los mayores desafíos de la ciencia pesquera. Nuestra capacidad predictiva para explicar estas variaciones es relativamente baja, debido a la interacción de factores exógenos y endógenos, que varían en el tiempo y el espacio dentro de las poblaciones. Con el fin de obtener información sobre las fluctuaciones en el reclutamiento de la merluza argentina (Merluccius hubbsi) del stock patagónico, revisamos los resultados obtenidos analizando la ecología reproductiva, la dinámica trófica y energética durante las diferentes etapas de desarrollo de esta especie y su relación con variables ambientales. Observamos que el potencial reproductivo está fuertemente influenciado por las características parentales, particularmente de las hembras, en cuanto a su tamaño, edad y condición. Esta característica, denominada “efecto materno”, sugiere que la biomasa de la población reproductora, comúnmente utilizada como índice de productividad en la evaluación de pesquerías, es un predictor deficiente del reclutamiento. También observamos que la supervivencia durante los primeros años de vida de la merluza se ve afectada por la coincidencia espacial con el Sistema Frontal Norpatagónico, caracterizado por una alta concentración de nutrientes, alta productividad y disponibilidad de alimento. Las condiciones físicas y la densidad larvaria en la zona de crianza afectaron el estado nutricional y la mortalidad de la merluza, principalmente por competencia por alimento o depredación. Se observó que la transición del hábitat pelágico al demersal en los juveniles se produce durante un período más extenso que el reconocido anteriormente para esta especie, lo que destaca la importancia de utilizar los registros acústicos para complementar la información de las redes de arrastre de fondo. Este es uno de los principales temas a desarrollar para estimar nuevos índices de reclutamiento de merluza argentina, junto con otras líneas de investigación propuestas para mejorar la evaluación del stock

Angioedema severity and impact on quality of life: Chronic histaminergic angioedema versus chronic spontaneous urticaria

Histamine-mediated angioedema is the most frequent form of angioedema. It is classified as idiopathic histaminergic acquired angioedema (IH-AAE)1 when allergies and other causes have been excluded and a positive treatment response to antihistamines, corticosteroids, or omalizumab has been reported. Idiopathic histaminergic acquired angioedema may occur in isolation, when it is termed chronic histaminergic angioedema (CHA), or it may be associated with wheals in chronic spontaneous urticaria angioedema (CSU-AE). The term CHA is equivalent to IH-AAE and mast cell-mediated angioedema. However, this term reflects the chronic and recurrent course of the disease. Therefore, we propose that the term CHA be internationally discussed in the following guidelines. Chronic spontaneous urticaria is classically characterized by the presence of recurrent episodes of wheals (hives) with or without angioedema for at least 6 weeks.2 Chronic histaminergic angioedema is typically considered a subtype of CSU without wheals. However, a recent study3 found several features that differentiate CHA from CSU, which suggests that CHA is a separate entity. Quality of life (QoL) studies specifically for CHA patients have not been performed, and their QoL has been assessed only in the context of CSU-AE

The Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohortstudy: Rationale, design, and methods

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2021 The Authors. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Background: Primary prevention strategies for asthma are lacking. Its inception probably starts in utero and/or during the early postnatal period as the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) paradigm suggests. Objectives: The main objective of Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) cohort study is to unravel whether the following factors contribute causally to the developmental origins of asthma: (1) maternal obesity/adiposity and foetal growth; (2) maternal and child nutrition; (3) outdoor air pollution; (4) endocrine disruptors; and (5) maternal psychological stress. Maternal and offspring biological samples are used to assess changes in offspring microbiome, immune system, epigenome and volatilome as potential mechanisms influencing disease susceptibility. Population: Randomly selected pregnant women from three health areas of Murcia, a south-eastern Mediterranean region of Spain, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were invited to participate at the time of the follow-up visit for routine foetal anatomy scan at 19–22 weeks of gestation, at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of the “Virgen de la Arrixaca” University Clinical Hospital over a 36-month period, from March 2015 to April 2018. Design: Prospective, population-based, maternal-child, birth cohort study. Methods: Questionnaires on exposures and outcome variables were administered to mothers at 20–24 gestation week; 32–36 gestation week; and delivery. Children wer

GOALS-JWST: Resolving the Circumnuclear Gas Dynamics in NGC 7469 in the Mid-infrared

The nearby, luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469 hosts a Seyfert nucleus with a circumnuclear star-forming ring and is thus the ideal local laboratory for investigating the starburst-AGN (active galactic nucleus) connection in detail. We present integral-field observations of the central 1.3 kpc region in NGC 7469 obtained with the JWST Mid-InfraRed Instrument. Molecular and ionized gas distributions and kinematics at a resolution of ∼100 pc over the 4.9-7.6 μm region are examined to study the gas dynamics influenced by the central AGN. The low-ionization [Fe ii] λ5.34 μm and [Ar ii] λ6.99 μm lines are bright on the nucleus and in the starburst ring, as opposed to H2 S(5) λ6.91 μm, which is strongly peaked at the center and surrounding ISM. The high-ionization [Mg v] line is resolved and shows a broad, blueshifted component associated with the outflow. It has a nearly face-on geometry that is strongly peaked on the nucleus, where it reaches a maximum velocity of −650 km s−1, and extends about 400 pc to the east. Regions of enhanced velocity dispersion in H2 and [Fe ii] ∼ 180 pc from the AGN that also show high L(H2)/L(PAH) and L([Fe ii])/L(Pfα) ratios to the W and N of the nucleus pinpoint regions where the ionized outflow is depositing energy, via shocks, into the dense interstellar medium between the nucleus and the starburst ring. These resolved mid-infrared observations of the nuclear gas dynamics demonstrate the power of JWST and its high-sensitivity integral-field spectroscopic capability to resolve feedback processes around supermassive black holes in the dusty cores of nearby luminous infrared galaxies

Recruitment and Activation of Pancreatic Stellate Cells from the Bone Marrow in Pancreatic Cancer: A Model of Tumor-Host Interaction

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer are characterised by extensive stellate cell mediated fibrosis, and current therapeutic development includes targeting pancreatic cancer stroma and tumor-host interactions. Recent evidence has suggested that circulating bone marrow derived stem cells (BMDC) contribute to solid organs. We aimed to define the role of circulating haematopoietic cells in the normal and diseased pancreas. METHODS: Whole bone marrow was harvested from male β-actin-EGFP donor mice and transplanted into irradiated female recipient C57/BL6 mice. Chronic pancreatitis was induced with repeat injections of caerulein, while carcinogenesis was induced with an intrapancreatic injection of dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). Phenotype of engrafted donor-derived cells within the pancreas was assessed by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and in situ hybridisation. RESULTS: GFP positive cells were visible in the exocrine pancreatic epithelia from 3 months post transplantation. These exhibited acinar morphology and were positive for amylase and peanut agglutinin. Mice administered caerulein developed chronic pancreatitis while DMBA mice exhibited precursor lesions and pancreatic cancer. No acinar cells were identified to be donor-derived upon cessation of cerulein treatment, however rare occurrences of bone marrow-derived acinar cells were observed during pancreatic regeneration. Increased recruitment of BMDC was observed within the desmoplastic stroma, contributing to the activated pancreatic stellate cell (PaSC) population in both diseases. Expression of stellate cell markers CELSR3, PBX1 and GFAP was observed in BMD cancer-associated PaSCs, however cancer-associated, but not pancreatitis-associated BMD PaSCs, expressed the cancer PaSC specific marker CELSR3. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that BMDC can incorporate into the pancreas and adopt the differentiated state of the exocrine compartment. BMDC that contribute to the activated PaSC population in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer have different phenotypes, and may play important roles in these diseases. Further, bone marrow transplantation may provide a useful model for the study of tumor-host interactions in cancer and pancreatitis