Perspectives from the water: Utilizing fisher’s observations to inform SNE/ MA windowpane science and managemen

Within fisheries, stakeholders often have varying viewpoints regarding natural marine resources, and use different sets information to evaluate their condition. Evaluating a resource with different sets of information can lead to different conclusions. Windowpane flounder (Scophthalmus aquosus) are a managed finfish species in the northwest Atlantic whose regulations have the potential to limit harvest opportunities for target species. We analyzed commercial trip and catch information from video data to understand local densities of windowpane flounder in conjunction with fisheries independent surveys. Video monitoring data from three Rhode Island commercial fisher’s vessels and fisheries independent trawl survey data were analyzed to understand the geographic distribution of the stock as well as overlap with temporary closed areas. Biomass data from the fisheries-dependent and fisheries-independent surveys were combined with a spatial-temporal model that accounted for differences in catchability among vessels and spatial autocorrelation. A separate analysis of esti-mated discard rates with observer data was also conducted to determine how the distribution of windowpane discards in Southern New England compared to the distribution of model predicted windowpane abundance. In agreement with the fishermen’s observations, the temporary closed areas were not located where the highest densities of windowpane flounder occurred. The temporary closed areas, however, were located where the highest rates of discards occurred and thus where fishing had the greatest impact on the stock. The integration of verified fishery-dependent data with the scientific surveys has the potential to create a single set of information that is trusted by all user groups

Exploring social-ecological trade-offs in fisheries using a coupled food web and human behavior model

Marine fisheries represent a social-ecological system driven by both complex ecological processes and human interactions. Ecosystem-based fisheries management requires an understanding of both the biological and social components, and management failure can occur when either are excluded. Despite the significance of both, most research has focused on characterizing biological uncertainty rather than on better understanding the impacts of human behavior because of the difficulty of incorporating human behavior into simulation models. In this study, we use the fisheries in Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island, USA) as a case study to demonstrate how coupled modeling can be used to represent interactions between the food web and fishers in a social-ecological system. Narragansett Bay holds both a commercial fishery for forage fish, i.e., Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and a recreational fishery for their predators, i.e. striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). To explore trade-offs between these two fisheries, we created a food web model and then coupled it to a recreational fishers’ behavior model, creating a dynamic social-ecological representation of the ecosystem. Fish biomass was projected until 2030 in both the stand-alone food web model and the coupled social-ecological model, with results highlighting how the incorporation of fisher behavior in modeling can lead to changes in the ecosystem. We examined how model outputs varied in response to three attributes: (1) the forage fish commercial harvest scenario, (2) the predatory (piscivorous) fish abundance-catch relationship in the recreational fishery, and (3) the rate at which recreational fishers become discouraged (termed “satisfaction loss”). Higher commercial harvest of forage fish led to lower piscivorous fish biomass but had minimal effects on the number of piscivorous fish caught recreationally or recreational fisher satisfaction. Both the abundance-catch relationship and satisfaction loss rate had notable effects on the fish biomass, the number of fish caught recreationally, and recreational fisher satisfaction. Currently, the lack of spatial and location-specific fisher behavior data limits the predictive use of our model. However, our modeling framework shows that fisher behavior can be successfully incorporated into a coupled social-ecological model through the use of agent-based modeling, and our results highlight that its inclusion can influence ecosystem dynamics. Because fisher decision making and the ecosystem can influence one another, social responses to changing ecosystems should be explicitly integrated into ecosystem modeling to improve ecosystem-based fisheries management efforts

IAFSS agenda 2030 for a fire safe world

The International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) is comprised of members from some 40 countries. This paper presents the Association's thinking, developed by the Management Committee, concerning pressing research needs for the coming 10 years presented as the IAFSS Agenda 2030 for a Fire Safe World. The research needs are couched in terms of two broad Societal Grand Challenges: (1) climate change, resiliency and sustainability and (2) population growth, urbanization and globalization. The two Societal Grand Challenges include significant fire safety components, that lead both individually and collectively to the need for a number of fire safety and engineering research activities and actions. The IAFSS has identified a list of areas of research and actions in response to these challenges. The list is not exhaustive, and actions within actions could be defined, but this paper does not attempt to cover all future needs

Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use in early acute respiratory distress syndrome : Insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Concerns exist regarding the prevalence and impact of unnecessary oxygen use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined this issue in patients with ARDS enrolled in the Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE (LUNG SAFE) study. Methods: In this secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE study, we wished to determine the prevalence and the outcomes associated with hyperoxemia on day 1, sustained hyperoxemia, and excessive oxygen use in patients with early ARDS. Patients who fulfilled criteria of ARDS on day 1 and day 2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were categorized based on the presence of hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day 1, sustained (i.e., present on day 1 and day 2) hyperoxemia, or excessive oxygen use (FIO2 ≥ 0.60 during hyperoxemia). Results: Of 2005 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 131 (6.5%) were hypoxemic (PaO2 < 55 mmHg), 607 (30%) had hyperoxemia on day 1, and 250 (12%) had sustained hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use occurred in 400 (66%) out of 607 patients with hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use decreased from day 1 to day 2 of ARDS, with most hyperoxemic patients on day 2 receiving relatively low FIO2. Multivariate analyses found no independent relationship between day 1 hyperoxemia, sustained hyperoxemia, or excess FIO2 use and adverse clinical outcomes. Mortality was 42% in patients with excess FIO2 use, compared to 39% in a propensity-matched sample of normoxemic (PaO2 55-100 mmHg) patients (P = 0.47). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use are both prevalent in early ARDS but are most often non-sustained. No relationship was found between hyperoxemia or excessive oxygen use and patient outcome in this cohort. Trial registration: LUNG-SAFE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073publishersversionPeer reviewe

A quest for function : identification of proteins that interact with the Drosophila melanogaster histone variant H2A.v.D

Chromatin is a structure within the cell composed of DNA , histone and non-histone proteins. It packages the cells genome and thus regulates gene expression throughout development. Histones are an important component of chromatin, forming the nucleosome structure on which the DNA wraps in order to be condensed and packaged. Histone variants are variations of these histones that are encoded by single copy genes located elsewhere in the genome. Most of these variants are essential to the organism and cannot be compensated for by their core counter parts and therefore must have a defined role in the cell. One of the most studied classes of these variants is the H2A.Z class, a variant class of the major H2A core histone. Homo logs have been found in a variety of organisms from yeast to mammals all exhibiting very high sequence conservation. Here we attempted to determine function of one of these homologs of H2A.Z, Drosophila H2A.vD. We attempted to gain an understanding of protein function by identifying proteins with which H2A.vD interacts. We employed a Protein Interaction Trap direct test method followed by GST pulldowns in order to confirm physical direct interactions. We identified the Drosophila gene CG5515 as a direct interactor o f H2A.vD in vitro. We used genetic analysis in an attempt to understand the in vivo significance of the interaction. We believe that the hypothetical protein product of CG5515 may work in a phosphorylation pathway for H2A.vD. This modification may either aid H2A.vD in generating alternate chromatin structure or possibly in its response to DNA damage.Science, Faculty ofZoology, Department ofGraduat

Using Harvest Slot Limits to Promote Stock Recovery and Broaden Age Structure in Marine Recreational Fisheries: a case study

Fish populations with broad age distributions are expected to have higher reproductive capacity than age-truncated populations because of the disproportionate contributions of older fish. Harvest slot limits, an expected means of ameliorating age truncation, are modeled for Tautog Tautoga onitis in an overfished population subunit that is experiencing overfishing. Tautog, currently managed by a 40 cm minimum size limit (MSL), is a candidate species for slots because it is relatively long-lived, slow-growing, with low discard mortality. We evaluated changes in biomass and abundance-at-age relative to management with the current MSL regulations using a forward population simulation model for four slots: 35–45 (small-wide), 38–42 (small-narrow), 40–50 (large-wide), and 43–47 (large-narrow) cm, inclusive. Angler behavioral responses were evaluated at 0%, 10%, and 20% noncompliance with the upper slot limit. The biomass and number of fish removed are reduced with harvest slot limit management, relative to the MSL, but because the harvest is redirected to smaller fish the reduction in numbers removed is not as large as the reduction in biomass removed. Slot limits broadened the age structure within 10 years by reducing fishing mortality on extant fish. Median spawning stock biomass (SSB) recovered more quickly in three of the slots than with MSL regulation (three to six years to reach SSBThreshold as compared to nine years with MSL management). We concluded that harvest slot limits can broaden age structure and restore biomass in overfished fisheries, but should be evaluated when managing coastal fisheries as a reduction in biomass removed is required