High resolution assessment of commercial fisheries activity along the US West Coast using Vessel Monitoring System data with a case study using California groundfish fisheries.

Commercial fisheries along the US West Coast are important components of local and regional economies. They use various fishing gear, target a high diversity of species, and are highly spatially heterogeneous, making it challenging to generate a synoptic picture of fisheries activity in the region. Still, understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of US West Coast fisheries is critical to meet the US legal mandate to manage fisheries sustainably and to better coordinate activities among a growing number of users of ocean space, including offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, shipping, and interactions with habitats and key non-fishery species such as seabirds and marine mammals.

Effects of basin-scale climate modes and upwelling on nearshore marine heatwaves and cold spells in the California Current.

Marine heatwaves and cold spells (MHWs/MCSs) have been observed to be increasing globally in frequency and intensity based on satellite remote sensing and continue to pose a major threat to marine ecosystems worldwide. Despite this, there are limited in-situ based observational studies in the very shallow nearshore region, particularly in Eastern Boundary Current Upwelling Systems (EBUS). We analyzed a unique dataset collected in shallow waters along central California spanning more than four decades (1978-2020) and assessed links with basin-scale climate modes [Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Niño (MEI)] and regional-scale wind-driven upwelling.

NFκB and Cyclic AMP Response Element Sites Mediate the Valproic Acid and UL138 Responsiveness of the Human Cytomegalovirus Major Immediate Early Enhancer and Promoter.

The major immediate early enhancer and promoter (MIEP) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drives the transcription of the immediate early one (IE1) and IE2 genes, whose encoded proteins stimulate productive, lytic replication. The MIEP is activated by the virally encoded and tegument-delivered pp71 protein at the start of lytic infections of fully differentiated cells. Conversely, the MIEP is silenced at the start of latent infections within incompletely differentiated myeloid cells in part because tegument-delivered pp71 is sequestered in the cytoplasm in these cells, but also by viral factors that repress transcription from this locus, including the UL138 protein.

Molecular ecology of the sleeper shark subgenus Somniosus (Somniosus) reveals genetic homogeneity within species and lack of support for S. antarcticus.

Inferences made from molecular data support regional stock assessment goals by providing insights into the genetic population dynamics of enigmatic species. Population genomics metrics, such as genetic diversity and population connectivity, serve as useful proxies for species health and stability. Sleeper sharks (genus Somniosus) are ecologically important deep-sea predators, estimated to reach ages of 250 to 300 yr and taking decades to reach sexual maturity.

Conservation implications of revised genetic structure resulting from new population discovery: the threatened eastern sand darter (Ammocrypta pellucida) in Canada.

Human activity can put non-game fishes at higher risk of extinction because of inappropriate management action. Eastern sand darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), a small benthic fish classified as threatened across much of its northern range, inhabits increasingly fragmented sandy habitats and, as a non-game fish, may be easily overlooked in conservation efforts. In this study, the authors use genotype data from nine microsatellite loci and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequencing data across its northern native range to re-assess genetic structure and to characterize a newly discovered, geographically disjunct population.

Vaginal Cuff Closure with Dual-Arm Robot and Near-Infrared Fluorescent Sutures.

This paper presents a dual-arm suturing robot. We extend the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) with a second robot manipulator, whose purpose is to manage loose suture thread, a task that was previously executed by a human assistant. We also introduce novel near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) sutures that are automatically segmented and delimit the boundaries of the suturing task.

Spatial and temporal genetic variation in an exploited reef fish: The effects of exploitation on cohort genetic structure.

Many coral reef fishes are fished, often resulting in detrimental genetic effects; however, reef fishes often show unpredictable patterns of genetic variation, which potentially mask the effects of fishing. Our goals were to characterize spatial and temporal genetic variation and determine the effects of fishing on an exploited reef fish, , Lacepède (the common coral trout). To determine population structure, we genotyped 417 Great Barrier Reef coral trout from four populations sampled in 2 years (1996 and 2004) at nine microsatellite loci.

Development and characterization of thirteen novel microsatellite markers for use in Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus), with cross-amplification in Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus).

Objective: The objectives of this work are to isolate, develop, and characterize polymorphic microsatellite markers for use in Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus).

Results: Thirteen microsatellite loci were successfully amplified and yielded multi-locus genotypes for 36 S. microcephalus individuals from Grise Fjord (n = 16) and Svalbard (n = 20).

Scale performance and composition in a small Amazonian armored catfish, Corydoras trilineatus.

The cory catfishes (Callichthyidae) are small, South American armored catfishes with a series of dermal scutes that run the length of the fish from posterior to the parieto-supraoccipital down to the caudal peduncle. In this study, we explore the anatomy and functional performance of the armored scutes in the three-striped cory catfish, Corydoras trilineatus. The lateral surface has a dorsal and a ventral row of scutes that interact at the horizontal septum.

Functional cross talk between the Fanconi anemia and ATRX/DAXX histone chaperone pathways promotes replication fork recovery.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a chromosome instability syndrome characterized by increased cancer predisposition. Specifically, the FA pathway functions to protect genome stability during DNA replication. The central FA pathway protein, FANCD2, locates to stalled replication forks and recruits homologous recombination (HR) factors such as CtBP interacting protein (CtIP) to promote replication fork restart while suppressing new origin firing.

Proximity of the Carotid Bifurcation to the Laryngeal Prominence: Results of a Cadaver Study and Recommendations for Safe Pulse Palpation.

Background/purpose: The carotid bifurcation (CB) is the location of the carotid sinus and the baroreceptors and is also a major site for atherosclerotic plaque formation. Health care providers have therefore been cautioned to avoid the CB during carotid pulse palpation (CPP) to prevent triggering the baroreflex, occluding an artery, or propagating a thrombus. Potential risks of adverse events during CPP may be greater for older adults due to age-related vascular changes and increased risk of baroreceptor hypersensitivity.

Defending Political Theory After Burke: Stewart's Intellectual Disciplines and the Demotion of Practice.

To subject politics to "theory," "metaphysics," or "speculation" was disreputable in 1790s Britain, owing largely to the success of Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), which linked these practices with enthusiasm. This fact is well established, but less studied are the means by which those committed to these forms of inquiry defended their intellectual conduct. Dugald Stewart's Elements of the Philosophy of the Human Mind (1792) was a pedagogical text that instructed the Scottish elite on how to govern their faculties; it was also a riposte to Burkean prudence, portraying the veneration of practice as theoretically naive.

Proteomic changes across a natural temperature gradient in a marine gastropod.

Responses of marine ectotherms to variable environmental temperature often entails maintanence of cellular homeostasis and physiological function through temperature compensation and physiological changes. We investigated the physiological response to thermal stress by examining proteomic changes in the marine kelp forest gastropod and emerging fisheries species Kellet's whelk (Kelletia kelletii) across a naturally-existing thermal gradient that ranges from a warmer-water site inside the species' native range and extends to the northern, cold-water edge of the range. We hypothesized that abundance of cellular stress response and energy metabolism proteins would increase with decreasing temperature in support of cold-compensation.

Feature identification in time series data sets.

We present a computationally inexpensive, flexible feature identification method which uses a comparison of time series to identify a rank-ordered set of features in geophysically-sourced data sets. Many physical phenomena perturb multiple physical variables nearly simultaneously, and so features are identified as time periods in which there are local maxima of absolute deviation in all time series. Unlike other available methods, this method allows the analyst to tune the method using their knowledge of the physical context.

Parallel evolutionary forces influence the evolution of male and female songs in a tropical songbird.

Given the important role that animal vocalizations play in mate attraction and resource defence, acoustic signals are expected to play a significant role in speciation. Most studies, however, have focused on the acoustic traits of male animals living in the temperate zone. In contrast to temperate environments, in the tropics, it is commonplace for both sexes to produce complex acoustic signals.

Environmental DNA detection of rare and invasive fish species in two Great Lakes tributaries.

The extraction and characterization of DNA from aquatic environmental samples offers an alternative, noninvasive approach for the detection of rare species. Environmental DNA, coupled with PCR and next-generation sequencing ("metabarcoding"), has proven to be very sensitive for the detection of rare aquatic species. Our study used a custom-designed group-specific primer set and next-generation sequencing for the detection of three species at risk (Eastern Sand Darter, Ammocrypta pellucida; Northern Madtom, Noturus stigmosus; and Silver Shiner, Notropis photogenis), one invasive species (Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus) and an additional 78 native species from two large Great Lakes tributary rivers in southern Ontario, Canada: the Grand River and the Sydenham River.

Conservation of reef manta rays (Manta alfredi) in a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Large-scale island development or sustainable tourism?

A large reef manta ray (Manta alfredi) aggregation has been observed off the north Sudanese Red Sea coast since the 1950s. Sightings have been predominantly within the boundaries of a marine protected area (MPA), which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2016. Contrasting economic development trajectories have been proposed for the area (small-scale ecotourism and large-scale island development).

Origins of the Greenland shark (): Impacts of ice-olation and introgression.

Herein, we use genetic data from 277 sleeper sharks to perform coalescent-based modeling to test the hypothesis of early Quaternary emergence of the Greenland shark () from ancestral sleeper sharks in the Canadian Arctic-Subarctic region. Our results show that morphologically cryptic somniosids and can be genetically distinguished using combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers. Our data confirm the presence of genetically admixed individuals in the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic, and temperate Eastern Atlantic regions, suggesting introgressive hybridization upon secondary contact following the initial species divergence.

A potential third Manta Ray species near the Yucatán Peninsula? Evidence for a recently diverged and novel genetic group from the Gulf of Mexico.

We present genetic and morphometric support for a third, distinct, and recently diverged group of Manta ray that appears resident to the Yucatán coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Individuals of the genus from Isla Holbox are markedly different from the other described manta rays in their morphology, habitat preference, and genetic makeup. Herein referred to as the Yucatán Manta Ray, these individuals form two genetically distinct groups: (1) a group of mtDNA haplotypes divergent (0.

Residual eDNA detection sensitivity assessed by quantitative real-time PCR in a river ecosystem.

Several studies have demonstrated that environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to detect the presence of aquatic species, days to weeks after the target species has been removed. However, most studies used eDNA analysis in lentic systems (ponds or lakes), or in controlled laboratory experiments. While eDNA degrades rapidly in all aquatic systems, it also undergoes dilution effects and physical destruction in flowing systems, complicating detection in rivers.

Hybrid 'superswarm' leads to rapid divergence and establishment of populations during a biological invasion.

Understanding the genetic background of invading species can be crucial information clarifying why they become invasive. Intraspecific genetic admixture among lineages separated in the native ranges may promote the rate and extent of an invasion by substantially increasing standing genetic variation. Here, we examined the genetic relationships among threespine stickleback that recently colonized Switzerland.

Benefits of Turbid River Plume Habitat for Lake Erie Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Recruitment Determined by Juvenile to Larval Genotype Assignment.

Nutrient-rich, turbid river plumes that are common to large lakes and coastal marine ecosystems have been hypothesized to benefit survival of fish during early life stages by increasing food availability and (or) reducing vulnerability to visual predators. However, evidence that river plumes truly benefit the recruitment process remains meager for both freshwater and marine fishes. Here, we use genotype assignment between juvenile and larval yellow perch (Perca flavescens) from western Lake Erie to estimate and compare recruitment to the age-0 juvenile stage for larvae residing inside the highly turbid, south-shore Maumee River plume versus those occupying the less turbid, more northerly Detroit River plume.

Hierarchical analysis of genetic structure in the habitat-specialist Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida).

Quantifying spatial genetic structure can reveal the relative influences of contemporary and historic factors underlying localized and regional patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow - important considerations for the development of effective conservation efforts. Using 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci, we characterize genetic variation among populations across the range of the Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), a small riverine percid that is highly dependent on sandy substrate microhabitats. We tested for fine scale, regional, and historic patterns of genetic structure.