Insights into Fisheries Management Practices: Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain Fish Stocking among a Sample of Swiss Anglers

Using inadequate management tools often threatens the natural environment. This study focuses on the example of Swiss recreational fishermen (hereafter called “anglers”) as recreational fisheries management stakeholders. In recreational fisheries, fish stocking conducted by anglers has been identified as one important factor associated with declining fish catches. We therefore aimed to a) gain insights into why anglers want to maintain fish stocking and b) identify entry points for interventions to promote more pro-ecological management practices. Results (N = 349) showed that the majority of anglers think very uncritically about stocking and that they frequently engage in it. We conclude that outcome expectancies and beliefs about risks, in combination with a lack of stocking success controls are the main reasons that anglers retain stocking measures. We suggest that providing anglers with direct experience and feedback about stocking success is suitable to change their intentions regarding stocking and their actual stocking behavior, and thus, to promote more pro-ecological management methods. From a more general perspective, the results of this study are likely to help improve pro-ecological ecosystem management in other domains where problems similar to those in recreational fisheries management might exist.     

Is post-contrast MRI a valuable method for the study of the nutrition of the intervertebral disc?

Decreased nutrition has been proposed as a potential mechanism leading to intervertebral disc degeneration. A method to investigate it in vivo is the MRI evaluation of the transport of a paramagnetic contrast agent, which is assumed to diffuse through the endplate to the disc using the same mechanisms as the cell nutrients. However, previous numerical studies questioned the value of this method as a model to investigate disc nutrition. To assess its validity, a parametric osmoporoelastic finite element model of a lumbar intervertebral disc incorporating diffusion and convection of a solute (representing the contrast agent) was developed. A Taguchi sensitivity analysis was performed in order to assess the relevance of various parameters which influence the solute transport. Subsequently, a full-factorial sensitivity analysis was used to investigate specifically the diffusion coefficients of the contrast agent. The most important parameters in determining the results were the disc height, the diffusion coefficients and the pharmacokinetic of the contrast agent. However, diffusion coefficients values as measured in in vitro studies would lead to insubstantial enhancement of the MRI signal. Thus, transport mechanisms other than pure diffusion should be active in in vivo transport of the contrast agent. In conclusion, the study showed that post-contrast MRI may not be suited for a quantitative analysis, but only for a qualitative examination aimed for example to detect endplate lesions. Open questions remain on the use of post-contrast MRI for the investigation of the relevance of reduced nutrition as a trigger to disc degeneration.     

Comparison of Cell Wall Polysaccharide Hydrolysis by a Dilute Acid/Enzymatic Saccharification Process and Rumen Microorganisms

Evaluation of biomass crops for breeding or pricing purposes requires an assay that predicts performance in the bioenergy conversion process. Cell wall polysaccharide hydrolysis was compared for a dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment at 121°C followed with cellulase hydrolysis for 72?h conversion assay (CONV) with in vitro rumen microflora incubation for 72?h (RUMEN) for a set of maize (Zea mays L.) stover samples with a wide range in cell wall composition. Residual polysaccharides from the assays were analyzed for sugar components and extent of hydrolysis calculated. Cell wall polysaccharide hydrolysis was different for all sugar components between the CONV and RUMEN assays. The CONV assay hydrolyzed xylose-, arabinose-, galactose-, and uronic acid-containing polysaccharides to a greater degree than did the RUMEN assay, whereas the RUMEN assay was more effective at hydrolyzing glucose- and mannose-containing polysaccharides. Greater hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and pectins by CONV can be attributed to the acid hydrolysis mechanism of the CONV assay for noncellulosic polysaccharides, whereas the RUMEN assay was dependent on enzymatic hydrolysis. While CONV and RUMEN hydrolysis were correlated for most polysaccharide components, the greatest correlation was only r?=?0.70 for glucose-containing polysaccharides. Linear correlations and multiple regressions indicated that polysaccharide hydrolysis by the RUMEN assay was negatively associated with lignin concentration and ferulate ether cross linking as expected. Corresponding correlations and regressions for CONV were less consistent and occasionally positive. Use of rumen microbial hydrolysis to characterize biomass performance in a conversion process may have some limited usefulness for genetic evaluations, but such assays would be unreliable for biomass pricing.     

alpha2,6-Sialylation promotes binding of placental protein 14 via its Ca2+-dependent lectin activity: insights into differential effects on CD45RO and CD45RA T cells

Placental protein 14 (PP14; glycodelin) is a pregnancy-associated immunoregulatory protein that is known to inhibit T cells via T-cell receptor desensitization. The recent demonstration of PP14 as lectin has provided insight into how it may mediate its CD45 glycoprotein-dependent T-cell inhibition. In this study, we have investigated PP14's lectin-binding properties in detail. Significantly, PP14 reacts with N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) as was also found for members of the galectin family, such as the potent immunoregulatory protein, galectin-1. However, in contrast to galectin-1, PP14's binding is significantly enhanced by alpha2,6-sialylation and also by the presence of cations. This was demonstrated by preferential binding to fetuin as compared with its desialylated variant asialofetuin (ASF) and by using free alpha2,6- versus alpha2,3-sialylated forms of LacNAc in competitive inhibition and direct solid-phase binding assays. Interestingly, from immunological point of view, PP14 also binds differentially to CD45 isoforms known to differ in their degree of sialylation. PP14 preferentially inhibits CD45RA+, as compared with CD45RO+ T cells, and preferentially co-capped this variant CD45 on the T-cell surface. Finally, we demonstrate that PP14 promotes CD45 dimerization and clustering, a phenomenon that may regulate CD45 activity.     

Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Asymptomatic Marfan Syndrome Patients Is Related to the Severity of Gene Mutation: Insights from the Novel Three Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography

Background

In asymptomatic Marfan syndrome (MFS) patients we evaluated the relationship between the types of fibrillin-1 (FBN1) gene mutation and possible altered left ventricular (LV) function as assessed by three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE).

Methods and Results

Forty-five MFS patients (mean age 24±15 years) and 40 age-matched healthy controls were studied. Genetic evaluation for the FBN1 gene was carried on 32 MFS patients. Gene mutation (n = 15, 47%) was classified as mild when the mutation resulted in nearly normally functioning protein, while mutations resulting in abnormally function protein were considered to be severe (n = 17, 53%). All patients and controls underwent 3D-STE for evaluation of LV function by an echocardiographer blinded to the results of the genetic testing. Compared to controls, MFS patients had significantly lower 3D-STE derived LV ejection fraction (EF, 57.43±7.51 vs. 62.69±4.76%, p = 0.0001), global LV longitudinal strain (LS, 14.85±2.89 vs. 17.90±2.01%, p = 0.0001), global LV circumferential strain (CS, 13.93±2.81 vs. 16.82±2.17%, p = 0.0001) and global LV area strain (AS, 25.76±4.43 vs. 30.51±2.61%, p = 0.0001). Apart from the global LV LS all these parameters were significantly lower in patients with severe gene mutation than in those with mild mutation (p<0.05). In the multivariate linear regression analysis only the type of mutation had a significant influence on the 3D-STE derived LVEF (p = 0.017), global CS (p = 0.005) and global AS (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

In asymptomatic MFS patients latent LV dysfunction can be detected using 3D STE. The LV dysfunction is mainly related to the severity of gene mutation, suggesting possible primary cardiomyopathy in MFS patients.     

Maize Stover and Cob Cell Wall Composition and Ethanol Potential as Affected by Nitrogen Fertilization

Maize (Zea mays L.) stover and cobs are potential feedstock sources for cellulosic ethanol production. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is an important management decision that influences cellulosic biomass and grain production, but its effect on cell wall composition and subsequent cellulosic ethanol production is not known. The objectives of this study were to quantify the responses of maize stover (leaves, stalks, husks, and tassel) and cob cell wall composition and theoretical ethanol yield potential to N fertilization across a range of sites. Field experiments were conducted at rainfed and irrigated sites in Minnesota, USA, over a 2-year period. Stover cell wall polysaccharides, pentose sugar concentration, and theoretical ethanol yield decreased as N fertilization increased. Stover Klason lignin increased with N fertilization at all sites. Cob cell wall composition was less sensitive to N fertilization, as only pentose and Klason lignin decreased with N fertilization at two and one site(s), respectively, and hexose increased with N fertilization at one of eight sites. Cob theoretical ethanol yield was not affected by N fertilization at any site. These results indicate variation in stover cellulosic ethanol production is possible as a result of N management. This study also demonstrated that cell wall composition and subsequent theoretical ethanol yield of maize cobs are generally more stable than those with stover because of overall less sensitivity to N management.     

The poor health of deep-water species in the context of fishing activity and a warming climate: will populations of Molva species rebuild or collapse?

Many deep-water fish populations, being K-selected species, have little resilience to overexploitation and may be at serious risk of depletion as a consequence. Sea warming represents an additional threat. In this study, the condition, or health, of several populations of common ling (Molva molva), blue ling (Molva dypterygia) and Mediterranean or Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma) inhabiting different areas in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean was evaluated, to shed light on the challenges these deep-water species are facing in the context of fishing activity and a warming climate. The data on the condition of Molva populations which are analysed here have been complemented with data on abundance and, for the southernmost species (Mediterranean ling), with two other health indicators (parasitism and hepato-somatic index). Despite some exceptions (e.g., common ling in Icelandic waters), this study shows that the condition of many populations of Molva species in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea has worsened, a trend which, in recent decades, has usually been found to be accompanied by a decline in their abundance. In addition, the poor health status of most populations of common ling, blue ling and Mediterranean ling considered in this analysis points to a lower sustainability of these populations in the future. Overall, the health status and abundance of Molva populations in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean suggest that only some populations located in the North Atlantic may be able to rebuild, whereas the populations in southern North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which are probably most at risk from sea warming, are facing serious difficulties in doing so. In the context of fisheries and global warming, this study's results strongly indicate that management bodies need to consider the health status of many of the populations of Molva species, particularly in southern European waters, before implementing their decisions.