Search

Australia's fisheries have experience in responding individually to specific shocks to stock levels (for example, marine heatwaves, floods) and markets (for example, global financial crisis, food safety access barriers). The COVID-19 pandemic was, however, novel in triggering a series of systemic shocks and disruptions to the activities and operating conditions for all Australia's commercial fisheries sectors including those of the research agencies that provide the information needed for their sustainable management. While these disruptions have a single root cause—the public health impacts and containment responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—their transmission and effects have been varied. We examine both the impacts on Australian fisheries triggered by measures introduced by governments both internationally and domestically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and the countermeasures introduced to support continuity in fisheries and aquaculture production and supply chains. Impacts on fisheries production are identified by comparing annual and monthly catch data for Australia's commercial fisheries in 2020 with averages for the last 4–5 years. We combine this with a survey of the short-term disruption to and impacts on research organisations engaged in fisheries monitoring and assessment and the adaptive measures they deployed. The dominant impact identified was triggered by containment measures both within Australia and in export receiving countries which led to loss of export markets and domestic dine-in markets for live or fresh seafood. The most heavily impact fisheries included lobster and abalone (exported live) and specific finfishes (exported fresh or sold live domestically), which experienced short-term reductions in both production and price. At the same time, improved prices and demand for seafood sold into domestic retail channels were observed. The impacts observed were both a function of the disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the countermeasures and support programs introduced by various national and state-level governments across Australia to at least partly mitigate negative impacts on harvesting activities and supply chains. These included protecting fisheries activities from specific restrictive COVID-19 containment measures, pro-actively re-establishing freight links, supporting quota roll-overs, and introducing wage and businesses support packages. Fisheries research organisations were impacted to various degrees, largely determined by the extent to which their field monitoring activities were protected from specific restrictive COVID-19 containment measures by their state-level governments. Responses of these organisations included reducing fisheries dependent and independent data collection as required while developing strategies to continue to provide assessment services, including opportunistic innovations to harvest data from new data sources. Observed short run impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has emphasised both the vulnerability of fisheries dependent on export markets, live or fresh markets, and long supply chains and the resilience of fisheries research programs. We suggest that further and more comprehensive analysis over a longer time period of the long-run impacts of subsequent waves of variants, extended pandemic containment measures, autonomous and planned adaptive responses would be beneficial for the development of more effective counter measures for when the next major external shock affects Australian fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The combination of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (TIP) is frequently used for the treatment of metastatic germ cell tumors. Due to complex supportive care and infusion requirements, TIP is typically given in the inpatient setting. This analysis describes the development and implementation of a protocol for complete outpatient administration of TIP chemotherapy. Methods: From July 2020 to June 2021, adults receiving TIP for germ cell tumor at University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center were evaluated for outpatient administration. The primary outcome was number of inpatient bed days saved by giving outpatient TIP chemotherapy, with the goal of giving 75% of TIP cycles outpatient. Patients receiving outpatient TIP were also assessed for chemotherapy dose reduction or delays and acute toxicities of kidney injury, encephalopathy, and hemorrhagic cystitis. Results: From July 2020 to July 2021, three patients received 13 cycles of TIP. Ten cycles (77%) were administered in the outpatient setting, resulting in a savings of 50 inpatient bed days in one year. No patients required a dose reduction or delay in chemotherapy or experienced acute kidney injury, encephalopathy, or hemorrhagic cystitis during outpatient TIP treatment. Conclusion: Despite logistic and supportive care challenges, TIP can be administered completely in the outpatient setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on OSU 541.147 is a new hybrid hazelnut (Corylus) cultivar for eastern North America. Topics include examines it was released by the Hybrid Hazelnut Consortium in April 2020 for its resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by the fungus Anisogramma anomala, suitability to the kernel market, and superiority in nut yield and kernel quality when compared with hybrid hazelnut seedling populations.

