Economic Evaluation of Catch Share Program: Rhode Island Fluke Fishery Sector Pilot Program

Catch share, sector allocation, fishery management, Demand and Price Analysis, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q22, Q28,

Intermittent or Continuous Therapy of Experimental Meningitis Due to Streptococcus pneumoniae in Rabbits: Preliminary Observations on the Postantibiotic Effect in Vivo

The relative effectiveness of bolus vs. constant intravenous administration of equivalent doses of penicillin G in killing bacteria in vivo was studied in a rabbit model of meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were obtained from 30 rabbits at intervals of ⩽8 hr after treatment for determination of antibiotic concentrations and titers of viable bacteria in the CSF. When penicillin G was given by continuous infusion (105 units/hr after an initial l05-unit loading dose), concentrations of drug in serum and CSF reached a steady state in 1 hr. With intermittent bolus administration of 4 × 105 units every 4 hr, higher peak and lower trough concentrations were achieved, and these concentrations paralleled those in the CSF. Although an initial acceleration in bactericidal rate was observed with the bolus infusion between the first and second hour of therapy, after the second hour the rate of bacterial killing was identical for the two methods of administration. The duration of therapy required for sterilization of the CSF was dependent only on the bacterial count before treatment and not on the mode of drug administration. The effect of single bolus intravenous administration of ampicillin was examined in experimental pneumococcal meningitis. Ampicillin was given at various dosages (3.25-62.5 mg/kg), and frequent samples of CSF were obtained for determination of concentrations of pneumococci and ampicillin. A long postantibiotic effect was observed in the CSF of all animals, and this effect consistently was longer than that observed in vitr

Evaluation of azlocillin in-vitro and in discriminative animal models of infection

Azlocillin was more active in vitro than ticarcillin or carbenicillin against 561 aminoglycoside-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected from 74 hospitals distributed over a wide geographic area in the eastern United States. Azlocillin was compared with various other antimicrobial agents in discriminative animal models of Ps. aeruginosa pyelonephritis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and meningitis in a variety of mammalian species. Cefsulodin was more effective than azlocillin in reducing Ps. aeruginosa kidney concentrations in rat pyelonephritis induced by intrarenal inoculation. The mean±s.d. logl0 cfu/g kidney after three days of therapy were as follows: controls = 5.4±1.5, azlocillin = 4.4±1.8, cefsulodin = 2.6±0.9 (P < 0.01) but the MBC for the test strain was eight-fold higher for azlocillin (8 vs. 1 mg/l) and effective concentrations were maintained longer in rat serum for cefsulodin as against azlocillin. In addition, ticarcillin reduced kidney bacterial concentrations faster than azlocillin in a mouse pyelonephritis model induced by intravenous Ps. aeruginosa inoculation with subsequent iron loading. Azlocillin was less effective than tobramycin in experimental chronic Ps. aeruginosa osteomyelitis induced in rabbits by direct injection into the tibia. An azlocillin-tobramycin regimen was not more effective than tobramycin alone. After 28 days of therapy, the percentages of positive bone cultures after death were as follows: no antibiotic (controls) = 92%, azlocillin = 95%, tobramycin = 76%, azlocillin plus tobramycin = 60%. Both ticarcillin and azlocillin were less active than tobramycin in experimental Ps. aeruginosa endocarditis induced in rabbits by intravenous inoculation of 108 cfu following 1 h of catheter induced aortic valve trauma. The best results were noted with an azlocillin-tobramycin regimen. The mean±s.d. log10 cfu Ps. aeruginosa/g vegetation after five days of therapy were as follows: no antibiotic controls = 8.1 ± 1.1, tobramycin = 4.5 ±0.8, ticarcillin = 6.9 ± 0.8, azlocillin = 5.7 ± 1.5, ticarcillin phis tobramycin = 4.9 ± 1.0, azlocillin plus tobramycin = 3.3 ± 1.6. Sterile vegetations were rarely attained with any regimen. The mean percentage penetration into purulent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in experimental Ps. aeruginosa meningitis for azlocillin was 13.3%, comparable to many other β-lactam antibiotics. Azlocillin was the single most active (P < 0.01) agent evaluated after 8 h intravenous infusions in this model. An azlocillin-amikacin regimen was more rapidly bactericidal (P < 0.01) than either agent alone in vivo. None of the agents evaluated alone or in combination, however, produced a sterile CSF after 8 h of therapy in any anima

Impact of Bacille Calmette-Guerin Vaccination on Neuroradiological Manifestations of Pediatric Tuberculous Meningitis

The authors conducted this study to identify whether bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination leads to an altered spectrum of neuroimaging findings outcome in pediatric Patients with tuberculous meningitis. This retrospective study was conducted through chart review and review of computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of Patients with confirmed central nervous system tuberculosis from the year 1992 to 2005, at a large tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 108 pediatric Patients with tuberculous meningitis were included in the analysis. Of the 108 Patients, 63 (58.3%) were male and 45 (41.7%) had received bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination. There was no difference in terms of severity of clinical presentation and outcome between vaccinated and unvaccinated group. There were no significant differences in CT or MRI findings between the 2 groups except for tuberculomas on MRI, which were significantly higher in the non-bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccinated group (52.2% vs 22.7%, P = .042). Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination appears to translate into less tuberculoma formation on MRI

Barriers to Eastern Oyster Aquaculture Expansion in Virginia

The eastern oyster once provided major societal and ecosystem benefits, but these benefits have been threatened in recent decades by large declines in oyster harvests. In many areas, recovery of oyster aquaculture faces significant societal opposition and spatial constraints limiting its ability to meet expectations regarding future food needs and provision of ecosystem services. In Virginia, oyster aquaculture has begun to expand, concurrent with an increase in subaqueous leased areas (over 130,000 acres of grounds are currently leased). Though private leases must in theory be used for oyster production, in practice, they can be held for other reasons, such as speculation or intentional exclusion of others. These factors have led to large variation over time and space in the use of leases in lower Chesapeake Bay; and privately leased grounds are now thought to be underutilized for oyster production. This research examined potential barriers to expansion of oyster aquaculture in Virginia. We first evaluated if a lack of space was limiting industry expansion and quantified temporal and spatial trends in the use and productivity of leases. Then, differences in used and non-used leases were investigated in relation to variables thought to be related to not in my backyard attitudes, congestion, speculation, local economic and environmental conditions. Finally, the performance of the Virginia leasing system was compared with those in other states along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts. We found limited evidence for spatial constraints on aquaculture leasing, but strong evidence for social and regulatory inefficiencies. Although rates of lease use increased from 2006 to 2016, only 33% of leases were ever used for oyster production and about 63% of leaseholders reported no commercial harvests. Non-used leases tended to be smaller, and were found in more populated, high-income regions, consistent with both speculative and exclusionary uses. Virginia had the second lowest level of total production of cultured oysters per leased acre among the states on the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States. These results indicate that there is room for oyster aquaculture expansion in Virginia if societal, regulatory, and economic barriers can be reduced or if existing leased areas are used more efficiently

Performance of a low-cost, solar-powered pop-up satellite archival tag for assessing post-release mortality of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught in the US east coast light-tackle recreational fishery

Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) are a valuable tool for estimating mortality of pelagic fishes released from commercial and recreational fishing gears. However, the high cost of PSATs limits sample sizes, resulting in low-precision post-release mortality estimates with little management applicability. We evaluate the performance of a lower-cost PSAT designed to enable large-scale post-release mortality studies. The tag uses solar rather than battery power, does not include a depth sensor, and transmits daily summaries of light and temperature data rather than high-resolution habitat profiles, contributing to a substantially lower per-unit price. We assessed the tag’s ability to detect mortality while also estimating the post-release mortality of juvenile (119–\u3c 185 cm) Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught using light-tackle angling methods along the US east coast

The Dilemma of Derelict Gear

Every year, millions of pots and traps are lost in crustacean fisheries around the world. Derelict fishing gear has been found to produce several harmful environmental and ecological effects, however socioeconomic consequences have been investigated less frequently. We analyze the economic effects of a substantial derelict pot removal program in the largest estuary of the United States, the Chesapeake Bay. By combining spatially resolved data on derelict pot removals with commercial blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) harvests and effort, we show that removing 34,408 derelict pots led to significant gains in gear efficiency and an additional 13,504 MT in harvest valued at US $21.3 million-a 27$831 million in landings could be recovered annually by removing less than 10% of the derelict pots and traps from major crustacean fisheries. An unfortunate common pool externality, the degradation of marine environments is detrimental not only to marine organisms and biota, but also to those individuals and communities whose livelihoods and culture depend on profitable and sustainable marine resource use