Species Trends in Sport Fisheries, Monterey Bay, Calif., 1959-86

Three surveys spanning 28 years were examined for changes in species caught by recreational fishermen from small boats (skiffs) and commercial passenger fishing vessels (CPFV's) in California's Monterey Bay region. As fishing effort increased, the catch of certain nearshore species of rockfish, Sebastes spp., declined. CPFV fishing was conducted farther from port and in deeper water to compensate for declining abundance while most skiffs remained in traditional areas close to port. The trend toward deeper water CPFV fishing has been interrupted only temporarily by increased availability of nearshore species. Life history characteristics of rockfish including residential behavior, variable recruitment, and natural longevity contribute to a vulnerability to localized overfishing for several species

Declining Rockfish Lengths in the Monterey Bay, California, Recreational Fishery, 1959–94

California’s Monterey Bay area is an important center of recreational fishing for rockfish of various Sebastes species. The species composition of commercial passenger fishing vessel catches from 1959 to 1994 varied with changes in fishing location and depth. The shift from shallow nearshore locations to deeper offshore locations in the late 1970’s and 1980’s changed the emphasis from the blue rockfish, S. mystinus, of shallow waters to the deeper, commercially fished chilipepper, S. goodei, and bocaccio, S. paucispinis. The mean size of rockfish in the catch increased as the latter species were targeted at greater depths but then declined as stocks of older fish disappeared by the mid 1980’s. During 1960–94 the mean size of all ten leading species in the recreational catch declined. The declines ranged from 1% for canary rockfish, S. pinniger, to 27% for chilipepper. The sizes of the deeper living species declined more than those of shallower species. The low frequency of strong recruitment events and increase in fishing mortality and natural mortality appear to have contributed to the declining mean size. The scarcity of older fish, observed as a drop in mean size to below the size of maturity for 50% of females, leads to concern for future recruitment of the larger species, especially bocaccio, chilipepper, yellowtail rockfish, S. flavidus, and canary rockfish

Rapid Assessment of Reward-Related Eating: The RED-X5.

OBJECTIVE:The prevalence of obesity has created a plethora of questionnaires characterizing psychological aspects of eating behavior, such as reward-related eating (RRE). The Reward-based Eating Drive questionnaires (RED-9, RED-13) broadly and deeply assess the RRE construct. However, large-sample research designs require shorter questionnaires that capture RRE quickly and precisely. This study sought to develop a brief, reliable, and valid version of the RED questionnaire. METHODS:All-subset correlation was used to find a subset that maximally associated with the full RED-13 in two separate samples. Results were validated in a third independent sample. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and ability to explain variance in external outcomes were also assessed. RESULTS:A five-item questionnaire (RED-X5) correlated strongly with RED-13 in the independent sample (r = 0.95). RED-X5 demonstrated high internal consistency (omega total ≥ 0.80) and 6-month test-retest reliability (r = 0.72). RED-X5 accurately reproduced known associations between RED-13 and BMI, diabetes status, and craving for sweet and savory foods. As a novel finding, RED questionnaires predicted laboratory intake of chips. CONCLUSIONS:RED-X5 is a short, reliable, and valid measure of the RRE construct and can be readily implemented in large-sample research designs in which questionnaire space is limited

Identification and characterisation of endogenous Avian Leukosis Virus subgroup E (ALVE) insertions in chicken whole genome sequencing data

Background: Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are the remnants of retroviral infections which can elicit prolonged genomic and immunological stress on their host organism. In chickens, endogenous Avian Leukosis Virus subgroup E (ALVE) expression has been associated with reductions in muscle growth rate and egg production, as well as providing the potential for novel recombinant viruses. However, ALVEs can remain in commercial stock due to their incomplete identification and association with desirable traits, such as ALVE21 and slow feathering. The availability of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data facilitates high-throughput identification and characterisation of these retroviral remnants. Results: We have developed obsERVer, a new bioinformatic ERV identification pipeline which can identify ALVEs in WGS data without further sequencing. With this pipeline, 20 ALVEs were identified across eight elite layer lines from Hy-Line International, including four novel integrations and characterisation of a fast feathered phenotypic revertant that still contained ALVE21. These bioinformatically detected sites were subsequently validated using new high-throughput KASP assays, which showed that obsERVer was highly precise and exhibited a 0% false discovery rate. A further fifty-seven diverse chicken WGS datasets were analysed for their ALVE content, identifying a total of 322 integration sites, over 80% of which were novel. Like exogenous ALV, ALVEs show site preference for proximity to protein-coding genes, but also exhibit signs of selection against deleterious integrations within genes. Conclusions: obsERVer is a highly precise and broadly applicable pipeline for identifying retroviral integrations in WGS data. ALVE identification in commercial layers has aided development of high-throughput diagnostic assays which will aid ALVE management, with the aim to eventually eradicate ALVEs from high performance lines. Analysis of non-commercial chicken datasets with obsERVer has revealed broad ALVE diversity and facilitates the study of the biological effects of these ERVs in wild and domesticated populations

Resonance line-profile calculations based on hydrodynamical models of cataclysmic variable winds