We estimated natural selection targeting three traits related to habitat choice in a frog (Pseudacris maculata) breeding in pools on the rocky shores of Isle Royale, Michigan, over 16 years. Our aim was to identify the form and ecological causes of annual variation in directional and correlational selection as expressed in the survival and growth of tadpoles. We found directional selection favoring early breeding, but pool choice was under weak stabilizing selection. However, the form of stabilizing selection and the position of the optimum trait value shifted among years with the severity of disturbance and the intensity of biotic interactions. In years when wave wash and pool desiccation were severe, selection shifted to favor tadpoles in habitats where these risks were less pronounced. If predatory dragonfly larvae were abundant, selection favored tadpoles in small pools where dragonflies did not occur. When intraspecific competition was strong, selection favored early broods within a broader range of pool types. The agents of selection in this study—biotic interactions and disturbance—are common to many ecological systems and frequently exhibit temporal variation; this suggests that fluctuating selection may be widespread in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clostridioides difficile is the leading health care–associated pathogen, but clinicians lack a test that can reliably differentiate colonization from infection. Health care costs attributed to C. difficile are substantial, but the economic burden associated with C. difficile false positives is poorly understood. Methods A propensity score matching model for cost per hospitalization was developed to estimate the costs of both true infection and false positives. Predictors of C. difficile positivity used to estimate the propensity score were age, Charlson comorbidity index, white cell count, and creatinine. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold to identify and compare 3 groups: (1) true infection, (2) C. difficile colonization, and (3) C. difficile negative. Results A positive test was associated with $3018 higher unadjusted hospital cost. Among the 3 comparisons made with propensity-matched negative controls (all positives [+$179; P =.934], true positives [–$1892; P =.100], and colonized positives), only colonization was associated with significantly increased (+$3418; P =.012) cost. Differences in lengths of stay (all positives 0 days, P =.126; true 0 days, P =.919; colonized 1 day, P =.019) appeared to underly cost differences. Conclusions In the first C. difficile cost analysis to utilize PCR cycle threshold to differentiate colonization, we found high propensity-matched hospital costs associated with colonized but not true positives. This unexpected finding may be due to misdiagnosis of non– C. difficile diarrhea or unadjusted factors associated with colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisogramma anomala, Corylus avellana, eastern filbert blight, nut breeding. [Extracted from the article]

Highlights • A study was completed observing changes in temperature at multiple locations along a single borehole heat exchanger. • Temperatures in formations with rock that had higher thermal conductivity tended to remain stable and allow for greater heat flux. Abstract This paper presents the results of a study where subsurface temperatures were monitored adjacent to the u-tube of a central borehole of a large scale 144 borehole heat exchanger (BHE) at multiple depths. This was an effort to develop a method to characterize the variability of thermal properties of the various lithological units surrounding the BHEs of large scale ground coupled heat pump systems during the operation of the system. Saturation of the units and lithology was shown to affect the performance of the BHE resulting variable temperature fluctuations and heat flux at different depths within the borehole. Median heat flux tended to increase with decreasing temperature ranges measured by the sensors. The lowest median heat flux was in the location nearest to the surface in the least saturated zone. In the more saturated zone, the highest median heat flux were at locations where the lithological units were composed of 75 percent or greater dolomite while the lowest median heat flux where in lithological units composed of 30 percent or greater chert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Great Australian Bight is one of Australia's most valuable marine ecosystems supporting globally significant populations of marine mammals, seabirds, and diverse and highly endemic benthic assemblages, as well as important fishing, aquaculture and ecotourism industries. The region is also considered a significant frontier for potential offshore petroleum resources and is actively being explored for oil and gas. The Great Australian Bight Research Program (GABRP) was an innovative, multi-year, $20 million, inter-disciplinary research collaboration involving BP Developments Australia (BP), CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide and Flinders University, that was developed in response to exploration activities in the region. The Program was the first large-scale, integrated study of the Great Australian Bight that involved more than 100 of Australia's leading scientists to generate a whole-of-system understanding of the region's environmental, economic and social values. We outline the processes to establish this strategic research collaboration, identify the key areas for success, and critically the lessons learned in order to guide future initiatives in regions open to exploration and development. As a result of the GABRP, there is now a legacy of data, information and models to inform future sustainable development in the Great Australian Bight; leading to the region now being one of the better understood deep water Australian marine systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was completed comparing the effectiveness of the borehole heat exchanger (BHE) of a large scale, closed-loop geothermal system to seasonal fluctuations in the saturation of the surrounding bedrock. The BHE consisted of 144 production wells drilled to a depth of 122 m into karstic bedrock. Water levels in a nearby groundwater monitoring well were used to characterize the changes in the saturation of the bedrock. The study showed a significant increase in the effectiveness of the BHE as the saturation of the aquifer increased. The effectiveness of the BHE was typically near 0.8 when saturation was highest. The effectiveness decreased to 0.4 when saturation lowered past a threshold, but tended to remain stable as saturation continued to decrease. Our study assembled evidence that a single borehole thermal response tests in karstic environments may not capture the seasonal changes in the saturation of the surrounding bedrock. Complete characterization of the site’s subsurface geology, hydrology, and use of multiple borehole thermal response tests during periods of high, low, and median saturation of the surrounding bedrock will better help stakeholders plan and design large scale geothermal systems in karstic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was completed comparing the effectiveness of a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) within a large scale closed-loop geothermal system to changes in groundwater flow, as a result of periodic pumping of a large municipal well. The BHE studied consists of 144 geoexchange boreholes drilled to a depth of 122 m into karstic bedrock of the Ozark Aquifer. Estimated groundwater flows rates range from 15 to 1.1 × 10 −3  m/year were measured, and the effectiveness of the BHE during pumping was calculated to understand the effects of groundwater flow on the system. Changes in the BHE effectiveness under varying flow rates were compared to estimates from previous study estimates with changes in aquifer saturation. Overall, the variations in aquifer saturation tended to have the greatest influence on the effectiveness of the BHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the pollenizers of Hazelnut called ‘York' and ‘Felix'. It tals about the presence of the random amplified polymorphic DNA markers creating resistance to eastern filbert blight. It discusses the hybrid seeds of the fruit. It discusses the breed of the hazelnut including germplasm.

The article introduces the cultivar named Burgundy Lace which is a ornamental hazelnut released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment station. It discusses the cultivar's properties including its resistance to eastern filbert blight (EFB) disease caused by Anisogramma anomala, analyzes the variety's nut yield efficiency, rating of catkins and pollen in the trial.

The El Manatí archaeological site in Veracruz State, Mexico, is famous for its deposits of ceremonial stone axes and beads from the Olmec culture. Some of these have been considered to be in jadeite-jade, but this rock type in these artefacts has never before been physico-chemically verified. A portable Raman spectrometer was employed in situ inside the Centro-INAH Veracruz reserve for this remote analytical operation of non-destructive direct hand-held analysis to identify some of the mineral species present. The key points of interest were as follows: which objects can correctly be called 'jade' because they contain the high-pressure minerals jadeite or omphacite and, if so, with what mol. % Jd (Jd%) in the solid-solution jadeite-diopside-hedenbergite. The Jd% value was then quantified from the wavenumber shift of the symmetric Si-O-Si Raman vibration band. Although some artefacts did not yield any usable Raman spectra, exploitable spectra were obtained from 41 stone axes or beads. Jadeite was found in 13 artefacts and omphacite in another 11. Jd% varied from 95 to 38% such that many of these jades are actually omphacite-jade rather than jadeite-jade. The complicated terminology of jades is thus re-examined. A partial correlation is shown to exist between the Jd% value and the density of the artefacts. These results provide important, hitherto unknown, mineralogical data for archaeologists studying artefacts at different horizons at different sites of Mesoamerican cultures. These results also allow these artefacts to be now labelled correctly in their Museum reserve or exhibition display. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cabozantinib (XL184), an orally bioavailable inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and MET, was assessed in a cohort of ovarian carcinoma patients as part of a phase 2 randomised discontinuation trial (RDT) with cohorts from nine different tumour types. Patients and methods Patients received 100-mg cabozantinib daily. Those with stable disease (SD) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at week 12 were randomised to cabozantinib or placebo. Primary end-points were objective response rate (ORR) at week 12 and progression-free survival (PFS) after random assignment. Results Seventy patients with ovarian carcinoma, 50% of whom were platinum refractory/resistant, were enrolled in this RDT. Median PFS from day 1 was 5.5 months for all patients. The ORR at week 12 was 21%; one patient achieved a complete response (CR), and 14 patients (20%) achieved a confirmed partial response (PR). The overall disease control rate (CR + PR + SD) at week 12 was 50%. Throughout the study, 70% of the patients with ≥1 postbaseline scan had tumour regression, and randomisation was discontinued early. For patients with SD randomised to cabozantinib, PFS was 5.9 months after randomisation. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhoea (14%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (6%), asthenia (6%), hypertension (6%) and neutropenia (6%). Dose reductions were required in 37% of the patients during the first 12 weeks. Conclusion Cabozantinib demonstrates clinical activity, with acceptable toxicities, in patients with ovarian carcinoma based on ORR and regression of tumour target lesions. Registration This trial is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov ( NCT00940225 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is now widely accepted as the best means of managing the complex interactions in marine systems. However, progress towards implementing and operationalizing it has been slow. We take a pragmatic approach to EBM. Our simple definition is balancing human activities and environmental stewardship in a multiple-use context. In this paper, we present case studies on the development and implementation of EBM in Australia. The case studies (Australia's Ocean Policy, the Great Barrier Reef, New South Wales (NSW) marine estate, Gladstone Harbour, and South Australia and Spencer Gulf) span different spatial scales, from national to regional to local. They also cover different levels of governance or legislated mandate. We identify the key learnings, necessary components and future needs to support better implementation. These include requirements for clearly identified needs and objectives, stakeholder ownership, well defined governance frameworks, and scientific tools to deal with conflicts and trade-offs. Without all these components, multi-sector management will be difficult and there will be a tendency to maintain a focus on single sectors. While the need to manage individual sectors remains important and is often challenging, this alone will not necessarily ensure sustainable management of marine systems confronted by increasing cumulative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the "McDonald" hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) which was released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in January 2014. Topics include the origin of the hazelnut, the description of the plant, and its availability and legal protection under the U.S. Plant Patent. Several tables are also presented.

Apoptosis is a tightly regulated cellular process and faulty regulation of apoptosis is a hallmark of human cancers. Targeting key apoptosis regulators with the goal to restore apoptosis in tumor cells has been pursued as a new cancer therapeutic strategy. XIAP, cIAP1, and cIAP2, members of inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins, are critical regulators of cell death and survival and are attractive targets for new cancer therapy. The SMAC/DIABLO protein is an endogenous antagonist of XIAP, cIAP1, and cIAP2. In the last decade, intense research efforts have resulted in the design and development of several small-molecule SMAC mimetics now in clinical trials for cancer treatment. In this review, we will discuss the roles of XIAP, cIAP1, and cIAP2 in regulation of cell death and survival, and the design and development of small-molecule SMAC mimetics as novel cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the characteristics of 'Wepster' which is a new hazelnut cultivar for the blanched kemel market. It discusses contributions of the Wepster family to the Oregon hazelnut industry and the Oregon State University (OSU) hazelnut breeding program. It also talks about creation of an endowed professorship at the OSU Foundation to support the breeding program.

Smith, A. D. M., Smith D. C., Haddon, M., Knuckey, I., Sainsbury, K. J., and Sloan, S. 2014. Implementing harvest strategies in Australia: 5 years on. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 71: 195–203.Australian Commonwealth fisheries are managed using a formal harvest strategy policy (HSP) introduced by the federal government in 2007. At the State level, a number of commercial fisheries are also managed under formal harvest strategies, but no overarching policy currently exists to guide their consistent implementation across jurisdictions. There have been 5 years of experience with implementation of the Commonwealth policy across the highly diverse array of commercial fisheries found in Australia. The HSP has an explicit target of maximum economic yield, and an explicit limit set at half the biomass that would support maximum sustainable yield. The policy also specifies an acceptable level of risk associated with falling below the limit reference point. We discuss the experience gained from implementing the HSP in Australia, including a number of challenges faced, and attempt to summarize the benefits and costs of implementing harvest strategies. Our view is that, overall, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article features the Dorris hazelnut, Corylus avellana L. cultivar which was released by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station in February 2011. The plant breed was tested at the Oregon State University (OSU) from a cross breed with the Delta cultivar by Shawn A. Mehlenbacher and David C. Smith in 1997. Dorris was compared with other hazelnut varieties based on nut yields, trunk cross-sectional area, yield efficiency and bud mite ratings.

The paper presents time-resolved incoherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (TRIARS) measurements of the population dynamics of G-mode phonons in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), in which the G+ and G- dynamics are separated. The measurements were performed as a function of temperature over the full range 4-600 K, and at two laser excitation energies, 1.51 and 1.63 eV, which give TRIARS signals from SWCNTs in two different diameter distributions, 0.99 < d < 1.05 nm and 0.88 < d < 0.97 nm, respectively. The population lifetimes determined from the experiments were, to within experimental error, independent of mode type and diameter. In all cases the temperature dependence of the population lifetimes was well fitted by a model that assumes that two-phonon anharmonic decay is the dominant process and that the lower-energy daughter phonon has an energy of approximately 400 ± 100 cm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an obituary for lichenologist Vernon Ahmadjian.

We report time-resolved incoherent anti-Stokes Ramanscatteringmeasurements of the dynamics of the D and G′ bands in single-walledcarbon nanotubes at excitation energies of 1.51 and 1.63 eV over thetemperature range 4–330 K. The measurements indicate that thepopulation lifetimes (∼1 ps) of the phonons responsible forthe D band are dependent on nanotube type. The temperature dependenciesare consistent with anharmonic decay of the phonons into one low (<190cm–1) and one high energy phonon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punt, A. E., Smith, D. C., and Smith, A. D. M. 2011. Among-stock comparisons for improving stock assessments of data-poor stocks: the “Robin Hood” approach. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 972–981.An approach is outlined for conducting stock assessments in which parameters are estimated for multiple stocks at the same time. Information from data-rich stock assessments, e.g. trends in fishing mortality, and values for parameters of selectivity functions are provided to data-poor assessments in the form of penalties on the estimated parameters, which leads to stock assessments for the most data-poor stocks being informed by those for the most data-rich stocks. The method is applied for example purposes to data for nine stocks in Australia's southern and eastern scalefish and shark fishery. The results of the application confirm that results for data-rich stocks are little impacted by being assessed in conjunction with data-poor stocks and that the results for data-poor stocks can be qualitatively different when information for data-rich stocks is taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of a multiagent taxane-based chemotherapy combined with hormonal therapy in men with metastatic androgen-dependent prostate cancer in a multicenter, cooperative group, single-arm trial. Methods: A total of 41 patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer involving both the axial and the appendicular skeletons or viscera were enrolled. Of the 41 patients, 35 were treated with combined androgen blockade and ≤4 cycles of oral estramustine (280 mg orally 3 times daily) and etoposide (50 mg/m2 daily) for 14 days of each 21-day cycle, with paclitaxel (135 mg/m2 intravenously within 1 hour) on day 2 of each cycle. Chemotherapy was started within 30 days of the initiation of hormonal therapy. The patients were followed up to determine the progression-free survival. Results: The 35 patients received a total of 126 cycles of chemotherapy, with 30 receiving all 4 cycles. The median progression-free survival for the evaluable population was 13 months (95% confidence interval 10-16), with a median overall survival of 38 months (95% confidence interval 28-49). The main toxicities were myelosuppression, with 9 patients experiencing grade 3 or greater neutropenia and 1 developing grade 4 thrombocytopenia. One patient died of neutropenic infection. Thrombosis embolism occurred 4 times (3 of grade 4 and 1 of grade 3), with 1 episode of grade 4 cardiac ischemia. Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that the administration of chemotherapy to this population is feasible, with moderate toxicity. Taxane-based chemotherapy did not demonstrate significant efficacy in this high-risk population of patients with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the species Tonda Pacifica hazelnut, Corylus avellana L., cultivar for the kernel market. It discusses its origin, the tree size and shape and nut yields in comparison with other hazelnut cultivars. It also presents the licensing agreement with Viveros Nefuen in Hijuelas, Chile for the propagation and sale of trees of Tonda Pacifica.

Abstract: A UV laser has now been used to measure the Raman spectrum of lonsdaleite. This mineral species is a little-known hexagonal form of carbon having no known P–T field of stability. Lonsdaleite is known to coexist with diamond and/or graphite in certain impact structures and meteorites. Its presence in microinclusions in some ultrahigh-pressure eclogites is under discussion as there is a considerable wavenumber overlap of the sp 3 Raman band of lonsdaleite in the 1200–1400cm−1 region with certain bands of haematite, graphite and diamond, and also with “disordered-diamond” having a downshifted wavenumber. Various incoherent previously published values of the Raman bands are briefly reviewed and an attempt is made to establish a reference spectrum. Four samples of lonsdaleite from the Zapadnaya and Popigai impact structures (Ukraine) were measured with three different laser sources (488, 514.5 and 325nm) with two Raman spectrometers. UV-Raman was less fluorescent. All the new data were coherent in establishing an sp 3 band centred at 1324±4cm−1 with a FWHM about five times wider than that of diamond and an intensity about 500 times weaker. The presence of a second band giving a weak shoulder around 1225cm−1 is discussed with respect to the alternative of one continuous asymmetrical band. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present a method for the rapid and simple extraction of DNA from marine sediments using electroelution. It effectively separates DNA from compounds, including humic substances, that interfere with subsequent DNA quantification and amplification. After extraction of the DNA from the sediment into an aqueous solution, the crude sample is encased in 2% agarose gel and exposed to an electrical current, which draws the DNA out of the gel into a centrifugal filter vial. After electroelution, the sample is centrifuged to remove contaminants ≤100 000 Da. Recovery of DNA using this method is quantitative and does not discriminate on the basis of size, as determined using DNA standards and DNA extracts from environmental samples. Amplification of DNA is considerably improved due to removal of PCR inhibitors. For Archaea, only these purified extracts yielded PCR products. This method allows for the use of relatively large volumes of sediment and is particularly useful for sediments containing low biomass such as deeply buried marine sediments. It works with both organic-rich and -poor sediment, as well as with sediment where calcium carbonate is abundant and sediment where it is limited; consequently, adjustment of protocols is unnecessary for samples with very different organic and mineral contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) is a complex multi-species fishery, with 34 stock units under quota management, for which a harvest strategy framework was developed in 2005. The framework involves the application of a set of tier-based harvest control rules (HCR) designed to provide a precautionary approach to management. The harvest strategy framework has been applied from 2005 to 2007, resulting in substantial reductions in quotas across the fishery. The experience in implementing the framework, both positive and negative, is described, and general lessons are drawn. Key lessons include the importance of formally testing such strategies using management strategy evaluation, the impact of external management drivers on implementation of the approach, the need to define strategies for setting “bycatch quotas” in multi-species fisheries, and the need for flexibility and pragmatism in the early stages of implementing such an approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Australia has developed a Harvest Strategy Policy (HSP) for Commonwealth fisheries. A harvest strategy specifies the management actions necessary to achieve defined resource objectives in a given fishery, resulting in a formal and proactive management approach that is transparent to all stakeholders. The objectives of the HSP are defined in terms of target and limit biomass reference points, although proxies can be used. It is a significant challenge, therefore, to develop harvest strategies for most small fisheries, which are typically data-poor, have only basic or no formal stock assessments, and have low Gross Value of Production (GVP). For the small Commonwealth fisheries, even indirect biomass estimates are unavailable and, due to their low GVP, it is unlikely that relevant research will be undertaken to determine reliable biomass estimates in the foreseeable future. This paper provides insight into developing harvest strategy frameworks that reconcile the reality and limitations of small fisheries with the intent of the HSP: to cease or avoid overfishing, to rebuild overfished stocks, and to maintain stocks at levels corresponding to the maximum economic yield. The process of harvest strategy development is evaluated and general principles for the pragmatic development and implementation of harvest strategies for small, low-value, data-poor fisheries are considered. These general principles include (i) the development of sets of triggers with conservative response levels, with progressively higher data and analysis requirements at higher response levels, (ii) identifying data gathering protocols and subsequent simple analyses to better assess the fishery, (iii) archiving biological data for possible future analysis, and (iv) the use of spatial management, either as the main aspect of the harvest strategy or an augmentation with other measures. The value of an iterative approach involving stakeholders and managers is emphasized. The above principles are illustrated by three case studies from Australia''s small Commonwealth fisheries: the Western Deepwater and North West Slope Trawl Fisheries, the Coral Sea Fishery, and the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Age-reading error occurs when estimates of age based on reading hard structures differ from the true age of the animal concerned. This error needs to be accounted for when conducting stock assessments. Common methods for quantifying age-reading error include the average percent error, the coefficient of variation, age bias plots, and age difference tables, but these techniques cannot be used to construct age-reading error matrices. A method for constructing age-reading error matrices that accounts for both ageing bias and ageing imprecision is outlined. Simulation evaluation of this method suggests that it is able to estimate both ageing bias (assuming that one reader is unbiased) and ageing imprecision for relatively large sample sizes and for the ages that constitute the bulk of the ages in the sample. However, the performance of the method is poor when sample sizes are small, age-reading error is correlated among readers, when both readers are biased, and for ages that are poorly represented in the sample. The method is applied for illustrative purposes to data on multiple-aged fish in Australia’s southern and eastern scalefish and shark fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Raman microscopy (RM) is widely used in archaeometrical studies of pigments, geomaterials and biomaterials in the Cultural Heritage, but one domain has received relatively less attention: the colouring of stained glass. This feasibility study investigates the advantages and disadvantages of employing RM alone in this field by means of a study of modern commercial glasses, modern commercial pigments, and a few archaeological stained glasses, but especially by an experimental project whereby the authors created stained glass. The different kinds of possible unreacted or reacted material are rigorously established. The distinction between Na, K, Ca glasses was explored, as well as the red colouring of an industrial glass which was proved to be due to the presence of (Zn, Cd)S x Se1−x . Yellow, green, blue and maroon pigments were studied before and after an initial firing and then after heating on glass. The quality of the Raman spectra varied enormously and was sometimes disappointing. Nevertheless RM successfully identified various coloured products such as bindheimite, crocoite, cobalt aluminate, haematite; relict reactants such as corundum, eskolaite and oxides of Co or Pb; and provided indications of other phases such as maghemite or Co-olivine. One conclusion is that the amount of chemical reaction between the pigments and the glass is small compared to the amount in between the pigments. Comments are made on the potential for dating archaeological glass from the known age of synthesis of the pigments, and of the dangers of this approach. Overall it has been shown that RM can be useful for studying stained glass, especially for remote in situ analytical operations with mobile RM, but one must expect some problems either with fluorescence or weak spectra. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Kimi Unit of the Rhodope Metamorphic Province (RMP), NE Greece, experienced ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism (UHPM), as documented by the unequivocal presence of diamond microinclusions in metapelitic garnet porphyroblasts. Certain peculiar lozenge-shaped 2–8μm sized inclusions in diamond-bearing garnets reveal a broad composite and asymmetric triplet band (phase XXX) at ∼1331cm−1 in their Raman spectra acquired with a 632.8nm He–Ne laser, initially attributed to an sp3-hybridized C-polymorph. These have been meticulously re-investigated by means of combined 2-wavelength (514.5nm/632.8nm laser) Raman microscopy. Raman mapping has been extensively employed in order to examine the spatial distribution of phase XXX and of other phases in these polyphase inclusions and to explore for additional Raman bands. The triplet band at ∼1331cm−1 measured with the 632.8nm laser shifts to much higher wavenumbers (∼4966cm−1) when excited with a 514.5nm Ar+ laser, proving that the XXX triplet is not a real Raman band but a luminescence one at ∼691.1nm. Numerous hypotheses on the nature of the mysterious phase XXX (e.g. Cr3+-bearing mineral, carbonate, C polymorph, gas, organic phase) are explored and discussed but all are shown to be unsatisfactory. It is suggested that XXX occurs as nanocrystals that luminesce strongly giving the appearance (in Raman maps) of being larger. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Due to its particular mode of growth, the coral skeleton provides a natural model for evaluating the successive stages of diagenesis in a still-living organism. The spatial distribution of skeletal organic matrices and their early diagenesis have been investigated in a scleractinian skeleton with in situ micron-scale analyses by Raman Microspectroscopy. Results indicate that the decay of the organic matrices occurs within a few years. We suggest that the gradual deterioration of the skeletal organic matrices is a key-mechanism driving earliest diagenesis in coral skeletons and represents the starting-point of the process of fossilization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is well documented that microbial contamination of coastal waters poses a significant risk to human health through recreational exposure and consumption of shellfish. Identifying the source of microbial contamination (microbial source tracking) plays a dominant role in enabling effective management and remediation strategies. One method used to determine the source of the contamination is quantification of the ratio of the four subgroups of F+-specific RNA coliphages (family Leviviridae) in impacted water samples. Because of typically low concentrations in the environment, enrichment assays are performed prior to detection, even though differential replication rates have been reported. These assays are also compromised by differential loss of phage infectivity among subgroups after release into the environment, thus obscuring the initial ratio. Here, a culture-independent multiplex real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) protocol for the simultaneous quantification of all four subgroups of F+-specific RNA coliphages using novel primer sets and molecular beacons is presented. This assay is extremely sensitive, achieving detection with as few as 10 copies of isolated coliphage RNA, and is linear for a minimum of six orders of magnitude. During survival experiments, the real-time RT-PCR technique was able to quantify coliphages in seawater when culture-based double agar layer assay failed. While infectivity was lost at different rates at the subgroup level, decay constants in seawater, calculated using the real-time RT-PCR estimates, did not vary among subgroups. The accurate determination of the in situ concentration of F+-specific RNA coliphages using this method will facilitate more effective remediation strategies for impacted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new linear time-frequency model in which the instantaneous value of each signal component is mapped to the curve functionally representing its instantaneous frequency. This transform is linear, uniquely defined by the signal decomposition, and satisfies linear marginal-like distribution properties. We further demonstrate the transform generated surface may be estimated from the short time Fourier transform by a concentration process based on the phase of the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), differentiated with respect to time. Interference may be identified on the concentrated STFT surface, and the signal with the interference removed may be estimated by applying the linear-time-marginal to the concentrated STFT surface from which the interference components have been removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Discarding of target species can be substantial in some fisheries. For fisheries managed using Total Allowable Catches, such as Australia''s Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF), discarding of target species can occur for reasons related to the size of the fish caught, markets, and the amount of quota held by individual quota holders. This paper illustrates how the assessments for two of the species in the SESSF, blue grenadier, Macruronus novaezelandiae, and the western stock of blue warehou, Seriolella brama, are conducted to take account of discards. Discards of blue grenadier are predominantly small fish so the assessment distinguishes between retained and discarded fish, and includes likelihood components related to the weight of the discards and the age-structure of the discards. In contrast, discards of blue warehou are due primarily to quota-related issues, so the assessment adds the discards to the catches and the catch-rate indices, and fits to total catches and catch-rates. Model outputs suggest that strong year-classes can be detected before they enter the fishery by including data on discards in assessments while ignoring such data when conducting assessments can lead to biased assessment outcomes. Several caveats related to the use of data on discards in stock assessments are outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The “RAMANITA©” method, for semi-quantitative chemical analysis of mineral solid-solutions by multidimensional calibration of Raman wavenumber shifts and mathematical calculation by simultaneous equations, is published here in detail in English for the first time. It was conceived by the present writer 20 years ago for binary and ternary pyroxene and garnet systems. The mathematical description was set out in 1989, but in an abstract in an obscure French special publication. Detailed “step-by-step” calibration of two garnet ternaries, followed by their linking, by M. Pinet and D.C. Smith in the early 1990s provided a hexary garnet database. Much later, using this garnet database, which forms part of his personal database called RAMANITA©, the present writer began to develop the method by improving the terminology, automating the calculations, discussing problems and experimenting with different real chemical problems in archaeometry. Although this RAMANITA© method has been very briefly mentioned in two recent books, the necessary full mathematical explanation is given only here. The method will find application in any study which requires obtaining a non-destructive semi-quantitative chemical analysis from mineral solid solutions that cannot be analysed by any destructive analytical method, in particular for archaeological, geological or extraterrestrial research projects, e.g. [-] from gemstones or other crystalline artworks of the cultural heritage (especially by Mobile Raman Microscopy (MRM)) in situ in museums or at archaeological sites, including under water for subaquatic archaeometry; [-] from scientifically precious mineral microinclusions (such as garnet or pyroxene within diamond); [-] from minerals in rocks analysed in situ on planetary bodies by a rover (especially “at distance” by telescopy). Recently some other workers have begun deducing chemical compositions from Raman wavenumber shifts in multivariate chemical space, but the philosophical approach is quite different. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

'Barcelona' hazelnut (C. avellana L.) shoots were girdled and stool layered in a factorial design with three tissue removal (leaf, bud and meristem removal) and two hormone (with or without 750 ppm IBA) treatments. Percent rooting, rooting grade (0 to 5), shoot length, shoot diameter, and total number of buds were determined. Average percent rooting was >90% for all treatments. Girdling alone gave as high percent rooting as hormone application. The main effect of IBA was on root quality rather than percent rooting. About 75% of the hormone-treated rooted layers could be directly planted (grades 3 to 5), compared to 44% for the control, but shoot length, shoot diameter and total number of buds decreased with IBA application. Bud removal did not affect average percent rooting while meristem removal reduced it slightly. The percentage of layers having grades 3 to 5 was lower for the meristem and bud removal treatments than for leaf removal. Our results support the adoption of stool layerage with girdling and IBA application for the production of strong, well-rooted trees suitable for planting directly in the orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess, in a Phase I study, whether bladder preservation with concurrent gemcitabine and radiotherapy (RT) influenced patient-reported quality of life (QOL) as determined by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder (FACT-BL).Methods: Between January 1998 and March 2002, 24 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder were enrolled, and 23 patients underwent transuretheral resection of bladder tumor, followed by twice-weekly gemcitabine with concurrent RT. The initial dose was 10 mg/m2 given twice weekly and increased as tolerated. To assess treatment-related QOL, patients completed the FACT-BL questionnaire.Results: Of the 24 patients enrolled, 23 (96%) were assessed for toxicity and response. The FACT-generic (G) QOL assessment was obtained from 22 (92%) of 23 patients. No statistically significant difference was found in the FACT-G or FACT-BL or the combination before, during, or after treatment. The FACT-BL values were lower in patients who received higher doses of gemcitabine (greater than 20 mg/m2 versus 20 mg/m2 or less). At least one dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was experienced by 5 (23%) of 22 patients. The FACT-G values were lower for those patients who experienced DLT (difference of -13.1, P = 0.07). The physical well-being scores for patients who experienced DLT were lower after treatment (difference of -5.2, P = 0.03) compared with those without DLT.Conclusions: Concurrent RT and gemcitabine failed to statistically influence patient-reported QOL, although patients who received higher doses reported lower FACT-BL scores. The results of this study suggest that concurrent gemcitabine with conformal RT is a tolerable treatment regimen for bladder preservation, as demonstrated by the excellent treatment compliance and similar FACT measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A series of laboratory simulations have been made in order to evaluate the credibility of carrying out physico-chemical analysis of cultural heritage items by Raman spectral fingerprinting using a mobile Raman microscope in situ under natural impure water in subaquatic or submarine conditions. Three different kinds of gemstone (zircon, microcline and sodalite) were successively placed under different kinds of impure water into which a low power microscope objective was immersed to eliminate the normal aerial pathway between the objective and the object to be analysed. According to the nature of the impurities (inorganic or organic, dissolved or suspended, transparent or coloured) the results obtained variously gave Raman band intensities stronger than, similar to or weaker than those of spectra obtained without water, i.e. in air. The significant point is that after only minor spectral treatment the less good spectra nevertheless yielded exploitable data with most, if not all, of the key Raman bands being detected. Thus the problems of fluorescence or peak absences under water are of a similar degree of magnitude to the other problems inherent with the Raman spectroscopic technique in aerial conditions, e.g. relative peak intensities varying with crystal orientation; peak positions varying with chemical composition. These results indicate that even if at certain sites of submerged cities or sunken ships, the combination of animal, vegetal, mineral and microbial impurities join together to inhibit or hinder the success of subaquatic or submarine archaeometry, there will certainly be other sites where such activity is indeed credible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The prokaryotic community inhabiting the deep subsurface sediments in the Forearc Basin of the Nankai Trough southeast of Japan (ODP Site 1176) was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Sediment samples from 1.15, 51.05, 98.50 and 193.96 m below sea floor (mbsf) harbored highly diverse bacterial communities. The most frequently retrieved clones included members of the Green non-sulfur bacteria whose closest relatives come from deep subsurface environments, a new epsilon-proteobacterial phylotype, and representatives of a cluster of closely related bacterial sequences from hydrocarbon- and methane-rich sediments around the world. Archaeal clones were limited to members of the genus Thermococcus, and were only obtained from the two deepest samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

: ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant docetaxel and estramustine in patients with high-risk, newly diagnosed, prostate cancer.: MethodsEligible patients had prostate cancer with one or more of the following criteria: clinical Stage T2b or greater, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of 15 ng/mL or greater, and/or Gleason score of 8 to 10. Chemotherapy consisted of docetaxel (70 mg/m2) on day 1 and estramustine (280 mg three times daily) on days 1 to 3 every 21 days for three to six courses. This was followed by local therapy, as deemed appropriate.: ResultsTwenty-one patients with a median age of 60 years, median PSA level of 16.1 ng/mL (range 2.4 to 175), and median baseline testosterone of 3.4 ng/mL were enrolled. Seven patients met one of the inclusion criteria, 10 met two, and 4 met three. The Gleason score was 8 or greater in 14 patients. A median of five cycles of chemotherapy was delivered. The most frequent high-grade toxicities were grade 3 (8 patients) and 4 (1 patient) neutropenia and deep venous thrombosis (grade 3 in 2 patients) before institution of low-dose warfarin. All patients responded as determined by protocol-defined criteria. Ten patients underwent radical prostatectomy, with negative surgical margins in 7 patients, and 11 received radiotherapy with negative preradiotherapy biopsies in 2.: ConclusionsInduction docetaxel and estramustine is well tolerated and feasible in patients with newly diagnosed, high-risk prostate cancer. This combination is active; however, its efficacy relative to hormonal therapy will require a controlled randomized trial. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The discovery in 1952 of some river pebbles of jadeite-jade on the North side of the Motagua River Valley (MRV) in Guatemala strongly suggested that at least part of the long-lost geological source of Mesoamerican jade was local. Another river pebble has been discovered, but this new one provides two archaeologically and geologically significant differences: (1) it is the first ever to be found on the South side of the MRV; (2) it presents a new different petrological kind of jade. The confirmation of the mineral species jadeite was achieved with this rough piece of rock without any kind of sample preparation using only a Raman Microscope (RM) which is now a reliable polyvalent non-destructive technique for archaeometry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Progress in studying the active biosphere in the deep seafloor is currently limited by the unknown amount of drilling-induced microbial contamination. Contamination tests were conducted during Leg 185 of the Ocean Drilling Program on the drillship JOIDES Resolution to assess the suitability of this platform for deep biosphere research. Tests using both a chemical tracer [perfluoro(methylcyclohexane)] and a particulate tracer (0.5-μm-diameter fluorescent microspheres) were conducted during coring with the advanced hydraulic piston core in unconsolidated sediments and with the rotary core barrel and diamond core barrel in igneous rock. Detection of both types of tracers on the exterior of recovered cores confirmed successful delivery. The particulate tracer was never detected in the interior of unconsolidated sediment (n = 24). The average concentration of the chemical tracer (n = 12) was equivalent to 0.35μL of drilling fluid per gram of sediment. The particulate tracer was not found in the interiors of igneous rock samples that were crushed (n = 4) but was found in the interiors of 64% of the thin sections examined (n = 12), indicating that the samples were contaminated during sectioning rather than drilling. Perfluorocarbon data indicate that drilling fluid in the igneous rock samples averaged 0.01 μL g[sup -1] rock. Based on the abundance of bacteria in the surface seawater (4.2 10[sup 8]L[sup -1]), which was used as the drilling fluid, the potential contamination of both sample types is on the order of a few bacteria per gram of cored material. This estimate is conservative, given the high pervasiveness of the perfluorocarbon tracer relative to microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the experiences of war brides during World War II exemplified by the written works of Barbara Wooddall Taylor. Phases of the relationship documented by Taylor's letters from courtship to marriage; Details of her relationship with her soldier husband, Charles.