Beyond Marine Reserves: Exploring the Approach of Selecting Areas where Fishing Is Permitted, Rather than Prohibited

Background:\ud Marine populations have been declining at a worrying rate, due in large part to fishing pressures. The challenge is to secure a future for marine life while minimizing impacts on fishers and fishing communities.\ud \ud Methods and Principal Findings:\ud Rather than selecting areas where fishing is banned – as is usually the case with spatial management – we assess the concept of designating areas where fishing is permitted. We use spatial catch statistics for thirteen commercial fisheries on Canada’s west coast to determine the minimum area that would be needed to maintain a pre-ascribed target percentage of current catches. We found that small reductions in fisheries yields, if strategically allocated, could result in large unfished areas that are representative of biophysical regions and habitat types, and have the potential to achieve remarkable conservation gains.\ud \ud Conclusions:\ud Our approach of selecting fishing areas instead of reserves could help redirect debate about the relative values that society places on conservation and extraction, in a framework that could gain much by losing little. Our ideas are intended to promote discussions about the current status quo in fisheries management, rather than providing a definitive solution

Bycatch of lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) in a Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl fishery

Bycatch studies have largely ignored population level effects on fish species of little commercial interest. Here we analyze bycatch of the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) in the bait-shrimp trawl fishery in Hernando Beach, Florida, providing the first fisheries data for this species. Based on catch per unit of effort (CPUE), size, sex, and reproductive status of trawled H. erectus, 1) approximately 72,000 seahorses were caught annually by this fleet, from a population of unknown size, 2) trawling affected population cohorts differentially because of temporal and spatial variation in CPUE and population size, and 3) a greater proportion of females than males was removed in trawling. Our findings suggest that trawling may affect seahorse populations through direct mortality, social disruption, and habitat damage. However, the lack of specific abundance or catchability estimates for H. erectus means that the precise impact of trawling on this fish remains uncertain. This paper focuses attention on the need for research and monitoring of small fishes that are caught incidentally in nonselective gear

An uncertain future for seahorse aquaculture in conservation and economic contexts

Seahorses (family Syngnathidae, genus Hippocampus) have set precedents globally. They were among the first marine fishes of commercial importance to be listed on both the IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix II. Overfishing and non-selective fishing are two agents in their depletion, so management is clearly needed. We here outline what is known about these fishes and their trade, before considering the potential role the culture and release could play in rebuilding wild populations

The economic impact of machine perfusion technology in liver transplantation

Introduction: Several clinical studies have demonstrated the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of machine perfusion in liver transplantation, although its economic outcomes are still underexplored. This review aimed to examine the costs related to machine perfusion and its associated outcomes.Methods: Expert opinion of several groups representing different machine perfusion modalities. Critical analysis of the published literature reporting the economic outcomes of the most used techniques of machine perfusion in liver transplantation (normothermic and hypothermic ex situ machine perfusion and in situ normothermic regional perfusion).Results: Machine perfusion costs include disposable components of the perfusion device, perfusate components, personnel and facility fees, and depreciation of the perfusion device or device lease fee. The limited current literature suggests that although this upfront cost varies between perfusion modalities, its use is highly likely to be cost-effective. Optimization of the donor liver utilization rate, local conditions of transplant programs (long waiting list times and higher MELD scores), a decreased rate of complications, changes in logistics, and length of hospital stay are potential cost savings points that must highlight the expected benefits of this intervention. An additional unaccounted factor is that machine perfusion optimizing donor organ utilization allows patients to be transplanted earlier, avoiding clinical deterioration while on the waiting list and the costs associated with hospital admissions and other required procedures.Conclusion: So far, the clinical benefits have guided machine perfusion implementation in liver transplantation. Albeit there is data suggesting the economic benefit of the technique, further investigation of its costs to healthcare systems and society and associated outcomes is needed.</p

Receptor specificity of subtype H1 influenza A viruses isolated from swine and humans in the United States

The evolution of classical swine influenza viruses receptor specificity preceding the emergence of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus was analyzed in glycan microarrays. Classical swine influenza viruses from the α, β, and γ antigenic clusters isolated between 1945 and 2009 revealed a binding profile very similar to that of 2009 pandemic H1N1 viruses, with selectivity for α2-6-linked sialosides and very limited binding to α2-3 sialosides. Despite considerable genetic divergence, the ‘human-like’ H1N1 viruses circulating in swine retained strong binding preference for α2-6 sialylated glycans. Interspecies transmission of H1N1 influenza viruses from swine to humans or from humans to swine has not driven selection of viruses with distinct novel receptor binding specificities. Classical swine and human seasonal H1N1 influenza viruses have conserved specificity for similar α2-6-sialoside receptors in spite of long term circulation in separate hosts, suggesting that humans and swine impose analogous selection pressures on the evolution of receptor binding function

On-demand cell-autonomous gene therapy for brain circuit disorders

Several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders are characterized by intermittent episodes of pathological activity. Although genetic therapies offer the ability to modulate neuronal excitability, a limiting factor is that they do not discriminate between neurons involved in circuit pathologies and “healthy” surrounding or intermingled neurons. We describe a gene therapy strategy that down-regulates the excitability of overactive neurons in closed loop, which we tested in models of epilepsy. We used an immediate early gene promoter to drive the expression of Kv1.1 potassium channels specifically in hyperactive neurons, and only for as long as they exhibit abnormal activity. Neuronal excitability was reduced by seizure-related activity, leading to a persistent antiepileptic effect without interfering with normal behaviors. Activity-dependent gene therapy is a promising on-demand cell-autonomous treatment for brain circuit disorders

Protection against glucose-induced neuronal death by NAAG and GCP II inhibition is regulated by mGluR3

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) inhibition has previously been shown to be protective against long-term neuropathy in diabetic animals. In the current study, we have determined that the GCP II inhibitor 2-(phosphonomethyl) pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA) is protective against glucose-induced programmed cell death (PCD) and neurite degeneration in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in a cell culture model of diabetic neuropathy. In this model, inhibition of caspase activation is mediated through the group II metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR3. 2-PMPA neuroprotection is completely reversed by the mGluR3 antagonist (S)-α-ethylglutamic acid (EGLU). In contrast, group I and III mGluR inhibitors have no effect on 2-PMPA neuroprotection. Furthermore, we show that two mGluR3 agonists, the direct agonist (2 R ,4 R )-4-aminopyrrolidine-2, 4-dicarboxylate (APDC) and N -acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) provide protection to neurons exposed to high glucose conditions, consistent with the concept that 2-PMPA neuroprotection is mediated by increased NAAG activity. Inhibition of GCP II or mGluR3 may represent a novel mechanism to treat neuronal degeneration under high-glucose conditions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65724/1/j.1471-4159.2003.02321.x.pd

Fine-mapping identifies multiple prostate cancer risk loci at 5p15, one of which associates with TERT expression

Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 5p15 and multiple cancer types have been reported. We have previously shown evidence for a strong association between prostate cancer (PrCa) risk and rs2242652 at 5p15, intronic in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene that encodes TERT. To comprehensively evaluate the association between genetic variation across this region and PrCa, we performed a fine-mapping analysis by genotyping 134 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array or Sequenom MassArray iPlex, followed by imputation of 1094 SNPs in 22 301 PrCa cases and 22 320 controls in The PRACTICAL consortium. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified four signals in the promoter or intronic regions of TERT that independently associated with PrCa risk. Gene expression analysis of normal prostate tissue showed evidence that SNPs within one of these regions also associated with TERT expression, providing a potential mechanism for predisposition to disease

GaPP2, a multicentre randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of gabapentin for the management of chronic pelvic pain in women:study protocol

Introduction: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects more than 1 million UK women with associated healthcare costs of £158 million annually. Current evidence supporting interventions when no underlying pathology is identified is very limited and treatment is frequently inadequate. Gabapentin (a GABA analogue) is efficacious and often well tolerated in other chronic pain conditions. We have completed a successful pilot randomised controlled trial (GaPP1) and here describe the protocol for the definitive multicentre trial to assess the efficacy of gabapentin in the management of CPP in women (GaPP2).Methods and analysis: We plan to perform a double blind placebo controlled randomised multi-centre clinical trial, recruiting 300 women with CPP from more than 8 NHS hospitals within the UK. After randomisation, women will titrate their medication (gabapentin or placebo) over a 4-week period to a maximum of 2700mg or placebo equivalent and will then maintain a stable dose for a 12 week period. Response to treatment will be monitored with validated questionnaires and co-primary outcome measures of average and worst pain scores will be employed. The primary objective is to test the hypothesis that treatment with gabapentin has the potential to provide an effective oral treatment to alleviate pain in women with CPP in the absence of any obvious pelvic pathology.Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Coventry and Warwick Research Ethics Committee (REC 15/WM/0036). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. We will make the information obtained from the study available to the public through national bodies and charities.Trial registration number: ISRCTN7745176