STECF Evaluation of Fisheries Dependent Information (STECF-15-12)

STEC

STECF Evaluation of Fishing Effort Regimes in European Waters - Part 2 (STECF-14-20)

DG MAR

Efficacy and safety of tigecycline versus levofloxacin for community-acquired pneumonia.

Abstract Background: Tigecycline, an expanded broad-spectrum glycylcycline, exhibits in vitro activity against many common pathogens associated with community-acqui red pneumonia (CAP), as well as penetration into lung tissues that suggests effectiveness in ho spitalized CAP patients. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) tigecycline with IV levofloxacin in hospitalized adults with CAP. Methods: In this prospective, double-blin d, non-inferiority phase 3 trial, eligible patients with a clinical diagnosis of CAP supported by radiographic evidence were stratified by Fine Pneumonia Severity Index and randomized to tigecycline or levofloxacin for 7-14 days of therapy. Co-primary efficacy endpoints were clinical response in the clinically evaluable (CE) and clinical modified intent- to-treat (c-mITT) populations at te st-of-cure (Day 10-21 post-therapy). Results: Of the 428 patients who received at least on e dose of study drug, 79% had CAP of mild-moderate severity according to their Fine score. Clinical cure rates for the CE population were 88.9% for tigecycline and 85.3% for levofloxac in. Corresponding c-mITT population rates were 83.7% and 81.5%, respectively. Eradication rates for Streptococcus pneumoniae were 92% for tigecycline and 89% for levofloxac in. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea were the most frequently reported adverse events. Rates of premature disc continuation of study drug or study withdrawal because of any adverse event were similar for both study drugs. Conclusion: These findings suggest that IV tigecycline is non-inferior to IV levofloxacin and is generally well-tolerated in the treatment of hospitalized adults with CAP

THE INFLUENCE OF CURRENTS ON POSSIBLE DISPERSION OF OIL PRODUCTS IN THE SOUTH-EAST BALTIC

Frequent spills of oil products represent one ofthe most urgent ecological problems of the Baltic Sea. Oil products are most widespread and rather dangerous pollutants of seas and oceans. Oil pollutants are especially dangerous to the Baltic Sea ecosystem where processes of self-cleaning are slower than in warmer waters. The aim of the present work was to analyse possible dispersion pattern of oil products in the South-East Baltic near the Lithuanian coastline based on the measurement data of currents in the Baltic Sea. Data on the direction of currents and wind, as well as on water surface and air temperatures, provided by oceanographic and hydrometeorological stations were used in this work

Electrophysiological and behavioural responses of Ips typographus (L.) to trans-4-thujanol—a host tree volatile compound

International audienceAbstractKey messageSpruce trees emit significant amounts of trans-4-thujanol, but the amount of this compound in bark decreases with tree age. Trans-4-thujanol acts as an efficient repellent for the bark beetle Ips typographus.ContextThe spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, is an economically significant pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies) that preferentially infests and kills old trees.AimsWe looked for spruce volatiles that were perceivable by I. typographus and that differed as the host tree aged.MethodsBark beetles were collected in the wild. Bark samples from spruce trees of different age were hydrodistilled. Gas chromatography–electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD) was used to identify which compounds induced beetle olfactory responses. These were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Behavioural responses of bark beetles were tested using a Y-tube olfactometer.ResultsSeveral EAD peaks were recorded, of which trans-4-thujanol was consistently active and could be identified chemically unequivocally. The antennae of I. typographus females responded to a lower dosage of the compound than males, but both sexes were repelled by it. The bark of 10-year-old spruce trees contained 3 times more trans-4-thujanol than that of 35- 40-year-old trees, 27 times more than that of 70- to 80-year-old trees, and 200 times more than that of 120-year-old trees.ConclusionsTrans-4-thujanol is a bioactive compound in Norway spruce bark that varies in amount with tree age and affects spruce bark beetle behaviour under laboratory conditions. It is suggested that trans-4-thujanol might play a role in both spruce tree defence and tree choice by beetles

Effect of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) invasion on blue mussel (Mytilus edulis trossulus) population and winter diet of the long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)

The invasive round goby has established a viable population within 9 years of its first introduction to Lithuanian coastal waters (SE Baltic Sea). During its expansion phase, abundances increased 23-fold, which led to the near complete eradication of its main prey, the blue mussel, at < 20 m depth. The round goby population showed a stabilizing trend after blue mussel biomass was depleted; however, their abundance has not declined. The round goby feeds efficiently on newly settled mollusks, causing a severe constraint for blue mussel recovery. Changes in blue mussel availability and size structure induced a dietary shift in wintering long-tailed duck towards fish prey. An energetically dense food source sustains a good body condition in long-tailed ducks, however the change in trophic position (from 3.1 to 4.3 trophic level) suggests the potential for a reduction in their carrying capacity. Results from this study also show that coastal habitats with low and unpredictable population dynamics of blue mussel become less attractive wintering sites for long-tailed duck in the Baltic Sea. We also document a cascading effect of invasive species in the food web