An Individual-based Probabilistic Model for Fish Stock Simulation

We define an individual-based probabilistic model of a sole (Solea solea) behaviour. The individual model is given in terms of an Extended Probabilistic Discrete Timed Automaton (EPDTA), a new formalism that is introduced in the paper and that is shown to be interpretable as a Markov decision process. A given EPDTA model can be probabilistically model-checked by giving a suitable translation into syntax accepted by existing model-checkers. In order to simulate the dynamics of a given population of soles in different environmental scenarios, an agent-based simulation environment is defined in which each agent implements the behaviour of the given EPDTA model. By varying the probabilities and the characteristic functions embedded in the EPDTA model it is possible to represent different scenarios and to tune the model itself by comparing the results of the simulations with real data about the sole stock in the North Adriatic sea, available from the recent project SoleMon. The simulator is presented and made available for its adaptation to other species.Comment: In Proceedings AMCA-POP 2010, arXiv:1008.314

Prostorna raspodjela fizikalnih, kemijskih i bioloških oceanografskih karakteristika, fitoplanktona, hranjivih tvari i otopljene obojane organske materije (CDOM) u Bokokotorskom zaljevu na Jadranu

The temporal variations of temperature, salinity, fluorescence, dissolved oxygen concentration, Coloured Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) and of chemical (nutrients, chlorophyll a) and biological (phytoplankton composition) parameters in the Boka Kotorska Bay were observed during two periods. CDOM regulates the penetration of UV light into the sea and therefore plays an important role in many hydrological and biogeochemical processes in the sea surface layer including primary productivity. In the framework ADRICOSM-STAR it was possible to investigate the Boka Kotorska Bay during May and June 2008 in order to increase an understanding of optical and chemical characteristics and their evolution during these periods. In both periods station KO (located furthest from the open sea) presented different physical, chemical and biological characteristics with respect to the other stations inside the Boka Kotorska Bay. A positive correlation was found between CDOM and chlorophyll a (R = 0.7, P < 0.001, n = 15) and this implies that in this area, similarly to the open sea, the primary source of CDOM should be the biological production from phytoplankton. This is probably due to the fact that the rivers entering the Boka Kotorska Bay are not severely impacted by man.U Bokokotorskom zaljevu su mjerene vremenske promjene temperature, saliniteta, fluorescencije, koncentracije otopljenog kisika, obojene otopljene organske materije (CDOM) i kemijskih (hranjive soli, klorofila) i bioloških (sastav fitoplanktona) parametara tijekom dva razdoblja (svibanj i lipanj 2008. godine). CDOM određuje prodiranje UV svjetlosnih zraka u more i stoga igra vrlo važnu ulogu u mnogim hidrološkim i biogeokemijskim procesima u površinskom sloju mora koji uključuje primarnu produkciju. Unutar ADRICOSM-STAR projekta, bilo je moguće istražiti Bokokotorski zaljev tijekom svibnja i lipnja 2008. godine radi povećanja razumijevanja optičkih i kemijskih karakteristika i njihovog razvoja kroz ova razdoblja. Zbog dotoka krških rijeka i smanjenja razmjene s otvorenim morem, u oba razdoblja postaja KO (smještena najdalje od otvorenog mora) je pokazala različite fizikalne, kemijske i biolo{ke karakteristike u odnosu na postaje unutar Bokokotorskog zaljeva. Pronađena je pozitivna korelacija izme|u CDOM i klorofila a (R = 0.7, P < 0.001, n = 15) {to upućuje na to da bi u ovom području, slično otvorenom moru, primarni izvor CDOM trebao biti biološka produkcija od fitoplanktona. To je vjerojatno zbog toga što dotoci rijeka u Bokokotorskom zaljevu nisu ozbiljnije ugroženi ljudskim djelovanjem

Growth hormone-releasing hormone attenuates cardiac hypertrophy and improves heart function in pressure overload-induced heart failure

