Comparison of grouper assemblages in northern areas of the wider Caribbean: A preliminary assessment

Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae) are important top-level predators in wider Caribbean, but have experienced significant exploitation, resulting in declines in abundance, size, spawning aggregations, and changes in species composition. Larger groupers are particularly vulnerable to intense fishing because of their longevity, slow growth, delayed reproduction, and aggregate spawning. Marine fishery reserves (MFR), areas permanently closed to consumptive use, offer a viable means to protect grouper resources. This study reports on fishery-independent surveys of groupers in four regions of the tropical western Atlantic during 1995 - 1997: Florida Keys, central Bahamas, southeastern Cuba, and Dominican Republic. The regions surveyed included two national parks and a national marine sanctuay, and were further categorized as: 1) intensively fished with little or no management for groupers (Cuba, Dominican Republic); 2) intensively fished with gear and effort limitations (Florida Keys); 3) lightly fished with some management (N. and S. Exuma Cays, Bahamas); and 4) a. MFR closed to fishing since 1986 (Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, Bahamas). From 10 - 20 strip transects (20 m x 5 m) were surveyed in shallow-water (l-20 m depth) hard-bottom habitats for grouper species composition, density, and size distribution. Nine grouper species (6 Epinephelus spp., 3 Mycteroperca spp.) were documented among all regions. Areas in which groupers were partially or wholly protected from fishing had greater grouper diversity, density, and biomass, particularly for targeted species such as Nassau grouper (E. striatus). Classification of groupers by three size classes (small, intermediate, large) indicated a distinct gradient from areas with intense fishing to the MFR. In three of the regions affected by intense fishing, one of which has several grouper fishery regulations, grouper abundance and biomass were dominated by non-targeted species such as the graysby (E. cruentatus) and coney (E. fulvus). This second-order effect of fishing probably indicates competitive or predation. MFRs represent a viable means to protect grouper resources, alleviating the complications of enforcement and partially the need to gather fisheries dependent data. The ability of groupers to recover in certain regions may be deterred because of reduced larval recruitment from upstream, heavily fished sources

Density, species, and size distribution of groupers (Serranidae) in three habitats at Elbow Reef, Florida Keys

We examined the density, size and species distribution of groupers in three habitats on an inshore-to-offshore transect across Elbow Reef, Florida Keys: high-relief spur-and-groove (4–9 m depth), relict spur-and-groove (10–20 m), and deep fore reef slope (21–30 m). Physical relief was greatest in the high-relief spur-and-groove (up to 3 m), lowest in the relict spur-and-groove habitat (30%). There were significant differences in the density, size, and species distribution of groupers among the three habitats. Graysby, Epinephelus cruentatus, was numerically dominant, constituting 82–91% of individual observed. Black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci, and Nassau grouper, E. striatus, were more abundant in high to moderate relief habitats, whereas red hind, E. guttatus, was more abundant in the low-relief habitat. The size distribution was shifted towards smaller sizes in lowest relief habitat and towards larger sizes in areas with greater (\u3e0.5 m) vertical relief. We suggest that fishing pressure in the Florida Keys has resulted in an offshore grouper assemblage dominated by graysby, a small grouper species (length) which is not targeted by fishermen, and that habitat selection and biological interactions have significantly influenced the ecological structure of the grouper assemblage of this coral reef

Decreased Expression Of apM1 in Omental and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Humans With Type 2 Diabetes

We have screened a subtracted cDNA library in order to identify differentially expressed genes in omental adipose tissue of human patients with Type 2 diabetes. One clone (#1738) showed a marked reduction in omental adipose tissue from patients with Type 2 diabetes. Sequencing and BLAST analysis revealed clone #1738 was the adipocyte-specific secreted protein gene apM1 (synonyms ACRP30, AdipoQ, GBP28). Consistent with the murine orthologue, apM1 mRNA was expressed in cultured human adipocytes and not in preadipocytes. Using RT-PCR we confirmed that apM1 mRNA levels were significantly reduced in omental adipose tissue of obese patients with Type 2 diabetes compared with lean and obese normoglycemic subjects. Although less pronounced, apM1 mRNA levels were reduced in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Type 2 diabetic patients. Whereas the biological function of apM1 is presently unknown, the tissue specific expression, structural similarities to TNFα and the dysregulated expression observed in obese Type 2 diabetic patients suggest that this factor may play a role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes

A Pain Research Agenda for the 21st Century

Chronic pain represents an immense clinical problem. With tens of millions of people in the United States alone suffering from the burden of debilitating chronic pain, there is a moral obligation to reduce this burden by improving the understanding of pain and treatment mechanisms, developing new therapies, optimizing and testing existing therapies, and improving access to evidence-based pain care. Here, we present a goal-oriented research agenda describing the American Pain Society’s vision for pain research aimed at tackling the most pressing issues in the field

Whip Use by Jockeys in a Sample of Australian Thoroughbred Races—An Observational Study

The use of whips by jockeys is an issue. The current study viewed opportunistic high-speed footage of 15 race finishes frame-by-frame to examine the outcomes of arm and wrist actions (n = 350) on 40 horses viewed from the left of the field. Any actions fully or partially obscured by infrastructure or other horses were removed from the database, leaving a total of 104 non-contact sweeps and 134 strikes. For all instances of arm actions that resulted in fully visible whip strikes behind the saddle (n = 109), the outcomes noted were area struck, percentage of unpadded section making contact, whether the seam made contact and whether a visible indentation was evident on impact. We also recorded use of clockwise or counter-clockwise arm action from each jockey's whip, whether the whip was held like a tennis racquet or a ski pole, whether the hind leg on the side of the impact was in stance or swing phase and whether the jockey's arm was seen traveling above shoulder height. The goal of the study was to characterize the area struck and the visual impact of whip use at the level of the horse. We measured the ways in which both padded and unpadded sections of the whip made impact. There was evidence of at least 28 examples, in 9 horses, of breaches of the whip rules (one seam contact, 13 contacts with the head, and 14 arm actions that rose above the height of the shoulder). The whip caused a visible indentation on 83% of impacts. The unpadded section of the whip made contact on 64% of impacts. The results call into question the ability of Stewards to effectively police the rules concerning whip use and, more importantly, challenge the notion that padding the distal section of whips completely safeguards horses from any possible whip-related pain

Presynaptically Localized Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinase 1 Is a Key Determinant of Spinal Synaptic Potentiation and Pain Hypersensitivity

Electrophysiological and behavioral experiments in mice reveal that a cGMP-dependent kinase amplifies neurotransmitter release from peripheral pain sensors, potentiates spinal synapses, and leads to exaggerated pain

Effectiveness of joint mobilisation after cast immobilisation for ankle fracture: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial [ACTRN012605000143628]

BACKGROUND: Passive joint mobilisation is a technique frequently used by physiotherapists to reduce pain, improve joint movement and facilitate a return to activities after injury, but its use after ankle fracture is currently based on limited evidence. The primary aim of this trial is to determine if adding joint mobilisation to a standard exercise programme is effective and cost-effective after cast immobilisation for ankle fracture in adults. METHODS/DESIGN: Ninety participants will be recruited from the physiotherapy departments of three teaching hospitals and randomly allocated to treatment or control groups using a concealed procedure. All participants will perform an exercise programme. Participants in the treatment group will also receive joint mobilisation twice a week for four weeks. Blinded follow-up assessments will be conducted four, 12 and 24 weeks after randomisation. The primary outcome measures will be the Lower Extremity Functional Scale and the Assessment of Quality of Life. Secondary outcomes will include measures of impairments, activity limitation and participation. Data on the use of physiotherapy services and participants' out-of-pocket costs will be collected for the cost-effective and cost-utility analyses. To test the effects of treatment, between-group differences will be examined with analysis of covariance using a regression approach. The primary conclusions will be based on the four-week follow-up data. DISCUSSION: This trial incorporates features known to minimise bias. It uses a pragmatic design to reflect clinical practice and maximise generalisability. Results from this trial will contribute to an evidence-based approach for rehabilitation after ankle fracture

The human body at cellular resolution: the NIH Human Biomolecular Atlas Program

Abstract: Transformative technologies are enabling the construction of three-dimensional maps of tissues with unprecedented spatial and molecular resolution. Over the next seven years, the NIH Common Fund Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) intends to develop a widely accessible framework for comprehensively mapping the human body at single-cell resolution by supporting technology development, data acquisition, and detailed spatial mapping. HuBMAP will integrate its efforts with other funding agencies, programs, consortia, and the biomedical research community at large towards the shared vision of a comprehensive, accessible three-dimensional molecular and cellular atlas of the human body, in health and under various disease conditions

Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) abundance and size structure among coral reef rabitats in Maldives

Volume: 531-542Start Page: 189End Page: 19

Grouper density and diversity at two sites in the Republic of Maldives

Volume: 438Start Page: 1End Page: 1