“Once upon a Time in the Mediterranean” Long Term Trends of Mediterranean Fisheries Resources Based on Fishers’ Traditional Ecological Knowledge

We investigate long-term changes in the Mediterranean marine resources driving the trawl fisheries by analysing fishers’ perceptions (Traditional Ecological Knowledge, TEK) throughout the Mediterranean Sea during the last 80 years. To this end, we conducted an extended set of interviews with experienced fishers that enabled us to classify species (or taxa) as ‘decreasing’ or ‘increasing’ both in terms of abundance, as well as average size in the catch. The aspect that most clearly emerged in all the investigated areas over time was the notable increase of fishing capacity indicators, such as engine power and fishing depth range. Atlantic mackerel, poor cod, scorpionfishes, striped seabream, and John Dory demonstrated a decreasing trend in the fishers’ perceived abundance, while Mediterranean parrotfish, common pandora, cuttlefish, blue and red shrimp, and mullets gave indications of an increasing temporal trend. Although, as a rule, trawler captains did not report any cataclysmic changes (e.g. extinctions), when they were invited to estimate total catches, a clear decreasing pattern emerged; this being a notable finding taking into account the steep escalation of fishing efficiency during the past century. The overall deteriorating status of stocks in most Mediterranean regions calls for responsible management and design of rebuilding plans. This should include historical information accounting for past exploitation patterns that could help defining a baseline of fish abundance prior to heavy industrial fisheries exploitation.     

A 23-year study of mortality and development of co-morbidities in patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery (laparoscopic gastric banding) in comparison with medical treatment of obesity

Although obesity-related type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and sarcopenia in the elderly have been increasing worldwide, the associations among visceral fat accumulation, skeletal muscle indices (mass, strength, and quality) and cardiovascular diseases in T2DM remain poorly investigated. We enrolled 183 Japanese T2DM inpatients (126 men, 57 women; mean age 64.7 ± 12.6 years, ± SD). The estimated-visceral fat area (eVFA) and skeletal muscle mass were measured by each device using bioelectrical impedance analysis method. We also measured grip strength by dynamometer and motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV). We analyzed the difference in skeletal muscle indices between T2DM patients with and without visceral fat accumulation, and examined the impact of skeletal muscle indices on cardiovascular diseases in patients with visceral fat accumulation. The prevalence of sarcopenia defined by the Consensus of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia and low skeletal muscle mass were both lower in the visceral fat accumulation (+) group than in (−) group. However, the prevalence of weak hand grip strength was similar in the visceral fat accumulation (−) and (+) groups, indicating that considerable patients with visceral fat accumulation had weak grip strength in spite of fair skeletal muscle mass. Muscle quality [grip strength (kg)/arm muscle mass (kg)] was significantly lower in patients with visceral fat accumulation. Multiple regression analysis identified eVFA, MCV and sex as significant and independent determinants of muscle quality. In visceral fat accumulation (+) group, the patients with low muscle quality had longer duration of diabetes, lower eGFR, higher serum adiponectin, lower MCV and higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, compared to the patients with high muscle quality. Finally, sex- and age-adjusted models showed significant association between low muscle quality and cardiovascular diseases in all subjects (odds ratio 2.28, p = 0.012), especially in patients with visceral fat accumulation (odds ratio 2.72, p = 0.018). T2DM patients with visceral fat accumulation had low muscle quality, and patients with low muscle quality were more affected with cardiovascular diseases.     

Estimating trends of population decline in long-lived marine species in the Mediterranean Sea based on fishers' perceptions

We conducted interviews of a representative sample of 106 retired fishers in Italy, Spain and Greece, asking specific questions about the trends they perceived in dolphin and shark abundances between 1940 and 1999 (in three 20 year periods) compared to the present abundance. The large marine fauna studied were not target species of the commercial fleet segment interviewed (trawl fishery). The fishers were asked to rank the perceived abundance in each period into qualitative ordinal classes based on two indicators: frequency of sightings and frequency of catches (incidental or intentional) of each taxonomic group. The statistical analysis of the survey results showed that both incidental catches and the sighting frequency of dolphins have decreased significantly over the 60+ years of the study period (except for in Greece due to the recent population increase). This shows that fishers' perceptions are in agreement with the declining population trends detected by scientists. Shark catches were also perceived to have diminished since the early 1940s for all species. Other long-lived Mediterranean marine fauna (monk seals, whales) were at very low levels in the second half of the 20(th) century and no quantitative data could be obtained. Our study supports the results obtained in the Mediterranean and other seas that show the rapid disappearance (over a few decades) of marine fauna. We show that appropriately designed questionnaires help provide a picture of animal abundance in the past through the valuable perceptions of fishers. This information can be used to complement scientific sources or in some cases be taken as the only information source for establishing population trends in the abundance of sensitive species.     

Variation in rocky shore assemblages in the northwestern Mediterranean: contrasts between islands and the mainland

Insular assemblages of species are often considered unique because they are exposed to unpredictable patterns of colonization/extinction that depend on distance from other sources of colonists and on size of islands. An alternative explanation is that islands provide fundamentally different habitats of those of the mainland, regardless of any possible effect of size and isolation. These alternatives were examined by comparing assemblages of rocky shores on islands of the Tuscany Archipelago with those of the mainland in the same geographical region. Sandy beaches created a pattern of discrete areas of rock along the mainland with spatial discontinuities and extents comparable to those of the insular environment. Possible effects of isolation and size were therefore controlled in this study, so that one would expect no difference between islands and the mainland if only size and isolation matter. In contrast, differences are expected if historical events or other processes have distinct influences on assemblages in these environments. These hypotheses were tested by comparing assemblages of midshore and lowshore habitats of two islands with those of two similarly distributed locations on the mainland over a period of 2 years, using a hierarchical sampling design. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed various patterns in the data. There were differences between islands and the mainland in structure of assemblages, in mean abundance of common taxa and in the magnitude of spatial and temporal variance in abundance in both habitats. Collectively, these findings support the model that islands in the Tuscany Archipelago have distinct assemblages from the mainland, thereby contributing to the regional diversity and complexity of assemblages of rocky shores over and above any possible effect of size or isolation.     

Additives for immobilized pH gradient two-dimensional separation of particulate material: comparison between commercial and new synthetic detergents

We describe the synthesis of two detergents, L and A15, whose performances as solubilizing agents and as additives in the first-dimension step of a two-dimensional separation are compared with those of some commercial compounds, i.e., Nonidet P-40, 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]propanesulfonate(Chaps), and sulfobetaine, on three membrane protein preparations: rat RBC ghosts, beef kidney microvilli, and spinach thylakoids. L is 3-]3-dodecylamidoprophylcbdimethylammonio propane-1-sulfonate; owing to the substitution of a dodecylamido for the dodecyl residue of SB 3-12, the concentration of urea compatible with 2% detergent increases from 4.5 M for the parent molecule up to 7 M. With all three biological samples on which the panel of different detergents has been tested in parallel, L + urea scores as the most effective solubilization medium. On red blood cells a notable qualitative difference is observed with the selective extraction by L as well as by N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio-3-propanesulfonate of a major protein (pI = ca. 5.5, Mr = ca. 100,000). A15 is derived from a tertiary amine, with one alkylic substituent (either C11 or C13) and two poly(ethylene oxide) tails (totaling 15 ethoxy residues), which is reacted with propane sultone. Approximately 30% of the product corresponds to the N-adduct and is a truly zwitterionic detergent, while 60% is an O-derivative and still contains a titratable amino group (with a pK of 7.2). A15 can thus be used for isoelectric focusing on immobilized pH gradients, as in this work, but would not be compatible with carrier ampholyte isoelectric focusing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)