It has been shown that growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) reduces cardiomyocyte (CM) apoptosis, prevents ischemia/reperfusion injury, and improves cardiac function in ischemic rat hearts. However, it is still not known whether GHRH would be beneficial for life-threatening pathological conditions, like cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). Thus, we tested the myocardial therapeutic potential of GHRH stimulation in vitro and in vivo, using GHRH or its agonistic analog MR-409. We show that in vitro, GHRH(1-44)NH2attenuates phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiac cells, adult rat ventricular myocytes, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CMs, decreasing expression of hypertrophic genes and regulating hypertrophic pathways. Underlying mechanisms included blockade of Gq signaling and its downstream components phospholipase Cβ, protein kinase Ce, calcineurin, and phospholamban. The receptor-dependent effects of GHRH also involved activation of Gαsand cAMP/PKA, and inhibition of increase in exchange protein directly activated by cAMP1 (Epac1). In vivo, MR-409 mitigated cardiac hypertrophy in mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction and improved cardiac function. Moreover, CMs isolated from transverse aortic constriction mice treated with MR-409 showed improved contractility and reversal of sarcolemmal structure. Overall, these results identify GHRH as an antihypertrophic regulator, underlying its therapeutic potential for HF, and suggest possible beneficial use of its analogs for treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy

Assessment of spatio-temporal variability of faecal pollution along coastal waters during and after rainfall events

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Manini, E., Baldrighi, E., Ricci, F., Grilli, F., Giovannelli, D., Intoccia, M., Casabianca, S., Capellacci, S., Marinchel, N., Penna, P., Moro, F., Campanelli, A., Cordone, A., Correggia, M., Bastoni, D., Bolognini, L., Marini, M., & Penna, A. Assessment of spatio-temporal variability of faecal pollution along coastal waters during and after rainfall events. Water, 14(3), (2022): 502, https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030502.More than 80% of wastewaters are discharged into rivers or seas, with a negative impact on water quality along the coast due to the presence of potential pathogens of faecal origin. Escherichia coli and enterococci are important indicators to assess, monitor, and predict microbial water quality in natural ecosystems. During rainfall events, the amount of wastewater delivered to rivers and coastal systems is increased dramatically. This study implements measures capable of monitoring the pathways of wastewater discharge to rivers and the transport of faecal bacteria to the coastal area during and following extreme rainfall events. Spatio-temporal variability of faecal microorganisms and their relationship with environmental variables and sewage outflow in an area located in the western Adriatic coast (Fano, Italy) was monitored. The daily monitoring during the rainy events was carried out for two summer seasons, for a total of five sampling periods. These results highlight that faecal microbial contaminations were related to rainy events with a high flow of wastewater, with recovery times for the microbiological indicators varying between 24 and 72 h and influenced by a dynamic dispersion. The positive correlation between ammonium and faecal bacteria at the Arzilla River and the consequences in seawater can provide a theoretical basis for controlling ammonium levels in rivers as a proxy to monitor the potential risk of bathing waters pathogen pollution.This research was funded by WATERCARE project (Water management solutions for reducing microbial environment impact in coastal areas, project ID 10044130, https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/watercare, accessed on 17 October 2021) funded by the European Union under the Interreg Italy–Croatia CBC Programme

Towards a global Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network (FVON): state of the art and future directions

Ocean observations are the foundation of our understanding of ocean processes. Improving these observations has critical implications for our ability to sustainably derive food from the ocean, predict extreme weather events that take a toll on human life, and produce the goods and services that are needed to meet the needs of a vast and growing population. While there have been great leaps forward in sustained operational monitoring of our oceans there are still key data gaps which result in sub-optimal ocean management and policy decisions. The global fishing industry represents a vast opportunity to create a paradigm shift in how ocean data are collected: the spatio-temporal extent of ocean data gaps overlaps significantly with fishers’ activities; fishing vessels are suitable platforms of opportunity to host communications and sensor equipment; and many fishing vessels effectively conduct a depth-profile through the water column in the course of normal fishing activities, representing a powerful subsurface data collection opportunity. Fishing vessel-collected ocean data can complement existing ocean observing networks by enabling the cost-effective collection of vast amounts of subsurface ocean information in data-sparse regions. There is an emerging global network of fishing vessels participating in collaborative efforts to collect oceanographic data accelerated by innovations in enabling technologies. While there are clear opportunities that arise from partnering with fishing vessels, there are also challenges ranging from geographic and cultural differences in fleets, fishing methods and practices, data processing and management for heterogeneous data, as well as long term engagement of the fishers. To advance fishing vessel-based ocean observation on a global scale, the Fishing Vessel Ocean Observing Network (FVON) aims to maximize data value, establish best practices around data collection and management, and facilitate observation uptake. FVON’s ultimate goals are to foster collaborative fishing vessel-based observations, democratize ocean observation, improve ocean predictions and forecasts, promote sustainable fishing, and power a data-driven blue economy