We present synthetic line profiles as predicted by the models of 2-D line- driven disk winds due to Proga, Stone & Drew. We compare the model line profiles with HST observations of the cataclysmic variable IX Vel. The model wind consists of a slow outflow that is bounded on the polar side by a fast stream. We find that these two components of the wind produce distinct spectral features. The fast stream produces profiles which show features consistent with observations. These include the appearance of the P-Cygni shape for a range of inclinations, the location of the maximum depth of the absorption component at velocities less than the terminal velocity, and the transition from absorption to emission with increasing inclination. However the model profiles have too little absorption or emission equivalent width. This quantitative difference between our models and observations is not a surprise because the line-driven wind models predict a mass loss rate that is lower than the rate required by the observations. We note that the model profiles exhibit a double-humped structure near the line center which is not echoed in observations. We identify this structure with a non-negligible redshifted absorption which is formed in the slow component of the wind where the rotational velocity dominates over expansion velocity. We conclude that the next generation of disk wind models, developed for application to CVs, needs to yield stronger wind driving out to larger disk radii than do the present models.Comment: LaTeX, 19 pages, to appear in Ap

Endogenous Avian Leukosis Virus subgroup E elements of the chicken reference genome

The chicken reference genome contains two endogenous Avian Leukosis Virus subgroup E (ALVE) insertions, but gaps and unresolved repetitive sequences in previous assemblies has hindered their precise characterisation. Detailed analysis of the most recent reference genome (GRCg6a) now shows both ALVEs within contiguous chromosome assemblies for the first time. ALVE6 (ALVE-JFevA) and ALVE-JFevB are both located on chromosome 1, with ALVE6 close to the p arm telomere. ALVE-JFevB is a structurally intact element containing the ALVE gag, pol and env genes, and is capable of forming replication competent viruses. In contrast, ALVE6 (ALVE-JFevA) contains a 3352 bp 5’ truncation and lacks the entire 5’ LTR and gag gene. Despite this, ALVE6 remains able to produce intact envelope protein, likely due to a mutation in the recognition site for a known inhibitory miRNA (miR-155). Whole genome resequencing datasets from layers, broilers and three independent sources of wild-caught red junglefowl were surveyed for the presence of each of these reference genome ALVEs. ALVE-JFevB was found in no other chicken or red junglefowl genomes, whereas ALVE6 was identified in some layers, broilers and native breeds, but not within any other red junglefowl genome. Improved assembly contiguity has facilitated better characterisation of the two ALVEs of the chicken reference genome. However, both the limited ALVE content and unique presence of ALVE-JFevB suggests that the reference individual is unrepresentative of ancestral Gallus gallus ALVE diversity

Sexual selection and the evolution of condition-dependence: an experimental test at two resource levels

Stronger condition-dependence in sexually selected traits is well-documented, but how this relationship is established remains unknown. Moreover, resource availability can shape responses to sexual selection, but resource effects on the relationship between sexual selection and condition-dependence are also unknown. In this study, we directly test the hypotheses that sexual selection drives the evolution of stronger-condition-dependence and that resource availability affects the outcome, by evolving fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) under relatively strong or weak sexual selection (through varied sex ratios) and at resource-poor or resource-rich adult diets. We then experimentally manipulated condition via developmental diet and assessed condition-dependence in adult morphology, behavior, and reproduction. We observed stronger condition-dependence in female size in male-biased populations and in female ovariole production in resource-limited populations. However, we found no evidence that male condition-dependence increased in response to sexual selection, or that responses depended on resource levels. These results offer no support for the hypotheses that sexual selection increases male condition-dependence or that sexual selection's influence on condition-dependence is influenced by resource availability. Our study is, to our knowledge, the first experimental test of these hypotheses. If the results we report are general, then sexual selection's influence on the evolution of condition-dependence may be less important than predicted

An integrated statistical model of Emergency Department length of stay informed by Resilient Health Care principles

Background Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) face variable demand and capacity issues affecting timely discharge of patients. This is due in part to a lack of integration of routine monitoring data, affecting anticipation and response. Methods Patient flow was modelled (four hour target breaches; time to decision-to-admit; subsequent time to admit-to-hospital) in a busy ED. Patient and organisational data were collated, screened and conceptualised using Resilient Health Care (RHC) theory. Data were collected for all patients presenting during a 24-month period (May 2014–April 2016; n = 232,920) and analysed via multivariable logistic regression for four hour target breaches, and ordinary least squares regression for time. A measure of effect size was calculated for each independent variable. Overall model fit was assessed using percent concordant. Results Length of stay is related to demand, capacity and process indicators including: number of patients; night shift; first location being resuscitation or major injury area(s); urgent or very urgent triage patients; patients readmitting from up to 7 days previous; bed capacity; recent ambulance arrivals; and patients where the primary presenting complaint (PPC) is related to mental health or difficult to ascertain. Conclusions Understanding variation in performance through RHC theory can support staff and organisations in monitoring, anticipating and responding. A set of reliable core predictors has been identified to help design future ways to facilitate resilient performance through early indicators of pressure

Project MERCI (Medical Emergency Response Care Initiative)

This project proposed a program intended to foster a greater sense of community, shared responsibility, and mutual aid within Virginia Commonwealth University. The group members saw an opportunity to develop the expectation that students, faculty and staff will come to one another’s aid, and to provide the tools necessary to help ensure our mutual safety and health. The medical emergencies as an initial project were selected, focusing their research on the current status of CPR and first-aid training and the placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at VCU