Stock assessment and management recommendations for Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) in 1997

The primary goal of sardine management as directed by the California Fish and Game Code is rehabilitation of the resource with an added objective of maximizing sustained harvest. Accordingly, the Code states that the annual sardine quota can be set at an amount greater than 1,000 tons, providing that the level of take allows for continued increase in the spawning population. We estimated the sardine population size to have been 464,000 short tons on July 1, 1997. Our estimate was based on output from a modified version of the integrated stock assessment model called CANSAR (Deriso et al. 1996). CANSAR is a forward-casting, age-structured analysis using fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data to obtain annual estimates of sardine abundance, year-class strength and age-specific fishing mortality for 1983 through the first semester of 1997. Non-linear least-squares criteria are used to find the best fit between model estimates and input data. Questions about stock structure and range extent remain major sources of uncertainty in assessing current sardine population biomass. Recent survey results and anecdotal evidence suggest increased sardine abundance in the Pacific Northwest and areas offshore from central and southern California. It is difficult to determine if those fish were part of the stock available to the California fishery. In an attempt to address this problem, the original CANSAR model was reconfigured into a Two-Area Migration Model (CANSAR-TAM) which accounted for sardine lost to the areas of the fishery and abundance surveys due to population expansion and net emigration. While the model includes guesses and major assumptions about net emigration and recruitment, it provides an estimate which is likely closer to biological reality than past assessments. The original CANSAR model was also used and estimates are provided for comparison. Based on the 1997 estimate of total biomass and the harvest formula used last year, we recommend a 1998 sardine harvest quota of 48,000 tons for the California fishery. The 1998 quota is a decrease of 11% from the final 1997 sardine harvest quota for California of 54,000 tons. (55pp.

Bacteriocins: Novel Solutions to Age Old Spore-Related Problems?

peer-reviewedBacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria, which have the ability to kill or inhibit other bacteria. Many bacteriocins are produced by food grade lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Indeed, the prototypic bacteriocin, nisin, is produced by Lactococcus lactis, and is licensed in over 50 countries. With consumers becoming more concerned about the levels of chemical preservatives present in food, bacteriocins offer an alternative, more natural approach, while ensuring both food safety and product shelf life. Bacteriocins also show additive/synergistic effects when used in combination with other treatments, such as heating, high pressure, organic compounds, and as part of food packaging. These features are particularly attractive from the perspective of controlling sporeforming bacteria. Bacterial spores are common contaminants of food products, and their outgrowth may cause food spoilage or food-borne illness. They are of particular concern to the food industry due to their thermal and chemical resistance in their dormant state. However, when spores germinate they lose the majority of their resistance traits, making them susceptible to a variety of food processing treatments. Bacteriocins represent one potential treatment as they may inhibit spores in the post-germination/outgrowth phase of the spore cycle. Spore eradication and control in food is critical, as they are able to spoil and in certain cases compromise the safety of food by producing dangerous toxins. Thus, understanding the mechanisms by which bacteriocins exert their sporostatic/sporicidal activity against bacterial spores will ultimately facilitate their optimal use in food. This review will focus on the use of bacteriocins alone, or in combination with other innovative processing methods to control spores in food, the current knowledge and gaps therein with regard to bacteriocin-spore interactions and discuss future research approaches to enable spores to be more effectively targeted by bacteriocins in food settings.KE, DF, CH, PC, MR, RR are supported by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, through the Food Institutional Research Measure, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ireland (DAFM 13/F/462) to PC and MR, a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Technology and Innovation Development Award (TIDA 14/TIDA/2286) to DF, SFI-PI funding (11/PI/1137) to PDC and the APC Microbiome Insitute under Grant Number SFI/12/RC/2273

Methylprednisolone for heart surgery in infants - A randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Although perioperative prophylactic glucocorticoids have been used for decades, whether they improve outcomes in infants after heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, registry-based trial involving infants (\u3c1 year of age) undergoing heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at 24 sites participating in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database. Registry data were used in the evaluation of outcomes. The infants were randomly assigned to receive prophylactic methylprednisolone (30 mg per kilogram of body weight) or placebo, which was administered into the cardiopulmonary-bypass pump-priming fluid. The primary end point was a ranked composite of death, heart transplantation, or any of 13 major complications. Patients without any of these events were assigned a ranked outcome based on postoperative length of stay. In the primary analysis, the ranked outcomes were compared between the trial groups with the use of odds ratios adjusted for prespecified risk factors. Secondary analyses included an unadjusted odds ratio, a win ratio, and safety outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1263 infants underwent randomization, of whom 1200 received either methylprednisolone (599 infants) or placebo (601 infants). The likelihood of a worse outcome did not differ significantly between the methylprednisolone group and the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 1.05; P = 0.14). Secondary analyses (unadjusted for risk factors) showed an odds ratio for a worse outcome of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.67 to 1.00) and a win ratio of 1.15 (95% CI, 1.00 to 1.32) in the methylprednisolone group as compared with the placebo group, findings suggestive of a benefit with methylprednisolone; however, patients in the methylprednisolone group were more likely than those in the placebo group to receive postoperative insulin for hyperglycemia (19.0% vs. 6.7%, P\u3c0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among infants undergoing surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, prophylactic use of methylprednisolone did not significantly reduce the likelihood of a worse outcome in an adjusted analysis and was associated with postoperative development of hyperglycemia warranting insulin in a higher percentage of infants than placebo. (Funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and others; STRESS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03229538.)

Status of the Pacific mackerel resource and fishery in 1998

Based on the projected Pacific mackerel biomass estimate of 132,500 tons for July 1, 1998, the commercial fishery quota for the 1998/99 fishing season was recommended and set at 33,700 short tons. The 1998 biomass was estimated using output from a stock assessment computer model called ADEPT and certain assumptions about fishing mortality during the first half of 1998. Several important changes were made to improve our assessment during 1998. The assessment model was changed from a quarterly to an annual one and now covers sixty-nine years of fishery data. New indices of relative abundance were added to the analysis to account for changes in mackerel biomass off central and northern California. The July 1, 1998, biomass estimate is slightly higher than last year's CDFG estimate of 101,000 tons for 1997. This year's results indicate there were more fish in the older year classes than previously estimated. (62pp.

Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibition Improves β-Cell Function in Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition alone or in combination with ACE inhibition improves glucose homeostasis and fibrinolysis in individuals with metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, and fibrinolytic parameters were measured in 18 adults with metabolic syndrome on 4 separate days after a randomized, crossover, double-blind, 3-week treatment with placebo, ramipril (10 mg/day), tadalafil (10 mg o.d.), and ramipril plus tadalafil. RESULTS: Ramipril decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, ACE activity, and angiotensin II and increased plasma renin activity. Ramipril did not affect insulin sensitivity or beta-cell function. In contrast, tadalafil improved beta-cell function (P = 0.01). This effect was observed in women (331.9 +/- 209.3 vs. 154.4 +/- 48.0 32 micro x mmol(-1) x l(-1), respectively, for tadalafil treatment vs. placebo; P = 0.01) but not in men. There was no effect of any treatment on fibrinolysis. CONCLUSIONS Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition may represent a novel strategy for improving beta-cell function in metabolic syndrome

In silico prediction and exploration of potential bacteriocin gene clusters within the bacterial genus Geobacillus

The thermophilic, endospore-forming genus of Geobacillus has historically been associated with spoilage of canned food. However, in recent years it has become the subject of much attention due its biotechnological potential in areas such as enzyme and biofuel applications. One aspect of this genus that has not been fully explored or realised is its use as a source of novel forms of the ribosomally synthesised antimicrobial peptides known as bacteriocins. To date only two bacteriocins have been fully characterised within this genus, i.e., Geobacillin I and II, with only a small number of others partially characterised. Here we bioinformatically investigate the potential of this genus as a source of novel bacteriocins through the use of the in silico screening software BAGEL3, which scans publically available genomes for potential bacteriocin gene clusters. In this study we examined the association of bacteriocin gene presence with niche and phylogenetic position within the genus. We also identified a number of candidates from multiple bacteriocin classes which may be promising antimicrobial candidates when investigated in vitro in future studies

Pharmacokinetics of intravenous sildenafil in children with palliated single ventricle heart defects: effect of elevated hepatic pressures

Abstract Aims Sildenafil is frequently prescribed to children with single ventricle heart defects. These children have unique hepatic physiology with elevated hepatic pressures, which may alter drug pharmacokinetics. We sought to determine the impact of hepatic pressure on sildenafil pharmacokinetics in children with single ventricle heart defects. Methods A population pharmacokinetic model was developed using data from 20 single ventricle children receiving single-dose intravenous sildenafil during cardiac catheterisation. Non-linear mixed effect modelling was used for model development, and covariate effects were evaluated based on estimated precision and clinical significance. Results The analysis included a median (range) of 4 (2–5) pharmacokinetic samples per child. The final structural model was a two-compartment model for sildenafil with a one-compartment model for des-methyl-sildenafil (active metabolite), with assumed 100% sildenafil to des-methyl-sildenafil conversion. Sildenafil clearance was unaffected by hepatic pressure (clearance=0.62 L/hour/kg); however, clearance of des-methyl-sildenafil (1.94×(hepatic pressure/9) −1.33 L/hour/kg) was predicted to decrease ~7-fold as hepatic pressure increased from 4 to 18 mmHg. Predicted drug exposure was increased by ~1.5-fold in subjects with hepatic pressures ⩾10 versus <10 mmHg (median area under the curve=533 versus 792 µg*h/L). Discussion Elevated hepatic pressure delays clearance of the sildenafil metabolite – des-methyl-sildenafil – and increases drug exposure. We speculate that this results from impaired biliary clearance. Hepatic pressure should be considered when prescribing sildenafil to children. These data demonstrate the importance of pharmacokinetic assessments in patients with unique cardiovascular physiology that may affect drug metabolism

Genome Sequence of Geobacillus stearothermophilus DSM 458, an Antimicrobial-Producing Thermophilic Bacterium, Isolated from a Sugar Beet Factory

peer-reviewedThis paper reports the full genome sequence of the antimicrobial-producing bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus DSM 458, isolated in a sugar beet factory in Austria. In silico analysis reveals the presence of a number of novel bacteriocin biosynthetic genes