Pacific Herring, Clupea pallasi, spawning population assessment for San Francisco Bay, 1992-93

We conducted hydroacoustic surveys, spawn surveys, and sampled schools and fishery landings from 8 November 1992 through 18 March 1993 to assess the status of San Francisco Bay's Pacific herring spawning population. Our spawning biomass estimate of 21,186 tons is the lowest since 1978 when subtidal spawns were included in estimates; it also represents a third consecutive season of decline. The principal reason for this very low estimate is a lack of two-, three-, and four-year-old herring in the spawning population from the 1991,1990, and 1989 year-classes. Although four-year-olds were the most abundant cohort, their actual number was very low. Five-year-olds from the highly successful 1988 year-class were the second most abundant cohort. Warm-water conditions and poor upwelling associated with the 1991-92 El Nino are likely causes of the low spawning biomass, although adverse impacts on the condition and growth of spawners were not apparent. Warm water may have displaced herring to the north of San Francisco Bay. We also continued to collect data for a herring young-of-the-year abundance index during April, May, and June of 1993. The index was low for the 1990 and 1991 year-classes, but high for the 1989 year-class. The 1989 and 1990 year-classes appear poor; however, the success of the 1991 year-class will not be known until next season when it fully recruits to the spawning population.The index for the 1992 year-class is relatively low as is the index for 1993. The season's 5,555-ton quota (based on the previous season's biomass estimate) exceeded our harvest goal of no more than 20% of spawning biomass for the first time since the 1970s. The number of three-year-old fish in gill net catches increased substantially this season, possibly indicating the use of smaller mesh. Because of the extremely low spawning biomass and uncertainty about future recruitment, our recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission was to close the herring roe fishery in San Francisco Bay until the season following a spawning biomass estimate of 26,000 tons. (30pp.

Age determination and confirmation from otoliths of the bank rockfish, Sebastes rufus (Scorpaenidae)

Methods for determining and confirming age for Sebastes rufus from otoliths were examined. The periodicity of growth zone formation and of calcium deposition in otoliths was studied to verify ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones;    results were inconclusive.Pb-210/Ra-226 activity ratios were measured in otoliths to confirm ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones. Radiometric ages agreed well with growth zone counts, giving substantial validity to them and suggesting longevity of 50 years or more Sebastes rufus.Otolith length, width, area, perimeter and weight were evaluated as criteria for determining age. All parameters were highly correlated with growth zone counts, with otolith weight showing the most promise as an age predictor. Von Bertalanfy growth parameters were L ∞ =488, K=0.048, t0=-8.372 for 81 males and L ∞ =594, K=0.039, t0=-6.96 for 86 females. Sebastes rufus are long-lived, slow growing and reach reproductive maturity at 10-15 years of age

Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, spawning population assessment and fishery management for San Francisco Bay, 1993-94

Since the inception of a sac-roe fishery for Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, in 1973, the California Department of Fish and Game (Department) has annually assessed the status of the state's two largest spawning populations of herring in Tomales and San Francisco Bays. Each year the Department's Pacific Herring Research Project estimates spawning biomass, determines the age structure of the spawning population, examines growth and general condition, estimates the relative abundance of young-of-the-year herring, and monitors the biological aspects of the catch. This information, along with environmental factors, is considered and used to set the harvest quota for the following season's fishery. San Francisco Bay supports the largest spawning population of Pacific herring in California, as well as the largest commercial herring fishery. Spawning generally occurs from November through March, in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones of the central and southern regions of the Bay. This report presents work conducted during the 1993-94 spawning season and continues the time series of information for the San Francisco Bay spawning population. (36pp.

On board sampling of the rockfish and lingcod commerical passenger fishing vessel industry in northern and central California, May 1987 to December 1991

From May 1987 to June 1990 and from August to December 1991 Fishery Technicians sampled catches on board 690 Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) trips targeting rockfish and lingcod from the general port areas of Fort Bragg, Bodega Bay, San Francisco, Monterey, and Morro Bay. Data are presented for species composition by port area, year, and month, for catch-per-unit-effort, mean length, and length frequency of lingcod and the 18 most frequently observed rockfish species, and for trends in fishing effort related to fishing time, depth, and distance from port. Total catch estimates are presented based on unadjusted logbook records, logbook records adjusted by sampling data and compliance rates, and effort data from a marine recreational fishing statistics survey. Average catch of kept fish per angler day was 11.8 and average catch of kept fish per angler hour was 3.7. A trend of an increasing frequency of trips to deep (>40 fm) locations was observed in the Bodega Bay, San Francisco, and Monterey areas from 1988 to 1990-91. No trend was evident relative to trip frequency and distance from port. A total of 74 species was observed caught during the study. Rockfishes comprised 88.5% to 97.9% by number of the observed catch by port area. The five most frequently observed species were chilipepper, blue, yellowtail, and widow rockfishes, and bocaccio, with lingcod ranking seventh. In general, mean length and catch-per-angler-hour of sport fishes caught by CPFV anglers varied considerably and did not show steady declines during the study period. However, port-specific areas of major concern were identified for chilipepper, lingcod, and black rockfish, and to a lesser extent brown, canary, vermilion, yelloweye, olive, and widow rockfish. These areas of concern included steadily declining catch rate, steadily declining mean length, and a high percentage of sexually immature fish in the sampled-catch. Recent sampling of the commercial hook-and-line fishery in northern and central California indicated that most species of rockfishes taken by CPFV anglers are also harvested commercially. (261pp.

Assessment of changes in quality of life among patients in the SAVE Study - Sirolimus as therapeutic Approach to uVEitis: a randomized study to assess the safety and bioactivity of intravitreal and subconjunctival injections of sirolimus in patients with non-infectious uveitis.

BACKGROUND: The National Eye Institute 39-Question Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-39) is an indicator of vision-related quality of life (QoL). The NEI VFQ-39 is used to assess the QoL in patients with non-infectious posterior uveitis, intermediate uveitis, or panuveitis, treated with subconjunctival (SCJ) or intravitreal (IVT) sirolimus as an immunomodulatory therapeutic (IMT) agent, delivered subconjunctivally (SCJ) or intravitreally (IVT) (the SAVE Study). Thirty subjects with non-infectious uveitis were randomized (SCJ:IVT, 1:1) for a prospective clinical trial. The 39-Question Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-39) was administered at baseline (BL), month 6 (M6), and month 12 (M12) visits. The survey measures self-reported vision health status for patients with chronic eye disease and assesses the effects of visual impairment on both task-oriented visual function and general health domains. In accordance to the NEI-VFQ Manual, each patient\u27s questionnaire was converted to a scaled score between 0 (worst) and 100 (best), and median scores were calculated for each of the subcategories and overall composite score at BL, M6, and M12. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients completed the VFQ-39 at BL and M6, whereas 23 patients completed it at M12. Patients showed a significant improvement in pooled composite scores from BL to M6 and BL to M12. Analysis by treatment groups showed that intravitreal injection of sirolimus is better tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Sirolimus has demonstrated bioactivity as an IMT and corticosteroid-sparing agent to treat non-infectious uveitis. Patients receiving intravitreal injection of sirolimus showed overall improvement of vision-related health while those receiving subconjunctival injections did not. Larger randomized control trials with sirolimus are indicated to validate these results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00908466

Age determination and confirmation from otoliths of the bank rockfish, Sebastes rufus (Scorpaenidae)

Methods for determining and confirming age for Sebastes rufus from otoliths were examined. The periodicity of growth zone formation and of calcium deposition in otoliths was studied to verify ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones;     results were inconclusive.Pb-210/Ra-226 activity ratios were measured in otoliths to confirm ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones.  Radiometric ages agreed well with growth zone counts, giving substantial validity to them and suggesting longevity of 50 years or more Sebastes rufus.Otolith length, width, area, perimeter and weight were evaluated as criteria for determining age. All parameters were highly correlated with growth zone counts, with otolith weight showing the most promise as an age predictor.Von Bertalanfy growth parameters were L =488, K=0.048, t0=-8.372 for 81 males and L00 =594, K=0.039, t0=-6.96 for 86 females. Sebastes rufus are long-lived, slow growing and reach reproductive maturity at 10-15 years of age.          

Age Determination and Confirmation from Otoliths of the Bank Rockfish, Sebastes rufus (Scorpaenidae)

Methods for determining and confirming age for Sebastes rufus from otoliths were examined. The periodicity of growth zone formation and of calcium deposition in otoliths was studied to verify ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones;    results were inconclusive.Pb-210/Ra-226 activity ratios were measured in otoliths to confirm ages estimated from counts of otolith growth zones. Radiometric ages agreed well with growth zone counts, giving substantial validity to them and suggesting longevity of 50 years or more Sebastes rufus.Otolith length, width, area, perimeter and weight were evaluated as criteria for determining age. All parameters were highly correlated with growth zone counts, with otolith weight showing the most promise as an age predictor. Von Bertalanfy growth parameters were L ∞ =488, K=0.048, t0=-8.372 for 81 males and L ∞ =594, K=0.039, t0=-6.96 for 86 females. Sebastes rufus are long-lived, slow growing and reach reproductive maturity at 10-15 years of age

Predictors of faster virological suppression in early treated infants with perinatal HIV from Europe and Thailand The European Pregnancy and Paediatric HIV Cohort Collaboration (EPPICC) and Early-treated Perinatally HIV-infected Individuals: Improving Children's Actual Life with Novel Immunotherapeutic Strategies (EPIICAL) study groups

Objective: To identify predictors of faster time to virological suppression among infants starting combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) early in infancy. Design: Cohort study of infants from Europe and Thailand included in studies participating in the European Pregnancy and Paediatric HIV Cohort Collaboration. Methods: Infants with perinatal HIV starting cART aged less than 6 months with at least 1 viral load measurement within 15 months of cART initiation were included. Multi-variable interval-censored flexible parametric proportional hazards models were used to assess predictors of faster virological suppression, with timing of suppression assumed to lie in the interval between last viral load at least 400 and first viral load less than 400 copies/ml. Results: Of 420 infants, 59% were female and 56% from Central/Western Europe, 26% United Kingdom/Ireland, 15% Eastern Europe and 3% Thailand; 46 and 54% started a boosted protease inhibitor-based or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimen, respectively. At cART initiation, the median age, CD4(+) % and viral load were 2.9 [interquartile range (IQR): 1.4-4.1] months, 34 (IQR: 24-45)% and 5.5 (IQR: 4.5-6.0) log(10) copies/ml, respectively. Overall, an estimated 89% (95% confidence interval: 86-92%) achieved virological suppression within 12 months of cART start. In multivariable analysis, younger age [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.84 per month older; P < 0.001], higher CD4(+) % (aHR: 1.11 per 10% higher; P=0.010) and lower log(10) viral load (aHR: 0.85 per log(10) higher; P < 0.001) at cART initiation independently predicted faster virological suppression. Conclusion: We observed a significant independent effect of age at cART initiation, even within a narrow 6 months window from birth. These findings support the earliest feasible cART initiation in infants and suggest that early therapy influences key virological and immunological parameters that could have important consequences for long-term health. Copyright (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc