12 Jun 2013
| Full Spectrum Biology: Amphibian decline: Chytrid fungus | view |
Welcome! This blog is being created by students in the courses Population Ecology and Biological Diversity at the University of Oregon. It is one component of their work, and for each course will unfold throughout the term. +Jessica Green
When you think about why a species goes extinct, what comes to mind? Habitat destruction, pollution, overharvesting, climate change, invasive species, and infectious disease are all factors that contribute to a species decline. What we are seeing with the amphibians is not the result of just one cause but rather all of them acting together and the result is catastrophic. Amphibians, which includes, frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians are facing a mass extinction in our lifetime if we do not act soon. In this post I will touch on the various factors leading to the extinction of amphibians but then focus on one of the main causes for amphibian decline; infectious disease in the form of the chytrid fungus. Many species of amphibians are endemic (meaning that they are only in one particular area) which makes amphibian species very vulnerable to changes in their environment. Habitat destruction in areas such as the rain forests is a major player in causing many of these endemic species to go extinct. As amphibians inhabit both water and terrestrial habitats, many types of pollution can have a huge effect on amphibian populations. One aspect of pollution that dominates in amphibian loss is the use of pesticides like atrazine. In recent studies, atrazine has shown to affect the reproductive organs and health of the animals. These amphibians are changing sex or even growing multiple reproductive organs when exposed to even low levels of atrazine (Raloff). Climate change is changing the seasons, temperature, moisture, and many other factors to which amphibians are very vulnerable. Overharvesting is also an issue for amphibians in the form of a food source (frog legs), medical, or educational purposes and until recently, impacts from overharvesting have not been addressed.
Amphibians have this super permeable skin where water, oxygen, and other nutrients can travel from the environment into the animal. This is how these animals can live deep in soils for long periods of time. For example the Spade Foot Toad that lives in the high desert in Southeastern Oregon will bury itself deep into the ground and only come out when it rains. They are able to survive for years without coming back up to the surface. The Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) causes a thickening of the skin which leads to oxygen and electrolyte deficiencies. There are currently two current ideas regarding the toxicity of the fungus. The first being that it secretes toxic enzymes and the second being that the loss of oxygen and electrolytes lead to poor osmoregulation. Without an appropriate osmoregulation, the heart will go into cardiac arrest (Lee). The chytrid fungus does not only infect amphibians, recent research has shown that animals such as the crayfish can be carriers of this disease and the chytrid fungus can remain in the environment for long periods of time. This means that even if we transplant amphibians back into an environment that has lost them; we may still see amphibian death due to the fungus (McMahon).
Now that we know what the chytrid fungus is and what it has done to the amphibian populations the next questions are: Where did it come from? How does it spread across the globe? Several avenues of the spread of this disease have been postulated but none have been confirmed as the one way this disease has spread so quickly. The original thought was that African Clawed Frogs were the original carrier of this disease and it was spread to other populations due to human uses. These frogs were used until the 1970s as pregnancy tests. Doctors would inject a female human's urine into the frog and if the frog laid eggs then the female human was pregnant (Lee). These frogs have also been widely sold in pet stores across the globe. The thought is that these frogs have gotten loose into the wild and spread the chytrid fungus to other species of amphibians in various locations around the world. African Clawed frogs in the wild have tested positive for the chytrid fungus which verifies that there is a possibility that this was one path taken by the chytrid fungus. Another path of the spread of this disease is believed to be the American Bullfrog. Although the American Bullfrog is a native species to North America, it has become an invasive species in areas such as California and is spreading the chytrid fungus to other amphibians. The American Bullfrog is widely used as frog legs and since the fungus is not harmful to humans and is not visible to the naked eye, human consumption of this delicacy has not slowed down (Upton). The American Bullfrog's movements can be correlated with the path of the chytrid fungus (Lee). The chytrid fungus has also been found hitching a ride on the bottom of bird's feet which could attribute to the widespread reaches of the disease. Whatever the path is that delivers the chytrid fungus, we know that it is deadly and it has been around for about 40,000 years (Lee). Some amphibians seem to simply be carriers and are immune to the actual disease which may contribute to why this disease has been around for so many years but is just now making a global appearance. Several groups of scientists are working on tracking the fungus so that we can be one step ahead of the infection. One group has found that 42% of the world's amphibian population is currently affected by the fungus and this is spread over 52 countries around the globe as the map below shows (Olson).
So why should we care about saving amphibians from this deathly fungus? Amphibians provide quite a few ecological services. Without frogs we would see an enormous increase in the amount of insects and possibly an increase in infectious diseases carried by insects. Like any other group of animals in the wild, frogs and other amphibians play a role in food webs and the loss of amphibians could be a possible destruction of the animals that consume amphibians as their food source. Many antimicrobial agents and various types of medications have been developed using amphibians and more are still left to be discovered. Amphibians have also played an important role in education and research. Amphibian embryos are transparent and have been widely used in the field of developmental biology.
What are some things we should do to help? Generally we think that just one person cannot make that big of a difference but we hear all the time that one person can make all the difference in the world. Here are some easy guidelines to live by that will impact amphibians in a positive way. Just doing your part such as conserving resources, reducing your carbon footprint, and reducing your effect on global warming will greatly help our frogs and other amphibians. If we stop purchasing wild-caught frogs we do not run the risk of setting them free and possibly infecting others in the wild. Refraining from using pesticides or eating frog legs will also help our frogs. There are many ways to help save these important animals and if we work together we may just be able to.
Welcome! This blog is being created by students in the courses Population Ecology and Biological Diversity at the University of Oregon. It is one component of their work, and for each course will unfold throughout the term. +Jessica Green
When you think about why a species goes extinct, what comes to mind? Habitat destruction, pollution, overharvesting, climate change, invasive species, and infectious disease are all factors that contribute to a species decline. What we are seeing with the amphibians is not the result of just one cause but rather all of them acting together and the re
| Fower Horn Is Sick - Fish Disease & Treatment - Flowerhorn Craze | view |
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| Mysterious Brown Foam Discovered Floating on Lake Mead Blamed ... | view |
A mysterious brown foam was found floating on the surface of Lake Mead in Las Vegas, and researchers are saying it could be the cause of dozens of strange fish deaths.
Park officials were asking the general public to stay clear of the water for the time being just to be safe. Southern Nevada Water Authority has been brought in to monitor the pollution levels of the lake, and so far they claim nothing is out of the ordinary.
Volunteers have collected samples of the water for testing and though nothing has yet to be found, the SNWA has said they will be gathering their own samples in order to conduct a more precise investigation into the strange brown foam.
The Washington Post reports that both the water and sludge was tested this Tuesday, with the results expected sometime in the near future. Until then, maybe it's a better idea to hit the public pool.
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Dana Newkirk is a co-creator and regular contributor to WF? 'Zine. Dana hosted the internationally syndicated television series The Girly Ghost Hunters, which originally aired on the Space Channel in Canada. It was pretty terrible. If you so choose, you can catch the reruns on Sunday mornings around 4:30am on channel 44. Her main interests lie within the genre of vintage fringe, though she has been known to stand awkwardly in the background of many Who Forted videos.
A mysterious brown foam was found floating on the surface of Lake Mead in Las Vegas, and researchers are saying it could be the cause of dozens of strange fish deaths.
Park officials were asking the general public to stay clear of the water for the time being just to be safe. Southern Nevada Water Authority has been brought in to monitor the pollution levels of the lake, and so far they claim nothing is out of the ordinary.
Volunteers have collected samples of the water for testing and though nothing has yet to be found, the SNWA has said they will be gathering their own samples in o
| Shrimp Farmers Unite to Fight White Spot in East Africa | Global ... | view |
AFRICA – Work on reducing the risk of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) at shrimp farms in East Africa through improved management and policy is progressing, thanks, in part, to a Responsible Aquaculture Foundation (RAF) case study conducted in mid-May.
The case study, the third such project administered by RAF, dealt with a WWSV outbreak at shrimp farms in Mozambique and Madagascar. A team of aquaculture professionals and academics traveled to East Africa to meet with farmers and other stakeholders to review the chronology and impact of the WSSV outbreak and discuss strategies to control the disease.
The team consisted of George Chamberlain (coordinator), Donald Lightner (shrimp pathologist), Noriaki Akazawa (Asian shrimp farm manager), Marcos Villarreal (Central American shrimp farm manager), Richard Towner (geneticist), Peter van Wyk (financial analyst) and Adolfo Alvial (public-private partnerships).
While the remote location of each farm forces farmers to be independent and self sufficient, the WSSV outbreak has introduced the need for increased cooperation in both the public and private sectors.
After much discussion, the stakeholders agreed on four areas of common interest: surveillance of WSSV prevalence in a wild crustaceans plan, biosecurity measures at the farm level, development of specific pathogen free (SPF) WSSV-resistant postlarvae, and regional cooperation among national agencies and producer associations. These four areas of common interest were agreed upon at a concluding workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on May 21 to 22.
Their inspirational spirit of cooperation was reflected in an African proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," said Mr Chamberlain, president of the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA).
The details of this RAF case study are outlined in an article written by Chamberlain in the upcoming July-August issue of the Global Aquaculture Advocate, GAA's bimonthly magazine.
Aquaculture growth opportunities in Africa are among the topics that will be addressed at GAA's GOAL 2013 conference in Paris, France, from October 7 to 10.
TheFishSite News Desk
Fish Health, Ongrowing Management, Biosecurity and Hygiene, Shrimp and Prawns, Training and Development, Aquaculture
AFRICA – Work on reducing the risk of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) at shrimp farms in East Africa through improved management and policy is progressing, thanks, in part, to a Responsible Aquaculture Foundation (RAF) case study conducted in mid-May.
The case study, the third such project administered by RAF, dealt with a WWSV outbreak at shrimp farms in Mozambique and Madagascar. A team of aquaculture professionals and academics traveled to East Africa to meet with farmers and other stakeholders to review the chronology and impact of the WSSV outbreak and discuss strategies to control
| Wild Salmon in British Columbia Test Negative for ISA | Global ... | view |
CANADA – Samples collected and tested as part of the 2012 wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in British Columbia have tested negative for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).
The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative.
IHN, IPN and ISA are reportable diseases in Canada. These diseases are contagious and can cause disease and mortality in salmon. IHN is known to exist in certain species and populations of wild finfish in B.C. IPN and ISA have not been confirmed in the province.
In 2012, 4175 wild salmon samples were collected directly from B.C. waters, processing plants and enhancement hatcheries as part of a surveillance initiative in B.C. All of these samples were tested for the ISA virus.
The samples were also tested for either IHN or IPN depending on the age of the fish. A variety of salmon species were tested, including those that could carry infection without showing signs of disease. In 2013, this surveillance programme is expected to test approximately 5,000 samples.
This surveillance initiative is led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in partnership with many organisations, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Province of British Columbia, First Nations groups, the aquaculture industry and the fishing and processing industry.
All sampling, testing and response activities associated with this surveillance initiative are based on internationally recognized science. They are also consistent with international guidelines and national aquatic animal health requirements.
The CFIA is also finalising an evaluation of on-going farmed salmon testing activities in B.C. Next steps for on-farm surveillance will be communicated in the fall of 2013.
Executive Summary: Status Update on the Surveillance of Wild Anadromous Salmonids in British Columbia
TheFishSite News Desk
CANADA – Samples collected and tested as part of the 2012 wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in British Columbia have tested negative for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).
The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative.
IHN, IPN and ISA are reportable diseases in Canada. These diseases are contagious and can cause disease and mortality in salmon. IHN is known to exist in certain species and populations of wild finfish in B.C. IPN and ISA have not been confirmed in the
| Joe's Intergalactic Shoe Store: Painful nerves and some internet ... | view |
If it doesn't make sense then it will make its way here! So stay tuned! I'll be updating as often as possible to keep your decomposing brains from turning to dead oysters and fried banana skins.
I worked on a house the other day. I know work right? But i got shit to pay. My college degree isn't showing much promise as I sing depressing music in my kitchen to my friends. I wish some big cooperate eagle would come down and swoop me up with their soothing razor-sharp talons. I would happily bleed from my shoulders till i passed out from the feeling it gives me. Rather, i wish i did not get nauseous around blood. I don't dislike blood. My stomach just has a nice imagination of my own.
Anyway, to this job, this gig rather. It paid well, but now i have a new mortal enemy:
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH DAMN YOU TILES. I LOST MY USE OF HALF MY NERVES. I walk with a drop foot, i cant play guitar properly, i feel like a zombie from The Walking Dead. Why do you pay me with money and pain. All those hours sprawled out on the floor in 3 straining positions that are guaranteed to kill any nerve endings or blood flow to half your limbs. Death by yoga.
So later i decided to follow up on a return delivery i sent out to Zappos.com for buying clonky clown shoes for graduation (these were the biggest size 10's i've ever worn). I was saddened that my lucky streak of buying things that fit me online without a worry was ruined. I got bills to pay, mainly my credit card bill tomorrow and I was hoping to have this refund instated in my bank account.
So i chatted up there online staff to inquire about the status. Robert M was his name. An overly cheerful customer service "Zapponian" agent that would ask how the weather is and all sorts of chit-chat while he pulled up the answer to a rather simple question. He finally responded with "2-10 business days for processing" and made me a VIP Zappos member that included some nifty benefits. But i was all like "I got bills to pay" and he was like "i have pay some this weekend too". He added, "Anything else i can help you with today?".
Post college debt/depression?
haha just kidding
If it doesn't make sense then it will make its way here! So stay tuned! I'll be updating as often as possible to keep your decomposing brains from turning to dead oysters and fried banana skins.
I worked on a house the other day. I know work right? But i got shit to pay. My college degree isn't showing much promise as I sing depressing music in my kitchen to my friends. I wish some big cooperate eagle would come down and swoop me up with their soothing razor-sharp talons. I would happily bleed from my shoulders till i passed out from the feeling it gives me. Rather, i wish i did
| Nibbles: Tree domestication, Sacred groves, Solomons aquaculture ... | view |
Reef fished out? Aquaculture to the rescue. Sounds a bit like the aquatic equivalent of the above, no? But do they have sea cucumbers and their poop in those inland ponds?
Growing diverse crops good for bees, good for crops. Buckwheat diverse enough for ya?
Reef fished out? Aquaculture to the rescue. Sounds a bit like the aquatic equivalent of the above, no? But do they have sea cucumbers and their poop in those inland ponds?
Growing diverse crops good for bees, good for crops. Buckwheat diverse enough for ya?
| Dozens of Fish Dead in Mysterious Brown Foam | view |
LAS VEGAS - Authorities took a boat onto Lake Mead on Tuesday to gather water samples they hope could shed light on mysterious brown foam found floating on the lake's surface over the weekend.
Park officials urged people to avoid the Overton Arm, a northern extension of Lake Mead, after several dozen carp were found dead and the foam was seen extending about eight miles from near the mouth of the Virgin River to Echo Bay.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority is monitoring water quality at two intakes and so far hasn't found anything problematic, according to spokesman Bronson Mack. Typically, pollutants are diluted in the reservoir.
"It really is a massive body of water, and that's one benefit from a drinking water perspective," Mack said, noting that water from the Overton Arm typically takes about a month to meander to the intake area.
A park volunteer collected water samples several days ago and they turned up normal, Mack said. But the water agency wants to gather new samples using more precise methods.
High winds and waves prevented crews from collecting water Monday, and the foam wasn't readily visible from the shore.
"We're hoping we can still get samples" of the foam, Mack said.
Lab tests on Tuesday's water collections are expected soon. Mack said the Nevada Department of Wildlife is handling the investigation into the fish deaths.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Creepy Underwater Life Will Shock You!
A pharynx nephtis is seen in a lab image taken on July 28, 2008. The specimen was found burrowed beneath the seafloor of the White Sea, located near the northwest coast of Russia. (Flickr/Alexander Semenov)
LAS VEGAS - Authorities took a boat onto Lake Mead on Tuesday to gather water samples they hope could shed light on mysterious brown foam found floating on the lake's surface over the weekend.
Park officials urged people to avoid the Overton Arm, a northern extension of Lake Mead, after several dozen carp were found dead and the foam was seen extending about eight miles from near the mouth of the Virgin River to Echo Bay.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority is monitoring water quality at two intakes and so far hasn't found anything problematic, according to spokesman Bronson Mack. Typi
| Redskins, RGIII grant an 8-year-old fan's wish | view |
Eight-year-old Redskins fan Lateef Brock got a surprise phone call from Mike Shanahan last Thursday. The coach told the boy that he'd been drafted and was to report to minicamp at Redskins Park on Tuesday. Brock, who was born with chronic kidney disease, had reached out to the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to request a day with the Redskins and Robert Griffin III. His wish was being granted.
When Brock arrived at minicamp on Tuesday, the team had a one-day contract ready for him to sign. His signing bonus? Unlimited candy.
"Man, I need to renegotiate my contract," Alfred Morris joked. "I want candy."
Now officially a contracted player, Brock got to visit the locker room, where he palled around with Morris, showed off his "clap pushups" prowess and tried on London Fletcher's very big, very heavy helmet.
"He said he was going to take my job," Morris said. "I said, 'Okay, but it's not going to be easy. I'm not a pushover.' I'm glad he came, and my heart does go out to him. He's so young to deal with so much."
Brock, who received a successful kidney transplant in November, was then introduced to his favorite player, RGIII, and got to play catch with the quarterback.
"I feel blessed that he chose me to be the guy he came out to practice with and hung out with," Griffin said. "I don't have any kids, but a lot of the coaches do and they say that when you have a kid, you get more sensitive to things that happen with little children. It's sad to see what he's gone through, but I'm glad that we could make his day on this day."
The pint-sized honoree spent practice on the sidelines interacting with players, and even got some punting lessons from Sav Rocca. And then, the biggest moment of all. Brock was going to get to run the last play of the day.
Brock lined up at running back and took the handoff from Rex Grossman. With the defense coming at him, he cut left, found a hole and took off down the field toward a waiting, cheering Griffin. Brock sprinted into the end zone, with DeAngelo Hall diving at his feet for dramatic effect.
"He was moving pretty fast, too," Fletcher said afterward. "He outran the whole defense."
Morris agreed.
"I started to get worried then," Morris joked, remembering Brock's joke to him in the locker room. "I was like, he might actually take my job. He's just the type of running back the NFL wants. One cut and get up field, and he did just that. He's got some speed behind him, too."
Shanahan, who has a reputation for revolving running backs, was also impressed.
"We told him he was a first-round pick and that we would give him a play, but he'd have to make it into the end zone if he was going to make [the team]," Shanahan said after practice. "He's pretty quick, too. I asked Bruce [Allen] if we could sign him to a two-year contract instead of [one day]."
Brock, who was being filmed as part of the 8th annual ESPN "My Wish" series airing in August, ended the practice surrounded by applauding Redskins players. He went home with a signed football, stories to tell his friends and memories to last forever.
Also, unlimited candy.
Eight-year-old Redskins fan Lateef Brock got a surprise phone call from Mike Shanahan last Thursday. The coach told the boy that he'd been drafted and was to report to minicamp at Redskins Park on Tuesday. Brock, who was born with chronic kidney disease, had reached out to the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to request a day with the Redskins and Robert Griffin III. His wish was being granted.
When Brock arrived at minicamp on Tuesday, the team had a one-day contract ready for him to sign. His signing bonus? Unlimited candy.
"Man, I need to renegotiate my contract," Alfred Morris joked. "I
| Label PUR : la Hadopi assure le SAV | view |
Son test a fait le tour du web. Lundi, la blogueuse Klaire publiait un test de 20 plateformes ayant reçu le label Hadopi, et montrait par l'exemple l'étendue des difficultés pour la consommation légale de vidéos payantes sur Internet. Deux jours plus tard, l'Hadopi répond en sortant les bouées de sauvetage.
En début de semaine, la blogueuse Klaire a publié un test intégral des 20 plateformes de vidéos en ligne ayant reçu de la part de la Hadopi le fameux label PUR, lequel s'est révélé totalement désastreux. Sur 20 plateformes testées, 16 ont posé problème. L'une des raisons, outre le peu d'attention que portent les ayants droit à la qualité de l'offre légale â€" en tout cas beaucoup moins qu'à la consommation de l'offre illégale, est  que la Haute Autorité ne dispose quasiment d'aucun pouvoir de refuser son label tant qu'il n'y a pas de piratage déclaré.
Néanmoins, l'Hadopi a tenu à réagir au très populaire billet de Klaire, et a pris le soin de faire elle-même le service après-vente pour tenter de sauver l'honneur du label PUR.
La Haute Autorité publie ainsi sur son blog une réponse détaillée à chacune des critiques émises par Klaire, pour chaque plateforme, et la "remerci(e) pour l'investissement qu'elle a consacré à la conduite de ce test". Souvent, l'Hadopi a contacté elle-même les services de vidéo en ligne pour avoir leurs explications, et les relayer.
Lardux : Les critiques de Klaire concernent le lecteur qui ne s’est pas affiché lors de la consultation du site. Le responsable du service a expliqué sur Facebook que ce dysfonctionnement pouvait s’expliquer par un piratage informatique dont la plateforme a fait l’objet.
Carlotta VOD : Les critiques portent sur le lecteur, incompatible avec le navigateur Chrome et le fait que le film, acquis pour 0,50€ est disponible gratuitement et légalement sur une plateforme de type UGC. Le responsable du site a été contacté par l’Hadopi. Il a indiqué que le site a été conçu alors que Chrome n’avait qu’une très faible part de marché, ce qui explique la non compatibilité à ce stade. Toutefois, une évolution du site qui permettrait la lecture sur Chrome est à l’étude.
VODmania : Les critiquent portent sur le système de paiement et sur un dysfonctionnement du lecteur. La responsable du site a été contactée par l’Hadopi. Elle nous a indiqué qu’elle rencontrait des soucis de ressources humaines et s’est engagée à résoudre ce problème dès que possible. Elle nous a par ailleurs fait part de son souhait de faire évoluer les formules de paiement.
VirginMega : La critique porte sur le catalogue et l’ergonomie du service. En effet, le catalogue de série serait insuffisant selon Klaire, et il n’y aurait aucune indication sur la langue de la vidéo et la présence de sous-titres. De même, la vidéo ne serait pas lisible sur Mac. Contacté par l’Hadopi, le responsable nous a indiqué que VirginMega propose un catalogue important de films et que 95% des films sont en VOST et en VF. Il nous a également signalé que la possibilité de proposer du multiformat pour Mac et PC serait à l’étude.
Sera-ce suffisant pour (r)établir la réputation du label ? Rien n'est moins sûr. Mais la Haute Autorité ne pouvait faire guère mieux, tant que le législateur n'édictera pas des critères plus contraignants que la seule légalité pour octroyer ou non un label de qualité.
Lardux : Le coup du piratage ... on parie combien que quel que soit l'instant où l'on re-teste, on aura le même résultat ?
Carlotta VOD : "Il a indiqué que le site a été conçu alors que Chrome n’avait qu’une très faible part de marché, ce qui explique la non compatibilité à ce stade." Donc leur site a 5 ans et ils avouent sans honte qu'ils le laisse tourner sans aucune modif depuis ...
VODmania : Mouais, à peu près la seule explication pas trop mal
VirginMega : "Votre catalogue de série est nul et ca ne marche pas sous Mac" - "Mais non nos films sont très bien et on étudie le multi-format pour les PC et Mac" Award dans la catégorie "je répond à coté de la question"
Son test a fait le tour du web. Lundi, la blogueuse Klaire publiait un test de 20 plateformes ayant reçu le label Hadopi, et montrait par l'exemple l'étendue des difficultés pour la consommation légale de vidéos payantes sur Internet. Deux jours plus tard, l'Hadopi répond en sortant les bouées de sauvetage.
En début de semaine, la blogueuse Klaire a publié un test intégral des 20 plateformes de vidéos en ligne ayant reçu de la part de la Hadopi le fameux label PUR, lequel s'est révélé totalement désastreux. Sur 20 plateformes testées, 16 ont posé problème. L'une
| Vectra DA Used to Identify High Level of Disease Activity in RA Patients With ... | view |
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Jun 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Crescendo Bioscience, a molecular diagnostics company dedicated to developing and commercializing quantitative blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other auto-immune diseases, announced today that it will present data from ten different studies that further support the important role Vectra(R) DA can play in managing Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual Meeting held in Madrid, Spain, on June 12-15. EULAR is the largest gathering of rheumatology healthcare professionals in Europe. Vectra DA is an objective, validated blood test that provides rheumatologists with a score of 1-100, giving biological insight into the level of disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Data presented at EULAR will demonstrate Vectra DA's ability to assess risk of radiographic progression (joint damage over time) in patients with RA currently treated with traditional and biologic agents, including TNF inhibitors. In addition, data will show how Vectra DA can detect a high level of RA disease activity in patients with a low C-reactive protein (CRP) without being affected by fibromyalgia, a painful non-inflammatory condition that can co-exist with RA.
This week, researchers will present data from a study conducted by the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Kitakyushu, Japan, A Multi-biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA Algorithm) Score is Associated with Radiographic Outcomes in RA Patients Treated with TNF inhibitors (#SAT0012). This study found that patients who were being treated with adalimumab, etanercept or infliximab and had a low Vectra DA score (29 or less) in at least two of three visits over one year showed little or no radiographic progression. In contrast, patients with high scores (greater than 44) for at least two of three visits had a much higher risk of clinically relevant radiographic progression. In addition, researchers found that change in the Vectra DA score over the first six months of treatment correlated with radiographic outcomes in the first year. This is the first time risk of radiographic progression in patients treated with TNF inhibitors was assessed using Vectra DA over time.
"We know that anti-TNF drugs have been shown to help minimize the overall amount of radiographic progression," said Yoshiya Tanaka, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan. "This study underscores the clinical utility of Vectra DA to objectively assess which patients remain at risk of radiographic progression despite anti-TNF therapy. This information could be important in helping rheumatologists confirm or potentially revise their treatment plan."
"This study demonstrates the additional value Vectra DA can bring to the overall RA patient management experience," said Oscar Segurado, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Crescendo Bioscience. "With a number of RA drugs available today, and more than 50 agents in development, a quantifiable disease activity measurement test like Vectra DA can be a true asset for physicians."
Researchers will also present new data regarding use of Vectra DA in patients with both RA and fibromyalgia. In Application of a Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA) Score for Assessing Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Low CRP or Fibromyalgia (#SAT0099), researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School showed that in patients with RA, traditional methods of disease assessment, including tender joint count, DAS28-CRP, and Patient Global Assessment were markedly increased by the presence of fibromyalgia, a painful non-inflammatory syndrome that can confound the assessment of patients with RA. In contrast, the Vectra DA test measured essentially the same level of disease activity in patients with RA independent of the presence of fibromyalgia, which highlights the value of the objective nature of the test.
"Vectra DA provides additional information about disease activity that is not provided by other assessment tools such as C-reactive protein (CRP)," said Segurado. "This study showed that in patients with low CRP, nearly half had Vectra DA scores in the moderate to high disease activity range, indicating that their RA was actually more active than originally found with CRP. This information will help physicians attain better insight to the underlying biology of the disease."
Additional Poster Highlights
A study selected by EULAR will be part of the Poster Tour (FRI0098) Friday, June 14 between 11:45 am and 1:30 pm, Biomarker-Based Estimates of Risk of Radiographic Progression in the Leiden Early Arthritis Cohort, and researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands will discuss the use of Vectra DA as a tool to estimate the risk of radiographic progression in RA.
"Using the Vectra DA score, we were able to see a correlation between the score and risk of radiographic progression over 12 months," said Tom W.J. Huizinga, M.D., Head of the Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands and primary investigator. "This tells us that Vectra DA can be helpful in identifying patients at high risk for radiographic progression and, thus, give rheumatologists more information to help prevent future progression."
Another poster, A Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity Blood Test (Vectra DA) Correlates with Radiographic Progression in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from the SWEFOT Trial (#FRI0060), focused on use of Vectra DA in assessing risk of radiographic progression in early RA. The SWEFOT study is the Swedish Pharmacotherapy Trial out of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
In early RA patients starting methotrexate, the study found that Vectra DA's score, when assessed at baseline, significantly correlated with radiographic progression in the first year. "A high MBDA score at baseline was associated with a higher risk of radiographic progression, even in patients who had moderate disease activity by DAS28 or low CRP at baseline," said Ronald F. van Vollenhoven,M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chief, Unit for Clinical Therapy Research, Inflammatory Diseases (ClinTRID), Chief, Clinical Trials Unit, Department of Rheumatology, the Karolinska Institute and primary investigator of the study.
Other Vectra DA Posters Presented at 2013 EULAR Annual meeting
Additional study results (presented in six posters listed below) further demonstrate and confirm the ability of Vectra DA to objectively assess disease activity and/or potentially identify risk for radiographic progression in early- and later-stage RA patients.
Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (MBDA) Score and the 12 Individual Biomarkers in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Relate Differently to Clinical Response and Radiographic Progression: Results from SWEFOT Trial; K. Hambardzumyan, Karolinska Institutet, ClinTRID, Stockholm, Sweden, and other collaborators.
Evaluation of a Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA Algorithm) in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis and Unclassified Arthritis Patients; K. I. Maijer, Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands and other collaborators.
Behavior of the Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA Algorithm) Score and Components in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Tocilizumab; K. Hanami, The First Department Of Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan, and other collaborators.
Poster # FRI0075
A Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA Algorithm) Score and Components are Associated with Sustained Clinical Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis: the REMIRA Study; M. H. Ma, Academic Department of Rheumatology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom and other collaborators.
Poster #FRI0079
Response to MTX Plus Prednisone in CAMERA II Using a Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity Test (Vectra DA) and DAS28-ESR; M. S. Jurgens, Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, UMC UTRECHT, Utrecht, Netherlands and other collaborators.
Poster #SAT0033
Characterization of the Multi-Biomarker Disease Activity (Vectra DA Algorithm) Score in a Subgroup of Patients from the Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA) Cohort Receiving Methotrexate; W. Li, Crescendo Bioscience, Inc., South San Francisco and other collaborators.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
RA is a debilitating, highly variable, chronic disease affecting approximately 1.5 million Americans and more than two million people in Europe. The primary symptoms of RA are painful swollen joints and fatigue, with the disease often resulting in joint damage and disability. RA is a systemic disease that can significantly affect other parts of the body, resulting in infection, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and causes an increased rate of mortality.
Clinicians assess RA based on three factors: clinical disease activity (clinical signs and symptoms), structural damage in joints, such as erosions, and functional status. Many of the current clinical assessment tools used by physicians are qualitative and subjective and they may not adequately identify key properties of the disease.
Early and accurate detection of RA, accompanied by effective therapy, with frequent monitoring of disease activity, is critical for optimizing clinical outcomes. The American College of Rheumatology has developed guidelines supporting the goals of "Treat to Target" and "Tight Control" to help clinicians achieve clinical and structural remission in their patients, and improve their long-term functional status.
Vectra DA is the only multi-biomarker blood test for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity that integrates the concentrations of 12 serum proteins associated with RA disease activity into a single objective score to help physicians make more informed treatment decisions. Vectra DA testing is performed at the Crescendo Bioscience state-of-the-art CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) facility. Test results are reported to the physician 7 to 10 days following receipt of the blood sample. Physicians can receive test results via standard mail, by fax or via the private web portal, VectraView. For more information on Vectra DA, please visit www.Vectra-DA.com.
About Crescendo Bioscience, Inc.
Crescendo Bioscience is a molecular diagnostics company focused in rheumatology and located in South San Francisco, CA. Crescendo Bioscience develops quantitative, objective, blood tests to provide rheumatologists with deeper clinical insights to help enable more effective management of patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.CrescendoBio.com.
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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Jun 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Crescendo Bioscience, a molecular diagnostics company dedicated to developing and commercializing quantitative blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other auto-immune diseases, announced today that it will present data from ten different studies that further support the important role Vectra(R) DA can play in managing Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual Meeting held in Madrid, Spain, on June 12-15. EULAR is the largest gathering of rheumatology healthcare professionals in Eur
| Red Tide Rolls in New '300: Rise of an Empire' Poster | view |
Last night Warner Bros. premiered the following new poster for Noam Murro's 300: Rise of an Empire, which won't hit theaters until March 7, 2014, but I'm sure the crowds at San Diego's Comic Con in July will be getting a first look at the sure-to-be-bloody sequel.
Seven years after Zack Snyder's original film surprised everyone at the box-office, WB is hoping to find lighting in a bottle twice. Good luck.
Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel "Xerxes" and told in the same visual style of Snyder's film, Rise of an Empire is said to run parallel to the 2007 feature, following the action at sea as Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece as he takes on the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Artemesia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
Check out the new poster below.
Last night Warner Bros. premiered the following new poster for Noam Murro's 300: Rise of an Empire, which won't hit theaters until March 7, 2014, but I'm sure the crowds at San Diego's Comic Con in July will be getting a first look at the sure-to-be-bloody sequel.
Seven years after Zack Snyder's original film surprised everyone at the box-office, WB is hoping to find lighting in a bottle twice. Good luck.
Based on Frank Miller's latest graphic novel "Xerxes" and told in the same visual style of Snyder's film, Rise of an Empire is said to run parallel to the 2007 feature, following th
| 30 Triathlon Moments That Mattered | view |
At 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1974, the first triathlon was held on Mission Bay's Fiesta Island in San Diego. Forty-six athletes dared to toe the line for this wacky new run-bike-swim-run sporting adventure, including Navy Commander John Collins—who would go on to found something called the Ironman four years later. Those pioneering participants ponied up $1 apiece for entry, and many of them finished after dark with car headlights illuminating their way.
Our sport has come a long way, and Triathlete Magazine has existed to document and celebrate this evolution ever since the magazine launched in May 1983. There are easily thousands of significant moments that we could call out in celebration of our magazine's 30-year anniversary—performance breakthroughs, tech innovations, event milestones, greater media coverage and awareness—but we've culled it to a collection of our favorites.
1978 John Collins creates the Ironman on Oahu to settle a debate about who's fittest: swimmers, cyclists or runners. Gordon Haller, a naval communications specialist, beats out 14 other competitors to earn the inaugural Ironman title in 11:46:58. The following year Lyn Lemaire becomes the first woman to compete and win, finishing fifth overall in 12:55:38.
1981 Race director Valerie Silk moves the Ironman to Kona on Hawaii's Big Island, allowing for growth, improved athlete safety and the allure of the lava fields. Important changes are also instituted: Personal support crews are replaced by aid stations and roads are no longer open to traffic.
1982 Front-runner Julie Moss crumbles and crawls while Kathleen McCartney cruises past, clinching Kona victory. ABC's "Wide World of Sports" coverage of Moss' remarkable bonk puts the little-known Ironman on the public map. (Thirty years later, Moss and McCartney celebrate the anniversary of their moment by racing Kona 2012.)
1983 Noting a lack of triathlon training resources, Sally Edwards writes the first book on the sport: Triathlon: A Triple Fitness Sport. Edwards' own training for her 1981 Hawaii Ironman debut includes swimming 2.4 miles, resting two days, cycling 112 miles, resting two days, then running a marathon—all within a few weeks of the race. She finishes second.
1983 Jim Curl and Carl Thomas create the first big-city triathlon, the U.S. Triathlon Series (USTS) in Chicago, despite lacking permits three weeks from race day and nearly canceling the event. Sponsored for many years by Mrs. T's Pierogies (and significantly increasing public awareness of those tasty little carb pockets), the race evolves to today's Life Time Tri Chicago.
1984 Jim Curl and Carl Thomas introduce wave starts at the USTS season opener event in Tampa, Fla., facilitating larger age-group fields and increased athlete safety. At the same race they formalize the distance now known as "Olympic": 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.
1985 Richard Byrne invents the first triathlon bike, the Sceptor, notable for its steep seat tube angle to facilitate an aero position. Nineteen years after the Sceptor's appearance, the Cervélo P3 Carbon becomes the blueprint on which nearly every tri bike is now based.
1986 Prize money is introduced in Kona, driven by Dave Scott and Mark Allen's boycott of the 1985 race. Steve Drogan, a financier from San Diego, anonymously posts a $100,000 prize purse, an important step toward helping pro triathletes earn a living from the sport. Scott and Allen return, finishing first and second.
1987 Dan Empfield invents the Quintana Roo wetsuit, the first wetsuit specifically designed for swimming. Empfield's revelation is that swimming in a neoprene suit is not just warmer, but also faster than without one. Newbies and open-water-phobic triathletes rejoice.
1988 SRM invents the first power meter. While still a niche product category today, the power meter gains popularity and acceptance each year, enabling triathletes to obsess more than ever about their performance milestones.
1988 Paula Newby-Fraser clocks 9:01:01 in Kona, knocking 35 minutes off the previous course record and finishing 11th overall—the highest placing for a woman since the event grew to more than a few hundred participants. No woman has finished higher since.
1989 Dave Scott and Mark Allen race shoulder to shoulder for eight hours in Kona in what is now revered as "Iron War." Both men ultimately finish their pro careers with six Ironman World Championship wins each; the 1989 race is Allen's first Kona win, and he beats his nemesis by 58 seconds on Scott's best ever day on the Big Island.
1989 Below-the-knee amputee Jim MacLaren runs a 3:16 marathon to finish Kona in 10:42. Four years later MacLaren is hit by a van while cycling during a race, becoming a quadriplegic. A fundraising event to help him purchase an adapted vehicle leads to the creation of the San Diego Triathlon Challenge and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
1989 The Scott DH aerobar is popularized at the Tour de France when Greg LeMond overcomes a 50-second deficit to win the final time-trial stage and the yellow jersey. Triathletes, however—eager adopters of new technology—had been riding the bars as early as 1987.
1990 The Danskin Women's Only Triathlon Series launches in three cities (Long Beach, San Jose and New York), spurring a groundswell of women's participation in the sport. Greg Rorke, then-president of Danskin, says he sought to target "what women were doing in the late '80s—more active pursuits like running, climbing and triathlon."
1990 NBC takes over the telecast of Ironman from ABC. Director/producer Lisa Lax works to create Emmy Award-winning coverage, showcasing not only the pros but also the age-grouper stories of human courage and perseverance that define the sport. The show becomes an annual must-watch for triathletes and non-triathletes alike. "I've covered Olympics, Super Bowls, etc., and nothing compares," says Lax.
1991 Mike Reilly first utters the phrase, "You are an Ironman!" It's merely an inspired shout-out to an acquaintance who doubted he would finish, yet the crowd reaction and subsequent finishers' emotional faces demand that Reilly continues the "Ironman" call—an honor he's since bestowed on an estimated 250,000 athletes worldwide.
1994 Greg Welch becomes the first non-American male to win Kona—the same year that Dave Scott notably scores second at the age of 40. In 2000, Welch is forced into sudden retirement due to heart health issues (and faces more than 60 hours of surgery).
1996 The XTERRA series (then known as Aquaterra) debuts, taking triathlon off-road. The fun and funky first-year event—full of big-name triathlon and mountain bike pros, and even more memorable for post-race naked touch football and late-night bar-top dancing—grows into a lifestyle sport with more than 300 events in 18 countries.
1996 Belgian Luc Van Lierde, competing in his first Ironman and running his first ever marathon, breaks the Kona course record in 8:04:08 (including a three-minute penalty pit stop). The next year he also breaks the iron-distance world record, going 7:50:27 at Challenge Roth.
1997 John MacLean becomes the first wheelchair athlete to finish Kona within all the "able-bodied" cutoff times. MacLean goes on to swim the English Channel, complete the Molokai Ocean Challenge, compete in the Olympics (2000) and Paralympics (2000 and 2008, winning silver in adaptive rowing) and create the John MacLean Foundation, helping Australia's wheelchair-bound youth.
2000 Triathlon's Olympic coming-out party at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games gets rave reviews. Simon Whitfield scores the men's gold for Canada, while Switzerland's Brigitte McMahon pips Australia's sweetheart Michellie Jones at the line and the pair of women finish first and second.
2001 The Challenge Family event series is born when Herbert Walchshöfer takes the helm of Ironman Europe. Walchshöfer terminates his contract with the World Triathlon Corporation, instead re-creating the race as Challenge Roth, where iron-distance world records are made.
2005 Sarah Reinertsen becomes the first female above-the-knee amputee to complete Kona in 15:05:12, after a failed attempt in 2004 when she missed the bike cutoff by merely 15 minutes. Her determination to complete her "unfinished business" and her bright and bubbly spirit make her an icon of sporting inspiration.
2005 Stricken by Lou Gehrig's disease, Jon Blais fulfills a lifelong dream and finishes Kona in 16:28:56. His accomplishment leads to the creation of the Blazeman Foundation for ALS and the immortalization of his finish-line log roll, practiced by countless age-group athletes as well as pros like Ironman world champions Chrissie Wellington and Leanda Cave.
2005 Robert McKeague becomes the first octogenarian to finish Kona, going 16:21:55 and sprinting the final stretch to the finish, proving that triathlon truly is a sport for all ages. Lew Hollander later beats 80-year-old McKeague's record as the oldest male finisher, crossing the line in Kona in 16:45:52 in 2012 at age 82.
2007 The Newton Distancia shoe debuts at Ironman 70.3 California, providing a seminal moment in the shift from the block-heeled running shoes of the '90s to the trend in "natural running" footwear. Newton's front-lug design aims to keep forefoot strikers on their toes.
2009 Chrissie Wellington slashes Paula Newby-Fraser's 17-year-old Kona course record, winning her third Ironman world title in 8:54:02.
2011 Australian Craig Alexander becomes the first man to claim both Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championship titles in the same year, crushing his competitors on the new Ironman 70.3 championship course in Las Vegas and then successfully vying for his third Kona victory. Brit Leanda Cave follows suit on the women's side in 2012.
2012 Sister Madonna Buder, a Roman Catholic nun from Seattle, becomes the oldest woman to finish an Ironman at age 82, crossing the line at Ironman Canada in 16:32:00. Buder's triathlon career, which began at age 52 and blossomed to Ironman when she turned 55, includes more than 35 Ironman finishes, many in Hawaii.
Luc Van Lierde breaks the Kona course record in 1996. Photo: Lois SchwartzSydney hosted the first-ever triathlon Olympic competitions. Photo: Jero Honda/Triathlon.org
Dave Scott and Mark Allen at the 1989 Ironman World Championship. Photo: Lois
At 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1974, the first triathlon was held on Mission Bay's Fiesta Island in San Diego. Forty-six athletes dared to toe the line for this wacky new run-bike-swim-run sporting adventure, including Navy Commander John Collins—who would go on to found something called the Ironman four years later. Those pioneering participants ponied up $1 apiece for entry, and many of them finished after dark with car headlights illuminating their way.
Our sport has come a long way, and Triathlete Magazine has existed to document and celebrate this evolution ever since the maga
| Seafood market owner recognised for his stand | view |
THE owner of the Gladstone Seafood Market, who has refused to sell seafood from Gladstone Harbour because of concerns over fish health, has won a state government award for industry promotion.
Simon Wittingham said he had refused to sell product from Gladstone Harbour since September 2011 despite the lifting of a state government ban.
THE owner of the Gladstone Seafood Market, who has refused to sell seafood from Gladstone Harbour because of concerns over fish health, has won a state government award for industry promotion.
Simon Wittingham said he had refused to sell product from Gladstone Harbour since September 2011 despite the lifting of a state government ban.
| West Coast wild salmon test negative for three fish diseases | view |
Coho salmon with clipped adipose fins are shown in a handout photo. The common practice of clipping the small back fin of salmon to discern hatchery raised fish from wild may not be as harmless as experts once believed. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Coho salmon with clipped adipose fins are shown in a handout photo. The common practice of clipping the small back fin of salmon to discern hatchery raised fish from wild may not be as harmless as experts once believed.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS)
West Coast wild salmon test negative for three fish diseases Add to ...
Coho salmon with clipped adipose fins are shown in a handout photo. The common practice of clipping the small back fin of salmon to discern hatchery raised fish from wild may not be as harmless as experts once believed. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Coho salmon with clipped adipose fins are shown in a handout photo. The common practice of clipping the small back fin of salmon to discern hatchery raised fish from wild may not be as harmless as experts once believed.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS)
West Coast wild salmon test negative for three fish diseases Add to ...
| Y-12 pipe break causes fish kill | view |
A waterline rupture at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant resulted in a fish kill over the weekend, with the death toll estimated at about 8,500, a plant spokeswoman said Tuesday.
According to information from B&W Y-12, the government's managing contractor, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the fish kill resulted from the release of chlorinated water into East Fork Poplar Creek.
B&W Y-12 issued a statement Tuesday saying the contractor took actions over the weekend to isolate the broken pipe and monitor the creek conditions.
The East Fork originates insides the plant and eventually flows through the west side of Oak Ridge before joining with Poplar Creek.
B&W said about 6 million gallons of chlorinated water was released into the upper part of East Fork Poplar Creek.
The Y-12 contractor said a biological assessment team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimated that about 8,500 "minnow-sized" fish and about 30 salamanders were killed in the incident.
"The rupture was isolated Saturday, and monitoring on Sunday showed no more creek casualties," B&W said. "It also was noted that hundreds of healthy fish and other creek life were observed throughout the creek both days."
Y-12 said fishery biologists from ORNL predicted only "minimal" mid- to long-term impacts on the fish and salamander populations in the creek.
John Owsley of TDEC's Oak Ridge office said state officials monitored the situation over the weekend. "What I understand is they had a release of basically tap water — chlorinated drinking water — that went for several hours."
Owsley said Y-12 reported the incident to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which in turn notified TDEC.
The Department of Energy is required to submit a written report on the incident within five days, he said.
A waterline rupture at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant resulted in a fish kill over the weekend, with the death toll estimated at about 8,500, a plant spokeswoman said Tuesday.
According to information from B&W Y-12, the government's managing contractor, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the fish kill resulted from the release of chlorinated water into East Fork Poplar Creek.
B&W Y-12 issued a statement Tuesday saying the contractor took actions over the weekend to isolate the broken pipe and monitor the creek conditions.
The East Fork originates in
| BC salmon samples test clean | view |
All samples collected and tested as part of the 2012 wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in BC have tested negative for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA). The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative.
IHN, IPN and ISA are reportable diseases in Canada. These diseases are contagious and can cause disease and mortality in salmon. IHN is known to exist in certain species and populations of wild finfish in BC. IPN and ISA have not been confirmed in the province.
In 2012, 4,175 wild salmon samples were collected directly from BC waters, processing plants and enhancement hatcheries as part of a surveillance initiative in BC All of these samples were tested for the ISA virus. The samples were also tested for either IHN or IPN depending on the age of the fish. A variety of salmon species were tested, including those that could carry infection without showing signs of disease. In 2013, this surveillance program is expected to test approximately 5,000 samples.
This surveillance initiative is led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in partnership with many organizations, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Province of British Columbia, First Nations groups, the aquaculture industry and the fishing and processing industry.
All samples collected and tested as part of the 2012 wild salmon disease surveillance initiative in BC have tested negative for infectious salmon anaemia (ISA). The samples were also tested for either infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) or infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) and these tests were also negative.
IHN, IPN and ISA are reportable diseases in Canada. These diseases are contagious and can cause disease and mortality in salmon. IHN is known to exist in certain species and populations of wild finfish in BC. IPN and ISA have not been confirmed in the province.
In 2012, 4,1
| Minister Alan Winde Announces Investigation of Special Economic Zones for ... | view |
The Western Cape Government is looking into the establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to boost the local aquaculture industry.
Alan Winde, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, made the announcement today, 12 June 2013 during a visit to two of the province's largest abalone farms, Abagold and HIK Abalone Farm.
Both farms are based in Hermanus and together they produce over 400 tonnes of abalone each year. Abagold is one of the biggest farms in South Africa and employs 350 people. Earlier this year the company won the SA Premier Awards Exporter Award. HIK Abalone Farm has 1500 tanks and features a hatchery, a grow-out farm and its own processing facility.
The Western Cape has the highest number of abalone farms in the country, with 20 operating in the province. Minister Winde said the aquaculture sector in the province was projected to show triple digit growth over the next ten to fifteen years.
"According to a study commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, it is estimated that in order to maintain the current level of per capita fish consumption, global aquaculture production will have to grow from 45.5 million tonnes per year (as recorded in 2004) to 80 million tonnes by 2050.
Globally, production from capture fisheries has levelled off and most of the main fishing areas have reached their maximum potential. Aquaculture will be the only way to fill the gap. In spite of its vast natural and human resources, the contribution of Africa to global aquaculture production is extremely low - only 1% in 2005 - relative to the contributions made by other continents. To ensure that the Western Cape plays a leading role in filling this gap and in increasing Africa's contribution to global production, the Western Cape Government is focusing on removing red tape which is hampering the industry's growth."
Minister Winde continued: "Rising electricity costs over the past few years have hit abalone farmers hard. Farmers in municipal areas are particularly affected as they cannot negotiate special tariffs with Eskom.
"The Western Cape Government is investigating whether energy costs could be reduced by way of zoning arrangements, such as the declaration of Special Economic Zones. These zones will then be entitled to the incentives offered by SEZs."
The Western Cape Government is looking into the establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to boost the local aquaculture industry.
Alan Winde, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, made the announcement today, 12 June 2013 during a visit to two of the province's largest abalone farms, Abagold and HIK Abalone Farm.
Both farms are based in Hermanus and together they produce over 400 tonnes of abalone each year. Abagold is one of the biggest farms in South Africa and employs 350 people. Earlier this year the company won the SA Premier Awards Exporter Award. HIK Aba
| Aquaculture Europe 2014 announced | view |
AE2014, organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and AZTI-Tecnalia, will be held from October 14-17 2014 in Donostia–San Sebastián in Spain. The theme of Aquaculture Europe 2014 is 'Adding Value'.
"The focus of the AE2014 theme is on 'products' rather than 'production', and the three thematic plenary presentations will focus on this", said the European Aquaculture Society.
Parallel sessions will allow delegates to present initiative that add value to aquaculture, with a wide range of sessions proposed for abstract submission, and covering production, harvest, processing and commercialisation of aquaculture products.
AE2014 will also feature an international trade exhibition, where Spanish and international companies will present the latest products and services for aquaculture. The EU Forum addressing research funded by the European Community and chaired by members of the European Commission will also take place, as will the EAS Student Group workshop to enable networking and exchange of ideas. Finally the AE2014 Industry Forums will be held, where latest scientific findings related to a particular issue for aquaculture producers in the trout, shellfish and marine fish sectors will be presented and discussed.
AE2014, organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and AZTI-Tecnalia, will be held from October 14-17 2014 in Donostia–San Sebastián in Spain. The theme of Aquaculture Europe 2014 is 'Adding Value'.
"The focus of the AE2014 theme is on 'products' rather than 'production', and the three thematic plenary presentations will focus on this", said the European Aquaculture Society.
Parallel sessions will allow delegates to present initiative that add value to aquaculture, with a wide range of sessions proposed for abstract submission, and covering production, harvest, processing
| Weekly Overview: New Test Detects Disease Harming Oyster Aquaculture Industry | view |
ANALYSIS - Oyster farmers in the US are set to benefit from a new test that detects the toxin secreted by Vibrio tubiashii, a bacterial disease that a few years ago caused millions of dollars in losses to the oyster aquaculture industry in the Pacific Northwest, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.
Scientists from Oregon State University have developed the inexpensive test which uses a 'dipstick' method.
When perfected and commercialised, the new test should give oyster growers an early warning system to tell when they have a problem with high levels of this toxin and must take quick steps to address it. At high levels the toxin kills tiny seed oysters before they have a chance to grow.
Besides oysters, this bacteria and toxin can also affect shrimp, clams and other marine species important to aquaculture.
Marine Harvest is facing fierce opposition from the Board of Cermaq over its offer for the company.
Last week, Marine Harvest announced it was lowering the required acceptance level for Cermaq to 33.4 per cent.
Although Marine Harvest has so far received substantial support for its intention to combine the two companies, the Board of Cermaq continues to be strongly against the acquisition.
The Board stated that the offer undervalues the company and there are still questions around the plan of a combined company.
As a result, shareholders are being urged not to accept the offer and to await potential alternative solutions instead.
The outcome of the deal now lies with shareholders.
In fisheries news, the EU has strengthened its shark fining ban. Loopholes have now being closed meaning sharks must be landed with their fins still attached.
ANALYSIS - Oyster farmers in the US are set to benefit from a new test that detects the toxin secreted by Vibrio tubiashii, a bacterial disease that a few years ago caused millions of dollars in losses to the oyster aquaculture industry in the Pacific Northwest, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.
Scientists from Oregon State University have developed the inexpensive test which uses a 'dipstick' method.
When perfected and commercialised, the new test should give oyster growers an early warning system to tell when they have a problem with high levels of this toxin and must take qu
| Sustainable Cod Aquaculture Set Up in NSW | view |
"Murray Cod are not commercially harvested from the wild and so it is only through aquaculture production that seafood consumers can purchase this iconic fish.
"Murray Cod have a moist, white and delicate flavoured flesh and is recognised as one of the premium eating fish in Australia.
The state of the art recirculating aquaculture system technologies employed in the Marianvale Blue Murray Cod aquaculture facility allows optimum conditions to culture and handle this fish with very low water usage.
"The result is high quality sustainable seafood production," Ms Hodgkinson said.
"In NSW 85 per cent of the seafood purchased is imported and aquaculture farms like the Marianvale Blue Murray Cod farm have the potential to take a greater share of the market and increase the sustainability of the NSW seafood industry.
"The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is proud to support the development of aquaculture because we recognise the economic and social importance it delivers to the wellbeing of the regional and the wider community," Member for Goulburn Pru Goward said.
The NSW Government's Land Based Aquaculture Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy ensures that aquaculture developments such as this are developed according to strict environmental sustainability criteria.
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"Murray Cod are not commercially harvested from the wild and so it is only through aquaculture production that seafood consumers can purchase this iconic fish.
"Murray Cod have a moist, white and delicate flavoured flesh and is recognised as one of the premium eating fish in Australia.
The state of the art recirculating aquaculture system technologies employed in the Marianvale Blue Murray Cod aquaculture facility allows optimum conditions to culture and handle this fish with very low water usage.
"The result is high quality sustainable seafood production," Ms Hodgkinson said.
| URI Developing Techniques for Tuna Aquaculture | view |
URI is researching the idea of breeding tuna in a land-based aquaculture facility to meet the growing demand for one of the ocean's top predators.NARRAGANSETT — Swimming around in a 20,000-gallon tank at the University of Rhode Island's Bay Campus are several large yellowfin tuna captured last fall about 100 miles off the Rhode Island coast. The fish are part of the first effort in the United States to breed tuna in a land-based aquaculture facility to meet the growing demand for one of the ocean's top predators.
"Worldwide demand for tuna increases yearly, even as tuna stocks are dwindling precipitously," said Terry Bradley, a URI professor of fisheries and aquaculture. "What we're trying to do is produce fish in captivity and take the pressure off the wild stocks."
Bradley and Peter Mottur, director of Portsmouth-based Greenfins LLC, are taking the first steps in developing techniques to raise tuna from egg to harvest size while creating a new sustainable industry in Rhode Island.
According to Bradley, some in Australia, Mexico and several Mediterranean countries are doing what he calls "tuna ranching" by capturing wild tuna, putting them in pens and raising them to harvest size.
"All they're doing is taking wild fish and fattening them up," he said. "It's still depleting the wild population and has had a long-term impact on tuna stocks."
Bradley and Mottur are starting the process by trying to get a few wild-caught tuna to spawn in the URI tank, but it's a challenging undertaking. Tuna are long-distance migrants that swim at great speeds, so acclimating them to a 20-foot-diameter tank has been difficult. Once the fish spawn and the eggs hatch, the microscopic larvae must be fed live food raised on site. Then they must be weaned from live food to a dry, formulated feed.
"The early stages of the project are all about research — learning about the early life cycle of these fish and developing the techniques to raise them," Bradley said. "But we also think there is a lot of commercial potential."
Bradley and Mottur envision local entrepreneurs using the techniques they develop to produce juvenile tuna that could then be sold to others who want to grow them further. In Japan, an 8-inch juvenile tuna raised in captivity can be sold for $100 to $125.
"It's a sustainable project that we hope will create green technology jobs here in Rhode Island to leverage the great intellectual capital we have in the state," Mottur said. "We've already developed a partnership between URI and my company, and we hope to take it from the research phase to the commercialization phase once we demonstrate tuna breeding and larval rearing success."
Mottur has started several technology companies in Rhode Island, but his passion is the ocean and he enjoys offshore sport fishing and freediving, which led him to learn about the issues facing tuna.
"I got involved in the project when I learned that no other organization in the U.S. was keyed in to tuna aquaculture," said Mottur, a graduate of URI's fisheries and aquaculture program. "I see an enormous opportunity with yellowfin tuna and eventually with bluefin tuna, which has been under significant global fishing pressure over the past 20 years."
Both Bradley and Mottur believe that construction of a larger tank, which will be built at the URI Bay Campus later this year, will markedly increase the project's likelihood of success.
"Tuna are open ocean fish that require a lot of space and need very good water quality," Bradley said. "If you put too many fish in a tank, they get stressed and the water quality begins to degrade. The less you stress them, the more likely they are to spawn in a reasonable time frame."
They both also believe it's the ideal time for a tuna aquaculture venture.
"Japan can't produce all the tuna it needs for the country's own purposes, and the U.S. is a net importer of fish, including tuna," Bradley said. "So there is tremendous potential for us to produce fish that could easily be sold in the U.S., especially if it's a sustainable product in an environmentally responsible manner."
URI is researching the idea of breeding tuna in a land-based aquaculture facility to meet the growing demand for one of the ocean's top predators.NARRAGANSETT — Swimming around in a 20,000-gallon tank at the University of Rhode Island's Bay Campus are several large yellowfin tuna captured last fall about 100 miles off the Rhode Island coast. The fish are part of the first effort in the United States to breed tuna in a land-based aquaculture facility to meet the growing demand for one of the ocean's top predators.
"Worldwide demand for tuna increases yearly, even as tuna stocks are dwindli
| Biological Sciences Group, Plymouth University: A tropical import | view |
Moving from the extreme heat of the Australian tropical summer to the English 'spring' this year was welcome change. After having spent the last six years in tropical north Queensland studying amphibian disease, ecology and evolution, a new job as a lecturer at Plymouth University was a complete and welcome change of scenery. I am very excited about teaching and developing exciting research projects with students, and am looking forward to working in Latin America again, where I am originally from.
I grew up in Costa Rica - a small tropical paradise - and became enchanted by all wildlife around me, but especially the amphibians. Costa Rica has an incredible diversity of them, with around 200 species of amphibians in 51,000 km2, which is less than half the size of England. My research interests surround the ecological and evolutionary consequences of the mass amphibian die-offs in tropical areas, which are linked to a disease known as chytridiomycosis (though often shortened to chytrid).
Recently I have focused on the importance of environmental conditions in determining the frequency and likelihood of these frog disease outbreaks, including across environmental gradients. In doing so, I have found that dry forests act as an environmental refuge from disease-driven amphibian extinctions, both in Costa Rica and tropical Australia.
However, perhaps the most exciting part of my research has been the rediscovery of frog species that were thought to be extinct. As part of my future work, I will focus on exploring more areas of Australia and Costa Rica for amphibian species thought to be extinct, focussing on potential refuge areas. I am also looking into how frog populations may recover from a disease outbreak.
Below are a selection of pictures of some of the animals I have worked with over the years. See who can ID them?
Moving from the extreme heat of the Australian tropical summer to the English 'spring' this year was welcome change. After having spent the last six years in tropical north Queensland studying amphibian disease, ecology and evolution, a new job as a lecturer at Plymouth University was a complete and welcome change of scenery. I am very excited about teaching and developing exciting research projects with students, and am looking forward to working in Latin America again, where I am originally from.
I grew up in Costa Rica - a small tropical paradise - and became enchanted by all w