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

DISPAS: Individual-based Modelling and Simulation for\ud Demersal Fish Population Dynamics

This thesis is divided into four main chapters.\ud Chapter 1 gives definitions and describes the context and problems of fishing to which the stock assessment is related, in particular: Ecosystems, and Fishery and Fish Stock Assessment. Some biological characteristics of the Common Sole (Solea Solea) are introduced and the stock assessment of this demersal fish is derived from a recent scientific survey, SoleMon, made by specialized marine biologists.\ud Chapter 2 sets the computer science context elaborating on the Agent-base Paradigm and on Agent-based Modelling and Simulation.\ud Chapter 3 describes the theory and the background of the developed model and simulator, giving an overview of Repast Simphony, the agent-base platform over which the DISPAS simulator is developed. Moreover, experimental results, the validation of such results and some preliminary predictions made using the simulator are also presented in this chapter.\ud Finally, Chapter 4 concludes and gives several directions for future work

Chamelea gallina reproductive biology and Minimum Conservation Reference Size: implications for fishery management in the Adriatic Sea

Background: The striped venus clam Chamelea gallina is an economically important species in Adriatic Sea fisheries. The use of hydraulic dredging for its catch has a long history in Italy and its management faced several stages of development in the last 40 years. A great effort has been made in the past two decades to move from poorly or weakly managed fisheries to a well-structured co-management system to improve the sustainability of this fishery. However, a prerequisite for appropriate resource management is a sound knowledge of the biology and reproductive strategy of the species. Results: We investigated three major biological features– the gametogenic cycle, size at sexual maturity and partial fecundity – by microscopic, histological and video analysis techniques. We demonstrated that its breeding season is driven by rises in seawater temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration and that its spawning period lasted from March to September. Size at sexual maturity was reached very early in the life cycle. As regards partial fecundity – the number of mature oocytes potentially released by females with ripe gonads in a single release event – varied in relation to size. Nevertheless, the reduction on the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) from 25 to 22 mm (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2237) lead to a 40% reduction in the number of emitted eggs. Conclusions: We suggest that the ability of Adriatic clam stocks to withstand the strong fishing pressure of the past 40 years and the present one is due to their high reproductive potential and multiple spawning events combined with the effect of management measures (closed areas/seasons, quota, MCRS) and technical constraints on the gear and the sieve on board. Moreover, since the reduced MCRS for Venus shells is still larger than the size at maturity, it will probably not be detrimental to the reproductive capacity of the stock

Core-periphery clustering and collaboration networks

International audienc

The AMERIGO Lander and the Automatic Benthic Chamber (CBA): Two New Instruments to Measure Benthic Fluxes of Dissolved Chemical Species

Marine environments are currently subject to strong ecological pressure due to local and global anthropic stressors, such as pollutants and atmospheric inputs, which also cause ocean acidification and warming. These strains can result in biogeochemical cycle variations, environmental pollution, and changes in benthic-pelagic coupling processes. Two new devices, the Amerigo Lander and the Automatic Benthic Chamber (CBA), have been developed to measure the fluxes of dissolved chemical species between sediment and the water column, to assess the biogeochemical cycle and benthic-pelagic coupling alterations due to human activities. The Amerigo Lander can operate in shallow as well as deep water (up to 6000 m), whereas the CBA has been developed for the continental shelf (up to 200 m). The lander can also be used to deploy a range of instruments on the seafloor, to study the benthic ecosystems. The two devices have successfully been tested in a variety of research tasks and environmental impact assessments in shallow and deep waters. Their measured flux data show good agreement and are also consistent with previous data