Fluctuations in range and abundance of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) from the eastern Bering Sea: What role for Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) predation?

Fluctuations in abundance of commercially valuable crustacean stocks in sub-Arctic ecosystems have been variously attributed to the effects of climatic forcing, fishing pressure, and predation, mostly by gadoid fishes. Landings of snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio (J. C. Fabricius, 1788), from the eastern Bering Sea declined after the early 1990s, reaching historical lows a decade later. At the same time, two phenomena became apparent in the dynamics of the primiparae (first-time female breeders): their geographic range contracted to the northwest along the middle shelf (50–100 m depth), and the contraction was punctuated by periodic recruitment to the mature female pool, with a period of approximately 7 yrs and declining amplitude. The first phenomenon has been addressed by the environmental ratchet hypothesis, which attributes the contraction to a combination of an ontogenetic female migration, circulation patterns, the spatial dynamics of benthic stages in relation to near-bottom temperature, and predation by Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius, 1810. Mortality due to cod predation in the Middle Domain, apparently related to near-bottom temperature, increased after 1995, contributing to the ratchet effect and the disappearance of periodic pulses of primipara abundance. Cod predation does not, however, appear to have controlled the frequency of periodic recruitment fluctuations. On the other hand, amplitude of fluctuations of primipara abundance in the Middle Domain, purportedly the "engine" of renewal of this stock, do appear to be affected by both predation and climate, whose interaction is complex but perhaps interpretable.Fil: Burgos, Julian. Marine Research Institute; IslandiaFil: Ernst, Billy. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Armstrong, David. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Orensanz, Jose Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

Trojan hosts: the menace of invasive vertebrates as vectors of pathogens in the Southern Cone of South America

Invasive alien species (IAS) can act as vectors for the introduction of pathogens in ecosystems and their transmission to threatened native species (TNS), leading to biodiversity loss, population reductions and extinctions. We assessed pathogens potentially occurring in a set of IAS in the Southern Cone of South America and identified TNS potentially vulnerable to their effects. Also, we assessed how risk analysis systems proposed or adopted by national authorities in the study region value the importance of pathogens. We identified 324 pathogens in the selected IAS, which could potentially affect 202 TNS. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) was the IAS with the largest number of pathogens (91), followed by domestic dog (Canis familiaris) (62), red deer (Cervus elaphus) (58), rock dove (Columba livia) (37), American vison (Neovison vison) (18), European hare (Lepus europaeus) (17), common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) (12), common slider (Trachemys scripta) (6), and American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) (2). Most TNS were in the “vulnerable” IUCN category, followed by “endangered” and “critically endangered” species. Bacteria were the most frequently represented pathogens (112), followed by ectoparasites (78), viruses (69), protozoa and other (65). The direct effects of IAS on native wildlife are beginning to be addressed in South America, and their potential impact as pathogen spreaders to native wildlife has remained largely unexplored. Risk analysis systems associated with the introduction of IAS are scarce in this region. Although the existing systems contemplate hazard analyses for the co-introduction of pathogens, they underestimate the potential impact of diseases on TNS. Conservation efforts in the region would benefit from systems which give pathogen risk a relevant place, and from government agencies promoting targeted disease surveillance in IAS and wildlife.Fil: la Sala, Luciano Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Burgos, Julian M.. Marine And Freshwater Research Institute; IslandiaFil: Scorolli, Alberto Luis. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo; ArgentinaFil: VanderWaal, Kimberly. University of Minnesota; Estados UnidosFil: Zalba, Sergio Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo; Argentin

Gannets are not attracted to fishing vessels in Iceland-potential influence of a discard ban and food availability

BLC was supported by a NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership studentship from the Natural Environment Research Council [NE/L002434/1]. We thank Ólafur Torfason, Niall Tierney, and Rachel Stroud for fieldwork assistance in Skrúður, and Mamma-Rósa for food and housing in Vestmannaeyjar. We thank the Hellisey hunting club for the use of cabin and assistance with boat trips to Hellisey. We thank Filipa Samarra, Miguel Neves, Gary Haskins, and team members in the Icelandic Orca Project for boat trips to Hellisey. We thank Lucy Hawkes, David Pascall, Alice Williams, Richard Phillips, Brendan Godley and all reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript. The GPS tracking data are available through the BirdLife International Seabird Tracking Database (http://www.seabirdtracking.org).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Consideraciones técnicas para una producción musical grabada en vivo

Maestro (a) en MúsicaPregrad

Movimientos de capitales y flujos comerciales de los países de América Latina, en la década de los noventa: una análisis dentro del escenario del ALCA

Actualmente Colombia al igual que otras naciones Latino Americanas y del Caribe se encuentra en un proceso de negociación para conformar el Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas ALCA. El propósito de este acuerdo es reforzar el crecimiento y la estabilidad política de América Latina, sobre la base de tres pilares básicos: estimular el flujo comercial, incrementar la inversión extranjera en la zona y reducir el endeudamiento externo de los países del hemisferio occidental. En el mundo moderno existen diferencias sustanciales en materia de desarrollo económico de los países, y Latino América no es la excepción dentro de este tipo de procesos. Existen brechas marcadas entre los países de América Latina y existe una concentración de inversión en unos cuantos países debido a la misma naturaleza de los flujos de capital. La falta de desarrollo económico en la mayoría de países de la región, hace que no sean óptimos para la inversión extranjera y algunos de ellos solo sean atractivos en algunas situaciones coyunturales. Debido a lo anterior se observa que países como Argentina, Chile, Brasil, y México que han sido a lo largo de los años, países con un nivel de crecimiento económico mas elevado que los demás países de la región, gocen de mayor inversión extranjera debido a mejores condiciones para los inversionistas. En los actuales momentos la globalización de las economías ha aumentado la brecha entre las naciones americanas con mayor flujo de capital y con mayores perspectivas de crecimiento. Por lo tanto cuando se intenta agrupar a un numero de países, tal como se pretende con el tratado de Libre Comercio de la Américas, se corre el riesgo de que la disparidad en materia económica se perpetúe, convirtiéndose esto en un circulo vicioso, en donde los capitales fluirán siempre a donde se encuentren mejores condiciones de inversión, en este caso a los países antes mencionados.Incluye bibliografí

Predicting the Distribution of Indicator Taxa of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the Arctic and Sub-arctic Waters of the Nordic Seas

publishedVersio

Cardioprotective role of IGF-1 in the hypertrophied myocardium of the spontaneously hypertensive rats: A key effect on NHE-1 activity

Aim: Myocardial Na+/H+ exchanger-1 (NHE-1) hyperactivity and oxidative stress are interrelated phenomena playing pivotal roles in the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Exercise training is effective to convert pathological into physiological hypertrophy in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and IGF-1—key humoral mediator of exercise training—inhibits myocardial NHE-1, at least in normotensive rats. Therefore, we hypothesize that IGF-1 by hampering NHE-1 hyperactivity and oxidative stress should exert a cardioprotective effect in the SHR. Methods: NHE-1 activity [proton efflux (JH+) mmol L−1 min−1], expression and phosphorylation; H2O2 production; superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity; contractility and calcium transients were measured in SHR hearts in the presence/absence of IGF-1. Results: IGF-1 significantly decreased NHE-1 activity (JH+ at pHi 6.95: 1.39 ± 0.32, n = 9 vs C 3.27 ± 0.3, n = 20, P <.05); effect prevented by AG1024, an antagonist of IGF-1 receptor (2.7 ± 0.4, n = 7); by the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (3.14 ± 0.41, n = 7); and the AKT inhibitor MK2206 (3.37 ± 0.43, n = 14). Moreover, IGF-1 exerted an antioxidant effect revealed by a significant reduction in H2O2 production accompanied by an increase in SOD activity. In addition, IGF-1 improved cardiomyocyte contractility as evidenced by an increase in sarcomere shortening and a decrease in the relaxation constant, underlined by an increase in the amplitude and rate of decay of the calcium transients. Conclusion: IGF-1 exerts a cardioprotective role on the hypertrophied hearts of the SHR, in which the inhibition of NHE-1 hyperactivity, as well as the positive inotropic and antioxidant effects, emerges as key players.Fil: Yeves, Alejandra del Milagro. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (conicet- Universidad Nacional de la Plata); ArgentinaFil: Burgos, Juan Ignacio. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (conicet- Universidad Nacional de la Plata); ArgentinaFil: Caicedo Medina, Julian Alberto. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (conicet- Universidad Nacional de la Plata); ArgentinaFil: Villa-Abrille, María Celeste. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (conicet- Universidad Nacional de la Plata); ArgentinaFil: Ennis, Irene Lucia. Centro de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (conicet- Universidad Nacional de la Plata); Argentin

Unfair Trading Practice Regulation and Voluntary Agreements targeting food waste: A policy assessment in select EU Member States

This report provides a qualitative assessment of Voluntary Agreements (VAs) and Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) as two typologies of policy interventions having an impact on food loss and waste. To carry out this assessment, two sets of country-based comparative case studies were developed, namely in the UK and Italy for regulations against UTPs, and in the UK and the Netherlands for VAs. The report found that, for both VAs and regulations against UTPs, a preliminary assessment of underlying food supply chain market structure is important to identify the most appropriate policy measures for a specific EU MS (e.g. the size and number of actors at each level of the food supply chain, the level of market concentration and power imbalance among actors, etc.). Specifically concerning UTPs, the following was identified: - Food supply chains are particularly susceptible to UTPs in MS where market power is concentrated within a few large retailers interacting with many suppliers. Perishable products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables supplied direct from primary producers to retailers are particularly at risk due to the time constraints in finding alternate outlets; - It is important to identify solutions for food surplus generated by UTPs (ex: redistributing surplus that results from order cancellations linked to UTPs or ensuring that the \u201cwrongdoer\u201d assumes the responsibility of the food product resulting from the UTPs); - To tackle UTPs, it was found that an effective approach would be the creation of an independent authority to investigate any infringement of good trading practices, (ex: through an industry code of practice, and, if needed, the introduction of sanctions on actors who are found to have not met the standard required by the industry code; - Other recommendations identified include adopting a common EU-level definition of UTPs in relation to grocery supply to avoid unequal treatment of comparable situations across EU, and to allow the judgement of cases based on the principle of equity. Furthermore, indirect and foreign suppliers also need to be protected against UTPs. Specifically concerning VAs the following was identified: - The level and the nature of funding has a significant impact on their lifetime and agendas (a mix of public and private is optimal); - To ensure a VA\u2019s relevance, signatories must benefit from their participating, either financially or in terms of heightened visibility; - VAs should establish ambitious yet realistic targets, achievable by their signatories, and robustness and transparency of data reporting should be forefront to ensure the credibility of the initiatives; - VAs can be implemented alongside compulsory legislation or provide an alternative to it. An advantage of them, compared to legislation, is that they can be designed and adapted relatively quickly depending on political goals related to food waste; - The role of a third party is crucial in managing a VA, notably to facilitate actor accession to it, ensure confidentiality of data, supervise and eventually nudge compliance with the agreement. The report ultimately shows that VAs and UTPs interlinked as VAs can be an effective tool to explore the effects of regulation against UTPs and assess actors\u2019 readiness to avoid market power abuse

Systems maps and analytical framework. Mapping food waste drivers across the food supply chain

This report generated 17 systems maps for five contrasting product types that were investigated along their supply chains. The system maps identify: (1) Product specific drivers: drivers specific to the selected food products at a specific stage of the supply chain); (2) Generic drivers: drivers which concern two or more selected products (e.g. labelling errors, limited shelf life etc.); (3) Systemic drivers: drivers that are interlinked with more than one step of the supply chain (e.g. minimum orders, last minute cancellation, lack of data and communication, minimum life on receipt criteria etc.). The cross cutting systemic drivers emphasized supply chain issues, e.g. regarding notably the interactions between the different businesses and unfair trading practices. The systems map approach also shed light on two key factors that impact drivers according to the product specificity: (1) Impacts of food waste drivers highly depend on the level of perishability and microbiological risk of food products. For example, less perishable food products such as frozen and canned products are more likely to be wasted because of product damage, labelling errors and/or equipment breakdown. More perishable and higher risk food products are more likely to be wasted when approaching the \u201cbest before\u201d date or because of supply and demand imbalances and poor information sharing along the supply chain. (2) Lack of communication and cooperation is a central drivers of food waste. The impacts of these are higher in more complex products/supply chains where trouble with one ingredient affects the whole product (e.g. prepared meals). Finally, the systems mapping shed light on drivers which were \u201chiding\u201d behind other drivers. For example, the question of date labelling is a well-known cause of waste for perishable products, but very often there are further drivers behind it (e.g. overstocking in the retail sector)

Wild pigs and their widespread threat to biodiversity conservation in South America

Wild pigs, including wild boar (Sus scrofa) and feral domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica), are associated with negative impacts in their native and introduced ranges. We compiled wild pig occurrence reports and utilized Maximum Entropy modelling to predict their potential distribution in ecoregions overlaying Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. An analysis of their observed and potential distributions was carried out in relation to four biodiversity hotspots and 3766 protected areas to estimate the number of units and percent area currently and potentially invaded. Among biodiversity hotspots, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests included 44.7% of wild pig records. The proportion of suitable area was 85% in Atlantic Forest, 61.3% in Cerrado, 37.5% in Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests, and 5.6% in Tropical Andes. The number of protected areas with known wild pig presence was led by Uruguay (100%), followed by Chile (20.3%), Argentina (15.8%), Paraguay (9.5%), Bolivia (6.5%), and Brazil (4.7%). The proportion of protected areas with predicted wild pig presence was highest in Uruguay (100%), followed by Paraguay (72.6%), Brazil (58.0%), Argentina (57.4%), Chile (42.2%), and Bolivia (35.9%). Our work represents the first assessment of wild pig potential distribution in South America and highlights the potentially devastating impacts of wild pigs on the regional biodiversity and national conservation targets, especially at mega-diverse areas. We present a dynamic web application that can be readily consulted by scientists, managers and decision makers to improve wild pig control and risk mitigation actions in the study region.Fil: la Sala, Luciano Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Burgos, Julian Mariano. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute; IslandiaFil: Caruso, Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Bagnato, Camilo Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural. - Universidad Nacional de Rio Negro. Instituto de Investigaciones En Recursos Naturales, Agroecología y Desarrollo Rural; ArgentinaFil: Ballari, Sebastián A.. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Parque Nacional "Nahuel Huapi"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Guadagnin, Demetrio L.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Kindel, Andreas. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Etges, Matheus. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Merino, Mariano Lisandro. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Marcos, Andrea. Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimento. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria; ArgentinaFil: Skewes, Oscar. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Schettino, Daniella. Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária de Mato Grosso; BrasilFil: Perez, Andres Maximiliano. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Condorí, Walter Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Tammone Santos, Agostina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Carpinetti, Bruno Nicolás. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Instituto Ciencias Sociales y Administracion; ArgentinaFil: Zalba, Sergio Martín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Grupo de Estudios en Conservación y Manejo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin