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Sample records for salar comparing survival

  1. Survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts through a hydropower complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stich, D S; Bailey, M M; Zydlewski, J D

    2014-10-01

    This study evaluated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolt survival through the lower Penobscot River, Maine, U.S.A., and characterized relative differences in proportional use and survival through the main-stem of the river and an alternative migration route, the Stillwater Branch. The work was conducted prior to removal of two main-stem dams and operational changes in hydropower facilities in the Stillwater Branch. Survival and proportional use of migration routes in the lower Penobscot were estimated from multistate (MS) models based on 6 years of acoustic telemetry data from 1669 smolts and 2 years of radio-telemetry data from 190 fish. A small proportion (0·12, 95% c.i. = 0·06-0·25) of smolts used the Stillwater Branch, and mean survival through the two operational dams in this part of the river was relatively high (1·00 and 0·97). Survival at Milford Dam, the dam that will remain in the main-stem of the Penobscot River, was relatively low (0·91), whereas survival through two dams that were removed was relatively high (0·99 and 0·98). Smolt survival could decrease in the Stillwater Branch with the addition of two new powerhouses while continuing to meet fish passage standards. The effects of removing two dams in the main-stem are expected to be negligible for smolt survival based on high survival observed from 2005 to 2012 at those locations. Survival through Milford Dam was been well below current regulatory standards, and thus improvement of passage at this location offers the best opportunity for improving overall smolt survival in the lower river. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  2. Water chemistry and its effects on the physiology and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebich, T.; McCormick, S.D.; Kircheis, D.; Johnson, K.; Regal, R.; Hrabik, T.

    2011-01-01

    The physiological effects of episodic pH fluctuations on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in eastern Maine, U.S.A., were investigated. During this study, S. salar smolts were exposed to ambient stream-water chemistry conditions at nine sites in four catchments for 3 and 6 day intervals during the spring S. salar smolt migration period. Plasma chloride, plasma glucose, gill aluminium and gill Na+- and K+-ATPase levels in S. salar smolts were assessed in relation to ambient stream-water chemistry during this migration period. Changes in both plasma chloride and plasma glucose levels of S. salar smolts were strongly correlated with stream pH, and S. salar smolt mortality occurred in one study site with ambient stream pH between 5??6 and 5??8 during the study period. The findings from this study suggest that physiological effects on S. salar smolts are strongly correlated with stream pH and that in rivers and streams with low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations the threshold for physiological effects and mortality probably occurs at a higher pH and shorter exposure period than in rivers with higher DOC. Additionally, whenever an acidification event in which pH drops below 5??9 coincides with S. salar smolt migration in eastern Maine rivers, there is potential for a significant reduction in plasma ions of S. salar smolts. ?? 2011 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  3. Hanhaqimei,a Salar Woman

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    1997-01-01

    The Salar nationality,with apopulation of 87,697,mainly settles in Xunhua Salar Nationality Autonomous County in eastern Qinghai Province.The Salar have their own spoken language,but no written script.Most of the Salar use Mandarin Chinese.According to legend and historians,their ancestors movde to Xunhua from Middle Asia in the 13th century.The Salar living by the Yellow River engage in agriculture and animal husbandry as their Primary means of support. The Salar believe in Islam and are also greatly influenced by confucian culture developed by the Han nationality.

  4. Effects of passive integrated transponder tags on survival and growth of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Martin Hage; Thorn, Aske N.; Skov, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Background: A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the potential impacts of surgically implanted 23 and 32 mm passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags on survival, growth, and body condition of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Rate of tag retention and healing of the tagging incision...... were also evaluated. Atlantic salmon of three different size classes (I: 80 to 99 mm fork length (FL), II: 100 to 119 mm FL, III: 120 to 135 mm FL) were allocated to each of five experimental treatment groups: control, sham-operated (surgery without PIT-tag implantation), 23 mm PIT-tag implantation...... with and without suture closure of the incision, and 32 mm PIT-tag implantation without suture closure. Results: Over the 35-day experiment, mortality occurred only among fish tagged with 32 mm PIT tags (14%) and all fish larger than 103 mm FL survived. Non-sutured Atlantic salmon between 80 and 99 mm FL implanted...

  5. a salar elahi

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Pramana – Journal of Physics. A SALAR ELAHI. Articles written in Pramana – Journal of Physics. Volume 87 Issue 5 November 2016 pp 81 Regular. Analysis of tokamak plasma confinement modes using the fast Fourier transformation · S R MIRMOEINI A SALAR ELAHI M GHORANNEVISS · More Details ...

  6. Evidence for episodic acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, John T; Lerner, Darrren T.; O'Dea, Michael F.; Regish, Amy M.; Monette, Michelle Y.; Hawkes, J.P.; Nislow, Keith H.; McCormick, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Field studies were conducted to determine levels of gill aluminium as an index of acidification effects on migrating Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in the north-eastern U.S.A. along mainstem river migration corridors in several major river basins. Smolts emigrating from the Connecticut River, where most (but not all) tributaries were well buffered, had low or undetectable levels of gill aluminium and high gill Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activity. In contrast, smolts emigrating from the upper Merrimack River basin where most tributaries are characterized by low pH and high inorganic aluminium had consistently elevated gill aluminium and lower gill NKA activity, which may explain the low adult return rates of S. salar stocked into the upper Merrimack catchment. In the Sheepscot, Narraguagus and Penobscot Rivers in Maine, river and year-specific effects on gill aluminium were detected that appeared to be driven by underlying geology and high spring discharge. The results indicate that episodic acidification is affecting S. salar smolts in poorly buffered streams in New England and may help explain variation in S. salar survival and abundance among rivers and among years, with implications for the conservation and recovery of S. salar in the north-eastern U.S.A. These results suggest that the physiological condition of outmigrating smolts may serve as a large-scale sentinel of landscape-level recovery of atmospheric pollution in this and other parts of the North Atlantic region.

  7. Predictability of multispecies competitive interactions in three populations of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houde, A L S; Wilson, C C; Neff, B D

    2015-04-01

    Juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar from three allopatric populations (LaHave, Sebago and Saint-Jean) were placed into artificial streams with combinations of four non-native salmonids: brown trout Salmo trutta, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch. Non-additive effects, as evidenced by lower performance than predicted from weighted summed two-species competition trials, were detected for S. salar fork length (LF ) and mass, but not for survival, condition factor or riffle use. These data support emerging theory on niche overlap and species richness as factors that can lead to non-additive competition effects. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  8. Effects of hydropeaking on the spawning behaviour of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vollset, K W; Skoglund, H; Wiers, T; Barlaup, B T

    2016-06-01

    An in situ camera set-up was used to study the spawning activity of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and brown trout Salmo trutta throughout two consecutive seasons in a spawning area affected by hydropower-related pulse flows due to hydropeaking. The purpose was to test whether the flow variation discouraged spawning in shallow areas or motivated spawning into areas with elevated risk of incubation mortality. There were more S. salar observed on the spawning ground during days with high discharge. The presence of S. salar in the spawning grounds was not affected by the hydropeaking cycles of the preceding night. Female S. salar were observed preparing nests within the first hour after water discharge had increased to levels suitable for spawning. In contrast, the number of S. trutta was not correlated with flow and nest preparation was also observed at a discharge corresponding to the lowest discharge levels during a hydropeaking cycle. Survival was generally high in nests excavated the following winter, with only 5·4% suffering mortality due to dewatering. The results suggest that S. salar may respond rapidly to variable-flow conditions and utilize short windows with suitable flows for spawning. Smaller S. trutta may utilize low-flow conditions to spawn in areas that are not habitable by larger S. salar during low flow. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  9. Estrogen therapy offsets thermal impairment of vitellogenesis, but not zonagenesis, in maiden spawning female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelli Anderson

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, exposure to warm summer temperatures causes a reduction in plasma 17β-estradiol (E2, which impairs downstream vitellogenesis and zonagenesis, and reduces egg fertility and embryo survival. The aim of the present study was to determine whether E2-treatment could offset thermal impairment of endocrine function and maintain egg quality in maiden (first-time-spawning S. salar reared at 22 °C. Treatment with E2 at 22 °C stimulated vitellogenin (vtg gene expression and subsequent protein synthesis which promoted oocyte growth and increased egg size relative to untreated fish at 14 and 22 °C. However, E2-treatment at 22 °C was not associated with an increase in egg fertility and embryo survival relative to untreated fish at 22 °C, despite the positive effects of E2-treatment on vitellogenesis and oocyte growth. As there was no evidence to suggest that the estrogen receptor alpha expression was suppressed by high temperature, this could be due to the lack of stimulation on zonagenesis by E2-treatment observed at high temperature during oocyte development. Our results demonstrate that treatment with E2 is not able to maintain zonagenesis or egg quality in maiden S. salar at high temperature, even when vtg gene expression, protein synthesis and subsequent oocyte growth is promoted. This implies that the mechanisms regulating zonagenesis, but not vitellogenesis are impaired at elevated temperature in female S. salar broodstock, and highlights the remarkable complexity of thermally induced endocrine disruption in fish.

  10. Seasonal shift in the effects of predators on juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) energetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darren M. Ward; Keith H. Nislow; Carol L. Folt; James Grant

    2011-01-01

    Predator effects on prey populations are determined by the number of prey consumed and effects on the traits of surviving prey. Yet the effects of predators on prey traits are rarely evaluated in field studies. We measured the effects of predators on energetic traits (consumption and growth rates) of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a...

  11. Aluminum exposure impacts brain plasticity and behavior in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grassie, C; Braithwaite, V A; Nilsson, J; Nilsen, T O; Teien, H-C; Handeland, S O; Stefansson, S O; Tronci, V; Gorissen, M; Flik, G; Ebbesson, L O E

    2013-08-15

    Aluminum (Al) toxicity occurs frequently in natural aquatic ecosystems as a result of acid deposition and natural weathering processes. Detrimental effects of Al toxicity on aquatic organisms are well known and can have consequences for survival. Fish exposed to Al in low pH waters will experience physiological and neuroendocrine changes that disrupt homeostasis and alter behavior. To investigate the effects of Al exposure on both the brain and behavior, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) kept in water treated with Al (pH 5.7, 0.37±0.04 μmol 1(-1) Al) for 2 weeks were compared with fish kept in under control conditions (pH 6.7, salmon, and may impair the ability to cope with new environments.

  12. Exiled by Definition:The Salar of Northwest China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David SG Goodman

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available The reform of state socialism came relatively late to Qinghai Province in the Northwest of the People’s Republic of China. One of Qinghai’s most dynamic groups in the social leadership of reform has been the Salar. The Salar were one of the officially recognized nationalities identified in the People’s Republic of China during the 1950s. A relatively small group of some 100,000 currently live along the upper reaches of the Yellow River, on the borders of Qinghai and Gansu Provinces. The Salar are characterised by their commitment to both Islam and China, and by their belief that they live in permanent exile, though there is considerable uncertainty about their origins. The evidence of recent research in Qinghai suggests the perspective of being Chinese citizens, yet a people in exile, significantly shapes recent Salar social and economic activism.

  13. Impacts of episodic acidification on in-stream survival and physiological impairment of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormick, S.D.; Keyes, A.; Nislow, K.H.; Monette, M.Y.

    2009-01-01

    We conducted field studies to determine the levels of acid and aluminum (Al) that affect survival, smolt development, ion homeostasis, and stress in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in restoration streams of the Connecticut River in southern Vermont, USA. Fish were held in cages in five streams encompassing a wide range of acid and Al levels for two 6-day intervals during the peak of smolt development in late April and early May. Physiological parameters were unchanged from initial sampling at the hatchery and the high water quality reference site (pH > 7.0, inorganic Al pH (5.4-5.6) and highest inorganic Al (50-80 μg·L-1). Moderate loss of plasma chloride, increased plasma cortisol and glucose, and moderately elevated gill Al occurred at less severely impacted sites. Gill Al was a better predictor of integrated physiological impacts than water chemistry alone. The results indicate that Al and low pH under field conditions in some New England streams can cause mortality and impair smolt development in juvenile Atlantic salmon and provide direct evidence that episodic acidification is impacting conservation and recovery of Atlantic salmon in the northeastern USA.

  14. Ethnoarchéologie du salar d'Uyuni: sel et cultures régionales inter salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1985-01-01

    Full Text Available Le sel a toujours été l'une des denrées fondamentalement indispensables à la vie quotidienne des hommes. Abondant dans les hauts plateaux des Andes centrales, il constitue l'une des principales richesses des populations locales. Transporté par caravanes de lamas vers d'autres écozones où il est troqué, littoral pacifique, moyennes et basses vallées orientales, il permet à chaque communauté d'acquérir les matières premières complémentaires nécessaires à sa propre subsistance: maïs, piment, coca ou algues... En Bolivie, les grands salars d'Uyuni et de Coipasa sont les principaux centres d'approvisionnement en sel. Leur exploitation à l'échelle régionale semblerait remonter bien avant la colonisation espagnole? La zone 'inter salar,' comprise entre ces deux grandes salines proches de la frontière chilienne, est la mieux localisée pour essayer de déterminer l'exploitation dont elles ont pu faire l'objet par les diverses cultures régionales anciennes ou plus contemporaines. Cette interrogation est à la base du projet d'ethnoarchéologie commencé sur cette région. Cet article présente les premiers résultats de la prospection archéologique menée du 15 novembre au 15 décembre 1983 dans le cadre de ce programme. Il révèle l'existence de nombreux sites fortifiés ou d'inhumations pré-inca correspondant, dans leur ensemble, à des cultures ou grandes chefferies régionales ou 'señoríos' post-Tiwanaku, pouvant être liés au salar et au commerce du sel? Il met l'accent sur les problèmes soulevés par cette étude, les possibilités d'interprétation que nous pouvons avancer et les orientations souhaitées pour compléter ce projet. Siempre la sal ha sido uno de los productos fundamentalmente necesarios para la vida cotidiana del ser humano. Muy abundante en el altiplano de los Andes centrales, la sal constituye, para las poblaciones locales, una de sus riquezas más valiosas. Cargada y trasladada por caravanas de

  15. Geochemical evolution of brines in the Salar of Uyuni, Bolivia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rettig, S.L.; Jones, B.F.; Risacher, F.

    1980-01-01

    Recent analyses of brines from the Salars of Uyuni and Coipasa have been compared with published data for Lakes Titicaca and Poopo to evaluate solute compositional trends in these remnants of two large Pleistocene lakes once connected by overflow from the N to the S of the Bolivian Altiplano. From Titicaca to Poopo the water shows an increase in Cl and N somewhat greater than the total solutes. Ca and SO4 increase to a lesser extent than total dissolved solids, and carbonate species are relatively constant. Between Poopo and Coipasa proportions of Ca, SO4 and CO3 continue to decrease. At Coipasa and Uyuni, the great salars frequently evaporate to halite saturation. Halite crystallization is accompanied by an increased K, Mg and SO4 in residual brines. - from Authors

  16. Multi-temporal remote sensing analysis of salars in El Loa Province, Chile: Implications for water resource management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovich, K.; Pierce, S. A.

    2011-12-01

    Salar de Ascotán and Salar de Carcote are internally drained, evaporative basins located in the Atacama Desert, 200 km northeast of Antofogasta in Region II, Chile. The two salars are part of a regional groundwater system that recharges in the adjacent uplands to the east and terminates in the regional topographic low at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia. This regional groundwater system is discharged locally as spring-fed perennial surface water that flows across the salar surface and either evaporates, or reinfiltrates, in lagoon-like environments. This perennial surface water supports diverse flora and fauna in the salar basins, including flamingo, vicuña, and the endemic fish species Orestias ascotanensis. Mining projects in the region began pumping the groundwater system in the Ascotán basin in the mid-1990's, leading to concern about the preservation of spring-fed surface flows. While hydrologic and ecologic monitoring efforts have been coordinated, data collection is limited to in-situ measurements and antecedent records precede extraction by approximately six months. Remote sensing can provide a means for large scale monitoring of the salars, as well as providing additional historical data to support environmental management of the systems. This comparative study utilizes satellite imagery to detect changes in surface water extent in the two salars and evaluate the results for possible correlation with climatic and/or anthropogenic factors. Landsat TM and ETM+ images from the time period of 1986-2011 are analyzed for surface water extent, and geographic information technologies are used to integrate the remotely sensed data with in-situ measurements. Early results indicate that surface water extent on the salar surface has diminished from 1986 and present day conditions. The decrease is most pronounced in the Ascotán basin, suggesting a possible correlation to anthropogenic influences. Also, the rate of decrease in surface water presence is most elevated in the

  17. Evaluation of LANDSAT-2 (ERTS) images applied to geologic structures and mineral resources of South America. [Salar de Coposa, Chile and Salar of Uyuni, Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, W. D. (Principal Investigator); Kowalik, W. S.

    1976-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The Salar of Coposa is located in northern Chile along the frontier with Bolivia. The surface was divided into six general classes of materials. Analysis of LANDSAT image 1243-14001 by use of interactive multispectral computer (Image 100) enabled accurate repetition of these general classes based on reflectance. The Salar of Uyuni is the largest of the South American evaporite deposits. Using image 1243-13595, and parallel piped computer classification of reflectance units, the Salar was divided into nine classes ranging from deep to shallow water, water over salt, salt saturated with water, and several classes of dry salt.

  18. Modeling the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia as an Equipotential Surface of Earth's Gravity Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borsa, Adrian; Bills, Bruce

    2004-01-01

    The salar de Uyuni is a massive dry salt lake that lies at the lowest point of an internal/drainage basin in the Bolivian Altiplano. Its topography is remarkable for its extraordinary flatness over almost a full degree of latitude and longitude. We surveyed a 54 x 45 km region of the salar with kinematic GPS in September, 2002 and found a topographic range of only 80 cm over the entire surveyed area. Furthermore, the survey revealed distinct surface features with several dominant wavelengths and orientations. Some of these appear to be aligned with orographic features that intersect the salar, leading us to conjecture that they are the surface expression of high-density mountains that have been buried by low-density basin sediments. Over the oceans, a similar correspondence between basin bathymetry and surface topography is exploited to map the seafloor using sea-surface satellite altimetry measurements, with the sea surface following geoid undulations due to the underwater mass distribution. On the salar, annual flooding creates a shallow lake whose surface also lies on a equipotential surface shaped by the distribution of underlying mass. The link to the actual salar surface is via the dissolution and redeposition of salt by the lake waters, which appears to push the system to an equilibrium of constant water depth and the coincidence of the shapes of the lake surface and bottom. To test our hypothesis about the origin of the surface features on the salar, we compare our GPS survey elevations with the equipotential surface generated from local gravity measurements in conjunction with gravity and potential values from the EGM96 global geopotential model. 50% of the variance of the GPS elevations can be explained by equipotential surface undulations from the EGM96 model alone, and an additional 40% is explained by the shorter-wavelength equipotential surface derived from local gravity. We examine the unexplained 10% of elevation variance from the standpoint of

  19. Variation in wind and piscivorous predator fields affecting the survival of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the Gulf of Maine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedland, K.D.; Manning, J.P.; Link, Jason S.; Gilbert, J.R.; Gilbert, A.T.; O'Connell, A.F.

    2012-01-01

    Observations relevant to the North American stock complex of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., suggest that marine mortality is influenced by variation in predation pressure affecting post-smolts during the first months at sea. This hypothesis was tested for Gulf of Maine (GOM) stocks by examining wind pseudostress and the distribution of piscivorous predator fields potentially affecting post-smolts. Marine survival has declined over recent decades with a change in the direction of spring winds, which is likely extending the migration of post-smolts by favouring routes using the western GOM. In addition to changes in spring wind patterns, higher spring sea surface temperatures have been associated with shifting distributions of a range of fish species. The abundance of several pelagic piscivores, which based on their feeding habits may predate on salmon post-smolts, has increased in the areas that serve as migration corridors for post-smolts. In particular, populations of silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis (Mitchell), red hake, Urophycis chuss (Walbaum), and spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias L., increased in size in the portion of the GOM used by post-smolts. Climate variation and shifting predator distributions in the GOM are consistent with the predator hypothesis of recruitment control suggested for the stock complex.

  20. Antecedentes hidroquímicos del Salar de Aguas Calientes I (Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Garcés Millas

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available El Salar de Aguas Calientes I es un sistema salino del Altiplano chileno, situado a4.280 m.s.n.m, expuesto a condiciones ambientales áridas. El presente trabajo da cuenta del estudio hidroquímico de las soluciones superficiales existentes en el salar, tanto de soluciones diluidas como concentradas en surgencias y acumulaciones lacustres, así como de la mineralogía de las sales precipitadas por evaporación de estas aguas lacustres. Los principales aportes de agua al salar ingresan por la zona norte y por el sector sur, siendo estos últimos de carácter termal. Los restantes aportes se limitan a escasas precipitaciones en forma de escorrentía superficial o subsuperficial. Todas estas aguas circulan hacia las zonas más bajas del salar, y se acumulan en distintos puntos a lo largo de su sector occidental como consecuencia de un ligero basculamiento en su superficie. Los resultados del análisis químico indican que, a pesar de tratarse de aguas con grados de concentración variable y que oscilan entre muy diluidas y altamente concentradas, todas ellas pertenecen al tipo químico Na-Cl, debido a la interacción de las aguas con los depósitos salinos preexistentes en el salar, en los que predominan halita y yeso. Además, todas las soluciones mostraron elevados contenidos en elementos químicos asociados a actividad hidrotermal como son Li, B y As, encontrándose este último en rangos de toxicidad incluso en las muestras diluidas. En el margen norte del salar, las aguas de una surgencia no termal caracterizadas por ser de muy baja concentración en sales minerales, discurren hacia el salar,alimentando una zona de bofedal en la que se desarrolla importante vida vegetal y sirven de sustento a los rebaños de camélidos del área. En cambio, las aguas de los sectores central y meridional (donde se encuentra una surgencia de carácter termal son mucho más concentradas, acumulándose en lagunas desprovistas de desarrollo vegetal. El an

  1. Comparative responses to endocrine disrupting compounds in early life stages of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffy, Tara A.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; McCormick, Stephen D.

    2014-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are endangered anadromous fish that may be exposed to feminizing endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) during early development, potentially altering physiological capacities, survival and fitness. To assess differential life stage sensitivity to common EDCs, we carried out short-term (four day) exposures using three doses each of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17β-estradiol (E2), and nonylphenol (NP) on four early life stages; embryos, yolk-sac larvae, feeding fry and one year old smolts. Differential response was compared using vitellogenin (Vtg, a precursor egg protein) gene transcription. Smolts were also examined for impacts on plasma Vtg, cortisol, thyroid hormones (T4/T3) and hepatosomatic index (HSI). Compound-related mortality was not observed in any life stage, but Vtg mRNA was elevated in a dose-dependent manner in yolk-sac larvae, fry and smolts but not in embyos. The estrogens EE2 and E2 were consistently stronger inducers of Vtg than NP. Embryos responded significantly to the highest concentration of EE2 only, while older life stages responded to the highest doses of all three compounds, as well as intermediate doses of EE2 and E2. Maximal transcription was greater for fry among the three earliest life stages, suggesting fry may be the most responsive life stage in early development. Smolt plasma Vtg was also significantly increased, and this response was observed at lower doses of each compound than was detected by gene transcription suggesting this is a more sensitive indicator at this life stage. HSI was increased at the highest doses of EE2 and E2 and plasma T3 decreased at the highest dose of EE2. Our results indicate that all life stages after hatching are potentially sensitive to endocrine disruption by estrogenic compounds and that physiological responses were altered over a short window of exposure, indicating the potential for these compounds to impact fish in the wild.

  2. Comparative responses to endocrine disrupting compounds in early life stages of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffy, T A; Iwanowicz, L R; McCormick, S D

    2014-07-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are endangered anadromous fish that may be exposed to feminizing endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) during early development, potentially altering physiological capacities, survival and fitness. To assess differential life stage sensitivity to common EDCs, we carried out short-term (4 day) exposures using three doses each of 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17 β-estradiol (E2), and nonylphenol (NP) on four early life stages; embryos, yolk-sac larvae, feeding fry and 1 year old smolts. Differential response was compared using vitellogenin (Vtg, a precursor egg protein) gene transcription. Smolts were also examined for impacts on plasma Vtg, cortisol, thyroid hormones (T4/T3) and hepatosomatic index (HSI). Compound-related mortality was not observed in any life stage, but Vtg mRNA was elevated in a dose-dependent manner in yolk-sac larvae, fry and smolts but not in embryos. The estrogens EE2 and E2 were consistently stronger inducers of Vtg than NP. Embryos responded significantly to the highest concentration of EE2 only, while older life stages responded to the highest doses of all three compounds, as well as intermediate doses of EE2 and E2. Maximal transcription was greater for fry among the three earliest life stages, suggesting fry may be the most responsive life stage in early development. Smolt plasma Vtg was also significantly increased, and this response was observed at lower doses of each compound than was detected by gene transcription suggesting plasma Vtg is a more sensitive indicator at this life stage. HSI was increased at the highest doses of EE2 and E2, and plasma T3 was decreased at the highest dose of EE2. Our results indicate that all life stages are potentially sensitive to endocrine disruption by estrogenic compounds and that physiological responses were altered over a short window of exposure, indicating the potential for these compounds to impact fish in the wild. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  3. Vaccination improves survival of Baltic salmon ( Salmo salar ) smolts in delayed release sea ranching (net-pen period)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buchmann, Kurt; Dalsgaard, Inger; Nielsen, Michael Engelbrecht

    1997-01-01

    Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) of the Finnish Iijoki stock were hatched and reared in freshwater in a salmon hatchery on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic sea. Salmon parr were divided in three groups each comprising 22 000 fish. One group was vaccinated by intraperitoneal injection....... In contrast, no increase of titres was seen in the bath vaccinated and untreated groups. Marked cellular reactions in the abdominal cavity of injected fish were registered. A total of 3000 fish have been tagged and released to evaluate the effect of vaccination on the recapture rate. The implications...

  4. Salars evaporation rates evaluation using isotope techniques, Bellavista Salar, Chile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grilli, A.; Ortiz, J.

    1989-01-01

    Long term evaporation rates are evaluated in different soil conditions at Bellavista Salar, using environmental isotope profiles (oxygen-18) of the unsaturated soil zone. The Barnes and Allison model was adapted to stratified soils under non-saturation conditions and for a non-isothermal permanent regime. To apply the proposed model, field data of the different variables were used and the evaporation rates were obtained adjunting the δ 18 O values generated by the model to those experimentally measured in the water extracted from the soil profile of the unsaturated soil zone. (author). 13 refs, 8 figs

  5. Temperature selection of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) as influenced by various toxic substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peterson, R H

    1976-08-01

    Previous exposure to sodium pentachlorophenate (NaPCP), Guthion, malathion, Dursban, and Dibrom lowered the preferred temperature for juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) tested in a horizontal temperature gradient. Lindane, CuSO/sub 4/, ZnSO/sub 4/, CdSO/sub 4/, Sevin, heptachlor, and fenitrothion did not change the preferred temperature significantly. Comparison with other published results indicates that those substances that increase the preferred temperature are more toxic (based on relevant changes in 24-h LC50) at low temperatures and vice versa. It is suggested that such shifts in selected temperature may be of potential immediate, short-term, survival value to the fish. (auth)

  6. Effects of rearing density and dietary fat content on burst-swim performance and oxygen transport capacity in juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammenstig, D; Sandblom, E; Axelsson, M; Johnsson, J I

    2014-10-01

    The effects of hatchery rearing density (conventional or one third of conventional density) and feeding regime (high or reduced dietary fat levels) on burst-swim performance and oxygen transport capacity were studied in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, using wild fish as a reference group. There was no effect of rearing density or food regime on swimming performance in parr and smolts. The maximum swimming speed of wild parr was significantly higher than that of hatchery-reared conspecifics, while no such difference remained at the smolt stage. In smolts, relative ventricle mass was higher in wild S. salar compared with hatchery-reared fish. Moreover, wild S. salar had lower maximum oxygen consumption following a burst-swim challenge than hatchery fish. There were no effects of hatchery treatment on maximum oxygen consumption or relative ventricle mass. Haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, however, were lower in low-density fish than in fish reared at conventional density. Furthermore, dorsal-fin damage, an indicator of aggression, was similar in low-density reared and wild fish and lower than in S. salar reared at conventional density. Together, these results suggest that reduced rearing density is more important than reduced dietary fat levels in producing an S. salar smolt suitable for supplementary release. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  7. Hydrogeology of the lacustrine system of the eastern margin of the Salar the Atacama (Chile); Hidrogeologia del sistema lagunar del margen este del Salar de Atacama (Chile)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salas, J.; Guimera, J.; Cornella, O.; Aravena, R.; Guzman, E.; Tore, C.; von Igel, W.; Moreno, R.

    2010-07-01

    A hydrogeological conceptual model of the Eastern margin of the Salar de Atacama (Chile) is proposed taking into account climatic, geological, geomorphological, piezometric, chemical and isotopic data. The study establishes the processes that explain the hydrochemical evolution of waters from salty groundwater in the alluvial aquifer located in eastern part of basin until brines at the saline aquifer of the Salar. The main processes associated with this hydrochemical evolution are evaporation and mixing, but water-crust interaction in the discharge areas of the alluvial aquifer associated with the saline wedge also modifies groundwater composition, and plays a role in the dynamics of the evaporitic crusts in the Salar. The existence of low permeability materials near the surface explains the existence of the permanent surface water bodies in the study area. Based on the data collected in the study three different mechanisms are proposed regarding the main sources of water to the lagoons: (1) discharge of saline groundwater from the detrital and volcanic aquifers of the E margin, (2) discharge of surface waters associated to the N area (Burro Muerto channel), and (3) a combination of both previous mechanisms. (Author).

  8. Comparative cardiac pathological changes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) affected with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) and pancreas disease (PD)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yousaf, Muhammad Naveed; Koppang, Erling Olaf; Skjødt, Karsten

    2013-01-01

    The heart is considered the powerhouse of the cardiovascular system. Heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) and pancreas disease (PD) are cardiac diseases of marine farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) which commonly affect the heart in addition to the skeletal...

  9. Nódulos opalinos en facies marginales del salar Olaroz (Puna Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alonso, R.

    1989-04-01

    Full Text Available This article reports the results of a petrological and geochemical study of silica nodules from Quaternary alluvial fallS of the Olaroz Salar. The nodules are mainly constituted by C-T opal, d. (101 spacing to 4,11 A, implying a high-disorder; this is commonly observed in opa! rocks formed in near surface environments, without burial and heating. The chemical composition of the nodules is anomalous when compared with other typical silica-rocks formed in arid continental closed basin, without any eruptive environments (for instance the Cuenca del Tajo in Spain. The siliceous nodules do not have the characteristics of the silcretes and are not associated to the evaporitic facies of the salar. Their genesis is probably related to contamination of groundwater of the alluvial fan with high-silica thermal water. The C-T opal would thus precipitate by either displacing tbe terrigenous host-rock or replacing previous ulexite nodules.Se realiza un estudio petrológico y geoquímico de los nódulos silíceos que se encuentran incluidos en sedimentos terrígenos cuaternarios de la Cuenca de Olaroz (La Puna, Argentina. Estos nódulos se localizan en abanicos aluviales que aparecen encajados, debido a los cambios en el nivel de base que se produce desde el Pleistoceno a la actualidad, durante la evolución de los cuerpos lacustres a salares. Un estudio mediante DRX revela que son rocas constituidas por ópalo C-T, con un espaciado (101 a 4,11 A, que implica un grado de desorden alto, típico de las rocas silíceas formadas en superficie y que no han sufrido enterramiento ni influencia térmica. Su composición química es anómala si se compara con rocas silíceas continentales formadas en ambiente endorreico y fuera de un marco volcánico (Mioceno de la Cuenca del Tajo. No poseyendo características de silcretas y no estando asociadas a la sedimentación evaporítica de los salares, se considera la influencia de aguas termales. La contaminación local y en

  10. 50 CFR 226.217 - Critical habitat for the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). 226.217 Section 226.217 Wildlife and... Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). Critical habitat is designated to include all... the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon (GOM DPS), except for those...

  11. Microbial diversity of the hypersaline and lithium-rich Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haferburg, Götz; Gröning, Janosch A D; Schmidt, Nadja; Kummer, Nicolai-Alexeji; Erquicia, Juan Carlos; Schlömann, Michael

    2017-06-01

    Salar de Uyuni, situated in the Southwest of the Bolivian Altiplano, is the largest salt flat on Earth. Brines of this athalassohaline hypersaline environment are rich in lithium and boron. Due to the ever- increasing commodity demand, the industrial exploitation of brines for metal recovery from the world's biggest lithium reservoir is likely to increase substantially in the near future. Studies on the composition of halophilic microbial communities in brines of the salar have not been published yet. Here we report for the first time on the prokaryotic diversity of four brine habitats across the salar. The brine is characterized by salinity values between 132 and 177 PSU, slightly acidic to near-neutral pH and lithium and boron concentrations of up to 2.0 and 1.4g/L, respectively. Community analysis was performed after sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA genes employing the Illumina MiSeq technology. The mothur software package was used for sequence processing and data analysis. Metagenomic analysis revealed the occurrence of an exclusively archaeal community comprising 26 halobacterial genera including only recently identified genera like Halapricum, Halorubellus and Salinarchaeum. Despite the high diversity of the halobacteria-dominated community in sample P3 (Shannon-Weaver index H'=3.12 at 3% OTU cutoff) almost 40% of the Halobacteriaceae-assigned sequences could not be classified on the genus level under stringent filtering conditions. Even if the limited taxonomic resolution of the V3-V4 region for halobacteria is considered, it seems likely to discover new, hitherto undescribed genera of the family halobacteriaceae in this particular habitat of Salar de Uyuni in future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  12. Evidence of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry movement between fresh water and a brackish environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taal, I; Rohtla, M; Saks, L; Svirgsden, R; Kesler, M; Matetski, L; Vetemaa, M

    2017-08-01

    This study reports descent of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry from their natal streams to brackish waters of the Baltic Sea and their use of this environment as an alternative rearing habitat before ascending back to freshwater streams. To the authors' knowledge, residency in a brackish environment has not previously been demonstrated in S. salar fry. Recruitment success and evolutionary significance of this alternative life-history strategy are presently not known. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  13. Reduced rearing density increases postrelease migration success of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Martin Hage; Johnsson, Jörgen I; Näslund, Joacim

    2016-01-01

    during rearing in the hatchery. However, individuals reared at reduced density had less eroded dorsal fins and opercula relative to those from the high-density treatment. In the stream, the downstream migration success was 16% higher for fish reared at reduced density than for conspecifics kept at high-density......The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rearing density on the post-release survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts during seaward migration. Fish were either reared at conventional hatchery density or at one-third of conventional density. Three hundred one-year old...... smolts from each density treatment were individually tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and released 3.2 km upstream of a stationary antenna array in a natural stream. There were no significant differences in length, body mass, or condition between fish from the two density treatments...

  14. Genetic differentiation and forensic efficiency evaluation for Chinese Salar ethnic minority based on a 5-dye multiplex insertion and deletion panel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ruilin; Shen, Chunmei; Wei, Yuanyuan; Jin, Xiaoye; Guo, Yuxin; Mu, Yuling; Sun, Siqi; Chen, Chong; Cui, Wei; Wei, Zhaoming; Lian, Zhenmin

    2018-06-20

    The present study investigated the genetic diversities of 30 autosomal insertion and deletion (InDel) loci of Investigator DIPplex kit (Qiagen) in Chinese Salar ethnic minority and explored the genetic relationships between the studied Salar group and other populations. The allelic frequencies of deletion alleles at the 30 InDel loci were in the range of 0.1739 (HLD64) to 0.8478 (HLD39). The discrimination power, polymorphism information content and probability of exclusion ranged from 0.4101 (HLD39) to 0.6447 (HLD136), 0.2247 (HLD39) to 0.3750 (HLD92) and 0.0400 (HLD39) to 0.2806 (HLD92), respectively. The observed and expected heterozygosity were in the range of 0.2348 (HLD39) to 0.5913 (HLD92), and 0.2580 (HLD39) to 0.5000 (HLD92), respectively. The cumulative discrimination power and probability of exclusion of the 30 loci reached 0.999999999993418 and 0.99039, respectively. The results of population genetic differentiation comparisons revealed that Salar group had similar allele distributions with Qinghai Tibetan, Xibe and Yi groups. Population Bayesian cluster analysis showed that there were similar ancestry components between Salar group and most Chinese populations. Besides, the principal components analysis and phylogenetic reconstructions further indicated that Salar group had intimate genetic relationships with Qinghai Tibetan and Xibe groups. In short, the results of the current studies indicated the genetic distributions of the 30 InDel loci in Salar group were relatively high genetic polymorphisms, which could be used in forensic individual identifications and as a supplementary tool for complex paternity testing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Individual survival curves comparing subjective and observed mortality risks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bissonnette, Luc; Hurd, Michael D; Michaud, Pierre-Carl

    2017-12-01

    We compare individual survival curves constructed from objective (actual mortality) and elicited subjective information (probability of survival to a given target age). We develop a methodology to estimate jointly subjective and objective individual survival curves accounting for rounding on subjective reports of perceived survival. We make use of the long follow-up period in the Health and Retirement Study and the high quality of mortality data to estimate individual survival curves that feature both observed and unobserved heterogeneity. This allows us to compare objective and subjective estimates of remaining life expectancy for various groups and compare welfare effects of objective and subjective mortality risk using the life cycle model of consumption. We find that subjective and objective hazards are not the same. The median welfare loss from misperceptions of mortality risk when annuities are not available is 7% of current wealth at age 65 whereas more than 25% of respondents have losses larger than 60% of wealth. When annuities are available and exogenously given, the welfare loss is substantially lower. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Effects of GnRHa treatment during vitellogenesis on the reproductive physiology of thermally challenged female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelli Anderson

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Tasmanian Atlantic salmon (S. salar broodstock can experience temperatures above 20 °C, which impairs reproductive development and inhibits ovulation. The present study investigated the prolonged use of gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa during vitellogenesis as a means of maintaining endocrine function and promoting egg quality at elevated temperature in maiden and repeat spawning S. salar. GnRHa-treatment during vitellogenesis did not compensate for the negative effects of thermal challenge on the timing of ovulation, egg size, egg fertility or embryo survival in any fish maintained at 22 °C relative to 14 °C. The lack of effectiveness was reflected by the endocrine data, as plasma follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone levels were not different between treated and untreated groups at 22 °C. Furthermore, plasma testosterone and E2 levels were unchanged in GnRHa-treated fish at 22 °C, and plasma levels were generally lower in both groups maintained at 22 °C relative to 14 °C. Transcription of vitellogenin, and zona pellucida B and C was not enhanced in GnRHa-treated fish relative to untreated fish at 22 °C, presumably due to observed suppression of plasma E2. These results indicate that thermal impairment of reproduction is likely to occur on multiple levels, and is difficult to overcome via hormonal manipulation.

  17. Photoperiod control of downstream movements of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zydlewski, Gayle B.; Stich, Daniel S.; McCormick, Stephen D.

    2014-01-01

    This study provides the first direct observations that photoperiod controls the initiation of downstream movement in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts. Under simulated natural day length (LDN) conditions and seasonal increases in temperature, smolts increased their downstream movements five-fold for a period of 1 month in late spring. Under the same conditions, parr did not show changes in downstream movement behaviour. When given a shortened day length (10L:14D) beginning in late winter, smolts did not increase the number of downstream movements. An early increase in day length (16L:8D) in late winter resulted in earlier initiation and termination of downstream movements compared to the LDN group. Physiological status and behaviour were related but not completely coincident: gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity increased in all treatments and thyroid hormone was elevated prior to movement in 16L:8D treatment. The most parsimonious model describing downstream movement of smolts included synergistic effects of photoperiod treatment and temperature, indicating that peak movements occurred at colder temperatures in the 16L:8D treatment than in LDN, and temperature did not influence movement of smolts in the 10L:14D treatment. The complicated interactions of photoperiod and temperature are not surprising since many organisms have evolved to rely on correlations among environmental cues and windows of opportunity to time behaviours associated with life-history transitions. These complicated interactions, however, have serious implications for phenological adjustments and persistence ofS. salar populations in response to climate change.

  18. Comparing survival curves using rank tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albers, Willem/Wim

    1990-01-01

    Survival times of patients can be compared using rank tests in various experimental setups, including the two-sample case and the case of paired data. Attention is focussed on two frequently occurring complications in medical applications: censoring and tail alternatives. A review is given of the

  19. Salar de Surire un ecosistema altoandino en peligro, frente a escenario del cambio climático

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Garcés

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Este trabajo realiza un análisis al salar de Surire desde el punto de vista de la biodiversidad y sus implicancias producto del cambio climático. Como resultado se predice que los próximos años serán secos y la temperatura podría ir en aumento, lo cual afectará notablemente a la flora y fauna del altiplano. El salar de Surire es un cuerpo salino ubicado en el altiplano andino chileno, en un entorno geológico de características volcánicas. La climatología actual de aridez no permite una acumulación de agua superficial de gran extensión, y por lo tanto es posible diferenciar tres tipos principales de aguas: los aportes de drenaje, las acumulaciones de agua en la aureola pantanosa externa o “bofedales”, y las aguas del interior del cuerpo salino (surgencias termales y salmueras. Estas condiciones hidrológicas afectan factores abióticos, como anaerobiosis de suelos, disposición de nutrientes y salinidad, factores determinantes del desarrollo de la flora y fauna. Palabras claves: Salar de Surire; Biodiversidad andina; Cambio climático; Ecosistema andino

  20. Modeling the topography of the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia as an equipotential surface of Earth’s gravity field

    OpenAIRE

    Borsa, Adrian

    2008-01-01

    The salar de Uyuni is a massive dry salt lake that lies at the lowest point of an internal drainage basin in the Bolivian Altiplano. A kinematic GPS survey of the salar in September 2002 found a topographic range of only 80 cm over a 54 × 45 km area and subtle surface features that appeared to correlate with mapped gravity. In order to confirm the correlation between topography and gravity/geopotential, we use local gravity measurements and the EGM96 global geopotential model to construct a c...

  1. Effects of feed quality and quantity on growth, early maturation and smolt development in hatchery-reared landlocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norrgård, J R; Bergman, E; Greenberg, L A; Schmitz, M

    2014-10-01

    The effects of feed quality and quantity on growth, early male parr maturation and development of smolt characteristics were studied in hatchery-reared landlocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. The fish were subjected to two levels of feed rations and two levels of lipid content from first feeding until release in May of their second year. Salmo salar fed high rations, regardless of lipid content, grew the most and those fed low lipid feed with low rations grew the least. In addition, fish fed low lipid feed had lower body lipid levels than fish fed high lipid feed. Salmo salar from all treatments showed some reduction in condition factor (K) and lipid levels during their second spring. Smolt status was evaluated using both physiological and morphological variables. These results, based on gill Na(+) , K(+) -ATPase (NKA) enzyme activity, saltwater tolerance challenges and visual assessments, were consistent with each other, showing that S. salar from all treatments, except the treatment in which the fish were fed low rations with low lipid content, exhibited characteristics associated with smolting at 2 years of age. Sexually mature male parr from the high ration, high lipid content treatment were also subjected to saltwater challenge tests, and were found to be unable to regulate plasma sodium levels. The proportion of sexually mature male parr was reduced when the fish were fed low feed rations, but was not affected by the lipid content of the feed. Salmo salar fed low rations with low lipid content exhibited the highest degree of severe fin erosion. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  2. Evidence for long-term change in length, mass and migration phenology of anadromous spawners in French Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bal, G; Montorio, L; Rivot, E; Prévost, E; Baglinière, J-L; Nevoux, M

    2017-06-01

    This study provides new data on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar life-history traits across France. Using a long-term recreational angling database (1987-2013) covering 34 rivers in three regions (genetic units), a decline in individual length, mass and a delayed adult return to French rivers was reported. Temporal similarities in trait variations between regions may be attributed to common change in environmental conditions at sea. The relative rate of change in phenotypic traits was more pronounced in early maturing fish [1 sea-winter (1SW) fish] than in late maturing fish (2SW fish). Such contrasted response within populations highlights the need to account for the diversity in life histories when exploring mechanisms of phenotypic change in S. salar. Such detailed life-history data on returning S. salar have not previously been reported from France. This study on French populations also contributes to reducing the gap in knowledge by providing further empirical evidence of a global pattern in S. salar across its distribution range. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that the observed changes in life-history traits are primarily associated with environmental changes in the North Atlantic Ocean. They also emphasize the presence of less important, but still significant contrasts between region and life history. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  3. Distribution by origin and sea age of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the sea around the Faroe Islands based on analysis of historical tag recoveries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Jan Arge; Hansen, Lars P.; Bakkestuen, Vegar

    2012-01-01

    Distribution by origin and sea age of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the sea around the Faroe Islands based on analysis of historical tag recoveries. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 1598–1608.A database of 2651 tags applied to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in 13 countries...

  4. Divergent trends in life-history traits between Atlantic salmon Salmo salar of wild and hatchery origin in the Baltic Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vainikka, A; Kallio-Nyberg, I; Heino, M; Koljonen, M-L

    2010-02-01

    Four Atlantic salmon Salmo salar stocks in the Baltic Sea, varying in their breeding history, were studied for changes in life-history traits over the years 1972-1995. Total length (L(T)) at age of captured (L(TC)) fish had increased throughout the study period, partly due to increased temperature and increased L(T) at release, (L(TR)) but also due to remaining cohort effects that could represent unaccounted environmental or genetic change. Simultaneously, maturation probabilities controlled for water temperature, L(TC) and L(TR) had increased in all stocks. The least change was observed in the River Tornionjoki S. salar that was subject only to supportive stockings originating from wild parents. These results suggest a long-term divergence between semi-natural and broodstock-based S. salar stocks. Increased L(T) at age explained advanced maturation only marginally, and it remains an open question to what extent the generally increased probabilities to mature at early age reflected underlying genetic changes.

  5. Efecto de reducir la frecuencia de alimentación en la supervivencia, crecimiento, conversión y conducta alimenticia en juveniles de salmón del Atlántico Salmo salar (Linnaeus, 1758: experiencia a nivel productivo Effect of reducing the feeding frequency on the survival, growth, conversion, and feeding behavior of juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar (Linnaeus, 1758: an experience at the productive level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Héctor Flores

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available En Chile, la mayoría de las empresas de cultivo de salmones en la fase parr alimentan a los peces con 24 raciones/día; por otra parte, el alimento en el estómago de los peces, puede permanecer cerca de 4 a 5 h. Este trabajo evalúa en base a procedimientos y protocolos productivos, la disminución en la frecuencia de raciones de alimento y su efecto en la supervivencia, crecimiento, conversión y conducta de alimentación de los peces. Se trabajó en condiciones normales de producción comercial, con aproximadamente 1.200.000 peces de 0,17 g durante cuatro meses. Hubo dos tratamientos, el control con 24 raciones/día y el ensayo, que al inicio de la experiencia se entrego 12 raciones/día y al finalizar la experiencia se proporcionó 4 raciones/día. Se emplearon cinco estanques de 18 m³ para cada tratamiento. La disminución en la frecuencia de alimentación, no afectó la supervivencia de Salmo salar, se obtuvo mayor crecimiento en los peces del ensayo, con mejor conversión de alimento, se logró reducción de alimento depositado en el fondo de los estanques y se visualizó mejor apetito en los peces.In Chile, most salmon-farming companies feed fish in the parr phase 24 rations/day. However, food can remain in fish stomachs for around four or five hours. Using productive procedures and protocols, this study evaluates less frequent food rations and how they affect the survival, growth, conversion, and feeding behavior of the fish. The study was conducted over four months under normal commercial production conditions, using approximately 1,200,000 fish of 0.17 g each. There were two treatments: the control, which received 24 rations/day, and the assay, which received 12 rations/day at the onset of the study and 4 rations/day at the end of this. Five tanks, each 18 m³, were used for each treatment. The lower feeding frequency did not affect the survival of Salmo salar. The fish in the assay obtained greater growth and had better food

  6. Immunostimulation of Salmo salar L., and its effect on Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer) P-glycoprotein mRNA expression following subsequent emamectin benzoate exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igboeli, O O; Purcell, S L; Wotton, H; Poley, J; Burka, J F; Fast, M D

    2013-03-01

    Control of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, on farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, relies heavily on chemotherapeutants. However, reduced efficacy of many treatments and need for integrated sea lice management plans require innovative strategies. Resistance to emamectin benzoate (EMB), a major sea lice parasiticide, has been linked with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. We hypothesized that host immunostimulation would complement EMB treatment outcome. Lepeophtheirus salmonis-infected Atlantic salmon were fed immunostimulatory or control feeds. Sea lice were collected for 24-h EMB bioassays 1 and 2 weeks prior to commencement of EMB treatment of the fish. Two weeks after cessation of immunostimulant-treated feed, EMB was administered at 150 μg kg(-1) fish biomass for 7 days. The bioassay revealed stage, gender and immunostimulant-related differences in EMB EC(50) . Sea lice attached to salmon with a history of immunostimulation exhibited significantly greater survival than those on control feeds, despite similar levels of EMB in host tissues. Lepeophtheirus salmonis from salmon with a history of immunostimulation also exhibited higher P-gp mRNA expression as well as greater survivability compared to controls. Administration of immunostimulants prior to EMB treatment caused increased expression of P-gp mRNA which could have consequently caused decreased efficacy of the parasiticide. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  7. Mate choice for major histocompatibility complex genetic divergence as a bet-hedging strategy in the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Melissa L.; Dionne, Mélanie; Miller, Kristina M.; Bernatchez, Louis

    2012-01-01

    Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-dependent mating preferences have been observed across vertebrate taxa and these preferences are expected to promote offspring disease resistance and ultimately, viability. However, little empirical evidence linking MHC-dependent mate choice and fitness is available, particularly in wild populations. Here, we explore the adaptive potential of previously observed patterns of MHC-dependent mate choice in a wild population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Québec, Canada, by examining the relationship between MHC genetic variation and adult reproductive success and offspring survival over 3 years of study. While Atlantic salmon choose their mates in order to increase MHC diversity in offspring, adult reproductive success was in fact maximized between pairs exhibiting an intermediate level of MHC dissimilarity. Moreover, patterns of offspring survival between years 0+ and 1+, and 1+ and 2+ and population genetic structure at the MHC locus relative to microsatellite loci indicate that strong temporal variation in selection is likely to be operating on the MHC. We interpret MHC-dependent mate choice for diversity as a likely bet-hedging strategy that maximizes parental fitness in the face of temporally variable and unpredictable natural selection pressures. PMID:21697172

  8. Growth and osmoregulation in Salmo salar L. juveniles 1+, 1½ + and 2+ reared under restrained salinity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Fernando Magalhães Gonçalves

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The freshwater phase of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L vary between one and eight years. The reduction of the freshwater phase is desirable to reduce freshwater usage, human resources and to increase year round availability of pan-sized salmon. Three trials were conducted to investigate the possibility of supply the market in a year-round basis, with pan-sized Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. (250-300 g in Portugal (southern limit of the natural distribution of this species. This study primarily aimed to compare the osmoregulatory ability and growth of different fish sizes, smolts 1+ (trial 1, 1.5+ (trial 2 and 2+ (trial 3, in freshwater and seawater conditions. Additionally, effects of photoperiod were determined in smolts 1.5+ (trial 2 for both freshwater and seawater groups. The increments in the plasma osmolality and chlorine concentrations after seawater transfer suggest an identical development in the hypo-osmoregulation capacity among the different age classes. In all trials, weight gain was smaller after 30 d of saltwater transfer when compared to fish reared in freshwater. However, the growth depression was temporary. Seawater group showed a compensatory growth in the immediate months, which permitted an improvement in growth rates. At the end of trials there were minor differences on growth performance between freshwater and seawater groups. Specific growth rates varied between 0.7 and 1.0 % day-1, according to the age and /or size and transfer season.

  9. A microsatellite baseline for genetic stock identification of European Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gilbey, John; Coughlan, Jamie; Wennevik, Vidar

    2018-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations from different river origins mix in the North Atlantic during the marine life stage. To facilitate marine stock identification, we developed a genetic baseline covering the European component of the species' range excluding the Baltic Sea, from the Rus...

  10. Genetic structure of European populations of Salmo salar L (Atlantic salmon) inferred from mitochondrial DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eg Nielsen, Einar; Hansen, Michael Møller; Loeschcke, V.

    1996-01-01

    The genetic relationships between the only natural population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Denmark and seven other European salmon populations were studied using RFLP analysis of PCR amplified mitochondrial DNA segments. Six different haplotypes were detected by restriction enzyme...

  11. Late Quaternary Paleoclimatic History of Tropical South America From Drilling Lake Titicaca and the Salar de Uyuni

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, P. A.; Fritz, S. C.; Seltzer, G. O.; Rigsby, C. A.; Lowenstein, T. K.; Ku, R.

    2003-12-01

    Seven drill cores were recovered from Lake Titicaca during the NSF/ICDP/DOSECC drilling expedition of 2001. Sub-lake floor drilling depths ranged from 53 to 139 m; water depths ranged from 40 to 232 m; recoveries ranged from 75 to 112 percent. Our most detailed multi-proxy analyses to date have been done on Core 2B raised from the central basin of the lake from 232 m water depth, drilled to 139.26 m sub-lakefloor with 140.61 m of total sediment recovered (101 percent). A basal age of 200 Ka is estimated by linear extrapolation from radiocarbon measurements in the upper 25 m of core; Ar-Ar dating of interbedded ashes and U/Th dating of abiogenic aragonites are underway. The volume and lake level of Lake Titicaca have undergone large changes several times during the late Quaternary. Proxies for these water level changes (each of different fidelity) include the ratio of planktonic-to-benthic diatoms, sedimentary carbonate content, and stable isotopic content of organic carbon. The most recent of these changes, has been described previously from earlier piston cores. In the early and middle Holocene the lake fell below its outlet to 85 m below modern level, lake salinity increased several-fold, and the Salar de Uyuni, which receives overflow from Titicaca, dessicated. In contrast, Lake Titicaca was deep, fresh, and overflowing (southward to the Salar de Uyuni) throughout the last glacial maximum from prior to 25,000 BP to at least 15,000 BP. According to extrapolated ages, the penultimate major lowstand of Lake Titicaca occurred prior to 60,000 BP, when seismic evidence indicates that lake level was about 200 m lower than present. Near the end of this lowstand, the lake also became quite saline. There are at least three, and possibly more, older lowstands, each separated temporally by periods in which the lake freshened dramatically and overflowed. These results will be compared with results from previous drilling in the Salar de Uyuni.

  12. Monitoreo geoquímico de un sistema evaporítico natural: salar de Huasco (Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingrid Garcés Millas

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Se realizó un proceso de evaporación a escala de laboratorio con salmueras del Salar de Huasco, con el objeto de estudiar la pauta de evolución geoquímica y contrastarlo con el medio natural. La secuencia de precipitación obtenida fue calcita, yeso, thenardita y halita, minerales cuya presencia se comprobó mediante difractometría de rayos X. Estos resultados se corresponden con la sucesión de los estados de equilibrio que alcanzan las salmueras a lo largo de su progresiva concentración por evaporación, de acuerdo con los cálculos geoquímicos realizados con el código PHRQPITZ. La modelización geoquímica ha permitido comprobar que las situaciones de equilibrio se alcanzan en el dispositivo experimental en distintas etapas evolutivas a las observadas en el sistema natural. Este hecho se debe principalmente a dos factores, en primer lugar a la interacción de las soluciones diluidas de recarga del salar con la costra salina periférica rica en yeso, cuya disolución provoca alcanzar el equilibrio con esta fase mineralógica mucho antes en el sistema natural que en el laboratorio; y por otra, a la precipitación de mirabilita como consecuencia de las oscilaciones térmicas diarias, causantes de que el equilibrio con halita se alcance en el salar en una etapa evolutiva más avanzada que en el experimento, resultado del consumo de sodio, por precipitación de mirabilita.

  13. Differential effects of mercurial compounds on the electroolfactogram (EOG) of salmon (Salmo salar L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E; Døving, K B; Winberg, S

    1991-01-01

    The effects on the salmon (Salmo salar L.) electroolfactogram (EOG) of the two mercurials, mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and methylmercuric chloride (CH3HgCl), were studied. The EOG responses were evoked by stimulating the olfactory epithelium with 340 microM L-alanine for 10 sec every second minute...

  14. Comparative analysis of innate immune responses to Streptococcus phocae strains in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salazar, Soraya; Oliver, Cristian; Yáñez, Alejandro J; Avendaño-Herrera, Ruben

    2016-04-01

    Streptococcus phocae subsp. salmonis is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes mortality only in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farmed in Chile, even when this species is co-cultured with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This susceptibility could be determined by innate immune response components and their responses to bacterial infection. This fish pathogen shares subspecies status with Streptococcus phocae subsp. phocae isolated from seals. The present study compared innate immune system mechanisms in Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout when challenged with different S. phocae, including two isolates from Atlantic salmon (LM-08-Sp and LM-13-Sp) and two from seal (ATCC 51973(T) and P23). Streptococcus phocae growth was evaluated in the mucus and serum of both species, with rainbow trout samples evidencing inhibitory effects. Lysozyme activity supported this observation, with significantly higher (p trout serum and mucus as compared to Atlantic salmon. No differences were found in phagocytic capacity between fish species when stimulated with ATCC 51973(T) and P23. Against all S. phocae strains, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon showed up to two-fold increased bactericidal activity, and rainbow trout demonstrated up to three-fold greater reactive oxygen species production in macrophages. In conclusion, the non-specific humoral and cellular barriers of Atlantic salmon were immunologically insufficient against S. phocae subsp. salmonis, thereby facilitating streptococcosis. Moreover, the more robust response of rainbow trout to S. phocae could not be attributed to any specific component of the innate immune system, but was rather the consequence of a combined response by the evaluated components. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Proteolysis in salmon ( Salmo salar ) during cold storage : Effects of storage time and smoking process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, K.E.; Nielsen, Henrik Hauch

    2001-01-01

    Changes in free amino acids (FAAs), small peptides and myofibrillar proteins were investigated in salmon (Salmo salar) muscle stored at OC for up to 23 days and after the stored salmon was smoked. Storage time and smoking process did not increase the formation of FAAs and small peptides indicating...

  16. Movements of two strains of radio tagged Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts through a reservoir

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarestrup, Kim; Jepsen, Niels; Rasmusssen, Gorm

    1999-01-01

    Smolt migration through a shallow and turbid hydro-reservoir in a major Danish river system was investigated using radiotelemetry. Hatchery-reared 1+-year-old Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts of equal size from two different non- native strains were radio-tagged and followed during...

  17. Epithelial Label-Retaining Cells Are Absent during Tooth Cycling in Salmo salar and Polypterus senegalus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sam Vandenplas

    Full Text Available The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar and African bichir (Polypterus senegalus are both actinopterygian fish species that continuously replace their teeth without the involvement of a successional dental lamina. Instead, they share the presence of a middle dental epithelium: an epithelial tier enclosed by inner and outer dental epithelium. It has been hypothesized that this tier could functionally substitute for a successional dental lamina and might be a potential niche to house epithelial stem cells involved in tooth cycling. Therefore, in this study we performed a BrdU pulse chase experiment on both species to (1 determine the localization and extent of proliferating cells in the dental epithelial layers, (2 describe cell dynamics and (3 investigate if label-retaining cells are present, suggestive for the putative presence of stem cells. Cells proliferate in the middle dental epithelium, outer dental epithelium and cervical loop at the lingual side of the dental organ to form a new tooth germ. Using long chase times, both in S. salar (eight weeks and P. senegalus (eight weeks and twelve weeks, we could not reveal the presence of label-retaining cells in the dental organ. Immunostaining of P. senegalus dental organs for the transcription factor Sox2, often used as a stem cell marker, labelled cells in the zone of outer dental epithelium which grades into the oral epithelium (ODE transition zone and the inner dental epithelium of a successor only. The location of Sox2 distribution does not provide evidence for epithelial stem cells in the dental organ and, more specifically, in the middle dental epithelium. Comparison of S. salar and P. senegalus reveals shared traits in tooth cycling and thus advances our understanding of the developmental mechanism that ensures lifelong replacement.

  18. Consistent melanophore spot patterns allow long-term individual recognition of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stien, L H; Nilsson, J; Bui, S; Fosseidengen, J E; Kristiansen, T S; Øverli, Ø; Folkedal, O

    2017-12-01

    The present study shows that permanent melanophore spot patterns in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar make it possible to use images of the operculum to keep track of individual fish over extended periods of their life history. Post-smolt S. salar (n = 246) were initially photographed at an average mass of 98 g and again 10 months later after rearing in a sea cage, at an average mass of 3088 g. Spots that were present initially remained and were the most overt (largest) 10 months later, while new and less overt spots had developed. Visual recognition of spot size and position showed that fish with at least four initial spots were relatively easy to identify, while identifying fish with less than four spots could be challenging. An automatic image analysis method was developed and shows potential for fast match processing of large numbers of fish. The current findings promote visual recognition of opercular spots as a welfare-friendly alternative to tagging in experiments involving salmonid fishes. © The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  19. A free-living amoeba with unusual pattern of mitochondrial structure isolated from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dyková, Iva; Veverková, Marie; Fiala, Ivan; Macháčková, Blanka

    2002-01-01

    Roč. 41, - (2002), s. 415-419 ISSN 0065-1583 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA6022202 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6022909 Keywords : free-living amoeba * mitochondrial cristae * Salmo salar Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology Impact factor: 0.446, year: 2002

  20. Development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) eggs and alevins under varied temperature regimes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peterson, R H; Spinney, H C.E.; Sreedharan, A

    1977-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) eggs and alevins were raised under conditions where the temperature was systematically varied either at fertilization, at the eyed egg stage, or at hatching. Mortality was more than 20% in eggs started immediately after fertilization at constant incubation temperatures <4/sup 0/C as compared with 5% or less at temperatures >4/sup 0/C. Alevins that eyed at 8/sup 0/C and higher were progressively smaller the higher the temperature. The optimum temperature from fertilization to eye pigmentation was near 6/sup 0/C. Eyed eggs reared at lower temperatures until hatching were larger than those hatched at higher temperatures. This size differential was maintained until the yolk was completely absorbed at all posthatching temperatures investigated. Sudden decreases in temperature at the eyed egg and hatching stages induced severe edema of the alevin yolk sac, resulting in slower growth and increased mortality.

  1. Systemic granuloma observed in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar raised to market size in a freshwater recirculation aquaculture system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Systemic granuloma was observed in sampled adult Atlantic salmon Salmo salar raised to harvest size in a freshwater recirculation aquaculture system. The prevalence of this condition was estimated at 10-20% of the population, with affected individuals grossly demonstrating pathology in varying degre...

  2. Tissue astaxanthin and canthaxanthin distribution in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, G I; Davies, S J

    2006-01-01

    A comparative investigation of tissue carotenoid distribution between rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, was undertaken to identify the relative efficiency of utilization of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin. Higher apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) (96% in trout vs. 28-31% in salmon; Ptrout vs. 5.5% in salmon; Ptrout. Astaxanthin deposition was higher than canthaxanthin in rainbow trout, while the reverse was true for Atlantic salmon, suggesting species-specificity in carotenoid utilization. The white muscle (95% in trout vs. 93% in salmon) and kidneys (0.5% in trout vs. 0.2% in salmon) represented higher proportions of the total body carotenoid pool in rainbow trout than in Atlantic salmon (Ptrout; Ptrout. Liver catabolism is suspected to be a critical determinant in carotenoid clearance, with higher catabolism expected in Atlantic salmon than in rainbow trout.

  3. Quantification of vitellogenin in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) plasma by radioimmunoassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idler, D.R.; Hwang, S.J.; Crim, L.W.

    1979-01-01

    An antibody prepared against salmon egg yolk proteins has been used to quantify Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) plasma vitellogenin using radioimmunoassay. A low molecular weight fraction isolated from salmon egg yolk was used for radioiodination and as standard solution because plasma vitellogenin could not be iodinated successfully. Parallelism of the egg yolk standard to displacement given by a fraction isolated from vitellogenic salmon plasma and dilutions of plasma samples allowed the assay to be used to evaluate the state of gonadal development of migrating females several months in advance of spawning and for sexing relatively immature salmon. (author)

  4. A quantitative history of precipitation and hydrologic variability for the last 45 ka: Lake Titicaca, Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni, Peru and Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunnery, A.; Baker, P. A.; Coe, M. T.; Fritz, S. C.; Rigsby, C. A.

    2011-12-01

    Precipitation on the Bolivian/Peruvian Altiplano is dominantly controlled by the South American summer Monsoon (SASM). Over long timescales moisture transport to the Altiplano by the SASM fluctuates in intensity due to precessional insolation forcing as well as teleconnections to millennial scale abrupt temperature shifts in the North Atlantic. These long-term changes in moisture transport have been observed in multiple paleoclimate and paleo-lake level records as advances and retreats of large lakes in the terminal basin (the Salar de Uyuni). Several previous studies using energy/water balance models have been applied to paleoclimate records in attempts to provide quantitative constraints on past precipitation and temperature (P and T). For example, Blodgett et al. concluded that high paleolake stands, first dated at ca. 16,000 cal. yr BP, required P 20% higher and T 5°C colder than modern. We expand on this work conducting two experiments. The first uses a latitudinal paleohydrologic profile to reconstruct hydrological history. The second uses a terrestrial hydrology model (THMB) to "predict" lake level given changes in P and T. The profile is constructed using records from Lake Titicaca (LT), Salar de Coipasa (SC) and Salar de Uyuni (SU). LT carbonate and diatom records indicate a deep, overflowing lake for much of the last 100 ka with a distinct dry, closed-basin phase in the early to mid Holocene. A continuous sediment core from SC indicates lake level fluctuations between deep and shallow phases for the last 45 ka. A natural gamma radiation log from SU, where large paleolakes alternated with shallow salt pans characteristic of drier and/or warmer periods, shows alternation between wet and dry phases through time. These three records give evidence to the complex nature of Altiplano hydrology, most notably the ability to sustain lakes in the SC basin while exhibiting dry conditions in SU. For the second experiment, THMB, which estimates water balance and

  5. Comparing Temperature Effects on E. Coli, Salmonella, and Enterococcus Survival in Surface Waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this study was to compare dependency of survival rates on temperature for indicator organisms E. coli and Enterococcus and the pathogen Salmonella in surface waters. A database of 86 survival datasets from peer-reviewed papers on inactivation of E. coli, Salmonel...

  6. Linking behavior, physiology, and survival of Atlantic Salmon smolts during estuary migration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stich, Daniel S.; Zydlewski, Gayle B.; Kocik, John F.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.

    2015-01-01

    Decreased marine survival is identified as a component driver of continued declines of Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. However, estimates of marine mortality often incorporate loss incurred during estuary migration that may be mechanistically distinct from factors affecting marine mortality. We examined movements and survival of 941 smolts (141 wild and 800 hatchery-reared fish) released in freshwater during passage through the Penobscot River estuary, Maine, from 2005 to 2013. We related trends in estuary arrival date, movement rate, and survival to fish characteristics, migratory history, and environmental conditions in the estuary. Fish that experienced the warmest thermal history arrived in the estuary 8 d earlier than those experiencing the coolest thermal history during development. Estuary arrival date was 10 d later for fish experiencing high flow than for fish experiencing low flow. Fish released furthest upstream arrived in the estuary 3 d later than those stocked further downstream but moved 0.5 km/h faster through the estuary. Temporally, movement rate and survival in the estuary both peaked in mid-May. Spatially, movement rate and survival both decreased from freshwater to the ocean. Wild smolts arrived in the estuary later than hatchery fish, but we observed no change in movement rate or survival attributable to rearing history. Fish with the highest gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity incurred 25% lower mortality through the estuary than fish with the lowest gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity. Smolt survival decreased (by up to 40%) with the increasing number of dams passed (ranging from two to nine) during freshwater migration. These results underscore the importance of physiological preparedness on performance and the delayed, indirect effects of dams on survival of Atlantic Salmon smolts during estuary migration, ultimately affecting marine survival estimates.

  7. Toxicity of road deicing salt (NaCl) and copper (Cu) to fertilization and early developmental stages of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahrosh, Urma; Kleiven, Merethe; Meland, Sondre; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Salbu, Brit; Teien, Hans-Christian

    2014-09-15

    In many countries, salting of ice or snow covered roads may affect aquatic organisms in the catchment directly or indirectly by mobilization of toxic metals. We studied the toxicity of road deicing salt and copper (Cu) on the vulnerable early life stages of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), from fertilization till hatching. Controlled episodic exposure to road salt (≥ 5,000 mg/L) during fertilization resulted in reduced swelling and less percent egg survival. Exposure to Cu both during and post fertilization caused delayed hatching. Larval deformities were, however found as an additional effect, when eggs were exposed to high salt concentration (≥ 5,000 mg/L) mixed with Cu (10 μg Cu/L) during fertilization. Thus, it appears that the sensitivity of early developmental stages of Atlantic salmon increased when exposed to these stressors, and road salt application during spawning can pose threat to Atlantic salmon in water bodies receiving road runoff. The study gives insight on assessment and management of risks on Atlantic salmon population posed by road related hazardous chemicals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Assessing groundwater recharge in an Andean closed basin using isotopic characterization and a rainfall-runoff model: Salar del Huasco basin, Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uribe, Javier; Muñoz, José F.; Gironás, Jorge; Oyarzún, Ricardo; Aguirre, Evelyn; Aravena, Ramón

    2015-11-01

    Closed basins are catchments whose drainage networks converge to lakes, salt flats or alluvial plains. Salt flats in the closed basins in arid northern Chile are extremely important ecological niches. The Salar del Huasco, one of these salt flats located in the high plateau (Altiplano), is a Ramsar site located in a national park and is composed of a wetland ecosystem rich in biodiversity. The proper management of the groundwater, which is essential for the wetland function, requires accurate estimates of recharge in the Salar del Huasco basin. This study quantifies the spatio-temporal distribution of the recharge, through combined use of isotopic characterization of the different components of the water cycle and a rainfall-runoff model. The use of both methodologies aids the understanding of hydrological behavior of the basin and enabled estimation of a long-term average recharge of 22 mm/yr (i.e., 15 % of the annual rainfall). Recharge has a high spatial variability, controlled by the geological and hydrometeorological characteristics of the basin, and a high interannual variability, with values ranging from 18 to 26 mm/yr. The isotopic approach allowed not only the definition of the conceptual model used in the hydrological model, but also eliminated the possibility of a hydrogeological connection between the aquifer of the Salar del Huasco basin and the aquifer that feeds the springs of the nearby town of Pica. This potential connection has been an issue of great interest to agriculture and tourism activities in the region.

  9. Sulphated glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans in the developing vertebral column of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    OpenAIRE

    Hannesson, Kirsten O.; Ytteborg, Elisabeth; Takle, Harald; Enersen, Grethe; B?verfjord, Grete; Pedersen, Mona E.

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, the distribution of sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the developing vertebral column of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at 700, 900, 1100 and 1400?d? was examined by light microscopy. The mineralization pattern was outlined by Alizarin red S and soft structures by Alcian blue. The temporal and spatial distribution patterns of different types of GAGs: chondroitin-4-sulphate/dermatan sulphate, chondroitin-6-sulphate, chondroitin-0-sulphate and keratan sulphate were add...

  10. The effects of ozonation on select waterborne steroid hormones in recirculation aquaculture systems containing sexually mature Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    Science.gov (United States)

    A controlled 3-month study was conducted in 6 replicated water recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) containing a mixture of sexually mature and immature Atlantic salmon Salmo salar to determine whether water ozonation is associated with a reduction in waterborne hormones. Post-smolt Atlantic salm...

  11. Evaluation of the hydrogeological interconnection between the Salar de Maricunga and the Piedra Pomez basins, Atacama Region, Chile; An isotope and geochemical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iriarte, S.; Santibanez, I; Aravena, R

    2001-01-01

    Groundwater is the main water source for the mining industry in the Altiplano of northern Chile. Groundwater also plays a significant role as a water source for lagoons, wetlands and salares, which are important ecosystems for animal life and vegetation communities that exist in this arid region. The rational use and protection of the groundwater resource requires a good understanding of the aquifer systems. One of the key components in the assessment of water resources in Northern Chile, is the hydrogeological interconnection between basins. During the last three years, as part of a major hydrogeological project, Sernageomin has been working in the Altiplano of the Atacama region (Iriarte et al., 1998; Iriarte, 1999; Venegas et al., 2000; Santibanez, in prep.). This study included the evaluation of the geometry and groundwater potential of the aquifers and the chemical characterization of the surface and groundwater. Part of this study has focused on the Salar de Maricunga and the Campo de Piedra Pomez basins, due to an increasing demand for groundwater resources in this area by the mining industry. This paper discusses the use of isotope and geochemical tools that were used to evaluate the hydrogeological interconnection between the Salar de Maricunga and the Piedra Pomez basins. The geological and hydrogeological framework of this work is discussed in detail by Iriarte (1999) (au)

  12. Adaptive memory: the comparative value of survival processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nairne, James S; Pandeirada, Josefa N S; Thompson, Sarah R

    2008-02-01

    We recently proposed that human memory systems are "tuned" to remember information that is processed for survival, perhaps as a result of fitness advantages accrued in the ancestral past. This proposal was supported by experiments in which participants showed superior memory when words were rated for survival relevance, at least relative to when words received other forms of deep processing. The current experiments tested the mettle of survival memory by pitting survival processing against conditions that are universally accepted as producing excellent retention, including conditions in which participants rated words for imagery, pleasantness, and self-reference; participants also generated words, studied words with the intention of learning them, or rated words for relevance to a contextually rich (but non-survival-related) scenario. Survival processing yielded the best retention, which suggests that it may be one of the best encoding procedures yet discovered in the memory field.

  13. Phosphorus flux due to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in an oligotrophic upland stream: effects of management and demography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keith H. Nislow; John D. Armstrong; Simon. McKelvey

    2004-01-01

    Little is known concerning the role of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the transport of nutrients to and from river systems. We used demographic data from the River Bran, an oligotrophic river in Scotland, UK, to construct a budget for the transport of phosphorus (P) and applied it to investigate the effects of management strategies and demographic...

  14. Differential response of continental stock complexes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedland, Kevin D.; Shank, Burton V.; Todd, Christopher D.; McGinnity, Philip; Nye, Janet A.

    2014-05-01

    Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the North Atlantic are managed as a set of population complexes distributed in North America and Europe. In recent years, these complexes have experienced reduced marine survival and many populations within the complexes are at risk, especially those at the southern ends of the species amphi-Atlantic range. Atlantic salmon is an anadromous fish dividing its life history between residence in freshwater and the marine environment. The freshwater portion of the life history includes spawning and the rearing of juveniles where in-river production has tended to be relatively stable, whereas the first year at sea, termed the post-smolt year, is characterized by more variable rates of mortality. Although their habitats are widely separated geographically along the North Atlantic seaboards, strong recruitment coherence exists between North American and European stock complexes. This recruitment coherence is correlated with ocean temperature variation associated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) appears to be relatively unimportant as a driver of salmon abundance. The mechanism determining the link between AMO-related thermal variation and abundance appears to differ fundamentally for the two continental stock groupings. Whereas ocean climate variability during the first springtime months of juvenile salmon migration to sea appears to be important to the survival of North American stocks, summer climate variation appears to be central to adult recruitment variation for European stocks. This contrast in seasonal effects appears to be related to the varying roles of predation pressure and size-related mortality on the continental stock complexes. The anticipated warming due to global climate change will impose thermal conditions on salmon populations outside historical context and challenge the ability of many populations to persist.

  15. Early life traits of farm and wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and first generation hybrids in the south coast of Newfoundland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamoutene, D; Perez-Casanova, J; Burt, K; Lush, L; Caines, J; Collier, C; Hinks, R

    2017-06-01

    This study examined fertilization rates, survival and early life-trait differences of pure farm, wild and first generation (F1) hybrid origin embryos after crossing farm and wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Results show that despite a trend towards higher in vitro fertilization success for wild females, differences in fertilization success in river water are not significantly different among crosses. In a hatchery environment, wild females' progeny (pure wild and hybrids with wild maternal parent) hatched 7-11 days earlier than pure farm crosses and hybrids with farm maternal parents. In addition, pure wild progeny had higher total lengths (L T ) at hatch than pure farm crosses and hybrids. Directions in trait differences need to be tested in a river environment, but results clearly show the maternal influence on early stages beyond egg-size differences. Differences in L T were no longer significant at 70 days post hatch (shortly after the onset of exogenous feeding) showing the need to investigate later developmental stages to better assess somatic growth disparities due to genetic differences. Higher mortality rates of the most likely hybrids (farm female × wild male hybrids) at egg and fry stages and their delayed hatch suggest that these F1 hybrids might be less likely to survive the early larval stages than wild stocks. © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Journal of Fish Biology © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  16. Dévalaison et survie d'alevins de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L. en milieu semi-naturel contrôlé

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BEALL E.

    1983-04-01

    Full Text Available Dans un chenal artificiel expérimental, des œufs de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L. ont été pondus naturellement ou ont été enfouis au stade embryonné. A la fin de la résorption de la vésicule, une fraction importante des alevins survivants dévale de la zone de frayère. La dévalaison semble stimulée par des baisses de niveau ou des hausses de température et ralentie en période de pleine lune. D'autres facteurs pouvant être responsables de cette dévalaison sont discutés. La survie jusqu'à la collecte de tous les alevins est estimée à 74 p. 100 pour les sujets issus de la reproduction naturelle et est égale à 80 p. 100 pour ceux issus d'œufs introduits dans le gravier au stade embryonné. Des comparaisons entre ces résultats et ceux obtenus dans d'autres chenaux de fraie ou en milieu naturel montrent la validité de cette méthode pour la production d'alevins de saumon atlantique destinés au repeuplement.

  17. Topography of the Flattest Surface on Earth: using ICESAT, GPS, and MISR to Measure Salt Surface Topography on Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comstock, Robert L.; Bills, Bruce G.

    2004-01-01

    Salt flats are aptly named: they are composed largely of salt, and are maintained as nearly equipotential surfaces via frequent flooding. The salar de Uyuni, on the Altiplano in southwestern Bolivia, is the largest salt flat on Earth, with an area of 9,800 sq km. Except for a few bedrock islands, it has less than 40 cm of relief. The upper-most salt unit averages 5 m thick and contains 50 cu km of nearly pure halite. It includes most of the salt that was in solution in paleolake Minchin, which attained a maximum area of 60,000 sq km and a maximum depth of 150 m, roughly 15 kyr ago. Despite approx. 10 m of differential isostatic rebound since deposition, the salar surface has been actively maintained as an extraordinarily flat and smooth surface by annual flooding during the rainy season. We have used the strong optical absorption properties of water in the visible band to map spatial variations in water depth during a time when the salar was flooded. As water depth increases, the initially pure white surface appears both darker and bluer. We utilized MISR images taken during the interval from April to November 2001. The red and infra-red bands (672 and 867 nm wavelength) were most useful since the water depth is small and the absorption at those wavelengths is quite strong. Nadir pointed MISR images have 275 m spatial resolution. To aid in our evaluation of water depth variations over the saiar surface, we utilized two sources of direct topographic measurements: several ICESAT altimetry tracks cross the area, and a 40x50 km GPS grid was surveyed to calibrate ICESAT. A difficulty in using these data types is that both give salt surface elevations relative to the ellipsoid, whereas the water surface will, in the absence of wind or tidal disturbances, follow an equipotential surface. Geoid height is not known to the required accuracy of a few cm in the central Andes. As a result, before comparing optical absorption from MISR to salt surface topography from GPS or

  18. Nivolumab versus Cabozantinib: Comparing Overall Survival in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Witold Wiecek

    Full Text Available Renal-cell carcinoma (RCC affects over 330,000 new patients every year, of whom 1/3 present with metastatic RCC (mRCC at diagnosis. Most mRCC patients treated with a first-line agent relapse within 1 year and need second-line therapy. The present study aims to compare overall survival (OS between nivolumab and cabozantinib from two recent pivotal studies comparing, respectively, each one of the two emerging treatments against everolimus in patients who relapse following first-line treatment. Comparison is traditionally carried out using the Bucher method, which assumes proportional hazard. Since OS curves intersected in one of the pivotal studies, models not assuming proportional hazards were also considered to refine the comparison. Four Bayesian parametric survival network meta-analysis models were implemented on overall survival (OS data digitized from the Kaplan-Meier curves reported in the studies. Three models allowing hazard ratios (HR to vary over time were assessed against a fixed-HR model. The Bucher method favored cabozantinib, with a fixed HR for OS vs. nivolumab of 1.09 (95% confidence interval: [0.77, 1.54]. However, all models with time-varying HR showed better fits than the fixed-HR model. The log-logistic model fitted the data best, exhibiting a HR for OS initially favoring cabozantinib, the trend inverting to favor nivolumab after month 5 (95% credible interval <1 from 10 months. The initial probability of cabozantinib conferring superior OS was 54%, falling to 41.5% by month 24. Numerical differences in study-adjusted OS estimates between the two treatments remained small. This study evidences that HR for OS of nivolumab vs. cabozantinib varies over time, favoring cabozantinib in the first months of treatment but nivolumab afterwards, a possible indication that patients with poor prognosis benefit more from cabozantinib in terms of survival, nivolumab benefiting patients with better prognosis. More evidence, including real

  19. From the viral perspective: infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) transcriptome during the infective process in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzuela-Miranda, Diego; Cabrejos, María Eugenia; Yañez, José Manuel; Gallardo-Escárate, Cristian

    2015-04-01

    The infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV) is a severe disease that mainly affects the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture industry. Although several transcriptional studies have aimed to understand Salmon-ISAV interaction through the evaluation of host-gene transcription, none of them has focused their attention upon the viral transcriptional dynamics. For this purpose, RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR analyses were conducted in gills, liver and head-kidney of S. salar challenged by cohabitation with ISAV. Results evidence the time and tissue transcript patterns involved in the viral expression and how the transcription levels of ISAV segments are directly linked with the protein abundance found in other virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family. In addition, RT-qPCR result evidenced that quantification of ISAV through amplification of segment 3 would result in a more sensitive approach for detection and quantification of ISAV. This study offers a more comprehensive approach regarding the ISAV infective process and gives novel knowledge for its molecular detection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Survival of Kidney Retransplant Compared With First Kidney Transplant: A Report From Southern Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roozbeh, Jamshid; Malekmakan, Leila; Monavarian, Mehri; Daneshian, Arghavan; Karimi, Zeynab

    2016-11-18

    Kidney retransplant is increasingly performed, but patient survival is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with second kidney grafts and compare survival rates of recipients with first and second kidney transplant procedures. This was a retrospective study analyzing records from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences transplant ward. Survival rates of retrans?lanted patients were compared with a randomly selected group of first kidney recipients. Factors related to retransplant survival were evaluated. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16.0, and P < .05 was consi?ered as significant. This study included 200 patients with first kidney transplants and 68 patients with kidney retransplants. We found that 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year graft survival rates were 91.9%, 87.2% ,86.3%, and 86.3% among retransplanted patients versus 98.3%, 95.4%, 90.2%, and 88.7% among the first transplant group (P = .130). Hospital stay duration after transplant, kidney rejection rate during hospitalization, delayed graft function, and creatinine levels at discharge were significantly associated with survival in retransplanted patients (P < .05). Kidney retransplants can yield desirable outcomes and is the treatment of choice in patients who have lost their graft. Careful screening for risk factors should be consider for obtaining better results in second kidney transplant procedures.

  1. The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition and precocious maturation of early-rearing Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldrop, Thomas; Summerfelt, Steven T.; Mazik, Patricia M.; Good, Christopher

    2018-01-01

    Swimming exercise, typically measured in body-lengths per second (BL/s), and dissolved oxygen (DO), are important environmental variables in fish culture. While there is an obvious physiological association between these two parameters, their interaction has not been adequately studied in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Because exercise and DO are variables that can be easily manipulated in modern aquaculture systems, we sought to assess the impact of these parameters, alone and in combination, on the performance, health and welfare of juvenile Atlantic salmon. In our study, Atlantic salmon fry were stocked into 12 circular 0.5 m3 tanks in a flow-through system and exposed to either high (1.5–2 BL/s) or low (exercise and DO concentration on growth, feed conversion, survival and fin condition. By study's end, both increased swimming speed and higher DO were independently associated with a statistically significant increase in growth performance (p exercise and dissolved oxygen at saturation during Atlantic salmon early rearing can result in improved growth performance and a lower incidence of precocious parr.

  2. A new specific reference gene based on growth hormone gene (GH1) used for detection and relative quantification of Aquadvantage® GM salmon (Salmo salar L.) in food products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafsa, Ahmed Ben; Nabi, Nesrine; Zellama, Mohamed Salem; Said, Khaled; Chaouachi, Maher

    2016-01-01

    Genetic transformation of fish is mainly oriented towards the improvement of growth for the benefit of the aquaculture. Actually, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the species most transformed to achieve growth rates quite large compared to the wild. To anticipate the presence of contaminations with GM salmon in fish markets and the lack of labeling regulations with a mandatory threshold, the proper methods are needed to test the authenticity of the ingredients. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) method was used in this study. Ct values were obtained and validated using 15 processed food containing salmon. The relative and absolute limits of detection were 0.01% and 0.01 ng/μl of genomic DNA, respectively. Results demonstrate that the developed QRT-PCR method is suitable specifically for identification of S. salar in food ingredients based on the salmon growth hormone gene 1 (GH1). The processes used to develop the specific salmon reference gene case study are intended to serve as a model for performing quantification of Aquadvantage® GM salmon on future genetically modified (GM) fish to be commercialized. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A Polyprotein-Expressing Salmonid Alphavirus Replicon Induces Modest Protection in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar Against Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azila Abdullah

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Vaccination is an important strategy for the control and prevention of infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar in the post-smolt stage in sea-water. In this study, a heterologous gene expression system, based on a replicon construct of salmonid alphavirus (SAV, was used for in vitro and in vivo expression of IPN virus proteins. The large open reading frame of segment A, encoding the polyprotein NH2-pVP2-VP4-VP3-COOH, as well as pVP2, were cloned and expressed by the SAV replicon in Chinook salmon embryo cells (CHSE-214 and epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC cells. The replicon constructs pSAV/polyprotein (pSAV/PP and pSAV/pVP2 were used to immunize Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar by a single intramuscular injection and tested in a subsequent IPN virus (IPNV challenge trial. A low to moderate protection against IPN was observed in fish immunized with the replicon vaccine that encoded the pSAV/PP, while the pSAV/pVP2 construct was not found to induce protection.

  4. Growth evaluation of atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) raised in seawater or freshwater and fed either fishmeal based on marine-free diets

    Science.gov (United States)

    A forty week feeding study was conducted with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in two recirculating aquaculture systems. Twelve salmon (average initial weight 117 g; initial density 9.4 kg/m3) were stocked per tank. Two identical systems were used and contained either freshwater (0 ppt) or sea...

  5. Growth evaluation of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) raised in seawater or freshwater and fed either fishmeal based or marine-free diets

    Science.gov (United States)

    A forty week feeding study was conducted with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in two recirculating aquaculture systems. Two identical systems were used and contained either freshwater (0 ppt) or seawater (about 30 ppt). Fish were fed one of two diets, a control diet containing fishmeal and fi...

  6. Trans-generational maternal effect: temperature influences egg size of the offspring in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jonsson, B; Jonsson, N

    2016-08-01

    Effect of increased temperature during egg maturation on the mass of single eggs produced by the offspring was investigated experimentally in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Mass of eggs produced by next-generation females was larger when their mothers experienced warmer water during the last two months of egg maturation, relative to those that experienced unheated river water. There was no similar trans-generational paternal effect on offspring egg mass. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  7. Early enrichment effects on brain development in hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): no evidence for a critical period

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Näslund, Joacim; Aarestrup, Kim; Thomassen, Søren T.

    2012-01-01

    was released into nature and recaptured at smoltification. These stream-reared smolts developed smaller brains than the hatchery reared smolts, irrespective of initial enrichment treatment. These novel findings do not support the hypothesis that there is a critical early period determining the brain growth...... trajectory. In contrast, our results indicate that brain growth is plastic in relation to environment. In addition, we show allometric growth in brain substructures over juvenile development, which suggests that comparisons between groups of different body size should be made with caution. These results can......In hatcheries, fish are normally reared in barren environments, which have been reported to affect their phenotypic development compared with wild conspecifics. In this study, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) alevins were reared in conventional barren hatchery trays or in either of two types...

  8. Identification and molecular docking study of novel angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from Salmo salar using in silico methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Zhipeng; Chen, Yang; Zhao, Wenzhu; Li, Jianrong; Liu, Jingbo; Chen, Feng

    2018-01-25

    In order to circumvent some challenges of the classical approach, the in silico method has been applied to the discovery of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides from food proteins. In this study, some convenient and efficient in silico tools were utilized to identify novel ACE inhibitory peptides from Salmo salar. Collagen from Salmo salar was digested in silico into hundreds of peptides. Results revealed that tetrapeptides PGAR and IGPR showed potent ACE inhibitory activity, with IC 50 values of 0.598 ± 0.12 and 0.43 ± 0.09 mmol L -1 , respectively. The molecular docking result showed that PGAR and IGPR interact with ACE mostly via hydrogen bonds and attractive charge. Peptide IGPR interacts with Zn + at the ACE active site, showing high inhibitory activity. Interaction with Zn + in ACE may lead to higher inhibitory activity of peptides, and Pi interactions may promote the effect of peptides on ACE. The in silico method can be an effective method to predict potent ACE inhibitory peptides from food proteins. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. The Skin-Mucus Microbial Community of Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minniti, Giusi; Hagen, Live Heldal; Porcellato, Davide; Jørgensen, Sven Martin; Pope, Phillip B.; Vaaje-Kolstad, Gustav

    2017-01-01

    The skin of the teleost is a flexible and scaled structure that protects the fish toward the external environment. The outermost surface of the skin is coated with mucus, which is believed to be colonized by a diverse bacterial community (commensal and/or opportunistic). Little is known about such communities and their role in fish welfare. In aquaculture, fish seem to be more susceptible to pathogens compared to wild fish. Indeed common fish farming practices may play important roles in promoting their vulnerability, possibly by causing changes to their microbiomes. In the present study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was employed to analyze the composition of the farmed Salmo salar skin-mucus microbiome before and after netting and transfer. The composition of the bacterial community present in the rearing water was also investigated in order to evaluate its correlation with the community present on the fish skin. Our results reveal variability of the skin-mucus microbiome among the biological replicates before fish handling. On the contrary, after fish handling, the skin-mucus community exhibited structural similarity among the biological replicates and significant changes were observed in the bacterial composition compared to the fish analyzed prior to netting and transfer. Limited correlation was revealed between the skin-mucus microbiome and the bacterial community present in the rearing water. Finally, analysis of skin-mucus bacterial biomasses indicated low abundance for some samples, highlighting the need of caution when interpreting community data due to the possible contamination of water-residing bacteria. PMID:29104567

  10. The Skin-Mucus Microbial Community of Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giusi Minniti

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The skin of the teleost is a flexible and scaled structure that protects the fish toward the external environment. The outermost surface of the skin is coated with mucus, which is believed to be colonized by a diverse bacterial community (commensal and/or opportunistic. Little is known about such communities and their role in fish welfare. In aquaculture, fish seem to be more susceptible to pathogens compared to wild fish. Indeed common fish farming practices may play important roles in promoting their vulnerability, possibly by causing changes to their microbiomes. In the present study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was employed to analyze the composition of the farmed Salmo salar skin-mucus microbiome before and after netting and transfer. The composition of the bacterial community present in the rearing water was also investigated in order to evaluate its correlation with the community present on the fish skin. Our results reveal variability of the skin-mucus microbiome among the biological replicates before fish handling. On the contrary, after fish handling, the skin-mucus community exhibited structural similarity among the biological replicates and significant changes were observed in the bacterial composition compared to the fish analyzed prior to netting and transfer. Limited correlation was revealed between the skin-mucus microbiome and the bacterial community present in the rearing water. Finally, analysis of skin-mucus bacterial biomasses indicated low abundance for some samples, highlighting the need of caution when interpreting community data due to the possible contamination of water-residing bacteria.

  11. Comparative analysis of radiosensitivity of fish eggs from northern and temperate climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kryshev, A.; Sazykina, T.

    2004-01-01

    In the radiobiological studies of aquatic organisms, fish eggs are the favorite subject for experimental work because of easy availability of embryos and the possibility of observing the development of embryos within eggs. Data from Russian/FSU publications concerning the effects of ionizing radiation on fish eggs were compiled in the EPIC database within the framework of the EC Project EPIC. The comparative analysis of radiosensitivity was performed for eggs of two representative fish species from different climatic zones: cold water salmon (Salmo salar), and pike (Esox lucius), a widespread predatory fish in the temperate climate. A special attention was given to data of chronic exposure experiments with incubation of roe in water containing radionuclides. Dose rates on the fish eggs were estimated using appropriate dosimetric methodologies. Dose-effects relationships were constructed for chronic exposures during the periods of fish eggs development. The comparative analysis revealed that effects of ionizing radiation on salmon eggs appeared at lower doses than the effects on pike eggs. For example, first effects on survival of salmon eggs appeared at dose rate (1-2)*10-4 Gy/day, whereas effects on survival of pike eggs were not found at dose rates lower than (5-10)*10-3 Gy/day (chronic exposure); practically total death of roe took place at the chronic dose rates 0.13-0.33 Gy/day for salmon and 0.94 Gy/day for pike. Data on dose-effects relationships for salmon and pike roe defined the range of radiosensitivities between fish species from zones of severe and moderate climate. (author)

  12. Reconstructing paleo-precipitation amounts using a terrestrial hydrologic model: Lake Titicaca and the Salar de Uyuni, Peru and Bolivia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunnery, J. A.; Baker, P. A.; Coe, M. T.; Fritz, S. C.

    2010-12-01

    The Peruvian/Bolivian Altiplano has provided many information-rich records bearing on the history of the South American summer monsoon (SASM), a large-scale circulation system that is responsible for much of the precipitation over the Amazon basin and the southern tropics and subtropics. Examples of these paleoclimate time series include long, drill core records from Lake Titicaca (extending back to ca. 400 Ka, Fritz et al., 2007), the long drill core record from Salar de Uyuni (> 250 Ka, Baker et al., 2001; Fritz et al., 2004), paleo-lake level records from the Salar de Uyuni (e.g. Bills et al., 2004; Placzek et al, 2006); drill core records from the Rio Desaguadero valley (Rigsby et al., 2003), and ice core records from Quelccaya, Illimani, and Sajama (Thompson et al., 2000; Ramirez et al., 2003). Several previous studies using energy and water balance models have been applied to these records in attempts to provide quantitative constraints on paleo-temperature and paleo-precipitation (e.g. Kessler, 1984; Hastenrath and Kutzbach, 1985; Cross et al, 2001; Rowe and Dunbar, 2004; Arnold, 2002; Blodgett et al., 1997). For example, Blodgett et al. concluded that high paleolake stands in the Bolivian Altiplano, dated at ca. 16,000 cal. Yr BP (Bills et al., 1994) required precipitation 20% higher than modern at temperatures 5°C colder than modern. However, their model did not take into account the major overflow from Lake Titicaca. Using the THMB hydrologic model, we show that overflow from Lake Titicaca is necessary to produce and sustain large lakes in the Salar de Uyuni basin. This hydrological connection (via the Rio Desaguadero) between the northern and southern Altiplano likely was only established about 60,000 years ago. Prior to that, there were no sustained, large and deep paleolakes on the southern Altiplano. Rather, drill core evidence indicates a very long sequence of shallow, hypersaline lakes and playas.

  13. Increasing Disadvantages in Cancer Survival in New Zealand Compared to Australia, between 2000-05 and 2006-10.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Mark Elwood

    Full Text Available New Zealand has lower cancer survival compared to its neighbour Australia. If this were due to long established differences between the two patient populations, it might be expected to be either constant in time, or decreasing, as improving health services deals with inequities. In this study we compared trends in relative cancer survival ratios in New Zealand and Australia between 2000-05 and 2006-10, using data from the New Zealand Cancer Registry and the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare. Over this period, Australia showed significant improvements (6.0% in men, 3.0% in women in overall 5-year cancer survival, with substantial increases in survival from major cancer sites such as lung, bowel, prostate, and breast cancers. New Zealand had only a 1.8% increase in cancer survival in men and 1.3% in women, with non-significant changes in survival from lung and bowel cancers, although there were increases in survival from prostate and breast cancers. For all cancers combined, and for lung and bowel cancer, the improvements in survival and the greater improvements in Australia were mainly in 1-year survival, suggesting factors related to diagnosis and presentation. For breast cancer, the improvements were similar in each country and seen in survival after the first year. The findings underscore the need to accelerate the efforts to improve early diagnosis and optimum treatment for New Zealand cancer patients to catch up with the progress in Australia.

  14. Bacterial Survival under Extreme UV Radiation: A Comparative Proteomics Study of Rhodobacter sp., Isolated from High Altitude Wetlands in Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vilma Pérez

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Salar de Huasco, defined as a polyextreme environment, is a high altitude saline wetland in the Chilean Altiplano (3800 m.a.s.l., permanently exposed to the highest solar radiation doses registered in the world. We present here the first comparative proteomics study of a photoheterotrophic bacterium, Rhodobacter sp., isolated from this remote and hostile habitat. We developed an innovative experimental approach using different sources of radiation (in situ sunlight and UVB lamps, cut-off filters (Mylar, Lee filters and a high-throughput, label-free quantitative proteomics method to comprehensively analyze the effect of seven spectral bands on protein regulation. A hierarchical cluster analysis of 40 common proteins revealed that all conditions containing the most damaging UVB radiation induced similar pattern of protein regulation compared with UVA and visible light spectral bands. Moreover, it appeared that the cellular adaptation of Rhodobacter sp. to osmotic stress encountered in the hypersaline environment from which it was originally isolated, might further a higher resistance to damaging UV radiation. Indeed, proteins involved in the synthesis and transport of key osmoprotectants, such as glycine betaine and inositol, were found in very high abundance under UV radiation compared to the dark control, suggesting the function of osmolytes as efficient reactive oxygen scavengers. Our study also revealed a RecA-independent response and a tightly regulated network of protein quality control involving proteases and chaperones to selectively degrade misfolded and/or damaged proteins.

  15. Ichthyobodo salmonis sp. n. (Ichthyobodonidae, Kinetoplastida), an euryhaline ectoparasite infecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ISAKSEN, TROND E.; KARLSBAKK, EGIL; WATANABE, KUNINORI; NYLUND, ARE

    2011-01-01

    SUMMARY Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences have previously revealed the existence of 2 Ichthyobodo species able to infect Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Ichthyobodo necator sensu stricto (s.s.) is assumed to be a freshwater parasite, while a genetically distinct but undescribed species, Ichthyobodo sp. II sensu Todal et al. (2004) have been detected on Atlantic salmon in both fresh- and seawater. In the present study a morphological description of Ichthyobodo sp. II from the gills of salmon reared in fresh-, brackish- and seawater is presented, using both light- and electron microscopy. Comparative morphometry show that Ichthyobodo sp. II from both freshwater and seawater displays a different cell shape, and is significantly smaller than I. necator s.s. Also, ultrastructural characteristics distinguish these two species, notably differences in the attachment region and the presence of spine-like surface projections in Ichthyobodo sp. II. Based on both unique SSU rDNA sequences and morphological characteristics, we conclude that Ichthyobodo sp. II. represents a novel species for which we propose the name Ichthyobodo salmonis sp. n. PMID:21756424

  16. Survival in commercially insured multiple sclerosis patients and comparator subjects in the U.S.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufman, D W; Reshef, S; Golub, H L; Peucker, M; Corwin, M J; Goodin, D S; Knappertz, V; Pleimes, D; Cutter, G

    2014-05-01

    Compare survival in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from a U.S. commercial health insurance database with a matched cohort of non-MS subjects. 30,402 MS patients and 89,818 non-MS subjects (comparators) in the OptumInsight Research (OIR) database from 1996 to 2009 were included. An MS diagnosis required at least 3 consecutive months of database reporting, with two or more ICD-9 codes of 340 at least 30 days apart, or the combination of 1 ICD-9-340 code and at least 1 MS disease-modifying treatment (DMT) code. Comparators required the absence of ICD-9-340 and DMT codes throughout database reporting. Up to three comparators were matched to each patient for: age in the year of the first relevant code (index year - at least 3 months of reporting in that year were required); sex; region of residence in the index year. Deaths were ascertained from the National Death Index and the Social Security Administration Death Master File. Subjects not identified as deceased were assumed to be alive through the end of 2009. Annual mortality rates were 899/100,000 among MS patients and 446/100,000 among comparators. Standardized mortality ratios compared to the U.S. population were 1.70 and 0.80, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis yielded a median survival from birth that was 6 years lower among MS patients than among comparators. The results show, for the first time in a U.S. population, a survival disadvantage for contemporary MS patients compared to non-MS subjects from the same healthcare system. The 6-year decrement in lifespan parallels a recent report from British Columbia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Some quantitative indicators of postovulatory aging and its effect on larval and juvenile development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mommens, Maren; Storset, Arne; Babiak, Igor

    2015-07-01

    Modern out-of-season egg production in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) increases the risk of postovulatory aging (POA) of oocytes. Postovulatory aging is known to influence oocyte quality in salmonids, but reliable tests for POA are lacking in Atlantic salmon egg production. To address this problem, we have collected oocytes from the same 20 Atlantic salmon females sequentially in approximately 1-week intervals, from the start of ovulation until 28 days postovulation (dpo), to determine the effect of natural retention of matured oocytes in body coelomic cavity on further performance of embryos and juveniles produced from those oocytes. Also, we investigated oocyte water hardening and several coelomic fluid parameters as potential quantitative indicators of POA. Oocyte quality decreased significantly from 22 dpo onward, as inferred from decrease in fertilization success and survival of embryos, alevins, and juveniles and increase in alevin and juvenile deformity rates. The occurrence of head deformities was significantly related to postovulatory age of oocytes. Coelomic fluid pH decreased significantly at 28 dpo and correlated positively with fertilization rates (r = 0.45), normal eyed embryo rates (r = 0.67), and alevin relative survival rates (r = 0.63) and negatively correlated with total alevin deformity rates (r = -0.59). Oocyte weight gain at 60 minutes decreased significantly at 28 dpo and correlated negatively with total alevin deformities and the occurrence of cranial nodules (r = -0.99). Generally, quality of ovulated oocytes remained stable for the first 2 weeks after ovulation. Later on, POA negatively influenced Atlantic salmon embryo, alevin, and juvenile performance. For the first time, we show a long-term effect of POA on salmonid juvenile performance. Standardized pH measurements of coelomic fluid could potentially improve embryo and juvenile production by identifying low-quality oocytes at an early stage during the production. Copyright © 2015

  18. The Ross procedure offers excellent survival compared with mechanical aortic valve replacement in a real-world setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreas, Martin; Wiedemann, Dominik; Seebacher, Gernot; Rath, Claus; Aref, Tandis; Rosenhek, Raphael; Heinze, Georg; Eigenbauer, Ernst; Simon, Paul; Ruetzler, Kurt; Hiesmayr, Joerg-Michael; Moritz, Anton; Laufer, Guenther; Kocher, Alfred

    2014-09-01

    The ideal prosthesis for young patients requiring aortic valve replacement has not been defined to date. Although the Ross procedure provides excellent survival, its application is still limited. We compared the long-term survival after the Ross procedure with mechanical aortic valve replacement. All consecutive Ross procedures and mechanical aortic valve replacements performed between 1991 and 2008 at a single centre were analysed. Only adult patients between 18 and 50 years of age were included in the study. Survival and valve-related complications were evaluated. Furthermore, survival was compared with the age- and sex-matched Austrian population. A total of 159 Ross patients and 173 mechanical valve patients were included. The cumulative survival for the Ross procedure was significantly better, with survival rates of 96, 94 and 93% at 5, 10 and 15 years, respectively, in comparison to 90, 84 and 75% (P Ross group but was significantly reduced in the mechanical valve group. In a real-world setting, the Ross procedure is associated with a long-term survival benefit in young adults in comparison to mechanical aortic valve replacement. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  19. Fillet quality and processing attributes of postsmolt Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, fed a fishmeal-free diet and a fishmeal-based diet in recirculation aquaculture systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Many studies have evaluated the adequacy of alternate ingredient diets for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, mainly with focus on fish performance and health; however, comprehensive analysis of fillet quality is lacking, particularly for salmon fed these diets in recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS)....

  20. Improved Survival After the Ross Procedure Compared With Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buratto, Edward; Shi, William Y; Wynne, Rochelle; Poh, Chin L; Larobina, Marco; O'Keefe, Michael; Goldblatt, John; Tatoulis, James; Skillington, Peter D

    2018-03-27

    It is unclear whether the Ross procedure offers superior survival compared with mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study evaluated experience and compared long-term survival between the Ross procedure and mechanical AVR. Between 1992 and 2016, a total of 392 Ross procedures were performed. These were compared with 1,928 isolated mechanical AVRs performed during the same time period as identified using the University of Melbourne and Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons' Cardiac Surgery Databases. Only patients between 18 and 65 years of age were included. Propensity-score matching was performed for risk adjustment. Ross procedure patients were younger, and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors. The Ross procedure was associated with longer cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times. Thirty-day mortality was similar (Ross, 0.3%; mechanical, 0.8%; p = 0.5). Ross procedure patients experienced superior unadjusted long-term survival at 20 years (Ross, 95%; mechanical, 68%; p mechanical, 84%; p = 0.018). In this Australian, propensity-score matched study, the Ross procedure was associated with better long-term survival compared with mechanical AVR. In younger patients, with a long life expectancy, the Ross procedure should be considered in centers with sufficient expertise. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Testing three common stocking methods: Differences in smolt size, migration rate and timing of two strains of stocked Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birnie-Gauvin, Kim; Larsen, Martin Hage; Thomassen, Søren T.

    2018-01-01

    The influence of three common stocking practices for two strains (Ätran and Burrishoole) of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, on smolt size, migration probability and migration timing were investigated in situ. Using a common garden experiment, fish from these populations were release...... to inherited factors, and emphasize the importance of considering age of fish and time spent in the hatchery when stocking populations in the wild to maximize smolt output......The influence of three common stocking practices for two strains (Ätran and Burrishoole) of hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, on smolt size, migration probability and migration timing were investigated in situ. Using a common garden experiment, fish from these populations were released...... as fry, half-year olds and oneyear olds. Our results indicate that fish released at the fry and half-year stage produce smaller smolts, and migrate later in the year than their counterparts released at one-year of age, for both the Ätran and the Burrishoole populations. While fry had the lowest...

  2. Sensory and chemical changes in farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) during frozen storage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Refsgaard, Hanne; Brockhoff, P.B.; Jensen, Benny

    1998-01-01

    Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were stored as fillets at -10 and -20 degrees C and whole at -30 degrees C. The most pronounced sensory changes were first recognized by the assessors, when the salmon samples were in the oral cavity, and were significant increases in train oil taste, metal...... during storage. The content of lipid hydroperoxides and free fatty acids also increased during storage, and the changes were fastest in salmon stored at -10 degrees C. A decrease in highly unsaturated fatty acids was observed in salmon stored at -10 and -20 degrees C. Peroxide values and the content...... of free fatty acids were shown by a partial least-squares analysis to be the best of the instrumental data in describing the sensory changes....

  3. Oil from transgenic Camelina sativa containing over 25 % n-3 long-chain PUFA as the major lipid source in feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betancor, Mónica B; Li, Keshuai; Bucerzan, Valentin S; Sprague, Matthew; Sayanova, Olga; Usher, Sarah; Han, Lihua; Norambuena, Fernando; Torrissen, Ole; Napier, Johnathan A; Tocher, Douglas R; Olsen, Rolf E

    2018-06-01

    Facing a bottleneck in the growth of aquaculture, and a gap in the supply and demand of the highly beneficial n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA), sustainable alternatives to traditional marine-based feeds are required. Therefore, in the present trial, a novel oil obtained from a genetically engineered oilseed crop, Camelina sativa, that supplied over 25 % n-3 LC-PUFA was tested as a sole dietary-added lipid source in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feed. Three groups of fish were fed three experimental diets for 12 weeks with the same basal composition and containing 20 % added oil supplied by either a blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil (1:3) (COM) reflecting current commercial formulations, wild-type Camelina oil (WCO) or the novel transgenic Camelina oil (TCO). There were no negative effects on the growth, survival rate or health of the fish. The whole fish and flesh n-3 LC-PUFA levels were highest in fish fed TCO, with levels more than 2-fold higher compared with those of fish fed the COM and WCO diets, respectively. Diet TCO had no negative impacts on the evaluated immune and physiological parameters of head kidney monocytes. The transcriptomic responses of liver and mid-intestine showed only mild effects on metabolism genes. Overall, the results clearly indicated that the oil from transgenic Camelina was highly efficient in supplying n-3 LC-PUFA providing levels double that obtained with a current commercial standard, and similar to those a decade ago before substantial dietary fishmeal and oil replacement.

  4. [Comparative evaluation of survival prognosis using MELD or Child-Pugh scores in patients with liver cirrhosis in Chile].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanhueza, Edgar; Contreras, Jorge; Zapata, Rodrigo; Sanhueza, Matías; Elgueta, Fabián; López, Constanza; Jerez, Sigrid; Jerez, Verónica; Delgado, Iris

    2017-01-01

    Currently, most liver units use the Child-Pugh (CP) or the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores to establish survival prognosis among patients with liver cirrhosis. Which classification is superior, is not well defined. To compare CP and MELD classification scores to predict survival among adult patients with liver cirrhosis in Chile. Follow-up of 137 consecutive adult patients with liver cirrhosis aged 59 ± 12 years (55% women). The diagnosis was reached by clinical, laboratory and image studies at three different centers of Santiago. Patients were staged with CP and MELD classification scores at baseline and followed over a period of 12 months. The predictive capacity of the scores for survival was analyzed using a multivariate statistical analysis (Kaplan-Meier curves). The most common etiology was alcohol (37.9%). The actuarial survival rate was 79.6% at 12 months of follow-up. When comparing groups with areas under curve of receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC), there was no statistically significant difference in survival between less severe and advanced disease, assessed with both survival scales. The AUROC for MELD and CP were 0.80 and 0.81, respectively. This clinical study did not find a statistically significant difference between the two classifications for the prediction of 12 months survival in patients with cirrhosis.

  5. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) Greenland fishery inferred from mixed-stock analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gauthier-Ouellet, M.; Dionne, M.; Caron, F.; King, T.L.; Bernatchez, L.

    2009-01-01

    Mixed-stock fisheries refer to the exploitation of admixed fish stocks coming from different origins. We identified the North American origin of 2835 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Greenland mixed-stock fishery during 11 years (1995-2006) at three localities using 13 microsatellites. The study included 52 baseline populations representing nine genetically distinct regional groups. The contribution of each group ranged from increasing contribution for Labrador (+14.9%) was observed during the time course of the study. The estimated regional contribution to the Greenland fishery was significantly correlated to the number of multi-sea-winter salmon regionally produced in 2002 (r = 0.79) and 2004 (r = 0.92). No difference in contribution was found between the three Greenland sampling localities. Ungava and Southern Qu??bec regions showed the highest mortality estimates caused by the fishery, ranging from 12.10% to 18.08%, for both years tested. No regional group was overrepresented in landings compared with their respective productivity. Yet, management precautions should still be taken as the fishery strongly selects large females, which could have evolutionary impacts on populations over the long term.

  6. A synthesis of tagging studies examining the behaviour and survival of anadromous salmonids in marine environments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Matthew Drenner

    Full Text Available This paper synthesizes tagging studies to highlight the current state of knowledge concerning the behaviour and survival of anadromous salmonids in the marine environment. Scientific literature was reviewed to quantify the number and type of studies that have investigated behaviour and survival of anadromous forms of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp., Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, brown trout (Salmo trutta, steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss, and cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii. We examined three categories of tags including electronic (e.g. acoustic, radio, archival, passive (e.g. external marks, Carlin, coded wire, passive integrated transponder [PIT], and biological (e.g. otolith, genetic, scale, parasites. Based on 207 papers, survival rates and behaviour in marine environments were found to be extremely variable spatially and temporally, with some of the most influential factors being temperature, population, physiological state, and fish size. Salmonids at all life stages were consistently found to swim at an average speed of approximately one body length per second, which likely corresponds with the speed at which transport costs are minimal. We found that there is relatively little research conducted on open-ocean migrating salmonids, and some species (e.g. masu [O. masou] and amago [O. rhodurus] are underrepresented in the literature. The most common forms of tagging used across life stages were various forms of external tags, coded wire tags, and acoustic tags, however, the majority of studies did not measure tagging/handling effects on the fish, tag loss/failure, or tag detection probabilities when estimating survival. Through the interdisciplinary application of existing and novel technologies, future research examining the behaviour and survival of anadromous salmonids could incorporate important drivers such as oceanography, tagging/handling effects, predation, and physiology.

  7. The effects of long-term 20 mg/L carbon dioxide exposure on the health and performance of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar post-smolts in water recirculation aquaculture systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Previous research and experience has linked elevated dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) to reduced growth performance, poor feed conversion, and a variety of health issues in farm-raised fish, including Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Supplemental control measures in water recirculation aquaculture systems...

  8. The ecological coherence of temperature and salinity tolerance interaction and pigmentation in a non-marine vibrio isolated from Salar de Atacama

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karem Gallardo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence of microorganisms from the Vibrio genus in saline lakes from northern Chile had been evidenced using Numerical Taxonomy decades before and, more recently, by phylogenetic analyses of environmental samples and isolates. Most of the knowledge about this genus came from marine isolates and showed temperature and salinity to be integral agents in shaping the niche of the Vibrio populations. The stress tolerance phenotypes of Vibrio sp. Teb5a1 isolated from Salar de Atacama was investigated. It was able to grow without NaCl and tolerated up to 100 g/L of the salt. Furthermore, it grew between 17° and 49°C (optimum 30°C in the absence of NaCl, and the range was expanded into cold temperature (4-49°C in the presence of the salt. Other additional adaptive strategies were observed in response to the osmotic stress: pigment production, identified as the known antibacterial prodigiosin, swimming and swarming motility and synthesis of a polar flagellum. It is possible to infer that environmental congruence might explain the cellular phenotypes observed in Vibrio sp. considering that coupling between temperature and salinity tolerance, the production of antibacterial agents at higher temperatures, flagellation and motility increase the chance of Vibrio sp. to survive in salty environments with high daily temperature swings and UV radiation.

  9. Gestational age specific neonatal survival in the State of Qatar (2003-2008) - a comparative study with international benchmarks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Sajjad; Salameh, Khalil; Al-Rifai, Hilal; Masoud, Ahmed; Lutfi, Samawal; Salama, Husam; Abdoh, Ghassan; Omar, Fahmi; Bener, Abdulbari

    2011-09-01

    To analyze and compare the current gestational age specific neonatal survival rates between Qatar and international benchmarks. An analytical comparative study. Women's Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, from 2003-2008. Six year's (2003-2008) gestational age specific neonatal mortality data was stratified for each completed week of gestation at birth from 24 weeks till term. The data from World Health Statistics by WHO (2010), Vermont Oxford Network (VON, 2007) and National Statistics United Kingdom (2006) were used as international benchmarks for comparative analysis. A total of 82,002 babies were born during the study period. Qatar's neonatal mortality rate (NMR) dropped from 6/1000 in 2003 to 4.3/1000 in 2008 (p Qatar were comparable with international benchmarks. The survival of Qatar (p=0.01 and p 32 weeks babies was better in UK (p=0.01) as compared to Qatar. The relative risk (RR) of death decreased with increasing gestational age (p Qatar. The current total and gestational age specific neonatal survival rates in the State of Qatar are comparable with international benchmarks. In Qatar, persistently high rates of low birth weight and lethal chromosomal and congenital anomalies significantly contribute towards neonatal mortality.

  10. Extraction of gelatin from salmon (Salmo salar) fish skin using trypsin-aided process: optimization by Plackett-Burman and response surface methodological approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, HuiYin; Dumont, Marie-Josée; Simpson, Benjamin K

    2017-11-01

    Gelatin from salmon ( Salmo salar ) skin with high molecular weight protein chains ( α -chains) was extracted using trypsin-aided process. Response surface methodology was used to optimise the extraction parameters. Yield, hydroxyproline content and protein electrophoretic profile via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of gelatin were used as responses in the optimization study. The optimum conditions were determined as: trypsin concentration at 1.49 U/g; extraction temperature at 45 °C; and extraction time at 6 h 16 min. This response surface optimized model was significant and produced an experimental value (202.04 ± 8.64%) in good agreement with the predicted value (204.19%). Twofold higher yields of gelatin with high molecular weight protein chains were achieved in the optimized process with trypsin treatment when compared to the process without trypsin.

  11. Lipid peroxidation analysis in salmon (Salmo salar L.) processed by e-beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomaz, Fernanda S.; Trindade, Reginaldo A.; Fanaro, Gustavo B.; Araujo, Michel M.; Villavicencio, Ana Lucia C.H.; Mancini-Filho, Jorge

    2007-01-01

    In Brazil the consumption of fish is relatively small when compared with other source of meat protein. However the diets rich in fish have association with a wide range of positive health effects, due your great deal the fat acids omega 3, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Salmon (Salmo salar L.) specifically have those fat acids in main quantity. The omega 3 fat acids are related to the prevention of several not transmissible illness; with emphasis to cardiovascular, hypertriglyceridemia, cancer, osteoporosis and inflammatory and anti immune diseases. Food borne illnesses have been a growing concern to the governments, producers and consumers, mainly regarding the damages they cause to human health. In this context, irradiation is used as a method to preserve food. The present work aim to evaluate the lipid peroxidation in natura salmon filet irradiated on the basis of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Samples were irradiated in an e beam accelerator (Radiation Dynamics Co. model JOB, New York, USA), 1,5 MeV-25mA at doses of 0, 1.0 and 2.0 kGy, analyzed 7, 15, 21, 30 e 45 days after irradiation. Irradiated samples analyzed during a 45 day period, showed a higher lipid peroxidation than the control samples at the same period, increasing with dose and storage time. However, it did not pass the permitted value. Irradiation demonstrated effective without compromising the quality of the food. (author)

  12. Lipid peroxidation analysis in salmon (Salmo salar L.) processed by e-beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomaz, Fernanda S.; Trindade, Reginaldo A.; Fanaro, Gustavo B.; Araujo, Michel M.; Villavicencio, Ana Lucia C.H. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: villavic@ipen.br; Mancini-Filho, Jorge [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas]. E-mail: jmancini@usp.br

    2007-07-01

    In Brazil the consumption of fish is relatively small when compared with other source of meat protein. However the diets rich in fish have association with a wide range of positive health effects, due your great deal the fat acids omega 3, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Salmon (Salmo salar L.) specifically have those fat acids in main quantity. The omega 3 fat acids are related to the prevention of several not transmissible illness; with emphasis to cardiovascular, hypertriglyceridemia, cancer, osteoporosis and inflammatory and anti immune diseases. Food borne illnesses have been a growing concern to the governments, producers and consumers, mainly regarding the damages they cause to human health. In this context, irradiation is used as a method to preserve food. The present work aim to evaluate the lipid peroxidation in natura salmon filet irradiated on the basis of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Samples were irradiated in an e beam accelerator (Radiation Dynamics Co. model JOB, New York, USA), 1,5 MeV-25mA at doses of 0, 1.0 and 2.0 kGy, analyzed 7, 15, 21, 30 e 45 days after irradiation. Irradiated samples analyzed during a 45 day period, showed a higher lipid peroxidation than the control samples at the same period, increasing with dose and storage time. However, it did not pass the permitted value. Irradiation demonstrated effective without compromising the quality of the food. (author)

  13. Comparative effectiveness and survival of infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept for rheumatoid arthritis patients in the Hellenic Registry of Biologics: Low rates of remission and 5-year drug survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flouri, Irini; Markatseli, Theodora E; Voulgari, Paraskevi V; Boki, Kyriaki A; Papadopoulos, Ioannis; Settas, Loukas; Zisopoulos, Dimitrios; Skopouli, Fotini N; Iliopoulos, Alexios; Bertsias, George K; Geborek, Pierre; Drosos, Alexandros A; Boumpas, Dimitrios T; Sidiropoulos, Prodromos

    2014-02-01

    To compare effectiveness, drug survival, and safety between infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept, in a nationwide cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This study is a prospective cohort study of 1208 active RA patients. Effectiveness, drug survival, and serious adverse events during entire follow-up (median 2.9 years) were monitored. EULAR and CDAI responses were comparable between the three agents (EULAR good/moderate responses at 12 months ranged 76-79%). At 12 months, 15-23% achieved remission. For adalimumab and etanercept, adjusted hazard rate (HR) for EULAR/ACR remission (reference: infliximab) was 2.7 and 2.1 (95% confidence interval was 1.7-4.1 and 1.3-3.4, respectively); males (HR 1.6; 1.1-2.4), use of glucocorticoids (HR 2.0; 1.3-3.0), and swollen joint count >7 (HR 0.36; 0.24-0.55) were independent predictors. Five-year drug survival was 31%, 43%, and 49% for infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept, respectively (p = 0.010). Infliximab was associated with significantly more withdrawals due to adverse events. Disease activity, CRP, and use of glucocorticoids predicted efficacy-related drug survival; age, use of methotrexate, and prior DMARDs failures predicted safety-related survival. Risk for serious infections was lower with adalimumab (odds ratio [OR] 0.62; 0.38-1.00) or etanercept (OR 0.39; 0.21-0.72) than infliximab, independent of the effects of age (OR 1.65; 1.37-2.00 per 10 years), tender joint count >10 (OR 1.86; 1.21-2.86), and glucocorticoids >35mg/week (OR 1.83; 1.12-2.99). Response rates were comparable among anti-TNF agents. Overall, 5-year drug survival was below 50%, with infliximab demonstrating increased safety-related discontinuations. Remission rates are low in clinical practice. Strategies to increase effectiveness and long-term survival of anti-TNF agents in RA are needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Comparative Survival in Patients With Postresection Recurrent Versus Newly Diagnosed Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai Xuwei; Xu Luying; Wang Li; Hayman, James A.; Chang, Andrew C.; Pickens, Allan; Cease, Kemp B.; Orringer, Mark B.; Kong, F.-M.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To compare the survival of postresection recurrent vs. newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of 661 consecutive patients with NSCLC registered in the radiation oncology databases at two medical centers in the United States between 1992 and 2004. Of the 661 patients, 54 had postresection recurrent NSCLC and 607 had newly diagnosed NSCLC. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used for the survival analyses. Results: The distribution of relevant clinical factors between these two groups was similar. The median survival time and 5-year overall survival rates were 19.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.9-25.7) and 14.8% (95% confidence interval, 5.4-24.2%) vs. 12.2 months (95% CI, 10.8-13.6) and 11.0% (95% CI, 8.5-13.5%) for recurrent vs. newly diagnosed patients, respectively (p = .037). For Stage I-III patients, no significant difference was observed in the 5-year overall survival (p = .297) or progression-free survival (p = .935) between recurrent and newly diagnosed patients. For the 46 patients with Stage I-III recurrent disease, multivariate analysis showed that chemotherapy was a significant prognostic factor for 5-year progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.224-0.914; p = .027). Conclusion: Our institutional data have shown that patients with postresection recurrent NSCLC achieved survival comparable to that of newly diagnosed NSCLC patients when they were both treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. These findings suggest that patients with postresection recurrent NSCLC should be treated as aggressively as those with newly diagnosed disease.

  15. Ovarian cancer survival population differences: a "high resolution study" comparing Philippine residents, and Filipino-Americans and Caucasians living in the US.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redaniel, Maria Theresa M; Laudico, Adriano; Mirasol-Lumague, Maria Rica; Gondos, Adam; Uy, Gemma Leonora; Toral, Jean Ann; Benavides, Doris; Brenner, Hermann

    2009-09-24

    In contrast to most other forms of cancer, data from some developing and developed countries show surprisingly similar survival rates for ovarian cancer. We aimed to compare ovarian cancer survival in Philippine residents, Filipino-Americans and Caucasians living in the US, using a high resolution approach, taking potential differences in prognostic factors into account. Using databases from the SEER 13 and from the Manila and Rizal Cancer Registries, age-adjusted five-year absolute and relative survival estimates were computed using the period analysis method and compared between Filipino-American ovarian cancer patients with cancer patients from the Philippines and Caucasians in the US. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to determine factors affecting survival differences. Despite more favorable distribution of age and cancer morphology and similar stage distribution, 5-year absolute and relative survival were lower in Philippine residents (Absolute survival, AS, 44%, Standard Error, SE, 2.9 and Relative survival, RS, 49.7%, SE, 3.7) than in Filipino-Americans (AS, 51.3%, SE, 3.1 and RS, 54.1%, SE, 3.4). After adjustment for these and additional covariates, strong excess risk of death for Philippine residents was found (Relative Risk, RR, 2.45, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.99-3.01). In contrast, no significant differences were found between Filipino-Americans and Caucasians living in the US. Multivariate analyses disclosed strong survival disadvantages of Philippine residents compared to Filipino-American patients, for which differences in access to health care might have played an important role. Survival is no worse among Filipino-Americans than among Caucasians living in the US.

  16. Optimal size at seaward migration in an anadromous salmonid

    OpenAIRE

    Jonsson, Bror; Jonsson, Marius; Jonsson, Nina

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the probabilistic reaction norm was calculated for length at different ages of smolting before seaward migration of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar spawning in the Norwegian River Imsa. The reaction norm was compared with the optimal length at smolting estimated as the product of survival and female fecundity on the return, given their length at smolting. Logistic regression analysis on pre-migratory and migratory fish was used to estimate the probabilistic reaction norm. Length at...

  17. Sulphated glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans in the developing vertebral column of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannesson, Kirsten O; Ytteborg, Elisabeth; Takle, Harald; Enersen, Grethe; Bæverfjord, Grete; Pedersen, Mona E

    2015-08-01

    In the present study, the distribution of sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the developing vertebral column of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at 700, 900, 1100 and 1400 d° was examined by light microscopy. The mineralization pattern was outlined by Alizarin red S and soft structures by Alcian blue. The temporal and spatial distribution patterns of different types of GAGs: chondroitin-4-sulphate/dermatan sulphate, chondroitin-6-sulphate, chondroitin-0-sulphate and keratan sulphate were addressed by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against the different GAGs. The specific pattern obtained with the different antibodies suggests a unique role of the different GAG types in pattern formation and mineralization. In addition, the distribution of the different GAG types in normal and malformed vertebral columns from 15 g salmon was compared. A changed expression pattern of GAGs was found in the malformed vertebrae, indicating the involvement of these molecules during the pathogenesis. The molecular size of proteoglycans (PGs) in the vertebrae carrying GAGs was analysed with western blotting, and mRNA transcription of the PGs aggrecan, decorin, biglycan, fibromodulin and lumican by real-time qPCR. Our study reveals the importance of GAGs in development of vertebral column also in Atlantic salmon and indicates that a more comprehensive approach is necessary to completely understand the processes involved.

  18. Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme developed for farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sveinsdóttir, K.; Hyldig, Grethe; Martinsdóttir, E.

    2003-01-01

    The aim of the study was to develop 'Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme for raw, farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and to evaluate the scheme. in a shelf life study. QIM is based on the evaluation of key parameters in the deterioration of seafood's. Demerit points are assigned to selected...... parameters according to their importance and a Quality Index (QI) is established by cumulating the resulting scores. The maximum storage time in ice was determined with Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) of the salmon after cooking and found to be 20-21 days. This was used as a reference to enable...... prediction of the remaining storage time of raw salmon in ice with QIM. The calculated QI evolved linearly with storage time in ice (QI=0.82x (days in ice)+0.18, R-2=0.97). Individual salmon varied in QI within each storage day. However, the multivariate analysis (PLS1) demonstrated that storage time could...

  19. Transcriptomic and physiological responses to fishmeal substitution with plant proteins in formulated feed in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tacchi Luca

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Aquaculture of piscivorous fish is in continual expansion resulting in a global requirement to reduce the dependence on wild caught fish for generation of fishmeal and fish oil. Plant proteins represent a suitable protein alternative to fish meal and are increasingly being used in fish feed. In this study, we examined the transcriptional response of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar to a high marine protein (MP or low fishmeal, higher plant protein replacement diet (PP, formulated to the same nutritional specification within previously determined acceptable maximum levels of individual plant feed materials. Results After 77 days of feeding the fish in both groups doubled in weight, however neither growth performance, feed efficiency, condition factor nor organ indices were significantly different. Assessment of histopathological changes in the heart, intestine or liver did not reveal any negative effects of the PP diet. Transcriptomic analysis was performed in mid intestine, liver and skeletal muscle, using an Atlantic salmon oligonucleotide microarray (Salar_2, Agilent 4x44K. The dietary comparison revealed large alteration in gene expression in all the tissues studied between fish on the two diets. Gene ontology analysis showed, in the mid intestine of fish fed PP, higher expression of genes involved in enteritis, protein and energy metabolism, mitochondrial activity/kinases and transport, and a lower expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis compared to fish fed MP. The liver of fish fed PP showed a lower expression of immune response genes but a higher expression of cell proliferation and apoptosis processes that may lead to cell reorganization in this tissue. The skeletal muscle of fish fed PP vs MP was characterized by a suppression of processes including immune response, energy and protein metabolism, cell proliferation and apoptosis which may reflect a more energy efficient tissue. Conclusions The PP

  20. Salmo salar and Esox lucius full-length cDNA sequences reveal changes in evolutionary pressures on a post-tetraploidization genome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holt Robert A

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Salmonids are one of the most intensely studied fish, in part due to their economic and environmental importance, and in part due to a recent whole genome duplication in the common ancestor of salmonids. This duplication greatly impacts species diversification, functional specialization, and adaptation. Extensive new genomic resources have recently become available for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, but documentation of allelic versus duplicate reference genes remains a major uncertainty in the complete characterization of its genome and its evolution. Results From existing expressed sequence tag (EST resources and three new full-length cDNA libraries, 9,057 reference quality full-length gene insert clones were identified for Atlantic salmon. A further 1,365 reference full-length clones were annotated from 29,221 northern pike (Esox lucius ESTs. Pairwise dN/dS comparisons within each of 408 sets of duplicated salmon genes using northern pike as a diploid out-group show asymmetric relaxation of selection on salmon duplicates. Conclusions 9,057 full-length reference genes were characterized in S. salar and can be used to identify alleles and gene family members. Comparisons of duplicated genes show that while purifying selection is the predominant force acting on both duplicates, consistent with retention of functionality in both copies, some relaxation of pressure on gene duplicates can be identified. In addition, there is evidence that evolution has acted asymmetrically on paralogs, allowing one of the pair to diverge at a faster rate.

  1. Disease-free survival after complete mesocolic excision compared with conventional colon cancer surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bertelsen, Claus Anders; Neuenschwander, Anders Ulrich; Jansen, Jens Erik

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Application of the principles of total mesorectal excision to colon cancer by undertaking complete mesocolic excision (CME) has been proposed to improve oncological outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether implementation of CME improved disease-free survival compared with conventional...... consisted of patients who underwent CME surgery in a centre validated to perform such surgery; the control group consisted of patients undergoing conventional colon resection in three other hospitals. Data were collected from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) database and medical charts. Patients...... updated by the National Central Office of Civil Registration. FINDINGS: The CME group consisted of 364 patients and the non-CME group consisted of 1031 patients. For all patients, 4-year disease-free survival was 85.8% (95% CI 81.4-90.1) after CME and 75.9% (72.2-79.7) after non-CME surgery (log-rank p=0...

  2. The survival of patients with Stage III Colon Cancer is improved in HNPCC compared with sporadic cases. A Danish registry based study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brixen, Line Merrild; Bernstein, Inge Thomsen; Bülow, Steffen

    2013-01-01

    AIM: Patients with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) seem to have a better prognosis than those with sporadic colon cancer (CC)s. The aim was to compare survival after stage III CC in patients with HNPCC with those having sporadic CC. METHOD: 230 patients with hereditary cancer...... from The Danish HNPCC-Register and 3557 patients with sporadic CC from The Danish Colorectal Cancer Database, diagnosed during May 2001-December 2008 were included. HNPCC patients were classified according to Mismatch Repair mutation status and family pedigree. Sporadic cases had no known family...... history of cancer. Patient characteristics, geographic differences and survival data were analyzed. RESULTS: The overall survival (OS) was better in HNPCC patients compared to sporadic CC after stratification for sex and age (p=0.02; CI 1.04-1.7). The 5-year survival was 70% in HNPCC patients compared...

  3. Mid-term survival analysis of closed wedge high tibial osteotomy: A comparative study of computer-assisted and conventional techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Dae Kyung; Song, Sang Jun; Kim, Kang Il; Hur, Dong; Jeong, Ho Yeon

    2016-03-01

    The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical and radiographic results and survival rates between computer-assisted and conventional closing wedge high tibial osteotomies (HTOs). Data from a consecutive cohort comprised of 75 computer-assisted HTOs and 75 conventional HTOs were retrospectively reviewed. The Knee Society knee and function scores, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score and femorotibial angle (FTA) were compared between the two groups. Survival rates were also compared with procedure failure. The knee and function scores at one year postoperatively were slightly better in the computer-assisted group than those in conventional group (90.1 vs. 86.1) (82.0 vs. 76.0). The HSS scores at one year postoperatively were slightly better for the computer-assisted HTOs than those of conventional HTOs (89.5 vs. 81.8). The inlier of the postoperative FTA was wider in the computer-assisted group than that in the conventional HTO group (88.0% vs. 58.7%), and mean postoperative FTA was greater in the computer-assisted group that in the conventional HTO group (valgus 9.0° vs. valgus 7.6°, pclinical and radiographic results were better in the computer-assisted group that those in the conventional HTO group. Mid-term survival rates did not differ between computer-assisted and conventional HTOs. A comparative analysis of longer-term survival rate is required to demonstrate the long-term benefit of computer-assisted HTO. III. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Application of Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme in shelf-life study of farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sveinsdóttir, K.; Martinsdóttir, E.; Hyldig, Grethe

    2002-01-01

    measurements (compression test). Maximum storage time in ice was determined with QDA and fat content by Soxhlet extraction. A high correlation between QIM and storage time in ice was found. Storage time could be predicted with +/- 2 d. TVC increased exponentially with storage and was dominated by H2S......Salmon (Salmo salar) was stored in ice up to 24 d, and changes during storage were observed with sensory evaluation using the Quality Index Method (QIM), and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), total viable counts (TVC), hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-producing bacteria, and instrumental texture......-producing bacteria after 20 d in ice, which was the maximum storage time. Texture measurements indicated softening of salmon flesh with storage...

  5. Consistent boldness behaviour in early emerging fry of domesticated Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): Decoupling of behavioural and physiological traits of the proactive stress coping style

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vaz-Serrano, J.; Ruiz-Gomez, M. L.; Gjøen, H. M.

    2011-01-01

    style seem to be coupled to the time to emerge of fry from spawning redds in natural populations of salmonid fishes. In the present study, behavioural and physiological traits of stress coping styles were compared two and five months after emergence in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), using......Individual variation in the way animals cope with stressors has been documented in a number of animal groups. In general, two distinct sets of behavioural and physiological responses to stress have been described: the proactive and the reactive coping styles. Some characteristics of stress coping...... hunger, in the present study. This observation was repeated five months after emergence, demonstrating behavioural consistency over time in this trait. However, in other traits of proactive and reactive stress coping styles, such as social status, resting metabolism or post stress cortisol concentrations...

  6. Timely disclosure of progress in long-term cancer survival: the boomerang method substantially improved estimates in a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenner, Hermann; Jansen, Lina

    2016-02-01

    Monitoring cancer survival is a key task of cancer registries, but timely disclosure of progress in long-term survival remains a challenge. We introduce and evaluate a novel method, denoted "boomerang method," for deriving more up-to-date estimates of long-term survival. We applied three established methods (cohort, complete, and period analysis) and the boomerang method to derive up-to-date 10-year relative survival of patients diagnosed with common solid cancers and hematological malignancies in the United States. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results 9 database, we compared the most up-to-date age-specific estimates that might have been obtained with the database including patients diagnosed up to 2001 with 10-year survival later observed for patients diagnosed in 1997-2001. For cancers with little or no increase in survival over time, the various estimates of 10-year relative survival potentially available by the end of 2001 were generally rather similar. For malignancies with strongly increasing survival over time, including breast and prostate cancer and all hematological malignancies, the boomerang method provided estimates that were closest to later observed 10-year relative survival in 23 of the 34 groups assessed. The boomerang method can substantially improve up-to-dateness of long-term cancer survival estimates in times of ongoing improvement in prognosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. A comparison of neutral and immune genetic variation in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. in Chilean aquaculture facilities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David S Portnoy

    Full Text Available Genetic diversity was assessed in samples of cultured Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., obtained from facilities in Chile between 2005 and 2010, a period of time during which the infectious pathogens Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA virus, Caligus rogercresseyi (sea lice, and Piscirickettsia salmonis (salmon rickettsial syndrome were common. Two panels of microsatellite markers were utilized: one with microsatellites with no known gene associations (neutral and one featuring microsatellites linked to putative immune-related genes (immune-related. Allelic richness and gene diversity across samples were significantly greater in neutral loci as compared to immune-related loci. Both diversity measures were homogeneous among samples for immune-related loci and heterogeneous among samples for neutral loci. Immune-related loci were identified as F(ST outliers in pairwise comparisons of samples at a 10-fold higher frequency than neutral loci. These results indicate that neutral and immune-related portions of the Atlantic salmon genome may have differed in response to the gauntlet of pathogens and that monitoring of specific, well characterized immune-related loci as well as neutral loci in cultured species could be useful when disease control and prevention is a goal.

  8. Uptake and effects of 2, 4, 6 - trinitrotoluene (TNT) in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariussen, Espen; Stornes, Siv Marie; Bøifot, Kari Oline; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Salbu, Brit; Heier, Lene Sørlie

    2018-01-01

    Organ specific uptake and depuration, and biological effects in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) were studied. Two experiments were conducted, the first using radiolabeled TNT ( 14 C-TNT, 0.16mg/L) to study uptake (48h) and depuration (48h), while the second experiment focused on physiological effects in fish exposed to increasing concentrations of unlabeled TNT (1μg-1mg/L) for 48h. The uptake of 14 C-TNT in the gills and most of the organs increased rapidly during the first 6h of exposure (12h in the brain) followed by a rapid decrease even though the fish were still exposed to TNT in the water. The radioactivity in the gall bladder reached a maximum after 55h, 7h after the transfer to the clean water. A high concentration of 14 C-TNT in the gall bladder indicates that TNT is excreted through the gall bladder. Mortality (2 out of 14) was observed at a concentration of 1mg/L, and the surviving fish had hemorrhages in the dorsal muscle tissue near the spine. Analysis of the physiological parameters in blood from the high exposure group revealed severe effects, with an increase in the levels of glucose, urea and HCO 3 , and a decrease in hematocrit and the levels of Cl and hemoglobin. No effects on blood physiology were observed in fish exposed to the lower concentrations of TNT (1-100μg/L). TNT and the metabolites 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT) were found in the muscle tissue, whereas only 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT were found in the bile. The rapid excretion and estimated bioconcentration factors (range of 2-18 after 48h in gills, blood, liver, kidney, muscle and brain) indicated a low potential for bioaccumulation of TNT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation combined with imatinib has comparable event-free survival and overall survival to long-term imatinib treatment in young patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yanmin; Wang, Jiasheng; Luo, Yi; Shi, Jimin; Zheng, Weiyan; Tan, Yamin; Cai, Zhen; Huang, He

    2017-08-01

    The relative merits of reduced intensity hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (RIST) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the first chronic phase (CP) in imatinib era have not been evaluated. The study was designed to compare the outcomes of combination therapy of RIST plus imatinib (RIST + IM) vs. imatinib (IM) alone for young patients with early CP (ECP) and late CP (LCP). Of the patients, 130 were non-randomly assigned to treatment with IM alone (n = 88) or RIST + IM (n = 42). The 10-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were comparable between RIST + IM and IM groups. LCP, high Sokal score, and no complete cytogenetic response at 3 months were adverse prognostic factors for survival, but only the time from diagnosis to IM was an independent predictor after multivariate analysis. For ECP, IM was similar to RIST + IM, with 10-year EFS rates of 77.2 vs. 81.6% (p = 0.876) and OS rates of 93.8 vs. 87.9% (p = 0.102), respectively. For LCP, both treatments resulted in similar survival, but more patients in the imatinib group experienced events (10-year EFS 40.8 vs. 66.7%, p = 0.047). The patients with higher EBMT risk scores had an inferior survival than those with lower scores (69.2 vs. 92.9%, p = 0.04). We concluded that RIST + IM was comparable to IM in terms of OS and EFS. However, RIST + IM was more affordable than IM alone in a 10-year scale. Thus, RIST + IM could be considered as an alternative treatment option, especially when the patients have low EBMT risk scores and demand a definite cure for CML.

  10. Comparing survival outcomes of gross total resection and subtotal resection with radiotherapy for craniopharyngioma: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guoqing; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Feng, Mengzhao; Guo, Fuyou

    2018-06-01

    Recent studies suggest that subtotal resection (STR) followed by radiation therapy (RT) is an appealing alternative to gross total resection (GTR) for craniopharyngioma, but it remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether GTR is superior to STR with RT for craniopharyngioma. A systematic search was performed for articles published until October 2017 in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases. The endpoints of interest are overall survival and progression-free survival. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a fixed or random-effects model. The data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3 software. A total of 744 patients (seven cohort studies) were enrolled for analyses. There were no significant differences between the GTR and STR with RT groups when the authors compared the pooled HRs at the end of the follow-up period. Overall survival (pooled HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.46-1.25, P = 0.28) and progression-free survival (pooled HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.42-5.44, P = 0.52) were similar between the two groups. The current meta-analysis suggests that GTR and STR with RT have the similar survival outcomes for craniopharyngioma. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A comparative study of diploid versus triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). The effects of rearing temperatures (5, 10 and 15°C) on raw material characteristics and storage quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerfall, Jørgen; Hasli, Pål Rune; Skare, Even Flønes; Olsen, Rolf Erik; Rotabakk, Bjørn Tore; Roth, Bjørn; Slinde, Erik; Egelandsdal, Bjørg

    2017-06-15

    Several major market operators argue that the current level of knowledge about quality is too scant to justify a switch to a large-scale production of triploid salmon. The aim of the present study was, therefore, to elucidate how rearing conditions (5, 10 and 15°C) affect the flesh quality of triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1.6±0.3kg). As a reference, diploid salmon kept under equal conditions and with equal genetics were used. The main design discriminant was the holding temperature; increased temperature gave increased blood lactate, rigor index (I r ), drip loss (DL), content of astaxanthin and intensity of redness, but reduced muscle pH, cathepsin activity and fillet lightness. Salmon kept at 10°C grew the fastest. It is concluded that ploidy gave less variation than temperature. Triploids were characterized by lower blood haematocrit (Hct) and I r , higher DL and collagenase activity, and on average, paler and less yellowish fillets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Transcriptome sequencing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) notochord prior to development of the vertebrae provides clues to regulation of positional fate, chordoblast lineage and mineralisation

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Shou; Furmanek, Tomasz; Kryvi, Harald; Krossøy, Christel; Totland, Geir Kåre; Grotmol, Sindre; Wargelius, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Background In teleosts such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), segmentation and subsequent mineralisation of the notochord during embryonic stages are essential for normal vertebrae formation. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to segmentation and mineralisation of the notochord are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify genes/pathways acting in gradients over time and along the anterior-posterior axis during notochord segmentation and immediately prior to mineralis...

  13. Accelerated recovery of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from effects of crowding by swimming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veiseth, Eva; Fjaera, Svein Olav; Bjerkeng, Bjørn; Skjervold, Per Olav

    2006-07-01

    The effects of post-crowding swimming velocity (0, 0.35, and 0.70 m/s) and recovery time (1.5, 6, and 12 h) on physiological recovery and processing quality parameters of adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were determined. Atlantic salmon crowded to a density similar to that of a commercial slaughter process (>200 kg/m(3), 40 min) were transferred to a swimming chamber for recovery treatment. Osmolality and concentrations of cortisol, glucose and lactate in blood plasma were used as physiological stress indicators, whereas image analyses of extent and duration of rigor contraction, and fillet gaping were used as measures of processing quality. Crowded salmon had a 5.8-fold higher plasma cortisol concentration than control salmon (Prigor mortis contraction. However, subjecting crowded salmon to active swimming for 6 h before slaughter delayed the onset of rigor mortis contraction from 2.5 to 7.5 h post mortem. The extent of rigor mortis contraction was also affected by crowding and post-stress swimming activity (Prigor mortis contraction, which has a positive technological implication for the salmon processing industry.

  14. Effect of ectoparasite infestation density and life history stages on the swimming performance of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha Bui

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available To overcome sustainability obstacles and improve operations, the Atlantic salmon farming industry is testing novel approaches to production. Redistributing farm sites to offshore locations is one such solution; however, tolerance to high-current velocity sites must be considered, particularly if fish health status is compromised by parasites. We tested the effect of parasite density and life-history stage on the swimming performance of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar using a swim flume. Salmon with 3 different salmon lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis densities (0, 0.02 � 0.01 and 0.11 � 0.01 lice cm-2 [mean � SE] were tested across the 4 major life-history stages of lice (copepodid, chalimus, pre-adult and adult for critical swimming performance (Ucrit. Salmon Ucrit declined slightly by a mean of 0.04 to 0.10 body lengths s-1 with high parasite densities compared to uninfested and low densities, across the lice stages, while progression through the parasite life-history stages had little effect on swimming performance. Our results suggest that increasing infestation density of salmon lice incurs negative fitness consequences for farmed Atlantic salmon held in high-current velocity sites, with little difference in costs associated with attachment by different life-history stages of the lice.

  15. Arteriosclerosis in the ventral aorta and epicarditis in the bulbus arteriosus of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalum, A S; Kristthorsdottir, K H; Griffiths, D J; Bjørklund, K; Poppe, T T

    2017-06-01

    Spontaneous mortality of seemingly healthy, farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L) is an increasing problem in Norwegian aquaculture. In this study, we present a morphological study of the previously undescribed syndrome of arteriosclerosis of the ventral aorta and epicarditis of the adjacent bulbus arteriosus found in farmed Atlantic salmon, with wild-captured fish as a control group. Both the ventral aorta and epicardium are vital for correct arterial compliance and vascular resistance in the respiratory capillaries of the gills. We discuss the possible implications of ventral aorta arteriosclerosis and epicarditis for blood vascular health and in particular for the increasing frequency of spontaneous gill bleeding in farmed salmon. As both these conditions primarily occur in farmed salmon, we suggest that they should be considered pathological. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Do female cancer patients display better survival rates compared with males? Analysis of the Korean National Registry data, 2005-2009.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyu-Won Jung

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Sex differences have been reported in the prognosis of certain cancers. In this study, we investigated whether Korean females display better survival rates compared with male patients for solid tumor sites. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Korean National Cancer Incidence Database from 599,288 adult patients diagnosed with solid cancers between 2005 and 2009. Patients were followed until December 2010. We applied a relative excess risk (RER model adjusting for year of follow-up, age at diagnosis, and stage at diagnosis. RESULTS: For all solid cancer sites combined, women displayed an 11% lower risk of death compared to men (RER 0.89; 95% CI 0.88-0.90 after adjusting for year of follow-up, age, stage, and case mix. Women showed significantly lower RERs for the following sites: head/neck, esophagus, small intestine, liver, nasal cavities, lung, bone/cartilages, melanoma of skin, soft tissue, brain and CNS, and thyroid. In contrast, women displayed a poorer prognosis than did men for colorectal, laryngeal, kidney and bladder cancer. However, the survival gaps between men and women narrowed by increase in age; female patients over 75 years of age displayed a 3% higher RER of death compared with males in this age group. CONCLUSIONS: Female cancer patients display an improved survival for the majority of solid tumor sites, even after adjustment for age and stage. Age at diagnosis was the major contributor to the women's survival advantage.

  17. Long-Term Survival Prediction for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Validation of the ASCERT Model Compared With The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Predicted Risk of Mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lancaster, Timothy S; Schill, Matthew R; Greenberg, Jason W; Ruaengsri, Chawannuch; Schuessler, Richard B; Lawton, Jennifer S; Maniar, Hersh S; Pasque, Michael K; Moon, Marc R; Damiano, Ralph J; Melby, Spencer J

    2018-05-01

    The recently developed American College of Cardiology Foundation-Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Collaboration on the Comparative Effectiveness of Revascularization Strategy (ASCERT) Long-Term Survival Probability Calculator is a valuable addition to existing short-term risk-prediction tools for cardiac surgical procedures but has yet to be externally validated. Institutional data of 654 patients aged 65 years or older undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between 2005 and 2010 were reviewed. Predicted survival probabilities were calculated using the ASCERT model. Survival data were collected using the Social Security Death Index and institutional medical records. Model calibration and discrimination were assessed for the overall sample and for risk-stratified subgroups based on (1) ASCERT 7-year survival probability and (2) the predicted risk of mortality (PROM) from the STS Short-Term Risk Calculator. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate additional perioperative variables contributing to death. Overall survival was 92.1% (569 of 597) at 1 year and 50.5% (164 of 325) at 7 years. Calibration assessment found no significant differences between predicted and actual survival curves for the overall sample or for the risk-stratified subgroups, whether stratified by predicted 7-year survival or by PROM. Discriminative performance was comparable between the ASCERT and PROM models for 7-year survival prediction (p validated for prediction of long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting in all risk groups. The widely used STS PROM performed comparably as a predictor of long-term survival. Both tools provide important information for preoperative decision making and patient counseling about potential outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting. Copyright © 2018 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessment of survival rates compared according to the Tamai and Yamano classifications in fingertip replantations

    OpenAIRE

    Mehmet Dadaci; Bilsev Ince; Zeynep Altuntas; Ozan Bitik; Haldun Onuralp Kamburoglu; Hakan Uzun

    2016-01-01

    Background: The fingertip is the most frequently injured and amputated segment of the hand. There are controversies about defining clear indications for microsurgical replantation. Many classification systems have been proposed to solve this problem. No previous study has simultaneously correlated different classification systems with replant survival rate. The aim of the study is to compare the outcomes of fingertip replantations according to Tamai and Yamano classifications. Materials a...

  19. Hatchery tank enrichment affects cortisol levels and shelter-seeking in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Näslund, Joacim; Rosengren, Malin; Del Villar, Diego

    2013-01-01

    Stocking programs using hatchery-reared salmon are often implemented for augmenting natural populations. However, survival of these fish is often low compared with wild conspecifics, possibly because of genetic, physiological, and behavioural deficiencies. Here, we compared presmolt Atlantic salm...

  20. 10 year survival after breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer in the Netherlands : a population-based study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Maaren, Marissa C.; de Munck, Linda; de Bock, Geertruida H.; Jobsen, Jan J.; van Dalen, Thijs; Linn, Sabine C.; Poortmans, Philip; Strobbe, Luc J. A.; Siesling, Sabine

    BACKGROUND: Investigators of registry-based studies report improved survival for breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer. As these studies did not present long-term overall and breast cancer-specific survival, the effect of breast-conserving

  1. 10 year survival after breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer in the Netherlands: a population-based study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maaren, M.C. van; Munck, L.; Bock, G.H. de; Jobsen, J.J.; Dalen, T. van; Linn, S.C.; Poortmans, P.; Strobbe, L.J.A.; Siesling, S.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Investigators of registry-based studies report improved survival for breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer. As these studies did not present long-term overall and breast cancer-specific survival, the effect of breast-conserving

  2. Improved survival for rectal cancer compared to colon cancer: the four cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchwald, Pamela; Hall, Claire; Davidson, Callum; Dixon, Liane; Dobbs, Bruce; Robinson, Bridget; Frizelle, Frank

    2018-03-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. This study was undertaken to evaluate survival outcomes and changes of disease outcomes of CRC patients over the last decades. A retrospective analysis of CRC patients in Christchurch was performed in four patient cohorts at 5 yearly intervals; 1993-94, 1998-99, 2004-05 and 2009. Data on cancer location, stage, surgical and oncological treatment and survival were collected. Univariate, multivariate and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed. There were 1391 patients (355, 317, 419 and 300 per cohort), 1037 colon and 354 rectal cancers, respectively. For colon cancer, right-sided cancers appeared more common in later cohorts (P = 0.01). There was a significant decrease in the number of permanent stomas for colon cancer patients (P = 0.001). There was an analogous trend for rectal cancers (P = 0.075). More CRC patients with stage IV disease were treated surgically (P = 0.001) and colon cancer stages I and II tended to have increased survival if operated by a colorectal surgeon (P = 0.06). Oncology referrals have increased remarkably (P = 0.001). Overall 56% of patients were alive at 5 years however rectal cancer patients had significantly better 5-year survival than those with colon cancer (P rectal cancer patients have a better 5-year survival than colon cancer patients. The improved survival with early stage colon cancers operated on by specialist colorectal surgeons needs further exploration. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  3. Superior long-term survival for fixed bearing compared with mobile bearing in ligament-balanced total knee arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heesterbeek, P J C; van Houten, A H; Klenk, J S; Eijer, H; Christen, B; Wymenga, A B; Schuster, A J

    2018-05-01

    Only few long-term data on ligament-balanced cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty (CR TKA) are currently available. Either a mobile- or fixed-bearing insert can be chosen, which showed good mid-term outcome and few complications and revisions. This multi-centre retrospective cross-sectional cohort study investigated the 12-year results of primary TKA using a balancing gap technique and compared survival and clinical outcome between fixed and mobile inserts. In this retrospective cross-sectional cohort study, 557 cases of three clinics (2 Swiss, 1 Dutch) operated between 1998 and 2003 with the first series of a TKA implanted with a balanced gap technique (433 (77.7%) fixed, 124 (22.3%) mobile (anterior-posterior gliding (7-9 mm) and rotational (15°) degrees of freedom) inserts) were included for survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier, by insert type). At the 12-year follow-up (FU) examination of 189 cases, range of motion, knee society score (KSS), numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain and satisfaction were determined and radiographs were evaluated by median tests, by insert type. Of 521 cases available for analysis, 28 (5.4%; 11 fixed, 17 mobile bearing) were revised. Mean cumulative survival after 12.4 years was 97.0% (95% CI 94.7-98.4) for fixed bearings and 85.4% (95% CI 77.5-90.7) after 12.2 years for mobile bearings, p bearings. This study showed a superior survival for fixed bearing compared with mobile bearing in a CR TKA using a ligament-balanced technique after more than 12 years. Clinical outcomes are excellent to good after long-term follow-up, and similar for fixed and mobile bearing. Therapeutic studies-retrospective cohort study, Level III.

  4. 10 year survival after breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer in the Netherlands : a population-based study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Maaren, Marissa C.; de Munck, Linda; de Bock, Geertruida H.; Jobsen, Jan J.; van Dalen, Thijs; Linn, Sabine C.; Poortmans, Philip; Strobbe, Luc J A; Siesling, Sabine

    Background Investigators of registry-based studies report improved survival for breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy compared with mastectomy in early breast cancer. As these studies did not present long-term overall and breast cancer-specific survival, the effect of breast-conserving surgery

  5. Incidence and survival from lung cancer in Greenland is comparable to survival in the Nordic countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gelvan, Allan; Risum, Signe; Langer, Seppo W

    2015-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Oncological treatment of lung cancer has been available in Greenland since 2004. We evaluated patient characteristics and survival rates for the first six years of local lung cancer treatment. METHODS: From September 2004 to August 2010, a total of 173 patients with lung cancer were...... referred to treatment at Queen Ingrid's Hospital. On 1 February 2014, treatment results, survival, and prognostic variables were analysed. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 63 years. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was diagnosed in 145 patients (84%); 56% had squamous cell carcinoma, 34% had...... adenocarcinoma, 2% had large cell carcinoma and 8% had NSCLC not otherwise specified (NOS). In all, 28 (16%) had small cell lung cancer. A total of 142 patients (82%) received treatment; 20 underwent surgery (ten stage Ib, one stage IIa, five stage IIb, four stage IIIa); palliative chemotherapy was given to 122...

  6. An EST-based approach for identifying genes expressed in the intestine and gills of pre-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adzhubei Alexei

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Atlantic salmon is an important aquaculture species and a very interesting species biologically, since it spawns in fresh water and develops through several stages before becoming a smolt, the stage at which it migrates to the sea to feed. The dramatic change of habitat requires physiological, morphological and behavioural changes to prepare the salmon for its new environment. These changes are called the parr-smolt transformation or smoltification, and pre-adapt the salmon for survival and growth in the marine environment. The development of hypo-osmotic regulatory ability plays an important part in facilitating the transition from rivers to the sea. The physiological mechanisms behind the developmental changes are largely unknown. An understanding of the transformation process will be vital to the future of the aquaculture industry. A knowledge of which genes are expressed prior to the smoltification process is an important basis for further studies. Results In all, 2974 unique sequences, consisting of 779 contigs and 2195 singlets, were generated for Atlantic salmon from two cDNA libraries constructed from the gills and the intestine, accession numbers [Genbank: CK877169-CK879929, CK884015-CK886537 and CN181112-CN181464]. Nearly 50% of the sequences were assigned putative functions because they showed similarity to known genes, mostly from other species, in one or more of the databases used. The Swiss-Prot database returned significant hits for 1005 sequences. These could be assigned predicted gene products, and 967 were annotated using Gene Ontology (GO terms for molecular function, biological process and/or cellular component, employing an annotation transfer procedure. Conclusion This paper describes the construction of two cDNA libraries from pre-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar and the subsequent EST sequencing, clustering and assigning of putative function to 1005 genes expressed in the gills and/or intestine.

  7. Assessment of survival rates compared according to the Tamai and Yamano classifications in fingertip replantations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dadaci, Mehmet; Ince, Bilsev; Altuntas, Zeynep; Bitik, Ozan; Kamburoglu, Haldun Onuralp; Uzun, Hakan

    2016-01-01

    The fingertip is the most frequently injured and amputated segment of the hand. There are controversies about defining clear indications for microsurgical replantation. Many classification systems have been proposed to solve this problem. No previous study has simultaneously correlated different classification systems with replant survival rate. The aim of the study is to compare the outcomes of fingertip replantations according to Tamai and Yamano classifications. 34 consecutive patients who underwent fingertip replantation between 2007 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the Tamai and Yamano classifications. The medical charts from record room were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 36.2 years. There were 30 men and 4 women. All the injuries were complete amputations. Of the 34 fingertip amputations, 19 were in Tamai zone 2 and 15 were in Tamai zone 1. When all the amputations were grouped in reference to the Yamano classification, 6 were type 1 guillotine, 8 were type 2 crush and 20 were type 3 crush avulsions. Of the 34 fingertips, 26 (76.4%) survived. Ten (66.6%) of 15 digits replanted in Tamai zone 1 and 16 (84.2%) of 19 digits replanted in Tamai zone 2 survived. There were no replantation failures in Yamano type 1 injuries (100%) and only two failed in Yamano type 2 (75%). Replantation was successful in 14 of 20 Yamano type 3 injuries, but six failed (70%). The percentage of success rates was the least in the hybridized groups of Tamai zone 1-Yamano type 2 and Tamai zone 1-Yamano type 3. Although clinically distinct, the survival rates between the groups were not statistically significantly different. The level and mechanism of injury play a decisive role in the success of fingertip replantation. Success rate increases in proximal fingertip amputations without crush injury.

  8. Assessment of survival rates compared according to the Tamai and Yamano classifications in fingertip replantations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Dadaci

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The fingertip is the most frequently injured and amputated segment of the hand. There are controversies about defining clear indications for microsurgical replantation. Many classification systems have been proposed to solve this problem. No previous study has simultaneously correlated different classification systems with replant survival rate. The aim of the study is to compare the outcomes of fingertip replantations according to Tamai and Yamano classifications. Materials and Methods: 34 consecutive patients who underwent fingertip replantation between 2007 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the Tamai and Yamano classifications. The medical charts from record room were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 36.2 years. There were 30 men and 4 women. All the injuries were complete amputations. Of the 34 fingertip amputations, 19 were in Tamai zone 2 and 15 were in Tamai zone 1. When all the amputations were grouped in reference to the Yamano classification, 6 were type 1 guillotine, 8 were type 2 crush and 20 were type 3 crush avulsions. Results: Of the 34 fingertips, 26 (76.4% survived. Ten (66.6% of 15 digits replanted in Tamai zone 1 and 16 (84.2% of 19 digits replanted in Tamai zone 2 survived. There were no replantation failures in Yamano type 1 injuries (100% and only two failed in Yamano type 2 (75%. Replantation was successful in 14 of 20 Yamano type 3 injuries, but six failed (70%. The percentage of success rates was the least in the hybridized groups of Tamai zone 1-Yamano type 2 and Tamai zone 1-Yamano type 3. Although clinically distinct, the survival rates between the groups were not statistically significantly different. Conclusions: The level and mechanism of injury play a decisive role in the success of fingertip replantation. Success rate increases in proximal fingertip amputations without crush injury.

  9. Comparative reproductive biology of sympatric species: Nest and chick survival of American avocets and black-necked stilts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackerman, Joshua T.; Herzog, Mark P.; Takekawa, John Y.; Hartman, Christopher A.

    2014-01-01

    Identifying differences in reproductive success rates of closely related and sympatrically breeding species can be useful for understanding limitations to population growth. We simultaneously examined the reproductive ecology of American avocets Recurvirostra americana and black-necked stilts Himantopus mexicanus using 1274 monitored nests and 240 radio-marked chicks in San Francisco Bay, California. Although there were 1.8 times more avocet nests than stilt nests, stilts nonetheless fledged 3.3 times more chicks. Greater production by stilts than avocets was the result of greater chick survival from hatching to fledging (avocet: 6%; stilt: 40%), and not because of differences in clutch size (avocet: 3.84; stilt: 3.77), nest survival (avocet: 44%; stilt: 35%), or egg hatching success (avocet: 90%; stilt: 92%). We reviewed the literature and confirmed that nest survival and hatching success are generally similar when avocets and stilts breed sympatrically. In addition to species, chick survival was strongly influenced by age, site, and year. In particular, daily survival rates increased rapidly with chick age, with 70% of mortalities occurring ≤ 1 week after hatch. California gulls Larus californicus caused 55% of avocet, but only 15% of stilt, chick deaths. Differential use of micro-habitats likely reduced stilt chick’s vulnerability to gull predation, particularly during the first week after hatch, because stilts nested in vegetation 2.7 times more often than avocets and vegetation height was 65% taller at stilt nests compared with avocet nests. Our results demonstrate that two co-occurring and closely related species with similar life history strategies can differ markedly in reproductive success, and simultaneous studies of such species can identify differences that limit productivity.

  10. The effect of Cu (II) on the electro-olfactogram (EOG) of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L) in artificial freshwater of varying inorganic carbon concentrations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winberg, S; Bjerselius, R; Baatrup, E

    1993-01-01

    The effect of inorganic copper species was studied by recording the receptor potential, electro-olfactogram (EOG), from the olfactory epithelium of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L). In a series of experiments, the olfactory organ was irrigated with aqueous copper solutions with concentrations...... of the free cupric ion (Cu2+) ranging from 0.2 to 9.7 microM. The diverse copper species were created by varying the amount of bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in artificial freshwater solutions of equal total copper concentrations. In general, these copper solutions induced a slow depolarization of the baseline followed...

  11. Comparative study of G2 delay and survival after /sup 241/Americium-. cap alpha. and /sup 60/Cobalt-. gamma. irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luecke-Huhle, C.; Comper, W.; Hieber, L.; Pech, M.

    1982-06-01

    Survival and G2 delay following exposure to either /sup 60/Cobalt-..gamma..-rays or /sup 241/Americium-..cap alpha..-particles were studied in eight mammalian cell lines of human and animal origin including human fibroblasts from normal individuals and from patients with Ataxia telangiectasia or Fanconi's anemia. For both endpoints the effectiveness of alpha particle was greater as compared to ..gamma..-rays. RBE values for G2 delay (4.6-9.2) were in general comparable to RBE values derived from initial slopes of survival curves but higher compared to the ratio of mean inactivation doses. Ataxia cells were particularly sensitive to cell killing by ..gamma..-irradiation, however, showed average sensitivity to ..cap alpha..-particles of high LET. With the exception of Ataxia cells, cell killing and G2 delay seem to be related processes if individual cell cycle parameters are taken into account.

  12. Identification of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by using polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrera, E; García, T; Céspedes, A; González, I; Sanz, B; Hernández, P E; Martín, R

    1998-04-01

    Restriction site analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from a conserved region of the cytochrome b gene has been used for the identification of fresh and smoked samples of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Digestion of the 359-bp PCR product with the endonucleases EcoRV and TaqI yielded specific banding patterns for salmon and trout. This genetic marker can be very useful for detecting fraudulent substitution of the cheaper smoked trout for the more expensive smoked salmon.

  13. Supplementing a commercial diet for atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) with arginine, glutamate or tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA). impact on production efficiency, slaughter parameters and flesh quality

    OpenAIRE

    Rahnama, Behzad

    2010-01-01

    The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementing a commercial diets with 1.5% L-arginine, 1.5% L-glutamate or 0.25% tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) on feed intake, feed utilization and growth parameters of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) during the critical periods after sea transfer with regard to seawater adaptation and onwards, from April to September. In the case of TTA, fish were fed until they reached a weight gain of 0.2% of the initial body weight, thereafte...

  14. Genetic variation in threshold reaction norms for alternative reproductive tactics in male Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piché, Jacinthe; Hutchings, Jeffrey A; Blanchard, Wade

    2008-07-07

    Alternative reproductive tactics may be a product of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, such that discontinuous variation in life history depends on both the genotype and the environment. Phenotypes that fall below a genetically determined threshold adopt one tactic, while those exceeding the threshold adopt the alternative tactic. We report evidence of genetic variability in maturation thresholds for male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) that mature either as large (more than 1 kg) anadromous males or as small (10-150 g) parr. Using a common-garden experimental protocol, we find that the growth rate at which the sneaker parr phenotype is expressed differs among pure- and mixed-population crosses. Maturation thresholds of hybrids were intermediate to those of pure crosses, consistent with the hypothesis that the life-history switch points are heritable. Our work provides evidence, for a vertebrate, that thresholds for alternative reproductive tactics differ genetically among populations and can be modelled as discontinuous reaction norms for age and size at maturity.

  15. Microbial Activity Response to Solar Radiation across Contrasting Environmental Conditions in Salar de Huasco, Northern Chilean Altiplano.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, Klaudia L; Yannicelli, Beatriz; Olsen, Lasse M; Dorador, Cristina; Menschel, Eduardo J; Molina, Verónica; Remonsellez, Francisco; Hengst, Martha B; Jeffrey, Wade H

    2016-01-01

    In high altitude environments, extreme levels of solar radiation and important differences of ionic concentrations over narrow spatial scales may modulate microbial activity. In Salar de Huasco, a high-altitude wetland in the Andean mountains, the high diversity of microbial communities has been characterized and associated with strong environmental variability. Communities that differed in light history and environmental conditions, such as nutrient concentrations and salinity from different spatial locations, were assessed for bacterial secondary production (BSP, 3 H-leucine incorporation) response from short-term exposures to solar radiation. We sampled during austral spring seven stations categorized as: (a) source stations, with recently emerged groundwater (no-previous solar exposure); (b) stream running water stations; (c) stations connected to source waters but far downstream from source points; and (d) isolated ponds disconnected from ground sources or streams with a longer isolation and solar exposure history. Very high values of 0.25 μE m -2 s -1 , 72 W m -2 and 12 W m -2 were measured for PAR, UVA, and UVB incident solar radiation, respectively. The environmental factors measured formed two groups of stations reflected by principal component analyses (near to groundwater sources and isolated systems) where isolated ponds had the highest BSP and microbial abundance (35 microalgae taxa, picoeukaryotes, nanoflagellates, and bacteria) plus higher salinities and PO 4 3- concentrations. BSP short-term response (4 h) to solar radiation was measured by 3 H-leucine incorporation under four different solar conditions: full sun, no UVB, PAR, and dark. Microbial communities established in waters with the longest surface exposure (e.g., isolated ponds) had the lowest BSP response to solar radiation treatments, and thus were likely best adapted to solar radiation exposure contrary to ground source waters. These results support our light history (solar exposure

  16. Protein degradation systems in the skeletal muscles of parr and smolt Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. and brown trout Salmo trutta L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantserova, Nadezda P; Lysenko, Liudmila A; Veselov, Alexey E; Nemova, Nina N

    2017-08-01

    Although protein degradation limits the rate of muscle growth in fish, the role of proteolytic systems responsible for degrading myofibrillar proteins in skeletal muscle is not well defined. The study herein aims to evaluate the role of calpains (calcium-activated proteases) and proteasomes (ATP-dependent proteases) in mediating muscle protein turnover at different life stages in wild salmonids. Protease activities were estimated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) parr and smolts from the Indera River (Kola Peninsula, Russia). Calpain and proteasome activities in Atlantic salmon skeletal muscles were lower in smolts as compared with parr. Reduced muscle protein degradation accompanying Atlantic salmon parr-smolt transformation appeared to provide intense muscle growth essential for a minimum threshold size achievement that is required for smoltification. Calpain and proteasome activities in brown trout parr and smolts at age 3+ did not significantly differ. However, calpain activity was higher in smolts brown trout 4+ as compared with parr, while proteasome activity was lower. Results suggest that brown trout smoltification does not correspond with intense muscle growth and is more facultative and plastic in comparison with Atlantic salmon smoltification. Obtained data on muscle protein degradation capacity as well as length-weight parameters of fish reflect differences between salmon and trout in growth and smoltification strategies.

  17. Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. are broadly susceptible to isolates representing the North American genogroups of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurath, Gael; Winton, James R.; Dale, Ole B.; Purcell, Maureen K.; Falk, Knut; Busch, Robert D.

    2016-01-01

    Beginning in 1992, three epidemic waves of infectious hematopoietic necrosis, often with high mortality, occurred in farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. on the west coast of North America. We compared the virulence of eleven strains of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), representing the U, M and L genogroups, in experimental challenges of juvenile Atlantic salmon in freshwater. All strains caused mortality and there was wide variation within genogroups: cumulative mortality for five U-group strains ranged from 20 to 100%, four M-group strains ranged 30-63% and two L-group strains varied from 41 to 81%. Thus, unlike Pacific salmonids, there was no apparent correlation of virulence in a particular host species with virus genogroup. The mortality patterns indicated two different phenotypes in terms of kinetics of disease progression and final per cent mortality, with nine strains having moderate virulence and two strains (from the U and L genogroups) having high virulence. These phenotypes were investigated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry to describe the variation in the course of IHNV disease in Atlantic salmon. The results from this study demonstrate that IHNV may become a major threat to farmed Atlantic salmon in other regions of the world where the virus has been, or may be, introduced.

  18. Survival rates and predictors of survival among colorectal cancer patients in a Malaysian tertiary hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magaji, Bello Arkilla; Moy, Foong Ming; Roslani, April Camilla; Law, Chee Wei

    2017-05-18

    Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death globally. It is the second most common cancer among both males and females in Malaysia. The economic burden of colorectal cancer is likely to increase over time owing to its current trend and aging population. Cancer survival analysis is an essential indicator for early detection and improvement in cancer treatment. However, there was a scarcity of studies concerning survival of colorectal cancer patients as well as its predictors. Therefore, we aimed to determine the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates, compare survival rates among ethnic groups and determine the predictors of survival among colorectal cancer patients. This was an ambidirectional cohort study conducted at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All Malaysian citizens or permanent residents with histologically confirmed diagnosis of colorectal cancer seen at UMMC from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2010 were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from the medical records. Patients were followed-up until death or censored at the end of the study (31st December 2010). Censored patients' vital status (whether alive or dead) were cross checked with the National Registration Department. Survival analyses at 1-, 3- and 5-year intervals were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to compare the survival rates, while Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was carried out to determine the predictors of 5-year colorectal cancer survival. Among 1212 patients, the median survival for colorectal, colon and rectal cancers were 42.0, 42.0 and 41.0 months respectively; while the 1-, 3-, and 5-year relative survival rates ranged from 73.8 to 76.0%, 52.1 to 53.7% and 40.4 to 45.4% respectively. The Chinese patients had the lowest 5-year survival compared to Malay and Indian patients. Based on the 814

  19. Depression and Liver Transplant Survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meller, William; Welle, Nicole; Sutley, Kristen; Thurber, Steven

    Patients who underwent liver transplantation and experienced clinical depression have heretofore evinced lower survival rates when compared to nondepressed counterparts. To investigate the hypothesis that transplant patients who seek and obtain medical treatment for depression would circumvent the prior reduced survival findings. A total of 765 patients with liver transplants were scrutinized for complications following transplantation. Further, 104 patients experienced posttransplant depression as manifested by diagnosis and treatment by medical personnel. Survival analyses were conducted comparing hazard and survival curves for these selected individuals and the remainder of transplant patients. Contrary to prior data and consistent with the aforementioned hypothesis, median survival durations, survival curves, and hazard functions (controlling for age and prolonged posttransplant survival for the depressed patients were better. The improved survival for the depressed patients may simply be related to an amelioration of depressed symptoms via antidepressant medications. However, this interpretation would only be congruent with reduced hazard, not elevated survival, beyond the norm (median) for other transplant participants. Assuming the reliability and generalization of our findings, perhaps a reasonable and compelling interpretation is that combined with the effectiveness of antidepressant medications, the seeking and receiving treatment for depression is a type of proxy measure of a more global pattern of adherence to recommended posttransplant medical regimens. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Effects of TLR agonists and viral infection on cytokine and TLR expression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnemo, Marianne; Kavaliauskis, Arturas; Gjøen, Tor

    2014-10-01

    The development of efficient and cheap vaccines against several aquatic viruses is necessary for a sustainable fish farming industry. Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands have already been used as good adjuvants in human vaccines. With more understanding of TLR expression, function, and ligand specificity in fish, more efficient adjuvants for fish viral vaccines can be developed. In this paper, we examine all known TLRs in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and demonstrate that head kidney and spleen are the main organs expressing TLRs in salmon. We also show that adherent head kidney leucocytes from salmon are able to respond to many of the known agonists for human TLRs, and that viral infection can induce up-regulation of several TLRs. These findings substantiate these receptors' role in immune responses to pathogens in salmonids making their ligands attractive as vaccine adjuvant candidates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Breast cancer characteristics at diagnosis and survival among Arab-American women compared to European- and African-American women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hensley Alford, Sharon; Schwartz, Kendra; Soliman, Amr; Johnson, Christine Cole; Gruber, Stephen B; Merajver, Sofia D

    2009-03-01

    Data from Arab world studies suggest that Arab women may experience a more aggressive breast cancer phenotype. To investigate this finding, we focused on one of the largest settlements of Arabs and Iraqi Christians (Chaldeans) in the US, metropolitan Detroit- a SEER reporting site since 1973. We identified a cohort of primary breast cancer cases diagnosed 1973-2003. Using a validated name algorithm, women were identified as being of Arab/Chaldean descent if they had an Arab last or maiden name. We compared characteristics at diagnosis (age, grade, histology, SEER stage, and marker status) and overall survival between Arab-, European-, and African-Americans. The cohort included 1,652 (2%) women of Arab descent, 13,855 (18%) African-American women, and 63,615 (80%) European-American women. There were statistically significant differences between the racial groups for all characteristics at diagnosis. Survival analyses overall and for each SEER stage showed that Arab-American women had the best survival, followed by European-American women. African-American women had the poorest overall survival and were 1.37 (95% confidence interval: 1.23-1.52) times more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive tumor (adjusting for age, grade, marker status, and year of diagnosis). Overall, Arab-American women have a distribution of breast cancer histology similar to European-American women. In contrast, the stage, age, and hormone receptor status at diagnosis among Arab-Americans was more similar to African-American women. However, Arab-American women have a better overall survival than even European-American women.

  2. Comparative analysis of the survival and gene expression of pathogenic strains Vibrio harveyi after starvation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jingjing; Gao, Xiaojian; Qun, Jiang; Du, Xuedi; Bi, Keran; Zhang, Xiaojun; Lin, Li

    2016-11-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the survival and gene expression of Vibrio harveyi under starvation conditions. The microcosms V. harveyi were incubated in sterilized seawater for 4 weeks at room temperature. Overall, the cell numeration declined rapidly about 10 3 CFU/ml during starvation, with a tiny rebound at day 21. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that rod-shaped cells became sphere with a rippled cell surface. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, nine genes, named luxR, toxR, vhhB, flaA, topA, fur, rpoS, mreB and ftsZ, were detected in the non-starved cells. In the starved cells, the expression levels of the detected genes declined substantially ranging from 0.005-fold to 0.028-fold compared to the non-starved cells performed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR with 16S rRNA as the internal control. In the recovering cells, the expression levels of the detected genes, except luxR and mreB, were upregulated dramatically compared to the wild, especially topA (23.720-fold), fur (39.400-fold) and toxR (9.837-fold), validating that the expressions of both the metabolism and virulence genes were important for growth and survival of V. harveyi. The results may shed a new light on understanding of stress adaptation in bacteria. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Influence of fluoride on aluminum toxicity to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Steven J.; Haines, Terry A.

    1995-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) alevins were exposed to various aluminum (0–4700 μg/L) and four fluoride (0–500 μg/L) concentrations at two pH values (5.5 and 6.5) for 4- and 30-d periods. In the 4-d tests, aluminum with fluoride was less toxic at pH 6.5 than at pH 5.5, whereas without fluoride, pH had no effect. In the 30-d test, mortality in all treatments was 17–21% at pH 5.5, but only 3–7% at pH 6.5. Fish length and weight after 30 d were reduced in all fluoride–aluminum treatments at pH 5.5, but only in the 200-μg/L aluminum without fluoride treatment at pH 6.5. At pH 5.5 and 6.5 without aluminum, histomorphological examinations revealed no abnormalities in gill tissue. However, in aluminum exposure with no fluoride, gill filaments and secondary lamellae were swollen and thickened. Addition of fluoride at pH 6.5 alleviated some gill damage. At pH 5.5 and 200 μg/L aluminum, addition of 100 μg/L fluoride reduced swelling of gill lamellae, but 200 μg/L fluoride did not reduce swelling. Low fluoride concentrations (fluoride concentrations (> 100 μg/L) may not reduce aluminum-induced effects.

  4. Associations between piscine reovirus infection and life history traits in wild-caught Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garseth, Ase Helen; Biering, Eirik; Aunsmo, Arnfinn

    2013-10-01

    Piscine Reovirus (PRV), the putative causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), is widely distributed in both farmed and wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Norway. While HSMI is a common and commercially important disease in farmed Atlantic salmon, the presence of PRV has so far not been associated with HSMI related lesions in wild salmon. Factors associated with PRV-infection were investigated in returning Atlantic salmon captured in Norwegian rivers. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model confirmed clustering within rivers and demonstrated that PRV-infection is associated with life-history, sex, catch-year and body length as a proxy for sea-age. Escaped farmed salmon (odds ratio/OR: 7.32, p<0.001) and hatchery-reared salmon (OR: 1.69 p=0.073) have higher odds of being PRV-infected than wild Atlantic salmon. Male salmon have double odds of being PRV infected compared to female salmon (OR: 2.11, p<0.001). Odds of being PRV-infected increased with body-length measured as decimetres (OR: 1.20, p=0.004). Since body length and sea-age are correlated (r=0.85 p<0.001), body length serves as a proxy for sea-age, meaning that spending more years in sea increases the odds of being PRV-infected. Copyright © 2013 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Intestinal Fluid Permeability in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L. Is Affected by Dietary Protein Source.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haibin Hu

    Full Text Available In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., and also in other fish species, certain plant protein ingredients can increase fecal water content creating a diarrhea-like condition which may impair gut function and reduce fish growth. The present study aimed to strengthen understanding of the underlying mechanisms by observing effects of various alternative plant protein sources when replacing fish meal on expression of genes encoding proteins playing key roles in regulation of water transport across the mucosa of the distal intestine (DI. A 48-day feeding trial was conducted with five diets: A reference diet (FM in which fish meal (72% was the only protein source; Diet SBMWG with a mix of soybean meal (30% and wheat gluten (22%; Diet SPCPM with a mix of soy protein concentrate (30% and poultry meal (6%; Diet GMWG with guar meal (30% and wheat gluten (14.5%; Diet PM with 58% poultry meal. Compared to fish fed the FM reference diet, fish fed the soybean meal containing diet (SBMWG showed signs of enteritis in the DI, increased fecal water content of DI chyme and higher plasma osmolality. Altered DI expression of a battery of genes encoding aquaporins, ion transporters, tight junction and adherens junction proteins suggested reduced transcellular transport of water as well as a tightening of the junction barrier in fish fed the SBMWG diet, which may explain the observed higher fecal water content and plasma osmolality. DI structure was not altered for fish fed the other experimental diets but alterations in target gene expression and fecal water content were observed, indicating that alterations in water transport components may take place without clear effects on intestinal structure.

  6. Dietary linoleic acid elevates endogenous 2-arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and mice, and induces weight gain and inflammation in mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alvheim, Anita R.; Torstensen, Bente E.; Lin, Yu Hong

    2013-01-01

    , arachidonic acid (AA), decreased EPA and DHA, elevated the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA), and increased TAG accumulation in the salmon liver. In mice, the SO salmon diet increased LA and AA and decreased EPA and DHA in the liver and erythrocyte phospholipids, and elevated......Dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) has increased dramatically during the twentieth century and is associated with a greater prevalence of obesity. Vegetable oils are recognised as suitable alternatives to fish oil (FO) in feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) but introduce high amounts of LA......-inflammatory properties of EPA and DHA in mice....

  7. Biological variation of lipid constituents and distribution of tocopherols and astaxanthin in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Refsgaard, Hanne; Brockhoff, Per B; Jensen, Benny

    1998-01-01

    The contents of fat, astaxanthin, and tocogherols and the fatty acid composition of a homogeneous group of 145 farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were determined. The analytical variation of the data was stastistically-separated from the biological variation. The fat content in the muscle near...... the head was 15.0% with a biological standard deviation of 3.0%. The astaxanthin concentration was 5.5 mg/kg of muscle with a biological standard deviation of 1.1 mg/kg of muscle, and the canthaxanthin concentration was 200 mu g/kg of muscle with a standard deviation of 47 mu g/kg of muscle....... The concentrations of alpha-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherols were approximately 32, 2.9, and 0.4 mg/kg of muscle, respectively, and the biological standard deviations were 4.5, 0.4, and 0.07 mg/kg (14, 14, and 20%), respectively. in another group of five salmon the distributions throughout the fillet were determined...

  8. Ectoparasite Caligus rogercresseyi modifies the lactate response in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas-Chacoff, L; Muñoz, J L P; Hawes, C; Oyarzún, R; Pontigo, J P; Saravia, J; González, M P; Mardones, O; Labbé, B S; Morera, F J; Bertrán, C; Pino, J; Wadsworth, S; Yáñez, A

    2017-08-30

    Although Caligus rogercresseyi negatively impacts Chilean salmon farming, the metabolic effects of infection by this sea louse have never been completely characterized. Therefore, this study analyzed lactate responses in the plasma, as well as the liver/muscle lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and gene expression, in Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus kisutch infested by C. rogercresseyi. The lactate responses of Atlantic and Coho salmon were modified by the ectoparasite. Both salmon species showed increasing in plasma levels, whereas enzymatic activity increased in the muscle but decreased in the liver. Gene expression was overexpressed in both Coho salmon tissues but only in the liver for Atlantic salmon. These results suggest that salmonids need more energy to adapt to infection, resulting in increased gene expression, plasma levels, and enzyme activity in the muscles. The responses differed between both salmon species and over the course of infection, suggesting potential species-specific responses to sea-lice infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Influencia del α-tocoferol en la incorporación y peroxidación del ácido araquidónico en alevines parr de salmón del Atlántico (Salmo salar L. Influence of α-tocopherol on arachidonic acid deposition and peroxidation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L. fingerlings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricio Dantagnan

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Se evaluó el efecto sinérgico del ácido araquidónico (ARA (20:4n-6 y el α-tocoferol en la acumulación de estos nutrientes y su peroxidación en el músculo e hígado en juveniles de salmón del Atlántico (Salmo salar. Grupos por triplicado se alimentaron por 12 semanas con ocho dietas experimentales que contenían diferentes niveles de ácido araquidónico y α-tocoferol. Los parámetros productivos no se vieron afectados (P > 0,05 por las dietas suministradas. La acumulación del ARA en el músculo e hígado mostró diferencias significativas (P The synergistic effect of arachidonic acid (ARA (20:4n-6 and α-tocopherol on the accumulation of fatty acids and the peroxidation of lipids in liver and muscle was evaluated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar juveniles. Triplicate groups were fed during 12 weeks with eight experimental diets with different levels of ARA and α-tocopherol. In all experimental diets the productive parameters were not affected (P > 0.05. ARA accumulation in muscle and liver showed significant differences (P < 0.05 between treatments. The synergic relationship between ARAAx4ocopherol was influenced (P < 0.05 only in the liver, showing that high levels of α-tocopherol and ARA favored the fatty acids accumulation in this organ. Results indicate that a dietary concentration up to 0.6% ARA, the increment of α-tocopherol is not necessary. The data obtained in this study demonstrated that the interaction between the ARA and α-tocopherol influenced the accumulation of fatty acids in the liver.

  10. Recovery of Boron and Separation of Lithium from Uyuni Salar Brine using 2, 2, 4-Trimethyl -1, 3-Pentanediol (TPD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Jyothi Rajesh; Kim, Chul-Joo; Yoon, Ho-Sung; Lee, Jin-Young; Kang, Dong-Jun

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, extraction and separation possibilities have been established for boron and lithium from Uyuni salar brine. Diols were shown to be effective extraction reagents for boron. The present scientific study was developed with 2, 2, 4-trimethyl-1, 3-pentanediol (TPD) as an extractant system. For fixing the diluent system, various diluents were tested and it was found that chloroform is a better diluent for boron extraction. Further, experimental studies on the extraction equilibrium time, pH influence, and phase ratio effects on boron extraction were conducted and the conditions for boron recovery and lithium separation were optimized. The McCabe Thiele diagram was established to optimize the number of extraction stages for boron extraction. Finally, stripping studies of boron from the loaded organic phase using various salts were performed.

  11. Survival in common cancers defined by risk and survival of family members

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianguang Ji

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Studies on survival between familial and sporadic cancers have been inconclusive and only recent data on a limited number of cancers are available on the concordance of survival between family members. In this review, we address these questions by evaluating the published and unpublished data from the nation-wide Swedish Family-Cancer Database and a total of 13 cancer sites were assessed. Using sporadic cancer as reference, HRs were close to 1.0 for most of the familial cancers in both the offspring and parental generations, which suggested that survival in patients with familial and sporadic cancers was equal, with an exception for ovarian cancer with a worse prognosis. Compared to offspring whose parents had a poor survival, those with a good parental survival had a decreased risk of death for most cancers and HR was significantly decreased for cancers in the breast, prostate, bladder, and kidney. For colorectal and nervous system cancers, favorable survival between the generations showed a borderline significance. These data are consistent in showing that both good and poor survival in certain cancers aggregate in families. Genetic factors are likely to contribute to the results. These observations call for intensified efforts to consider heritability in survival as one mechanism regulating prognosis in cancer patients.

  12. A comparative study to evaluate factors that influence survival in multidisciplinary predialysis educated patients and “Crashlanders”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khairulsadek Zukmin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Integrated multidisciplinary predialysis education (MPE is usually provided to support and prepare the pre-end-stage renal disease (ESRD patients before the initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT. However, the impact of MPE is not known in our population, which is comprised patients of Asian origins and recipients of a totally subsidized health-care system. This research compared the survival probability, sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics of MPE patients and non-MPE patients (or crashlanders. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate ESRD patients who started RRT in Brunei Darussalam from January 2013 to December 2014. Data were extracted from the computerized clinical database and dialysis records. A total of 351 new cases of ESRD patients who started on hemodialysis during the study period were included in the study. The median age was 56.0 years, with a slight male preponderance (56.6%. The MPE group was significantly older (P = 0.001 and more likely to have a history of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.013, ischemic heart disease (P = 0.014, and hypertension (P = 0.016. Despite being older and having more comorbidities (P = 0.028, MPE patients have a better survival probability (P = 0.028 and a 34% decreased risk of dying. Of those who died, older age (P = 0.001, higher serum creatinine (P = 0.01, and lower hemoglobin level (P = 0.017 were significant prognostic indicators. MPE before the initiation of RRT contributed to greater survival probability in near ESRD patients. The survival benefits were evident despite the presence of inherent risks (older age and presence of comorbidities in the MPE population in comparison with the non-MPE cohort.

  13. Skeletal muscle protease activities in the early growth and development of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lysenko, Liudmila A; Kantserova, Nadezda P; Kaivarainen, Elena I; Krupnova, Marina Yu; Nemova, Nina N

    2017-09-01

    Growth-related dynamics of intracellular protease activities in four year classes of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L. 1758) parr and smolts inhabiting salmon rivers of northwestern Russia (the White Sea basin) were studied. Cathepsin B, cathepsin D, proteasome, and calpain activities in the skeletal muscles of salmon were assessed to investigate their relative contribution to the total protein degradation as well as to young fish growth process. It was confirmed that calpain activity dominates in salmon muscles while proteasome plays a minor role, in contrast to terrestrial vertebrates. Calpain and proteasome activities were maximal at the early post-larval stage (in parrs 0+) and declined with age (parrs 1+ through 2+) dropping to the lowest level in salmon smolts. Annual growth increments and proteolytic activities of calpains and proteasome in the muscles of salmon juveniles changed with age in an orchestrated manner, while lysosomal cathepsin activities increased with age. Comparing protease activities and growth increments in salmon parr and smolts we suggested that the partial suppression of the protein degradation could be a mechanism stimulating efficient growth in smoltifying salmon. Growth and smoltification-related dynamics of protease activities was quite similar in salmon populations from studied spawning rivers, such as Varzuga and Indera; however, some habitat-related differences were observed. Growth increments and protease activities varied in salmon parr 0+ (but not on later ages) inhabiting either main rivers or small tributaries apparently due to habitat difference on the resources for fish growth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Impacts of episodic acidification on in-stream survival and physiological impairment of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCormick, S.D.; Monette, M.Y. [United States Geological Survey, Turners Falls, MA (United States). Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center; Massachusetts Univ., Amherst, MA (United States). Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program; Keyes, A. [United States Geological Survey, Turners Falls, MA (United States). Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center; Nislow, K.H. [Massachusetts Univ., Amherst, MA (United States). Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Program; United States Dept. of Agriculture, Amherst, MA (United States). Northern Research Station

    2009-02-20

    Episodic acidification is negatively impacting the conservation and recovery of Atlantic salmon in the northeastern United States. This article described a set of field studies conducted to determine the impacts of acid and aluminium (Al) levels on the survival, smolt development, ion homeostasis, and stress in Atlantic salmon smolts located in Connecticut River restoration streams in Vermont. The fish were observed in cages in 5 separate streams that encompassed a range of different acid and Al levels for two 6-day intervals at the peak of smolt development. The study showed that physiological parameters remained unchanged for smolts located in the high water quality reference site. However, mortality, loss of plasma chloride, and gill Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase activity, and elevated gill Al occurred at the sites with the highest levels of inorganic Al and the lowest pH levels. Losses of plasma chloride, moderately elevated gill Al, and increased plasma cortisol and glucose levels occurred at less severely impacted sites. The study also demonstrated that gill Al was a more accurate predictor of integrated physiological impacts than water chemistry. It was concluded that Al and low pH can cause mortality and impair smolt development in juvenile Atlantic salmon. 36 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs.

  15. Comparative study on growth and survival of larval and juvenile ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The total fatty acid and total unsaturated fatty acid in the algae significantly increased (P < 0.001) for ch1, D1, N1 and T1 taking into consideration that the state of C22:6 significantly increased. The ch1 gave better growth and survival percentage followed by D1 for enrich Brachionus plicatilis and newly hatched Artemia.

  16. Survival and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes among Periviable Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younge, Noelle; Goldstein, Ricki F; Bann, Carla M; Hintz, Susan R; Patel, Ravi M; Smith, P Brian; Bell, Edward F; Rysavy, Matthew A; Duncan, Andrea F; Vohr, Betty R; Das, Abhik; Goldberg, Ronald N; Higgins, Rosemary D; Cotten, C Michael

    2017-02-16

    Data reported during the past 5 years indicate that rates of survival have increased among infants born at the borderline of viability, but less is known about how increased rates of survival among these infants relate to early childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes. We compared survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes among infants born at 22 to 24 weeks of gestation, as assessed at 18 to 22 months of corrected age, across three consecutive birth-year epochs (2000-2003 [epoch 1], 2004-2007 [epoch 2], and 2008-2011 [epoch 3]). The infants were born at 11 centers that participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. The primary outcome measure was a three-level outcome - survival without neurodevelopmental impairment, survival with neurodevelopmental impairment, or death. After accounting for differences in infant characteristics, including birth center, we used multinomial generalized logit models to compare the relative risk of survival without neurodevelopmental impairment, survival with neurodevelopmental impairment, and death. Data on the primary outcome were available for 4274 of 4458 infants (96%) born at the 11 centers. The percentage of infants who survived increased from 30% (424 of 1391 infants) in epoch 1 to 36% (487 of 1348 infants) in epoch 3 (Pneurodevelopmental impairment increased from 16% (217 of 1391) in epoch 1 to 20% (276 of 1348) in epoch 3 (P=0.001), whereas the percentage of infants who survived with neurodevelopmental impairment did not change significantly (15% [207 of 1391] in epoch 1 and 16% [211 of 1348] in epoch 3, P=0.29). After adjustment for changes in the baseline characteristics of the infants over time, both the rate of survival with neurodevelopmental impairment (as compared with death) and the rate of survival without neurodevelopmental impairment (as compared with death) increased over time (adjusted relative risks, 1.27 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.01 to 1.59] and 1

  17. Biochemical and Physiological Responses in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Following Dietary Exposure to Copper and Cadmium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lundebye, A.-K.; Berntssen, M.H.G.; Bonga, S.E.Wendelaar; Maage, A.

    1999-01-01

    Three experiments were conducted with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to assess the effects of dietary exposure to copper and cadmium. The results presented here provide an overview, details of each experiment will be published in full elsewhere. In the first experiment, salmon parr exposed for four weeks to 35 and 700 mg Cu kg -1 diet had significantly elevated intestinal copper concentrations, cell proliferation (PCNA) and apoptosis rates compared to control fish. No differences were observed in gill or plasma copper concentrations among the groups. In contrast to the controls, the Cu exposed groups did not grow significantly during the exposure period. The second experiment (three months exposure) was conducted to assess the effects of dietary copper (control, 35, 500, 700, 900 or 1750 mg Cu kg -1 diet) on growth and feed utilization in salmon fingerlings. Growth was significantly reduced after three months exposure to dietary Cu concentrations above 500 mg kg -1 . Similarly, copper body burdens were significantly higher in fish exposed to elevated dietary copper concentrations (above 35 mg Cu kg -1 diet). In the third experiment, salmon parr were exposed to one of six dietary cadmium concentrations (0, 0.5, 5, 25, 125 or 250 mg Cd kg -1 diet) for four months. Cadmium accumulated in the liver>intestine>gills of exposed fish. Rates of apoptosis and cell proliferation in the intestine increased following exposure to dietary cadmium. Exposure to elevated concentrations of dietary cadmium had no effect on growth in salmon parr. Results from these studies indicate that cellular biomarkers have potential as early warning signs of negative effects on the overall fitness of an organism

  18. Analyses adjusting for selective crossover show improved overall survival with adjuvant letrozole compared with tamoxifen in the BIG 1-98 study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Colleoni, Marco; Giobbie-Hurder, Anita; Regan, Meredith M

    2011-01-01

    Among postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive breast cancer, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, when compared with tamoxifen, has been shown to significantly improve disease-free survival (DFS) and time to distant recurrence (TDR). We investigated whether letrozole monotherapy prolonged ov...

  19. Structural and functional studies of STAT1 from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thim Hanna L

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Type I and type II interferons (IFNs exert their effects mainly through the JAK/STAT pathway, which is presently best described in mammals. STAT1 is involved in signaling pathways induced by both types of IFNs. It has a domain-like structure including an amino-terminus that stabilizes interaction between STAT dimers in a promoter-binding situation, a coiled coil domain facilitating interactions to other proteins, a central DNA-binding domain, a SH2 domain responsible for dimerization of phosphorylated STATs and conserved phosphorylation sites within the carboxy terminus. The latter is also the transcriptional activation domain. Results A salmon (Salmo salar STAT1 homologue, named ssSTAT1a, has been identified and was shown to be ubiquitously expressed in various cells and tissues. The ssSTAT1a had a domain-like structure with functional motifs that are similar to higher vertebrates. Endogenous STAT1 was shown to be phosphorylated at tyrosine residues both in salmon leukocytes and in TO cells treated with recombinant type I and type II IFNs. Also ectopically expressed ssSTAT1 was phosphorylated in salmon cells upon in vitro stimulation by the IFNs, confirming that the cloned gene was recognized by upstream tyrosine kinases. Treatment with IFNs led to nuclear translocation of STAT1 within one hour. The ability of salmon STAT1 to dimerize was also shown. Conclusions The structural and functional properties of salmon STAT1 resemble the properties of mammalian STAT1.

  20. Study of the quality characteristics in cold-smoked salmon (Salmo salar) originating from pre- or post-rigor raw material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birkeland, S; Akse, L

    2010-01-01

    Improved slaughtering procedures in the salmon industry have caused a delayed onset of rigor mortis and, thus, a potential for pre-rigor secondary processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rigor status at time of processing on quality traits color, texture, sensory, microbiological, in injection salted, and cold-smoked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Injection of pre-rigor fillets caused a significant (Prigor processed fillets; however, post-rigor (1477 ± 38 g) fillets had a significant (P>0.05) higher fracturability than pre-rigor fillets (1369 ± 71 g). Pre-rigor fillets were significantly (Prigor fillets (37.8 ± 0.8) and had significantly lower (Prigor processed fillets. This study showed that similar quality characteristics can be obtained in cold-smoked products processed either pre- or post-rigor when using suitable injection salting protocols and smoking techniques. © 2010 Institute of Food Technologists®

  1. Differential metabolite levels in response to spawning-induced inappetence in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipriano, Rocco C; Smith, McKenzie L; Vermeersch, Kathleen A; Dove, Alistair D M; Styczynski, Mark P

    2015-03-01

    Atlantic salmon Salmo salar undergo months-long inappetence during spawning, but it is not known whether this inappetence is a pathological state or one for which the fish are adapted. Recent work has shown that inappetent whale sharks can exhibit circulating metabolite profiles similar to ketosis known to occur in humans during starvation. In this work, metabolite profiling was used to explore differences in analyte profiles between a cohort of inappetent spawning run Atlantic salmon and captively reared animals that were fed up to and through the time of sampling. The two classes of animals were easily distinguished by their metabolite profiles. The sea-run fish had elevated ɷ-9 fatty acids relative to the domestic feeding animals, while other fatty acid concentrations were reduced. Sugar alcohols were generally elevated in inappetent animals, suggesting potentially novel metabolic responses or pathways in fish that feature these compounds. Compounds expected to indicate a pathological catabolic state were not more abundant in the sea-run fish, suggesting that the animals, while inappetent, were not stressed in an unnatural way. These findings demonstrate the power of discovery-based metabolomics for exploring biochemistry in poorly understood animal models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. IPO survival in a reputational market

    OpenAIRE

    Espenlaub, Susanne; Khurshed, Arif; Mohamed, Abdulkadir

    2012-01-01

    We examine IPO survival in a 'reputational' market, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), where principle-based regulation pivots on the role of a regulatory agent, the nominated advisor (Nomad) to the IPO company. We find that Nomad reputation has a significant impact on IPO survival. IPOs backed by reputable Nomads 'survive longer (by about two years) than those backed by other Nomads. We also find that survival rates of AIM IPOs are broadly comparable to those of North American IPOs. Wh...

  3. Comparative Survival Study (CSS) of Hatchery PIT-tagged Spring/Summer Chinook; Migration Years 1997-2002 Mark/Recapture Activities and Bootstrap Analysis, 2003-2004 Biennial Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berggren, Thomas J.; Franzoni, Henry; Basham, Larry R. (Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority, Fish Passage Center, Portland, OR)

    2003-11-01

    The Comparative Survival Study (CSS) was initiated in 1996 as a multi-year program of the fishery agencies and tribes to estimate survival rates over different life stages for spring and summer Chinook (hereafter, Chinook) produced in major hatcheries in the Snake River basin and from selected hatcheries in the lower Columbia River. Much of the information evaluated in the CSS is derived from fish tagged with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags. A comparison of survival rates of Chinook marked in two different regions (which differ in the number of dams Chinook have to migrate through) provides insight into the effects of the Snake/Columbia hydroelectric system (hydrosystem). The CSS also compares the smolt-to-adult survival rates (SARs) for Snake River Chinook that were transported versus those that migrated in-river to below Bonneville Dam. Additional comparisons can be made within in-river experiences as well as comparison between the different collector projects from which smolts are transported. CSS also compares survival rates for wild Snake River spring and summer Chinook. These comparisons generate information regarding the relative effects of the current management actions used to recover this listed species. Scientists and managers have recently emphasized the importance of delayed hydrosystem mortality to long-term management decisions. Delayed hydrosystem mortality may be related to the smolts experience in the Federal Columbia River Power System, and could occur for both smolts that migrate in-river and smolts that are transported. The CSS PIT tag information on in-river survival rates and smolt-to-adult survival rates (SARs) of transported and in-river fish are relevant to estimation of ''D'', which partially describes delayed hydrosystem mortality. The parameter D is the differential survival rate of transported fish relative to fish that migrate in-river, as measured from below Bonneville Dam to adults returning to Lower

  4. The mating brain: early maturing sneaker males maintain investment into the brain also under fast body growth in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotrschal, Alexander; Trombley, Susanne; Rogell, Björn; Brannström, Ioana; Foconi, Eric; Schmitz, Monika; Kolm, Niclas

    It has been suggested that mating behaviours require high levels of cognitive ability. However, since investment into mating and the brain both are costly features, their relationship is likely characterized by energetic trade-offs. Empirical data on the subject remains equivocal. We investigated if early sexual maturation was associated with brain development in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), in which males can either stay in the river and sexually mature at a small size (sneaker males) or migrate to the sea and delay sexual maturation until they have grown much larger (anadromous males). Specifically, we tested how sexual maturation may induce plastic changes in brain development by rearing juveniles on either natural or ad libitum feeding levels. After their first season we compared brain size and brain region volumes across both types of male mating tactics and females. Body growth increased greatly across both male mating tactics and females during ad libitum feeding as compared to natural feeding levels. However, despite similar relative increases in body size, early maturing sneaker males maintained larger relative brain size during ad libitum feeding levels as compared to anadromous males and females. We also detected several differences in the relative size of separate brain regions across feeding treatments, sexes and mating strategies. For instance, the relative size of the cognitive centre of the brain, the telencephalon, was largest in sneaker males. Our data support that a large relative brain size is maintained in individuals that start reproduction early also during fast body growth. We propose that the cognitive demands during complex mating behaviours maintain a high level of investment into brain development in reproducing individuals.

  5. Evaluation of feed and feeding regime on growth performance, flesh quality and fecal viscosity of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) in recirculating aquaculture systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Guoxiang; Liu, Ying; Li, Yong; Li, Xian; Wang, Shunkui

    2015-10-01

    The effects of different feeds and feeding regimes on growth performance, flesh quality and fecal viscosity of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) were investigated. Fish (initial body weight of 1677 g ± 157 g) were fed with four commercial feeds (Nosan salmon-NS, Aller gold-AG, Skretting salmon-SS and Han ye-HY) in two feeding regimes (80% and 100% satiation) for 78 d. The results showed that salmon specific growth ratio (SGR) and weight gain ratio (WGR) were significantly affected by feed type and feeding regime ( P vitamin E, hydroxyproline (HYP), liquid loss and muscle pH among all groups showed significant differences ( P important quality attributes of Atlantic salmon.

  6. Fledgling survival increases with development time and adult survival across north and south temperate zones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lloyd, Penn; Martin, Thomas E.

    2016-01-01

    Slow life histories are characterized by high adult survival and few offspring, which are thought to allow increased investment per offspring to increase juvenile survival. Consistent with this pattern, south temperate zone birds are commonly longer-lived and have fewer young than north temperate zone species. However, comparative analyses of juvenile survival, including during the first few weeks of the post-fledging period when most juvenile mortality occurs, are largely lacking. We combined our measurements of fledgling survival for eight passerines in South Africa with estimates from published studies of 57 north and south temperate zone songbird species to test three predictions: (1) fledgling survival increases with length of development time in the nest; (2) fledgling survival increases with adult survival and reduced brood size controlled for development time; and (3) south temperate zone species, with their higher adult survival and smaller brood sizes, exhibit higher fledgling survival than north temperate zone species controlled for development time. We found that fledgling survival was higher among south temperate zone species and generally increased with development time and adult survival within and between latitudinal regions. Clutch size did not explain additional variation, but was confounded with adult survival. Given the importance of age-specific mortality to life history evolution, understanding the causes of these geographical patterns of mortality is important.

  7. Extent of colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis: attempt to define a threshold above which HIPEC does not offer survival benefit: a comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goéré, Diane; Souadka, Amine; Faron, Matthieu; Cloutier, Alexis S; Viana, Benjamin; Honoré, Charles; Dumont, Frédéric; Elias, Dominique

    2015-09-01

    The main prognostic factors after complete cytoreductive surgery (CCRS) of colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) followed by intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) are completeness of the resection and extent of the disease. This study aimed to determine a threshold value above which CCRS plus IPC may not offer survival benefit compared with systemic chemotherapy. Between March 2000 and May 2010, 180 patients underwent surgery for PC from colorectal cancer with intended performance of CCRS plus IPC. Among the 180 patients, CCRS plus IPC could be performed for 139 patients (curative group, 77 %), whereas it could not be performed for 41 patients (palliative group, 23 %). The two groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, primary tumor characteristics, and pre- and postoperative systemic chemotherapy. The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was lower in the curative group (11 ± 7) than in the palliative group (23 ± 7) (p offer any survival benefit.

  8. Survival during the Breeding Season: Nest Stage, Parental Sex, and Season Advancement Affect Reed Warbler Survival.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaja Wierucka

    Full Text Available Avian annual survival has received much attention, yet little is known about seasonal patterns in survival, especially of migratory passerines. In order to evaluate survival rates and timing of mortality within the breeding season of adult reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus, mark-recapture data were collected in southwest Poland, between 2006 and 2012. A total of 612 individuals (304 females and 308 males were monitored throughout the entire breeding season, and their capture-recapture histories were used to model survival rates. Males showed higher survival during the breeding season (0.985, 95% CI: 0.941-0.996 than females (0.869, 95% CI: 0.727-0.937. Survival rates of females declined with the progression of the breeding season (from May to August, while males showed constant survival during this period. We also found a clear pattern within the female (but not male nesting cycle: survival was significantly lower during the laying, incubation, and nestling periods (0.934, 95% CI: 0.898-0.958, when birds spent much time on the nest, compared to the nest building and fledgling periods (1.000, 95% CI: 1.00-1.000, when we did not record any female mortality. These data (coupled with some direct evidence, like bird corpses or blood remains found next to/on the nest may suggest that the main cause of adult mortality was on-nest predation. The calculated survival rates for both sexes during the breeding season were high compared to annual rates reported for this species, suggesting that a majority of mortality occurs at other times of the year, during migration or wintering. These results have implications for understanding survival variation within the reproductive period as well as general trends of avian mortality.

  9. Pharmacokinetics and transcriptional effects of the anti-salmon lice drug emamectin benzoate in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsvik, Pål A; Lie, Kai K; Mykkeltvedt, Eva; Samuelsen, Ole B; Petersen, Kjell; Stavrum, Anne-Kristin; Lunestad, Bjørn T

    2008-09-11

    Emamectin benzoate (EB) is a dominating pharmaceutical drug used for the treatment and control of infections by sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L). Fish with an initial mean weight of 132 g were experimentally medicated by a standard seven-day EB treatment, and the concentrations of drug in liver, muscle and skin were examined. To investigate how EB affects Atlantic salmon transcription in liver, tissues were assessed by microarray and qPCR at 7, 14 and 35 days after the initiation of medication. The pharmacokinetic examination revealed highest EB concentrations in all three tissues at day 14, seven days after the end of the medication period. Only modest effects were seen on the transcriptional levels in liver, with small fold-change alterations in transcription throughout the experimental period. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that EB treatment induced oxidative stress at day 7 and inflammation at day 14. The qPCR examinations showed that medication by EB significantly increased the transcription of both HSP70 and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in liver during a period of 35 days, compared to un-treated fish, possibly via activation of enzymes involved in phase II conjugation of metabolism in the liver. This study has shown that a standard seven-day EB treatment has only a modest effect on the transcription of genes in liver of Atlantic salmon. Based on GSEA, the medication seems to have produced a temporary oxidative stress response that might have affected protein stability and folding, followed by a secondary inflammatory response.

  10. Cardiovascular disease incidence and survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Byberg, Stine; Agyemang, Charles; Zwisler, Ann Dorthe

    2016-01-01

    Studies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and survival show varying results between different ethnic groups. Our aim was to add a new dimension by exploring the role of migrant status in combination with ethnic background on incidence of-and survival from-CVD and more specifically acute...... of some types of cardiovascular disease compared to Danish-born. Family-reunified migrants on the other hand had lower rates of CVD. All migrants had better survival than Danish-born indicating that migrants may not always be disadvantaged in health....

  11. Challenges in the estimation of Net SURvival: The CENSUR working survival group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giorgi, R

    2016-10-01

    Net survival, the survival probability that would be observed, in a hypothetical world, where the cancer of interest would be the only possible cause of death, is a key indicator in population-based cancer studies. Accounting for mortality due to other causes, it allows cross-country comparisons or trends analysis and provides a useful indicator for public health decision-making. The objective of this study was to show how the creation and formalization of a network comprising established research teams, which already had substantial and complementary experience in both cancer survival analysis and methodological development, make it possible to meet challenges and thus provide more adequate tools, to improve the quality and the comparability of cancer survival data, and to promote methodological transfers in areas of emerging interest. The Challenges in the Estimation of Net SURvival (CENSUR) working survival group is composed of international researchers highly skilled in biostatistics, methodology, and epidemiology, from different research organizations in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Slovenia, and Canada, and involved in French (FRANCIM) and European (EUROCARE) cancer registry networks. The expected advantages are an interdisciplinary, international, synergistic network capable of addressing problems in public health, for decision-makers at different levels; tools for those in charge of net survival analyses; a common methodology that makes unbiased cross-national comparisons of cancer survival feasible; transfer of methods for net survival estimations to other specific applications (clinical research, occupational epidemiology); and dissemination of results during an international training course. The formalization of the international CENSUR working survival group was motivated by a need felt by scientists conducting population-based cancer research to discuss, develop, and monitor implementation of a common methodology to analyze net survival in order

  12. Short- and long-term effects of dietary l-tryptophan supplementation on the neuroendocrine stress response in seawater-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Basic, D.; Krogdahl, T.; Scholden, J.

    2013-01-01

    . Basal plasma cortisol levels were lower among non-stressed fish at 1 and 10. days post dietary Trp supplementation. By comparison, stressed fish displayed stimulatory post-stress plasma cortisol responses at 1 and 2. days after the Trp regimen was terminated. However, a reversed pattern was observed...... as well as habituation to seawater involves the neuroendocrine stress response, suggesting that such environmental factors may modulate the stress-reducing effects of Trp. To date, studies that have investigated the neuroendocrine effects of dietary Trp have only been conducted in rainbow trout...... (. Oncorhynchus mykiss), a salmonid species, under conditions featuring social isolation in the freshwater environment. Here, we address the effects of dietary Trp on post-stress plasma cortisol and hypothalamic monoamines in seawater-adapted Atlantic salmon (. Salmo salar), reared at densities relevant...

  13. Comparative Analysis and Predictors of 10-year Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors Drug Survival in Patients with Spondyloarthritis: First-year Response Predicts Longterm Drug Persistence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flouri, Irini D; Markatseli, Theodora E; Boki, Kyriaki A; Papadopoulos, Ioannis; Skopouli, Fotini N; Voulgari, Paraskevi V; Settas, Loukas; Zisopoulos, Dimitrios; Iliopoulos, Alexios; Geborek, Pierre; Drosos, Alexandros A; Boumpas, Dimitrios T; Sidiropoulos, Prodromos

    2018-04-01

    To evaluate the 10-year drug survival of the first tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) administered to patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) overall and comparatively between SpA subsets, and to identify predictors of drug retention. Patients with SpA in the Hellenic Registry of Biologic Therapies, a prospective multicenter observational cohort, starting their first TNFi between 2004-2014 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were used. Overall, 404 out of 1077 patients (37.5%) discontinued treatment (followup: 4288 patient-yrs). Ten-year drug survival was 49%. In the unadjusted analyses, higher TNFi survival was observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to undifferentiated SpA and psoriatic arthritis [PsA; significant beyond the first 2.5 (p = 0.003) years and 7 years (p < 0.001), respectively], and in patients treated for isolated axial versus peripheral arthritis (p = 0.001). In all multivariable analyses, male sex was a predictor for longer TNFi survival. Use of methotrexate (MTX) was a predictor in PsA and in patients with peripheral arthritis. Absence of peripheral arthritis and use of a monoclonal antibody (as opposed to non-antibody TNFi) independently predicted longer TNFi survival in axial disease because of lower rates of inefficacy. Achievement of major responses during the first year in either axial or peripheral arthritis was the strongest predictor of longer therapy retention (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.26-0.41 for Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score inactive disease, and HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.24-0.50 for 28-joint Disease Activity Score remission). The longterm retention of the first TNFi administered to patients with SpA is high, especially for males with axial disease. The strongest predictor of longterm TNFi survival is a major response within the first year of treatment.

  14. Survival rates of birds of tropical and temperate forests: will the dogma survive?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karr, J.R.; Nichols, J.D.; Klimkiewicz, M.K.; Brawn, J.D.

    1990-01-01

    Survival rates of tropical forest birds are widely assumed to be high relative to the survival rates of temperate forest birds. Much life-history theory is based on this assumption despite the lack of empirical data to support it. We provide the first detailed comparison of survival rates of tropical and temperate forest birds based on extensive data bases and modern capture-recapture models. We find no support for the conventional wisdom. Because clutch size is only one component of reproductive rate, the frequently assumed, simple association between clutch size and adult survival rates should not necessarily be expected. Our results emphasize the need to consider components of fecundity in addition to clutch size when comparing the life histories of tropical and temperate birds and suggest similar considerations in the development of vertebrate life-history theory.

  15. Thermal and oxidative stability of Atlantic salmon oil (Salmo salar L. and complexation with β-cyclodextrin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel I. Hădărugă

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The thermal and oxidative stability of Atlantic salmon oil (Salmo salar L. as well as its β-cyclodextrin (β-CD complexation ability has been verified for the first time. The main omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, were significantly degraded, even at 50 °C. Their relative concentrations decrease from 6.1% for EPA and 4.1% for DHA to 1.7% and 1.5% after degradation at 150 °C, respectively. On the other hand, the relative concentrations of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids remained constant or slightly increased by a few percent after degradation (e.g., from 10.7% to 12.9% for palmitic acid. Co-crystallization of ASO with β-CD at a host–guest ratio of 1:1 and 3:1 from an ethanol–water mixture and kneading methods has been used for the preparation of β-CD/ASO complexes. The analysis of the complexes by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and Karl Fischer titration (KFT as well as the decrease of the “strongly-retained” water content confirm the formation of the inclusion compound. Furthermore, the DSC parameters correlate well with the KFT kinetic data for β-CD/ASO complexes.

  16. Intestinal microbiota of healthy and unhealthy Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. in a recirculating aquaculture system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chun; Sun, Guoxiang; Li, Shuangshuang; Li, Xian; Liu, Ying

    2018-03-01

    The present study sampled the intestinal content of healthy and unhealthy Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.), the ambient water of unhealthy fish, and the biofilter material in the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to understand differences in the intestinal microbiota. The V4-V5 regions of the prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes in the samples were analyzed by MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The fish were adults with no differences in body length or weight. Representative members of the intestinal microbiota were identified. The intestinal microbiota of the healthy fish included Proteobacteria (44.33%), Actinobacteria (17.89%), Bacteroidetes (15.25%), and Firmicutes (9.11%), among which the families Micrococcaceae and Oxalobacteraceae and genera Sphingomonas, Streptomyces, Pedobacter, Janthinobacterium, Burkholderia, and Balneimonas were most abundant. Proteobacteria (70.46%), Bacteroidetes (7.59%), and Firmicutes (7.55%) dominated the microbiota of unhealthy fish, and Chloroflexi (2.71%), and Aliivibrio and Vibrio as well as genera in the family Aeromonadaceae were most strongly represented. Overall, the intestinal hindgut microbiota differed between healthy and unhealthy fish. This study offers a useful tool for monitoring the health status of fish and for screening the utility of probiotics by studying the intestinal microbiota.

  17. Micronucleus formation compared to the survival rate of human melanoma cells after X-ray and neutron irradiation and hyperthermia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    van Beuningen, D.; Streffer, C.; Bertholdt, G.

    1981-09-01

    After neutron and X-ray irradiation and combined X-ray irradiation and hyperthermia (3 hours, 42/sup 0/C), the survival rate of human melanoma cells was measured by means of the colony formation test and compared to the formation of micronuclei. Neutrons had a stronger effect on the formation of micronuclei than the combination of X-rays and hyperthermia. X-rays had the lowest effect. The dose effect curve showed a break at that dose level at which a reduction of cells was observed in the cultures. A good relation between survival rate and formation of micronuclei was found for the X-ray irradiation, but not for the neutron irradiation and the combined treatment. These observations are discussed. At least for X-rays, the micronucleus test has turned out to be a good screening method for the radiosensitivity of a biologic system.

  18. Disparities in cervical cancer survival among Asian American women

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nghiem, Van T.; Davies, Kalatu R.; Chan, Wenyaw; Mulla, Zuber D.; Cantor, Scott B.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose We compared overall survival and influencing factors between Asian American women as a whole and by subgroup with white women with cervical cancer. Methods Cervical cancer data were from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry; socioeconomic information was from the Area Health Resource File. We used standard tests to compare characteristics between groups; the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test to assess overall survival and compare it between groups; and Cox proportional hazards models to determine the effect of race and other covariates on overall survival (with/without age-stratification). Results Being 3.3 years older than white women at diagnosis (pAsian American women were more likely to be in a spousal relationship, had more progressive disease, and were better off socioeconomically. Women of Filipino, Japanese, and Korean origin had similar clinical characteristics compared with white women. Asian American women had higher 36- and 60-month survival rates (p=0.004 and p=0.013, respectively), higher overall survival rates (p=0.049), and longer overall survival durations after adjusting for age and other covariates (hazard ratio=0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.68–0.86). Overall survival differed across age strata between the two racial groups. With the exception of women of Japanese or Korean origin, Asian American women grouped by geographic origin had better overall survival than white women. Conclusions Although Asian American women, except those of Japanese or Korean origin, had better overall survival than white women, their older age at cervical cancer diagnosis suggests that they have less access to screening programs. PMID:26552330

  19. Disparities in cervical cancer survival among Asian-American women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nghiem, Van T; Davies, Kalatu R; Chan, Wenyaw; Mulla, Zuber D; Cantor, Scott B

    2016-01-01

    We compared overall survival and influencing factors between Asian-American women as a whole and by subgroup with white women with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer data were from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry; socioeconomic information was from the Area Health Resource File. We used standard tests to compare characteristics between groups; the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test to assess overall survival and compare it between groups; and Cox proportional hazards models to determine the effect of race and other covariates on overall survival (with and/or without age stratification). Being 3.3 years older than white women at diagnosis (P Asian-American women were more likely to be in a spousal relationship, had more progressive disease, and were better off socioeconomically. Women of Filipino, Japanese, and Korean origin had similar clinical characteristics compared to white women. Asian-American women had higher 36- and 60-month survival rates (P = .004 and P = .013, respectively), higher overall survival rates (P = .049), and longer overall survival durations after adjusting for age and other covariates (hazard ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.68-0.86). Overall survival differed across age strata between the two racial groups. With the exception of women of Japanese or Korean origin, Asian-American women grouped by geographic origin had better overall survival than white women. Although Asian-American women, except those of Japanese or Korean origin, had better overall survival than white women, their older age at cervical cancer diagnosis suggests that they have less access to screening programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Comparison of survival of patients with metastases from known versus unknown primaries: survival in metastatic cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Riihimäki Matias

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer of unknown primary site (CUP is considered an aggressive metastatic disease but whether the prognosis differs from metastatic cancers of known primary site is not known. Such data may give insight into the biology of CUP and the metastatic process in general. Methods 6,745 cancer patients, with primary metastatic cancer at diagnosis, were identified from the Swedish Cancer Registry, and were compared with 2,881 patients with CUP. Patients were diagnosed and died between 2002 and 2008. The influence of the primary site, known or unknown, on survival in patients with metastases at specific locations was investigated. Hazard ratios (HRs of death were estimated for several sites of metastasis, where patients with known primary sites were compared with CUP patients. Results Overall, patients with metastatic cancers with known primary sites had decreased hazards of death compared to CUP patients (HR = 0.69 [95% CI = 0.66–0.72]. The exceptions were cancer of the pancreas (1.71 [1.54–1.90], liver (1.58 [1.36–1.85], and stomach (1.16 [1.02–1.31]. For individual metastatic sites, patients with liver or bone metastases of known origin had better survival than those with CUP of the liver and bone. Patients with liver metastases of pancreatic origin had an increased risk of death compared with patients with CUP of the liver (1.25 [1.06–1.46]. The median survival time of CUP patients was three months. Conclusions Patients with CUP have poorer survival than patients with known primaries, except those with brain and respiratory system metastases. Of CUP sites, liver metastases had the worst prognosis. Survival in CUP was comparable to that in metastatic lung cancer. The aggressive behavior of CUP may be due to initial immunosuppression and immunoediting which may allow accumulation of mutations. Upon escape from the suppressed state an unstoppable tumor spread ensues. These novel data on the epidemiology of the

  1. Surviving severe traumatic brain injury in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Odgaard, Lene; Poulsen, Ingrid; Kammersgaard, Lars Peter

    2015-01-01

    PURPOSE: To identify all hospitalized patients surviving severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Denmark and to compare these patients to TBI patients admitted to highly specialized rehabilitation (HS-rehabilitation). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients surviving severe TBI were identified from...... severe TBI were admitted to HS-rehabilitation. Female sex, older age, and non-working status pre-injury were independent predictors of no HS-rehabilitation among patients surviving severe TBI. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of hospitalized patients surviving severe TBI was stable in Denmark...

  2. Global transcriptional analysis of short-term hepatic stress responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to depleted uranium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, You; Salbu, Brit; Teien, Hans-Christian; Heier, Lene Sørlie; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Høgåsen, Tore; Tollefsen, Knut Erik

    2014-01-01

    Potential environmental hazards of radionuclides are often studied at the individual level. Sufficient toxicogenomics data at the molecular/cellular level for understanding the effects and modes of toxic action (MoAs) of radionuclide is still lacking. The current article introduces transcriptomic data generated from a recent ecotoxicological study, with the aims to characterize the MoAs of a metallic radionuclide, deplete uranium (DU) in an ecologically and commercially important fish species, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Salmon were exposed to three concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L) of DU for 48 h. Short-term global transcriptional responses were studied using Agilent custom-designed high density 60,000-feature (60 k) salmonid oligonucleotide microarrays (oligoarray). The microarray datasets deposited at Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO ID: GSE58824) were associated with a recently published study by Song et al. (2014) in BMC Genomics. The authors describe the experimental data herein to build a platform for better understanding the toxic mechanisms and ecological hazard of radionuclides such as DU in fish. PMID:26484125

  3. Global transcriptional analysis of short-term hepatic stress responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar exposed to depleted uranium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    You Song

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Potential environmental hazards of radionuclides are often studied at the individual level. Sufficient toxicogenomics data at the molecular/cellular level for understanding the effects and modes of toxic action (MoAs of radionuclide is still lacking. The current article introduces transcriptomic data generated from a recent ecotoxicological study, with the aims to characterize the MoAs of a metallic radionuclide, deplete uranium (DU in an ecologically and commercially important fish species, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar. Salmon were exposed to three concentrations (0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L of DU for 48 h. Short-term global transcriptional responses were studied using Agilent custom-designed high density 60,000-feature (60 k salmonid oligonucleotide microarrays (oligoarray. The microarray datasets deposited at Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO ID: GSE58824 were associated with a recently published study by Song et al. (2014 in BMC Genomics. The authors describe the experimental data herein to build a platform for better understanding the toxic mechanisms and ecological hazard of radionuclides such as DU in fish.

  4. Comparative study of LDR (Manchester system) and HDR image-guided conformal brachytherapy of cervical cancer: patterns of failure, late complications, and survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayan, Kailash; van Dyk, Sylvia; Bernshaw, David; Rajasooriyar, Chrishanthi; Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas

    2009-08-01

    To compare patterns of failure, late toxicities, and survival in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated by either low-dose-rate (LDR) or conformal high-dose-rate (HDRc) brachytherapy as a part of curative radiotherapy. A retrospective comparative study of 217 advanced cervix cancer patients was conducted; 90 of these patients received LDR and 127 received HDRc brachytherapy. All patients were staged using International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) rules, had pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and were treated with concurrent cisplatin chemoradiotherapy. Both groups matched for FIGO stage, MRI tumor volume, and uterine invasion status. Local and pelvic failures were similar 12-13% and 14% both in both groups. Abdominal and systemic failures in LDR group were 21% and 24%, whereas corresponding failures in HDRc group were 20% and 24%. Sixty-eight percent (87/127) of patients treated by HDRc remained asymptomatic, whereas 42% (38/90) of patients were asymptomatic from the bowel and bladder symptoms after treatment with LDR. The 5-year OS rate was 60% (SE = 4%). The 5-year failure-free survival rate was 55% (SE = 3%). There was no significant difference between the groups. Image-guided HDRc planning led to a large decrease in late radiation effects in patients treated by HDRc. Patterns of failure and survival were similar in patients treated either by LDR or HDRc.

  5. Comparative Study of LDR (Manchester System) and HDR Image-guided Conformal Brachytherapy of Cervical Cancer: Patterns of Failure, Late Complications, and Survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narayan, Kailash; Dyk, Sylvia van; Bernshaw, David; Rajasooriyar, Chrishanthi; Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: To compare patterns of failure, late toxicities, and survival in locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated by either low-dose-rate (LDR) or conformal high-dose-rate (HDRc) brachytherapy as a part of curative radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative study of 217 advanced cervix cancer patients was conducted; 90 of these patients received LDR and 127 received HDRc brachytherapy. All patients were staged using International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) rules, had pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and were treated with concurrent cisplatin chemoradiotherapy. Both groups matched for FIGO stage, MRI tumor volume, and uterine invasion status. Results: Local and pelvic failures were similar 12-13% and 14% both in both groups. Abdominal and systemic failures in LDR group were 21% and 24%, whereas corresponding failures in HDRc group were 20% and 24%. Sixty-eight percent (87/127) of patients treated by HDRc remained asymptomatic, whereas 42% (38/90) of patients were asymptomatic from the bowel and bladder symptoms after treatment with LDR. The 5-year OS rate was 60% (SE = 4%). The 5-year failure-free survival rate was 55% (SE = 3%). There was no significant difference between the groups. Conclusions: Image-guided HDRc planning led to a large decrease in late radiation effects in patients treated by HDRc. Patterns of failure and survival were similar in patients treated either by LDR or HDRc.

  6. Coping with unpredictability: dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vindas, Marco A; Sørensen, Christina; Johansen, Ida B; Folkedal, Ole; Höglund, Erik; Khan, Uniza W; Stien, Lars H; Kristiansen, Tore S; Braastad, Bjarne O; Øverli, Øyvind

    2014-01-01

    Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward') causes increased aggression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Here we report changes in brain monoaminergic activity and relative abundance of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine receptor mRNA transcripts in the same paradigm. Groups of fish were initially conditioned to associate a flashing light with feeding. Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA) activity. Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1) mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition OER suppressed abundance of BDNF in the telencephalon of non-stressed fish. Regardless of OER treatment, a strong positive correlation between BDNF and D1 mRNA abundance was seen in non-stressed fish. This correlation was disrupted by acute stress, and replaced by a negative correlation between BDNF abundance and plasma cortisol concentration. These observations indicate a conserved link between DA, neurotrophin regulation, and corticosteroid-signaling pathways. The results also emphasize how fish models can be important tools in the study of neural plasticity and responsiveness to environmental unpredictability.

  7. Survival and reproduction of radio-marked adult spotted owls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    C.C. Foster; E.D. Forsman; E.C. Meslow; G.S. Miller; J.A. Reid; F.F. Wagner; A.B. Carey; J.B. Lint

    1992-01-01

    We compared survival, reproduction, and body mass of radio-marked and non radio-marked spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) to determine if backpack radios influenced reproduction or survival. In most study areas and years, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in survival of males and females or in survival of radio-marked versus banded owls. There...

  8. Comparison of vaccine efficacy for different antigen delivery systems for infectious pancreatic necrosis virus vaccines in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in a cohabitation challenge model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munang'andu, Hetron M; Fredriksen, Børge N; Mutoloki, Stephen; Brudeseth, Bjørn; Kuo, Tsun-Yung; Marjara, Inderjit S; Dalmo, Roy A; Evensen, Øystein

    2012-06-08

    Two strains of IPNV made by reverse genetics on the Norwegian Sp strain NVI-015 (GenBank AY379740) backbone encoding the virulent (T(217)A(221)) and avirulent (P(217)T(221)) motifs were used to prepare inactivated whole virus (IWV), nanoparticle vaccines with whole virus, Escherichia coli subunit encoding truncated VP2-TA and VP2-PT, VP2-TA and VP2-PT fusion antigens with putative translocating domains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin, and plasmid DNA encoding segment A of the TA strain. Post challenge survival percentages (PCSP) showed that IWV vaccines conferred highest protection (PCSP=42-53) while nanoparticle, sub-unit recombinant and DNA vaccines fell short of the IWV vaccines in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) postsmolts challenged with the highly virulent Sp strain NVI-015 (TA strain) of IPNV after 560 degree days post vaccination. Antibody levels induced by these vaccines did not show antigenic differences between the virulent and avirulent motifs for vaccines made with the same antigen dose and delivery system after 8 weeks post vaccination. Our findings show that fish vaccinated with less potent vaccines comprising of nanoparticle, DNA and recombinant vaccines got infected much earlier and yielded to higher infection rates than fish vaccinated with IWV vaccines that were highly potent. Ability of the virulent (T(217)A(221)) and avirulent (P(217)T(221)) motifs to limit establishment of infection showed equal protection for vaccines made of the same antigen dose and delivery systems. Prevention of tissue damage linked to viral infection was eminent in the more potent vaccines than the less protective ones. Hence, there still remains the challenge of developing highly efficacious vaccines with the ability to eliminate the post challenge carrier state in IPNV vaccinology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. A comparative study of generalized linear mixed modelling and artificial neural network approach for the joint modelling of survival and incidence of Dengue patients in Sri Lanka

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hapugoda, J. C.; Sooriyarachchi, M. R.

    2017-09-01

    Survival time of patients with a disease and the incidence of that particular disease (count) is frequently observed in medical studies with the data of a clustered nature. In many cases, though, the survival times and the count can be correlated in a way that, diseases that occur rarely could have shorter survival times or vice versa. Due to this fact, joint modelling of these two variables will provide interesting and certainly improved results than modelling these separately. Authors have previously proposed a methodology using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) by joining the Discrete Time Hazard model with the Poisson Regression model to jointly model survival and count model. As Aritificial Neural Network (ANN) has become a most powerful computational tool to model complex non-linear systems, it was proposed to develop a new joint model of survival and count of Dengue patients of Sri Lanka by using that approach. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop a model using ANN approach and compare the results with the previously developed GLMM model. As the response variables are continuous in nature, Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) approach was adopted to model the data. To compare the model fit, measures such as root mean square error (RMSE), absolute mean error (AME) and correlation coefficient (R) were used. The measures indicate the GRNN model fits the data better than the GLMM model.

  10. Biopsie et mesure de l'activité Na+/K+ ATPasique branchiale : validité et impact sur le développement du smolt de saumon Atlantique (Salmo salar L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SIEGLER L.

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available Une biopsie de fragment de tissu branchial a été effectuée, durant toute la période de smoltification, sur des juvéniles de saumons Atlantique (Salmo salar élevés en pisciculture. Le microdosage de l'activité de la Na+/K+ ATPase branchiale, effectué sur ce fragment de tissu, a été comparé au macrodosage obtenu à partir des branchies entières. Aucune mortalité n'a été observée chez les saumons biopsies dont le taux de croissance (linéaire et pondérale est resté identique à celui des poissons témoins. La bonne correspondance des cinétiques de l'activité enzymatique obtenues par les deux méthodes valide la technique de microdosage et confirme l'absence d'influence sur le développement physiologique ultérieur du smolt biopsie. Nos résultats montrent les modifications envisageables pour améliorer la sensibilité de la méthode. Cette technique est très prometteuse pour l'analyse des populations naturelles

  11. Applying Fourier Transform Mid Infrared Spectroscopy to Detect the Adulteration of Salmo salar with Oncorhynchus mykiss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Maria João

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometric methods to detect fish adulteration. Muscles of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) (SS) and Salmon trout (Onconrhynchus mykiss) (OM) muscles were mixed in different percentages and transformed into mini-burgers. These were stored at 3 °C, then examined at 0, 72, 160, and 240 h for deteriorative microorganisms. Mini-burgers was submitted to Soxhlet extraction, following which lipid extracts were analyzed by FTIR. The principal component analysis (PCA) described the studied adulteration using four principal components with an explained variance of 95.60%. PCA showed that the absorbance in the spectral region from 721, 1097, 1370, 1464, 1655, 2805, to 2935, 3009 cm−1 may be attributed to biochemical fingerprints related to differences between SS and OM. The partial least squares regression (PLS-R) predicted the presence/absence of adulteration in fish samples of an external set with high accuracy. The proposed methods have the advantage of allowing quick measurements, despite the storage time of the adulterated fish. FTIR combined with chemometrics showed that a methodology to identify the adulteration of SS with OM can be established, even when stored for different periods of time. PMID:29621135

  12. Comparative Survival Rates of Human-Derived Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei and L. salivarius Strains during Heat Treatment and Spray Drying

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, G. E.; O'Sullivan, E.; Kelly, J.; Auty, M. A. E.; Fitzgerald, G. F.; Collins, J. K.; Ross, R. P.; Stanton, C.

    2000-01-01

    Spray drying of skim milk was evaluated as a means of preserving Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 and Lactobacillus salivarius UCC 118, which are human-derived strains with probiotic potential. Our initial experiments revealed that NFBC 338 is considerably more heat resistant in 20% (wt/vol) skim milk than UCC 118 is; the comparable decimal reduction times were 11.1 and 1.1 min, respectively, at 59°C. An air outlet temperature of 80 to 85°C was optimal for spray drying; these conditions resulted in powders with moisture contents of 4.1 to 4.2% and viable counts of 3.2 × 109 CFU/g for NFBC 338 and 5.2 × 107 CFU/g for UCC 118. Thus, L. paracasei NFBC 338 survived better than L. salivarius UCC 118 during spray drying; similar results were obtained when we used confocal scanning laser microscopy and LIVE/DEAD BacLight viability staining. In addition, confocal scanning laser microscopy revealed that the probiotic lactobacilli were located primarily in the powder particles. Although both spray-dried cultures appeared to be stressed, as shown by increased sensitivity to NaCl, bacteriocin production by UCC 118 was not affected by the process, nor was the activity of the bacteriocin peptide. The level of survival of NFBC 338 remained constant at ∼1 × 109 CFU/g during 2 months of powder storage at 4°C, while a decline in the level of survival of approximately 1 log (from 7.2 × 107 to 9.5 × 106 CFU/g) was observed for UCC 118 stored under the same conditions. However, survival of both Lactobacillus strains during powder storage was inversely related to the storage temperature. Our data demonstrate that spray drying may be a cost-effective way to produce large quantities of some probiotic cultures. PMID:10831444

  13. Histochemical demonstration of mercury in the olfactory system of salmon (Salmo salar L.) following treatments with dietary methylmercuric chloride and dissolved mercuric chloride

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E; Døving, K B

    1991-01-01

    The deposition of organic and inorganic mercury compounds was studied histochemically in the salmon (Salmo salar L.) olfactory system. One group of salmon was given fodder pellets containing methylmercuric chloride (CH3HgCl, 99 micrograms Hg/g) for 4 weeks. Other groups of fish were exposed...... to dissolved mercuric chloride (HgCl2, 270 micrograms Hg/liter) for 2, 6, and 12 hr, respectively. In both series of experiments, the radioisotope 203Hg was included in order to determine the accumulation of mercury in the olfactory system. Gamma-spectrometry showed that both mercury compounds accumulated...... in the olfactory rosettes and their nerves. Tissue sections from the rosettes and olfactory nerves were subjected to autometallographic silver enhancement, thereby rendering mercury deposits visible for light and electron microscopy. Microscopic analysis demonstrated an intense and comprehensive Hg deposition...

  14. The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition and precocious maturation of early-rearing Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldrop, Thomas; Summerfelt, Steven T.; Mazik, Patricia M.; Good, Christopher

    2018-01-01

    Swimming exercise, typically measured in body-lengths per second (BL/s), and dissolved oxygen (DO), are important environmental variables in fish culture. While there is an obvious physiological association between these two parameters, their interaction has not been adequately studied in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Because exercise and DO are variables that can be easily manipulated in modern aquaculture systems, we sought to assess the impact of these parameters, alone and in combination, on the performance, health and welfare of juvenile Atlantic salmon. In our study, Atlantic salmon fry were stocked into 12 circular 0.5 m3 tanks in a flow-through system and exposed to either high (1.5–2 BL/s) or low (salmon early rearing can result in improved growth performance and a lower incidence of precocious parr.

  15. Remodeling of the notochord during development of vertebral fusions in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ytteborg, Elisabeth; Torgersen, Jacob Seilø; Pedersen, Mona E; Baeverfjord, Grete; Hannesson, Kirsten O; Takle, Harald

    2010-12-01

    Histological characterization of spinal fusions in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) has demonstrated shape alterations of vertebral body endplates, a reduced intervertebral space, and replacement of intervertebral cells by ectopic bone. However, the significance of the notochord during the fusion process has not been addressed. We have therefore investigated structural and cellular events in the notochord during the development of vertebral fusions. In order to induce vertebral fusions, Atlantic salmon were exposed to elevated temperatures from fertilization until they attained a size of 15g. Based on results from radiography, intermediate and terminal stages of the fusion process were investigated by immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Examination of structural extracellular matrix proteins such as Perlecan, Aggrecan, Elastin, and Laminin revealed reduced activity and reorganization at early stages in the pathology. Staining for elastic fibers visualized a thinner elastic membrane surrounding the notochord of developing fusions, and immunohistochemistry for Perlecan showed that the notochordal sheath was stretched during fusion. These findings in the outer notochord correlated with the loss of Aggrecan- and Substance-P-positive signals and the further loss of vacuoles from the chordocytes in the central notochord. At more progressed stages of fusion, chordocytes condensed, and the expression of Aggrecan and Substance P reappeared. The hyperdense regions seem to be of importance for the formation of notochordal tissue into bone. Thus, the remodeling of notochord integrity by reduced elasticity, structural alterations, and cellular changes is probably involved in the development of vertebral fusions.

  16. A preliminary randomized clinical trial comparing diode laser and scalpel periosteal incision during implant surgery: impact on postoperative morbidity and implant survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahnaz, Aysan; Jamali, Raika; Mohammadi, Farnush; Khorsand, Afshin; Moslemi, Neda; Fekrazad, Reza

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this preliminary randomized clinical trial was to compare: (1) post-operative morbidity after application of laser or scalpel incision for flap advancement during implant surgery and bone grafting and (2) implant survival rate following flap advancement with laser or scalpel incision after 6 months of loading. Eighteen patients who were scheduled for dental implant placement and simultaneous bone grafting were randomly assigned to test or control groups. Diode laser (810 nm, 2 W, pulse interval 200 μs; pulse length 100 μs, 400-μm initiated fiber tip), or scalpel (control) was used to sever the periosteum to create a tension-free flap. Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, rate of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) consumption, intensity of swelling, and ecchymosis were measured for the six postsurgical days. Six months after loading, implant survival was assessed. VAS pain score (during the first four postoperative days), rate of NSAID consumption (during the first three postoperative days), and intensity of swelling (during the first five postoperative days) were significantly lower in the test group compared to the control group (All P values laser for performing periosteal releasing incision reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative morbidity of the patients undergone implant surgery in conjunction with bone augmentation procedure. We did not find any detrimental effect of laser incision on the implant survival within 6 months of loading.

  17. The complete genome sequence of CrRV-Ch01, a new member of the family Rhabdoviridae in the parasitic copepod Caligus rogercresseyi present on farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Chile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Økland, Arnfinn Lodden; Skoge, Renate Hvidsten; Nylund, Are

    2018-06-01

    We have determined the complete genome sequence of a new rhabdovirus, tentatively named Caligus rogercresseyi rhabdovirus Ch01 (CrRV-Ch01), which was found in the parasite Caligus rogercresseyi, present on farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Chile. The genome encodes the five canonical rhabdovirus proteins in addition to an unknown protein, in the order N-P-M-U (unknown)-G-L. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus clusters with two rhabdoviruses (Lepeophtheirus salmonis rhabdovirus No9 and Lepeophtheirus salmonis rhabdovirus No127) obtained from another parasitic caligid, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, present on farmed Atlantic salmon on the west coast of Norway.

  18. Tapetes microbianos del Salar de Llamará, norte de Chile Microbial mats from the Llamará salt flat, northern Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CECILIA DEMERGASSO

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Se estudiaron las comunidades estratificadas de microorganismos fotosintéticos que se encuentran en el Salar de Llamará ubicado en el desierto de Atacama, norte de Chile, mediante métodos microscópicos y espectrofotométricos. El espesor de la zona fótica de los tapetes descritos varió entre 8 y 30 mm lo cual podría atribuirse a la granulometría y la composición mineralógica de los sedimentos. Se diferencian tres tipos de tapetes. El primero con una única capa pigmentada de color verde; el segundo con capas de colores verde y naranja y un tercero en el que se observa, además de las capas verde y naranja, una de color púrpura. En uno de los sitios muestreados no se encontraron capas pigmentadas. Debajo de la zona pigmentada el sedimento es de color blanco, excepto en uno de los sectores donde se observó una coloración negra atribuible a sulfuro de hierro. Los microorganismos predominantes de la capa naranja fueron diatomeas y cianobacterias unicelulares principalmente de los grupos Cyanothece y Synechococcus. Las cianobacterias filamentosas Microccoleus sp. y Oscillatoria sp. fueron las más abundantes en la capa verde. No se observaron diatomeas en los sitios estudiados donde la salinidad del agua intersticial osciló entre 12 y 33 %. En la capa verde de estos sitios predominaron las cianobacterias cocoides, de los grupos Synechococcus, Cyanothece y Gloeocapsa y del género Gloeobacter, sobre las cianobacterias filamentosas. La capa púrpura estuvo compuesta principalmente por bacterias fototróficas anoxigénicas similares a células de los géneros Chromatium y Thiocapsa. Los espectros de absorción revelaron que la clorofila a es el pigmento más abundante en la mayoría de las muestras analizadas. Los valores integrados de clorofila a y bacterioclorofila a alcanzaron 230 y 144 mg m-2 en el espesor de la zona pigmentada, respectivamente. También se detectaron abundantes microorganismos no fotosintéticos en los tapetes

  19. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy prolongs the survival of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared with conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy: A 10-year experience with a large cohort and long follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Meng-Xia; Li, Jing; Shen, Guo-Ping; Zou, Xiong; Xu, Jun-Jie; Jiang, Rou; You, Rui; Hua, Yi-Jun; Sun, Ying; Ma, Jun; Hong, Ming-Huang; Chen, Ming-Yuan

    2015-11-01

    To evaluate the survival benefit of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) compared with conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy (2D-CRT) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using a large cohort with long follow-up. We retrospectively analysed 7081 non-metastatic NPC patients who received curative IMRT or 2D-CRT from February 2002 to December 2011. Of the 7081 patients, 2245 (31.7%) were administered IMRT, while 4836 (68.3%) were administered 2D-CRT. At 5 years, the patients administered IMRT had significantly higher local relapse-free survival (LRFS), loco-regional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (95.6%, 92.5%, 82.1% and 87.4%, respectively) than those administered 2D-CRT (90.8%, 88.5%, 76.7% and 84.5%, respectively; p<0.001). The distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was higher for IMRT than 2D-CRT, with borderline significance (87.6% and 85.7%, respectively; p=0.056). However, no difference was observed between IMRT and 2D-CRT in nodal relapse-free survival (NRFS; 96.3% and 97.4%, respectively; p=0.217). Multivariate analyses showed that IMRT was an independent protective prognostic factor for LRFS, LRRFS and PFS, but not NRFS, DMFS or OS. IMRT provided an improved LRFS, LRRFS and PFS in both the early and advanced T classifications and overall stage for non-disseminated NPC compared with 2D-CRT. However, no significant advantage was observed in NRFS, DMFS or OS when IMRT was used. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Carbon monoxide stunning of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) modifies rigor mortis and sensory traits as revealed by NIRS and other instruments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Concollato, Anna; Parisi, Giuliana; Masoero, Giorgio; Romvàri, Robert; Olsen, Rolf-Erik; Dalle Zotte, Antonella

    2016-08-01

    Methods of stunning used in salmon slaughter are still the subject of research. Fish quality can be influenced by pre-, ante- and post-mortem conditions, including handling before slaughter, slaughter methods and storage conditions. Carbon monoxide (CO) is known to improve colour stability in red muscle and to reduce microbial growth and lipid oxidation in live fish exposed to CO. Quality differences in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stunned by CO or percussion, were evaluated and compared by different techniques [near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS), electronic nose (EN), electronic tongue (ET)] and sensory analysis. Thawed samples, freeze-dried preparates and NIRS devices proved to be the most efficient combinations for discriminating the treatments applied to salmon, i.e. first the stunning methods adopted, then the back-prediction of the maximum time to reach rigor mortis and finally to correlate some sensory attributes. A trained panel found significant differences between control and CO-stunned salmon: reduced tactile crumbliness, reduced odour and aroma intensities, and reduced tenderness of CO-treated fillets. CO stunning reduced radiation absorbance in spectra of thawed and freeze-dried fillets, but not fillet samples stored in ethanol, where it may have interacted with myoglobin and myosin. The good results in a rapid discrimination of thawed samples detected by NIRS suggest suitable applications in the fish industry. CO treatment could mitigate sensory perception, but consumer tests are needed to confirm our findings. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  1. Aplicación de la modelización geoquímica al estudio de pautas evolutivas en las salmueras del Salar de Llamará (Chile. Aproximación de método inverso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gimeno, M. J.

    1996-12-01

    Full Text Available Neutral brines of the Na-Cl type are strongly concentrated by evaporation under and arid climate in the «salar de Llamará» saline system (Chile. The PHRQPITZ geochemical code (which incorporates a chemical model based on Pitzer's equations has been used for calculating ionic activities and saturation indexes, in orden to evaluate the mineral sequence controlling the geochemical evolution of brines. It seems to exist a disequilibrium between brines and atmosphere, since the partial pressure of CO2 calculated by the code shows a progressive increase over the standard mean atmospheric value. All the samples are in equilibrium with both calcite and gypsum. Water activity conditions determine gypsum to be the more stable phase in the Ca-SO4-H2O system. Glauberite reaches saturation at late stage in the brine evolution. The more soluble saline phases do not attain saturation anytime, though more concentrated brines are almost in equilibrium with halite, mirabilite, and thenardite. The results of this thermodynamic treatment are in very good agreement with field observations. Moreover, mass-balance calculations by means of NETPATH code indicate that glauberite precipitation occurs simultaneously with gypsum dissolution.Las salmueras superficiales del salar de Llamará (Chile experimentan un proceso de concentración por evaporación a causa de la aridez del clima al que se ven sometidas. Estas salmueras son del tipo clorurado-sódico y presentan un pH aproximadamente neutro. El tratamiento de los datos hidroquímicos mediante el código de modelización PHRQPITZ (que incorpora un modelo químico basado en las ecuaciones de Pitzer ha permitido realizar el cálculo de actividades iónicas e índices de saturación mineral; estos parámetros se han usado para evaluar la secuencia de precipitación mineral que controla la evolución geoquímica de las salmueras. La presión parcial de CO2 en solución calculada por el código experimenta un ascenso

  2. Tissue sterol composition in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) depends on the dietary cholesterol content and on the dietary phytosterol:cholesterol ratio, but not on the dietary phytosterol content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sissener, Nini H; Rosenlund, Grethe; Stubhaug, Ingunn; Liland, Nina S

    2018-03-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate how the dietary sterol composition, including cholesterol, phytosterol:cholesterol ratio and phytosterols, affect the absorption, biliary excretion, retention, tissue storage and distribution of cholesterol and individual phytosterols in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). A feeding trial was conducted at two different temperatures (6 and 12°C), using nine different diets with varying contents of phytosterols, cholesterol and phytosterol:cholesterol ratio. Cholesterol retention values were clearly dependent on dietary cholesterol, and showed that fish fed cholesterol levels phytosterol:cholesterol ratio, but not on the dietary phytosterol content in itself. Campesterol and brassicasterol appeared to be the phytosterols with the highest intestinal absorption in Atlantic salmon. There was a high biliary excretion of campesterol, but not of brassicasterol, which accumulated in tissues and particularly in adipose tissue, with 2-fold-higher retention at 12°C compared with 6°C. Campesterol had the second highest retention of the phytosterols in the fish, but with no difference between the two temperatures. Other phytosterols had very low retention. Although brassicasterol retention decreased with increasing dietary phytosterols, campesterol retention decreased with increasing dietary cholesterol, indicating differences in the uptake mechanisms for these two sterols.

  3. Cra negatively regulates acid survival in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yangbo; Lu, Pei; Zhang, Yong; Li, Yunlong; Li, Lamei; Huang, Li; Chen, Shiyun

    2011-04-01

    Survival in acidic environments is important for successful infection of gastrointestinal pathogens. Many bacteria have evolved elaborate mechanisms by inducing or repressing gene expression, which subsequently provide pH homeostasis and enable acid survival. In this study, we employed comparative proteomic analysis to identify the acid-responsive proteins of a food-borne enteric bacterium, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The expression level of eight proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism was up- or downregulated over twofold at pH 4.5 compared with pH 7.0. The role of a global transcriptional regulator catabolite repressor/activator Cra was further studied in this acid survival process. lacZ-fusion analysis showed that expression of cra was repressed under acidic pH. Deletion of the cra gene increased acid survival by 10-fold, whereas complementation restored the wild-type phenotype. These results lead us to propose that, in response to acidic pH, the expression of cra gene is downregulated to increase acid survival. This is the first study to demonstrate the regulatory role of Cra in acid survival in an enteric bacterium. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of algal-produced neurotoxins on metabolic activity in telencephalon, optic tectum and cerebellum of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakke, Marit Jorgensen; Horsberg, Tor Einar

    2007-01-01

    Neurotoxins from algal blooms have been reported to cause mortality in a variety of species, including sea birds, sea mammals and fish. Farmed fish cannot escape harmful algal blooms and their potential toxins, thus they are more vulnerable for exposure than wild stocks. Sublethal doses of the toxins are likely to affect fish behaviour and may impair cognitive abilities. In the present study, changes in the metabolic activity in different parts of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) brain involved in central integration and cognition were investigated after exposure to sublethal doses of three algal-produced neurotoxins; saxitoxin (STX), brevetoxin (BTX) and domoic acid (DA). Fish were randomly selected to four groups for i.p. injection of saline (control) or one of the neurotoxins STX (10 μg STX/kg bw), BTX (68 μg BTX/kg bw) or DA (6 mg DA/kg bw). In addition, 14 C-2-deoxyglucose was i.m. injected to measure brain metabolic activity by autoradiography. The three regions investigated were telencephalon (Tel), optic tectum (OT) and cerebellum (Ce). There were no differences in the metabolic activity after STX and BTX exposure compared to the control in these regions. However, a clear increase was observed after DA exposure. When the subregions with the highest metabolic rate were pseudocoloured in the three brain regions, the three toxins caused distinct differences in the respective patterns of metabolic activation. Fish exposed to STX displayed similar patterns as the control fish, whereas fish exposed to BTX and DA showed highest metabolic activity in subregions different from the control group. All three neurotoxins affected subregions that are believed to be involved in cognitive abilities in fish

  5. Nesting success and survival rates of suburban Olive Thrushes ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reproductive rate, clutch size, nesting success and survival rate of dependent fledglings were estimated from breeding records in the Eastern Cape. These data were used to estimate survival rate of independent fledglings. The estimated adult survival rate in this region was high and the clutch size was small, compared to ...

  6. Coping with unpredictability: dopaminergic and neurotrophic responses to omission of expected reward in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco A Vindas

    Full Text Available Comparative studies are imperative for understanding the evolution of adaptive neurobiological processes such as neural plasticity, cognition, and emotion. Previously we have reported that prolonged omission of expected rewards (OER, or 'frustrative nonreward' causes increased aggression in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar. Here we report changes in brain monoaminergic activity and relative abundance of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF and dopamine receptor mRNA transcripts in the same paradigm. Groups of fish were initially conditioned to associate a flashing light with feeding. Subsequently, the expected food reward was delayed for 30 minutes during two out of three meals per day in the OER treatment, while the previously established routine was maintained in control groups. After 8 days there was no effect of OER on baseline brain stem serotonin (5-HT or dopamine (DA activity. Subsequent exposure to acute confinement stress led to increased plasma cortisol and elevated turnover of brain stem DA and 5-HT in all animals. The DA response was potentiated and DA receptor 1 (D1 mRNA abundance was reduced in the OER-exposed fish, indicating a sensitization of the DA system. In addition OER suppressed abundance of BDNF in the telencephalon of non-stressed fish. Regardless of OER treatment, a strong positive correlation between BDNF and D1 mRNA abundance was seen in non-stressed fish. This correlation was disrupted by acute stress, and replaced by a negative correlation between BDNF abundance and plasma cortisol concentration. These observations indicate a conserved link between DA, neurotrophin regulation, and corticosteroid-signaling pathways. The results also emphasize how fish models can be important tools in the study of neural plasticity and responsiveness to environmental unpredictability.

  7. Developmental Hypoxia Has Negligible Effects on Long-Term Hypoxia Tolerance and Aerobic Metabolism of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, Andrew T; Clark, Timothy D; Andrewartha, Sarah J; Elliott, Nicholas G; Frappell, Peter B

    Exposure to developmental hypoxia can have long-term impacts on the physiological performance of fish because of irreversible plasticity. Wild and captive-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) can be exposed to hypoxic conditions during development and continue to experience fluctuating oxygen levels as juveniles and adults. Here, we examine whether developmental hypoxia impacts subsequent hypoxia tolerance and aerobic performance of Atlantic salmon. Individuals at 8°C were exposed to 50% (hypoxia) or 100% (normoxia) dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation (as percent of air saturation) from fertilization for ∼100 d (800 degree days) and then raised in normoxic conditions for a further 15 mo. At 18 mo after fertilization, aerobic scope was calculated in normoxia (100% DO) and acute (18 h) hypoxia (50% DO) from the difference between the minimum and maximum oxygen consumption rates ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively) at 10°C. Hypoxia tolerance was determined as the DO at which loss of equilibrium (LOE) occurred in a constantly decreasing DO environment. There was no difference in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], or aerobic scope between fish raised in hypoxia or normoxia. There was some evidence that hypoxia tolerance was lower (higher DO at LOE) in hypoxia-raised fish compared with those raised in normoxia, but the magnitude of the effect was small (12.52% DO vs. 11.73% DO at LOE). Acute hypoxia significantly reduced aerobic scope by reducing [Formula: see text], while [Formula: see text] remained unchanged. Interestingly, acute hypoxia uncovered individual-level relationships between DO at LOE and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and aerobic scope. We discuss our findings in the context of developmental trajectories and the role of aerobic performance in hypoxia tolerance.

  8. Probabilistic Survivability Versus Time Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joyner, James J., Sr.

    2016-01-01

    This presentation documents Kennedy Space Center's Independent Assessment work completed on three assessments for the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program to assist the Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer during key programmatic reviews and provided the GSDO Program with analyses of how egress time affects the likelihood of astronaut and ground worker survival during an emergency. For each assessment, a team developed probability distributions for hazard scenarios to address statistical uncertainty, resulting in survivability plots over time. The first assessment developed a mathematical model of probabilistic survivability versus time to reach a safe location using an ideal Emergency Egress System at Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B); the second used the first model to evaluate and compare various egress systems under consideration at LC-39B. The third used a modified LC-39B model to determine if a specific hazard decreased survivability more rapidly than other events during flight hardware processing in Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building.

  9. Young patients with colorectal cancer have poor survival in the first twenty months after operation and predictable survival in the medium and long-term: Analysis of survival and prognostic markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wickramarachchi RE

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives This study compares clinico-pathological features in young (50 years with colorectal cancer, survival in the young and the influence of pre-operative clinical and histological factors on survival. Materials and methods A twelve year prospective database of colorectal cancer was analysed. Fifty-three young patients were compared with forty seven consecutive older patients over fifty years old. An analysis of survival was undertaken in young patients using Kaplan Meier graphs, non parametric methods, Cox's Proportional Hazard Ratios and Weibull Hazard models. Results Young patients comprised 13.4 percent of 397 with colorectal cancer. Duration of symptoms and presentation in the young was similar to older patients (median, range; young patients; 6 months, 2 weeks to 2 years, older patients; 4 months, 4 weeks to 3 years, p > 0.05. In both groups, the majority presented without bowel obstruction (young - 81%, older - 94%. Cancer proximal to the splenic flexure was present more in young than in older patients. Synchronous cancers were found exclusively in the young. Mucinous tumours were seen in 16% of young and 4% of older patients (p Conclusion If patients, who are less than 40 years old with colorectal cancer, survive twenty months after operation, the prognosis improves and their survival becomes predictable.

  10. Physical activity and survival in breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ammitzbøll, Gunn; Søgaard, Karen; Karlsen, Randi V

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE: Knowledge about lifestyle factors possibly influencing survival after breast cancer (BC) is paramount. We examined associations between two types of postdiagnosis physical activity (PA) and overall survival after BC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used prospective data on 959 BC survivors from...... the Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort, all enrolled before diagnosis. Self-reported PA was measured as time per activity, and estimated metabolic equivalent task (MET)-hours per week were summed for each activity. We constructed measures for household, exercise, and total PA. The association between...... from all causes during the study period. In adjusted analyses, exercise PA above eight MET h/week compared to lower levels of activity was significantly associated with improved overall survival (HR, 0.68; confidence interval [CI]: 0.47-0.99). When comparing participation in exercise to non...

  11. Immunomodulatory Effects of Dietary Seaweeds in LPS Challenged Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar as Determined by Deep RNA Sequencing of the Head Kidney Transcriptome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palstra, Arjan P.; Kals, Jeroen; Blanco Garcia, Ainhoa; Dirks, Ron P.; Poelman, Marnix

    2018-01-01

    Seaweeds may represent immuno-stimulants that could be used as health-promoting fish feed components. This study was performed to gain insights into the immunomodulatory effects of dietary seaweeds in Atlantic salmon. Specifically tested were 10% inclusion levels of Laminaria digitata (SW1) and a commercial blend of seaweeds (Oceanfeed®) (SW2) against a fishmeal based control diet (FMC). Differences between groups were assessed in growth, feed conversion ratio and blood parameters hematocrit and hemoglobin. After a LPS challenge of fish representing each of the three groups, RNAseq was performed on the head kidney as major immune organ to determine transcriptomic differences in response to the immune activation. Atlantic salmon fed with dietary seaweeds did not show major differences in performance in comparison with fishmeal fed fish. RNAseq resulted in ∼154 million reads which were mapped against a NCBI Salmo salar reference and against a de novo assembled S. salar reference for analyses of expression of immune genes and ontology of immune processes among the 87,600 cDNA contigs. The dietary seaweeds provoked a more efficient immune response which involved more efficient identification of the infection site, and processing and presentation of antigens. More specifically, chemotaxis and the chemokine-mediated signaling were improved and therewith the defense response to Gram-positive bacterium reduced. Specific Laminaria digitata effects included reduction of the interferon-gamma-mediated signaling. Highly upregulated and specific for this diet was the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I-related gene protein. The commercial blend of seaweeds caused more differential expression than Laminaria digitata and improved immune processes such as receptor-mediated endocytosis and cell adhesion, and increased the expression of genes involved in response to lipopolysaccharide and inflammatory response. Particularly, expression of many important immune

  12. Dietary soya saponins increase gut permeability and play a key role in the onset of soyabean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Sven David Lausten; Jutfelt, Fredrik; Sundh, Henrik

    2008-01-01

    are naturally occurring amphiphilic molecules and have been associated with many biological activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether soya saponins trigger the onset of soyabean-induced enteritis in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and to examine if dietary soya saponins...... increase the epithelial permeability of the distal intestine in Atlantic salmon. Seven experimental diets containing different levels of soya saponins were fed to seawater-adapted Atlantic salmon for 53 d. The diets included a fishmeal-based control diet, two fishmeal-based diets with different levels...... of added soya saponins, one diet containing 25 % lupin kernel meal, two diets based on 25 % lupin kernel meal with different levels of added soya saponins, and one diet containing 25 % defatted soyabean meal. The effect on intestinal morphology, intestinal epithelial permeability and faecal DM content...

  13. Attempt to validate breakpoint MIC values estimated from pharmacokinetic data obtained during oxolinic acid therapy of winter ulcer disease in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Coyne, R.; Bergh, Ø.; Samuelsen, O.

    2004-01-01

    Concentrations of oxolinic acid (OXA) were measured in the plasma, muscle, liver, and kidney of 48 Atlantic salmons (Salmo salar) 1 day after the end of an oral administration. OXA was administered over a period of 13 days to control an outbreak of winter ulcer disease in a commercial marine farm...... administration of OXA. A numerical description of the concentration of the antimicrobial agent achieved in therapy is necessary to determine the resistance or sensitivity of the bacteria involved in the infection. The degree of fish-to-fish variation in the concentrations of OXA, both within the healthy fish...... a useful parameter for describing the concentrations of agents achieved during therapy. The plasma data from this investigation were used to estimate clinically relevant breakpoint minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The validity of these breakpoint values was discussed with reference...

  14. Starvation-survival of subsurface bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magill, N.G.

    1988-01-01

    The ability of four subsurface isolates to survive starvation was examined and the results were compared to survival curves obtained for Escherichia coli B and Serratia marcescens. To examine the starvation-survival phenomenon further, several experimental parameters including nutritional history, initial cell density, growth phase, temperature of growth and starvation, and aeration. Nutritional history, initial cell density, and growth phases of the cells had some effect on the ability of these bacteria to survive whereas temperature and limited aeration had no effect under the conditions tested. No conditions were found where E. coli B or Serratia marcescens died rapidly or where less than 10% of the original cell number of viable cells remained. Because the apparent survival of these bacteria may be due to cryptic growth, cross-feeding experiments with 14 C-labeled cells and unlabeled cells were carried out with E. coli B and Pseudomonas Lula V. Leaked extracellular 14 C-compounds were not used for growth or maintenance energy, and were not taken up by either bacterium. Cryptic growth did not occur; the cells were truly starving under the experimental conditions used

  15. Evidence for an autumn downstream migration of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar (Linnaeus) and brown trout Salmo trutta (Linnaeus) parr to the Baltic Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taal, Imre; Kesler, Martin; Saks, Lauri; Rohtla, Mehis; Verliin, Aare; Svirgsden, Roland; Jürgens, Kristiina; Vetemaa, Markus; Saat, Toomas

    2014-06-01

    In the eastern Baltic rivers, anadromous salmonid parr are known to smoltify and migrate to the sea from March until June, depending on latitude, climate and hydrological conditions. In this study, we present the first records of autumn descent of brown trout Salmo trutta and Atlantic salmon Salmo salar from the Baltic Sea Basin. Otolith microchemistry analyses revealed that these individuals hatched in freshwater and had migrated to the brackish water shortly prior to capture. The fish were collected in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2013 from Eru Bay (surface salinity 4.5-6.5 ‰), Gulf of Finland. This relatively wide temporal range of observations indicates that the autumn descent of anadromous salmonids is not a random event. These results imply that autumn descent needs more consideration in the context of the effective stock management, assessment and restoration of Baltic salmonid populations and their habitats.

  16. Implant survival after total elbow arthroplasty

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Plaschke, Hans Christian; Thillemann, Theis M; Brorson, Stig

    2014-01-01

    in 234 patients at a mean follow-up of 8.7 years (range, 0-27 years). The overall 5-year survival was 90% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88%-94%), and 10-year survival was 81% (95% CI, 76%-86%). TEAs performed with the unlinked design had a relative risk of revision of 1.9 (95% CI, 1.1-3.2) compared...... was to evaluate implant survival and risk factors for revision of TEAs inserted in patients in the eastern part of Denmark in the period from 1980 until 2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Danish National Patient Register provided personal identification numbers for patients who underwent TEA procedures from 1980...

  17. Water contaminated with Didymosphenia geminata generates changes in Salmo salar spermatozoa activation times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivares, Pamela; Orellana, Paola; Guerra, Guillermo; Peredo-Parada, Matías; Chavez, Viviana; Ramirez, Alfredo; Parodi, Jorge

    2015-06-01

    Didimosphenia geminata ("didymo"), has become a powerful and devastating river plague in Chile. A system was developed in D. geminata channels with the purpose evaluating the effects of water polluted with didymo on the activation of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) spermatozoa. Results indicate that semen, when activated with uncontaminated river water had an average time of 60±21s. When using Powermilt, (a commercial activator), times of 240±21s are achieved, while rivers contaminated with D. geminata achieve a motility time of 30±12s. Interestingly enough, the kinetic parameters of VSL, VCL and VAP showed no significant changes under all of the conditions. Furthermore, the presence of D. geminata reduces activation time of the samples as the cells age, indicating increased effects in spermatozoa that are conserved for more than 5 days. D. geminata has antioxidant content, represented by polyphenols; 200ppm of polyphenol were obtained in this study per 10g of microalgae. Spermatozoa exposed to these extracts showed a reduction in mobility time in a dose dependent manner, showing an IC50 of 15ppm. The results suggest an effect on spermatozoa activation, possibly due to the release of polyphenols present in contaminated rivers, facilitating the alteration of sperm motility times, without affecting the viability or kinetics of the cells. These findings have important implications for current policy regarding the control of the algae. Current control measures focus on the number of visible species, and not on the compounds that they release, which this study shows, also have a problematic effect on salmon production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Freshwater-Brine Mixing Zone Hydrodynamics in Salt Flats (Salar de Atacama)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marazuela, M. A.; Vázquez-Suñé, E.; Custodio, E.; Palma, T.; García-Gil, A.

    2017-12-01

    The increase in the demand of strategic minerals for the development of medicines and batteries require detailed knowledge of the salt flats freshwater-brine interface to make its exploitation efficient. The interface zone is the result of a physical balance between the recharged and evaporated water. The sharp interface approach assumes the immiscibility of the fluids and thus neglects the mixing between them. As a consequence, for miscible fluids it is more accurate and often needed to use the mixing zone concept, which results from the dynamic equilibrium of flowing freshwater and brine. In this study, we consider two and three-dimensional scale approaches for the management of the mixing zone. The two-dimensional approach is used to understand the dynamics and the characteristics of the salt flat mixing zone, especially in the Salar de Atacama (Atacama salt flat) case. By making use of this model we analyze and quantify the effects of the aquitards on the mixing zone geometry. However, the understanding of the complex physical processes occurring in the salt flats and the management of these environments requires the adoption of three-dimensional regional scale numerical models. The models that take into account the effects of variable density represent the best management tool, but they require large computational resources, especially in the three-dimensional case. In order to avoid these computational limitations in the modeling of salt flats and their valuable ecosystems, we propose a three-step methodology, consisting of: (1) collection, validation and interpretation of the hydrogeochemical data, (2) identification and three-dimensional mapping of the mixing zone on the land surface and in depth, and (3) application of a water head correction to the freshwater and mixed water heads in order to compensate the density variations and to transform them to brine water heads. Finally, an evaluation of the sensibility of the mixing zone to anthropogenic and

  19. Prokaryotic diversity and community composition in the Salar de Uyuni, a large scale, chaotropic salt flat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    dC Rubin, Sergio S; Marín, Irma; Gómez, Manuel J; Morales, Eduardo A; Zekker, Ivar; San Martín-Uriz, Patxi; Rodríguez, Nuria; Amils, Ricardo

    2017-09-01

    Salar de Uyuni (SdU), with a geological history that reflects 50 000 years of climate change, is the largest hypersaline salt flat on Earth and is estimated to be the biggest lithium reservoir in the world. Its salinity reaches saturation levels for NaCl, a kosmotropic salt, and high concentrations of MgCL 2 and LiCl, both salts considered important chaotrophic stressors. In addition, extreme temperatures, anoxic conditions, high UV irradiance, high albedo and extremely low concentrations of phosphorous, make SdU a unique natural extreme environment in which to contrast hypotheses about limiting factors of life diversification. Geophysical studies of brines from different sampling stations show that water activity is rather constant along SdU. Geochemical measurements show significant differences in magnesium concentration, ranging from 0.2 to 2M. This work analyses the prokaryotic diversity and community structure at four SdU sampling stations, selected according to their location and ionic composition. Prokaryotic communities were composed of both Archaea (with members of the classes Halobacteria, Thermoplasmata and Nanohaloarchaea, from the Euryarchaeota and Nanohaloarcheota phyla respectively) and Bacteria (mainly belonging to Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla). The important differences in composition of microbial communities inversely correlate with Mg 2+ concentration, suggesting that prokaryotic diversity at SdU is chaotropic dependent. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. A comparative study of survival rates after treatment with induction chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiraga, Yukihiro; Kou, Junichi

    2012-01-01

    Since 1989 our treatment approach for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has involved comprehensive treatment with chemotherapy, radiation followed by surgery, if needed. Between 1989 and 2005 chemotherapy using fluorouracil and carboplatin div was administered as induction chemotherapy (ICT), and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) was administered more recently between 2006 and 2011. In this study we compared the statistical difference in 3-year survival rates between the ICT group and CCRT group. The number of target patients was 137, all of which were previously untreated and suffered from locoregionally advanced HNSCC: 52 with Stage III, 78 with Stage IVA, 7 with Stage IVB. In the ICT and CCRT groups, 3-year cause-specific survival rates were 68.2% and 76.3% respectively, both of which were statistically not recessive compared to those in the other issues. Furthermore, the rate between the two groups was identified as significant for Stage III and not significant for Stage IV. In conclusion, the addition of new modalities for the treatment of far-advanced HNSCC should be mandatory. (author)

  1. Outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation - predictors of survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishtiaq, O.; Iqbal, M.; Zubair, M.; Qayyum, R.; Adil, M.

    2008-01-01

    To assess the outcomes of patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Data were collected retrospectively of all adult patients who underwent CPR. Clinical outcomes of interest were survival at the end of CPR and survival at discharge from hospital. Factors associated with survival were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Of the 159 patients included, 55 (35%) were alive at the end of CPR and 17 (11%) were discharged alive from the hospital. At the end of CPR, univariate logistic regression analysis found the following factors associated with survival: cardiac arrest within hospital as compared to outside the hospital (odds ratio = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.27-6.20, p-value = 0.01), both cardiac and pulmonary arrest as compared to either cardiac or pulmonary arrest (odds ratio = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.19- 0.73, p-value = 0.004), asystole as cardiac rhythm at presentation (odds ratio = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24-0.93, p-value = 0.03), and total atropine dose given during CPR (odds ratio = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.62-0.97, p-value = 0.02). In multivariate logistic regression, cardiac arrest within hospital (odds ratio = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.06-5.99, p-value = 0.04) and both cardiac and pulmonary arrest as compared to cardiac or pulmonary arrest (odds ratio = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21-0.91, p-value = 0.03) were associated with survival at the end of CPR. At the time of discharge from hospital, univariate logistic regression analysis found following factors that were associated with survival: cardiac arrest within hospital (odds ratio = 8.4, 95% CI = 1.09-65.64, p-value = 0.04), duration of CPR (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85-0.96, p-value = 0.001), and total atropine dose given during CPR (odds ratio = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.47-0.99, p-value = 0.05). In multivariate logistic regression analysis cardiac arrest within hospital (odds ratio 8.69, 95% CI = 1.01-74.6, p-value = 0.05) and duration of CPR (odds ratio 0.92, 95% CI = 0.87-0.98, p-value = 0.01) were associated with survival at

  2. Cell survival of human tumor cells compared with normal fibroblasts following 60Co gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lloyd, E.L.; Henning, C.B.; Reynolds, S.D.; Holmblad, G.L.; Trier, J.E.

    1982-01-01

    Three tumor cell lines, two of which were shown to be HeLa cells, were irradiated with 60 Co gamma irradiation, together with two cell cultures of normal human diploid fibroblasts. Cell survival was studied in three different experiments over a dose range of 2 to 14 gray. All the tumor cell lines showed a very wide shoulder in the dose response curves in contrast to the extremely narrow shoulder of the normal fibroblasts. In addition, the D/sub o/ values for the tumor cell lines were somewhat greater. These two characteristics of the dose response curves resulted in up to 2 orders of magnitude less sensitivity for cell inactivation of HeLa cells when compared with normal cells at high doses (10 gray). Because of these large differences, the extrapolation of results from the irradiation of HeLa cells concerning the mechanisms of normal cell killing should be interpreted with great caution

  3. Comparison of cancer survival in New Zealand and Australia, 2006-2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aye, Phyu S; Elwood, J Mark; Stevanovic, Vladimir

    2014-12-19

    Previous studies have shown substantially higher mortality rates from cancer in New Zealand compared to Australia, but these studies have not included data on patient survival. This study compares the survival of cancer patients diagnosed in 2006-10 in the whole populations of New Zealand and Australia. Identical period survival methods were used to calculate relative survival ratios for all cancers combined, and for 18 cancers each accounting for more than 50 deaths per year in New Zealand, from 1 to 10 years from diagnosis. Cancer survival was lower in New Zealand, with 5-year relative survival being 4.2% lower in women, and 3.8% lower in men for all cancers combined. Of 18 cancers, 14 showed lower survival in New Zealand; the exceptions, with similar survival in each country, being melanoma, myeloma, mesothelioma, and cervical cancer. For most cancers, the differences in survival were maximum at 1 year after diagnosis, becoming smaller later; however, for breast cancer, the survival difference increased with time after diagnosis. The lower survival in New Zealand, and the higher mortality rates shown earlier, suggest that further improvements in recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in New Zealand should be possible. As the survival differences are seen soon after diagnosis, issues of early management in primary care and time intervals to diagnosis and treatment may be particularly important.

  4. Patients double-seropositive for ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies have varied renal survival, frequency of relapse, and outcomes compared to single-seropositive patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAdoo, Stephen P; Tanna, Anisha; Hrušková, Zdenka; Holm, Lisa; Weiner, Maria; Arulkumaran, Nishkantha; Kang, Amy; Satrapová, Veronika; Levy, Jeremy; Ohlsson, Sophie; Tesar, Vladimir; Segelmark, Mårten; Pusey, Charles D

    2017-09-01

    Co-presentation with both ANCA and anti-GBM antibodies is thought to be relatively rare. Current studies of such 'double-positive' cases report small numbers and variable outcomes. To study this further we retrospectively analyzed clinical features and long-term outcomes of a large cohort of 568 contemporary patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis, 41 patients with anti-GBM disease, and 37 double-positive patients with ANCA and anti-GBM disease from four European centers. Double-positive patients shared characteristics of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), such as older age distribution and longer symptom duration before diagnosis, and features of anti-GBM disease, such as severe renal disease and high frequency of lung hemorrhage at presentation. Despite having more evidence of chronic injury on renal biopsy compared to patients with anti-GBM disease, double-positive patients had a greater tendency to recover from being dialysis-dependent after treatment and had intermediate long-term renal survival compared to the single-positive patients. However, overall patient survival was similar in all three groups. Predictors of poor patient survival included advanced age, severe renal failure, and lung hemorrhage at presentation. No single-positive anti-GBM patients experienced disease relapse, whereas approximately half of surviving patients with AAV and double-positive patients had recurrent disease during a median follow-up of 4.8 years. Thus, double-positive patients have a truly hybrid disease phenotype, requiring aggressive early treatment for anti-GBM disease, and careful long-term follow-up and consideration for maintenance immunosuppression for AAV. Since double-positivity appears common, further work is required to define the underlying mechanisms of this association and define optimum treatment strategies. Copyright © 2017 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Biofilm formation enhances Helicobacter pylori survivability in vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Chow Goon; Loke, Mun Fai; Goh, Khean Lee; Vadivelu, Jamuna; Ho, Bow

    2017-04-01

    To date, the exact route and mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori remains elusive. The detection of H. pylori in food using molecular approaches has led us to postulate that the gastric pathogen may survive in the extragastric environment for an extended period. In this study, we show that H. pylori prolongs its survival by forming biofilm and micro-colonies on vegetables. The biofilm forming capability of H. pylori is both strain and vegetable dependent. H. pylori strains were classified into high and low biofilm formers based on their highest relative biofilm units (BU). High biofilm formers survived longer on vegetables compared to low biofilm formers. The bacteria survived better on cabbage compared to other vegetables tested. In addition, images captured on scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscopes revealed that the bacteria were able to form biofilm and reside as micro-colonies on vegetable surfaces, strengthening the notion of possible survival of H. pylori on vegetables for an extended period of time. Taken together, the ability of H. pylori to form biofilm on vegetables (a common food source for human) potentially plays an important role in its survival, serving as a mode of transmission of H. pylori in the extragastric environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Landscape‐level patterns in fawn survival across North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gingery, Tess M.; Diefenbach, Duane R.; Wallingford, Bret D.; Rosenberry, Christopher S.

    2018-01-01

    A landscape‐level meta‐analysis approach to examining early survival of ungulates may elucidate patterns in survival not evident from individual studies. Despite numerous efforts, the relationship between fawn survival and habitat characteristics remains unclear and there has been no attempt to examine trends in survival across landscape types with adequate replication. In 2015–2016, we radiomarked 98 white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns in 2 study areas in Pennsylvania. By using a meta‐analysis approach, we compared fawn survival estimates from across North America using published data from 29 populations in 16 states to identify patterns in survival and cause‐specific mortality related to landscape characteristics, predator communities, and deer population density. We modeled fawn survival relative to percentage of agricultural land cover and deer density. Estimated average survival to 3–6 months of age was 0.414 ± 0.062 (SE) in contiguous forest landscapes (no agriculture) and for every 10% increase in land area in agriculture, fawn survival increased 0.049 ± 0.014. We classified cause‐specific mortality as human‐caused, natural (excluding predation), and predation according to agriculturally dominated, forested, and mixed (i.e., both agricultural and forest cover) landscapes. Predation was the greatest source of mortality in all landscapes. Landscapes with mixed forest and agricultural cover had greater proportions and rates of human‐caused mortalities, and lower proportions and rates of mortality due to predators, when compared to forested landscapes. Proportion and rate of natural deaths did not differ among landscapes. We failed to detect any relationship between fawn survival and deer density. The results highlight the need to consider multiple spatial scales when accounting for factors that influence fawn survival. Furthermore, variation in mortality sources and rates among landscapes indicate the potential for

  7. Reduced survival for uncemented compared to cemented total hip arthroplasty after operatively treated acetabular fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarke-Jenssen, John; Westberg, Marianne; Røise, Olav; Storeggen, Stein Arne Øvre; Bere, Tone; Silberg, Ingunn; Madsen, Jan Erik

    2017-11-01

    Post traumatic arthritis and avascular necrosis of the femoral head are common complications after operatively treated acetabular fractures. This may cause severe disabilities for the patient, necessitating a total hip arthroplasty. Even though an arthroplasty may provide good symptomatic relief, the long-term results are more uncertain and no consensus exists according to preferred prosthetic designs. With this cohort study, we aimed to investigate the medium to long term arthroplasty survival and clinical results of total hip arthroplasty after operatively treated acetabular fractures. We included 52 patients treated with a secondary total hip arthroplasty at a median of 2.4 (0.1-14.1) years after an operatively treated acetabular fracture. The median age was 54 (11-82) years. Cemented arthroplasty was used for 33 patients, 10 patients had an uncemented arthroplasty and 9 patients received a hybrid arthroplasty. Average follow up was 8.0 (SD 5.0) years. Ten-year revision free arthroplasty survival was 79%. Uncemented arthroplasties had a significantly worse 10-year survival of 57%. Arthroplasties performed at a centre without a pelvic fracture service also had a significantly worse 10-years survival of 51%. Cox regression showed similar results with an 8-fold increase in risk of revision for both uncemented arthroplasties and operations performed at a non-pelvic trauma centre. Total hip arthroplasty secondary to an operatively treated acetabular fracture provides good symptomatic relief. These patients are, however, complex cases and are probably best treated at specialist centres with both pelvic trauma surgeons and arthroplasty surgeons proficient in complex revisions present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Improved Metastasis- and Disease-Free Survival With Preoperative Sequential Short-Course Radiation Therapy and FOLFOX Chemotherapy for Rectal Cancer Compared With Neoadjuvant Long-Course Chemoradiotherapy: Results of a Matched Pair Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovina, Stephanie; Youssef, Fady; Roy, Amit; Aggarwal, Sonya; Khwaja, Shariq; DeWees, Todd; Tan, Benjamin; Hunt, Steven; Myerson, Robert J; Chang, Daniel T; Parikh, Parag J; Olsen, Jeffrey R

    2017-10-01

    To compare treatment and toxicity outcomes between a phase 2 institutional trial of near total neoadjuvant therapy (nTNT) for locally advanced rectal cancer and a similar historical control cohort treated at Washington University in St. Louis with the current US standard of care, defined as neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT), total mesorectal excision (TME), and adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy; to expand the comparison to an additional institution, patients treated with similar NCRT at Stanford University were included. Sixty-nine patients with cT3-4N0-2M0 rectal adenocarcinoma enrolled on the Washington University in St. Louis phase 2 study of nTNT were included for analysis. Patients treated at the same institution with conventional NCRT and adjuvant FOLFOX were matched for exact cTNM stage. Forty-one patients treated with NCRT at Stanford University were included in a second analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to compare local control, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Median follow-up was 49 and 54 months for nTNT and NCRT, respectively. Pathologic complete response and T-downstaging rates were 28% versus 16% (P=.21) and 75% versus 41% (P<.001) in the nTNT and NCRT cohorts, respectively. Three-year disease-free survival (85% vs 68%, P=.032) was significantly better in the nTNT group. Actuarial 3-year local control (92% vs 96%, P=.36) and overall survival (96% vs 88%, P=.67) were similar. The Stanford cohort had significantly lower clinical stage. After controlling for clinical stage, age, tumor location, institution, and number of chemotherapy cycles, nTNT treatment remained significantly associated with lower risk of recurrence (P=.006). Patients treated with nTNT had higher T-downstaging and superior distant metastasis-free survival and disease-free survival compared with conventional NCRT when matched for tumor location and exact cTNM stage. Near total neoadjuvant therapy remained a

  9. Fertility, survival, and conformation of Montbéliarde × Holstein and Viking Red × Holstein crossbred cows compared with pure Holstein cows during first lactation in 8 commercial dairy herds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazel, A R; Heins, B J; Hansen, L B

    2017-11-01

    Montbéliarde (MO) × Holstein (HO) and Viking Red (VR) × HO crossbred cows were compared with pure HO cows in 8 large, high-performance dairy herds in Minnesota. All cows calved for the first time from December 2010 to April 2014. Fertility and survival traits were calculated from records of insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving, and disposal that were recorded via management software. Body condition score and conformation were subjectively scored once during early lactation by trained evaluators. The analysis of survival to 60 d in milk included 536 MO × HO, 560 VR × HO, and 1,033 HO cows during first lactation. Cows analyzed for other fertility, survival, and conformation traits had up to 13% fewer cows available for analysis. The first service conception rate of the crossbred cows (both types combined) increased 7%, as did the conception rate across the first 5 inseminations, compared with the HO cows during first lactation. Furthermore, the combined crossbred cows (2.11 ± 0.05) had fewer times bred than HO cows (2.30 ± 0.05) and 10 fewer d open compared with their HO herdmates. Across the 8 herds, breed groups did not differ for survival to 60 d in milk; however, the superior fertility of the crossbred cows allowed an increased proportion of the combined crossbreds (71 ± 1.5%) to calve a second time within 14 mo compared with the HO cows (63 ± 1.5%). For survival to second calving, the combined crossbred cows had 4% superior survival compared with the HO cows. The MO × HO and VR × HO crossbred cows both had increased body condition score (+0.50 ± 0.02 and +0.25 ± 0.02, respectively) but shorter stature and less body depth than HO cows. The MO × HO cows had less set to the hock and a steeper foot angle than the HO cows, and the VR × HO cows had more set to the hock with a similar foot angle to the HO cows. The combined crossbred cows had less udder clearance from the hock than HO cows, more width between both front and rear teats, and longer

  10. An analysis of genetic stock identification on a small geographical scale using microsatellite markers, and its application in the management of a mixed-stock fishery for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in Ireland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ensing, D; Crozier, W W; Boylan, P; O'Maoiléidigh, N; McGinnity, P

    2013-06-01

    A genetic stock identification (GSI) study was undertaken in a fishery for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar to determine the effects of restrictive fishery management measures on the stock composition of the fishery, and if accurate and precise stock composition estimates could be achieved on the small geographical scale where this fishery operates, using a suite of only seven microsatellite loci. The stock composition of the Foyle fishery was shown to comprise almost exclusively of Foyle origin fish in the 3 years after restrictive measures were introduced in 2007, compared to 85% the year before. This showed that the restrictive measures resulted in the Foyle fishery being transformed from a mixed-stock fishery to an almost exclusively single-stock fishery, and showed how GSI studies can guide and evaluate management decisions to successfully manage these fisheries. Highly accurate and precise stock composition estimates were achieved in this study, using both cBAYES and ONCOR genetic software packages. This suggests accurate and precise stock composition is possible even on small geographical scales. © 2013 AFBINI. Journal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  11. Partitioning of excess mortality in population-based cancer patient survival studies using flexible parametric survival models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eloranta Sandra

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Relative survival is commonly used for studying survival of cancer patients as it captures both the direct and indirect contribution of a cancer diagnosis on mortality by comparing the observed survival of the patients to the expected survival in a comparable cancer-free population. However, existing methods do not allow estimation of the impact of isolated conditions (e.g., excess cardiovascular mortality on the total excess mortality. For this purpose we extend flexible parametric survival models for relative survival, which use restricted cubic splines for the baseline cumulative excess hazard and for any time-dependent effects. Methods In the extended model we partition the excess mortality associated with a diagnosis of cancer through estimating a separate baseline excess hazard function for the outcomes under investigation. This is done by incorporating mutually exclusive background mortality rates, stratified by the underlying causes of death reported in the Swedish population, and by introducing cause of death as a time-dependent effect in the extended model. This approach thereby enables modeling of temporal trends in e.g., excess cardiovascular mortality and remaining cancer excess mortality simultaneously. Furthermore, we illustrate how the results from the proposed model can be used to derive crude probabilities of death due to the component parts, i.e., probabilities estimated in the presence of competing causes of death. Results The method is illustrated with examples where the total excess mortality experienced by patients diagnosed with breast cancer is partitioned into excess cardiovascular mortality and remaining cancer excess mortality. Conclusions The proposed method can be used to simultaneously study disease patterns and temporal trends for various causes of cancer-consequent deaths. Such information should be of interest for patients and clinicians as one way of improving prognosis after cancer is

  12. Survival and cause of death after transcatheter aortic valve replacement as compared to an age- and sex-matched background population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Theut, Marie; Thygesen, Julie B; De Backer, Ole

    2017-01-01

    AIMS: This study aimed to assess survival and causes of death in a real-world TAVR population as compared to an age- and sex-matched background population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Each aortic stenosis (AS) patient treated with TAVR in Eastern Denmark between 2007 and 2014 (n=617) was matched with 25...... age- and sex-matched controls (n=15,425) randomly drawn from the general Danish population. In the total TAVR population, early mortality (≤90 days) was significantly higher (hazard ratio [HR] 3.90 [2.82-5.39]; p

  13. Identification and characterisation of TLR18-21 genes in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, P T; Zou, J; Holland, J W; Martin, S A M; Collet, B; Kanellos, T; Secombes, C J

    2014-12-01

    Teleost fish possess many types of toll-like receptor (TLR) some of which exist in other vertebrate groups and some that do not (ie so-called "fish-specific" TLRs). In this study, we identified in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) whole-genome shotgun (WGS) contigs seven TLRs that are not found in mammals, including six types of fish-specific TLRs (one TLR18, one TLR19, and four TLR20 members (two of which are putative soluble forms (s)) and one TLR21. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that teleost TLR19-21 are closely related with murine TLR11-TLR13, whilst teleost TLR18 groups with mammalian TLR1, 2, 6 and 10. A typical TLR protein domain structure was found in all these TLRs with the exception of TLR20b(s) and TLR20c(s). TLR-GFP expression plasmids transfected into SHK-1 cells showed that salmon TLR19, TLR20a and TLR20d were preferentially localised to the intracellular compartment. Real time PCR analysis suggested that salmon TLR19-TLR21 are mainly expressed in immune related organs, such as spleen, head kidney and gills, while TLR18 transcripts are more abundant in muscle. In vitro stimulation of primary head kidney cells with type I IFN, IFNγ and IL-1β had no impact on TLR expression. Infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) infection, in vivo, down-regulated TLR20a, TLR20b(s), TLR20d and TLR21 in infected salmon kidney tissue. In contrast, up-regulation of TLR19 and TLR20a expression was found in posterior kidney in rainbow trout with clinical proliferative kidney disease (PKD). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Cancer survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a national study of survival rates and excess mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Condon, John R; Zhang, Xiaohua; Baade, Peter; Griffiths, Kalinda; Cunningham, Joan; Roder, David M; Coory, Michael; Jelfs, Paul L; Threlfall, Tim

    2014-01-31

    National cancer survival statistics are available for the total Australian population but not Indigenous Australians, although their cancer mortality rates are known to be higher than those of other Australians. We aimed to validate analysis methods and report cancer survival rates for Indigenous Australians as the basis for regular national reporting. We used national cancer registrations data to calculate all-cancer and site-specific relative survival for Indigenous Australians (compared with non-Indigenous Australians) diagnosed in 2001-2005. Because of limited availability of Indigenous life tables, we validated and used cause-specific survival (rather than relative survival) for proportional hazards regression to analyze time trends and regional variation in all-cancer survival between 1991 and 2005. Survival was lower for Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australians for all cancers combined and for many cancer sites. The excess mortality of Indigenous people with cancer was restricted to the first three years after diagnosis, and greatest in the first year. Survival was lower for rural and remote than urban residents; this disparity was much greater for Indigenous people. Survival improved between 1991 and 2005 for non-Indigenous people (mortality decreased by 28%), but to a much lesser extent for Indigenous people (11%) and only for those in remote areas; cancer survival did not improve for urban Indigenous residents. Cancer survival is lower for Indigenous than other Australians, for all cancers combined and many individual cancer sites, although more accurate recording of Indigenous status by cancer registers is required before the extent of this disadvantage can be known with certainty. Cancer care for Indigenous Australians needs to be considerably improved; cancer diagnosis, treatment, and support services need to be redesigned specifically to be accessible and acceptable to Indigenous people.

  15. Primary surgery results in no survival benefit compared to primary radiation for oropharyngeal cancer patients stratified by high-risk human papilloma virus status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lybak, Stein; Ljøkjel, Borghild; Haave, Hilde; Karlsdottir, Àsa; Vintermyr, Olav K; Aarstad, Hans Jørgen

    2017-01-01

    We changed the primary oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treatment recommendation from primary radiation therapy (RT) to tumor surgery and neck dissection, followed by RT around the year 2000 with apparently improved survival. However, high-risk human papilloma virus (hr-HPV)-16-caused OPSCCs have increased during this period. Furthermore, hr-HPV+ OPSCC carry a better prognosis than hr-HPV-negative patients. We have, therefore, evaluated the 5-year survival in the period from 1992 to 1999 versus 2000 to 2008 stratified by hr-HPV tumor infection status. Ninety-six OPSCC patients were treated from 1992 to 1999 compared with 136 patients from 2000 to 2008. The 5-year disease-specific survival (DDS) and overall survival (OS) were recorded, while the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores were obtained from some of the cured patients. Thirty-eight (40 %) in the first period and 86 OPSCCs (63 %) in the second period were hr-HPV+. In the first period, 16 versus 62 patients in the last period were treated by neck dissection, primary tumor surgery, and RT. DSS among all the hr-HPV-negative patients in the first period was 51 versus 55 % in the second period, and the corresponding OS was 33 versus 31 %, respectively. The DSS among all the hr-HPV+ patients was 78 % in the first period versus 77 % in the second period, while the OS was 71 versus 69 %, respectively. The HRQoL scores among successfully treated patients were worse following surgery, plus RT than RT only. The hr-HPV-adjusted 5-year survival in OPSCC patients was similar between the two time periods. A decreased HRQoL was associated with surgical therapy, which indicates that hr-HPV+ OPSCC patients may be treated by primary RT followed by major surgery only if RT treatment fails.

  16. Multidimensional Poverty and Child Survival in India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Sanjay K.

    2011-01-01

    Background Though the concept of multidimensional poverty has been acknowledged cutting across the disciplines (among economists, public health professionals, development thinkers, social scientists, policy makers and international organizations) and included in the development agenda, its measurement and application are still limited. Objectives and Methodology Using unit data from the National Family and Health Survey 3, India, this paper measures poverty in multidimensional space and examine the linkages of multidimensional poverty with child survival. The multidimensional poverty is measured in the dimension of knowledge, health and wealth and the child survival is measured with respect to infant mortality and under-five mortality. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyses and the life table methods are used in the analyses. Results The estimates of multidimensional poverty are robust and the inter-state differentials are large. While infant mortality rate and under-five mortality rate are disproportionately higher among the abject poor compared to the non-poor, there are no significant differences in child survival among educationally, economically and health poor at the national level. State pattern in child survival among the education, economical and health poor are mixed. Conclusion Use of multidimensional poverty measures help to identify abject poor who are unlikely to come out of poverty trap. The child survival is significantly lower among abject poor compared to moderate poor and non-poor. We urge to popularize the concept of multiple deprivations in research and program so as to reduce poverty and inequality in the population. PMID:22046384

  17. Multidimensional poverty and child survival in India.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanjay K Mohanty

    Full Text Available Though the concept of multidimensional poverty has been acknowledged cutting across the disciplines (among economists, public health professionals, development thinkers, social scientists, policy makers and international organizations and included in the development agenda, its measurement and application are still limited. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY: Using unit data from the National Family and Health Survey 3, India, this paper measures poverty in multidimensional space and examine the linkages of multidimensional poverty with child survival. The multidimensional poverty is measured in the dimension of knowledge, health and wealth and the child survival is measured with respect to infant mortality and under-five mortality. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyses and the life table methods are used in the analyses.The estimates of multidimensional poverty are robust and the inter-state differentials are large. While infant mortality rate and under-five mortality rate are disproportionately higher among the abject poor compared to the non-poor, there are no significant differences in child survival among educationally, economically and health poor at the national level. State pattern in child survival among the education, economical and health poor are mixed.Use of multidimensional poverty measures help to identify abject poor who are unlikely to come out of poverty trap. The child survival is significantly lower among abject poor compared to moderate poor and non-poor. We urge to popularize the concept of multiple deprivations in research and program so as to reduce poverty and inequality in the population.

  18. Multidimensional poverty and child survival in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Sanjay K

    2011-01-01

    Though the concept of multidimensional poverty has been acknowledged cutting across the disciplines (among economists, public health professionals, development thinkers, social scientists, policy makers and international organizations) and included in the development agenda, its measurement and application are still limited. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY: Using unit data from the National Family and Health Survey 3, India, this paper measures poverty in multidimensional space and examine the linkages of multidimensional poverty with child survival. The multidimensional poverty is measured in the dimension of knowledge, health and wealth and the child survival is measured with respect to infant mortality and under-five mortality. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyses and the life table methods are used in the analyses. The estimates of multidimensional poverty are robust and the inter-state differentials are large. While infant mortality rate and under-five mortality rate are disproportionately higher among the abject poor compared to the non-poor, there are no significant differences in child survival among educationally, economically and health poor at the national level. State pattern in child survival among the education, economical and health poor are mixed. Use of multidimensional poverty measures help to identify abject poor who are unlikely to come out of poverty trap. The child survival is significantly lower among abject poor compared to moderate poor and non-poor. We urge to popularize the concept of multiple deprivations in research and program so as to reduce poverty and inequality in the population.

  19. Estimation of age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions using US and Catalan survival data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Background During the last part of the 1990s the chance of surviving breast cancer increased. Changes in survival functions reflect a mixture of effects. Both, the introduction of adjuvant treatments and early screening with mammography played a role in the decline in mortality. Evaluating the contribution of these interventions using mathematical models requires survival functions before and after their introduction. Furthermore, required survival functions may be different by age groups and are related to disease stage at diagnosis. Sometimes detailed information is not available, as was the case for the region of Catalonia (Spain). Then one may derive the functions using information from other geographical areas. This work presents the methodology used to estimate age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions from scarce Catalan survival data by adapting the age- and stage-specific US functions. Methods Cubic splines were used to smooth data and obtain continuous hazard rate functions. After, we fitted a Poisson model to derive hazard ratios. The model included time as a covariate. Then the hazard ratios were applied to US survival functions detailed by age and stage to obtain Catalan estimations. Results We started estimating the hazard ratios for Catalonia versus the USA before and after the introduction of screening. The hazard ratios were then multiplied by the age- and stage-specific breast cancer hazard rates from the USA to obtain the Catalan hazard rates. We also compared breast cancer survival in Catalonia and the USA in two time periods, before cancer control interventions (USA 1975–79, Catalonia 1980–89) and after (USA and Catalonia 1990–2001). Survival in Catalonia in the 1980–89 period was worse than in the USA during 1975–79, but the differences disappeared in 1990–2001. Conclusion Our results suggest that access to better treatments and quality of care contributed to large improvements in survival in Catalonia. On

  20. Natural selection constrains personality and brain gene expression differences in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thörnqvist, Per-Ove; Höglund, Erik; Winberg, Svante

    2015-04-01

    In stream-spawning salmonid fishes there is a considerable variation in the timing of when fry leave the spawning nests and establish a feeding territory. The timing of emergence from spawning nests appears to be related to behavioural and physiological traits, e.g. early emerging fish are bolder and more aggressive. In the present study, emerging Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) alevins were sorted into three fractions: early, intermediate and late emerging. At the parr stage, behaviour, stress responses, hindbrain monoaminergic activity and forebrain gene expression were explored in fish from the early and late emerging fractions (first and last 25%). The results show that when subjected to confinement stress, fish from the late emerging fraction respond with a larger activation of the brain serotonergic system than fish from the early fraction. Similarly, in late emerging fish, stress resulted in elevated expression of mRNA coding for serotonin 1A receptors (5-HT1A), GABA-A receptor-associated protein and ependymin, effects not observed in fish from the early emerging fraction. Moreover, fish from the early emerging fraction displayed bolder behaviour than their late emerging littermates. Taken together, these results suggest that time of emergence, boldness and aggression are linked to each other, forming a behavioural syndrome in juvenile salmon. Differences in brain gene expression between early and late emerging salmon add further support to a relationship between stress coping style and timing of emergence. However, early and late emerging salmon do not appear to differ in hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis reactivity, another characteristic of divergent stress coping styles. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  1. Survival analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badwe, R.A.

    1999-01-01

    The primary endpoint in the majority of the studies has been either disease recurrence or death. This kind of analysis requires a special method since all patients in the study experience the endpoint. The standard method for estimating such survival distribution is Kaplan Meier method. The survival function is defined as the proportion of individuals who survive beyond certain time. Multi-variate comparison for survival has been carried out with Cox's proportional hazard model

  2. Characterization of natural variation in North American Atlantic Salmon populations (Salmonidae: Salmo salar) at a locus with a major effect on sea age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusche, Henrik; Côté, Guillaume; Hernandez, Cécilia; Normandeau, Eric; Boivin-Delisle, Damien; Bernatchez, Louis

    2017-08-01

    Age at maturity is a key life-history trait of most organisms. In anadromous salmonid fishes such as Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar ), age at sexual maturity is associated with sea age, the number of years spent at sea before the spawning migration. For the first time, we investigated the presence of two nonsynonymous vgll3 polymorphisms in North American Atlantic Salmon populations that relate to sea age in European salmon and quantified the natural variation at these and two additional candidate SNPs from two other genes. A targeted resequencing assay was developed and 1,505 returning adult individuals of size-inferred sea age and sex from four populations were genotyped. Across three of four populations sampled in Québec, Canada, the late-maturing component (MSW) of the population of a given sex exhibited higher proportions of SNP genotypes 54Thr vgll3 and 323Lys vgll3 compared to early-maturing fish (1SW), for example, 85% versus 53% of females from Trinité River carried 323Lys vgll3 ( n MSW  = 205 vs. n 1SW  = 30; p 66%) to be female. In summary, two nonsynonymous vgll3 polymorphisms were confirmed in North American populations of Atlantic Salmon and our results suggest that variation at those loci correlates with sea age and sex. Our results also suggest that this correlation varies among populations. Future work would benefit from a more balanced sampling and from adding data on juvenile riverine life stages to contrast our data.

  3. Baking reduces prostaglandin, resolvin, and hydroxy-fatty acid content of farm-raised Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raatz, Susan K; Golovko, Mikhail Y; Brose, Stephen A; Rosenberger, Thad A; Burr, Gary S; Wolters, William R; Picklo, Matthew J

    2011-10-26

    The consumption of seafood enriched in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Several n-3 oxidation products from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) have known protective effects in the vasculature. It is not known whether the consumption of cooked seafood enriched in n-3 PUFA causes appreciable consumption of lipid oxidation products. We tested the hypothesis that baking Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) increases the level of n-3 and n-6 PUFA oxidation products over raw salmon. We measured the contents of several monohydroxy-fatty acids (MHFA), prostanoids, and resolvins. Our data demonstrate that baking did not change the overall total levels of MHFA. However, baking resulted in selective regioisomeric loss of hydroxy fatty acids from arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and EPA, while significantly increasing hydroxyl-linoleic acid levels. The contents of prostanoids and resolvins were reduced several-fold with baking. The inclusion of a coating on the salmon prior to baking reduced the loss of some MHFA but had no effect on prostanoid losses incurred by baking. Baking did not decrease n-3 PUFA contents, indicating that baking of salmon is an acceptable means of preparation that does not alter the potential health benefits of high n-3 seafood consumption. The extent to which the levels of MHFA, prostanoids, and resolvins in the raw or baked fish have physiologic consequence for humans needs to be determined.

  4. Sublethal effects in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to mixtures of copper, aluminium and gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heier, Lene Sørlie; Teien, Hans Christian; Oughton, Deborah; Tollefsen, Knut-Erik; Olsvik, Pål A.; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Lind, Ole Christian; Farmen, Eivind; Skipperud, Lindis; Salbu, Brit

    2013-01-01

    The present study was designed to investigate the effects in presmolt of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to copper (Cu), aluminium (Al) and gamma radiation, individually or in combination. Fish were exposed for 48 h to metals added to lake water; 10, 40 and 80 μg Cu/L, 250 μg Al/L and a combination of 40 μg Cu/L and 250 μg Al/L. In addition, gamma radiation (4–70 mGy delivered over 48 h) was added as an additional exposure stressor. Selected endpoints were chosen to reveal different toxic mechanisms and included Cu and Al accumulation on gills, blood chemistry and haematological variables (plasma sodium and chloride, haematocrit, glucose), hepatic levels of reduced and oxidised glutathione (GSH and GSSG) and hepatic transcriptional response of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), metallothionein (MT) and ubiquitin. Exposure to Cu alone resulted in gill accumulation of Cu, reduction of plasma ions and increased transcriptional response of GPx, MT and ubiquitin. Exposure to Al alone reduced plasma ion levels but did not affect any of the hepatic biomarkers except for ubiquitin. The combined metal exposure (Cu + Al) altered the GSH levels, however GPx and MT were not affected suggesting a different mode of detoxification in the combined exposure. Gamma radiation appeared to influence GSH and ubiquitin levels. The observed effects seemed to be both stressor and concentration dependent

  5. Gill pathology in Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., associated with the microsporidian Desmozoon lepeophtherii Freeman et Sommerville, 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthews, C G G; Richards, R H; Shinn, A P; Cox, D I

    2013-10-01

    Gill disorders have emerged in recent years as a significant problem in the production of marine-stage Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. The multi-aetiological condition 'proliferative gill inflammation' (PGI) has been reported to cause heavy losses in western Norway, yet reports of Scottish cases of the disease have remained anecdotal. In the present study, histopathological material from a marine production site in the Scottish Highlands experiencing mortalities due to a seasonal gill disease with proliferative-type pathology was examined using light microscopy, special staining techniques and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microsporidian Desmozoon lepeophtherii Freeman et Sommerville, 2009 (syn. Paranucleospora theridion) was identified by staining using a Gram Twort method and TEM associated with distinctive proliferative and necrotic pathology confined to the interlamellar Malpighian cell areas of the primary filaments. Epitheliocystis was not a feature of the gill pathology observed. It is believed this is the first report of D. lepeophtherii being identified associated with pathology in a Scottish gill disease case, and supports anecdotal reports that a disease at least partly synonymous with PGI as described by Norwegian researchers is present in Scottish aquaculture. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin and methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin in patients with locally advanced and metastatic bladder cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roberts, J. T.; Maase, Hans von der; Sengeløv, Lisa

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To compare long-term survival in patients with locally advanced       and metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium treated       with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) or       methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC). PATIENTS AND       METHODS: Efficacy.......       CONCLUSIONS: Long-term overall and progression-free survival following       treatment with GC or MVAC are similar. These results strengthen the role       of GC as a standard of care in patients with locally advanced and       metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC)....

  7. Early survival factor deprivation in the olfactory epithelium enhances activity-dependent survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrien eFrançois

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The neuronal olfactory epithelium undergoes permanent renewal because of environmental aggression. This renewal is partly regulated by factors modulating the level of neuronal apoptosis. Among them, we had previously characterized endothelin as neuroprotective. In this study, we explored the effect of cell survival factor deprivation in the olfactory epithelium by intranasal delivery of endothelin receptors antagonists to rat pups. This treatment induced an overall increase of apoptosis in the olfactory epithelium. The responses to odorants recorded by electroolfactogram were decreased in treated animal, a result consistent with a loss of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs. However, the treated animal performed better in an olfactory orientation test based on maternal odor compared to non-treated littermates. This improved performance could be due to activity-dependent neuronal survival of OSNs in the context of increased apoptosis level. In order to demonstrate it, we odorized pups with octanal, a known ligand for the rI7 olfactory receptor (Olr226. We quantified the number of OSN expressing rI7 by RT-qPCR and whole mount in situ hybridization. While this number was reduced by the survival factor removal treatment, this reduction was abolished by the presence of its ligand. This improved survival was optimal for low concentration of odorant and was specific for rI7-expressing OSNs. Meanwhile, the number of rI7-expressing OSNs was not affected by the odorization in non-treated littermates; showing that the activity-dependant survival of OSNs did not affect the OSN population during the 10 days of odorization in control conditions. Overall, our study shows that when apoptosis is promoted in the olfactory mucosa, the activity-dependent neuronal plasticity allows faster tuning of the olfactory sensory neuron population towards detection of environmental odorants.

  8. Understanding survival analysis: Kaplan-Meier estimate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Manish Kumar; Khanna, Pardeep; Kishore, Jugal

    2010-10-01

    Kaplan-Meier estimate is one of the best options to be used to measure the fraction of subjects living for a certain amount of time after treatment. In clinical trials or community trials, the effect of an intervention is assessed by measuring the number of subjects survived or saved after that intervention over a period of time. The time starting from a defined point to the occurrence of a given event, for example death is called as survival time and the analysis of group data as survival analysis. This can be affected by subjects under study that are uncooperative and refused to be remained in the study or when some of the subjects may not experience the event or death before the end of the study, although they would have experienced or died if observation continued, or we lose touch with them midway in the study. We label these situations as censored observations. The Kaplan-Meier estimate is the simplest way of computing the survival over time in spite of all these difficulties associated with subjects or situations. The survival curve can be created assuming various situations. It involves computing of probabilities of occurrence of event at a certain point of time and multiplying these successive probabilities by any earlier computed probabilities to get the final estimate. This can be calculated for two groups of subjects and also their statistical difference in the survivals. This can be used in Ayurveda research when they are comparing two drugs and looking for survival of subjects.

  9. Impact of prior treatment and depth of response on survival in MM-003, a randomized phase 3 study comparing pomalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone versus high-dose dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

    Science.gov (United States)

    San Miguel, Jesus F.; Weisel, Katja C.; Song, Kevin W.; Delforge, Michel; Karlin, Lionel; Goldschmidt, Hartmut; Moreau, Philippe; Banos, Anne; Oriol, Albert; Garderet, Laurent; Cavo, Michele; Ivanova, Valentina; Alegre, Adrian; Martinez-Lopez, Joaquin; Chen, Christine; Renner, Christoph; Bahlis, Nizar Jacques; Yu, Xin; Teasdale, Terri; Sternas, Lars; Jacques, Christian; Zaki, Mohamed H.; Dimopoulos, Meletios A.

    2015-01-01

    Pomalidomide is a distinct oral IMiD® immunomodulatory agent with direct antimyeloma, stromal-support inhibitory, and immunomodulatory effects. The pivotal, multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 trial MM-003 compared pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone in 455 patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma after failure of bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment. Initial results demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival with an acceptable tolerability profile for pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone vs high-dose dexamethasone. This secondary analysis describes patient outcomes by treatment history and depth of response. Pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone significantly prolonged progression-free survival and favored overall survival vs high-dose dexamethasone for all subgroups analyzed, regardless of prior treatments or refractory status. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that no variable relating to either the number (≤ or > 3) or type of prior treatment was a significant predictor of progression-free survival or overall survival. No cross-resistance with prior lenalidomide or thalidomide treatment was observed. Patients achieving a minimal response or better to pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone treatment experienced a survival benefit, which was even higher in those achieving at least a partial response (17.2 and 19.9 months, respectively, as compared with 7.5 months for patients with less than minimal response). These data suggest that pomalidomide + low-dose dexamethasone should be considered a standard of care in patients with refractory or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma regardless of prior treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01311687; EudraCT: 2010-019820-30. PMID:26160879

  10. Network survivability performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-11-01

    This technical report has been developed to address the survivability of telecommunications networks including services. It responds to the need for a common understanding of, and assessment techniques for network survivability, availability, integrity, and reliability. It provides a basis for designing and operating telecommunications networks to user expectations for network survivability and a foundation for continuing industry activities in the subject area. This report focuses on the survivability of both public and private networks and covers a wide range of users. Two frameworks are established for quantifying and categorizing service outages, and for classifying network survivability techniques and measures. The performance of the network survivability techniques is considered; however, recommended objectives are not established for network survivability performance.

  11. Convergent RANK- and c-Met-mediated signaling components predict survival of patients with prostate cancer: an interracial comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Peizhen; Chung, Leland W K; Berel, Dror; Frierson, Henry F; Yang, Hua; Liu, Chunyan; Wang, Ruoxiang; Li, Qinlong; Rogatko, Andre; Zhau, Haiyen E

    2013-01-01

    We reported (PLoS One 6 (12):e28670, 2011) that the activation of c-Met signaling in RANKL-overexpressing bone metastatic LNCaP cell and xenograft models increased expression of RANK, RANKL, c-Met, and phosphorylated c-Met, and mediated downstream signaling. We confirmed the significance of the RANK-mediated signaling network in castration resistant clinical human prostate cancer (PC) tissues. In this report, we used a multispectral quantum dot labeling technique to label six RANK and c-Met convergent signaling pathway mediators simultaneously in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens, quantify the intensity of each expression at the sub-cellular level, and investigated their potential utility as predictors of patient survival in Caucasian-American, African-American and Chinese men. We found that RANKL and neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) expression predicts survival of Caucasian-Americans with PC. A Gleason score ≥ 8 combined with nuclear p-c-Met expression predicts survival in African-American PC patients. Neuropilin-1, p-NF-κB p65 and VEGF are predictors for the overall survival of Chinese men with PC. These results collectively support interracial differences in cell signaling networks that can predict the survival of PC patients.

  12. Socioeconomic disparity in survival after breast cancer in ireland: observational study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul M Walsh

    Full Text Available We evaluated the relationship between breast cancer survival and deprivation using data from the Irish National Cancer Registry. Cause-specific survival was compared between five area-based socioeconomic deprivation strata using Cox regression. Patient and tumour characteristics and treatment were compared using modified Poisson regression with robust variance estimation. Based on 21356 patients diagnosed 1999-2008, age-standardized five-year survival averaged 80% in the least deprived and 75% in the most deprived stratum. Age-adjusted mortality risk was 33% higher in the most deprived group (hazard ratio 1.33, 95% CI 1.21-1.45, P<0.001. The most deprived groups were more likely to present with advanced stage, high grade or hormone receptor-negative cancer, symptomatically, or with significant comorbidity, and to be smokers or unmarried, and less likely to have breast-conserving surgery. Cox modelling suggested that the available data on patient, tumour and treatment factors could account for only about half of the survival disparity (adjusted hazard ratio 1.18, 95% CI 0.97-1.43, P = 0.093. Survival disparity did not diminish over time, compared with the period 1994-1998. Persistent survival disparities among Irish breast cancer patients suggest unequal use of or access to services and highlight the need for further research to understand and remove the behavioural or other barriers involved.

  13. Optimism and survival: does an optimistic outlook predict better survival at advanced ages? A twelve-year follow-up of Danish nonagenarians

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engberg, Henriette; Jeune, Bernard; Andersen-Ranberg, Karen

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies examining predictors of survival among the oldest-old have primarily focused on objective measures, such as physical function and health status. Only a few studies have examined the effect of personality traits on survival, such as optimism. The aim of this study...... physical and cognitive functioning and disease were taken into account the association between optimism and survival weakened in both sexes, but the general pattern persisted. Optimistic women were still at lower risk of death compared to neutral women [HR 0.85, 95 % CI (0.74-0.97)]. The risk of death...

  14. A Comparative Study of Survival Rate in High Grade Glioma Tumors Being Treated by Radiotherapy Alone Versus Chemoradiation With Nitrosourea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houshyari, Mohammad; Hajalikhani, Farzaneh; Rakhsha, Afshin; Hajian, Parastoo

    2015-03-25

    In adults, malignant glioma (high-grade glioma) is one of the most common brain tumors. In spite of different types of treatment, the outcome is still not likely to be favorable. The aim of this study was to determine the difference between survival rate in adult patients with high grade glioma treated by radiotherapy only and those treated by a combination of radiotherapy and nitrosurea-based chemotherapy. This study was conducted using the records of 48 patients with grade 3 or 4 of glial brain tumor referred to the radiation-oncology ward of Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital in Tehran, Iran from 2005 to 2012. The patients had undergone radiotherapy alone or adjuvant chemoradiation with nitrosourea. The median survival of patients after receiving the different types of treatment were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log -rank exam. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis for median survival regarding to the patients' age, gender, extent of surgery, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank exam. We used the Cox-model for multivariate analysis. Records of 48 patients were studied (34 men and 14 women). The mean survival were 18 months for men and 15.2 months for women (P=0.05). Around 58% (28 patients) were more than 50 years old, and 42% (20 patients) were less than 50, and mean survival for the two age groups were 13 and 20 months, respectively (P<0.001). Then, the patients were divided into three groups according to the extent of surgery, i.e., excisional biopsy (11 patients), stereotactic biopsy (22 patients), and resection (15 patients), and the mean survival for the three groups were 14.7, 17.3, and 18.8 months, respectively. There was no significant statistical difference for mean survival between the three groups (P=0.23). The KPS was greater than 70% in 23 patients and less than 70% in 21 patients, and the mean survival for the former and latter groups were 17.6 and 16 months, respectively (P=0

  15. Nutritional Evaluation of an EPA-DHA Oil from Transgenic Camelina sativa in Feeds for Post-Smolt Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L..

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica B Betancor

    Full Text Available Vegetable oils (VO are possible substitutes for fish oil in aquafeeds but their use is limited by their lack of omega-3 (n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA. However, oilseed crops can be modified to produce n-3 LC-PUFA such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA and docosahexaenoic (DHA acids, representing a potential option to fill the gap between supply and demand of these important nutrients. Camelina sativa was metabolically engineered to produce a seed oil with around 15% total n-3 LC-PUFA to potentially substitute for fish oil in salmon feeds. Post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar were fed for 11-weeks with one of three experimental diets containing either fish oil (FO, wild-type Camelina oil (WCO or transgenic Camelina oil (DCO as added lipid source to evaluate fish performance, nutrient digestibility, tissue n-3 LC-PUFA, and metabolic impact determined by liver transcriptome analysis. The DCO diet did not affect any of the performance or health parameters studied and enhanced apparent digestibility of EPA and DHA compared to the WCO diet. The level of total n-3 LC-PUFA was higher in all the tissues of DCO-fed fish than in WCO-fed fish with levels in liver similar to those in fish fed FO. Endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthetic activity was observed in fish fed both the Camelina oil diets as indicated by the liver transcriptome and levels of intermediate metabolites such as docosapentaenoic acid, with data suggesting that the dietary combination of EPA and DHA inhibited desaturation and elongation activities. Expression of genes involved in phospholipid and triacylglycerol metabolism followed a similar pattern in fish fed DCO and WCO despite the difference in n-3 LC-PUFA contents.

  16. Nutritional Evaluation of an EPA-DHA Oil from Transgenic Camelina sativa in Feeds for Post-Smolt Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betancor, Mónica B; Sprague, Matthew; Sayanova, Olga; Usher, Sarah; Metochis, Christoforos; Campbell, Patrick J; Napier, Johnathan A; Tocher, Douglas R

    2016-01-01

    Vegetable oils (VO) are possible substitutes for fish oil in aquafeeds but their use is limited by their lack of omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). However, oilseed crops can be modified to produce n-3 LC-PUFA such as eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, representing a potential option to fill the gap between supply and demand of these important nutrients. Camelina sativa was metabolically engineered to produce a seed oil with around 15% total n-3 LC-PUFA to potentially substitute for fish oil in salmon feeds. Post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed for 11-weeks with one of three experimental diets containing either fish oil (FO), wild-type Camelina oil (WCO) or transgenic Camelina oil (DCO) as added lipid source to evaluate fish performance, nutrient digestibility, tissue n-3 LC-PUFA, and metabolic impact determined by liver transcriptome analysis. The DCO diet did not affect any of the performance or health parameters studied and enhanced apparent digestibility of EPA and DHA compared to the WCO diet. The level of total n-3 LC-PUFA was higher in all the tissues of DCO-fed fish than in WCO-fed fish with levels in liver similar to those in fish fed FO. Endogenous LC-PUFA biosynthetic activity was observed in fish fed both the Camelina oil diets as indicated by the liver transcriptome and levels of intermediate metabolites such as docosapentaenoic acid, with data suggesting that the dietary combination of EPA and DHA inhibited desaturation and elongation activities. Expression of genes involved in phospholipid and triacylglycerol metabolism followed a similar pattern in fish fed DCO and WCO despite the difference in n-3 LC-PUFA contents.

  17. Convergent RANK- and c-Met-mediated signaling components predict survival of patients with prostate cancer: an interracial comparative study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peizhen Hu

    Full Text Available We reported (PLoS One 6 (12:e28670, 2011 that the activation of c-Met signaling in RANKL-overexpressing bone metastatic LNCaP cell and xenograft models increased expression of RANK, RANKL, c-Met, and phosphorylated c-Met, and mediated downstream signaling. We confirmed the significance of the RANK-mediated signaling network in castration resistant clinical human prostate cancer (PC tissues. In this report, we used a multispectral quantum dot labeling technique to label six RANK and c-Met convergent signaling pathway mediators simultaneously in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE tissue specimens, quantify the intensity of each expression at the sub-cellular level, and investigated their potential utility as predictors of patient survival in Caucasian-American, African-American and Chinese men. We found that RANKL and neuropilin-1 (NRP-1 expression predicts survival of Caucasian-Americans with PC. A Gleason score ≥ 8 combined with nuclear p-c-Met expression predicts survival in African-American PC patients. Neuropilin-1, p-NF-κB p65 and VEGF are predictors for the overall survival of Chinese men with PC. These results collectively support interracial differences in cell signaling networks that can predict the survival of PC patients.

  18. Survival of Sami cancer patients

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    Leena Soininen

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. The incidence of cancer among the indigenous Sami people of Northern Finland is lower than among the Finnish general population. The survival of Sami cancer patients is not known, and therefore it is the object of this study. Study design. The cohort consisted of 2,091 Sami and 4,161 non-Sami who lived on 31 December 1978 in the two Sami municipalities of Inari and Utsjoki, which are located in Northern Finland and are 300–500 km away from the nearest central hospital. The survival experience of Sami and non-Sami cancer patients diagnosed in this cohort during 1979–2009 was compared with that of the Finnish patients outside the cohort. Methods. The Sami and non-Sami cancer patients were matched to other Finnish cancer patients for gender, age and year of diagnosis and for the site of cancer. An additional matching was done for the stage at diagnosis. Cancer-specific survival analyses were made using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression modelling. Results. There were 204 Sami and 391 non-Sami cancer cases in the cohort, 20,181 matched controls without matching with stage, and 7,874 stage-matched controls. In the cancer-specific analysis without stage variable, the hazard ratio for Sami was 1.05 (95% confidence interval 0.85–1.30 and for non-Sami 1.02 (0.86–1.20, indicating no difference between the survival of those groups and other patients in Finland. Likewise, when the same was done by also matching the stage, there was no difference in cancer survival. Conclusion. Long distances to medical care or Sami ethnicity have no influence on the cancer patient survival in Northern Finland.

  19. Dying scenarios improve recall as much as survival scenarios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Daniel J; Hart, Joshua; Kramer, Melanie E

    2014-01-01

    Merely contemplating one's death improves retention for entirely unrelated material learned subsequently. This "dying to remember" effect seems conceptually related to the survival processing effect, whereby processing items for their relevance to being stranded in the grasslands leads to recall superior to that of other deep processing control conditions. The present experiments directly compared survival processing scenarios with "death processing" scenarios. Results showed that when the survival and dying scenarios are closely matched on key dimensions, and possible congruency effects are controlled, the dying and survival scenarios produced equivalently high recall levels. We conclude that the available evidence (cf. Bell, Roer, & Buchner, 2013; Klein, 2012), while not definitive, is consistent with the possibility of overlapping mechanisms.

  20. Biostatistics series module 9: Survival analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avijit Hazra

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Survival analysis is concerned with “time to event“ data. Conventionally, it dealt with cancer death as the event in question, but it can handle any event occurring over a time frame, and this need not be always adverse in nature. When the outcome of a study is the time to an event, it is often not possible to wait until the event in question has happened to all the subjects, for example, until all are dead. In addition, subjects may leave the study prematurely. Such situations lead to what is called censored observations as complete information is not available for these subjects. The data set is thus an assemblage of times to the event in question and times after which no more information on the individual is available. Survival analysis methods are the only techniques capable of handling censored observations without treating them as missing data. They also make no assumption regarding normal distribution of time to event data. Descriptive methods for exploring survival times in a sample include life table and Kaplan–Meier techniques as well as various kinds of distribution fitting as advanced modeling techniques. The Kaplan–Meier cumulative survival probability over time plot has become the signature plot for biomedical survival analysis. Several techniques are available for comparing the survival experience in two or more groups – the log-rank test is popularly used. This test can also be used to produce an odds ratio as an estimate of risk of the event in the test group; this is called hazard ratio (HR. Limitations of the traditional log-rank test have led to various modifications and enhancements. Finally, survival analysis offers different regression models for estimating the impact of multiple predictors on survival. Cox's proportional hazard model is the most general of the regression methods that allows the hazard function to be modeled on a set of explanatory variables without making restrictive assumptions concerning the

  1. Cognitive function in families with exceptional survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barral, Sandra; Cosentino, Stephanie; Costa, Rosann

    2012-01-01

    members in the offspring generation demonstrate significantly better performance on multiple tasks requiring attention, working memory, and semantic processing when compared with individuals without a family history of exceptional survival, suggesting that cognitive performance may serve as an important......The authors investigated whether cognitive function may be used as an endophenotype for longevity by assessing the cognitive performance of a family-based cohort consisting of 1380 individuals from 283 families recruited for exceptional survival in field centers in Boston, New York, Pittsburgh......, and Denmark. Cognitive performance was assessed in the combined offspring of the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) probands and their LLFS siblings as compared with their spouses' cognitive performance. Our results indicate that the combined offspring of the LLFS probands and their siblings achieve significantly...

  2. Rare vulvar malignancies; incidence, treatment and survival in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pleunis, N.; Schuurman, M.S.; Rossum, M.M. van; Bulten, J.; Massuger, L.F.A.G.; Hullu, J.A. de; Aa, M.A. van der

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in incidence, treatment and survival of patients with basal cell carcinomas and melanomas of the vulva. Also to compare survival of vulvar and cutaneous melanoma patients. METHODS: All women with a vulvar malignancy between 1989 and 2012 were selected from the Dutch

  3. Medullary colonic carcinoma with microsatellite instability has lower survival compared with conventional colonic adenocarcinoma with microsatellite instability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel A. Gómez-Álvarez

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Colorectal medullary carcinoma (MC is a rare subtype of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PDA with unclear prognostic significance. Microsatellite instable (MSI colorectal carcinomas have demonstrated better prognosis in clinical stage II. Aim: To analyze the survival and clinicopathological characteristics of MCs versus PDAs with MSI in clinical stage III. Material and methods: We studied 22 cases of PDAs with MSI versus 10 MCs. Results : Of the 10 MCs, 7 patients were men; the mean age was 57.8 ±5.6 years. The mean tumor size was 9.6 ±4.1 cm, and the primary site was the right colon in 9; 7 patients showed lymph node metastases (LNM and lymphovascular invasion (LVI. Of the 22 PDA cases, 12 (54.5% were women with a mean age of 75 ±16.1 years. The mean tumor size was 6.4 ±3.2 cm. Twelve (54.5% presented in the right colon, 21 (95.5% showed LNM and 7 (31.8% LVI. Follow-up was 32 ±8 months, with a 5-year overall survival of 42.9% for MCs and 76.6% for PDAs (p = 0.048. Univariate analysis found local recurrence (p = 0.001 and medullary subtype (p = 0.043 associated with lower survival. Conclusions : Medullary carcinomas were of greater tumor size and associated with more LVI and worse survival versus PDAs with MSI in stage III.

  4. Prehospital cardiac arrest survival and neurologic recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillis, M; Sinclair, D; Butler, G; Cain, E

    1993-01-01

    Many studies of prehospital defibrillation have been conducted but the effects of airway intervention are unknown and neurologic follow-up has been incomplete. A non-randomized cohort prospective study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of defibrillation in prehospital cardiac arrest. Two ambulance companies in the study area developed a defibrillation protocol and they formed the experimental group. A subgroup of these patients received airway management with an esophageal obturator airway (EOA) or endotracheal intubation (ETT). The control group was composed of patients who suffered a prehospital cardiac arrest and did not receive prehospital defibrillation. All survivors were assessed for residual deficits using the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) and the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS). A total of 221 patients were studied over a 32-month period. Both the experimental group (N = 161) and the control group (N = 60) were comparable with respect to age, sex distribution, and ambulance response time. Survival to hospital discharge was 2/60 (3.3%) in the control group and 12/161 (6.3%) in the experimental group. This difference is not statistically significant. Survival in the experimental group by airway management technique was basic airway support (3/76 3.9%), EOA (3/67 4.5%), and ETT (6/48 12.5%). The improved effect on survival by ETT management was statistically significant. Survivors had minor differences in memory, work, and recreation as compared to ischemic heart disease patients as measured by the SIP and DRS. No effect of defibrillation was found on survival to hospital discharge. However, endotracheal intubation improved survival in defibrillated patients. Survivors had a good functional outcome.

  5. Association of MTHFR gene polymorphisms with breast cancer survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Damali N; Boersma, Brenda J; Howe, Tiffany M; Goodman, Julie E; Mechanic, Leah E; Chanock, Stephen J; Ambs, Stefan

    2006-01-01

    Two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, C677T and A1298C, lead to decreased enzyme activity and affect chemosensitivity of tumor cells. We investigated whether these MTHFR SNPs were associated with breast cancer survival in African-American and Caucasian women. African-American (n = 143) and Caucasian (n = 105) women, who had incident breast cancer with surgery, were recruited between 1993 and 2003 from the greater Baltimore area, Maryland, USA. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between MTHFR SNPs and disease-specific survival. We observed opposite effects of the MTHFR polymorphisms A1298C and C677T on breast cancer survival. Carriers of the variant allele at codon 1298 (A/C or C/C) had reduced survival when compared to homozygous carriers of the common A allele [Hazard ratio (HR) = 2.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–4.00]. In contrast, breast cancer patients with the variant allele at codon 677 (C/T or T/T) had improved survival, albeit not statistically significant, when compared to individuals with the common C/C genotype (HR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.31–1.35). The effects were stronger in patients with estrogen receptor-negative tumors (HR = 2.70; 95% CI, 1.17–6.23 for A/C or C/C versus A/A at codon 1298; HR = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.12–1.04 for C/T or T/T versus C/C at codon 677). Interactions between the two MTHFR genotypes and race/ethnicity on breast cancer survival were also observed (A1298C, p interaction = 0.088; C677T, p interaction = 0.026). We found that the MTHFR SNPs, C677T and A1298C, were associated with breast cancer survival. The variant alleles had opposite effects on disease outcome in the study population. Race/ethnicity modified the association between the two SNPs and breast cancer survival

  6. Brachytherapy Improves Biochemical Failure–Free Survival in Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Compared With Conventionally Fractionated External Beam Radiation Therapy: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Graham D.; Pickles, Tom; Crook, Juanita; Martin, Andre-Guy; Vigneault, Eric; Cury, Fabio L.; Morris, Jim; Catton, Charles; Lukka, Himu; Warner, Andrew; Yang, Ying; Rodrigues, George

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To compare, in a retrospective study, biochemical failure-free survival (bFFS) and overall survival (OS) in low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients who received brachytherapy (BT) (either low-dose-rate brachytherapy [LDR-BT] or high-dose-rate brachytherapy with external beam radiation therapy [HDR-BT+EBRT]) versus external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) alone. Methods and Materials: Patient data were obtained from the ProCaRS database, which contains 7974 prostate cancer patients treated with primary radiation therapy at four Canadian cancer institutions from 1994 to 2010. Propensity score matching was used to obtain the following 3 matched cohorts with balanced baseline prognostic factors: (1) low-risk LDR-BT versus EBRT; (2) intermediate-risk LDR-BT versus EBRT; and (3) intermediate-risk HDR-BT+EBRT versus EBRT. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to compare differences in bFFS (primary endpoint) and OS in the 3 matched groups. Results: Propensity score matching created acceptable balance in the baseline prognostic factors in all matches. Final matches included 2 1:1 matches in the intermediate-risk cohorts, LDR-BT versus EBRT (total n=254) and HDR-BT+EBRT versus EBRT (total n=388), and one 4:1 match in the low-risk cohort (LDR-BT:EBRT, total n=400). Median follow-up ranged from 2.7 to 7.3 years for the 3 matched cohorts. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that all BT treatment options were associated with statistically significant improvements in bFFS when compared with EBRT in all cohorts (intermediate-risk EBRT vs LDR-BT hazard ratio [HR] 4.58, P=.001; intermediate-risk EBRT vs HDR-BT+EBRT HR 2.08, P=.007; low-risk EBRT vs LDR-BT HR 2.90, P=.004). No significant difference in OS was found in all comparisons (intermediate-risk EBRT vs LDR-BT HR 1.27, P=.687; intermediate-risk EBRT vs HDR-BT+EBRT HR 1.55, P=.470; low-risk LDR-BT vs EBRT HR 1.41, P=.500). Conclusions: Propensity score matched analysis showed that BT options led

  7. Impact of housing on the survival of persons with AIDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vittinghoff Eric

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Homeless persons with HIV/AIDS have greater morbidity and mortality, more hospitalizations, less use of antiretroviral therapy, and worse medication adherence than HIV-infected persons who are stably housed. We examined the effect of homelessness on the mortality of persons with AIDS and measured the effect of supportive housing on AIDS survival. Methods The San Francisco AIDS registry was used to identify homeless and housed persons who were diagnosed with AIDS between 1996 and 2006. The registry was computer-matched with a housing database of homeless persons who received housing after their AIDS diagnosis. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to compare survival between persons who were homeless at AIDS diagnosis and those who were housed. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate the independent effects of homelessness and supportive housing on survival after AIDS diagnosis. Results Of the 6,558 AIDS cases, 9.8% were homeless at diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent of the persons who were homeless survived five years compared with 81% of those who were housed (p Conclusion Supportive housing ameliorates the negative effect of homelessness on survival with AIDS.

  8. 3D Quantitative tumour burden analysis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma before TACE: comparing single-lesion vs. multi-lesion imaging biomarkers as predictors of patient survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleckenstein, Florian N.; Schernthaner, Ruediger E.; Duran, Rafael; Sohn, Jae Ho; Sahu, Sonia; Zhao, Yan; Hamm, Bernd; Gebauer, Bernhard; Lin, MingDe; Geschwind, Jean-Francois; Chapiro, Julius

    2016-01-01

    To compare the ability of single- vs. multi-lesion assessment on baseline MRI using 1D- and 3D-based measurements to predict overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). This retrospective analysis included 122 patients. A quantitative 3D analysis was performed on baseline MRI to calculate enhancing tumour volume (ETV [cm 3 ]) and enhancing tumour burden (ETB [%]) (ratio between ETV [cm 3 ] and liver volume). Furthermore, enhancing and overall tumour diameters were measured. Patients were stratified into two groups using thresholds derived from the BCLC staging system. Statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meier plots, uni- and multivariate cox proportional hazard ratios (HR) and concordances. All methods achieved good separation of the survival curves (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed an HR of 5.2 (95 % CI 3.1-8.8, p < 0.001) for ETV [cm 3 ] and HR 6.6 (95 % CI 3.7-11.5, p < 0.001) for ETB [%] vs. HR 2.6 (95 % CI 1.2-5.6, p = 0.012) for overall diameter and HR 3.0 (95 % CI 1.5-6.3, p = 0.003) for enhancing diameter. Concordances were highest for ETB [%], with no added predictive power for multi-lesion assessment (difference between concordances not significant). 3D quantitative assessment is a stronger predictor of survival as compared to diameter-based measurements. Assessing multiple lesions provides no substantial improvement in predicting OS than evaluating the dominant lesion alone. (orig.)

  9. Melanoma patients with unknown primary site or nodal recurrence after initial diagnosis have a favourable survival compared to those with synchronous lymph node metastasis and primary tumour.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Weide

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A direct comparison of prognosis between patients with regional lymph node metastases (LNM detected synchronously with the primary melanoma (primary LNM, patients who developed their first LNM subsequently (secondary LNM and those with initial LNM in melanoma with unknown primary site (MUP is missing thus far. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Survival of 498 patients was calculated from the time point of the first macroscopic LNM using Kaplan Meier and multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients with secondary LNM (HR = 0.67; p = 0.009 and those with initial LNM in MUP (HR = 0.45; p = 0.008 had a better prognosis compared to patients with primary LNM (median survival time 52 and 65 vs. 24 months, respectively. A high number of involved nodes, the presence of in-transit/satellite metastases and male gender had an additional independent unfavourable effect. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of patients with LNM in MUP and with secondary LNM is similar and considerably more favourable compared to those with primary LNM. This difference needs to be considered during patient counselling and for stratification purposes in clinical trials. The assumption of an immune privilege of patients with MUP which is responsible for rejection of the primary melanoma, and results in a favourable prognosis is not supported by our data.

  10. Changing Pattern in Malignant Mesothelioma Survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Faig

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Survival for mesothelioma has been shown to be poor, with marginal improvement over time. Recent advances in the understanding of pathophysiology and treatment of mesothelioma may impact therapy to improve survival that may not be evident from available clinical trials that are often small and not randomized. Therapies may affect survival differently based on mesothelioma location (pleural vs peritoneal. Data are conflicting regarding the effect of asbestos exposure on mesothelioma location. OBJECTIVES: We examined survival in a large cohort of mesothelioma subjects analyzed by tumor location and presence and mode of asbestos exposure. METHODS: Data were analyzed from cases (n = 380 diagnosed with mesothelioma from 1992 to 2012. Cases were either drawn from treatment referrals, independent medical evaluation for medical legal purposes, or volunteers who were diagnosed with mesothelioma. Subjects completed an occupational medical questionnaire, personal interview with the examining physician, and physician review of the medical record. RESULTS: This study reports better survival for mesothelioma than historical reports. Survival for peritoneal mesothelioma was longer than that for pleural mesothelioma (hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.54, P < .001 after adjusting for gender and age at diagnosis. Non-occupational cases were more likely to be 1 diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, 2 female, 3 exposed, and 4 diagnosed at a younger age and to have a 5 shorter latency compared to occupational cases (P < .001. CONCLUSION: Peritoneal mesothelioma was more likely associated with non-occupational exposure, thus emphasizing the importance of exposure history in enhancing early diagnosis and treatment impact.

  11. Survival time and effect of selected predictor variables on survival in owned pet cats seropositive for feline immunodeficiency and leukemia virus attending a referral clinic in northern Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spada, Eva; Perego, Roberta; Sgamma, Elena Assunta; Proverbio, Daniela

    2018-02-01

    Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are among the most important feline infectious diseases worldwide. This retrospective study investigated survival times and effects of selected predictor factors on survival time in a population of owned pet cats in Northern Italy testing positive for the presence of FIV antibodies and FeLV antigen. One hundred and three retrovirus-seropositive cats, 53 FIV-seropositive cats, 40 FeLV-seropositive cats, and 10 FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats were included in the study. A population of 103 retrovirus-seronegative age and sex-matched cats was selected. Survival time was calculated and compared between retrovirus-seronegative, FIV, FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to study the effect of selected predictor factors (male gender, peripheral blood cytopenia as reduced red blood cells - RBC- count, leukopenia, neutropenia and lymphopenia, hypercreatininemia and reduced albumin to globulin ratio) on survival time in retrovirus-seropositive populations. Median survival times for seronegative cats, FIV, FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats were 3960, 2040, 714 and 77days, respectively. Compared to retrovirus-seronegative cats median survival time was significantly lower (P<0.000) in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats. Median survival time in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats was also significant lower (P<0.000) when compared to FIV-seropositive cats. Hazard ratio of death in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats being respectively 3.4 and 7.4 times higher, in comparison to seronegative cats and 2.3 and 4.8 times higher in FeLV and FIV+FeLV-seropositive cats as compared to FIV-seropositive cats. A Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed that FIV and FeLV-seropositive cats with reduced RBC counts at time of diagnosis of seropositivity had significantly shorter survival times when compared to FIV and Fe

  12. Soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities: survival and patterns of failure with conservative surgery and postoperative irradiation compared to surgery alone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leibel, S.A.; Tranbaugh, R.F.; Wara, W.M.; Beckstead, J.H.; Bovill, E.G.; Phillips, T.L.

    1982-01-01

    Between 1960 and 1978, 81 patients received their primary treatment for localized soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities, buttock and shoulder at the University of California, San Francisco. Initial treatment consisted of surgery alone in 47 patients, planned conservative surgery followed by radiation therapy in 29 patients, and irradiation alone in five patients. The two- and five-year determinate survival for all cases was 86% and 73%, respectively. The local control rate achieved with surgery alone was related to the extent of surgery. Eighty-seven percent (14/16) of the patients undergoing amputation were locally controlled. Seventy-two percent (8/11) were treated with wide en bloc resection and had local tumor control while only 30% (6/20) having simple excision were controlled. The local control rate with surgery and postoperative irradiation was 90% (26/29). No patients treated with irradiation therapy alone were controlled. This review suggests that local tumor control achieved with limb preserving conservative surgery and postoperative irradiation is superior to limited surgery alone. The survival and patterns of failure of patients undergoing radical surgery is comparable to combined treatment with the risk-benefit ratio favoring the latter

  13. Second Primary Malignant Neoplasms and Survival in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keegan, Theresa H M; Bleyer, Archie; Rosenberg, Aaron S; Li, Qian; Goldfarb, Melanie

    2017-11-01

    Although the increased incidence of second primary malignant neoplasms (SPMs) is a well-known late effect after cancer, few studies have compared survival after an SPM to survival of the same cancer occurring as first primary malignant neoplasm (PM) by age. To assess the survival impact of SPMs in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) (15-39 years) compared with that of pediatric (cancer in 13 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results regions in the United States diagnosed from 1992 to 2008 and followed through 2013. Data analysis was performed between June 2016 and January 2017. Five-year relative survival was calculated overall and for each cancer occurring as a PM or SPM by age at diagnosis. The impact of SPM status on cancer-specific death was examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. A total of 15 954 pediatric, 125 750 AYAs, and 878 370 older adult patients diagnosed as having 14 cancers occurring as a PM or SPM were included. Overall, 5-year survival after an SPM was 33.1% lower for children, 20.2% lower for AYAs, and 8.3% lower for older adults compared with a PM at the same age. For the most common SPMs in AYAs, the absolute difference in 5-year survival was 42% lower for secondary non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 19% for secondary breast carcinoma, 15% for secondary thyroid carcinoma, and 13% for secondary soft-tissue sarcoma. Survival by SPM status was significantly worse in younger vs older patients for thyroid, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, soft-tissue sarcoma, and central nervous system cancer. Adolescents and young adults with secondary Hodgkin lymphoma (hazard ratio [95% CI], 3.5 [1.7-7.1]); soft-tissue sarcoma (2.8 [2.1-3.9]); breast carcinoma (2.1 [1.8-2.4]); acute myeloid leukemia (1.9 [1.5-2.4]); and central nervous system cancer (1.8 [1.2-2.8]) experienced worse survival compared with AYAs with the same PMs. The adverse impact of SPMs on survival is substantial for AYAs and may partially

  14. Enhanced secondary analysis of survival data: reconstructing the data from published Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guyot, Patricia; Ades, A E; Ouwens, Mario J N M; Welton, Nicky J

    2012-02-01

    The results of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on time-to-event outcomes that are usually reported are median time to events and Cox Hazard Ratio. These do not constitute the sufficient statistics required for meta-analysis or cost-effectiveness analysis, and their use in secondary analyses requires strong assumptions that may not have been adequately tested. In order to enhance the quality of secondary data analyses, we propose a method which derives from the published Kaplan Meier survival curves a close approximation to the original individual patient time-to-event data from which they were generated. We develop an algorithm that maps from digitised curves back to KM data by finding numerical solutions to the inverted KM equations, using where available information on number of events and numbers at risk. The reproducibility and accuracy of survival probabilities, median survival times and hazard ratios based on reconstructed KM data was assessed by comparing published statistics (survival probabilities, medians and hazard ratios) with statistics based on repeated reconstructions by multiple observers. The validation exercise established there was no material systematic error and that there was a high degree of reproducibility for all statistics. Accuracy was excellent for survival probabilities and medians, for hazard ratios reasonable accuracy can only be obtained if at least numbers at risk or total number of events are reported. The algorithm is a reliable tool for meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analyses of RCTs reporting time-to-event data. It is recommended that all RCTs should report information on numbers at risk and total number of events alongside KM curves.

  15. Longitudinal left ventricular function for prediction of survival in systemic light-chain amyloidosis: incremental value compared with clinical and biochemical markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buss, Sebastian J; Emami, Mostafa; Mereles, Derliz; Korosoglou, Grigorios; Kristen, Arnt V; Voss, Andreas; Schellberg, Dieter; Zugck, Christian; Galuschky, Christian; Giannitsis, Evangelos; Hegenbart, Ute; Ho, Anthony D; Katus, Hugo A; Schonland, Stefan O; Hardt, Stefan E

    2012-09-18

    The aim of the study was to determine whether longitudinal left ventricular (LV) function provides prognostic information in a large cohort of patients with systemic light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. AL amyloidosis is associated with a high incidence of cardiovascular events. Reduced myocardial longitudinal function is one of the hallmarks of myocardial involvement in this rare disease. Two hundred six consecutive patients with biopsy-proven AL amyloidosis were investigated in this prospective observational study. Echocardiographic imaging parameters, mean tissue Doppler-derived longitudinal strain (LS), and two-dimensional global longitudinal strain (2D-GLS) of the LV, cardiac serological biomarkers, and comprehensive clinical disease characteristics were assessed. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality or heart transplantation. After a median follow-up of 1207 days, LS and 2D-GLS were significant predictors of survival in AL amyloidosis. The cutoff values discriminating survivors from nonsurvivors were -10.65% for LS and -11.78% for 2D-GLS. In a multivariable echocardiographic Cox model, only diastolic dysfunction and 2D-GLS remained as independent predictors of survival. In comprehensive clinical models, 2D-GLS (p < 0.0001), diastolic dysfunction (p < 0.01), the pathologic free light chains (p < 0.05), cardiac troponin-T (cTnT) (p < 0.01), and the Karnofsky index (p < 0.001) remained as independent predictors. 2D-GLS delineated a superior prognostic value compared with that derived from pathologic free light chains or cTnT in patients evaluated before firstline chemotherapy (n = 113; p < 0.0001), and remained the only independent predictor besides the Karnofsky index in subjects with preserved LV ejection fraction (≥50%; n = 127; p < 0.01). LS and 2D-GLS both offered significant incremental information (p < 0.001) for the assessment of outcome compared with clinical variables (age, Karnofsky index, and New York Heart Association functional class) and

  16. Survival of Alzheimer's disease patients in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Go, Seok Min; Lee, Kang Soo; Seo, Sang Won; Chin, Juhee; Kang, Sue J; Moon, So Young; Na, Duk L; Cheong, Hae-Kwan

    2013-01-01

    The natural history of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has rarely been studied in the Korean population. Our study on survival analyses in Korean AD patients potentially provides a basis for cross-cultural comparisons. We studied 724 consecutive patients from a memory disorder clinic in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, who were diagnosed as having AD between April 1995 and December 2005. Deaths were identified by the Statistics Korea database. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and a Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess factors related to patient survival. The overall median survival from the onset of first symptoms and from the time of diagnosis was 12.6 years (95% confidence interval 11.7-13.4) and 9.3 years (95% confidence interval 8.7-9.9), respectively. The age of onset, male gender, history of diabetes mellitus, lower Mini-Mental State Examination score, and higher Clinical Dementia Rating score were negatively associated with survival. There was a reversal of risk of AD between early-onset and later-onset AD, 9.1 years after onset. The results of our study show a different pattern of survival compared to those studies carried out with western AD populations. Mortality risk of early-onset AD varied depending on the duration of follow-up. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Retrospective comparative ten-year study of cumulative survival rates of remaining teeth in large edentulism treated with implant-supported fixed partial dentures or removable partial dentures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamazaki, Seiya; Arakawa, Hikaru; Maekawa, Kenji; Hara, Emilio Satoshi; Noda, Kinji; Minakuchi, Hajime; Sonoyama, Wataru; Matsuka, Yoshizo; Kuboki, Takuo

    2013-07-01

    This study aimed to compare the survival rates of remaining teeth between implant-supported fixed dentures (IFDs) and removable partial dentures (RPDs) in patients with large edentulous cases. The second goal was to assess the risk factors for remaining tooth loss. The study subjects were selected among those who received prosthodontic treatment at Okayama University Dental Hospital for their edentulous space exceeding at least four continuous missing teeth. Twenty-one patients were included in the IFD group and 82 patients were included in the RPD group. Survival rates of remaining teeth were calculated in three subcategories: (1) whole remaining teeth, (2) adjacent teeth to intended edentulous space, and (3) opposing teeth to intended edentulous space. The ten-year cumulative survival rate of the whole remaining teeth was significantly higher in the IFD group (40.0%) than in the RPD group (24.4%). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between two groups in the survival rate of teeth adjacent or opposing to intended edentulous space. A Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that RPD restoration and gender (male) were the significant risk factors for remaining tooth loss (whole remaining teeth). These results suggest that IFD treatment can reduce the incidence of remaining tooth loss in large edentulous cases. Copyright © 2013 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Impact of early salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infestation and differences in survival and marine growth of sea-ranched Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts 1997–2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skilbrei, O T; Finstad, B; Urdal, K; Bakke, G; Kroglund, F; Strand, R

    2013-01-01

    The impact of salmon lice on the survival of migrating Atlantic salmon smolts was studied by comparing the adult returns of sea-ranched smolts treated for sea lice using emamectin benzoate or substance EX with untreated control groups in the River Dale in western Norway. A total of 143 500 smolts were released in 35 release groups in freshwater from 1997 to 2009 and in the fjord system from 2007 to 2009. The adult recaptures declined gradually with release year and reached minimum levels in 2007. This development corresponded with poor marine growth and increased age at maturity of ranched salmon and in three monitored salmon populations and indicated unfavourable conditions in the Norwegian Sea. The recapture rate of treated smolts was significantly higher than the controls in three of the releases performed: the only release in 1997, one of three in 2002 and the only group released in sea water in 2007. The effect of treating the smolts against salmon lice was smaller than the variability in return rates between release groups, and much smaller that variability between release years, but its overall contribution was still significant (P < 0.05) and equivalent to an odds ratio of the probability of being recaptured of 1.17 in favour of the treated smolts. Control fish also tended to be smaller as grilse (P = 0.057), possibly due to a sublethal effect of salmon lice. PMID:23311746

  19. Improved survival after rectal cancer in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bülow, S; Harling, H; Iversen, L H

    2010-01-01

    Objective In 1995, an analysis showed an inferior prognosis after rectal cancer in Denmark compared with the other Scandinavian countries. The Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) was established with the aim of improving the prognosis, and in this study we present a survival analysis of patients...... treated from 1994 to 2006. Method The study was based on the National Rectal Cancer Registry and the National Colorectal Cancer Database, supplemented with data from the Central Population Registry. The analysis included actuarial overall and relative survival. Results A total of 10 632 patients were...

  20. Stage-specific predictive models for breast cancer survivability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kate, Rohit J; Nadig, Ramya

    2017-01-01

    Survivability rates vary widely among various stages of breast cancer. Although machine learning models built in past to predict breast cancer survivability were given stage as one of the features, they were not trained or evaluated separately for each stage. To investigate whether there are differences in performance of machine learning models trained and evaluated across different stages for predicting breast cancer survivability. Using three different machine learning methods we built models to predict breast cancer survivability separately for each stage and compared them with the traditional joint models built for all the stages. We also evaluated the models separately for each stage and together for all the stages. Our results show that the most suitable model to predict survivability for a specific stage is the model trained for that particular stage. In our experiments, using additional examples of other stages during training did not help, in fact, it made it worse in some cases. The most important features for predicting survivability were also found to be different for different stages. By evaluating the models separately on different stages we found that the performance widely varied across them. We also demonstrate that evaluating predictive models for survivability on all the stages together, as was done in the past, is misleading because it overestimates performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The effect of donor gender on renal allograft survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neugarten, J; Srinivas, T; Tellis, V; Silbiger, S; Greenstein, S

    1996-02-01

    Donor gender plays a role in the outcome of renal transplantation, but the mechanisms responsible for this effect are unclear. In this study, actuarial graft survival in 1049 recipients transplanted at Montefiore Medical Center between 1979 and 1994 was examined. It was found that donor gender had no influence on graft survival in recipients treated with precyclosporine immunosuppressive agents. In contrast, graft survival time was greater in cyclosporine-treated recipients of male donor kidneys compared with female kidneys (p demand results in hyperfiltration-mediated glomerular injury and that this is responsible for reduced survival time of female allografts. Any hypothesis purporting to explain gender-related differences in graft survival time must take into account this study's observations that the donor-gender effect was observed only in cyclosporine-treated recipients, was not seen in African-American donors, appeared soon after renal transplantation, and did not increase progressively with time. These observations are most consistent with the hypothesis that gender-related differences in graft survival time may reflect differences in susceptibility to cyclosporine nephrotoxicity or differences in the therapeutic response to cyclosporine.

  2. Survival analysis of cancer risk reduction strategies for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurian, Allison W; Sigal, Bronislava M; Plevritis, Sylvia K

    2010-01-10

    Women with BRCA1/2 mutations inherit high risks of breast and ovarian cancer; options to reduce cancer mortality include prophylactic surgery or breast screening, but their efficacy has never been empirically compared. We used decision analysis to simulate risk-reducing strategies in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and to compare resulting survival probability and causes of death. We developed a Monte Carlo model of breast screening with annual mammography plus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from ages 25 to 69 years, prophylactic mastectomy (PM) at various ages, and/or prophylactic oophorectomy (PO) at ages 40 or 50 years in 25-year-old BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. With no intervention, survival probability by age 70 is 53% for BRCA1 and 71% for BRCA2 mutation carriers. The most effective single intervention for BRCA1 mutation carriers is PO at age 40, yielding a 15% absolute survival gain; for BRCA2 mutation carriers, the most effective single intervention is PM, yielding a 7% survival gain if performed at age 40 years. The combination of PM and PO at age 40 improves survival more than any single intervention, yielding 24% survival gain for BRCA1 and 11% for BRCA2 mutation carriers. PM at age 25 instead of age 40 offers minimal incremental benefit (1% to 2%); substituting screening for PM yields a similarly minimal decrement in survival (2% to 3%). Although PM at age 25 plus PO at age 40 years maximizes survival probability, substituting mammography plus MRI screening for PM seems to offer comparable survival. These results may guide women with BRCA1/2 mutations in their choices between prophylactic surgery and breast screening.

  3. [Survival analysis with competing risks: estimating failure probability].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llorca, Javier; Delgado-Rodríguez, Miguel

    2004-01-01

    To show the impact of competing risks of death on survival analysis. We provide an example of survival time without chronic rejection after heart transplantation, where death before rejection acts as a competing risk. Using a computer simulation, we compare the Kaplan-Meier estimator and the multiple decrement model. The Kaplan-Meier method overestimated the probability of rejection. Next, we illustrate the use of the multiple decrement model to analyze secondary end points (in our example: death after rejection). Finally, we discuss Kaplan-Meier assumptions and why they fail in the presence of competing risks. Survival analysis should be adjusted for competing risks of death to avoid overestimation of the risk of rejection produced with the Kaplan-Meier method.

  4. Survival rate of breast cancer patients in Malaysia: a population-based study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, Nor Aini; Wan Mahiyuddin, Wan Rozita; Muhammad, Nor Asiah; Ali, Zainudin Mohamad; Ibrahim, Lailanor; Ibrahim Tamim, Nor Saleha; Mustafa, Amal Nasir; Kamaluddin, Muhammad Amir

    2013-01-01

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women. Other than hospital-based results, there are no documented population-based survival rates of Malaysian women for breast cancers. This population- based retrospective cohort study was therefore conducted. Data were obtained from Health Informatics Centre, Ministry of Health Malaysia, National Cancer Registry and National Registration Department for the period from 1st Jan 2000 to 31st December 2005. Cases were captured by ICD-10 and linked to death certificates to identify the status. Only complete data were analysed. Survival time was calculated from the estimated date of diagnosis to the date of death or date of loss to follow-up. Observed survival rates were estimated by Kaplan- Meier method using SPSS Statistical Software version 17. A total of 10,230 complete data sets were analysed. The mean age at diagnosis was 50.6 years old. The overall 5-year survival rate was 49% with median survival time of 68.1 months. Indian women had a higher survival rate of 54% compared to Chinese women (49%) and Malays (45%). The overall 5-year survival rate of breast cancer patient among Malaysian women was still low for the cohort of 2000 to 2005 as compared to survival rates in developed nations. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the strategies for early detection and intervention.

  5. Detection of emamectin benzoate tolerance emergence in different life stages of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, on farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, P G; Hammell, K L; Gettinby, G; Revie, C W

    2013-03-01

    Emamectin benzoate has been used to treat sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infestations on farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. Recent evidence suggests a reduction in effectiveness in some locations. A major challenge in the detection of tolerance emergence can be the typically low proportion of resistant individuals in a population during the early phases. The objectives of this study were to develop a method for determining differences in temporal development of tolerance between sea lice life stages and to explore how these differences might be used to improve the monitoring of treatment effectiveness in a clinical setting. This study examined two data sets based on records of sea lice abundance following emamectin benzoate treatments from the west coast of Scotland (2002-2006) and from New Brunswick, Canada (2004-2008). Life stages were categorized into two groups (adult females and the remaining mobile stages) to examine the trends in mean abundance and treatment effectiveness. Differences in emamectin benzoate effectiveness were found between the two groups by year and location, suggesting that an important part of monitoring drug resistance development in aquatic ectoparasites may be the need to focus on key life stages. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  6. Picturing survival memories: enhanced memory after fitness-relevant processing occurs for verbal and visual stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otgaar, Henry; Smeets, Tom; van Bergen, Saskia

    2010-01-01

    Recent studies have shown that processing words according to a survival scenario leads to superior retention relative to control conditions. Here, we examined whether a survival recall advantage could be elicited by using pictures. Furthermore, in Experiment 1, we were interested in whether survival processing also results in improved memory for details. Undergraduates rated the relevance of pictures in a survival, moving, or pleasantness scenario and were subsequently given a surprise free recall test. We found that survival processing yielded superior retention. We also found that distortions occurred more often in the survival condition than in the pleasantness condition. In Experiment 2, we directly compared the survival recall effect between pictures and words. A comparable survival recall advantage was found for pictures and words. The present findings support the idea that memory is enhanced by processing information in terms of fitness value, yet at the same time, the present results suggest that this may increase the risk for memory distortions.

  7. Breast cancer survival studies in India: a review

    OpenAIRE

    Jignasa Sathwara; Saurabh Bobdey; Ganesh B.

    2016-01-01

    Length of survival of cancer patients is an important indicator for knowing the outcome of treatment in any study. Epidemiological features and biological profile of breast cancer appear to be different in developing countries as compared to Western countries. Knowing the factors that influence survival rates among women with breast cancer may help define early detection actions, and improve treatment and care proposals in all the areas of health. Therefore, this study aims to identify, the p...

  8. Benign meningiomas: primary treatment selection affects survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Condra, Kellie S.; Buatti, John M.; Mendenhall, William M.; Friedman, William A.; Marcus, Robert B.; Rhoton, Albert L.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose: To examine the effect of primary treatment selection on outcomes for benign intracranial meningiomas at the University of Florida. Methods and Materials: For 262 patients, the impact of age, Karnofsky performance status, pathologic features, tumor size, tumor location, and treatment modality on local control and cause-specific survival was analyzed (minimum potential follow-up, 2 years; median follow-up, 8.2 years). Extent of surgery was classified by Simpson grade. Treatment groups: surgery alone (n = 229), surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (RT) (n = 21), RT alone (n = 7), radiosurgery alone (n = 5). Survival analysis: Kaplan-Meier method with univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: At 15 years, local control was 76% after total excision (TE) and 87% after subtotal excision plus RT (SE+RT), both significantly better (p = 0.0001) than after SE alone (30%). Cause-specific survival at 15 years was reduced after treatment with SE alone (51%), compared with TE (88%) or SE+RT (86%) (p = 0.0003). Recurrence after primary treatment portended decreased survival, independent of initial treatment group or salvage treatment selection (p = 0.001). Atypical pathologic features predicted reduced 15-year local control (54 vs. 71%) and cause-specific survival rates (57 vs. 86%). Multivariate analysis for cause-specific survival revealed treatment group (SE vs. others; p = 0.0001), pathologic features (atypical vs. typical; p = 0.0056), and Karnofsky performance status (≥80 vs. <80; p = 0.0153) as significant variables. Conclusion: Benign meningiomas are well managed by TE or SE+RT. SE alone is inadequate therapy and adversely affects cause-specific survival. Atypical pathologic features predict a poorer outcome, suggesting possible benefit from more aggressive treatment. Because local recurrence portends lower survival rates, primary treatment choice is important

  9. Little Smoky Woodland Caribou Calf Survival Enhancement Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirkby G. Smith

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The Little Smoky woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus herd is a boreal ecotype located in west central Alberta, Canada. This herd has declined steadily over the past decade and is currently thought to number approximately 80 animals. Factors contributing to the herds' decline appear related to elevated predator-caused mortality rates resulting from industrial caused landscape change. At current rates of decline, the herd is at risk of extirpation. A calf survival enhancement project was initiated in the first half of 2006 as a means of enhancing recruitment while other longer-term approaches were implemented. A total of 10 pregnant females were captured in early March and held in captivity until all calves were at least 3 weeks old. Before release, calves were radiocollared with expandable drop-off collars. Following release, survival of mother and offspring were tracked at intervals until the fall rut. Survival of penned calves was compared to "wild-born" calves at heel of non captive radiocollared females. This approach is compared to other techniques designed to increase recruitment in caribou.

  10. Enhanced secondary analysis of survival data: reconstructing the data from published Kaplan-Meier survival curves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guyot Patricia

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The results of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs on time-to-event outcomes that are usually reported are median time to events and Cox Hazard Ratio. These do not constitute the sufficient statistics required for meta-analysis or cost-effectiveness analysis, and their use in secondary analyses requires strong assumptions that may not have been adequately tested. In order to enhance the quality of secondary data analyses, we propose a method which derives from the published Kaplan Meier survival curves a close approximation to the original individual patient time-to-event data from which they were generated. Methods We develop an algorithm that maps from digitised curves back to KM data by finding numerical solutions to the inverted KM equations, using where available information on number of events and numbers at risk. The reproducibility and accuracy of survival probabilities, median survival times and hazard ratios based on reconstructed KM data was assessed by comparing published statistics (survival probabilities, medians and hazard ratios with statistics based on repeated reconstructions by multiple observers. Results The validation exercise established there was no material systematic error and that there was a high degree of reproducibility for all statistics. Accuracy was excellent for survival probabilities and medians, for hazard ratios reasonable accuracy can only be obtained if at least numbers at risk or total number of events are reported. Conclusion The algorithm is a reliable tool for meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analyses of RCTs reporting time-to-event data. It is recommended that all RCTs should report information on numbers at risk and total number of events alongside KM curves.

  11. Cell survival and radiation induced chromosome aberrations. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauchinger, M.; Schmid, E.; Braselmann, H.

    1986-01-01

    Human peripheral lymphocytes were irradiated in whole blood with 0.5-4.0 Gy of 220 kVp X-rays and the frequency of chromosome aberrations was determined in 1st or 2nd division metaphases discriminated by fluorescence plus giemsa staining. Using the empirical distributions of aberrations among cells, cell survival and transmission of aberrations were investigated. Considering both daughter cells, we found that 20% of fragments and 55% of dicentrics or ring chromosomes are lost during the 1st cell division; i.e. cell survival rate from 1st to 2nd generation is mainly influenced by anaphase bridging of these two-hit aberrations. Cell survival to 2nd mitosis was calculated considering this situation and compared with the survival derived from the fraction of M1 cells without unstable aberrations. The resulting shouldered survival curves showed significantly different slopes, indicating that cell reproductive death is overestimated in the latter approach. (orig.)

  12. Stereotactic Radiosurgery in the Management of Brain Metastases: An Institutional Retrospective Analysis of Survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frazier, James L.; Batra, Sachin; Kapor, Sumit; Vellimana, Ananth; Gandhi, Rahul; Carson, Kathryn A.; Shokek, Ori; Lim, Michael; Kleinberg, Lawrence; Rigamonti, Daniele

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The objective of this study was to report our experience with stereotactic radiosurgery performed with the Gamma Knife (GK) in the treatment of patients with brain metastases and to compare survival for those treated with radiosurgery alone with survival for those treated with radiosurgery and whole-brain radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: Prospectively collected demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment and survival data on 237 patients with intracranial metastases who underwent radiosurgery with the GK between 2003 and 2007 were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to compare survival by demographic and clinical characteristics and treatment. Results: The mean age of the patient population was 56 years. The most common tumor histologies were non-small-cell lung carcinoma (34.2%) and breast cancer (13.9%). The median overall survival time was 8.5 months from the time of treatment. The median survival times for patients with one, two/three, and four or more brain metastases were 8.5, 9.4, and 6.7 months, respectively. Patients aged 65 years or greater and those aged less than 65 years had median survival times of 7.8 and 9 months, respectively (p = 0.008). The Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) at the time of treatment was a significant predictor of survival: those patients with a KPS of 70 or less had a median survival of 2.9 months compared with 10.3 months (p = 0.034) for those with a KPS of 80 or greater. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between patients treated with radiosurgery alone and those treated with radiosurgery plus whole-brain radiotherapy. Conclusions: Radiosurgery with the GK is an efficacious treatment modality for brain metastases. A KPS greater than 70, histology of breast cancer, smaller tumor volume, and age less than 65 years were associated with a longer median survival in our study.

  13. Comparing the catch composition, profitability and discard survival from different trammel net designs targeting common spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas in a Mediterranean fishery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaetano Catanese

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In the Balearic Islands, different trammel net designs have been adopted to promote fisheries sustainability and reduce discards. Here, we compare the catch performance of three trammel net designs targeting the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in terms of biomass, species composition and revenue from commercial catches and discards. Designs differ in the netting fiber type (standard polyfilament, PMF, or a new polyethylene multi-monofilament, MMF and the use of a guarding net or greca, a mesh piece intended to reduce discards. Catches were surveyed by an on-board observer from 1,550 netting walls corresponding to 70 nets. The number of marketable species captured indicated that the lobster trammel net fishery has multiple targets, which contribute significantly to the total revenue. The discarded species ranged from habitat-forming species to elasmobranches, but the magnitude of gear-habitat interactions on the long term dynamics of benthos remains unclear. No relevant differences in revenue and weight of discards were detected after Bayesian analyses. However, the species composition of discards was different when using greca. Interestingly, high immediate survival was found for discarded undersized lobsters, while a seven day survival assessment, using captive observation, gave an asymptotic estimate of survival probability as 0.64 (95% CI [0.54–0.76]. Therefore, it is recommended that it would be beneficial for this stock if an exemption from the EU landing obligation regulation was sought for undersized lobsters in the Balearic trammel net fishery.

  14. Comparing the catch composition, profitability and discard survival from different trammel net designs targeting common spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) in a Mediterranean fishery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catanese, Gaetano; Hinz, Hilmar; Gil, Maria Del Mar; Palmer, Miquel; Breen, Michael; Mira, Antoni; Pastor, Elena; Grau, Amalia; Campos-Candela, Andrea; Koleva, Elka; Grau, Antoni Maria; Morales-Nin, Beatriz

    2018-01-01

    In the Balearic Islands, different trammel net designs have been adopted to promote fisheries sustainability and reduce discards. Here, we compare the catch performance of three trammel net designs targeting the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas in terms of biomass, species composition and revenue from commercial catches and discards. Designs differ in the netting fiber type (standard polyfilament, PMF, or a new polyethylene multi-monofilament, MMF) and the use of a guarding net or greca , a mesh piece intended to reduce discards. Catches were surveyed by an on-board observer from 1,550 netting walls corresponding to 70 nets. The number of marketable species captured indicated that the lobster trammel net fishery has multiple targets, which contribute significantly to the total revenue. The discarded species ranged from habitat-forming species to elasmobranches, but the magnitude of gear-habitat interactions on the long term dynamics of benthos remains unclear. No relevant differences in revenue and weight of discards were detected after Bayesian analyses. However, the species composition of discards was different when using greca . Interestingly, high immediate survival was found for discarded undersized lobsters, while a seven day survival assessment, using captive observation, gave an asymptotic estimate of survival probability as 0.64 (95% CI [0.54-0.76]). Therefore, it is recommended that it would be beneficial for this stock if an exemption from the EU landing obligation regulation was sought for undersized lobsters in the Balearic trammel net fishery.

  15. Does colour polymorphism enhance survival of prey populations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wennersten, Lena; Forsman, Anders

    2009-01-01

    That colour polymorphism may protect prey populations from predation is an old but rarely tested hypothesis. We examine whether colour polymorphic populations of prey exposed to avian predators in an ecologically valid visual context were exposed to increased extinction risk compared with monomorphic populations. We made 2976 artificial pastry prey, resembling Lepidoptera larvae, in four different colours and presented them in 124 monomorphic and 124 tetramorphic populations on tree trunks and branches such that they would be exposed to predation by free-living birds, and monitored their ‘survival’. Among monomorphic populations, there was a significant effect of prey coloration on survival, confirming that coloration influenced susceptibility to visually oriented predators. Survival of polymorphic populations was inferior to that of monomorphic green populations, but did not differ significantly from monomorphic brown, yellow or red populations. Differences in survival within polymorphic populations paralleled those seen among monomorphic populations; the red morph most frequently went extinct first and the green morph most frequently survived the longest. Our findings do not support the traditional protective polymorphism hypothesis and are in conflict with those of earlier studies. As a possible explanation to our findings, we offer a competing ‘giveaway cue’ hypothesis: that polymorphic populations may include one morph that attracts the attention of predators and that polymorphic populations therefore may suffer increased predation compared with some monomorphic populations. PMID:19324729

  16. Lack of retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy predicts survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasselli, J R; Yang, J C; Linehan, W M; White, D E; Rosenberg, S A; Walther, M M

    2001-07-01

    Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma have a reported 5-year survival of 0% to 20%. The ability to predict which patients would benefit from nephrectomy and interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy before any treatment is initiated would be useful for maximizing the advantage of therapy and improving the quality of life. A retrospective analysis of the x-rays and charts of patients treated at the National Institutes of Health Surgery Branch between 1985 and 1996, who presented with metastatic renal cancer beyond the locoregional area and the primary tumor in place, was performed. Preoperative computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, or radiological reports if no scans were available, were used to obtain an estimate of the volume of retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Operative notes were used to evaluate whether all lymphadenopathy was resected or disease left in situ, or if any extrarenal resection, including venacavotomy, was performed. Mean survival rate was calculated from the time of nephrectomy to the time of death or last clinical followup. If patients received IL-2 therapy, the response to treatment was recorded. Mean survival and response rate for IL-2 were compared among patients in 3 separate analyses. Patients without preoperatively detected lymphadenopathy were compared with those with at least 1 cm.3 retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Also, the patients who had detectable lymphadenopathy were divided into subgroups consisting of all resected, incompletely resected, unresectable and unknown if all disease was resected. Each subgroup was compared with patients without detectable preoperative lymphadenopathy. Patients with less than were compared to those with greater than 50 cm.3 retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Patients undergoing extrarenal resection at nephrectomy (complex surgery) due to direct invasion of the tumor into another intra-abdominal organ were compared with those undergoing radical nephrectomy alone, regardless of lymph node status

  17. Effect of polyunsatured aldehyde (A3 as an antiparasitary ingredient of Caligus rogercresseyi in the feed of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar Efecto del aldehído poli-insaturado (A3 como ingrediente antiparasitario de Caligus rogercresseyi en la alimentación de salmón del atlántico, Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Troncoso

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Some polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs such as 2-trans, 4-trans decadenial (A3 have a detrimental effect on the development of copepod sharmful to the salmon industrysuch as Caligus rogercresseyi (sea lice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential use of A3 as a salmon feed ingredient in order to reduce reproduction of Caligus rogercresseyi in infested Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar. The toxicity of A3 was assessed histopathologically for 7 days, using intra-peritoneal injections of different doses (0, 0.24, 0.47, 2.37, 11.86, and 23.71 mg kg-1 in brain, intestine, skin, liver, and muscletissues of Salmosalar at the end of each treatment. The effect of A3 on sea lice was evaluated using 250 Atlantic salmon in an open-flow system of seawater (~13°C. The effect of the dosage in the fish diet was evaluated at two levels (9 mg kg-1, 18 mg kg-1 and considering a control (without A3 for 4, 8, and 12 days, once the sea lice had reached maturity. As a complement, the persistent effect of diluted A3 in sea water (0.5 g L-1 was evaluated at 10, 12, and 14°C for 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15 days; and the maximum persistence was found at 10 days at 10°C. The results showed that the dosages over 0.47 mg kg-1 had no toxic effect on Atlantic salmon, but induced a detrimental effect on Caligus rogercresseyi (reduction of 15% of mature females with a dose of 18 mg kg-1, which could be attributed to alterations in the embryonic development of the sea lice. A3 is a potential supplement in the diet of salmon. However, studies ofits mechanism of action should be undertaken prior to its use.Algunos aldehídos poli-insaturados (PUAs tales como 2-trans, 4-trans decadenal (A3 tienen efecto perjudicial para el desarrollo de copépodos perjudiciales para la industria del salmón, tales como Caligus rogercresseyi (piojo de mar. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el uso potencial de A3 en alimentación de salmones, de forma de reducir la reproducción de

  18. Modelling survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ashauer, Roman; Albert, Carlo; Augustine, Starrlight

    2016-01-01

    The General Unified Threshold model for Survival (GUTS) integrates previously published toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic models and estimates survival with explicitly defined assumptions. Importantly, GUTS accounts for time-variable exposure to the stressor. We performed three studies to test...

  19. Regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar during smoltification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MAZURAIS D.

    1998-07-01

    Full Text Available The regulation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR transcript was investigated in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar during the parr-smolt transformation. Sampling of parr and smolt fish was performed between December and July and in particular during the smoltification period occurring in spring. Quantification of GR transcripts revealed differences between the two groups in March and at the beginning of April. During these dates, the amounts of GR mRNA in parr gills were respectively three and two fold lower than those measured in smolts. In order to determine which factors are responsible for these differences, we studied the long-term effects of prolactin and Cortisol treatments on GR transcript in the gills of presmolt fish. The plasma levels of these two hormones respectively drop and rise during smoltification. Contrary to Cortisol long-term treatment which did not modify the amount of gill GR transcript, short-term treatment induced a significant decrease within 12 hours. Prolactin long-term treatment caused a significant increase of GR transcript abundance after 13 days of implant treatment. This result is unexpected with regard to those obtained in the smoltification analysis but is in agreement with previous studies performed in mammary gland revealing a positive control of PRL on GR in epithelial cells. Our data suggest that the regulation of the GR transcript during the parr-smolt transformation probably involves several hormonal factors.

  20. Environmental survival of Neisseria meningitidis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzeng, Y-L; Martin, L E; Stephens, D S

    2014-01-01

    Neisseria meningitidis is transmitted through the inhalation of large human respiratory droplets, but the risk from contaminated environmental surfaces is controversial. Compared to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumanni, meningococcal viability after desiccation on plastic, glass or metal surfaces decreased rapidly, but viable meningococci were present for up to 72 h. Encapsulation did not provide an advantage for meningococcal environmental survival on environmental surfaces.

  1. Variations in survival after cardiac arrest among academic medical center-affiliated hospitals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Christopher Kurz

    Full Text Available Variation exists in cardiac arrest (CA survival among institutions. We sought to determine institutional-level characteristics of academic medical centers (AMCs associated with CA survival.We examined discharge data from AMCs participating with Vizient clinical database-resource manager. We identified cases using ICD-9 diagnosis code 427.5 (CA or procedure code 99.60 (CPR. We estimated hospital-specific risk-standardized survival rates (RSSRs using mixed effects logistic regression, adjusting for individual mortality risk. Institutional and community characteristics of AMCs with higher than average survival were compared with those with lower survival.We analyzed data on 3,686,296 discharges in 2012, of which 33,700 (0.91% included a CA diagnosis. Overall survival was 42.3% (95% CI 41.8-42.9 with median institutional RSSR of 42.6% (IQR 35.7-51.0; Min-Max 19.4-101.6. We identified 28 AMCs with above average survival (median RSSR 61.8% and 20 AMCs with below average survival (median RSSR 26.8%. Compared to AMCs with below average survival, those with high CA survival had higher CA volume (median 262 vs.119 discharges, p = 0.002, total beds (722 vs. 452, p = 0.02, and annual surgical volume (24,939 vs. 13,109, p<0.001, more likely to offer cardiac catheterization (100% vs. 72%, p = 0.007 or cardiac surgery (93% vs. 61%, p = 0.02 and cared for catchment areas with higher household income ($61,922 vs. $49,104, p = 0.004 and lower poverty rates (14.6% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.03.Using discharge data from Vizient, we showed AMCs with higher CA and surgical case volume, cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery facilities, and catchment areas with higher socioeconomic status had higher risk-standardized CA survival.

  2. Assessment of a land-locked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) population as a potential genetic resource with a focus on long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betancor, M B; Olsen, R E; Solstorm, D; Skulstad, O F; Tocher, D R

    2016-03-01

    The natural food for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in freshwater has relatively lower levels of omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) than found in prey for post-smolt salmon in seawater. Land-locked salmon such as the Gullspång population feed exclusively on freshwater type lipids during its entire life cycle, a successful adaptation derived from divergent evolution. Studying land-locked populations may provide insights into the molecular and genetic control mechanisms that determine and regulate n-3 LC-PUFA biosynthesis and retention in Atlantic salmon. A two factorial study was performed comparing land-locked and farmed salmon parr fed diets formulated with fish or rapeseed oil for 8 weeks. The land-locked parr had higher capacity to synthesise n-3 LC-PUFA as indicated by higher expression and activity of desaturase and elongase enzymes. The data suggested that the land-locked salmon had reduced sensitivity to dietary fatty acid composition and that dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) did not appear to suppress expression of LC-PUFA biosynthetic genes or activity of the biosynthesis pathway, probably an evolutionary adaptation to a natural diet lower in DHA. Increased biosynthetic activity did not translate to enhanced n-3 LC-PUFA contents in the flesh and diet was the only factor affecting this parameter. Additionally, high lipogenic and glycolytic potentials were found in land-locked salmon, together with decreased lipolysis which in turn could indicate increased use of carbohydrates as an energy source and a sparing of lipid. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Production, fertility, survival, and body measurements of Montbéliarde-sired crossbreds compared with pure Holsteins during their first 5 lactations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazel, A R; Heins, B J; Seykora, A J; Hansen, L B

    2014-01-01

    Two-breed crossbreds of Montbéliarde and Holstein (MO × HO) as well as 3-breed crossbreds of Montbéliarde and Jersey/Holstein (MO × JH) were compared with pure Holstein (HO) cows for production, somatic cell score (SCS), fertility, survival to subsequent calving, mortality, and body measurements during their first 5 lactations. Cows calved for the first time between 2005 and 2010 and were housed in either a confinement herd or a herd that had access to pasture for 165d of the year in the north central region of the United States. Body, hoof, and udder measurements of cows were also objectively measured. The MO × HO crossbred cows were not different from pure HO cows for fat-plus-protein production during any lactation. However, the MO × JH crossbred cows had 5% lower fat-plus-protein production compared with pure HO cows in the confinement herd. On the other hand, the MO × JH crossbred cows were not different for fat-plus-protein production in the third to fifth lactation compared with pure HO cows in the seasonal pasture herd. Across the 2 herds, the MO × HO and MO × JH crossbred cows had 21% higher first-service conception rate, 41 fewer days open, and 12% higher pregnancy rate compared with the pure HO cows. Furthermore, the MO × HO (5%) and MO × JH (12%) crossbred cows had lower mortality rates than the pure HO cows (18%). Because of superior fertility and lower mortality rates, the MO × HO and MO × JH crossbred cows, combined, had greater survival to second (+13%), third (+24%), fourth (+25%), and fifth (+17%) lactation compared with pure HO cows. For body measurements, MO × HO were similar to pure HO cows for hip height and heart girth, but MO × HO cows had more body condition and greater body weight (+39kg) across the first 5 lactations. The MO × JH cows had more body condition but 5cm shorter hip height and 28kg less body weight than pure HO cows across the first 5 lactations. Foot angle was steeper and hoof length was shorter for MO × HO

  4. Colorectal cancer, diabetes and survival : Epidemiological insights

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zanders, M. M. J.; Vissers, P. A. J.; Haak, H. R.; van de Poll-Franse, L.

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with pre-existing diabetes have significantly lower rates of overall survival compared with patients without diabetes. Against this backdrop, the American Diabetes Association and American Cancer Society in 2010 reviewed the scientific literature concerning diabetes

  5. Does breast screening offer a survival benefit? A retrospective comparative study of oncological outcomes of screen-detected and symptomatic early stage breast cancer cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Újhelyi, M; Pukancsik, D; Kelemen, P; Kovács, E; Kenessey, I; Udvarhelyi, N; Bak, M; Kovács, T; Mátrai, Z

    2016-12-01

    Mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality by up to 32%. However, some recent studies have questioned the impact of non-palpable breast cancer detection on mortality reduction. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinicopathological and long-term follow-up data of early stage screened and symptomatic breast cancer patients. The institutional prospectively led database was systematically analysed for breast cancer cases diagnosed via the mammography screening program from 2002 to 2009. As a control group, symptomatic early stage breast cancer patients were collected randomly from the same database and matched for age and follow-up period. All medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Data from 298 breast cancer patients were collected from 47,718 mammography screenings. In addition, 331 symptomatic breast cancer patients were randomly selected. The screened group presented a significantly lower median tumour size (P screened group (P screened group did not exhibit better overall (P = 0.717) or disease-free survival (P = 0.081) compared to the symptomatic group. Our results do not suggest that mammography screening does not reduce breast cancer mortality but the mammography screening did not bring any significant improvement in patient overall or disease-free survival for the early stage breast cancer patients compared to the symptomatic group. The drawback of symptomatic early stage tumours compared to non-palpable tumours could be equalized by modern multimodality oncology treatments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ the Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

  6. Long-term survival results of a randomized trial comparing gemcitabine plus cisplatin, with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, plus cisplatin in patients with bladder cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maase, Hans von der; Sengeløv, Lisa; Roberts, James T.

    2005-01-01

    PURPOSE: To compare long-term survival in patients with locally advanced       or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium treated       with gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC) or       methotrexate/vinblastine/doxorubicin/cisplatin (MVAC). PATIENTS AND       METHODS: Efficacy data...... in patients with locally advanced or       metastatic TCC...

  7. Assessing the sensitivity of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to dietary endosulfan exposure using tissue biochemistry and histology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glover, Chris N.; Petri, Dietrich; Tollefsen, Knut-Erik; Jorum, Nanne; Handy, Richard D.; Berntssen, Marc H.G.

    2007-01-01

    The incorporation of plant-based ingredients, and the possible carry-over of pesticides such as endosulfan, in fish feeds may present new toxicological challenges to aquacultural species. Biological responses of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to a 35-day dietary endosulfan exposure at levels ranging from 4 to 710 μg kg -1 were assessed using tissue histology and biochemistry. Liver 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deacetylase (EROD) activity was significantly elevated in the highest exposure group (710 μg kg -1 ) by day 35. Other hepatic indicators of stress impacts and responses (glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities and hepatic α-tocopherol content) remained unchanged. Branchial Na + , K + -ATPase activity was significantly reduced at day 14 in the highest exposure group, but returned to control levels by day 35. Conversely, intestinal Na + , K + -ATPase activity was significantly inhibited at day 35, but again only at the highest exposure level. In contrast to the biochemical results, hepatic and intestinal histology revealed effects of exposure even at the lowest dose tested (4 μg kg -1 ). In the posterior intestine, pathology was characterised by vacuolation and fusion of villi, and in the most severe cases, loss of epithelial integrity in villi tips. In the liver the primary effects were glycogen depletion and lipidosis. These changes were typical of a generalised stress response. While histology endpoints may prove to be the most sensitive indicators of dietary endosulfan exposure, the organismal relevance of these structural changes must be considered in the absence of effects in other biomarkers at dietary levels less than 710 μg kg -1

  8. Comparing population patterns to processes: abundance and survival of a forest salamander following habitat degradation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clint R V Otto

    Full Text Available Habitat degradation resulting from anthropogenic activities poses immediate and prolonged threats to biodiversity, particularly among declining amphibians. Many studies infer amphibian response to habitat degradation by correlating patterns in species occupancy or abundance with environmental effects, often without regard to the demographic processes underlying these patterns. We evaluated how retention of vertical green trees (CANOPY and coarse woody debris (CWD influenced terrestrial salamander abundance and apparent survival in recently clearcut forests. Estimated abundance of unmarked salamanders was positively related to CANOPY (β Canopy  = 0.21 (0.02-1.19; 95% CI, but not CWD (β CWD  = 0.11 (-0.13-0.35 within 3,600 m2 sites, whereas estimated abundance of unmarked salamanders was not related to CANOPY (β Canopy  = -0.01 (-0.21-0.18 or CWD (β CWD  = -0.02 (-0.23-0.19 for 9 m2 enclosures. In contrast, apparent survival of marked salamanders within our enclosures over 1 month was positively influenced by both CANOPY and CWD retention (β Canopy  = 0.73 (0.27-1.19; 95% CI and β CWD  = 1.01 (0.53-1.50. Our results indicate that environmental correlates to abundance are scale dependent reflecting habitat selection processes and organism movements after a habitat disturbance event. Our study also provides a cautionary example of how scientific inference is conditional on the response variable(s, and scale(s of measure chosen by the investigator, which can have important implications for species conservation and management. Our research highlights the need for joint evaluation of population state variables, such as abundance, and population-level process, such as survival, when assessing anthropogenic impacts on forest biodiversity.

  9. Trends in Incidence and Factors Affecting Survival of Patients With Cholangiocarcinoma in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukkamalla, Shiva Kumar R; Naseri, Hussain M; Kim, Byung M; Katz, Steven C; Armenio, Vincent A

    2018-04-01

    Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) includes cancers arising from the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. The etiology and pathogenesis of CCA remain poorly understood. This is the first study investigating both incidence patterns of CCA from 1973 through 2012 and demographic, clinical, and treatment variables affecting survival of patients with CCA. Patients and Methods: Using the SEER database, age-adjusted incidence rates were evaluated from 1973-2012 using SEER*Stat software. A retrospective cohort of 26,994 patients diagnosed with CCA from 1973-2008 was identified for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to perform multivariate survival analysis. Results: Overall incidence of CCA increased by 65% from 1973-2012. Extrahepatic CCA (ECC) remained more common than intrahepatic CCA (ICC), whereas the incidence rates for ICC increased by 350% compared with a 20% increase seen with ECC. Men belonging to non-African American and non-Caucasian ethnicities had the highest incidence rates of CCA. This trend persisted throughout the study period, although African Americans and Caucasians saw 50% and 59% increases in incidence rates, respectively, compared with a 9% increase among other races. Median overall survival (OS) was 8 months in patients with ECC compared with 4 months in those with ICC. Our survival analysis found Hispanic women to have the best 5-year survival outcome ( P better survival outcomes compared with ICC ( P better survival outcomes compared with others ( P <.0001). Conclusions: This is the most up-to-date study of CCA from the SEER registry that shows temporal patterns of increasing incidence of CCA across different races, sexes, and ethnicities. We identified age, sex, race, marital status, income, smoking status, anatomic location of CCA, tumor grade, tumor stage, radiation, and surgery as independent prognostic factors for OS in patients with CCA. Copyright © 2018 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

  10. Comparison of sperm motility subpopulation structure among wild anadromous and farmed male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr using a CASA system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldeira, Carina; García-Molina, Almudena; Valverde, Anthony; Bompart, Daznia; Hassane, Megan; Martin, Patrick; Soler, Carles

    2018-04-13

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is an endangered freshwater species that needs help to recover its wild stocks. However, the priority in aquaculture is to obtain successful fertilisation and genetic variability to secure the revival of the species. The aims of the present work were to study sperm subpopulation structure and motility patterns in wild anadromous males and farmed male Atlantic salmon parr. Salmon sperm samples were collected from wild anadromous salmon (WS) and two generations of farmed parr males. Sperm samples were collected from sexually mature males and sperm motility was analysed at different times after activation (5 and 35s). Differences among the three groups were analysed using statistical techniques based on Cluster analysis the Bayesian method. Atlantic salmon were found to have three sperm subpopulations, and the spermatozoa in ejaculates of mature farmed parr males had a higher velocity and larger size than those of WS males. This could be an adaptation to high sperm competition because salmonid species are naturally adapted to this process. Motility analysis enables us to identify sperm subpopulations, and it may be useful to correlate these sperm subpopulations with fertilisation ability to test whether faster-swimming spermatozoa have a higher probability of success.

  11. Selective precipitation reaction: a novel diagnostic test for tissue pathology in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, infected with salmonid alphavirus (SAV3).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braceland, M; Tinsley, J; Cockerill, D; Bickerdike, R; McLoughlin, M F; Eckersall, P D

    2017-08-01

    While investigating biomarkers for infection with salmonid alphavirus (SAV), the cause of pancreas disease (PD), a selective precipitation reaction (SPR) has been discovered in serum which could be an on-farm qualitative test and an in-laboratory quantitative assay for health assessments in aquaculture. Mixing serum from Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, with SAV infection with a sodium acetate buffer caused a visible precipitation which does not occur with serum from healthy salmon. Proteomic examination of the precipitate has revealed that the components are a mix of muscle proteins, for example enolase and aldolase, along with serum protein such as serotransferrin and complement C9. The assay has been optimized for molarity, pH, temperature and wavelength so that the precipitation can be measured as the change in optical density at 340 nm (Δ 340 ). Application of the SPR assay to serum samples from a cohabitation trial of SAV infection in salmon showed that the Δ 340 in infected fish rose from undetectable to a maximum at 6 weeks post-infection correlating with histopathological score of pancreas, heart and muscle damage. This test may have a valuable role to play in the diagnostic evaluation of stock health in salmon. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Fish Diseases Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Comparative analyses of longevity and senescence reveal variable survival benefits of living in zoos across mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tidière, Morgane; Gaillard, Jean-Michel; Berger, Vérane; Müller, Dennis W H; Bingaman Lackey, Laurie; Gimenez, Olivier; Clauss, Marcus; Lemaître, Jean-François

    2016-11-07

    While it is commonly believed that animals live longer in zoos than in the wild, this assumption has rarely been tested. We compared four survival metrics (longevity, baseline mortality, onset of senescence and rate of senescence) between both sexes of free-ranging and zoo populations of more than 50 mammal species. We found that mammals from zoo populations generally lived longer than their wild counterparts (84% of species). The effect was most notable in species with a faster pace of life (i.e. a short life span, high reproductive rate and high mortality in the wild) because zoos evidently offer protection against a number of relevant conditions like predation, intraspecific competition and diseases. Species with a slower pace of life (i.e. a long life span, low reproduction rate and low mortality in the wild) benefit less from captivity in terms of longevity; in such species, there is probably less potential for a reduction in mortality. These findings provide a first general explanation about the different magnitude of zoo environment benefits among mammalian species, and thereby highlight the effort that is needed to improve captive conditions for slow-living species that are particularly susceptible to extinction in the wild.

  13. Superior survival of high transporters treated with automated versus continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, David W; Hawley, Carmel M; McDonald, Stephen P; Brown, Fiona G; Rosman, Johan B; Wiggins, Kathryn J; Bannister, Kym M; Badve, Sunil V

    2010-06-01

    Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) is widely recommended for the management of high transporters by the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD), although there have been no adequate studies to date comparing the outcomes of APD and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in this high risk group. The relative impact of APD versus CAPD on patient and technique survival rates was examined by both intention-to-treat (PD modality at Day 90) and 'as-treated' time-varying Cox proportional hazards model analyses in all patients who started PD in Australia or New Zealand between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2004 and who had baseline peritoneal equilibration tests confirming the presence of high peritoneal transport status. During the study period, 4128 patients commenced PD. Of these, 628 patients were high transporters on PD at Day 90 (486 on APD and 142 on CAPD). Compared to high transporters treated with CAPD, APD-treated high transporters were more likely to be younger and Caucasian, and less likely to be diabetic. On multivariate intention-to-treat analysis, APD treatment was associated with superior survival [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-0.87] and comparable death-censored technique survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.64-1.21). Superior survival of high transporters treated with APD versus CAPD was also confirmed in supplemental as-treated analysis (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.54-0.96), matched case-control analysis (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.36-0.96) and subgroup analysis of high transporters treated entirely with APD versus those treated entirely with CAPD (HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.14-0.60). There were no statistically significant differences in patient survival or death-censored technique survival between APD and CAPD for any other transport group, except for low transporters, who experienced a higher mortality rate on APD compared with CAPD (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.02-4.70). APD treatment is associated with a significant survival advantage in

  14. Chronic dietary mercury exposure causes oxidative stress, brain lesions, and altered behaviour in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berntssen, Marc H.G.; Aatland, Aase; Handy, Richard D.

    2003-01-01

    Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr were fed for 4 months on fish meal based diets supplemented with mercuric chloride (0, 10, or 100 mg Hg kg -1 DW) or methylmercury chloride (0, 5, or 10 mg Hg kg -1 DW) to assess the effects of inorganic (Hg) and organic dietary mercury on brain lipid peroxidation and neurotoxicity. Lipid peroxidative products, endogenous anti oxidant enzymes, brain histopathology, and overall behaviour were measured. Methylmercury accumulated significantly in the brain of fish fed 5 or 10 mg kg -1 by the end of the experiment, and inorganic mercury accumulated significantly in the brain only at 100 mg kg -1 exposure levels. No mortality or growth reduction was observed in any of the exposure groups. Fish fed 5 mg kg -1 methylmercury had a significant increase (2-fold) in the antioxidant enzyme super oxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain. At dietary levels of 10 mg kg -1 methylmercury, a significant increase (7-fold) was observed in lipid peroxidative products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and a subsequently decrease (1.5-fold) in anti oxidant enzyme activity (SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px). Fish fed 10 mg kg -1 methylmercury also had pathological damage (vacoulation and necrosis), significantly reduced neural enzyme activity (5-fold reduced monoamine oxidase, MAO, activity), and reduced overall post-feeding activity behaviour. Pathological injury started in the brain stem and became more widespread in other areas of the brain at higher exposure levels. Fish fed 100 mg Hg kg -1 inorganic mercury had significant reduced neural MAO activity and pathological changes (astrocyte proliferation) in the brain, however, neural SOD and GSH-Px enzyme activity, lipid peroxidative products (TBARS), and post feeding behaviour did not differ from controls. Compared with other organs, the brain is particular susceptible for dietary methylmercury induced lipid peroxidative stress at relative low exposure concentrations. Doses of dietary

  15. Superior metastasis-free survival for patients with high-risk prostate cancer treated with definitive radiation therapy compared to radical prostatectomy: A propensity score-matched analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Markovina, MD, PhD

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: For high-risk prostate cancer (HR-PCa in men with a life expectancy of at least 10 years, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends radiation therapy (RT plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT with category 1 evidence or radical prostatectomy (RP as an acceptable initial therapy. Randomized evidence regarding which therapy is optimal for disease control is lacking for men with HR-PCa. We performed a propensity-score-matched comparison of outcomes for men with localized HR-PCa treated with primary RT or RP. Methods and materials: The medical records of patients with localized HR-PCa who were treated at our institution between 2002 and 2011 were reviewed. Patient and disease characteristics, treatment details, and outcomes were collected. A combination of nearest-neighbor propensity score matching on age, Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 comorbidity index, prostate-specific antigen, biopsy Gleason scores, and clinical T-stage as well as exact matching on prostate-specific antigen, biopsy Gleason scores, and clinical T-stage was performed. Outcomes were measured from diagnosis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare metastasis-free and overall survival. Results: A total of 246 patients were identified with 62 propensity-score-matched pairs. ADT was administered to 6.5% and 80.6% of patients receiving RP and RT, respectively. Five-year rates of metastasis for RP and RT were 33% and 8.9%, respectively (P = .003. Overall survival was not different. Delay of salvage therapy was longer for patients undergoing primary RT (P < .001. Findings were similar when only those patients who did not receive ADT were compared. Conclusions: At our institution, treatment with primary RT resulted in superior metastasis-free survival over RP. This was not accompanied by an improvement in OS.

  16. Marital Status and Survival in Patients with Carcinoid Tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenleaf, Erin K; Cooper, Amanda B; Hollenbeak, Christopher S

    2016-01-01

    Marital status is a known prognostic factor in overall and disease-specific survival in several types of cancer. The impact of marital status on survival in patients with carcinoid tumors remains unknown. We hypothesized that married patients have higher rates of survival than similar unmarried patients with carcinoid tumors. Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we identified 23,126 people diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor between 2000 and 2011 and stratified them according to marital status. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to compare the characteristics and outcomes between patient cohorts. Overall and cancer-related survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models (hazards ratio [HR]), controlling for demographics and tumor-related and treatment-related variables. Propensity score analysis was performed to determine surgical intervention distributions among married and unmarried (ie, single, separated, divorced, widowed) patients. Marital status was significantly related to both overall and cancer-related survival in patients with carcinoid tumors. Divorced and widowed patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.33 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.08-1.33] and 1.34 [95% CI, 1.22-1.46], respectively) and cancer-related survival (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.00-1.31] and 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03-1.29], respectively) than married patients over five years. Single and separated patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.08-1.33] and 1.62 [95% CI, 1.25-2.11], respectively) than married patients over five years, but not worse cancer-related survival. Unmarried patients were more likely than matched married patients to undergo definitive surgical intervention (62.67% vs 53.11%, respectively, P married patients have a survival advantage after diagnosis of any carcinoid tumor, potentially reflecting better social support and financial means

  17. Survival benefits of remote ischemic conditioning in sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Bellal; Khalil, Mazhar; Hashmi, Ammar; Hecker, Louise; Kulvatunyou, Narong; Tang, Andrew; Friese, Randall S; Rhee, Peter

    2017-06-01

    Sepsis remains the leading cause of death in the surgical intensive care unit. Prior studies have demonstrated a survival benefit of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in many disease states. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of RIC on survival in sepsis in an animal model and to assess alterations in inflammatory biochemical profiles. We hypothesized that RIC alters inflammatory biochemical profiles resulting in decreased mortality in a septic mouse model. Eight to 12 week C57BL/6 mice received intra-peritoneal injection of 12.5-mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Septic animals in the experimental group underwent RIC at 0, 2, and 6 h after LPS by surgical exploration and alternate clamping of the femoral artery. Six 4-min cycles of ischemia-reperfusion were performed. Primary outcome was survival at 5-d after LPS injection. Secondary outcome was to assess the following serum cytokine levels: interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNFα) at the baseline before LPS injection, 0 hour after LPS injection, and at 2, 4, 24 hours after induction of sepsis (RIC was performed at 2 h after LPS injection). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test were used. ANOVA test was used to compare cytokine measurements. We performed experiments on 44 mice: 14 sham and 30 RIC mice (10 at each time point). Overall survival was higher in the experimental group compared to the sham group (57% versus 21%; P = 0.02), with the highest survival rate observed in the 2-hour post-RIC group (70%). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, 2-h post-RIC group had increased survival at 5 days after LPS (P = 0.04) with hazard ratio of 0.3 (95% confidence interval = 0.09-0.98). In the RIC group, serum concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-1β, and TNFα peaked at 2 h after LPS and then decreased significantly over 24 hours (P sepsis and has the potential for implementation in the clinical practice. Early implementation of RIC may play an

  18. Colonoscopic surveillance improves survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lutgens, M. W. M. D.; Oldenburg, B.; Siersema, P. D.; van Bodegraven, A. A.; Dijkstra, G.; Hommes, D. W.; de Jong, D. J.; Stokkers, P. C. F.; van der Woude, C. J.; Vleggaar, F. P.

    2009-01-01

    Colonoscopic surveillance provides the best practical means for preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Strong evidence for improved survival from surveillance programmes is sparse. The aim of this study was to compare tumour stage and survival of IBD

  19. Efficacy of emamectin benzoate against sea lice infestations of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.: evaluation in the absence of an untreated contemporary control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustafson, L; Ellis, S; Robinson, T; Marenghi, F; Endris, R

    2006-10-01

    The efficacy of emamectin benzoate (SLICE) against sea lice infestations of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., is typically assessed using untreated fish, or fish treated with alternative therapeutants, as controls. The State of Maine, USA, is currently under active management for the OIE-notifiable pathogen, infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV); consequently, neither control group is feasible in this region. Untreated salmon risk extensive damage from the ectoparasites, and threaten to increase vector-borne exposure or susceptibility of farms to ISAV; and the only treatment presently available in Maine is SLICE. However, because sea lice infestations are unlikely to resolve spontaneously, and response to treatment occurs within weeks, use of a pretreatment baseline is a reasonable alternative for confirmatory studies. We evaluated SLICE efficacy on Atlantic salmon farms in Cobscook Bay 2002-2005, in the absence of untreated controls, using pretreatment lice loads as a reference for calculation. Maximum efficacy ranged from 68% to 100% reduction from initial levels. Time-to-maximum efficacy ranged from 1 to 8 weeks after treatment initiation. Efficacy duration, measured between first reduction and first progressive rise in counts, ranged from 4 to 16 weeks.

  20. Chronic consequences of acute injuries: worse survival after discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafi, Shahid; Renfro, Lindsay A; Barnes, Sunni; Rayan, Nadine; Gentilello, Larry M; Fleming, Neil; Ballard, David

    2012-09-01

    The Trauma Quality Improvement Program uses inhospital mortality to measure quality of care, which assumes patients who survive injury are not likely to suffer higher mortality after discharge. We hypothesized that survival rates in trauma patients who survive to discharge remain stable afterward. Patients treated at an urban Level I trauma center (2006-2008) were linked with the Social Security Administration Death Master File. Survival rates were measured at 30, 90, and 180 days and 1 and 2 years from injury among two groups of trauma patients who survived to discharge: major trauma (Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥ 3 injuries, n = 2,238) and minor trauma (Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≤ 2 injuries, n = 1,171). Control groups matched to each trauma group by age and sex were simulated from the US general population using annual survival probabilities from census data. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses conditional upon survival to each time point were used to determine changes in risk of mortality after discharge. Cox proportional hazards models with left truncation at the time of discharge were used to determine independent predictors of mortality after discharge. The survival rate in trauma patients with major injuries was 92% at 30 days posttrauma and declined to 84% by 3 years (p > 0.05 compared with general population). Minor trauma patients experienced a survival rate similar to the general population. Age and injury severity were the only independent predictors of long-term mortality given survival to discharge. Log-rank tests conditional on survival to each time point showed that mortality risk in patients with major injuries remained significantly higher than the general population for up to 6 months after injury. The survival rate of trauma patients with major injuries remains significantly lower than survival for minor trauma patients and the general population for several months postdischarge. Surveillance for early identification and treatment of

  1. Impact of housing on the survival of persons with AIDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarcz, Sandra K; Hsu, Ling C; Vittinghoff, Eric; Vu, Annie; Bamberger, Joshua D; Katz, Mitchell H

    2009-07-07

    Homeless persons with HIV/AIDS have greater morbidity and mortality, more hospitalizations, less use of antiretroviral therapy, and worse medication adherence than HIV-infected persons who are stably housed. We examined the effect of homelessness on the mortality of persons with AIDS and measured the effect of supportive housing on AIDS survival. The San Francisco AIDS registry was used to identify homeless and housed persons who were diagnosed with AIDS between 1996 and 2006. The registry was computer-matched with a housing database of homeless persons who received housing after their AIDS diagnosis. The Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to compare survival between persons who were homeless at AIDS diagnosis and those who were housed. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate the independent effects of homelessness and supportive housing on survival after AIDS diagnosis. Of the 6,558 AIDS cases, 9.8% were homeless at diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent of the persons who were homeless survived five years compared with 81% of those who were housed (p Homelessness increased the risk of death (adjusted relative hazard [RH] 1.20; 95% confidence limits [CL] 1.03, 1.41). Homeless persons with AIDS who obtained supportive housing had a lower risk of death than those who did not (adjusted RH 0.20; 95% CL 0.05, 0.81). Supportive housing ameliorates the negative effect of homelessness on survival with AIDS.

  2. Survival of Salmonella Newport in oysters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Christopher M; Armstrong, Alexandra E; Evans, Sanford; Mild, Rita M; Langdon, Christopher J; Joens, Lynn A

    2011-08-02

    Salmonella enterica is the leading cause of laboratory-confirmed foodborne illness in the United States and raw shellfish consumption is a commonly implicated source of gastrointestinal pathogens. A 2005 epidemiological study done in our laboratory by Brands et al., showed that oysters in the United States are contaminated with Salmonella, and in particular, a specific strain of the Newport serovar. This work sought to further investigate the host-microbe interactions between Salmonella Newport and oysters. A procedure was developed to reliably and repeatedly expose oysters to enteric bacteria and quantify the subsequent levels of bacterial survival. The results show that 10 days after an exposure to Salmonella Newport, an average concentration of 3.7 × 10(3)CFU/g remains within the oyster meat, and even after 60 days there still can be more than 10(2)CFU/g remaining. However, the strain of Newport that predominated in the market survey done by Brands et al. does not survive within oysters or the estuarine environment better than any other strains of Salmonella we tested. Using this same methodology, we compared Salmonella Newport's ability to survive within oysters to a non-pathogenic strain of E. coli and found that after 10 days the concentration of Salmonella was 200-times greater than that of E. coli. We also compared those same strains of Salmonella and E. coli in a depuration process to determine if a constant 120 L/h flux of clean seawater could significantly reduce the concentration of bacteria within oysters and found that after 3 days the oysters retained over 10(4)CFU/g of Salmonella while the oysters exposed to the non-pathogenic strain of E. coli contained 100-times less bacteria. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that any of the clinically relevant serovars of Salmonella can survive within oysters for significant periods of time after just one exposure event. Based on the drastic differences in survivability between Salmonella and a non

  3. The analysis of survival data in nephrology: basic concepts and methods of Cox regression

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijk, Paul C.; Jager, Kitty J.; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.; Zoccali, Carmine; Dekker, Friedo W.

    2008-01-01

    How much does the survival of one group differ from the survival of another group? How do differences in age in these two groups affect such a comparison? To obtain a quantity to compare the survival of different patient groups and to account for confounding effects, a multiple regression technique

  4. Reverse survival method of fertility estimation: An evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Spoorenberg

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: For the most part, demographers have relied on the ever-growing body of sample surveys collecting full birth history to derive total fertility estimates in less statistically developed countries. Yet alternative methods of fertility estimation can return very consistent total fertility estimates by using only basic demographic information. Objective: This paper evaluates the consistency and sensitivity of the reverse survival method -- a fertility estimation method based on population data by age and sex collected in one census or a single-round survey. Methods: A simulated population was first projected over 15 years using a set of fertility and mortality age and sex patterns. The projected population was then reverse survived using the Excel template FE_reverse_4.xlsx, provided with Timæus and Moultrie (2012. Reverse survival fertility estimates were then compared for consistency to the total fertility rates used to project the population. The sensitivity was assessed by introducing a series of distortions in the projection of the population and comparing the difference implied in the resulting fertility estimates. Results: The reverse survival method produces total fertility estimates that are very consistent and hardly affected by erroneous assumptions on the age distribution of fertility or by the use of incorrect mortality levels, trends, and age patterns. The quality of the age and sex population data that is 'reverse survived' determines the consistency of the estimates. The contribution of the method for the estimation of past and present trends in total fertility is illustrated through its application to the population data of five countries characterized by distinct fertility levels and data quality issues. Conclusions: Notwithstanding its simplicity, the reverse survival method of fertility estimation has seldom been applied. The method can be applied to a large body of existing and easily available population data

  5. Multiple neoplasms, single primaries, and patient survival

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amer, Magid H

    2014-01-01

    Multiple primary neoplasms in surviving cancer patients are relatively common, with an increasing incidence. Their impact on survival has not been clearly defined. This was a retrospective review of clinical data for all consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cancer, with emphasis on single versus multiple primary neoplasms. Second primaries discovered at the workup of the index (first) primary were termed simultaneous, if discovered within 6 months of the index primary were called synchronous, and if discovered after 6 months were termed metachronous. Between 2005 and 2012, of 1,873 cancer patients, 322 developed second malignancies; these included two primaries (n=284), and three or more primaries (n=38). Forty-seven patients had synchronous primaries and 275 had metachronous primaries. Patients with multiple primaries were predominantly of Caucasian ancestry (91.0%), with a tendency to develop thrombosis (20.2%), had a strong family history of similar cancer (22.3%), and usually presented with earlier stage 0 through stage II disease (78.9%). When compared with 1,551 patients with a single primary, these figures were 8.9%, 15.6%, 18.3%, and 50.9%, respectively (P≤0.001). Five-year survival rates were higher for metachronous cancers (95%) than for synchronous primaries (59%) and single primaries (59%). The worst survival rate was for simultaneous concomitant multiple primaries, being a median of 1.9 years. The best survival was for patients with three or more primaries (median 10.9 years) and was similar to the expected survival for the age-matched and sex-matched general population (P=0.06991). Patients with multiple primaries are usually of Caucasian ancestry, have less aggressive malignancies, present at earlier stages, frequently have a strong family history of similar cancer, and their cancers tend to have indolent clinical behavior with longer survival rates, possibly related to genetic predisposition

  6. Tentative de réacclimatation de Salmo salar dans le bassin de la Bresle (Normandie, France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ARRIGNON J.

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available La BRESLE, rivière séparant la Haute-Normandie de la Picardie, dans le Nord-Ouest de la France était occasionnellement fréquentée jusqu'en 1964 par le saumon de lAtlantique, Salmo Salar. Le Conseil Supérieur de la Pêche a décidé de diriger l'essentiel des moyens consacrés à cette région à la réacclimatation du saumon, à l'« ensaumonnement » de ce cours d'eau. Le choix a été opéré en fonction de la situation hydrographique, hydraulique et hydrobiologique de la rivière. Les travaux ont porté sur la lutte contre la pollution sévissant dans la basse vallée, la lutte contre le braconnage, l'amélioration du milieu aquatique : franchissement d'obstacles à la remontée des salmonidés migrateurs, ameublissement des frayères, enlèvement des prédateurs. Ils ont également porté sur des introductions annuelles d'environ 100.000 oeufs de saumons à des stades divers. Les résultats montrent que le nombre des smolts s'accroît, de même que, en 1972, le nombre des adultes contrôlés et marqués lors de leurs déplacements. Le nombre modeste des uns et des autres ainsi que le caractère récent de cette réapparition du saumon en Bresle ne permettent pas de dire qu'il y a réacclimatation de l'espèce : il s'agit d'un simple indice favorable à la réacclimatation du saumon. L'auteur conclut en pensant que la truite de mer présente dans les cours d'eau de cette région un intérêt supérieur à celui du Saumon mais que, dans le cas particulier de la rivière la BRESLE, l'introduction du saumon est une initiative intéressante pour les pêcheurs sportifs. Il conviendra toutefois de grossir considérablement l'ensaumonnement en introduisant davantage de smolts. Il sera également important de prévoir une réglementation de la pêche assurant le maintien de l'installation du saumon dans cette rivière. The Bresle river, running between upper Normandy and Picardy in the North-Western part of France, saw occasional runs of

  7. Identification of a low digestibility δ-Conglutin in yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) seed meal for atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) by coupling 2D-PAGE and mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogura, Takahiro; Hernández, Adrián; Aizawa, Tomoko; Ogihara, Jun; Sunairi, Michio; Alcaino, Javier; Salvo-Garrido, Haroldo; Maureira-Butler, Iván J

    2013-01-01

    The need of quality protein in the aquaculture sector has forced the incorporation of alternative plant proteins into feeding diets. However, most plant proteins show lower digestibility levels than fish meal proteins, especially in carnivorous fishes. Manipulation of protein content by plant breeding can improve the digestibility rate of plant proteins in fish, but the identification of low digestibility proteins is essential. A reduction of low digestibility proteins will not only increase feed efficiency, but also reduce water pollution. Little is known about specific digestible protein profiles and/or molecular identification of more bioavailable plant proteins in fish diets. In this study, we identified low digestibility L. luteus seed proteins using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) crude digestive enzymes in an in vitro assay. Low digestibility proteins were identified by comparing SDS-PAGE banding profiles of digested and non-digested lupin seed proteins. Gel image analysis detected a major 12 kDa protein band in both lupin meal and protein isolate digested products. The 12 kDa was confirmed by 2D-PAGE gels and the extracted protein was analyzed with an ion trap mass spectrometer in tandem mass mode. The MS/MS data showed that the 12 kDa low digestibility protein was a large chain δconglutin, a common seed storage protein of yellow lupin. Comparison of the protein band profiles between lupin meal and protein isolates showed that the isolatation process did not affect the low digestibility of the 12 kDa protein.

  8. Identification of a Low Digestibility δ-Conglutin in Yellow Lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) Seed Meal for Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) by Coupling 2D-PAGE and Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogura, Takahiro; Hernández, Adrián; Aizawa, Tomoko; Ogihara, Jun; Sunairi, Michio; Alcaino, Javier; Salvo-Garrido, Haroldo; Maureira-Butler, Iván J.

    2013-01-01

    The need of quality protein in the aquaculture sector has forced the incorporation of alternative plant proteins into feeding diets. However, most plant proteins show lower digestibility levels than fish meal proteins, especially in carnivorous fishes. Manipulation of protein content by plant breeding can improve the digestibility rate of plant proteins in fish, but the identification of low digestibility proteins is essential. A reduction of low digestibility proteins will not only increase feed efficiency, but also reduce water pollution. Little is known about specific digestible protein profiles and/or molecular identification of more bioavailable plant proteins in fish diets. In this study, we identified low digestibility L. luteus seed proteins using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) crude digestive enzymes in an in vitro assay. Low digestibility proteins were identified by comparing SDS-PAGE banding profiles of digested and non-digested lupin seed proteins. Gel image analysis detected a major 12 kDa protein band in both lupin meal and protein isolate digested products. The 12 kDa was confirmed by 2D-PAGE gels and the extracted protein was analyzed with an ion trap mass spectrometer in tandem mass mode. The MS/MS data showed that the 12 kDa low digestibility protein was a large chain δconglutin, a common seed storage protein of yellow lupin. Comparison of the protein band profiles between lupin meal and protein isolates showed that the isolatation process did not affect the low digestibility of the 12 kDa protein. PMID:24278278

  9. Probiotics improve survival of septic rats by suppressing conditioned pathogens in ascites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Da-Quan; Gao, Qiao-Ying; Liu, Hong-Bin; Li, Dong-Hua; Wu, Shang-Wei

    2013-01-01

    AIM: To investigate the benefits of probiotics treatment in septic rats. METHODS: The septic rats were induced by cecal ligation and puncture. The animals of control, septic model and probiotics treated groups were treated with vehicle and mixed probiotics, respectively. The mixture of probiotics included Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. We observed the survival of septic rats using different amounts of mixed probiotics. We also detected the bacterial population in ascites and blood of experimental sepsis using cultivation and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The severity of mucosal inflammation in colonic tissues was determined. RESULTS: Probiotics treatment improved survival of the rats significantly and this effect was dose dependent. The survival rate was 30% for vehicle-treated septic model group. However, 1 and 1/4 doses of probiotics treatment increased survival rate significantly compared with septic model group (80% and 55% vs 30%, P probiotics treated group compared with septic model group (5.20 ± 0.57 vs 9.81 ± 0.67, P probiotics treated group compared with septic model group (33.3% vs 100.0%, P probiotics treated group were decreased significantly compared with that of septic model group (3.93 ± 0.73 vs 8.80 ± 0.83, P probiotics treatment, there was a decrease in the scores of inflammatory cell infiltration into the intestinal mucosa in septic animals (1.50 ± 0.25 vs 2.88 ± 0.14, P Probiotics improve survival of septic rats by suppressing these conditioned pathogens. PMID:23840152

  10. SURVIVAL OF LUNG CANCER PATIENTS RESIDING IN TOMSK REGION (2004–2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. L. Choynzonov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A 10-year survival of 3482 lung cancer patients residing in Tomsk region was studied. Based on the populationbased cancer registry data, the observed, corrected and relative survival rates were calculated by the actuarial method taking into consideration age, sex, disease stage and place of residence of the patients. Survival rates were lower in males than in females: the difference in the overall observed survival (OS rate was from 5.1 % (8-year OS to 7.3 % (2-year OS. An inverse relationship between survival and cancer spread was observed. Survival rates were higher for urban populations than for rural populations. The analysis indicated that most lung cancer cases were diagnosed at an advanced stage. Survival rates demonstrated relatively equal levels of cancer care in different regions of Russia. When comparing survival rates in Tomsk region with those in Europe and the USA, it was shown that one-year survival was lower in Tomsk region than in Europe and the USA, thus indicating more effective cancer screening programs in European countries and the USA.

  11. Multiple neoplasms, single primaries, and patient survival

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amer MH

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Magid H Amer Department of Medicine, St Rita's Medical Center, Lima, OH, USA Background: Multiple primary neoplasms in surviving cancer patients are relatively common, with an increasing incidence. Their impact on survival has not been clearly defined. Methods: This was a retrospective review of clinical data for all consecutive patients with histologically confirmed cancer, with emphasis on single versus multiple primary neoplasms. Second primaries discovered at the workup of the index (first primary were termed simultaneous, if discovered within 6 months of the index primary were called synchronous, and if discovered after 6 months were termed metachronous. Results: Between 2005 and 2012, of 1,873 cancer patients, 322 developed second malignancies; these included two primaries (n=284, and three or more primaries (n=38. Forty-seven patients had synchronous primaries and 275 had metachronous primaries. Patients with multiple primaries were predominantly of Caucasian ancestry (91.0%, with a tendency to develop thrombosis (20.2%, had a strong family history of similar cancer (22.3%, and usually presented with earlier stage 0 through stage II disease (78.9%. When compared with 1,551 patients with a single primary, these figures were 8.9%, 15.6%, 18.3%, and 50.9%, respectively (P≤0.001. Five-year survival rates were higher for metachronous cancers (95% than for synchronous primaries (59% and single primaries (59%. The worst survival rate was for simultaneous concomitant multiple primaries, being a median of 1.9 years. The best survival was for patients with three or more primaries (median 10.9 years and was similar to the expected survival for the age-matched and sex-matched general population (P=0.06991. Conclusion: Patients with multiple primaries are usually of Caucasian ancestry, have less aggressive malignancies, present at earlier stages, frequently have a strong family history of similar cancer, and their cancers tend to have indolent

  12. A nomogram for predicting survival in patients with breast cancer brain metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Zhou; Sun, Bing; Wu, Shikai; Meng, Xiangying; Cong, Yang; Shen, Ge; Song, Santai

    2018-05-01

    Brain metastasis (BM) is common in patients with breast cancer. Predicting patient survival is critical for the clinical management of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). The present study was designed to develop and evaluate a prognostic model for patients with newly diagnosed BCBM. Based on the clinical data of patients with BCBM treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Beijing, China) between 2002 and 2014, a nomogram was developed to predict survival using proportional hazards regression analysis. The model was validated internally by bootstrapping, and the concordance index (c-index) was calculated. A calibration curve and c-index were used to evaluate discriminatory and predictive ability, in order to compare the nomogram with widely used models, including recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), graded prognostic assessment (GPA) and breast-graded prognostic assessment (Breast-GPA). A total of 411 patients with BCBM were included in the development of this predictive model. The median overall survival time was 14.1 months. Statistically significant predictors for patient survival included biological subtype, Karnofsky performance score, leptomeningeal metastasis, extracranial metastasis, the number of brain metastases and disease-free survival. A nomogram for predicting 1- and 2-year overall survival rates was constructed, which exhibited good accuracy in predicting overall survival with a concordance index of 0.735. This model outperformed RPA, GPA and Breast-GPA, based on the comparisons of the c-indexes. The nomogram constructed based on a multiple factor analysis was able to more accurately predict the individual survival probability of patients with BCBM, compared with existing models.

  13. Geographic Variation in Oxaliplatin Chemotherapy and Survival in Patients With Colon Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panchal, Janki M; Lairson, David R; Chan, Wenyaw; Du, Xianglin L

    2016-01-01

    Geographic disparity in colon cancer survival has received less attention, despite the fact that health care delivery varied across regions. To examine geographic variation in colon cancer survival and explore factors affecting this variation, including the use of oxaliplatin chemotherapy, we studied cases with resected stage-III colon cancer in 2004-2009, identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked database. Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the effect of oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy on survival across regions. Propensity score adjustments were made to control for potential selection bias and confounding. Rural regions showed lowest 3-year survival, whereas big metro regions showed better 3-year survival rate than any other region (67.3% in rural regions vs. 69.5% in big metro regions). Hazard ratio for patients residing in metro region was comparable with those residing in big metro region (1.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.90-1.80). However, patients residing in urban area were exhibiting lower mortality than those in other regions, although not statistically significant. Patients who received oxaliplatin chemotherapy were 23% significantly less likely to die of cancer than those received 5-fluorouracil only chemotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.63-0.95). In conclusion, there were some differences in survival across geographic regions, which were not statistically significant after adjusting for sociodemographic, tumor, chemotherapy, and other treatment characteristics. Oxaliplatin chemotherapy was associated with improved survival outcomes compared with 5-fluorouracil only chemotherapy across regions. Further studies may evaluate other factors and newer chemotherapy regimens on mortality/survival of older patients.

  14. Contrasting nest survival patterns for ducks and songbirds in northern mixed-grass prairie

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Todd; Shaffer, Terry L.; Madden, Elizabeth M.; Nenneman, Melvin P.

    2017-01-01

    Management actions intended to protect or improve habitat for ducks may benefit grassland-nesting passerines, but scant information is available to explore this assumption. During 1998–2003, we examined nest survival of ducks and songbirds to determine whether effects of prescribed fire and other habitat features (e.g., shrub cover and distance to habitat edges) were similar for ducks and passerines breeding in North Dakota. We used the logistic-exposure method to estimate survival of duck and songbird nests (n = 3,171). We used an information-theoretic approach to identify factors that most influenced nest survival. Patterns of nest survival were markedly different between taxonomic groups. For ducks, nest survival was greater during the first postfire nesting season (daily survival rate [DSR] = 0.957, 85% CI = 0.951–0.963), relative to later postfire nesting seasons (DSR = 0.946, 85% CI = 0.942–0.950). Furthermore duck nest survival and nest densities were inversely related. Duck nest survival also was greater as shrub cover decreased and as distance from cropland and wetland edges increased. Passerines had lower nest survival during the first postfire nesting season (DSR = 0.934, 85% CI = 0.924–0.944), when densities also were low compared to subsequent postfire nesting seasons (DSR = 0.947, 85% CI = 0.944–0.950). Parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) reduced passerine nest survival and this effect was more pronounced during the first postfire nesting season compared to subsequent nesting seasons. Passerine nest survival was greater as shrub cover decreased and perhaps for more concealed nests. Duck and songbird nest survival rates were not correlated during this study and for associated studies that examined additional variables using the same dataset, suggesting that different mechanisms influenced their survival. Based on our results, ducks should not be considered direct surrogates for passerines

  15. Brachytherapy Boost Utilization and Survival in Unfavorable-risk Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Skyler B; Lester-Coll, Nataniel H; Kelly, Jacqueline R; Kann, Benjamin H; Yu, James B; Nath, Sameer K

    2017-11-01

    There are limited comparative survival data for prostate cancer (PCa) patients managed with a low-dose rate brachytherapy (LDR-B) boost and dose-escalated external-beam radiotherapy (DE-EBRT) alone. To compare overall survival (OS) for men with unfavorable PCa between LDR-B and DE-EBRT groups. Using the National Cancer Data Base, we identified men with unfavorable PCa treated between 2004 and 2012 with androgen suppression (AS) and either EBRT followed by LDR-B or DE-EBRT (75.6-86.4Gy). Treatment selection was evaluated using logistic regression and annual percentage proportions. OS was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, Cox proportional hazards, and propensity score matching. We identified 25038 men between 2004 and 2012, during which LDR-B boost utilization decreased from 29% to 14%. LDR-B was associated with better OS on univariate (7-yr OS: 82% vs 73%; pLDR-B boost (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.89). The OS benefit of LDR-B boost persisted when limited to men aged LDR-B boost utilization declined and was associated with better OS compared to DE-EBRT alone. LDR-B boost is probably the ideal treatment option for men with unfavorable PCa, pending long-term results of randomized trials. We compared radiotherapy utilization and survival for prostate cancer (PCa) patients using a national database. We found that low-dose rate brachytherapy (LDR-B) boost, a method being used less frequently, was associated with better overall survival when compared to dose-escalated external-beam radiotherapy alone for men with unfavorable PCa. Randomized trials are needed to confirm that LDR-B boost is the ideal treatment. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Differences between colon and rectal cancer in complications, short-term survival and recurrences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Sijp, Max P L; Bastiaannet, Esther; Mesker, Wilma E; van der Geest, Lydia G M; Breugom, Anne J; Steup, Willem H; Marinelli, Andreas W K S; Tseng, Larissa N L; Tollenaar, Rob A E M; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Dekker, J W T

    2016-10-01

    Many apparent differences exist in aetiology, genetics, anatomy and treatment response between colon cancer (CC) and rectal cancer (RC). This study examines the differences in patient characteristics, prevalence of complications and their effect on short-term survival, long-term survival and the rate of recurrence between RC and CC. For all stage II-III CC and RC patients who underwent resection with curative intent (2006-2008) in five hospitals in the Netherlands, occurrence of complications, crude survival, relative survival and recurrence rates were compared. A total of 767 CC and 272 RC patients underwent resection. Significant differences were found for age, gender, emergency surgery, T-stage and grade. CC patients experienced fewer complications compared to RC (p = 0.019), but CC patients had worse short-term mortality rates (1.5 versus 6.7 % for 30-day mortality, p = 0.001 and 5.2 versus 9.5 % for 90-day mortality, p = 0.032). The adjusted HR (overall survival) for CC patients with complications was 1.57 (1.23-2.01; p characteristics and clinical outcomes between CC and RC. CC patients have a significantly higher short-term mortality compared to RC patients due to a more severe effect of complications.

  17. Impact of socioeconomic status on survival of colorectal cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Wang, Yufu; Hu, Hanqing; Huang, Rui; Xie, Lei; Liu, Enrui; Chen, Ying-Gang; Wang, Guiyu; Wang, Xishan

    2017-12-01

    Socioeconomic status (SES) has an impact on the survival of various cancers, but it has not been fully understood in colorectal cancer (CRC). The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database was adopted to detect the role of SES in the survival outcomes of CRC. A total of 184,322 eligible patients were included and SES status was analyzed. The multivariable analysis showed that Non-Hispanic Black (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.15-1.24), being widowed (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07), any Medicaid (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.33-1.39) and the lowest education level group patients had relative poorer prognosis. Besides, sex, tumor location, age, differentiation level and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage also had significant effects on overall survival of CRC. The individuals were further divided into five groups according to the number of survival-adverse factors. All of the four groups containing adverse factors showed impaired survival outcomes compared with the group containing no adverse factor.

  18. Iron Overload Is Associated With Oxidative Stress and Nutritional Immunity During Viral Infection in Fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarifeño-Saldivia, Estefanía; Aguilar, Andrea; Contreras, David; Mercado, Luis; Morales-Lange, Byron; Márquez, Katherine; Henríquez, Adolfo; Riquelme-Vidal, Camila; Boltana, Sebastian

    2018-01-01

    Iron is a trace element, essential to support life due to its inherent ability to exchange electrons with a variety of molecules. The use of iron as a cofactor in basic metabolic pathways is essential to both pathogenic microorganisms and their hosts. During evolution, the shared requirement of micro- and macro-organisms for this important nutrient has shaped the pathogen-host relationship. Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNv) affects salmonids constituting a sanitary problem for this industry as it has an important impact on post-smolt survival. While immune modulation induced by IPNv infection has been widely characterized on Salmo salar , viral impact on iron host metabolism has not yet been elucidated. In the present work, we evaluate short-term effect of IPNv on several infected tissues from Salmo salar . We observed that IPNv displayed high tropism to headkidney, which directly correlates with a rise in oxidative stress and antiviral responses. Transcriptional profiling on headkidney showed a massive modulation of gene expression, from which biological pathways involved with iron metabolism were remarkable. Our findings suggest that IPNv infection increase oxidative stress on headkidney as a consequence of iron overload induced by a massive upregulation of genes involved in iron metabolism.

  19. Comparative Analyses of Nonpathogenic, Opportunistic, and Totally Pathogenic Mycobacteria Reveal Genomic and Biochemical Variabilities and Highlight the Survival Attributes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Yadvir; Kohli, Sakshi; Ahmad, Javeed; Ehtesham, Nasreen Z.; Tyagi, Anil K.

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Mycobacterial evolution involves various processes, such as genome reduction, gene cooption, and critical gene acquisition. Our comparative genome size analysis of 44 mycobacterial genomes revealed that the nonpathogenic (NP) genomes were bigger than those of opportunistic (OP) or totally pathogenic (TP) mycobacteria, with the TP genomes being smaller yet variable in size—their genomic plasticity reflected their ability to evolve and survive under various environmental conditions. From the 44 mycobacterial species, 13 species, representing TP, OP, and NP, were selected for genomic-relatedness analyses. Analysis of homologous protein-coding genes shared between Mycobacterium indicus pranii (NP), Mycobacterium intracellulare ATCC 13950 (OP), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (TP) revealed that 4,995 (i.e., ~95%) M. indicaus pranii proteins have homology with M. intracellulare, whereas the homologies among M. indicus pranii, M. intracellulare ATCC 13950, and M. tuberculosis H37Rv were significantly lower. A total of 4,153 (~79%) M. indicus pranii proteins and 4,093 (~79%) M. intracellulare ATCC 13950 proteins exhibited homology with the M. tuberculosis H37Rv proteome, while 3,301 (~82%) and 3,295 (~82%) M. tuberculosis H37Rv proteins showed homology with M. indicus pranii and M. intracellulare ATCC 13950 proteomes, respectively. Comparative metabolic pathway analyses of TP/OP/NP mycobacteria showed enzymatic plasticity between M. indicus pranii (NP) and M. intracellulare ATCC 13950 (OP), Mycobacterium avium 104 (OP), and M. tuberculosis H37Rv (TP). Mycobacterium tuberculosis seems to have acquired novel alternate pathways with possible roles in metabolism, host-pathogen interactions, virulence, and intracellular survival, and by implication some of these could be potential drug targets. PMID:25370496

  20. Gender, social norms, and survival in maritime disasters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elinder, Mikael; Erixson, Oscar

    2012-01-01

    Since the sinking of the Titanic, there has been a widespread belief that the social norm of “women and children first” (WCF) gives women a survival advantage over men in maritime disasters, and that captains and crew members give priority to passengers. We analyze a database of 18 maritime disasters spanning three centuries, covering the fate of over 15,000 individuals of more than 30 nationalities. Our results provide a unique picture of maritime disasters. Women have a distinct survival disadvantage compared with men. Captains and crew survive at a significantly higher rate than passengers. We also find that: the captain has the power to enforce normative behavior; there seems to be no association between duration of a disaster and the impact of social norms; women fare no better when they constitute a small share of the ship’s complement; the length of the voyage before the disaster appears to have no impact on women’s relative survival rate; the sex gap in survival rates has declined since World War I; and women have a larger disadvantage in British shipwrecks. Taken together, our findings show that human behavior in life-and-death situations is best captured by the expression “every man for himself.” PMID:22847426

  1. New Insights to Compare and Choose TKTD Models for Survival Based on an Interlaboratory Study for Lymnaea stagnalis Exposed to Cd.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baudrot, Virgile; Preux, Sara; Ducrot, Virginie; Pave, Alain; Charles, Sandrine

    2018-02-06

    Toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TKTD) models, as the General Unified Threshold model of Survival (GUTS), provide a consistent process-based framework compared to classical dose-response models to analyze both time and concentration-dependent data sets. However, the extent to which GUTS models (Stochastic Death (SD) and Individual Tolerance (IT)) lead to a better fitting than classical dose-response model at a given target time (TT) has poorly been investigated. Our paper highlights that GUTS estimates are generally more conservative and have a reduced uncertainty through smaller credible intervals for the studied data sets than classical TT approaches. Also, GUTS models enable estimating any x% lethal concentration at any time (LC x,t ), and provide biological information on the internal processes occurring during the experiments. While both GUTS-SD and GUTS-IT models outcompete classical TT approaches, choosing one preferentially to the other is still challenging. Indeed, the estimates of survival rate over time and LC x,t are very close between both models, but our study also points out that the joint posterior distributions of SD model parameters are sometimes bimodal, while two parameters of the IT model seems strongly correlated. Therefore, the selection between these two models has to be supported by the experimental design and the biological objectives, and this paper provides some insights to drive this choice.

  2. Reduced in-hospital survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims with obstructive pulmonary disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blom, M T; Warnier, M J; Bardai, A

    2013-01-01

    ) had comparable survival to ER (75% vs. 78%, OR 0.9 [95% CI: 0.6-1.3]) and to hospital admission (56% vs. 57%, OR 1.0 [0.7-1.4]). However, survival to hospital discharge was significantly lower among OPD patients (21% vs. 33%, OR 0.6 [0.4-0.9]). Multivariate regression analysis among patients who were...... with obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD) have a lower survival rate after OHCA than non-OPD patients. METHODS: We performed a community-based cohort study of 1172 patients with non-traumatic OHCA with ECG-documented VT/VF between 2005 and 2008. We compared survival to emergency room (ER), to hospital admission...... admitted to hospital (OPD: n=100, no OPD: n=561) revealed that OPD was an independent determinant of reduced 30-day survival rate (39% vs. 59%, adjusted OR 0.6 [0.4-1.0, p=0.035]). CONCLUSION: OPD-patients had lower survival rates after OHCA than non-OPD patients. Survival to ER and to hospital admission...

  3. Survival of microorganisms in smectite clays: Implications for Martian exobiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moll, Deborah M.; Vestal, J. Robie

    1992-08-01

    Manned exploration of Mars may result in the contamination of that planet with terrestrial microbes, a situation requiring assessment of the survival potential of possible contaminating organisms. In this study, the survival of Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter chroococcum, and the enteric bacteriophage MS2 was examined in clays representing terrestrial (Wyoming type montmorillonite) or Martian (Fe 3+-montmorillonite) soils exposed to terrestrial and Martian environmental conditions of temperature and atmospheric pressure and composition, but not to UV flux or oxidizing conditions. Survival of bacteria was determined by standard plate counts and biochemical and physiological measurements over 112 days. Extractable lipid phosphate was used to measure microbial biomass, and the rate of 14C-acetate incorporation into microbial lipids was used to determine physiological activity. MS2 survival was assayed by plaque counts. Both bacterial types survived terrestrial or Martian conditions in Wyoming montmorillonite better than Martian conditions in Fe 3+-montmorillonite. Decreased survival may have been caused by the lower pH of the Fe 3+-montmorillonite compared to Wyoming montmorillonite. MS2 survived simulated Mars conditions better than the terrestrial environment, likely due to stabilization of the virus caused by the cold and dry conditions of the simulated Martian environment. The survival of MS2 in the simulated Martian environment is the first published indication that viruses may be able to survive in Martian type soils. This work may have implications for planetary protection for future Mars missions.

  4. Predicting long-term graft survival in adult kidney transplant recipients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett W Pinsky

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The ability to accurately predict a population′s long-term survival has important implications for quantifying the benefits of transplantation. To identify a model that can accurately predict a kidney transplant population′s long-term graft survival, we retrospectively studied the United Network of Organ Sharing data from 13,111 kidney-only transplants completed in 1988- 1989. Nineteen-year death-censored graft survival (DCGS projections were calculated and com-pared with the population′s actual graft survival. The projection curves were created using a two-part estimation model that (1 fits a Kaplan-Meier survival curve immediately after transplant (Part A and (2 uses truncated observational data to model a survival function for long-term projection (Part B. Projection curves were examined using varying amounts of time to fit both parts of the model. The accuracy of the projection curve was determined by examining whether predicted sur-vival fell within the 95% confidence interval for the 19-year Kaplan-Meier survival, and the sample size needed to detect the difference in projected versus observed survival in a clinical trial. The 19-year DCGS was 40.7% (39.8-41.6%. Excellent predictability (41.3% can be achieved when Part A is fit for three years and Part B is projected using two additional years of data. Using less than five total years of data tended to overestimate the population′s long-term survival, accurate prediction of long-term DCGS is possible, but requires attention to the quantity data used in the projection method.

  5. Survival from skin cancer and its associated factors in Kurdistan province of Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadi, Galavizh; Asadi-Lari, Mohsen; Amani, Saeid; Solaymani-Dodaran, Masoud

    2015-01-01

    We explored survival of skin cancer and its determinants in Kurdistan province of Iran. In a retrospective cohort design, we identified all registered skin cancer patients in Kurdistan Cancer Registry from year 2000 to 2009. Information on time and cause of death were obtained from Registrar's office and information on type, stage and anatomic locations were extracted from patients' hospital records. Additional demographic information was collected via a telephone interview. We calculated the 3 and 5 years survival. Survival experiences in different groups were compared using log rank test. Cox proportional hazard model was built and hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Of a total of 1353, contact information for 667 patients were available, all of which were followed up. 472 telephone interviews were conducted. Mean follow-up time was 34 months. We identified 78 deaths in this group of patients and 44 of them were because of skin cancer. After controlling for confounding, tumour type, anatomical location, and diseases stage remained significantly associated with survival. Hazard ratios for death because of squamous cell carcinoma was 74.5 (95%CI: 4.8-1146) and for melanoma was 24.4 (95%CI: 1.3-485) compared with basal cell carcinomas. Hazard ratio for tumours in stage 4 was 16.7 (95%CI: 1.8-156.6) and for stage 3 was 16.8 (95%CI: 1.07-260) compared with stage 1 and 2. Tumour stage is independently associated with survival. Relatively low survival rates suggest delayed diagnosis. Increasing public awareness through media about the warning signs of skin cancers could increase the chance of survival in these patients.

  6. Analyzing survival curves at a fixed point in time for paired and clustered right-censored data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Pei-Fang; Chi, Yunchan; Lee, Chun-Yi; Shyr, Yu; Liao, Yi-De

    2018-01-01

    In clinical trials, information about certain time points may be of interest in making decisions about treatment effectiveness. Rather than comparing entire survival curves, researchers can focus on the comparison at fixed time points that may have a clinical utility for patients. For two independent samples of right-censored data, Klein et al. (2007) compared survival probabilities at a fixed time point by studying a number of tests based on some transformations of the Kaplan-Meier estimators of the survival function. However, to compare the survival probabilities at a fixed time point for paired right-censored data or clustered right-censored data, their approach would need to be modified. In this paper, we extend the statistics to accommodate the possible within-paired correlation and within-clustered correlation, respectively. We use simulation studies to present comparative results. Finally, we illustrate the implementation of these methods using two real data sets. PMID:29456280

  7. Survival outcomes of younger men (< 55 years undergoing radical prostatectomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynn Tan

    2018-03-01

    Conclusion: Men aged 45–54 years undergoing RP had better overall survival compared to men aged 55–74 years, but these effects were not seen in men aged 35–44 years. There were no differences in prostate cancer specific survival in these groups.

  8. Survival of Columbian white-tailed deer in western Oregon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricca, Mark A.; Anthony, Robert G.; Jackson, Dewaine H.; Wolfe, Scott A.

    2002-01-01

    Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus; CWTD) are an endangered subspecies on which little demographic information exists. We determined survival rates and causes of mortality for 64 radiocol- lared adults from 1996 to 1998, and for 63 radiocollared neonatal fawns during the summer and fall months of 1996-2001 in Douglas County, Oregon, USA. Annual adult survival rates averaged 0.74 over 3 years, and most mor- tality (73%) occurred between fall and winter. Seasonal survival was lowest (0.75) for the fall-winter 1997-1998, and was 20.90 during all spring-summer periods. Annual and seasonal survival rates did not differ by gender. Average annual survival was 0.77 for deer in wildland areas compared with 0.66 for deer in suburban areas, but these dif- ferences were not consistent between years and seasons. Survival over the entire 3-year study was low (0.38). Eight deer died from a combination of emaciation and disease, and almost all (92%) necropsied deer were in poor body condition. Fawn survival to 7 months was low (0.14, 95% CI = 0.02-0.26) and declined most rapidly during the first 1.5 months of life. Predation (n = 21) and abandonment (n = 6) were the most frequent known causes of death for fawns. Our results suggest that CWTD may have responded to density-dependent factors during this short-term study, although the effects of other environmental or intrinsic factors cannot be ignored. Fawn survival may be insufficient to produce enough recruits for population growth and eventual range expansion.

  9. Primary localization and tumor thickness as prognostic factors of survival in patients with mucosal melanoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarun Mehra

    Full Text Available Data on survival with mucosal melanoma and on prognostic factors of are scarce. It is still unclear if the disease course allows for mucosal melanoma to be treated as primary cutaneous melanoma or if differences in overall survival patterns require adapted therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, this investigation is the first to present 10-year survival rates for mucosal melanomas of different anatomical localizations.116 cases from Sep 10 1984 until Feb 15 2011 retrieved from the Comprehensive Cancer Center and of the Central Register of the German Dermatologic Society databases in Tübingen were included in our analysis. We recorded anatomical location and tumor thickness, and estimated overall survival at 2, 5 and 10 years and the mean overall survival time. Survival times were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare survival times by localizations and by T-stages.We found a median overall survival time of 80.9 months, with an overall 2-year survival of 71.7%, 5-year survival of 55.8% and 10-year survival of 38.3%. The 10-year survival rates for patients with T1, T2, T3 or T4 stage tumors were 100.0%, 77.9%, 66.3% and 10.6% respectively. 10-year survival of patients with melanomas of the vulva was 64.5% in comparison to 22.3% of patients with non-vulva mucosal melanomas.Survival times differed significantly between patients with melanomas of the vulva compared to the rest (p = 0.0006. It also depends on T-stage at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.0001.

  10. Transgene and immune gene expression following intramuscular injection of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) with DNA-releasing PLGA nano- and microparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hølvold, Linn Benjaminsen; Fredriksen, Børge N; Bøgwald, Jarl; Dalmo, Roy A

    2013-09-01

    The use of poly-(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) particles as carriers for DNA delivery has received considerable attention in mammalian studies. DNA vaccination of fish has been shown to elicit durable transgene expression, but no reports exist on intramuscular administration of PLGA-encapsulated plasmid DNA (pDNA). We injected Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) intramuscularly with a plasmid vector containing a luciferase (Photinus pyralis) reporter gene as a) naked pDNA, b) encapsulated into PLGA nano- (~320 nm) (NP) or microparticles (~4 μm) (MP), c) in an oil-based formulation, or with empty particles of both sizes. The ability of the different pDNA-treatments to induce transgene expression was analyzed through a 70-day experimental period. Anatomical distribution patterns and depot effects were determined by tracking isotope labeled pDNA. Muscle, head kidney and spleen from all treatment groups were analyzed for proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β), antiviral genes (IFN-α, Mx) and cytotoxic T-cell markers (CD8, Eomes) at mRNA transcription levels at days 1, 2, 4 and 7. Histopathological examinations were performed on injection site samples from days 2, 7 and 30. Injection of either naked pDNA or the oil-formulation was superior to particle treatments for inducing transgene expression at early time-points. Empty particles of both sizes were able to induce proinflammatory immune responses as well as degenerative and inflammatory pathology at the injection site. Microparticles demonstrated injection site depots and an inflammatory pathology comparable to the oil-based formulation. In comparison, the distribution of NP-encapsulated pDNA resembled that of naked pDNA, although encapsulation into NPs significantly elevated the expression of antiviral genes in all tissues. Together the results indicate that while naked pDNA is most efficient for inducing transgene expression, the encapsulation of pDNA into NPs up-regulates antiviral responses that could be

  11. Replacement of dietary soy- with air classified faba bean protein concentrate alters the hepatic transcriptome in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Santis, Christian; Crampton, Viv O; Bicskei, Beatrix; Tocher, Douglas R

    2015-12-01

    The production of carnivorous fish such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is dependent on the availability of high quality proteins for feed formulations. For a number of nutritional, strategic and economic reasons, the use of plant proteins has steadily increased over the years, however a major limitation is associated with the presence of anti-nutritional factors and the nutritional profile of the protein concentrate. Investigating novel raw materials involves understanding the physiological consequences associated with the dietary inclusion of protein concentrates. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the metabolic response of salmon to increasing inclusion of air-classified faba bean protein concentrate (BPC) in feeds as a replacement for soy protein concentrate (SPC). Specifically, we tested treatments with identical contents of fishmeal (222.4gkg(-1)) and progressively higher inclusion of BPC (0gkg(-1), 111.8gkg(-1), 223.6gkg(-1), 335.4gkg(-1), 447.2gkg(-1)) substituting SPC. This study demonstrated a dose-dependent metabolic response to a plant ingredient and was the first to compare the nutrigenomic transcriptional responses after substitution of terrestrial feed ingredients such as BPC and SPC without withdrawal of marine ingredients. It was found that after eight weeks a major physiological response in liver was only evident above 335.4gkg(-1) BPC and included decreased expression of metabolic pathways, and increased expression of genes regulating transcription and translation processes and the innate immune response. Furthermore, we showed that the nutritional stress caused by BPC resembled, at least at hepatic transcriptional level, that caused by soybean meal (included as a positive control in our experimental design). The outcomes of the present study suggested that Atlantic salmon parr might efficiently utilize moderate substitution of dietary SPC with BPC, with the optimum inclusion level being around 120gkg(-1)in the type of feeds

  12. Comparison of colorectal and gastric cancer: Survival and prognostic factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moghimi-Dehkordi, Bijan; Safaee, Azadeh; Zali, Mohammad R

    2009-01-01

    Gastric and colorectal cancers are the most common gastrointestinal malignancies in Iran. We aim to compare the survival rates and prognostic factors between these two cancers. We studied 1873 patients with either gastric or colorectal cancer who were registered in one referral cancer registry center in Tehran, Iran. All patients were followed from their time of diagnosis until December 2006 (as failure time). Survival curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier Method and compared by the Log-rank test. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors was carried out using the Cox proportional hazard model. Of 1873 patients, there were 746 with gastric cancer and 1138 with colorectal cancer. According to the Kaplan-Meier method 1, 3, 5, and 7-year survival rates were 71.2, 37.8, 25.3, and 19.5%, respectively, in gastric cancer patients and 91.1, 73.1, 61, and 54.9%, respectively, in patients with colorectal cancer. Also, univariate analysis showed that age at diagnosis, sex, grade of tumor, and distant metastasis were of prognostic significance in both cancers ( P < 0.0001). However, in multivariate analysis, only distant metastasis in colorectal cancer and age at diagnosis, grade of tumor, and distant metastasis in colorectal cancer were identified as independent prognostic factors influencing survival. According to our findings, survival is significantly related to histological differentiation of tumor and distant metastasis in colorectal cancer patients and only to distant metastasis in gastric cancer patients. (author)

  13. Contaminant levels in Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the 13-year period from 1999 to 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nøstbakken, Ole Jakob; Hove, Helge T; Duinker, Arne; Lundebye, Anne-Katrine; Berntssen, Marc H G; Hannisdal, Rita; Lunestad, Bjørn Tore; Maage, Amund; Madsen, Lise; Torstensen, Bente E; Julshamn, Kåre

    2015-01-01

    Environmental pollutants such as dioxins and PCBs, heavy metals, and organochlorine pesticides are a global threat to food safety. In particular, the aquatic biota can bioaccumulate many of these contaminants potentially making seafood of concern for chronic exposure to humans. The main objective was to evaluate trends of contaminant levels in Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon in light of the derived tolerable intakes. Through an EU-instigated surveillance programme, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has between 1999 and 2011 collected more than 2300 samples of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) for contaminant analyses. The fillets of these fish were homogenised and analysed for dioxins, PCBs, heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides. The levels of the contaminants mercury, arsenic, dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and DDT in Norwegian farmed salmon fillet have decreased during our period of analyses. The levels of cadmium, lead and several organochlorine pesticides were too close to the limit of quantification to calculate time trends. For PCB6 and quantifiable amounts of pesticides, except DDT, stable levels were observed. The contaminant levels in Norwegian farmed salmon have generally decreased between 1999 and 2011. Excluding other dietary sources, the levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in 2011 allowed consumption of up to 1.3kg salmon per week to reach the tolerable weekly intake. The group of contaminants which was the limiting factor for safe consumption of Norwegian farmed salmon, based on currently established TWI values, is the sum of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Physiological preparedness and performance of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in relation to behavioural salinity preferences and thresholds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stich, D.S.; Zydlewski, G.B.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the relationships between behavioural responses of Atlantic salmon Salmo salarsmolts to saltwater (SW) exposure and physiological characteristics of smolts in laboratory experiments. It concurrently described the behaviour of acoustically tagged smolts with respect to SW and tidal cycles during estuary migration. Salmo salar smolts increased their use of SW relative to fresh water (FW) from April to June in laboratory experiments. Mean preference for SW never exceeded 50% of time in any group. Preference for SW increased throughout the course of smolt development. Maximum continuous time spent in SW was positively related to gill Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA) activity and osmoregulatory performance in full-strength SW (measured as change in gill NKA activity and plasma osmolality). Smolts decreased depth upon reaching areas of the Penobscot Estuary where SW was present, and all fish became more surface oriented during passage from head of tide to the ocean. Acoustically tagged, migrating smolts with low gill NKA activity moved faster in FW reaches of the estuary than those with higher gill NKA activity. There was no difference in movement rate through SW reaches of the estuary based on gill NKA activity. Migrating fish moved with tidal flow during the passage of the lower estuary based on the observed patterns in both vertical and horizontal movements. The results indicate that smolts select low-salinity water during estuary migration and use tidal currents to minimize energetic investment in seaward migration. Seasonal changes in osmoregulatory ability highlight the importance of the timing of stocking and estuary arrival.

  15. Metabolism, health and fillet nutritional quality in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed diets containing n-3-rich microalgae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kousoulaki, Katerina; Østbye, Tone-Kari Knutsdatter; Krasnov, Aleksei; Torgersen, Jacob Seilø; Mørkøre, Turid; Sweetman, John

    2015-01-01

    Microalgae, as primary producers of EPA and DHA, are among the most prominent alternative sources to fish oil for n-3 long-chain PUFA in animal and human nutrition. The present study aimed to assess technical, nutritional and fish health aspects of producing n-3-rich Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fish fillets by dietary supplementation of increasing levels of a DHA-producing Schizochytrium sp. and reduced or without use of supplemental fish oil. Atlantic salmon smolt were fed diets with graded levels of microalgae for 12 weeks, during which all fish showed high feed intake rates with postprandial plasma leptin levels inversely correlating with final mean fish body weights. Fish performance was optimal in all experimental treatments (thermal growth coefficient about 4·0 and feed conversion ratio 0·8-0·9), protein digestibility was equal in all diets, whereas dietary lipid digestibility inversely correlated with the dietary levels of the SFA 16 : 0. Fillet quality was good and similar to the control in all treatments in terms of n-3 long-chain PUFA content, gaping, texture and liquid losses during thawing. Histological fluorescence staining and immunofluorescence analysis of salmon intestines (midgut: base of intestine and villi) revealed significant effects on slime, goblet cell production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity with increasing levels of dietary Schizochytrium sp. supplementation. Microarray analysis did not reveal any signs of toxicity, stress, inflammation or any other negative effects from Schizochytrium sp. supplementation in diets for Atlantic salmon.

  16. Delousing efficiency of farmed ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) against Lepeophtheirus salmonis infecting Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) post-smolts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leclercq, Eric; Davie, Andrew; Migaud, Hervé

    2014-08-01

    Cleaner-fish (wrasse, Labridae) are increasingly deployed within the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) industry as a biological control against sea-lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Krøyer). Two tank-based trials were performed to test the effect of farmed ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta Ascanius) body mass and supplementary feeding on the delousing of Atlantic salmon post-smolts with an initial infection level of ∼12 lice salmon(-1) and a ∼5% wrasse:salmon ratio. Sea-louse levels below 0.5 lice salmon(-1) were obtained within 84 h, and preferential preying upon larger motile stages was found. The wrasse body mass and the availability of fresh, opened blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) did not significantly affect delousing efficiency. The functional predator response was linear, showing no minimum prey density threshold for sea-louse foraging and no satiation plateau, in spite of the high consumption rates measured. Sea-louse infection levels declined following a one-phase exponential decay model, with a standardised decline time constant of 0.8-1.3% h(-1) for each wrasse stocked per 100 salmon. Farmed ballan wrasse are confirmed as highly effective therapeutic and preventive biological controls against sea-lice. The study supports the current minimum hatchery size target (10 mm total length) and the use of supplementary feeding to sustain the wrasse stocks in operation. The functional predator response and the standardised decline time constant of sea-louse abundance are proposed as useful indicators of delousing efficiency. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Radiobiological effects of tritiated water short-term exposure on V79 clonogenic cell survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siragusa, Mattia; Fredericia, Nina Pil Møntegaard; Jensen, Mikael

    2018-01-01

    We set out to improve the accuracy of absorbed dose calculations for in-vitro measurements of the Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) of tritiated water (HTO) for the clonogenic cell survival assay, also considering the influence of the end-of-track Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of low-energy...... in suspension are usually comparable to those for adherent cells. RBEs calculated at the 10% survival fraction through the use of the average energy are almost similar to those obtained with the beta-spectrum. For adherent cells, an RBE of 1.6 was found when HTO cell survival curves were compared to acute γ...

  18. Development of intestinal ion-transporting mechanisms during smoltification and seawater acclimation in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundh, Henrik; Nilsen, Tom O.; Lindström, Jenny; Hasselberg-Frank, Linda; Stefansson, Sigurd O.; McCormick, Stephen D.; Sundell, K.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the expression of ion transporters involved in intestinal fluid absorption and presents evidence for developmental changes in abundance and tissue distribution of these transporters during smoltification and seawater (SW) acclimation of Atlantic salmonSalmo salar. Emphasis was placed on Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA) and Na+, K+, Cl− co-transporter (NKCC) isoforms, at both transcriptional and protein levels, together with transcription of chloride channel genes. The nka α1c was the dominant isoform at the transcript level in both proximal and distal intestines; also, it was the most abundant isoform expressed in the basolateral membrane of enterocytes in the proximal intestine. This isoform was also abundantly expressed in the distal intestine in the lower part of the mucosal folds. The protein expression of intestinal Nkaα1c increased during smoltification. Immunostaining was localized to the basal membrane of the enterocytes in freshwater (FW) fish, and re-distributed to a lateral position after SW entry. Two other Nka isoforms, α1a and α1b, were expressed in the intestine but were not regulated to the same extent during smoltification and subsequent SW transfer. Their localization in the intestinal wall indicates a house-keeping function in excitatory tissues. The absorptive form of the NKCC-like isoform (sub-apically located NKCC2 and/or Na+, Cl−co-transporter) increased during smoltification and further after SW transfer. The cellular distribution changed from a diffuse expression in the sub-apical regions during smoltification to clustering of the transporters closer to the apical membrane after entry to SW. Furthermore, transcript abundance indicates that the mechanisms necessary for exit of chloride ions across the basolateral membrane and into the lateral intercellular space are present in the form of one or more of three different chloride channels: cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator I and II and chloride channel

  19. Malignant melanoma in 63 dogs (2001-2011): the effect of carboplatin chemotherapy on survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brockley, L K; Cooper, M A; Bennett, P F

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to compare the effect of carboplatin chemotherapy on the survival of canine patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma after loco-regional control or as a sole therapy. A retrospective study of 63 dogs with oral, digital or cutaneous malignant melanoma treated with surgery and/or chemotherapy was undertaken. Dogs were grouped based on the anatomical site of melanoma development. For oral melanoma, dogs were subclassified into two groups: loco-regional control and gross disease. All patients in the digital and cutaneous groups had achieved loco-regional control with surgery. Comparisons between survival data for each group at each anatomical site were then made. Within the loco-regional control groups survival time was compared between those treated with and without chemotherapy post surgery. For the oral melanoma patients with gross disease survival was compared between those treated with chemotherapy and palliative therapy. The toxicity of carboplatin chemotherapy was evaluated overall. The overall median survival times for patients with oral, digital and cutaneous melanoma were 389, 1,350 days and not reached (with a median follow-up of 776 days) respectively. Median survival time was defined as "not reached" when less than 50% of the subjects died of the disease at the end of the follow-up period, or at the time they were lost to follow-up. The addition of chemotherapy to surgery did not confer a survival benefit in the loco-regional control setting when assessing survival for each anatomical site. For oral melanoma patients with gross disease there was no difference between survival of patients treated with chemotherapy and palliative intent therapy. There was however an improvement in survival in the three dogs that responded to chemotherapy (978 days; p=0.039) compared to the eight non-responders (147 days). On univariate and multivariate analysis, anatomic location was the only variable that was significantly related to survival (p=0

  20. Survival Analysis of Patients with End Stage Renal Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urrutia, J. D.; Gayo, W. S.; Bautista, L. A.; Baccay, E. B.

    2015-06-01

    This paper provides a survival analysis of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) under Kaplan-Meier Estimates and Weibull Distribution. The data were obtained from the records of V. L. MakabaliMemorial Hospital with respect to time t (patient's age), covariates such as developed secondary disease (Pulmonary Congestion and Cardiovascular Disease), gender, and the event of interest: the death of ESRD patients. Survival and hazard rates were estimated using NCSS for Weibull Distribution and SPSS for Kaplan-Meier Estimates. These lead to the same conclusion that hazard rate increases and survival rate decreases of ESRD patient diagnosed with Pulmonary Congestion, Cardiovascular Disease and both diseases with respect to time. It also shows that female patients have a greater risk of death compared to males. The probability risk was given the equation R = 1 — e-H(t) where e-H(t) is the survival function, H(t) the cumulative hazard function which was created using Cox-Regression.

  1. Assessing the sensitivity of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to dietary endosulfan exposure using tissue biochemistry and histology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glover, Chris N.; Petri, Dietrich [National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), Bergen (Norway); Tollefsen, Knut-Erik [Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo (Norway); Jorum, Nanne [Skretting ARC, Stavanger (Norway); Handy, Richard D. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth (United Kingdom); Berntssen, Marc H.G. [National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), Bergen (Norway)], E-mail: marc.berntssen@nifes.no

    2007-10-15

    The incorporation of plant-based ingredients, and the possible carry-over of pesticides such as endosulfan, in fish feeds may present new toxicological challenges to aquacultural species. Biological responses of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to a 35-day dietary endosulfan exposure at levels ranging from 4 to 710 {mu}g kg{sup -1} were assessed using tissue histology and biochemistry. Liver 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deacetylase (EROD) activity was significantly elevated in the highest exposure group (710 {mu}g kg{sup -1}) by day 35. Other hepatic indicators of stress impacts and responses (glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities and hepatic {alpha}-tocopherol content) remained unchanged. Branchial Na{sup +}, K{sup +}-ATPase activity was significantly reduced at day 14 in the highest exposure group, but returned to control levels by day 35. Conversely, intestinal Na{sup +}, K{sup +}-ATPase activity was significantly inhibited at day 35, but again only at the highest exposure level. In contrast to the biochemical results, hepatic and intestinal histology revealed effects of exposure even at the lowest dose tested (4 {mu}g kg{sup -1}). In the posterior intestine, pathology was characterised by vacuolation and fusion of villi, and in the most severe cases, loss of epithelial integrity in villi tips. In the liver the primary effects were glycogen depletion and lipidosis. These changes were typical of a generalised stress response. While histology endpoints may prove to be the most sensitive indicators of dietary endosulfan exposure, the organismal relevance of these structural changes must be considered in the absence of effects in other biomarkers at dietary levels less than 710 {mu}g kg{sup -1}.

  2. Adjuvant Medications That Improve Survival after Locoregional Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boas, F Edward; Ziv, Etay; Yarmohammadi, Hooman; Brown, Karen T; Erinjeri, Joseph P; Sofocleous, Constantinos T; Harding, James J; Solomon, Stephen B

    2017-07-01

    To determine if outpatient medications taken at the time of liver tumor embolization or ablation affect survival. A retrospective review was done of 2,032 liver tumor embolization, radioembolization, and ablation procedures performed in 1,092 patients from June 2009 to April 2016. Pathology, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer), neuroendocrine tumor (NET) grade, initial locoregional therapy, overall survival after initial locoregional therapy, Child-Pugh score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and outpatient medications taken at the time of locoregional therapy were analyzed for each patient. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated for patients taking 29 medications or medication classes (including prescription and nonprescription medications) for reasons unrelated to their primary cancer diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier curves were compared using the log-rank test. For patients with HCC initially treated with embolization (n = 304 patients), the following medications were associated with improved survival when taken at the time of embolization: beta-blockers (P = .0007), aspirin (P = .0008) and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (P = .009), proton pump inhibitors (P = .004), and antivirals for hepatitis B or C (P = .01). For colorectal liver metastases initially treated with ablation (n = 172 patients), beta-blockers were associated with improved survival when taken at the time of ablation (P = .02). Aspirin and beta-blockers are associated with significantly improved survival when taken at the time of embolization for HCC. Aspirin was not associated with survival differences after locoregional therapy for NET or colorectal liver metastases, suggesting an HCC-specific effect. Copyright © 2017 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Marital Status and Survival in Patients with Carcinoid Tumors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin K. Greenleaf

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Marital status is a known prognostic factor in overall and disease-specific survival in several types of cancer. The impact of marital status on survival in patients with carcinoid tumors remains unknown. We hypothesized that married patients have higher rates of survival than similar unmarried patients with carcinoid tumors. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we identified 23,126 people diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor between 2000 and 2011 and stratified them according to marital status. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to compare the characteristics and outcomes between patient cohorts. Overall and cancer-related survival were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariable survival analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models (hazards ratio [HR], controlling for demographics and tumor-related and treatment-related variables. Propensity score analysis was performed to determine surgical intervention distributions among married and unmarried (ie, single, separated, divorced, widowed patients. Results Marital status was significantly related to both overall and cancer-related survival in patients with carcinoid tumors. Divorced and widowed patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.33 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.08–1.33] and 1.34 [95% CI, 1.22–1.46], respectively and cancer-related survival (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.00–1.31] and 1.15 [95% CI, 1.03–1.29], respectively than married patients over five years. Single and separated patients had worse overall survival (HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.08–1.33] and 1.62 [95% CI, 1.25–2.11], respectively than married patients over five years, but not worse cancer-related survival. Unmarried patients were more likely than matched married patients to undergo definitive surgical intervention (62.67% vs 53.11%, respectively, P < 0.0001. Conclusions Even after controlling for other prognostic factors, married patients

  4. Multinationals and plant survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bandick, Roger

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate how different ownership structures affect plant survival, and second, to analyze how the presence of foreign multinational enterprises (MNEs) affects domestic plants’ survival. Using a unique and detailed data set on the Swedish manufacturing...... sector, I am able to separate plants into those owned by foreign MNEs, domestic MNEs, exporting non-MNEs, and purely domestic firms. In line with previous findings, the result, when conditioned on other factors affecting survival, shows that foreign MNE plants have lower survival rates than non......-MNE plants. However, separating the non-MNEs into exporters and non-exporters, the result shows that foreign MNE plants have higher survival rates than non-exporting non-MNEs, while the survival rates of foreign MNE plants and exporting non-MNE plants do not seem to differ. Moreover, the simple non...

  5. Reduced intensity haplo plus single cord transplant compared to double cord transplant: improved engraftment and graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Besien, Koen; Hari, Parameswaran; Zhang, Mei-Jie; Liu, Hong-Tao; Stock, Wendy; Godley, Lucy; Odenike, Olatoyosi; Larson, Richard; Bishop, Michael; Wickrema, Amittha; Gergis, Usama; Mayer, Sebastian; Shore, Tsiporah; Tsai, Stephanie; Rhodes, Joanna; Cushing, Melissa M.; Korman, Sandra; Artz, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are commonly used in adults lacking HLA-identical donors. Delays in hematopoietic recovery contribute to mortality and morbidity. To hasten recovery, we used co-infusion of progenitor cells from a partially matched related donor and from an umbilical cord blood graft (haplo-cord transplant). Here we compared the outcomes of haplo-cord and double-cord transplants. A total of 97 adults underwent reduced intensity conditioning followed by haplo-cord transplant and 193 patients received reduced intensity conditioning followed by double umbilical cord blood transplantation. Patients in the haplo-cord group were more often from minority groups and had more advanced malignancy. Haplo-cord recipients received fludarabine-melphalan-anti-thymocyte globulin. Double umbilical cord blood recipients received fludarabine-cyclophosphamide and low-dose total body irradiation. In a multivariate analysis, haplo-cord had faster neutrophil (HR=1.42, P=0.007) and platelet (HR=2.54, Pdisease (HR=0.26, Pdisease (HR=0.06, Pdisease-free, relapse-free survival was superior with haplo-cord (HR 0.63, P=0.002) but not overall survival (HR=0.97, P=0.85). Haplo-cord transplantation using fludarabine-melphalan-thymoglobulin conditioning hastens hematopoietic recovery with a lower risk of relapse relative to double umbilical cord blood transplantation using the commonly used fludarabine-cyclophosphamide-low-dose total body irradiation conditioning. Graft-versus-host disease-free and relapse-free survival is significantly improved. Haplo-cord is a readily available graft source that improves outcomes and access to transplant for those lacking HLA-matched donors. Trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifiers 00943800 and 01810588. PMID:26869630

  6. Molecular profiling of short-term and long-term surviving patients identifies CD34 mRNA level as prognostic for glioblastoma survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michaelsen, Signe Regner; Urup, Thomas; Olsen, Lars Rønn

    2018-01-01

    Despite extensive treatment, overall survival (OS) for glioblastoma (GBM) remains poor. A small proportion of patients present long survival over 3 years, but the underlying molecular background separating these long-term survivors (LTS) from short-term survivors (STS) are insufficiently understood....... Accordingly, study aim was to identify independent prognostic biomarkers for survival. Study cohort consisted of 93 primary GBM patients treated with radiation-, chemo- and bevacizumab therapy, among which 14 STS (OS ≤ 12 months) and 6 LTS (OS ≥ 36 months) were identified, all confirmed being IDH wild......-type. RNA expression levels in diagnostic tumor specimen for 792 genes were analyzed by NanoString technology. While no differences were found with regard to GBM subtype between LTS versus STS, comparative analysis of individual genes identified 14 significantly differently expressed candidate genes...

  7. Estimation and model selection of semiparametric multivariate survival functions under general censorship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaohong; Fan, Yanqin; Pouzo, Demian; Ying, Zhiliang

    2010-07-01

    We study estimation and model selection of semiparametric models of multivariate survival functions for censored data, which are characterized by possibly misspecified parametric copulas and nonparametric marginal survivals. We obtain the consistency and root- n asymptotic normality of a two-step copula estimator to the pseudo-true copula parameter value according to KLIC, and provide a simple consistent estimator of its asymptotic variance, allowing for a first-step nonparametric estimation of the marginal survivals. We establish the asymptotic distribution of the penalized pseudo-likelihood ratio statistic for comparing multiple semiparametric multivariate survival functions subject to copula misspecification and general censorship. An empirical application is provided.

  8. Survival probability in a one-dimensional quantum walk on a trapped lattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goenuelol, Meltem; Aydiner, Ekrem; Shikano, Yutaka; Muestecaplioglu, Oezguer E

    2011-01-01

    The dynamics of the survival probability of quantum walkers on a one-dimensional lattice with random distribution of absorbing immobile traps is investigated. The survival probability of quantum walkers is compared with that of classical walkers. It is shown that the time dependence of the survival probability of quantum walkers has a piecewise stretched exponential character depending on the density of traps in numerical and analytical observations. The crossover between the quantum analogues of the Rosenstock and Donsker-Varadhan behavior is identified.

  9. Malformations associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: Impact on survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bojanić, Katarina; Pritišanac, Ena; Luetić, Tomislav; Vuković, Jurica; Sprung, Juraj; Weingarten, Toby N; Schroeder, Darrell R; Grizelj, Ruža

    2015-11-01

    Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with high mortality. Survival is influenced by the extent of pulmonary hypoplasia and additional congenital defects. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of congenital anomalies and admission capillary carbon dioxide levels (PcCO2), as a measure of extent of pulmonary hypoplasia, on survival in neonates with CDH. This is a retrospective review of neonates with CDH admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between 1990 and 2014. Logistic regression was used to assess whether hospital survival was associated with admission PcCO2 or associated anomalies (isolated CDH, CDH with cardiovascular anomalies, and CDH with noncardiac anomalies). The probabilities of survival (POS) score, based on birth weight and 5-min Apgar as defined by the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group were included as a covariate. Of 97 patients, 55 had additional malformations (cardiovascular n=12, noncardiac anomalies n=43). POS was lower in CDH with other anomalies compared to isolated CDH. Survival rate was 61.9%, 53.5% and 41.7% in isolated CDH, CDH with noncardiac anomalies and CDH with cardiovascular anomalies, respectively. After adjusting for POS score the likelihood of survival in CDH groups with additional anomalies was similar to isolated CDH (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.22-4.15, and 1.10, 0.39-3.08, for CDH with and without cardiovascular anomalies, respectively). After adjusting for POS score, lower PcCO2 levels (OR=1.25 per 5mmHg decrease, P=0.003) were associated with better survival. Neonates with CDH have a high prevalence of congenital malformations. However, after adjusting for POS score the presence of additional anomalies was not associated with survival. The POS score and admission PcCO2 were important prognosticating factors for survival. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Improves Survival in Patients With Hypopharyngeal Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paximadis, Peter, E-mail: ppaximad@med.wayne.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Yoo, George; Lin, Ho-Sheng; Jacobs, John [Department of Otolaryngology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Sukari, Ammar [Department of Medical Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Dyson, Greg [Department of Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI (United States); Christensen, Michael; Kim, Harold [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States)

    2012-03-15

    Purpose: To retrospectively review our institutional experience with hypopharyngeal carcinoma with respect to treatment modality. Methods and Materials: A total of 70 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer treated between 1999 and 2009 were analyzed for functional and survival outcomes. The treatments included surgery alone (n = 5), surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) (n = 3), surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) (n = 13), RT alone (n = 2), CRT alone (n = 22), induction chemotherapy followed by RT (n = 3), and induction chemotherapy followed by CRT (n = 22). Results: The median follow-up was 18 months. The median overall survival and disease-free survival for all patients was 28.3 and 17.6 months, respectively. The 1- and 2-year local control rate for all patients was 87.1% and 80%. CRT, given either as primary therapy or in the adjuvant setting, improved overall survival and disease-free survival compared with patients not receiving CRT. The median overall survival and disease-free survival for patients treated with CRT was 36.7 and 17.6 months vs. 14.0 and 8.0 months, respectively (p < .01). Of the patients initially treated with an organ-preserving approach, 4 (8.2%) required salvage laryngectomy for local recurrence or persistent disease; 8 (16.3%) and 12 (24.5%) patients were dependent on a percutaneous gastrostomy and tracheostomy tube, respectively. The 2-year laryngoesophageal dysfunction-free survival rate for patients treated with an organ-preserving approach was estimated at 31.7%. Conclusions: Concurrent CRT improves survival in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. CRT given with conventional radiation techniques yields poor functional outcomes, and future efforts should be directed at determining the feasibility of pharyngeal-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with hypopharyngeal tumors.

  11. Rapidity gap survival in the black-disk regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonid Frankfurt; Charles Hyde; Mark Strikman; Christian Weiss

    2007-01-01

    We summarize how the approach to the black-disk regime (BDR) of strong interactions at TeV energies influences rapidity gap survival in exclusive hard diffraction pp -> p + H + p (H = dijet, Qbar Q, Higgs). Employing a recently developed partonic description of such processes, we discuss (a) the suppression of diffraction at small impact parameters by soft spectator interactions in the BDR; (b) further suppression by inelastic interactions of hard spectator partons in the BDR; (c) correlations between hard and soft interactions. Hard spectator interactions substantially reduce the rapidity gap survival probability at LHC energies compared to previously reported estimates

  12. Neyman, Markov processes and survival analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Grace

    2013-07-01

    J. Neyman used stochastic processes extensively in his applied work. One example is the Fix and Neyman (F-N) competing risks model (1951) that uses finite homogeneous Markov processes to analyse clinical trials with breast cancer patients. We revisit the F-N model, and compare it with the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) formulation for right censored data. The comparison offers a way to generalize the K-M formulation to include risks of recovery and relapses in the calculation of a patient's survival probability. The generalization is to extend the F-N model to a nonhomogeneous Markov process. Closed-form solutions of the survival probability are available in special cases of the nonhomogeneous processes, like the popular multiple decrement model (including the K-M model) and Chiang's staging model, but these models do not consider recovery and relapses while the F-N model does. An analysis of sero-epidemiology current status data with recurrent events is illustrated. Fix and Neyman used Neyman's RBAN (regular best asymptotic normal) estimates for the risks, and provided a numerical example showing the importance of considering both the survival probability and the length of time of a patient living a normal life in the evaluation of clinical trials. The said extension would result in a complicated model and it is unlikely to find analytical closed-form solutions for survival analysis. With ever increasing computing power, numerical methods offer a viable way of investigating the problem.

  13. Survival analysis models and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Xian

    2012-01-01

    Survival analysis concerns sequential occurrences of events governed by probabilistic laws.  Recent decades have witnessed many applications of survival analysis in various disciplines. This book introduces both classic survival models and theories along with newly developed techniques. Readers will learn how to perform analysis of survival data by following numerous empirical illustrations in SAS. Survival Analysis: Models and Applications: Presents basic techniques before leading onto some of the most advanced topics in survival analysis.Assumes only a minimal knowledge of SAS whilst enablin

  14. [Nonparametric method of estimating survival functions containing right-censored and interval-censored data].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yonghong; Gao, Xiaohuan; Wang, Zhengxi

    2014-04-01

    Missing data represent a general problem in many scientific fields, especially in medical survival analysis. Dealing with censored data, interpolation method is one of important methods. However, most of the interpolation methods replace the censored data with the exact data, which will distort the real distribution of the censored data and reduce the probability of the real data falling into the interpolation data. In order to solve this problem, we in this paper propose a nonparametric method of estimating the survival function of right-censored and interval-censored data and compare its performance to SC (self-consistent) algorithm. Comparing to the average interpolation and the nearest neighbor interpolation method, the proposed method in this paper replaces the right-censored data with the interval-censored data, and greatly improves the probability of the real data falling into imputation interval. Then it bases on the empirical distribution theory to estimate the survival function of right-censored and interval-censored data. The results of numerical examples and a real breast cancer data set demonstrated that the proposed method had higher accuracy and better robustness for the different proportion of the censored data. This paper provides a good method to compare the clinical treatments performance with estimation of the survival data of the patients. This pro vides some help to the medical survival data analysis.

  15. Predictors of survival in surgically treated patients of spinal metastasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pravin Padalkar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The spinal metastasis occurs in up to 40% of cancer patient. We compared the Tokuhashi and Tomita scoring systems, two commonly used scoring systems for prognosis in spinal metastases. We also assessed the different variables separately with respect to their value in predicting postsurgical life expectancy. Finally, we suggest criteria for selecting patients for surgery based on the postoperative survival pattern. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 102 patients who had been operated for metastatic disease of the spine. Predictive scoring was done according to the scoring systems proposed by Tokuhashi and Tomita. Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Using the log rank test and Cox regression model we assessed the value of the individual components of each scoring system for predicting survival in these patients. Result: The factors that were most significantly associated with survival were the general condition score (Karnofsky Performance Scale (P=.000, log rank test, metastasis to internal organs (P=.0002 log rank test, and number of extraspinal bone metastases (P=.0058. Type of primary tumor was not found to be significantly associated with survival according to the revised Tokuhashi scoring system (P=.9131, log rank test. Stepwise logistic regression revealed that the Tomita score correlated more closely with survival than the Tokuhashi score. Conclusion: The patient′s performance status, extent of visceral metastasis, and extent of bone metastases are significant predictors of survival in patients with metastatic disease. Both revised Tokuhashi and Tomita scores were significantly correlated with survival. A revised Tokuhashi score of 7 or more and a Tomita score of 6 or less indicated >50% chance of surviving 6 months postoperatively. We recommend that the Tomita score be used for prognostication in patients who are contemplating surgery, as it is simpler to score and has a higher

  16. Dispersal for survival: some observations on the trunk ant (Formica truncorum Fabricius)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mabelis, A.A.; Korczynska, J.

    2001-01-01

    The survival chance of the trunk ant (Formica truncorum) is compared with the survival chance of two other species of red wood ants: F.rufa and F.polyctena. Nest populations of F.truncorum are much smaller than nest populations of the other red wood ant species, which makes the species a weaker

  17. Ethnic differences in survival after breast cancer in South East Asia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The burden of breast cancer in Asia is escalating. We evaluated the impact of ethnicity on survival after breast cancer in the multi-ethnic region of South East Asia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the Singapore-Malaysia hospital-based breast cancer registry, we analyzed the association between ethnicity and mortality following breast cancer in 5,264 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2007 (Chinese: 71.6%, Malay: 18.4%, Indian: 10.0%. We compared survival rates between ethnic groups and calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HR to estimate the independent effect of ethnicity on survival. Malays (n = 968 presented at a significantly younger age, with larger tumors, and at later stages than the Chinese and Indians. Malays were also more likely to have axillary lymph node metastasis at similar tumor sizes and to have hormone receptor negative and poorly differentiated tumors. Five year overall survival was highest in the Chinese women (75.8%; 95%CI: 74.4%-77.3% followed by Indians (68.0%; 95%CI: 63.8%-72.2%, and Malays (58.5%; 95%CI: 55.2%-61.7%. Compared to the Chinese, Malay ethnicity was associated with significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.19-1.51, independent of age, stage, tumor characteristics and treatment. Indian ethnicity was not significantly associated with risk of mortality after breast cancer compared to the Chinese (HR: 1.14; 95%CI: 0.98-1.34. CONCLUSION: In South East Asia, Malay ethnicity is independently associated with poorer survival after breast cancer. Research into underlying reasons, potentially including variations in tumor biology, psychosocial factors, treatment responsiveness and lifestyle after diagnosis, is warranted.

  18. Effectiveness of emamectin benzoate for treatment of Lepeophtheirus salmonis on farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Patti G; Hammell, K Larry; Dohoo, Ian R; Revie, Crawford W

    2012-12-03

    Emamectin benzoate (an avermectin chemotherapeutant administered to fish as an in-feed treatment) has been used to treat infestations of sea lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis on farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, since 1999. This retrospective study examined the effectiveness of 114 emamectin benzoate treatment episodes from 2004 to 2008 across 54 farms. Study objectives were to establish whether changes in the effectiveness of emamectin benzoate were present for this period, examine factors associated with treatment outcome, and determine variables that influenced differences in L. salmonis abundance after treatment. The analysis was carried out in 2 parts: first, trends in treatment effectiveness and L. salmonis abundance were explored, and second, statistical modelling (linear and logistic regression) was used to examine the effects of multiple variables on post-treatment abundance and treatment outcome. Post-treatment sea lice abundance increased in the later years examined. Mean abundance differed between locations in the Bay of Fundy, and higher numbers were found at farms closer to the mainland and lower levels were found in the areas around Grand Manan Island. Treatment effectiveness varied by geographical region and decreased over time. There was an increased risk for unsuccessful treatments in 2008, and treatments applied during autumn months were more likely to be ineffective than those applied during summer months.

  19. Trastuzumab and survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kast, Karin; Schoffer, Olaf; Link, Theresa; Forberger, Almuth; Petzold, Andrea; Niedostatek, Antje; Werner, Carmen; Klug, Stefanie J; Werner, Andreas; Gatzweiler, Axel; Richter, Barbara; Baretton, Gustavo; Wimberger, Pauline

    2017-08-01

    Prognosis of Her2-positive breast cancer has changed since the introduction of trastuzumab for treatment in metastatic and early breast cancer. It was described to be even better compared to prognosis of Her2-negative metastatic breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of trastuzumab in our cohort. Besides the effect of adjuvant pretreatment with trastuzumab on survival of patients with metastatic Her2-positive breast cancer was analyzed. All patients with primary breast cancer of the Regional Breast Cancer Center Dresden diagnosed during the years 2001-2013 were analyzed for treatment with or without trastuzumab in the adjuvant and in the metastatic treatment setting using Kaplan-Meier survival estimation and Cox regression. Age and tumor stage at time of first diagnosis of breast cancer as well as hormone receptor status, grading, time, and site of metastasis at first diagnosis of distant metastatic disease were analyzed. Of 4.481 female patients with primary breast cancer, 643 presented with metastatic disease. Her2-positive status was documented in 465 patients, including 116 patients with primary or secondary metastases. Median survival of patients with Her2-positive primary metastatic disease was 3.0 years (95% CI 2.3-4.0). After adjustment for other factors, survival was better in patients with Her2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy compared to Her2-negative metastatic disease (HR 2.10; 95% CI 1.58-2.79). Analysis of influence of adjuvant therapy with and without trastuzumab by Kaplan-Meier showed a trend for better survival in not pretreated patients. Median survival was highest in hormone receptor-positive Her2-positive (triple-positive) primary metastatic breast cancer patients with 3.3 years (95% CI 2.3-4.6). Prognosis of patients with Her2-positive metastatic breast cancer after trastuzumab treatment is more favorable than for Her2-negative breast cancer. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without

  20. Improved survival in HIV treatment programs in Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    De La Mata, Nicole L; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Khol, Vohith; Ng, Oon Tek; Van Nguyen, Kinh; Merati, Tuti Parwati; Pham, Thuy Thanh; Lee, Man Po; Durier, Nicolas; Law, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    Background Antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV-positive patients has expanded rapidly in Asia over the last ten years. Our study aimed to describe the time trends and risk factors for overall survival in patients receiving first-line ART in Asia. Methods We included HIV-positive adult patients who initiated ART between 2003–2013 (n=16 546), from seven sites across six Asia-Pacific countries. Patient follow-up was to May 2014. We compared survival for each country and overall by time period of ART initiation using Kaplan-Meier curves. Factors associated with mortality were assessed using Cox regression, stratified by site. We also summarized first-line ART regimens, CD4 count at ART initiation, and CD4 and HIV viral load testing frequencies. Results There were 880 deaths observed over 54 532 person-years of follow-up, a crude rate of 1.61 (1.51, 1.72) per 100 person-years. Survival significantly improved in more recent years of ART initiation. The survival probabilities at 4 years follow-up for those initiating ART in 2003–05 was 92.1%, 2006–09 was 94.3% and 2010–2013 was 94.5% (pAsia have improved survival in more recent years of ART initiation. This is likely a consequence of improvements in treatment and, patient management and monitoring over time. PMID:26961354

  1. Survival differences in European patients with AIDS, 1979-89. The AIDS in Europe Study Group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundgren, Jens Dilling; Pedersen, C; Clumeck, N

    1994-01-01

    . The regional differences in survival were less pronounced for patients diagnosed in 1989 compared with earlier years. Improved survival in recent years was observed for patients with a variety of manifestations used to define AIDS but was significant only for patients diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii...... pneumonia. The three year survival, however, remains unchanged over time. CONCLUSIONS--Survival of AIDS patients seems to vary within Europe, being shorter in southern than central and northern Europe. The magnitude of these differences, however, has declined gradually over time. Short term survival has...

  2. Applied survival analysis using R

    CERN Document Server

    Moore, Dirk F

    2016-01-01

    Applied Survival Analysis Using R covers the main principles of survival analysis, gives examples of how it is applied, and teaches how to put those principles to use to analyze data using R as a vehicle. Survival data, where the primary outcome is time to a specific event, arise in many areas of biomedical research, including clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and studies of animals. Many survival methods are extensions of techniques used in linear regression and categorical data, while other aspects of this field are unique to survival data. This text employs numerous actual examples to illustrate survival curve estimation, comparison of survivals of different groups, proper accounting for censoring and truncation, model variable selection, and residual analysis. Because explaining survival analysis requires more advanced mathematics than many other statistical topics, this book is organized with basic concepts and most frequently used procedures covered in earlier chapters, with more advanced topics...

  3. Survival in Response to Multimodal Therapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasongsook, Naiyarat; Kumar, Aditi; Chintakuntlawar, Ashish V; Foote, Robert L; Kasperbauer, Jan; Molina, Julian; Garces, Yolanda; Ma, Daniel; Wittich, Michelle A Neben; Rubin, Joseph; Richardson, Ronald; Morris, John; Hay, Ian; Fatourechi, Vahab; McIver, Bryan; Ryder, Mabel; Thompson, Geoffrey; Grant, Clive; Richards, Melanie; Sebo, Thomas J; Rivera, Michael; Suman, Vera; Jenkins, Sarah M; Smallridge, Robert C; Bible, Keith C

    2017-12-01

    Historical outcomes in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have been dismal. To determine whether an initial intensive multimodal therapy (MMT) is associated with improved ATC survival. MMT was offered to all patients with newly diagnosed ATC treated at the Mayo Clinic from 2003 through 2015; MMT vs care with palliative intent (PI) was individualized considering clinical status and patient preferences. Outcomes were retrospectively analyzed by American Joint Committee on Cancer stage and treatments compared with patient cohort data from 1949 through 1999. Forty-eight patients (60% male; median age, 62 years); 18 treated with PI, 30 with MMT. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival determined by Kaplan-Meier method. Median OS and 1-year survival for the later cohort were 9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 4 to 22 months] and 42% (95% CI, 28% to 56%) vs 3 months and 10% for the earlier cohort. Median OS was 21 months compared with 3.9 months in the pooled MMT vs PI groups for the later cohort [hazard ratio (HR), 0.32; P = 0.0006]. Among only patients in the later cohort who had stage IVB disease, median OS was 22.4 vs 4 months (HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.44; P = 0.0001), with 68% vs 0% alive at 1 year (MMT vs PI). Among patients with stage IVC cancer, OS did not differ by therapy. MMT appears to convey longer survival in ATC among patients with stage IVA/B disease. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society

  4. A comparative study of two food model systems to test the survival of Campylobacter jejuni at -18 degrees C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Birk, Tina; Rosenquist, Hanne; Brondsted, L.

    2006-01-01

    The survival of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 was tested at freezing conditions (-18 degrees C) over a period of 32 days in two food models that simulated either (i) the chicken skin surface (skin model) or (ii) the chicken juice in and around a broiler carcass (liquid model). In the skin model...... NCTC 11168 cells was slower when suspended in chicken juice than in BHIB. After freezing for 32 days, the reductions in the cell counts were 1.5 log CFU/ml in chicken juice and 3.5 log CFU/ml in BHIB. After the same time of freezing but when inoculated onto chicken skin, C. jejuni NCTC 11168...... was reduced by 2.2 log units when inoculated in chicken juice and 3.2 log units when inoculated into BHIB. For both models, the major decrease occurred within the first 24 h of freezing. The results obtained in the liquid model with chicken juice were comparable to the reductions of Campylobacter observed...

  5. Formulating accident occurrence as a survival process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, H L; Jovanis, P P

    1990-10-01

    A conceptual framework for accident occurrence is developed based on the principle of the driver as an information processor. The framework underlies the development of a modeling approach that is consistent with the definition of exposure to risk as a repeated trial. Survival theory is proposed as a statistical technique that is consistent with the conceptual structure and allows the exploration of a wide range of factors that contribute to highway operating risk. This survival model of accident occurrence is developed at a disaggregate level, allowing safety researchers to broaden the scope of studies which may be limited by the use of traditional aggregate approaches. An application of the approach to motor carrier safety is discussed as are potential applications to a variety of transportation industries. Lastly, a typology of highway safety research methodologies is developed to compare the properties of four safety methodologies: laboratory experiments, on-the-road studies, multidisciplinary accident investigations, and correlational studies. The survival theory formulation has a mathematical structure that is compatible with each safety methodology, so it may facilitate the integration of findings across methodologies.

  6. Direct Survival Analysis: a new stock assessment method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Ferrandis

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a new stock assessment method, Direct Survival Analysis, is proposed and described. The parameter estimation of the Weibull survival model proposed by Ferrandis (2007 is obtained using trawl survey data. This estimation is used to establish a baseline survival function, which is in turn used to estimate the specific survival functions in the different cohorts considered through an adaptation of the separable model of the fishing mortality rates introduced by Pope and Shepherd (1982. It is thus possible to test hypotheses on the evolution of survival during the period studied and to identify trends in recruitment. A link is established between the preceding analysis of trawl survey data and the commercial catch-at-age data that are generally obtained to evaluate the population using analytical models. The estimated baseline survival, with the proposed versions of the stock and catch equations and the adaptation of the Separable Model, may be applied to commercial catch-at-age data. This makes it possible to estimate the survival corresponding to the landing data, the initial size of the cohort and finally, an effective age of first capture, in order to complete the parameter model estimation and consequently the estimation of the whole survival and mortality, along with the reference parameters that are useful for management purposes. Alternatively, this estimation of an effective age of first capture may be obtained by adapting the demographic structure of trawl survey data to that of the commercial fleet through suitable selectivity models of the commercial gears. The complete model provides the evaluation of the stock at any age. The coherence (and hence the mutual “calibration” between the two kinds of information may be analysed and compared with results obtained by other methods, such as virtual population analysis (VPA, in order to improve the diagnosis of the state of exploitation of the population. The model may be

  7. Changes in Survival and Neonatal Morbidity in Infants with a Birth Weight of 750 g or Less

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Claas, M. J.; Bruinse, H. W.; van der Heide-Jalving, M.; Termote, J. U. M.; de Vries, L. S.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Improvement in perinatal and neonatal care has resulted in increased survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Objectives: To describe survival and neonatal morbidity in a cohort of ELBW infants, to compare two consecutive 5-year periods, and compare appropriate (AGA) with

  8. Effects of dietary n-3 fatty acids on Toll-like receptor activation in primary leucocytes from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnemo, Marianne; Kavaliauskis, Arturas; Andresen, Adriana Magalhaes Santos; Bou, Marta; Berge, Gerd Marit; Ruyter, Bente; Gjøen, Tor

    2017-08-01

    The shortage of the n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the international markets has led to increasing substitution of fish oil by plant oils in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feed and thereby reducing the EPA and DHA content in salmon. However, the minimum required levels of these fatty acids in fish diets for securing fish health are unknown. Fish were fed with 0, 1 or 2% EPA or DHA alone or in combination of both over a period, growing from 50 to 400 g. Primary head kidney leucocytes were isolated and stimulated with Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands to determine if EPA and DHA deficiency can affect expression of important immune genes and eicosanoid production. Several genes related to viral immune response did not vary between groups. However, there was a tendency that the high-level EPA and DHA groups expressed lower levels of IL-1β in non-stimulated leucocytes. These leucocytes were also more responsive to the TLR ligands, inducing higher expression levels of IL-1β and Mx1 after stimulation. The levels of prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 in serum and media from stimulated leucocytes were lower in both low and high EPA and DHA groups. In conclusion, leucocytes from low EPA and DHA groups seemed to be less responsive towards immunostimulants, like TLR ligands, indicating that low levels or absence of dietary EPA and DHA may have immunosuppressive effects.

  9. Antioxidant properties of salmon (Salmo salar L.) protein fraction hydrolysates revealed following their ex vivo digestion and in vitro hydrolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borawska, Justyna; Darewicz, Małgorzata; Pliszka, Monika; Vegarud, Gerd E

    2016-06-01

    Salmon (Salmo salar L.) myofibryllar protein (MP) and sarcoplasmic protein (SP) were digested with human gastric and duodenal juices and hydrolysed in vitro with commercial pepsin and Corolase PP. The digestion after duodenal juice/Corolase PP caused almost complete breakdown of peptide bonds in MP and SP. The DPPH(•) scavenging activity of proteins decreased during both ex vivo digestion and in vitro hydrolysis. The highest value of DPPH(•) scavenging activity was shown for the gastric digest of SP (8.88 ± 0.87%). The ABTS(+•) scavenging activity of MP and SP increased during digestion/hydrolysis. The duodenal digest of SP was characterised by the highest value of ABTS(+•) scavenging activity (72.7 ± 1.2%). In turn, the highest value of ferric-reducing power was determined for the gastric digest of SP (84.8 ± 0.2%). Salmon antioxidant peptides Phe-Ile-Lys-Lys, His-Leu, Ile-Tyr, Pro-His-Leu, Pro-Trp, Val-Pro-Trp were identified in both ex vivo digested and in vitro hydrolysed MP and SP. An antioxidant peptide, Val-Tyr, was additionally detected in the in vitro hydrolysate of SP. The results indicate the salmon myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein fractions as potential sources of antioxidant peptides that could be released in the gastrointestinal tract but their amino acid sequence and quantification vary. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Local and systemic humoral immune response in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) under a natural amoebic gill disease outbreak.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcos-López, Mar; Espinosa Ruiz, Cristóbal; Rodger, Hamish D; O'Connor, Ian; MacCarthy, Eugene; Esteban, M Ángeles

    2017-07-01

    Amoebic gill disease (AGD), caused by the protozoan parasite Neoparamoeba perurans, is one of the most significant infectious diseases for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) mariculture. The present study investigated the humoral immune response (both local in gill mucus and systemic in serum) of farmed Atlantic salmon naturally infected with N. perurans in commercial sea pens, at two different stages of the disease and after freshwater treatment. Parameters analysed included activity of immune related enzymes (i.e. lysozyme, peroxidase, protease, anti-protease, esterase, alkaline phosphatase), IgM levels, and the terminal carbohydrate profile in the gill mucus. Overall, greater variations between groups were noted in the immune parameters determined in gill mucus than the equivalent in the serum. In gill mucus, IgM levels and peroxidase, lysozyme, esterase and protease activities were decreased in fish showing longer exposure time to the infection and higher disease severity, then showed a sequential increase after treatment. Results obtained highlight the capacity of gills to elicit a local response to the infection, indicate an impaired immune response at the later stages of the disease, and show partial reestablishment of the host immune status after freshwater treatment. In addition to providing data on the humoral response to AGD, this study increases knowledge on gill mucosal humoral immunity, since some of the parameters were analysed for the first time in gill mucus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Development and validation of a high density SNP genotyping array for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays provide extensive information on polymorphic variation across the genome of species of interest. Such information can be used in studies of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits and to improve the accuracy of selection in breeding programs. In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), these goals are currently hampered by the lack of a high-density SNP genotyping platform. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop and test a dense Atlantic salmon SNP array. Results SNP discovery was performed using extensive deep sequencing of Reduced Representation (RR-Seq), Restriction site-Associated DNA (RAD-Seq) and mRNA (RNA-Seq) libraries derived from farmed and wild Atlantic salmon samples (n = 283) resulting in the discovery of > 400 K putative SNPs. An Affymetrix Axiom® myDesign Custom Array was created and tested on samples of animals of wild and farmed origin (n = 96) revealing a total of 132,033 polymorphic SNPs with high call rate, good cluster separation on the array and stable Mendelian inheritance in our sample. At least 38% of these SNPs are from transcribed genomic regions and therefore more likely to include functional variants. Linkage analysis utilising the lack of male recombination in salmonids allowed the mapping of 40,214 SNPs distributed across all 29 pairs of chromosomes, highlighting the extensive genome-wide coverage of the SNPs. An identity-by-state clustering analysis revealed that the array can clearly distinguish between fish of different origins, within and between farmed and wild populations. Finally, Y-chromosome-specific probes included on the array provide an accurate molecular genetic test for sex. Conclusions This manuscript describes the first high-density SNP genotyping array for Atlantic salmon. This array will be publicly available and is likely to be used as a platform for high-resolution genetics research into traits of evolutionary and economic importance in

  12. Early stress responses in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song You; Salbu, Brit; Heier, Lene Sørlie; Teien, Hans-Christian; Lind, Ole-Christian; Oughton, Deborah; Petersen, Karina; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Skipperud, Lindis; Tollefsen, Knut Erik

    2012-01-01

    Uranium (U) is a naturally occurring heavy metal widely used in many military and civil applications. Uranium contamination and the associated potential adverse effects of U on the aquatic environment have been debated during recent years. In order to understand the effect and mode of action (MoA) of U in vivo, juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were exposed to 0.25 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L waterborne depleted uranyl acetate, respectively, in a static system for 48 h. The U concentrations in the gill and liver were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the resulting biological effects were determined by a combination of analysis of gene expression and micronuclei formation. The hepatic transcriptional level of 12 biomarker genes from four stress–response categories, including oxidative stress (γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (GCS), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx)), DNA damage and repair (P53, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (P21), growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene gamma (Gadd45G), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Rad51), apoptosis (Bcl2-associated X protein (BAX), Bcl-x, Caspase 6A,) and protein degradation (Ubiquitin) were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-rtPCR). The results clearly showed accumulation of U in the gill and liver with increasing concentrations of U in the exposure water. The effects of U on differential hepatic gene expression also occurred in a concentration-dependent manner, although deviations from ideal concentration–response relationships were observed at the highest U concentration (1.0 mg/L). All the genes tested were found to be up-regulated by U while no significant micronuclei formation was identified. The results suggest that U may cause oxidative stress in fish liver at concentrations greater than 0.25 mg/L, giving rise to clear induction of several toxicologically relevant biomarker genes, although no significant

  13. Prognostic impact of marital status on survival of women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahdi, Haider; Kumar, Sanjeev; Munkarah, Adnan R; Abdalamir, Moshrik; Doherty, Mark; Swensen, Ron

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study is to examine the impact of marital status on survival of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Patients with a diagnosis of EOC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program for the period 1988-2006 and divided into married and unmarried groups. Statistical analysis using Student's t-test, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression proportional hazards was performed. In 49,777 patients with EOC, 51.2% were married and 48.8% were unmarried. White women were likely to be married compared with African Americans (52.0% vs 32.4%, p vs 43.4%, p vs 33.8%, p married patients compared with unmarried patients. Staging lymphadenectomy was performed more frequently in married than unmarried patients (39.9% vs 29.8%, p married patients and 33.1% for unmarried patients, p Married patients had a better survival compared with unmarried patients within each racial subgroup: 44.5% vs 33.3% for White women (p vs 24.9% for African Americans (p vs 42.7% for others (p married patients had a significantly improved survival compared with unmarried patients (HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.78-0.83, p < 0.001). In this epidemiologic study, the social institution of marriage is associated with improved survival in women with ovarian cancer. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Breast cancer survival rates among Seventh-day Adventists and non-Seventh-day Adventists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zollinger, T W; Phillips, R L; Kuzma, J W

    1984-04-01

    Survival rates were compared among 282 Seventh-day Adventists and 1675 other white female cancer cases following diagnosis during the 30-year period, 1946 to 1976, at two California hospitals owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Adventist women had a more favorable 5-year relative survival pattern than the other women (69.7% vs. 62.9%) as well as a higher probability of not dying of breast cancer. The differences, however, were no longer significant when stage at diagnosis was taken into account. It seems likely that the lower breast cancer death rates reported among Seventh-day Adventist women as compared with the general population result in part from better survival patterns due to earlier diagnosis and treatment.

  15. Activity of metabolic enzymes and muscle-specific gene expression in parr and smolts Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. of different age groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Churova, Maria V; Meshcheryakova, Olga V; Veselov, Aleksey E; Efremov, Denis A; Nemova, Nina N

    2017-08-01

    This study was conducted to characterize the energy metabolism level and the features of muscle growth regulation during the development of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) inhabiting the Indera River (Kola Peninsula, Russia). The activities of aerobic and anaerobic enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase) and carbohydrate metabolism enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and aldolase) were measured in muscle and liver tissue. Gene expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC), myostatin (MSTN-1a), and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs-MyoD1a, MyoD1b, MyoD1c, Myf5, myogenin) were measured in the white muscles of salmon parr of ages 0+, 1+, 2+, and 3+ and smolts of ages 2+ and 3+. Multidirectional changes in the activity of enzymes involved in aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism with age were shown in the white muscles of the parr. The cytochrome c oxidase activity was higher in muscles of underyearlings (0+) and yearlings (1+) and decreased in 2+ and 3+ age groups. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase, in contrast, increased with age. The patterns of changes in expression levels of MyoD1a, MyoD1b, myogenin, MyHC, and MSTN-1a at different ages of the parr were similar. Particularly, the expression of these genes peaked in the yearling parr (1+) and then decreased in elder groups. The differences were revealed in parameters studied between the parr and smolts. The level of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism enzyme activities was higher in the white muscles of smolts than in parr. The activity of carbohydrate metabolism enzymes was decreased in the smolts' livers. The expression levels of MyHC, MyoD1a, MyoD1b, and myogenin were lower in smolts at age 2+ compared to parr. These findings expand our knowledge of age-related and stage-related features of energy metabolism and muscle development regulation in young Atlantic salmon in their natural habitat. The results might be used for monitoring of the salmon

  16. Canada goose nest survival at rural wetlands in north-central Iowa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ness, Brenna N.; Klaver, Robert W.

    2016-01-01

    The last comprehensive nest survival study of the breeding giant Canada goose (Branta canadensis maxima) population in Iowa, USA, was conducted >30 years ago during a period of population recovery, during which available nesting habitat consisted primarily of artificial nest structures. Currently, Iowa's resident goose population is stable and nests in a variety of habitats. We analyzed the effects of available habitat on nest survival and how nest survival rates compared with those of the expanding goose population studied previously to better understand how to maintain a sustainable Canada goose population in Iowa. We documented Canada goose nest survival at rural wetland sites in north-central Iowa. We monitored 121 nests in 2013 and 149 nests in 2014 at 5 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) with various nesting habitats, including islands, muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) houses, and elevated nest structures. We estimated daily nest-survival rate using the nest survival model in Program MARK. Survival was influenced by year, site, stage, presence of a camera, nest age, and an interaction between nest age and stage. Nest success rates for the 28-day incubation period by site and year combination ranged from 0.10 to 0.84. Nest survival was greatest at sites with nest structures (β = 17.34). Nest survival was negatively affected by lowered water levels at Rice Lake WMA (2013 β = −0.77, nest age β = −0.07). Timing of water-level drawdowns for shallow lake restorations may influence nest survival rates.

  17. Self-rated health as a predictor of survival among patients with advanced cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shadbolt, Bruce; Barresi, Jane; Craft, Paul

    2002-05-15

    Evidence is emerging about the strong predictive relationship between self-rated health (SRH) and survival, although there is little evidence on palliative populations where an accurate prediction of survival is valuable. Thus, the relative importance of SRH in predicting the survival of ambulatory patients with advanced cancer was examined. SRH was compared to clinical assessments of performance status, as well as to quality-of-life measures. By use of a prospective cohort design, 181 patients (76% response rate) with advanced cancer were recruited into the study, resurveyed at 18 weeks, and observed to record deaths. The average age of patients was 62 years (SD = 12). The median survival time was 10 months. SRH was the strongest predictor of survival from baseline. Also, a Cox regression comparing changes in SRH over time yielded hazard ratios suggesting the relative risk (RR) of dying was greater for fair ratings at 18 weeks (approximately 3 times) compared with consistent good or better ratings; the RR was even greater (4.2 and 6.2 times) for poor ratings, especially when ratings were poor at baseline and 18 weeks (31 times). Improvement in SRH over time yielded the lowest RR. SRH is valid, reliable, and responsive to change as a predictor of survival of advanced cancer. These qualities suggest that SRH should be considered as an additional tool by oncologists to assess patients. Similarly, health managers could use SRH as an indicator of disease severity in palliative care case mix. Finally, SRH could provide a key to help us understand the human side of disease and its relationship with medicine.

  18. Identification of a low digestibility δ-Conglutin in yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L. seed meal for atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L. by coupling 2D-PAGE and mass spectrometry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takahiro Ogura

    Full Text Available The need of quality protein in the aquaculture sector has forced the incorporation of alternative plant proteins into feeding diets. However, most plant proteins show lower digestibility levels than fish meal proteins, especially in carnivorous fishes. Manipulation of protein content by plant breeding can improve the digestibility rate of plant proteins in fish, but the identification of low digestibility proteins is essential. A reduction of low digestibility proteins will not only increase feed efficiency, but also reduce water pollution. Little is known about specific digestible protein profiles and/or molecular identification of more bioavailable plant proteins in fish diets. In this study, we identified low digestibility L. luteus seed proteins using Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar crude digestive enzymes in an in vitro assay. Low digestibility proteins were identified by comparing SDS-PAGE banding profiles of digested and non-digested lupin seed proteins. Gel image analysis detected a major 12 kDa protein band in both lupin meal and protein isolate digested products. The 12 kDa was confirmed by 2D-PAGE gels and the extracted protein was analyzed with an ion trap mass spectrometer in tandem mass mode. The MS/MS data showed that the 12 kDa low digestibility protein was a large chain δconglutin, a common seed storage protein of yellow lupin. Comparison of the protein band profiles between lupin meal and protein isolates showed that the isolatation process did not affect the low digestibility of the 12 kDa protein.

  19. Rural AIDS Diagnoses in Florida: Changing Demographics and Factors Associated With Survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trepka, Mary Jo; Niyonsenga, Theophile; Maddox, Lorene M.; Lieb, Spencer

    2012-01-01

    Purpose To compare demographic characteristics and predictors of survival of rural residents diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) with those of urban residents. Methods Florida surveillance data for people diagnosed with AIDS during 1993–2007 were merged with 2000 Census data using ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTA). Rural status was classified based on the ZCTA’s rural-urban commuting area classification. Survival rates were compared between rural and urban areas using survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models controlling for demographic, clinical, and area-level socioeconomic and health care access factors. Findings Of the 73,590 people diagnosed with AIDS, 1,991 (2.7%) resided in rural areas. People in the most recent rural cohorts were more likely than those in earlier cohorts to be female, non-Hispanic black, older, and have a reported transmission mode of heterosexual sex. There were no statistically significant differences in the 3-, 5-, or 10-year survival rates between rural and urban residents. Older age at the time of diagnosis, diagnosis during the 1993–1995 period, other/unknown transmission mode, and lower CD4 count/percent categories were associated with lower survival in both rural and urban areas. In urban areas only, being non-Hispanic black or Hispanic, being US born, more poverty, less community social support, and lower physician density were also associated with lower survival. Conclusions In rural Florida, the demographic characteristics of people diagnosed with AIDS have been changing, which may necessitate modifications in the delivery of AIDS-related services. Rural residents diagnosed with AIDS did not have a significant survival disadvantage relative to urban residents. PMID:23802929

  20. The impact of environmental conditions on Campylobacter jejuni survival in broiler faeces and litter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaun Smith

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial food-borne pathogen within the European Union, and poultry meat is an important vehicle for its transmission to humans. However, there is limited knowledge about how this organism persists in broiler litter and faeces. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a number of environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and oxygen, on Campylobacter survival in both broiler litter and faeces. Materials and methods: Used litter was collected from a Campylobacter-negative broiler house after final depopulation and fresh faeces were collected from transport crates. Samples were confirmed as Campylobacter negative according to modified ISO methods for veterinary samples. Both sample matrices were inoculated with 9 log10 CFU/ml C. jejuni and incubated under high (≥85% and low (≤70% relative humidity conditions at three different temperatures (20°C, 25°C, and 30°C under both aerobic and microaerophilic atmospheres. Inoculated litter samples were then tested for Campylobacter concentrations at time zero and every 2 hours for 12 hours, while faecal samples were examined at time zero and every 24 hours for 120 hours. A two-tailed t-test assuming unequal variance was used to compare mean Campylobacter concentrations in samples under the various temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Results and discussion: C. jejuni survived significantly longer (P≤0.01 in faeces, with a minimum survival time of 48 hours, compared with 4 hours in used broiler litter. C. jejuni survival was significantly enhanced at 20°C in all environmental conditions in both sample matrices tested compared with survival at 25°C and 30°C. In general, survival was greater in microaerophilic compared with aerobic conditions in both sample matrices. Humidity, at the levels examined, did not appear to significantly impact C. jejuni survival in any sample matrix. The persistence of Campylobacter

  1. The impact of environmental conditions on Campylobacter jejuni survival in broiler faeces and litter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Shaun; Meade, Joseph; Gibbons, James; McGill, Kevina; Bolton, Declan; Whyte, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial food-borne pathogen within the European Union, and poultry meat is an important vehicle for its transmission to humans. However, there is limited knowledge about how this organism persists in broiler litter and faeces. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a number of environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and oxygen, on Campylobacter survival in both broiler litter and faeces. Used litter was collected from a Campylobacter-negative broiler house after final depopulation and fresh faeces were collected from transport crates. Samples were confirmed as Campylobacter negative according to modified ISO methods for veterinary samples. Both sample matrices were inoculated with 9 log10 CFU/ml C. jejuni and incubated under high (≥85%) and low (≤70%) relative humidity conditions at three different temperatures (20°C, 25°C, and 30°C) under both aerobic and microaerophilic atmospheres. Inoculated litter samples were then tested for Campylobacter concentrations at time zero and every 2 hours for 12 hours, while faecal samples were examined at time zero and every 24 hours for 120 hours. A two-tailed t-test assuming unequal variance was used to compare mean Campylobacter concentrations in samples under the various temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. C. jejuni survived significantly longer (P≤0.01) in faeces, with a minimum survival time of 48 hours, compared with 4 hours in used broiler litter. C. jejuni survival was significantly enhanced at 20°C in all environmental conditions in both sample matrices tested compared with survival at 25°C and 30°C. In general, survival was greater in microaerophilic compared with aerobic conditions in both sample matrices. Humidity, at the levels examined, did not appear to significantly impact C. jejuni survival in any sample matrix. The persistence of Campylobacter in broiler litter and faeces under various environmental conditions has

  2. Dying to remember, remembering to survive: mortality salience and survival processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Daniel J; Hart, Joshua; Kramer, Melanie E; Burns, Amy D

    2014-01-01

    Processing items for their relevance to survival improves recall for those items relative to numerous other deep processing encoding techniques. Perhaps related, placing individuals in a mortality salient state has also been shown to enhance retention of items encoded after the morality salience manipulation (e.g., in a pleasantness rating task), a phenomenon we dubbed the "dying-to-remember" (DTR) effect. The experiments reported here further explored the effect and tested the possibility that the DTR effect is related to survival processing. Experiment 1 replicated the effect using different encoding tasks, demonstrating that the effect is not dependent on the pleasantness task. In Experiment 2 the DTR effect was associated with increases in item-specific processing, not relational processing, according to several indices. Experiment 3 replicated the main results of Experiment 2, and tested the effects of mortality salience and survival processing within the same experiment. The DTR effect and its associated difference in item-specific processing were completely eliminated when the encoding task required survival processing. These results are consistent with the interpretation that the mechanisms responsible for survival processing and DTR effects are overlapping.

  3. Trends in colorectal cancer survival in northern Denmark: 1985-2004.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iversen, L H; Nørgaard, M; Jepsen, P; Jacobsen, J; Christensen, M M; Gandrup, P; Madsen, M R; Laurberg, S; Wogelius, P; Sørensen, H T

    2007-03-01

    The prognosis for colorectal cancer (CRC) is less favourable in Denmark than in neighbouring countries. To improve cancer treatment in Denmark, a National Cancer Plan was proposed in 2000. We conducted this population-based study to monitor recent trends in CRC survival and mortality in four Danish counties. We used hospital discharge registry data for the period January 1985-March 2004 in the counties of north Jutland, Ringkjøbing, Viborg and Aarhus. We computed crude survival and used Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to compare mortality over time, adjusted for age and gender. A total of 19,515 CRC patients were identified and linked with the Central Office of Civil Registration to ascertain survival through January 2005. From 1985 to 2004, 1-year and 5-year survival improved both for patients with colon and rectal cancer. From 1995-1999 to 2000-2004, overall 1-year survival of 65% for colon cancer did not improve, and some age groups experienced a decreasing 1-year survival probability. For rectal cancer, overall 1-year survival increased from 71% in 1995-1999 to 74% in 2000-2004. Using 1985-1989 as reference period, 30-day mortality did not decrease after implementation of the National Cancer Plan in 2000, neither for patients with colon nor rectal cancer. However, 1-year mortality for patients with rectal cancer did decline after its implementation. Survival and mortality from colon and rectal cancer improved before the National Cancer Plan was proposed; after its implementation, however, improvement has been observed for rectal cancer only.

  4. Association between pre-transplant dialysis modality and patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kramer, Anneke; Jager, Kitty J; Fogarty, Damian G

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have found inconsistent associations between pre-transplant dialysis modality and subsequent post-transplant survival. We aimed to examine this relationship using the instrumental variable method and to compare the results with standard Cox regression.......Previous studies have found inconsistent associations between pre-transplant dialysis modality and subsequent post-transplant survival. We aimed to examine this relationship using the instrumental variable method and to compare the results with standard Cox regression....

  5. EGFR immunoexpression, RAS immunoexpression and their effects on survival in lung adenocarcinoma cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gundogdu, Ahmet Gokhan; Onder, Sevgen; Firat, Pinar; Dogan, Riza

    2014-06-01

    The impacts of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) immunoexpression and RAS immunoexpression on the survival and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients are debated in the literature. Twenty-six patients, who underwent pulmonary resections between 2002 and 2007 in our clinic, and whose pathologic examinations yielded adenocarcinoma, were included in the study. EGFR and RAS expression levels were examined by immunohistochemical methods. The results were compared with the survival, stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and pleural invasion. Nonparametric bivariate analyses were used for statistical analyses. A significant link between EGFR immunoexpression and survival has been identified while RAS immunoexpression and survival have been proven to be irrelevant. Neither EGFR, nor RAS has displayed a significant link with the stage of the disease, nodal involvement, lymphovascular invasion, or pleural invasion. Positive EGFR immunoexpression affects survival negatively, while RAS immunoexpression has no effect on survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

  6. Treatment strategies and survival of older breast cancer patients - an international comparison between the Netherlands and Ireland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiderlen, Mandy; Walsh, Paul M; Bastiaannet, Esther; Kelly, Maria B; Audisio, Riccardo A; Boelens, Petra G; Brown, Chris; Dekkers, Olaf M; de Craen, Anton J M; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Liefers, Gerrit-Jan

    2015-01-01

    Forty percent of breast cancers occur among older patients. Unfortunately, there is a lack of evidence for treatment guidelines for older breast cancer patients. The aim of this study is to compare treatment strategy and relative survival for operable breast cancer in the elderly between The Netherlands and Ireland. From the Dutch and Irish national cancer registries, women aged ≥65 years with non-metastatic breast cancer were included (2001-2009). Proportions of patients receiving guideline-adherent locoregional treatment, endocrine therapy, and chemotherapy were calculated and compared between the countries by stage. Secondly, 5-year relative survival was calculated by stage and compared between countries. Overall, 41,055 patients from The Netherlands and 5,826 patients from Ireland were included. Overall, more patients received guideline-adherent locoregional treatment in The Netherlands, overall (80% vs. 68%, adjusted pNetherlands. In The Netherlands, only 6% received chemotherapy, as compared 24% in Ireland. But relative survival was poorer in Ireland (5 years relative survival 89% vs. 83%), especially in stage II (87% vs. 85%) and stage III (61% vs. 58%) patients. Treatment for older breast cancer patients differed significantly on all treatment modalities between The Netherlands and Ireland. More locoregional treatment was provided in The Netherlands, and more systemic therapy was provided in Ireland. Relative survival for Irish patients was worse than for their Dutch counterparts. This finding should be a strong recommendation to study breast cancer treatment and survival internationally, with the ultimate goal to equalize the survival rates for breast cancer patients across Europe.

  7. An oil containing EPA and DHA from transgenic Camelina sativa to replace marine fish oil in feeds for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.: Effects on intestinal transcriptome, histology, tissue fatty acid profiles and plasma biochemistry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica B Betancor

    Full Text Available New de novo sources of omega 3 (n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA are required as alternatives to fish oil in aquafeeds in order to maintain adequate levels of the beneficial fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic (EPA and DHA, respectively. The present study investigated the use of an EPA+DHA oil derived from transgenic Camelina sativa in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar feeds containing low levels of fishmeal (35% and fish oil (10%, reflecting current commercial formulations, to determine the impacts on tissue fatty acid profile, intestinal transcriptome, and health of farmed salmon. Post-smolt Atlantic salmon were fed for 12-weeks with one of three experimental diets containing either a blend of fish oil/rapeseed oil (FO, wild-type camelina oil (WCO or transgenic camelina oil (DCO as added lipid source. The DCO diet did not affect any of the fish performance or health parameters studied. Analyses of the mid and hindgut transcriptomes showed only mild effects on metabolism. Flesh of fish fed the DCO diet accumulated almost double the amount of n-3 LC-PUFA than fish fed the FO or WCO diets, indicating that these oils from transgenic oilseeds offer the opportunity to increase the n-3 LC-PUFA in farmed fish to levels comparable to those found a decade ago.

  8. Effects of amphibian chytrid fungus on individual survival probability in wild boreal toads

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilliod, D.S.; Muths, E.; Scherer, R. D.; Bartelt, P.E.; Corn, P.S.; Hossack, B.R.; Lambert, B.A.; Mccaffery, R.; Gaughan, C.

    2010-01-01

    Chytridiomycosis is linked to the worldwide decline of amphibians, yet little is known about the demographic effects of the disease. We collected capture-recapture data on three populations of boreal toads (Bufo boreas [Bufo = Anaxyrus]) in the Rocky Mountains (U.S.A.). Two of the populations were infected with chytridiomycosis and one was not. We examined the effect of the presence of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]; the agent of chytridiomycosis) on survival probability and population growth rate. Toads that were infected with Bd had lower average annual survival probability than uninfected individuals at sites where Bd was detected, which suggests chytridiomycosis may reduce survival by 31-42% in wild boreal toads. Toads that were negative for Bd at infected sites had survival probabilities comparable to toads at the uninfected site. Evidence that environmental covariates (particularly cold temperatures during the breeding season) influenced toad survival was weak. The number of individuals in diseased populations declined by 5-7%/year over the 6 years of the study, whereas the uninfected population had comparatively stable population growth. Our data suggest that the presence of Bd in these toad populations is not causing rapid population declines. Rather, chytridiomycosis appears to be functioning as a low-level, chronic disease whereby some infected individuals survive but the overall population effects are still negative. Our results show that some amphibian populations may be coexisting with Bd and highlight the importance of quantitative assessments of survival in diseased animal populations. Journal compilation. ?? 2010 Society for Conservation Biology. No claim to original US government works.

  9. Characterization of full-length sequenced cDNA inserts (FLIcs) from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreassen, Rune; Lunner, Sigbjørn; Høyheim, Bjørn

    2009-01-01

    DNA libraries generated by SGP represent a valuable cCDS FLIc source. The conservation of 7-mers in 3'UTRs indicates that these motifs are functionally important. Identity between some of these 7-mers and miRNA target sequences suggests that they are miRNA targets in Salmo salar transcripts as well. PMID:19878547

  10. Characterization of full-length sequenced cDNA inserts (FLIcs from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lunner Sigbjørn

    2009-10-01

    suggests that the remaining cDNA libraries generated by SGP represent a valuable cCDS FLIc source. The conservation of 7-mers in 3'UTRs indicates that these motifs are functionally important. Identity between some of these 7-mers and miRNA target sequences suggests that they are miRNA targets in Salmo salar transcripts as well.

  11. Changing Survival Rate of Infants Born Before 26 Gestational Weeks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Asad; Abdellatif, Mohamed; Sharef, Sharef W.; Fazalullah, Muhammad; Al-Senaidi, Khalfan; Khan, Ashfaq A.; Ahmad, Masood; Kripail, Mathew; Abuanza, Mazen; Bataclan, Flordeliza

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the changing survival rate and morbidities among infants born before 26 gestational weeks at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Muscat, Oman. Methods: This retrospective study assessed the mortality and morbidities of all premature infants born alive at 23–26 gestational weeks at SQUH between June 2006 and May 2013. Infants referred to SQUH within 72 hours of birth during this period were also included. Electronic records were reviewed for gestational age, gender, birth weight, maternal age, mode and place of delivery, antenatal steroid administration, morbidity and outcome. The survival rate was calculated and findings were then compared with those of a previous study conducted in the same hospital from 1991 to 1998. Rates of major morbidities were also calculated. Results: A total of 81 infants between 23–26 gestational weeks were admitted to the neonatal unit during the study period. Of these, 58.0% were male and 42.0% were female. Median gestational age was 25 weeks and mean birth weight was 770 ± 150 g. Of the 81 infants, 49 survived. The overall survival rate was 60.5% compared to 41% reported in the previous study. Respiratory distress syndrome (100.0%), retinopathy of prematurity (51.9%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (34.6%), intraventricular haemorrhage (30.9%) and patent ductus arteriosus (28.4%) were the most common morbidities. Conclusion: The overall survival rate of infants between 23–26 gestational weeks during the study period had significantly improved in comparison to that found at the same hospital from 1991 to 1998. There is a need for the long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up of premature infants. PMID:26357555

  12. Speciation, uptake and toxicity of uranium in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teien, Hans-Christian; Hertel-Aas, Turid; Lind, Ole Christian; Skipperud, Lindis; Oughton, Deborah H.; Salbu, Brit [Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Center of Excellence in Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD). P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 Aas (Norway); Thoerring, Haavard [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), P.O. Box 55, N-1332 Oesteraas (Norway)

    2014-07-01

    To obtain information about the bioavailability of uranium (U) and its chemical toxicity, a significant number of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles (in total about 800 fish) were exposure to commercial available depleted uranium (DU) in controlled experiments conducted in accordance with the OECD guidelines for acute toxicity tests. Speciation, gill accumulation and induced toxicity of U as a function of varying water concentrations of H{sup +}, Ca{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, Na{sup +} and K{sup +} as well as U were studied. In addition to recording mortality, blood samples were collected and analysed for general stress parameters (plasma Cl and glucose) prior to fish dissection and collection of different tissues. The observed dose-response demonstrated that varying concentrations of K{sup +}, Na{sup +} or Mg{sup 2+} had no apparent effect on the U induced toxicity in terms of 96 h LC50-values. U toxicity was, however, strongly dependent on pH. Reducing pH from about 6.7 to 6.0 or 5.5 reduced the LC50-value from 3.1 to 1.4 mg U/l. However, by increasing pH to 7.9, LC50-values increased to 25 mg/L. Fractionation of the exposure waters, demonstrated that U was present as dissolved species less than 10 kDa in size predominantly as anion, and that a fraction (30%) was present as U colloids ( 3-10 kDa). Furthermore, U accumulated in fish gills, and the accumulation of U in the fish gills increased with increasing U concentration in the water. U accumulation at >50 μg U/g dry weight gill was correlated with ion regulation problems and stress response in fish, reflected by reduced plasma Cl concentration and increased blood glucose, and mortality was observed at concentration levels >300 μg/g gill dry weight. Thus, toxic effects in fish were correlated to U concentration in gills, and the concentration of U in gills was highly dependent upon pH in water and the U speciation. As presented in detail on a poster at the present conference (Cagno et al.), U did not only

  13. Repair models of cell survival and corresponding computer program for survival curve fitting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Xun; Hu Yiwei

    1992-01-01

    Some basic concepts and formulations of two repair models of survival, the incomplete repair (IR) model and the lethal-potentially lethal (LPL) model, are introduced. An IBM-PC computer program for survival curve fitting with these models was developed and applied to fit the survivals of human melanoma cells HX118 irradiated at different dose rates. Comparison was made between the repair models and two non-repair models, the multitar get-single hit model and the linear-quadratic model, in the fitting and analysis of the survival-dose curves. It was shown that either IR model or LPL model can fit a set of survival curves of different dose rates with same parameters and provide information on the repair capacity of cells. These two mathematical models could be very useful in quantitative study on the radiosensitivity and repair capacity of cells

  14. Patient-centric blood pressure-targeted cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves survival from cardiac arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutton, Robert M; Friess, Stuart H; Naim, Maryam Y; Lampe, Joshua W; Bratinov, George; Weiland, Theodore R; Garuccio, Mia; Nadkarni, Vinay M; Becker, Lance B; Berg, Robert A

    2014-12-01

    Although current resuscitation guidelines are rescuer focused, the opportunity exists to develop patient-centered resuscitation strategies that optimize the hemodynamic response of the individual in the hopes to improve survival. To determine if titrating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to blood pressure would improve 24-hour survival compared with traditional CPR in a porcine model of asphyxia-associated ventricular fibrillation (VF). After 7 minutes of asphyxia, followed by VF, 20 female 3-month-old swine randomly received either blood pressure-targeted care consisting of titration of compression depth to a systolic blood pressure of 100 mm Hg and vasopressors to a coronary perfusion pressure greater than 20 mm Hg (BP care); or optimal American Heart Association Guideline care consisting of depth of 51 mm with standard advanced cardiac life support epinephrine dosing (Guideline care). All animals received manual CPR for 10 minutes before first shock. Primary outcome was 24-hour survival. The 24-hour survival was higher in the BP care group (8 of 10) compared with Guideline care (0 of 10); P = 0.001. Coronary perfusion pressure was higher in the BP care group (point estimate +8.5 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval, 3.9-13.0 mm Hg; P < 0.01); however, depth was higher in Guideline care (point estimate +9.3 mm; 95% confidence interval, 6.0-12.5 mm; P < 0.01). Number of vasopressor doses before first shock was higher in the BP care group versus Guideline care (median, 3 [range, 0-3] vs. 2 [range, 2-2]; P = 0.003). Blood pressure-targeted CPR improves 24-hour survival compared with optimal American Heart Association care in a porcine model of asphyxia-associated VF cardiac arrest.

  15. Post-release survival of surf scoters following an oil spill: an experimental approach to evaluating rehabilitation success

    Science.gov (United States)

    De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Takekawa, John Y.; Spragens, Kyle A.; Yee, Julie; Golightly, Richard T.; Massey, Greg; Henkel, Laird A.; Larsen, Scott; Ziccardi, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Birds are often the most numerous vertebrates damaged and rehabilitated in marine oil spills; however, the efficacy of avian rehabilitation is frequently debated and rarely examined experimentally. We compared survival of three radio-marked treatment groups, oiled, rehabilitated (ORHB), un-oiled, rehabilitated (RHB), and un-oiled, non-rehabilitated (CON), in an experimental approach to examine post-release survival of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) following the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan spill in San Francisco Bay. Live encounter-dead recovery modeling indicated that survival differed among treatment groups and over time since release. The survival estimate (±SE) for ORHB was 0.143 ± 0.107 compared to CON (0.498 ± 0.168) and RHB groups (0.772 ± 0.229), suggesting scoters tolerated the rehabilitation process itself well, but oiling resulted in markedly lower survival. Future efforts to understand the physiological effects of oil type and severity on scoters are needed to improve post-release survival of this species.

  16. Palliative sedation in end-of-life care and survival: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maltoni, Marco; Scarpi, Emanuela; Rosati, Marta; Derni, Stefania; Fabbri, Laura; Martini, Francesca; Amadori, Dino; Nanni, Oriana

    2012-04-20

    Palliative sedation is a clinical procedure aimed at relieving refractory symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. It has been suggested that sedative drugs may shorten life, but few studies exist comparing the survival of sedated and nonsedated patients. We present a systematic review of literature on the clinical practice of palliative sedation to assess the effect, if any, on survival. A systematic review of literature published between January 1980 and December 2010 was performed using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Search terms included palliative sedation, terminal sedation, refractory symptoms, cancer, neoplasm, palliative care, terminally ill, end-of-life care, and survival. A manual search of the bibliographies of electronically identified articles was also performed. Eleven published articles were identified describing 1,807 consecutive patients in 10 retrospective or prospective nonrandomized studies, 621 (34.4%) of whom were sedated. One case-control study was excluded from prevalence analysis. The most frequent reason for sedation was delirium in the terminal stages of illness (median, 57.1%; range, 13.8% to 91.3%). Benzodiazepines were the most common drug category prescribed. Comparing survival of sedated and nonsedated patients, the sedation approach was not shown to be associated with worse survival. Even if there is no direct evidence from randomized clinical trials, palliative sedation, when appropriately indicated and correctly used to relieve unbearable suffering, does not seem to have any detrimental effect on survival of patients with terminal cancer. In this setting, palliative sedation is a medical intervention that must be considered as part of a continuum of palliative care.

  17. Second hematopoietic SCT for leukemia relapsing after myeloablative T cell-depleted transplants does not prolong survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McIver, Z A; Yin, F; Hughes, T; Battiwalla, M; Ito, S; Koklanaris, E; Haggerty, J; Hensel, N F; Barrett, A John

    2013-09-01

    Patients with leukemia relapsing after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT have a dismal prognosis. A second SCT offers a further opportunity for cure, but has a high rate of treatment failure. To determine the utility of this option, we analyzed 59 consecutive patients relapsing after a myeloablative HLA-matched sibling T cell-depleted (TCD) SCT. Twenty-five patients (13 relapsing within 6 months and 12 relapsing between 6 and 170 months after the first SCT) received a T-replete second SCT. Thirty-eight patients relapsing early had a shorter survival than the 21 patients relapsing later (median 96 vs 298 days, P=0.0002). In patients relapsing early, the second SCT did not improve OS compared with patients receiving non-SCT treatments (median survival 109 vs 80 days, P=0.41). In patients relapsing late, despite an early trend in favor of second SCT, survival was comparable for patients receiving a second SCT compared with non retransplanted patients (median survival 363.5 vs 162 days, P=0.49). Disappointingly, our results do not demonstrate an important survival benefit for a second T-replete allogeneic SCT to treat relapse following a TCD SCT.

  18. Incorporating movement patterns to improve survival estimates for juvenile bull trout

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowerman, Tracy; Budy, Phaedra

    2012-01-01

    Populations of many fish species are sensitive to changes in vital rates during early life stages, but our understanding of the factors affecting growth, survival, and movement patterns is often extremely limited for juvenile fish. These critical information gaps are particularly evident for bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, a threatened Pacific Northwest char. We combined several active and passive mark–recapture and resight techniques to assess migration rates and estimate survival for juvenile bull trout (70–170 mm total length). We evaluated the relative performance of multiple survival estimation techniques by comparing results from a common Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) model, the less widely used Barker model, and a simple return rate (an index of survival). Juvenile bull trout of all sizes emigrated from their natal habitat throughout the year, and thereafter migrated up to 50 km downstream. With the CJS model, high emigration rates led to an extreme underestimate of apparent survival, a combined estimate of site fidelity and survival. In contrast, the Barker model, which allows survival and emigration to be modeled as separate parameters, produced estimates of survival that were much less biased than the return rate. Estimates of age-class-specific annual survival from the Barker model based on all available data were 0.218±0.028 (estimate±SE) for age-1 bull trout and 0.231±0.065 for age-2 bull trout. This research demonstrates the importance of incorporating movement patterns into survival analyses, and we provide one of the first field-based estimates of juvenile bull trout annual survival in relatively pristine rearing conditions. These estimates can provide a baseline for comparison with future studies in more impacted systems and will help managers develop reliable stage-structured population models to evaluate future recovery strategies.

  19. Treatment Extends Survival for Women with Cervical Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who received gemcitabine (Gemzar®) both as part of initial treatment and as part of therapy following primary treatment had improved survival compared with patients whose treatment did not include gemcitabine, according to findings presented at the 2009 ASCO meeting in Orlando.

  20. Relative survival of peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heaf, James G; Wehberg, Sonja

    2014-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies consistently show an initial survival advantage for PD patients compared to HD. It has recently been suggested that this is due to the fact that many HD patients are referred late, and start dialysis on an acute, in-patient basis. The present study was perfor...

  1. Captive rearing technologies and survival of pheasants (Phasianus colchicus L. after release

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Bagliacca

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Studies have repeatedly emphasized the limited survival of pheasants reared using traditional methods compared to the wild one. For this reason we performed a field trial to compare survival rates, home ranges and habitat uses of pheasants artificial hatched and reared (traditional method with pheasants artificial hatched and reared by fostering mothers (hens. A total of 117 artificially hatched pheasants, 57 artificially brooded after hatch and 60 brooded by fostering hens, were equipped with a radio necklace tag or a poncho tag. Both groups were localized two-three times a week after their release in the wild. The survival rates of the brooded-by-hen pheasants showed an improvement of survival rates, either poncho or radio tagged (Pvs 57.1% and 35.0% vs 21.1%, respectively. The average maximum dispersion was 390 and 426 m and the home range were 12.0 and 11.6 ha in artificially brooded and brooded-by-hen pheasants, respectively. The land use showed that the woods were less represented than the available in the home range of every pheasant. For this reason the woods can be reduced in the agricultural areas interspersed with natural Mediterranean vegetation.

  2. Estimation of transfused red cell survival using an enzyme-linked antiglobulin test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kickler, T.S.; Smith, B.; Bell, W.; Drew, H.; Baldwin, M.; Ness, P.M.

    1985-01-01

    An enzyme-linked antiglobulin test (ELAT) method was developed to estimate survival of transfused red cells. This procedure is based on a principle analogous to that of the Ashby technique were antigenically distinct red cells are transfused and their survival studied. The authors compared the ELAT survival to the 51 Chromium method ( 51 Cr) in four patients. Three patients with hypoproliferative anemias showed T 1/2 by ELAT of 17.5, 18, and 17 days versus 18.5, 20, and 19 days by the 51 Cr method. A fourth patient with traumatic cardiac hemolysis had two studies performed. In this case, the ELAT showed a T 1/2 of 10 and 8.1 days while 51 Cr T 1/2 values were 11 and 10.5 days. The ELAT method for measuring red cell survival yielded data which agreed closely with the results of the 51 Cr method. Although 51 Cr is the accepted method for red cell survival, the ELAT method can be used to estimate transfused red cell survival

  3. Haploid deletion strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that determine survival during space flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johanson, Kelly; Allen, Patricia L.; Gonzalez-Villalobos, Romer A.; Nesbit, Jacqueline; Nickerson, Cheryl A.; Höner zu Bentrup, Kerstin; Wilson, James W.; Ramamurthy, Rajee; D'Elia, Riccardo; Muse, Kenneth E.; Hammond, Jeffrey; Freeman, Jake; Stodieck, Louis S.; Hammond, Timothy G.

    2007-02-01

    This study identifies genes that determine survival during a space flight, using the model eukaryotic organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Select strains of a haploid yeast deletion series grew during storage in distilled water in space, but not in ground based static or clinorotation controls. The survival advantages in space in distilled water include a 133-fold advantage for the deletion of PEX19, a chaperone and import receptor for newly- synthesized class I peroxisomal membrane proteins, to 77-40 fold for deletion strains lacking elements of aerobic respiration, isocitrate metabolism, and mitochondrial electron transport. Following automated addition of rich growth media, the space flight was associated with a marked survival advantage of strains with deletions in catalytically active genes including hydrolases, oxidoreductases and transferases. When compared to static controls, space flight was associated with a marked survival disadvantage of deletion strains lacking transporter, antioxidant and catalytic activity. This study identifies yeast deletion strains with a survival advantage during storage in distilled water and space flight, and amplifies our understanding of the genes critical for survival in space.

  4. The utility of harvest recoveries of marked individuals to assess polar bear (Ursus maritimus) survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peacock, Elizabeth; Laake, Jeff; Laidre, Kristin L.; Born, Erik W.; Atkinson, Stephen N.

    2012-01-01

    Management of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations requires the periodic assessment of life history metrics such as survival rate. This information is frequently obtained during short-term capture and marking efforts (e.g., over the course of three years) that result in hundreds of marked bears remaining in the population after active marking is finished. Using 10 additional years of harvest recovery subsequent to a period of active marking, we provide updated estimates of annual survival for polar bears in the Baffin Bay population of Greenland and Canada. Our analysis suggests a decline in survival of polar bears since the period of active marking that ended in 1997; some of the decline in survival can likely be attributed to a decline in springtime ice concentration over the continental shelf of Baffin Island. The variance around the survival estimates is comparatively high because of the declining number of marks available; therefore, results must be interpreted with caution. The variance of the estimates of survival increased most substantially in the sixth year post-marking. When survival estimates calculated with recovery-only and recapture-recovery data sets from the period of active marking were compared, survival rates were indistinguishable. However, for the period when fewer marks were available, survival estimates were lower using the recovery-only data set, which indicates that part of the decline we detected for 2003 – 09 may be due to using only harvest recovery data. Nevertheless, the decline in the estimates of survival is consistent with population projections derived from harvest numbers and earlier vital rates, as well as with an observed decline in the extent of sea ice habitat.

  5. Novel Resuscitation from Lethal Hemorrhage. Increasing Survival of Combat Casualties

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Safar, Peter

    2001-01-01

    Using our novel animal models of severe hemorrhage, focusing on evaluation of outcome to 3-10 days, the following strategies were found superior in terms of intact survival compared to standard resuscitation...

  6. Myositis-associated usual interstitial pneumonia has a better survival than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggarwal, Rohit; McBurney, Christine; Schneider, Frank; Yousem, Samuel A; Gibson, Kevin F; Lindell, Kathleen; Fuhrman, Carl R; Oddis, Chester V

    2017-03-01

    To compare the survival outcomes between myositis-associated usual interstitial pneumonia (MA-UIP) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF-UIP). Adult MA-UIP and IPF-UIP patients were identified using CTD and IPF registries. The MA-UIP cohort included myositis or anti-synthetase syndrome patients with interstitial lung disease while manifesting UIP on high-resolution CT chest and/or a lung biopsy revealing UIP histology. IPF subjects met American Thoracic Society criteria and similarly had UIP histopathology. Kaplan-Meier survival curves compared cumulative and pulmonary event-free survival (event = transplant or death) between (i) all MA-UIP and IPF-UIP subjects, (ii) MA-UIP with biopsy proven UIP (n = 25) vs IPF-UIP subjects matched for age, gender and baseline forced vital capacity (±10%). Cox proportional hazards ratios compared the survival controlling for co-variates. Eighty-one IPF-UIP and 43 MA-UIP subjects were identified. The median cumulative and event-free survival time in IPF vs MA-UIP was 5.25/1.8 years vs 16.2/10.8 years, respectively. Cumulative and event-free survival was significantly worse in IPF-UIP vs MA-UIP [hazards ratio of IPF-UIP was 2.9 (95% CI: 1.5, 5.6) and 5.0 (95% CI: 2.8, 8.7) (P < 0.001), respectively]. IPF-UIP event-free survival (but not cumulative) remained significantly worse than MA-UIP with a hazards ratio of 6.4 (95% CI: 3.0, 13.8) after controlling for age at interstitial lung disease diagnosis, gender, ethnicity and baseline forced vital capacity%. Respiratory failure was the most common cause of death in both groups. A sub-analysis of 25 biopsy-proven MA-UIP subjects showed similar results. MA-UIP patients demonstrated a significant survival advantage over a matched IPF cohort, suggesting that despite similar histological and radiographic findings at presentation, the prognosis of MA-UIP is superior to that of IPF-UIP. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology

  7. The proximate memory mechanism underlying the survival-processing effect: richness of encoding or interactive imagery?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroneisen, Meike; Erdfelder, Edgar; Buchner, Axel

    2013-01-01

    Nairne and collaborators showed that assessing the relevance of words in the context of an imagined survival scenario boosts memory for these words. Although this survival-processing advantage has attracted a considerable amount of research, little is known about the proximate memory mechanism mediating this effect. Recently, Kroneisen and Erdfelder (2011) argued that it is not survival processing itself that facilitates recall but rather the richness and distinctiveness of encoding that is triggered by the survival-processing task. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable that survival processing fosters interactive imagery, a process known to improve associative learning. To test these explanations we compared relevance-rating and interactive imagery tasks for survival and control scenarios. Results show that the survival advantage replicates in the relevance-rating condition but vanishes in the interactive imagery condition. This refutes the interactive imagery explanation and corroborates the richness-of-encoding hypothesis of the survival-processing effect.

  8. Transcriptional changes in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after embryonic exposure to road salt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tollefsen, Knut Erik; Song, You; Kleiven, Merethe; Mahrosh, Urma; Meland, Sondre; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav; Teien, Hans-Christian

    2015-12-01

    Road salt is extensively used as a deicing chemical in road maintenance during winter and has in certain areas of the world led to density stratifications in lakes and ponds, and adversely impacted aquatic organisms in the recipients of the road run-off. Aquatic vertebrates such as fish have been particularly sensitive during fertilisation, as the fertilisation of eggs involves rapid uptake of the surrounding water, reduction in egg swelling and in ovo exposure to high road salt concentrations. The present study aimed to identify the persistent molecular changes occurring in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) eggs after 24h exposure to high concentrations (5000 mg/L) of road salt at fertilisation. The global transcriptional changes were monitored by a 60k salmonid microarray at the eyed egg stage (cleavage stage, 255 degree days after fertilisation) and identified a high number of transcripts being differentially regulated. Functional enrichment, pathway and gene-gene interaction analysis identified that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly associated with toxiciologically relevant processes involved in osmoregulation, ionregulation, oxidative stress, metabolism (energy turnover), renal function and developmental in the embryos. Quantitative rtPCR analysis of selected biomarkers, identified by global transcriptomics, were monitored in the eggs for an extended range of road salt concentrations (0, 50, 100, 500 and 5000 mg/L) and revealed a positive concentration-dependent increase in cypa14, a gene involved in lipid turnover and renal function, and nav1, a gene involved in neuraxonal development. Biomarkers for osmoregulatory responses such as atp1a2, the gene encoding the main sodium/potassium ATP-fueled transporter for chloride ions, and txdc9, a gene involved in regulation of cell redox homeostasis (oxidative stress), displayed apparent concentration-dependency with exposure, although large variance in the control group precluded robust statistical

  9. Biochemical Control With Radiotherapy Improves Overall Survival in Intermediate and High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Who Have an Estimated 10-Year Overall Survival of >90%

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbert, Christopher; Liu, Mitchell; Tyldesley, Scott; Morris, W. James; Joffres, Michel; Khaira, Mandip; Kwan, Winkle; Moiseenko, Vitali; Pickles, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To identify subgroups of patients with carcinoma of the prostate treated with radical radiotherapy that have improved overall survival when disease is biochemically controlled. Methods and Materials: A cohort of 1,060 prostate cancer patients treated with radical radiotherapy was divided into nine subgroups based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk category and estimated 10-year overall survival (eOS 10y) derived from the age adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index. Patients with and without biochemical control were compared with respect to overall survival. Actuarial estimates of overall survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis of overall survival. Results: Median follow-up was 125 months (range, 51–176 months). Only the subgroups with high or intermediate risk disease and an eOS 10y of >90% had a statistically significantly improved overall survival when prostate cancer was biochemically controlled. In all other groups, biochemical control made no significant difference to overall survival. In the subgroup with high-risk disease and eOS 10y >90%, actuarial overall survival was 86.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78.5%–94.1%) and 62.1% (95% CI 52.9%–71.3%) for patients with biochemical control and biochemical relapse respectively (p = 0.002). In the intermediate risk group with eOS >90%, actuarial overall survival was 95.3% (95% CI 89.0%–100%) and 79.8% (95% CI 68.0%–91.6%) for biochemically controlled and biochemically relapsed patients (p = 0.033). On multivariate analysis, National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk group (p = 0.005), biochemical control (p = 0.033) and eOS 10y (p 90%.

  10. HPLC confirmatory method development for the determination of seven quinolones in salmon tissue (Salmo salar L.) validated according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evaggelopoulou, Evaggelia N; Samanidou, Victoria F

    2013-01-15

    A confirmatory high pressure liquid chromatographic method for the determination of seven quinolone antibiotics in tissue of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) was developed. Ciprofloxacin (CIP), danofloxacin (DAN), enrofloxacin (ENR), sarafloxacin (SAR), oxolinic acid (OXO), nalidixic acid (NAL) and flumequine (FLU) were separated on a Perfectsil ODS-2 120 (250 mm × 4 mm, 5 μm) column by gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (pH=1), acetonitrile and methanol at 25°C within 22 min. Analytes were monitored at 255 nm (for the determination of OXO, NAL and FLU) and 275 nm (for CIP, DAN, ENR and SAR) by means of photodiode array detector. Examined quinolones were isolated from salmon tissue by extraction with citrate buffer solution (pH=4.7) and purified by solid phase extraction using Oasis HLB (200mg/6 mL) cartridges. The developed method was fully validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability and sensitivity according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC. The accuracy of the method was additionally proved by its application to certified reference material of salmon tissue (BCR® 725). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Impact of Marital Status on Tumor Stage at Diagnosis and on Survival in Male Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adekolujo, Orimisan Samuel; Tadisina, Shourya; Koduru, Ujwala; Gernand, Jill; Smith, Susan Jane; Kakarala, Radhika Ramani

    2017-07-01

    The effect of marital status (MS) on survival varies according to cancer type and gender. There has been no report on the impact of MS on survival in male breast cancer (MBC). This study aims to determine the influence of MS on tumor stage at diagnosis and survival in MBC. Men with MBC ≥18 years of age in the SEER database from 1990 to 2011 were included in the study. MS was classified as married and unmarried (including single, divorced, separated, widowed). Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the 5-year cancer-specific survival. Multivariate regression analyses were done to determine the effect of MS on presence of Stage IV disease at diagnosis and on cancer-specific mortality. The study included 3,761 men; 2,647 (70.4%) were married. Unmarried men were more often diagnosed with Stage IV MBC compared with married (10.7% vs. 5.5%, p Unmarried men (compared with married) were significantly less likely to undergo surgery (92.4% vs. 96.7%, p unmarried males with Stages II, III, and IV MBC have significantly worse 5-year cancer-specific survival compared with married. On multivariate analysis, being unmarried was associated with increased hazard of death (HR = 1.43, p Unmarried males with breast cancer are at greater risk for Stage IV disease at diagnosis and poorer outcomes compared with married males.

  12. Survival benefit of TIPS versus serial paracentesis in patients with refractory ascites: a single institution case-control propensity score analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaba, R.C.; Parvinian, A.; Casadaban, L.C.; Couture, P.M.; Zivin, S.P.; Lakhoo, J.; Minocha, J.; Ray, C.E.; Knuttinen, M.G.; Bui, J.T.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: To compare the impact of covered stent-graft transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) versus serial paracentesis on survival of patients with medically refractory ascites. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, cirrhotic patients who underwent covered stent-graft TIPS for refractory ascites from 2003–2013 were compared with similar patients who underwent serial paracentesis during 2009–2013. Demographic and liver disease data, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores, and survival outcomes were obtained from hospital electronic medical records and the social security death index. After propensity score weighting to match study group characteristics, survival outcomes were compared using Kaplan–Meier statistics with log-rank analysis. Results: Seventy TIPS (70% men, mean age 55.7 years, mean MELD 15.1) and 80 paracentesis (58% men, mean age 53.5 years, mean MELD 22.5) patients were compared. The TIPS haemodynamic success rate was 100% (mean portosystemic pressure gradient reduction 13 mmHg). Paracentesis patients underwent a mean of 7.9 procedures. After propensity score weighting to balance group features, TIPS patients showed a trend toward enhanced survival compared with paracentesis patients (median survival 1037 versus 262 days, p = 0.074). TIPS conferred a significant increase or trend toward improved survival compared with paracentesis at 1 (66% versus 44%, p = 0.018), 2 (56% versus 38%, p = 0.057), and 3 year (49% versus 32%, p = 0.077) time points. Thirty and 90 day mortality rates were not statistically increased by TIPS. Conclusion: Covered stent-graft TIPS improves intermediate- to long-term survival without significantly increasing short-term mortality of ascites patients, and suggests a greater potential role for TIPS in properly selected ascitic patients when medical management fails. - Highlights: • The survival benefit of TIPS for patients with refractory ascites remains unproven. • A case

  13. Melanoma survival is superior in females across all tumour stages but is influenced by age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khosrotehrani, Kiarash; Dasgupta, Paramita; Byrom, Lisa; Youlden, Danny R; Baade, Peter D; Green, Adele C

    2015-10-01

    Among patients with invasive melanoma, females are known to have higher survival than males globally. However, this survival advantage has not been explored in thin melanomas, the most common form of the disease. In addition, it is unclear if this advantage is true across all age groups. We aimed to compare melanoma survival between males and females by clinical stage and within age groups. Melanomas from 1995 to 2008 were extracted from the Queensland Cancer Registry and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, and melanoma-specific deaths were ascertained up to 2011. Flexible parametric survival models compared survival between groups. The Queensland cohort of 28,979 patients experienced 1712 melanoma deaths and the SEER cohort of 57,402 patients included 6929 melanoma deaths. Survival rates were in favour of females across nearly all tumour stages, including thin invasive tumours in both cohorts after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors [odds ratio (OR) death female:male for stage I melanoma = 0.64 in Queensland; and OR = 0.79 in the US, both P age categories. In particular, the survival advantage was inconsistent in females with stage I melanoma aged under 60. Females with melanoma have a survival advantage over males including in stage I melanomas. However, this advantage is dependent on age at diagnosis, suggesting an underlying biological mechanism influenced by age that exists from the very early stages of the disease.

  14. Survival As a Quality Metric of Cancer Care: Use of the National Cancer Data Base to Assess Hospital Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shulman, Lawrence N; Palis, Bryan E; McCabe, Ryan; Mallin, Kathy; Loomis, Ashley; Winchester, David; McKellar, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Survival is considered an important indicator of the quality of cancer care, but the validity of different methodologies to measure comparative survival rates is less well understood. We explored whether the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) could serve as a source of unadjusted and risk-adjusted cancer survival data and whether these data could be used as quality indicators for individual hospitals or in the aggregate by hospital type. The NCDB, an aggregate of > 1,500 hospital cancer registries, was queried to analyze unadjusted and risk-adjusted hazards of death for patients with stage III breast cancer (n = 116,787) and stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 252,392). Data were analyzed at the individual hospital level and by hospital type. At the hospital level, after risk adjustment, few hospitals had comparative risk-adjusted survival rates that were statistically better or worse. By hospital type, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers had risk-adjusted survival ratios that were statistically significantly better than those of academic cancer centers and community hospitals. Using the NCDB as the data source, survival rates for patients with stage III breast cancer and stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer were statistically better at National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers when compared with other hospital types. Compared with academic hospitals, risk-adjusted survival was lower in community hospitals. At the individual hospital level, after risk adjustment, few hospitals were shown to have statistically better or worse survival, suggesting that, using NCDB data, survival may not be a good metric to determine relative quality of cancer care at this level.

  15. A comparison of the conditional inference survival forest model to random survival forests based on a simulation study as well as on two applications with time-to-event data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasejje, Justine B; Mwambi, Henry; Dheda, Keertan; Lesosky, Maia

    2017-07-28

    Random survival forest (RSF) models have been identified as alternative methods to the Cox proportional hazards model in analysing time-to-event data. These methods, however, have been criticised for the bias that results from favouring covariates with many split-points and hence conditional inference forests for time-to-event data have been suggested. Conditional inference forests (CIF) are known to correct the bias in RSF models by separating the procedure for the best covariate to split on from that of the best split point search for the selected covariate. In this study, we compare the random survival forest model to the conditional inference model (CIF) using twenty-two simulated time-to-event datasets. We also analysed two real time-to-event datasets. The first dataset is based on the survival of children under-five years of age in Uganda and it consists of categorical covariates with most of them having more than two levels (many split-points). The second dataset is based on the survival of patients with extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) which consists of mainly categorical covariates with two levels (few split-points). The study findings indicate that the conditional inference forest model is superior to random survival forest models in analysing time-to-event data that consists of covariates with many split-points based on the values of the bootstrap cross-validated estimates for integrated Brier scores. However, conditional inference forests perform comparably similar to random survival forests models in analysing time-to-event data consisting of covariates with fewer split-points. Although survival forests are promising methods in analysing time-to-event data, it is important to identify the best forest model for analysis based on the nature of covariates of the dataset in question.

  16. A comparison of the conditional inference survival forest model to random survival forests based on a simulation study as well as on two applications with time-to-event data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justine B. Nasejje

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Random survival forest (RSF models have been identified as alternative methods to the Cox proportional hazards model in analysing time-to-event data. These methods, however, have been criticised for the bias that results from favouring covariates with many split-points and hence conditional inference forests for time-to-event data have been suggested. Conditional inference forests (CIF are known to correct the bias in RSF models by separating the procedure for the best covariate to split on from that of the best split point search for the selected covariate. Methods In this study, we compare the random survival forest model to the conditional inference model (CIF using twenty-two simulated time-to-event datasets. We also analysed two real time-to-event datasets. The first dataset is based on the survival of children under-five years of age in Uganda and it consists of categorical covariates with most of them having more than two levels (many split-points. The second dataset is based on the survival of patients with extremely drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB which consists of mainly categorical covariates with two levels (few split-points. Results The study findings indicate that the conditional inference forest model is superior to random survival forest models in analysing time-to-event data that consists of covariates with many split-points based on the values of the bootstrap cross-validated estimates for integrated Brier scores. However, conditional inference forests perform comparably similar to random survival forests models in analysing time-to-event data consisting of covariates with fewer split-points. Conclusion Although survival forests are promising methods in analysing time-to-event data, it is important to identify the best forest model for analysis based on the nature of covariates of the dataset in question.

  17. Comparative study analyzing survival and safety of bevacizumab/carboplatin/paclitaxel and cisplatin/pemetrexed in chemotherapy-naïve patients with advanced non-squamous bronchogenic carcinoma not harboring EGFR mutation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel Kader Y

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Yasser Abdel Kader,1 Thierry Le Chevalier,2 Tamer El-Nahas,1 Amr Sakr11Department of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Paris, FrancePurpose: The majority of Egyptian patients with lung cancer present at a late stage of the disease. Bevacizumab/carboplatin/paclitaxel, as well as cisplatin plus pemetrexed, are both standard regimens for advanced non-squamous bronchogenic cancer. This study compares both regimens, in terms of efficacy and toxicity profile, in Egyptian patients.Patients and methods: This is a randomized Phase II study comparing toxicity profile and survival in 41 chemotherapy-naïve patients with stage IIIB or IV non-squamous NSCLC, with an ECOG performance status of 0 to 2. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR mutation detection was performed prior to treatment of all patients. Patients in the first group received: bevacizumab 7.5 mg/m2 on Day 1 and Day 15; carboplatin area under the curve-5 on Day 1; and paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 on Day 1, Day 8, and Day 15 every 4 weeks. In the second group, patients received cisplatin 75 mg/m2 and pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 every 3 weeks.Results: The combination of bevacizumab/carboplatin/paclitaxel demonstrated higher Grade III–IV toxicity than cisplatin/pemetrexed regarding sensory/motor neuropathy (P = 0.06, DVT (P = 0.23, proteinuria (P = 0.23, and hypertension (P = 0.11, as well as Grade II alopecia (P = 0.001; however, no significant difference in toxicities between both arms was recorded regarding nausea and vomiting (P = 0.66, hematological toxicity, febrile neutropenia (P = 1 and fatigue (P = 0.66. Progression-free survival was similar for both treatment arms with a median of 6 months (P = 0.978. Overall median survival was comparable in both arms, 16.07 months versus 16.01 months (P = 0.89.Conclusion: Bevacizumab/carboplatin/paclitaxel and cisplatin/pemetrexed provided meaningful and comparable efficacy

  18. Rapidity gap survival in the black-disk regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonid Frankfurt; Charles Hyde; Mark Strikman; Christian Weiss

    2007-01-01

    We summarize how the approach to the black-disk regime (BDR) of strong interactions at TeV energies influences rapidity gap survival in exclusive hard diffraction pp -> p + H + p (H = dijet, Qbar Q, Higgs). Employing a recently developed partonic description of such processes, we discuss (a) the suppression of diffraction at small impact parameters by soft spectator interactions in the BDR; (b) further suppression by inelastic interactions of hard spectator partons in the BDR; (c) effects of correlations between hard and soft interactions, as suggested by various models of proton structure (color fluctuations, spatial correlations of partons). Hard spectator interactions in the BDR substantially reduce the rapidity gap survival probability at LHC energies compared to previously reported estimates

  19. Statistical and biophysical aspects of survival curve

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellerer, A.M.

    1980-01-01

    Statistic fluctuation in a series of consequently taken survival curves of asynchronous cells of a hamster of the V79 line during X-ray irradiation, are considered. In each of the experiments fluctuations are close to those expected on the basis of the Poisson distribution. The fluctuation of cell sensitivity in different experiments of one series can reach 10%. The normalization of each experiment in mean values permits to obtain the ''idealized'' survival curve. The survival logarithm in this curve is proportional to the absorbed dose and its square only at low radiation doses. Such proportionality in V lab 79 cells in the late S-phase is observed at all doses. Using the microdosimetric approach, the distance where the interaction of radiolysis products or subinjury takes place to make the dependence of injury on the dose non-linear, is determined. In the case of interaction distances of 10-100 nm, the linear component is shown to become comparable in value with the linear injury component at doses of the order of several hundred rad only in the case, when the interaction distance is close to micrometre [ru

  20. HIV-associated lung cancer: survival in an unselected cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Christian; Kohrs, Fabienne; Sabranski, Michael; Wolf, Eva; Jaeger, Hans; Wyen, Christoph; Siehl, Jan; Baumgarten, Axel; Hensel, Manfred; Jessen, Arne; Schaaf, Bernhard; Vogel, Martin; Bogner, Johannes; Horst, Heinz-August; Stephan, Christoph

    2013-10-01

    Lung cancer is one of the most common non-AIDS-defining malignancies in HIV-infected patients. However, data on clinical outcome and prognostic factors are scarce. This was a national German multicentre, retrospective cohort analysis of all cases of lung cancer seen in HIV-infected individuals from 2000 through 2010. Survival was analyzed with respect to the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), specific lung cancer therapies, and other potential prognostic factors. A total of 72 patients (mean age 55.5 y, CD4 T-cells 383/μl) were evaluated in this analysis. At time of lung cancer diagnosis, 86% were on ART. Of these, 79% had undetectable HIV-1 RNA (cancer stage of I-IIIA was associated with better overall survival when compared with the advanced stages IIIb/IV (p = 0.0003). Other factors predictive of improved overall survival were better performance status, CD4 T-cells > 200/μl, and a non-intravenous drug use transmission risk for HIV. Currently, most cases of lung cancer occur in the setting of limited immune deficiency and a long-lasting viral suppression. As in HIV-negative cases, the clinical stage of lung cancer is highly predictive of survival, and long-term overall survival can only be achieved at the limited stages. The still high mortality underscores the importance of smoking cessation strategies in HIV-infected patients.

  1. Establishment and characterization of a new cell line (SSP-9) derived from Atlantic salmon Salmo salar that expresses type I ifn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez Saint-Jean, S; González, C; Monrás, M; Romero, A; Ballesteros, N; Enríquez, R; Perez-Prieto, S

    2014-11-01

    In the present work, the establishment and biological characterization of a new cell line, SSP-9, derived from the pronephros of the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, are reported. These cells grew well in Leibovitz's (L15) medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum at temperatures from 15 to 25° C, and they have been sub-cultured over 100 passages to produce a continuous cell line with an epithelial-like morphology. The SSP-9 cells attached and spread efficiently at different plating densities, retaining 80% of cell viability after storage in liquid nitrogen. When karyotyped, the cells had 40-52 chromosomes, with a modal number of 48. Viral susceptibility tests showed that SSP-9 cells were susceptible to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, producing infectious virus and regular cytopathic effects. Moreover, these cells could be stimulated by poly I:C, showing significant up-regulation in the expression of the genes that regulate immune responses, such as ifn and mx-1. SSP-9 cells constitutively express genes characteristic of macrophages, such as major histocompatibility complex (mhc-II) and interleukin 12b (il-12b), and flow cytometry assays confirmed that SSP-9 cells can be permanently transfected with plasmids expressing a reporter gene. Accordingly, this new cell line is apparently suitable for transgenic manipulation, and to study host cell-virus interactions and immune processes. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  2. Survival of Salmonella enterica in poultry feed is strain dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andino, Ana; Pendleton, Sean; Zhang, Nan; Chen, Wei; Critzer, Faith; Hanning, Irene

    2014-02-01

    Feed components have low water activity, making bacterial survival difficult. The mechanisms of Salmonella survival in feed and subsequent colonization of poultry are unknown. The purpose of this research was to compare the ability of Salmonella serovars and strains to survive in broiler feed and to evaluate molecular mechanisms associated with survival and colonization by measuring the expression of genes associated with colonization (hilA, invA) and survival via fatty acid synthesis (cfa, fabA, fabB, fabD). Feed was inoculated with 1 of 15 strains of Salmonella enterica consisting of 11 serovars (Typhimurium, Enteriditis, Kentucky, Seftenburg, Heidelberg, Mbandanka, Newport, Bairely, Javiana, Montevideo, and Infantis). To inoculate feed, cultures were suspended in PBS and survival was evaluated by plating samples onto XLT4 agar plates at specific time points (0 h, 4 h, 8 h, 24 h, 4 d, and 7 d). To evaluate gene expression, RNA was extracted from the samples at the specific time points (0, 4, 8, and 24 h) and gene expression measured with real-time PCR. The largest reduction in Salmonella occurred at the first and third sampling time points (4 h and 4 d) with the average reductions being 1.9 and 1.6 log cfu per g, respectively. For the remaining time points (8 h, 24 h, and 7 d), the average reduction was less than 1 log cfu per g (0.6, 0.4, and 0.6, respectively). Most strains upregulated cfa (cyclopropane fatty acid synthesis) within 8 h, which would modify the fluidity of the cell wall to aid in survival. There was a weak negative correlation between survival and virulence gene expression indicating downregulation to focus energy on other gene expression efforts such as survival-related genes. These data indicate the ability of strains to survive over time in poultry feed was strain dependent and that upregulation of cyclopropane fatty acid synthesis and downregulation of virulence genes were associated with a response to desiccation stress.

  3. Comparison of survival rates among different treatment methods of transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shim, Yong Woon; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Lee, Do Yun; Jun, Pyoung Jun; Chang, So Yong [Yonsei Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-06-01

    To compare the survival rates of patients with hepatoma using different methods of transcatheter arterial chemoemblization(THAE). Four hundred and eighty three patients with hepatoma diagnosed by biopsy, serum alpha-fetoprotein, abdominal CT scan, abdominal ultrasonography or hepatic angiography were included, but not all had received surgical treatment. They were divided onto two groups according to Child's classification and into subgroups according to different methods of THAE. Five-tear survival rates among these groups were retrospectively compared. The patients were aged between 24 and 85(mean, 58) ; male to female ratio was 324 : 61 for those who received THAE (369 : 87 when only hepatic angiography was considered.). In the group with more than a single episode of chemoembolization, regardless of Child's classification, a better survival rate compared to the other groups with or without concommitant radiotherapy or without chemoembolization was noted. There was no difference in the survival rate of patients with multiple chemoembolization. moreover, no difference in this rate was observed no matter what chemotherapeutic agents, including Adriamycin, Cis-Diaminedichloroplatinum of I-131-Lipiodol, were used. Amortization by gelfoam in conjuction with Adriamycin resulted in no difference in survival rate regardless of frequency of chemoembolization. An improved survival rate was seen when multiple episodes of chemoembolization were applied, but no difference was seen when there was concomitant application of either gelfoam or radiotherapy. Two different chemotherapeutic agents, Adriamycin and Cis-Diaminedichloroplatinum, were used, but there was no difference between them in their effect on survival rates.

  4. Conditional survival is greater than overall survival at diagnosis in patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Benjamin J; Lynch, Charles F; Buckwalter, Joseph A

    2013-11-01

    Conditional survival is a measure of the risk of mortality given that a patient has survived a defined period of time. These estimates are clinically helpful, but have not been reported previously for osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma. We determined the conditional survival of patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma given survival of 1 or more years. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database to investigate cases of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma in patients younger than 40 years from 1973 to 2009. The SEER Program is managed by the National Cancer Institute and provides survival data gathered from population-based cancer registries. We used an actuarial life table analysis to determine any cancer cause-specific 5-year survival estimates conditional on 1 to 5 years of survival after diagnosis. We performed a similar analysis to determine 20-year survival from the time of diagnosis. The estimated 5-year survival improved each year after diagnosis. For local/regional osteosarcoma, the 5-year survival improved from 74.8% at baseline to 91.4% at 5 years-meaning that if a patient with localized osteosarcoma lives for 5 years, the chance of living for another 5 years is 91.4%. Similarly, the 5-year survivals for local/regional Ewing's sarcoma improved from 72.9% at baseline to 92.5% at 5 years, for metastatic osteosarcoma 35.5% at baseline to 85.4% at 5 years, and for metastatic Ewing's sarcoma 31.7% at baseline to 83.6% at 5 years. The likelihood of 20-year cause-specific survival from the time of diagnosis in osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma was almost 90% or greater after 10 years of survival, suggesting that while most patients will remain disease-free indefinitely, some experience cancer-related complications years after presumed eradication. The 5-year survival estimates of osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma improve with each additional year of patient survival. Knowledge of a changing risk profile is useful in counseling

  5. Role of TIPS in Improving Survival of Patients with Decompensated Liver Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sundeep J. Punamiya

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Liver cirrhosis is associated with higher morbidity and reduced survival with appearance of portal hypertension and resultant decompensation. Portal decompression plays a key role in improving survival in these patients. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are known to be efficacious in reducing portal venous pressure and control of complications such as variceal bleeding and ascites. However, they have been associated with significant problems such as poor shunt durability, increased encephalopathy, and unchanged survival when compared with conservative treatment options. The last decade has seen a significant improvement in these complications, with introduction of covered stents, better selection of patients, and clearer understanding of procedural end-points. Use of TIPS early in the period of decompensation also appears promising in further improvement of survival of cirrhotic patients.

  6. The outcome and survival of palliative surgery in thoraco-lumbar spinal metastases: contemporary retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemelc, R M; Stadhouder, A; van Royen, B J; Jiya, T U

    2014-11-01

    Purpose: To evaluate outcome and survival and to identify prognostic variables for patients surgically treated for spinal metastases. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 86 patients, surgically treated for spinal metastases. Preoperative analyses of the ASIA and spinal instability neoplastic scores (SINS) were performed. Survival curves of different prognostic variables were made by Kaplan–Meier analysis and the variables entered in a Cox proportional hazards model to determine their significance on survival. The correlation between preoperative radiotherapy and postoperative wound infections was also evaluated. Results: Survival analysis was performed on 81 patients,37 women and 44 men. Five patients were excluded due to missing data. Median overall survival was 38 weeks [95 % confidence interval (CI) 27.5–48.5 weeks], with a 3-month survival rate of 81.5 %. Breast tumor had the best median survival of 127 weeks and lung tumor the worst survival of 18 weeks. Univariate analysis showed tumor type, preoperative ASIA score (p = 0.01) and visceral metastases(p = 0.18) were significant prognostic variables for survival.Colon tumors had 5.53 times hazard ratio compared to patients with breast tumor. ASIA-C score had more than 13.03 times the hazard ratio compared to patients with an ASIA-E score. Retrospective analysis of the SINS scores showed 34 patients with a score of 13–18 points, 44 patients with a score of 7–12 points, and 1 patient with a score of 6 points. Preoperative radiotherapy had no influence on the postoperative incidence of deep surgical wound infections (p = 0.37). Patients with spinal metastases had a median survival of 38 weeks postoperative. The primary tumor type and ASIA score were significant prognostic factors for survival. Preoperative radiotherapy neither had influence on survival nor did it constitute a risk for postoperative surgical wound infections.

  7. Long-term survival among Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with gastrointestinal cancer: a population-based study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Youn, P.; Li, H.; Milano, M. T.; Stovall, M.; Constine, L. S.; Travis, L. B.

    2013-01-01

    Background The increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers after Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is well established. However, no large population-based study has described the actuarial survival after subsequent GI cancers in HL survivors (HL-GI). Patients and methods For 209 patients with HL-GI cancers (105 colon, 35 stomach, 30 pancreas, 21 rectum, and 18 esophagus) and 484 165 patients with first primary GI cancers (GI-1), actuarial survival was compared, accounting for age, gender, race, GI cancer stage, radiation for HL, and other variables. Results Though survival of HL patients who developed localized stage colon cancer was similar to that of the GI-1 group, overall survival (OS) of HL patients with regional or distant stage colon cancer was reduced [hazard ratio, (HR) = 1.46, P = 0.01]. The HL survivors with regional or distant stage colon cancer in the transverse segment had an especially high risk of mortality (HR: 2.7, P = 0.001 for OS). For localized stomach cancer, OS was inferior among HL survivors (HR = 3.46, P = 0.006). Conclusions The HL patients who develop GI cancer experience significantly reduced survival compared with patients with a first primary GI cancer. Further research is needed to explain the inferior survival of HL patients and to define selection criteria for cancer screening in HL survivors. PMID:22855552

  8. Locoregional control and survival after breast conserving therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajer, M.; Majdic, E.

    2006-01-01

    Background. The purpose of our study was to present a 5-year survival and locoregional control rates in breast cancer patients and to establish eventual impact of the treatment and patient characteristics on locoregional control and survival. Methods. From January 1998 to December 1999 564 stage 1 and 2 breast cancer patients were treated with breast conserving therapy. We evaluated the following characteristics: age, histological diagnosis, grade, size, number of metastatic lymph nodes, hormonal receptor status, extensive intraductal component (EIDC), vascular invasion, pathologic tumour margins, type of surgery and use of adjuvant therapy. Results. The mean age of our patients was 54.2 years. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common diagnosis (82.4%), followed by invasive lobular carcinoma (10.6%). Most of the tumours were grade 2. Seventy-two % of patients had T1 tumours, 24% T2 and 3% T is tumours. Metastatic lymph nodes were present in 44% of patients. All patients were treated with breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT). Fifty % of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and/ or hormonal therapy. The 5-year survival rate was 88.5%. Tumour size, number of metastatic lymph nodes, grade, hormonal receptors and vascular invasion proved to be statistically significant prognostic factors for the survival, while age and histological diagnosis were not. Local recurrence developed in 4.3% of our patients, while in 3.4% regional recurrence developed. Conclusions. Breast conserving surgery followed by RT was associated with good rates of locoregional control and survival, comparable to those reported in the literature. (author)

  9. Survival frequency and spectrum of induced mutations in Penicillium vermiculatum dangeard following

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitra, Jharna; Chaudhari, K.L.

    1974-01-01

    A comparative study on the sensitivity of UV, X-rays and gamma rays on conidia of Penicillium vermiculatum has been done. LD50 with UV-rays was shown with less than 60 second treatment at a dose of 6 x 10 3 ergs/mm 2 . Beyond 240 second treatment i.e. 2.4 x 10 4 ergs/mm 2 the survival percent remained almost the same, indicating resistance of surviving spores to the action of UV radiation. With X-rays an increase in the germination percent of conidia was noticed at dosages of 5 and 10 Kr. Abrupt fall in the survival percent was observed with increasing dosage of X-rays. A wide range of biochemical morphological mutants was obtained with UV irradiation as compared to those with X-rays. Nicotinic acid requiring mutants occurred frequently with X-rays and methionine requiring ones with gamma-rays. Compact colonial mutants were induced freely with X-rays and violet pigment producing ones with gamma-rays. (author)

  10. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in the elderly: initial treatment strategy and overall survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaser, Scott M; Dohopolski, Michael J; Balasubramani, Goundappa K; Flickinger, John C; Beriwal, Sushil

    2017-08-01

    The EORTC trial which solidified the role of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) plus temozolomide (TMZ) in the management of GBM excluded patients over age 70. Randomized studies of elderly patients showed that hypofractionated EBRT (HFRT) alone or TMZ alone was at least equivalent to conventionally fractionated EBRT (CFRT) alone. We sought to investigate the practice patterns and survival in elderly patients with GBM. We identified patients age 65-90 in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) with histologically confirmed GBM from 1998 to 2012 and known chemotherapy and radiotherapy status. We analyzed factors predicting treatment with EBRT alone vs. EBRT plus concurrent single-agent chemotherapy (CRT) using multivariable logistic regression. Similarly, within the EBRT alone cohort we compared CFRT (54-65 Gy at 1.7-2.1 Gy/fraction) to HFRT (34-60 Gy at 2.5-5 Gy/fraction). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model (MVA) with propensity score adjustment was used to compare survival. A total of 38,862 patients were included. Initial treatments for 1998 versus 2012 were: EBRT alone = 50 versus 10%; CRT = 6 versus 50%; chemo alone = 1.6% (70% single-agent) versus 3.2% (94% single-agent). Among EBRT alone patients, use of HFRT (compared to CFRT) increased from 13 to 41%. Numerous factors predictive for utilization of CRT over EBRT alone and for HFRT over CFRT were identified. Median survival and 1-year overall survival were higher in the CRT versus EBRT alone group at 8.6 months vs. 5.1 months and 36.0 versus 15.7% (p GBM patients in the United States, CRT is the most common initial treatment and appears to offer a survival advantage over EBRT alone. Adoption of hypofractionation has increased over time but continues to be low.

  11. Patient-centric Blood Pressure–targeted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Improves Survival from Cardiac Arrest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friess, Stuart H.; Naim, Maryam Y.; Lampe, Joshua W.; Bratinov, George; Weiland, Theodore R.; Garuccio, Mia; Nadkarni, Vinay M.; Becker, Lance B.; Berg, Robert A.

    2014-01-01

    Rationale: Although current resuscitation guidelines are rescuer focused, the opportunity exists to develop patient-centered resuscitation strategies that optimize the hemodynamic response of the individual in the hopes to improve survival. Objectives: To determine if titrating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to blood pressure would improve 24-hour survival compared with traditional CPR in a porcine model of asphyxia-associated ventricular fibrillation (VF). Methods: After 7 minutes of asphyxia, followed by VF, 20 female 3-month-old swine randomly received either blood pressure–targeted care consisting of titration of compression depth to a systolic blood pressure of 100 mm Hg and vasopressors to a coronary perfusion pressure greater than 20 mm Hg (BP care); or optimal American Heart Association Guideline care consisting of depth of 51 mm with standard advanced cardiac life support epinephrine dosing (Guideline care). All animals received manual CPR for 10 minutes before first shock. Primary outcome was 24-hour survival. Measurements and Main Results: The 24-hour survival was higher in the BP care group (8 of 10) compared with Guideline care (0 of 10); P = 0.001. Coronary perfusion pressure was higher in the BP care group (point estimate +8.5 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval, 3.9–13.0 mm Hg; P < 0.01); however, depth was higher in Guideline care (point estimate +9.3 mm; 95% confidence interval, 6.0–12.5 mm; P < 0.01). Number of vasopressor doses before first shock was higher in the BP care group versus Guideline care (median, 3 [range, 0–3] vs. 2 [range, 2–2]; P = 0.003). Conclusions: Blood pressure–targeted CPR improves 24-hour survival compared with optimal American Heart Association care in a porcine model of asphyxia-associated VF cardiac arrest. PMID:25321490

  12. Long-term results of interventional treatment of large unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): significant survival benefit from combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) compared to TACE monotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lubienski, A.; Bitsch, R.G.; Grenacher, L.; Kauffmann, G.W.; Schemmer, P.; Duex, M.

    2004-01-01

    Purpose: A retrospective analysis of long-term efficacy of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) and TACE monotherapy was conducted in patients with large, non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods and Materials: Fifty patients with large, unresectable HCC lesions underwent selective TACE. Liver cirrhosis was present in 42 patients, due to alcohol abuse (n = 22) and viral infection (n = 17). In three patients, the underlying cause for liver cirrhosis remained unclear. Child A cirrhosis was found in 22 and Child B cirrhosis in 20 patients. Repeated and combined TACE and PEI were performed in 22 patients and repeated TACE monotherapy was performed in 28 patients. Survival and complication rates were determined and compared. Results: The 6-, 12-, 24- and 36-month survival rates were 61%, 21%, 4%, and 4% for TACE monotherapy and 77%, 55%, 39% and 22% for combined TACE and PEI (Kaplan-Meier method). The kind of treatment significantly affected the survival rate (p=0.002 log-rank test). Severe side effects were present in two patients of the monotherapy group and in three patients of the combination therapy group. (orig.)

  13. The notochord in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) undergoes profound morphological and mechanical changes during development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kryvi, Harald; Rusten, Iselin; Fjelldal, Per Gunnar; Nordvik, Kari; Totland, Geir K; Karlsen, Tine; Wiig, Helge; Long, John H

    2017-11-01

    We present the development of the notochord of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), from early embryo to sexually mature fish. Over the salmon's lifespan, profound morphological changes occur. Cells and gross structures of the notochord reorganize twice. In the embryo, the volume of the notochord is dominated by large, vacuolated chordocytes; each cell can be modeled as a hydrostat organized into a larger cellular-hydrostat network, structurally bound together with desmosomes. After the embryo hatches and grows into a fry, vacuolated chordocytes disappear, replaced by extracellular lacunae. The formation of mineralized, segmental chordacentra stiffens the notochord and creates intervertebral joints, where tissue strain during lateral bending is now focused. As development proceeds towards the parr stage, a process of devacuolization and intracellular filament accumulation occur, forming highly dense, non-vacuolated chordocytes. As extracellular lacunae enlarge, they are enclosed by dense filamentous chordocytes that form transverse intervertebral septa, which are connected to the intervertebral ligaments, and a longitudinal notochordal strand. In the vertebral column of pelagic adults, large vacuolated chordocytes reappear; cells of this secondary population have a volume up to 19 000 times larger than the primary vacuolated chordocytes of the early notochord. In adults the lacunae have diminished in relative size. Hydrostatic pressure within the notochord increases significantly during growth, from 525 Pa in the alevins to 11 500 Pa in adults, at a rate of increase with total body length greater than that expected by static stress similarity. Pressure and morphometric measurements were combined to estimate the stress in the extracellular material of the notochordal sheath and intervertebral ligaments and the flexural stiffness of the axial skeleton. The functional significance of the morphological changes in the axial skeleton is discussed in relation to the

  14. Tissue distribution and elimination of deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A in dietary-exposed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhoft, Aksel; Høgåsen, Helga R; Rosenlund, Grethe; Ivanova, Lada; Berntssen, Marc H G; Alexander, Jan; Eriksen, Gunnar Sundstøl; Fæste, Christiane Kruse

    2017-07-01

    Post-smolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were fed standard feed with added 2 or 6 mg kg -1 pure deoxynivalenol (DON), 0.8 or 2.4 mg kg -1 pure ochratoxin A (OTA), or no added toxins for up to 8 weeks. The experiments were performed in duplicate tanks with 25 fish each per diet group, and the feed was given for three 2-h periods per day. After 3, 6 and 8 weeks, 10 fish from each diet group were sampled. In the following hours after the last feeding at 8 weeks, toxin elimination was studied by sampling three fish per diet group at five time points. Analysis of DON and OTA in fish tissues and plasma was conducted by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, respectively. DON was distributed to the liver, kidney, plasma, muscle, skin and brain, and the concentrations in liver and muscle increased significantly from 3 to 8 weeks of exposure to the high-DON diet. After the last feeding at 8 weeks, DON concentration in liver reached a maximum at 1 h and decreased thereafter with a half-life (t 1/2 ) of 6.2 h. DON concentration in muscle reached a maximum at 6 h and was then eliminated with a t 1/2  = 16.5 h. OTA was mainly found in liver and kidney, and the concentration in liver decreased significantly from 3 to 8 weeks in the high-OTA group. OTA was eliminated faster than DON from various tissues. By using Norwegian food consumption data and kinetic findings in this study, we predicted the human exposure to DON and OTA from fish products through carryover from the feed. Following a comparison with tolerable daily intakes, we found the risk to human health from the consumption of salmon-fed diets containing maximum recommended levels of these toxins to be negligible.

  15. Has prenatal screening influenced the prevalence of comorbidities associated with Down syndrome and subsequent survival rates?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halliday, Jane; Collins, Veronica; Riley, Merilyn; Youssef, Danielle; Muggli, Evelyne

    2009-01-01

    With this study we aimed to compare survival rates for children with Down syndrome in 2 time periods, 1 before prenatal screening (1988-1990) and 1 contemporaneous with screening (1998-2000), and to examine the frequency of comorbidities and their influence on survival rates. Record-linkage was performed between the population-based Victorian Birth Defects Register and records of deaths in children up to 15 years of age collected under the auspice of the Consultative Council on Obstetric and Pediatric Mortality and Morbidity. Cases of Down syndrome were coded according to the presence or absence of comorbidities by using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision classification of birth defects. Kaplan-Meier survival functions and log rank tests for equality of survival distributions were performed. Of infants liveborn with Down syndrome in 1998-2000, 90% survived to 5 years of age, compared with 86% in the earlier cohort. With fetal deaths excluded, the proportion of isolated Down syndrome cases in the earlier cohort was 48.7% compared with 46.1% in the most recent cohort. In 1988-1990 there was at least 1 cardiac defect in 41.1% of cases and in 45.4% in 1998-2000. There was significant variation in survival rates for the different comorbidity groupings in the 1988-1990 cohort, but this was not so evident in the 1998-2000 cohort. Survival of children with Down syndrome continues to improve, and there is an overall survival figure of 90% to at least 5 years of age. It is clear from this study that prenatal screening technologies are not differentially ascertaining fetuses with Down syndrome and additional defects, because there has been no proportional increase in births of isolated cases with Down syndrome.

  16. Characterization of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survival Patterns by Age at Diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hossain, M. J.; Xie, L.; McCahan, S. M.; Hossain, M. J.

    2014-01-01

    Age at diagnosis is a key prognostic factor in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivorship. However, literature providing adequate assessment of the survival variability by age at diagnosis is scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of this prognostic factor in pediatric ALL survival. We estimated incidence rate of mortality, 5-year survival rate, Kaplan-Meier survival function, and hazard ratio using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data during 1973-2009. There was significant variability in pediatric ALL survival by age at diagnosis. Survival peaked among children diagnosed at 1-4 years and steadily declined among those diagnosed at older ages. Infants (<1 year) had the lowest survivorship. In a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model stratified by year of diagnosis, those diagnosed in age groups 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 years were 82%, 75%, 57%, and 32% less likely to die compared to children diagnosed in infancy, respectively. Age at diagnosis remained to be a crucial determinant of the survival variability of pediatric ALL patients, after adjusting for sex, race, radiation therapy, primary tumor sites, immuno phenotype, and year of diagnosis. Further research is warranted to disentangle the effects of age-dependent biological and environmental processes on this association.

  17. Survival curves for irradiated cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibson, D.K.

    1975-01-01

    The subject of the lecture is the probability of survival of biological cells which have been subjected to ionising radiation. The basic mathematical theories of cell survival as a function of radiation dose are developed. A brief comparison with observed survival curves is made. (author)

  18. Resection of pulmonary metastases from colon and rectal cancer: factors to predict survival differ regarding to the origin of the primary tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meimarakis, G; Spelsberg, F; Angele, M; Preissler, G; Fertmann, J; Crispin, A; Reu, S; Kalaitzis, N; Stemmler, M; Giessen, C; Heinemann, V; Stintzing, S; Hatz, R; Winter, H

    2014-08-01

    The purpose of the present study was to determine differences in prognostic factors for survival of patients with pulmonary metastases resected in curative intent from colon or rectum cancer. Between 1980 and 2006, prognostic factors after resection of pulmonary metastases in 171 patients with primary rectum or colon tumor were evaluated. Survival of patients after surgical metastasectomy was compared with that of patients receiving standard chemotherapy by matched-pair analysis. Median survival after pulmonary resection was 35.2 months (confidence interval 27.3-43.2). One-, 3-, and 5-year survival for patients following R0 resection was 88.8, 52.1, and 32.9 % respectively. Complete metastasectomy (R0), UICC stage of the primary tumor, pleural infiltration, and hilar or mediastinal lymph node metastases are independent prognostic factors for survival. Matched-pair analysis confirmed that pulmonary metastasectomy significantly improved survival. Although no difference in survival for patients with pulmonary metastases from lower rectal compared to upper rectal or colon cancer was observed, factors to predict survival are different for patients with lower and middle rectal cancer (R0, mediastinal and/or hilar lymph nodes, gender, UICC stage) compared with patients with upper rectal or colon cancer (R0, number of metastases). Our results indicate that distinct prognostic factors exist for patients with pulmonary metastases from lower rectal compared with upper rectal or colon cancer. This supports the notion that colorectal cancer should not be considered as a single-tumor entity. Metastasectomy, especially after complete resection resulted in a dramatic improvement of survival compared with patients treated with chemotherapy alone.

  19. Survival differences in European patients with AIDS, 1979-89. The AIDS in Europe Study Group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lundgren, Jens Dilling; Pedersen, C; Clumeck, N

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVES--To examine the pattern of survival and factors associated with the outcome of disease in patients with AIDS. DESIGN--Inception cohort. Data collected retrospectively from patients' charts. SETTING--52 clinical centres in 17 European countries. SUBJECTS--6578 adults diagnosed with AIDS....... The regional differences in survival were less pronounced for patients diagnosed in 1989 compared with earlier years. Improved survival in recent years was observed for patients with a variety of manifestations used to define AIDS but was significant only for patients diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii...... pneumonia. The three year survival, however, remains unchanged over time. CONCLUSIONS--Survival of AIDS patients seems to vary within Europe, being shorter in southern than central and northern Europe. The magnitude of these differences, however, has declined gradually over time. Short term survival has...

  20. Conditional long-term survival following minimally invasive robotic mitral valve repair: a health services perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Efird, Jimmy T; Griffin, William F; Gudimella, Preeti; O'Neal, Wesley T; Davies, Stephen W; Crane, Patricia B; Anderson, Ethan J; Kindell, Linda C; Landrine, Hope; O'Neal, Jason B; Alwair, Hazaim; Kypson, Alan P; Nifong, Wiley L; Chitwood, W Randolph

    2015-09-01

    Conditional survival is defined as the probability of surviving an additional number of years beyond that already survived. The aim of this study was to compute conditional survival in patients who received a robotically assisted, minimally invasive mitral valve repair procedure (RMVP). Patients who received RMVP with annuloplasty band from May 2000 through April 2011 were included. A 5- and 10-year conditional survival model was computed using a multivariable product-limit method. Non-smoking men (≤65 years) who presented in sinus rhythm had a 96% probability of surviving at least 10 years if they survived their first year following surgery. In contrast, recent female smokers (>65 years) with preoperative atrial fibrillation only had an 11% probability of surviving beyond 10 years if alive after one year post-surgery. In the context of an increasingly managed healthcare environment, conditional survival provides useful information for patients needing to make important treatment decisions, physicians seeking to select patients most likely to benefit long-term following RMVP, and hospital administrators needing to comparatively assess the life-course economic value of high-tech surgical procedures.

  1. Survival of patients with colon and rectal cancer in central and northern Denmark, 1998-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostenfeld, Eva B; Erichsen, Rune; Iversen, Lene H; Gandrup, Per; Nørgaard, Mette; Jacobsen, Jacob

    2011-01-01

    The prognosis for colon and rectal cancer has improved in Denmark over the past decades but is still poor compared with that in our neighboring countries. We conducted this population-based study to monitor recent trends in colon and rectal cancer survival in the central and northern regions of Denmark. Using the Danish National Registry of Patients, we identified 9412 patients with an incident diagnosis of colon cancer and 5685 patients diagnosed with rectal cancer between 1998 and 2009. We determined survival, and used Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to compare mortality over time, adjusting for age and gender. Among surgically treated patients, we computed 30-day mortality and corresponding mortality rate ratios (MRRs). The annual numbers of colon and rectal cancer increased from 1998 through 2009. For colon cancer, 1-year survival improved from 65% to 70%, and 5-year survival improved from 37% to 43%. For rectal cancer, 1-year survival improved from 73% to 78%, and 5-year survival improved from 39% to 47%. Men aged 80+ showed most pronounced improvements. The 1- and 5-year adjusted MRRs decreased: for colon cancer 0.83 (95% confidence interval CI: 0.76-0.92) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78-0.90) respectively; for rectal cancer 0.79 (95% CI: 0.68-0.91) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73-0.89) respectively. The 30-day postoperative mortality after resection also declined over the study period. Compared with 1998-2000 the 30-day MRRs in 2007-2009 were 0.68 (95% CI: 0.53-0.87) for colon cancer and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.37-0.96) for rectal cancer. The survival after colon and rectal cancer has improved in central and northern Denmark during the 1998-2009 period, as well as the 30-day postoperative mortality.

  2. Disparities in survival after Hodgkin lymphoma: a population-based study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keegan, Theresa H.M.; Clarke, Christina A.; Chang, Ellen T.; Shema, Sarah J.; Glaser, Sally L.

    2009-01-01

    Survival after Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is generally favorable, but may vary by patient demographic characteristics. The authors examined HL survival according to race/ethnicity and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), determined from residential census block group at diagnosis. For 12,492 classical HL patients ≥15 years diagnosed in California during 1988-2006 and followed through 2007, we determined risk of overall and HL-specific death using Cox proportional hazards regression; analyses were stratified by age and Ann Arbor stage. Irrespective of disease stage, patients with lower neighborhood SES had worse overall and HL-specific survival than patients with higher SES. Patients with the lowest quintile of neighborhood SES had a 64% (patients aged 15-44 years) and 36% (≥45 years) increased risk of HL-death compared to patients with the highest quintile of SES; SES results were similar for overall survival. Even after adjustment for neighborhood SES, blacks and Hispanics had increased risks of HL-death 74% and 43% (15-44 years) and 40% and 17% (≥45 years), respectively, higher than white patients. The racial/ethnic differences in survival were evident for all stages of disease. These data provide evidence for substantial, and probably remediable, racial/ethnic and neighborhood SES disparities in HL outcomes. PMID:19557531

  3. Ethnicity and health care in cervical cancer survival: comparisons between a Filipino resident population, Filipino-Americans, and Caucasians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redaniel, Maria Theresa; Laudico, Adriano; Mirasol-Lumague, Maria Rica; Gondos, Adam; Uy, Gemma Leonora; Toral, Jean Ann; Benavides, Doris; Brenner, Hermann

    2009-08-01

    Few studies have assessed and compared cervical cancer survival between developed and developing countries, or between ethnic groups within a country. Fewer still have addressed how much of the international or interracial survival differences can be attributed to ethnicity or health care. To determine the role of ethnicity and health care, 5-year survival of patients with cervical cancer was compared between patients in the Philippines and Filipino-Americans, who have the same ethnicity, and between Filipino-Americans and Caucasians, who have the same health care system. Cervical cancer databases from the Manila and Rizal Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 13 were used. Age-adjusted 5-year survival estimates were computed and compared between the three patient groups. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, potential determinants of survival differences were examined. Overall 5-year relative survival was similar in Filipino-Americans (68.8%) and Caucasians (66.6%), but was lower for Philippine residents (42.9%). Although late stage at diagnosis explained a large proportion of the survival differences between Philippine residents and Filipino-Americans, excess mortality prevailed after adjustment for stage, age, and morphology in multivariate analysis [relative risk (RR), 2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.68-2.55]. Excess mortality decreased, but persisted, when treatments were included in the multivariate models (RR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.41-2.23). A moderate, marginally significant excess mortality was found among Caucasians compared with Filipino-Americans (adjusted RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.47). The differences in cervical cancer survival between patients in the Philippines and in the United States highlight the importance of enhanced health care and access to diagnostic and treatment facilities in the Philippines.

  4. Survival outcome of women with stage IV uterine carcinosarcoma who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuo, Koji; Johnson, Marian S; Im, Dwight D; Ross, Malcolm S; Bush, Stephen H; Yunokawa, Mayu; Blake, Erin A; Takano, Tadao; Klobocista, Merieme M; Hasegawa, Kosei; Ueda, Yutaka; Shida, Masako; Baba, Tsukasa; Satoh, Shinya; Yokoyama, Takuhei; Machida, Hiroko; Ikeda, Yuji; Adachi, Sosuke; Miyake, Takahito M; Iwasaki, Keita; Yanai, Shiori; Takeuchi, Satoshi; Nishimura, Masato; Nagano, Tadayoshi; Takekuma, Munetaka; Shahzad, Mian M K; Pejovic, Tanja; Omatsu, Kohei; Kelley, Joseph L; Ueland, Frederick R; Roman, Lynda D

    2018-03-01

    To examine survival of women with stage IV uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by hysterectomy. This is a nested case-control study within a retrospective cohort of 1192 UCS cases. Women who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by hysterectomy based-surgery for stage IV UCS (n = 26) were compared to those who had primary hysterectomy-based surgery without neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage IV UCS (n = 120). Progression-free survival (PFS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) were examined. The most common regimen for neoadjuvant chemotherapy was carboplatin/paclitaxel (53.8%). Median number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles was 4. PFS was similar between the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and the primary surgery group (unadjusted-hazard ratio [HR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-1.89, P = 0.45). Similarly, CSS was comparable between the two groups (unadjusted-HR 1.13, 95%CI 0.68-1.90, P = 0.64). When the types of neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens were compared, women who received a carboplatin/paclitaxel regimen had better survival outcomes compared to those who received other regimens: PFS, unadjusted-HR 0.38, 95%CI 0.15-0.93, P = 0.027; and CSS, unadjusted-HR 0.21, 95%CI 0.07-0.61, P = 0.002. Our study found that there is no statistically significant difference in survival between women with stage IV UCS who are tolerated neoadjuvant chemotherapy and those who undergo primary surgery. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Exterior indicators and physiological signs' indices of juveniles Salmo salar L. in the rivers of the Kola Peninsula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anokhina V. S.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The range of background values of main parameters of the exterior and indices of morphophysiological features of autumn juvenile salmon Salmon salar L. in four rivers of the Kola Peninsula not affected by hatchery production have been investigated. The importance of such studies is associated with intensification of artificial reproduction of salmon and occurrence of hatchery fish with characters different from wild individuals in the rivers. Currently hatchery reproduction of Atlantic salmon is not carried out in the European North of Russia, however, the need to choose a local salmon population for further hatchery reproduction is obvious. Accumulation of biological data on salmon in the rivers of the Kola Peninsula is important for population monitoring of wild stocks. Samples of juveniles widely varying in size have been collected by electrofishing in the Rivers Pechenga, Zapadnaya Litsa and Titovka of the Barents Sea basin, as well as in the tributaries of the River Varzuga inflowing the White Sea. For each sample individual and group indices of elongation, girth and massiveness have been calculated. The physiological state of the fish has been assessed with allowance for the fatness factor (according to Clark and indices of internal organs. It has been found that in the autumn season (September the average statistical values of the morphological indices characterizing the appearance of the fry from four rivers differ with a high degree of reliability. Individual fluctuations in morphological parameters are in the range of values: elongation – from 311 to 725 %; girth – from 41 to 85 %; massiveness – from 150 to 530 %. The mean values of morphophysiological indices for each of the four river populations have been presented. The obtained values of the studied parameters of juveniles of Atlantic salmon can be used for subsequent monitoring of populations.

  6. Support vector methods for survival analysis: a comparison between ranking and regression approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Belle, Vanya; Pelckmans, Kristiaan; Van Huffel, Sabine; Suykens, Johan A K

    2011-10-01

    To compare and evaluate ranking, regression and combined machine learning approaches for the analysis of survival data. The literature describes two approaches based on support vector machines to deal with censored observations. In the first approach the key idea is to rephrase the task as a ranking problem via the concordance index, a problem which can be solved efficiently in a context of structural risk minimization and convex optimization techniques. In a second approach, one uses a regression approach, dealing with censoring by means of inequality constraints. The goal of this paper is then twofold: (i) introducing a new model combining the ranking and regression strategy, which retains the link with existing survival models such as the proportional hazards model via transformation models; and (ii) comparison of the three techniques on 6 clinical and 3 high-dimensional datasets and discussing the relevance of these techniques over classical approaches fur survival data. We compare svm-based survival models based on ranking constraints, based on regression constraints and models based on both ranking and regression constraints. The performance of the models is compared by means of three different measures: (i) the concordance index, measuring the model's discriminating ability; (ii) the logrank test statistic, indicating whether patients with a prognostic index lower than the median prognostic index have a significant different survival than patients with a prognostic index higher than the median; and (iii) the hazard ratio after normalization to restrict the prognostic index between 0 and 1. Our results indicate a significantly better performance for models including regression constraints above models only based on ranking constraints. This work gives empirical evidence that svm-based models using regression constraints perform significantly better than svm-based models based on ranking constraints. Our experiments show a comparable performance for methods

  7. Survival pathways under stress

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Graphics. Survival pathways under stress. Bacteria survive by changing gene expression. pattern. Three important pathways will be discussed: Stringent response. Quorum sensing. Proteins performing function to control oxidative damage.

  8. Accuracy of Assignment of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) to Rivers and Regions in Scotland and Northeast England Based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Markers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbey, John; Cauwelier, Eef; Coulson, Mark W.; Stradmeyer, Lee; Sampayo, James N.; Armstrong, Anja; Verspoor, Eric; Corrigan, Laura; Shelley, Jonathan; Middlemas, Stuart

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the habitat use patterns of migratory fish, such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and the natural and anthropogenic impacts on them, is aided by the ability to identify individuals to their stock of origin. Presented here are the results of an analysis of informative single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers for detecting genetic structuring in Atlantic salmon in Scotland and NE England and their ability to allow accurate genetic stock identification. 3,787 fish from 147 sites covering 27 rivers were screened at 5,568 SNP markers. In order to identify a cost-effective subset of SNPs, they were ranked according to their ability to differentiate between fish from different rivers. A panel of 288 SNPs was used to examine both individual assignments and mixed stock fisheries and eighteen assignment units were defined. The results improved greatly on previously available methods and, for the first time, fish caught in the marine environment can be confidently assigned to geographically coherent units within Scotland and NE England, including individual rivers. As such, this SNP panel has the potential to aid understanding of the various influences acting upon Atlantic salmon on their marine migrations, be they natural environmental variations and/or anthropogenic impacts, such as mixed stock fisheries and interactions with marine power generation installations. PMID:27723810

  9. Chemotherapy increases long-term survival in patients with adult medulloblastoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kocakaya, Selin; Beier, Christoph Patrick; Beier, Dagmar

    2016-01-01

    chemotherapy first-line survived significantly longer (mOS: 108 mo, 95% CI: 68.6-148.4) than patients treated with radiation alone (mOS: 57 mo, 95% CI: 39.6-74.4) or patients who received chemotherapy at tumor recurrence. This effect was not biased by tumor stage or decade of treatment. Importantly, (neo...... parts of treatment regimes; however, established prognostic factors and data clarifying the role of chemotherapy are missing. METHODS: We investigated 227 publications from 1969-2013, with 907 identifiable, individual patients being available for meta-analysis. Demographic data, risk stratification......)adjuvant chemotherapy also significantly increased the chance for long-term survival (>5 y) compared with radiotherapy alone or chemotherapy at tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis clarifies relevant prognostic factors and suggests that chemotherapy as part of first-line therapy improves overall survival...

  10. The effect of comorbidity on the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival from colon cancer: a retrospective cohort study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Purdie Gordon

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comorbidity has a well documented detrimental effect on cancer survival. However it is difficult to disentangle the direct effects of comorbidity on survival from indirect effects via the influence of comorbidity on treatment choice. This study aimed to assess the impact of comorbidity on colon cancer patient survival, the effect of comorbidity on treatment choices for these patients, and the impact of this on survival among those with comorbidity. Methods This retrospective cohort study reviewed 589 New Zealanders diagnosed with colon cancer in 1996–2003, followed until the end of 2005. Clinical and outcome data were obtained from clinical records and the national mortality database. Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of comorbidity on cancer specific and all-cause survival, the effect of comorbidity on chemotherapy recommendations for stage III patients, and the impact of this on survival among those with comorbidity. Results After adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, area deprivation, smoking, stage, grade and site of disease, higher Charlson comorbidity score was associated with poorer all-cause survival (HR = 2.63 95%CI:1.82–3.81 for Charlson score ≥ 3 compared with 0. Comorbidity count and several individual conditions were significantly related to poorer all-cause survival. A similar, but less marked effect was seen for cancer specific survival. Among patients with stage III colon cancer, those with a Charlson score ≥ 3 compared with 0 were less likely to be offered chemotherapy (19% compared with 84% despite such therapy being associated with around a 60% reduction in excess mortality for both all-cause and cancer specific survival in these patients. Conclusion Comorbidity impacts on colon cancer survival thorough both physiological burden of disease and its impact on treatment choices. Some patients with comorbidity may forego chemotherapy unnecessarily

  11. Orphan caribou, Rangifer tarandus, calves: A re-evaluation of overwinter survival data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joly, Kyle

    2000-01-01

    Low sample size and high variation within populations reduce power of statistical tests. These aspects of statistical power appear to have affected an analysis comparing overwinter survival rates of non-orphan and orphan Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) calves by an earlier study for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. A re-evaluation of the data revealed that conclusions about a lack of significant difference in the overwinter survival rates between orphan and non-orphan calves were premature.

  12. The Additional Costs per Month of Progression-Free Survival and Overall Survival: An Economic Model Comparing Everolimus with Cabozantinib, Nivolumab, and Axitinib for Second-Line Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swallow, Elyse; Messali, Andrew; Ghate, Sameer; McDonald, Evangeline; Duchesneau, Emilie; Perez, Jose Ricardo

    2018-04-01

    When considering optimal second-line treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), clinicians and payers seek to understand the relative clinical benefits and costs of treatment. To use an economic model to compare the additional cost per month of overall survival (OS) and of progression-free survival (PFS) for cabozantinib, nivolumab, and axitinib with everolimus for the second-line treatment of mRCC from a third-party U.S. payer perspective. The model evaluated mean OS and PFS and costs associated with drug acquisition/administration; adverse event (AE) treatment; monitoring; and postprogression (third-line treatment, monitoring, and end-of-life costs) over 1- and 2-year horizons. Efficacy, safety, and treatment duration inputs were estimated from regimens' pivotal clinical trials; for everolimus, results were weighted across trials. Mean 1- and 2-year OS and mean 1-year PFS were estimated using regimens' reported OS and PFS Kaplan-Meier curves. Dosing and administration inputs were consistent with approved prescribing information and the clinical trials used to estimate efficacy and safety inputs. Cost inputs came from published literature and public data. Additional cost per additional month of OS or PFS was calculated using the ratio of the cost difference per treated patient and the corresponding difference in mean OS or PFS between everolimus and each comparator. One-way sensitivity analyses were conducted by varying efficacy and cost inputs. Compared with everolimus, cabozantinib, nivolumab, and axitinib were associated with 1.6, 0.3, and 0.5 additional months of PFS, respectively, over 1 year. Cabozantinib and nivolumab were associated with additional months of OS compared with everolimus (1 year: 0.7 and 0.8 months; 2 years: 1.6 and 2.3 months; respectively); axitinib was associated with fewer months (1 year: -0.2 months; 2 years: -0.7 months). The additional costs of treatment with cabozantinib, nivolumab, or axitinib versus everolimus over 1

  13. Metagenes Associated with Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urgard, Egon; Vooder, Tõnu; Võsa, Urmo; Välk, Kristjan; Liu, Mingming; Luo, Cheng; Hoti, Fabian; Roosipuu, Retlav; Annilo, Tarmo; Laine, Jukka; Frenz, Christopher M.; Zhang, Liqing; Metspalu, Andres

    2011-01-01

    NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) comprises about 80% of all lung cancer cases worldwide. Surgery is most effective treatment for patients with early-stage disease. However, 30%–55% of these patients develop recurrence within 5 years. Therefore, markers that can be used to accurately classify early-stage NSCLC patients into different prognostic groups may be helpful in selecting patients who should receive specific therapies. A previously published dataset was used to evaluate gene expression profiles of different NSCLC subtypes. A moderated two-sample t-test was used to identify differentially expressed genes between all tumor samples and cancer-free control tissue, between SCC samples and AC/BC samples and between stage I tumor samples and all other tumor samples. Gene expression microarray measurements were validated using qRT-PCR. Bayesian regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to determine metagenes associated with survival. We identified 599 genes which were down-regulated and 402 genes which were up-regulated in NSCLC compared to the normal lung tissue and 112 genes which were up-regulated and 101 genes which were down-regulated in AC/BC compared to the SCC. Further, for stage Ib patients the metagenes potentially associated with survival were identified. Genes that expressed differently between normal lung tissue and cancer showed enrichment in gene ontology terms which were associated with mitosis and proliferation. Bayesian regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that gene-expression patterns and metagene profiles can be applied to predict the probability of different survival outcomes in NSCLC patients. PMID:21695068

  14. Survival after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy or surgery alone in resectable adenocarcinoma at the gastro-esophageal junction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Steen Christian; Muhic, A; Jensen, Lene Bæksgaard

    2012-01-01

    Longterm survival after curative resection for adenocarcinoma at the gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ) range between 18% and 50%. In the pivotal Intergroup-0116 Phase III trial by Macdonald et all, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy improved both disease-free and overall survival in curatively resected pa...... patients with mainly gastric adenocarcinoma. We compared survival data for curatively resected patients with adeno-carcinoma solely at the gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ), treated with surgery alone or surgery and adjuvant chemoradio-therapy....

  15. Does Being a Forerunner Give an Additional Survival Advantage? Gendered Order of Migration and Survival among Immigrant Women in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oksuzyan, Anna; Carollo, Angela; Mussino, Eleonora

    A substantial body of research has indicated that migrants enjoy better health and lower mortality compared to those born in the destination countries, the so called healthy migrant effect. Mortality differences in immigrants versus host population, however, differ by cause of death, country...... health outcomes compared to those who migrate for family reasons or as refugees, another aspect of migratory patterns, then order of migration is likely to be important to take into account when studying differences in health and survival across migrant groups and between the two genders. It has been...

  16. Extinction and survival in two-species annihilation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amar, J. G.; Ben-Naim, E.; Davis, S. M.; Krapivsky, P. L.

    2018-02-01

    We study diffusion-controlled two-species annihilation with a finite number of particles. In this stochastic process, particles move diffusively, and when two particles of opposite type come into contact, the two annihilate. We focus on the behavior in three spatial dimensions and for initial conditions where particles are confined to a compact domain. Generally, one species outnumbers the other, and we find that the difference between the number of majority and minority species, which is a conserved quantity, controls the behavior. When the number difference exceeds a critical value, the minority becomes extinct and a finite number of majority particles survive, while below this critical difference, a finite number of particles of both species survive. The critical difference Δc grows algebraically with the total initial number of particles N , and when N ≫1 , the critical difference scales as Δc˜N1 /3 . Furthermore, when the initial concentrations of the two species are equal, the average number of surviving majority and minority particles, M+ and M-, exhibit two distinct scaling behaviors, M+˜N1 /2 and M-˜N1 /6 . In contrast, when the initial populations are equal, these two quantities are comparable M+˜M-˜N1 /3 .

  17. Chemoembolization With Doxorubicin-Eluting Beads for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Five-Year Survival Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malagari, Katerina, E-mail: kmalag@otonet.gr [University of Athens, Second Department of Radiology (Greece); Pomoni, Mary [University of Athens, Imaging and Research Unit (Greece); Moschouris, Hippocrates, E-mail: hipmosch@gmail.com [Tzanion Hospital, Department of Radiology (Greece); Bouma, Evanthia [University of Athens, Imaging and Research Unit (Greece); Koskinas, John [Ippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatology (Greece); Stefaniotou, Aspasia [University of Athens, Imaging and Research Unit (Greece); Marinis, Athanasios [Tzanion Hospital, Department of Surgery (Greece); Kelekis, Alexios; Alexopoulou, Efthymia [University of Athens, Second Department of Radiology (Greece); Chatziioannou, Achilles [University of Athens, First Department of Radiology (Greece); Chatzimichael, Katerina [University of Athens, Second Department of Radiology (Greece); Dourakis, Spyridon [Ippokration Hospital, University of Athens, Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatology (Greece); Kelekis, Nikolaos [University of Athens, Second Department of Radiology (Greece); Rizos, Spyros [Tzanion Hospital, Department of Surgery (Greece); Kelekis, Dimitrios [University of Athens, Imaging and Research Unit (Greece)

    2012-10-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report on the 5-year survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with DC Bead loaded with doxorubicin (DEB-DOX) in a scheduled scheme in up to three treatments and thereafter on demand. Materials and Methods: 173 HCC patients not suitable for curable treatments were prospectively enrolled (mean age 70.4 {+-} 7.4 years). Child-Pugh (Child) class was A/B (102/71 [59/41 %]), Okuda stage was 0/1/2 (91/61/19 [53.2/35.7/11.1 %]), and mean lesion diameter was 7.6 {+-} 2.1 cm. Lesion morphology was one dominant {<=}5 cm (22 %), one dominant >5 cm (41.6 %), multifocal {<=}5 (26 %), and multifocal >5 (10.4 %). Results: Overall survival at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years was 93.6, 83.8, 62, 41.04, and 22.5 %, with higher rates achieved in Child class A compared with Child class B patients (95, 88.2, 61.7, 45, and 29.4 % vs. 91.5, 75, 50.7, 35.2, and 12.8 %). Mean overall survival was 43.8 months (range 1.2-64.8). Cumulative survival was better for Child class A compared with Child class B patients (p = 0.029). For patients with dominant lesions {<=}5 cm 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival rates were 100, 95.2, 71.4, 66.6, and 47.6 % for Child class A and 94.1, 88.2, 58.8, 41.2, 29.4, and 23.5 % for Child class B patients. Regarding DEB-DOX treatment, multivariate analysis identified number of lesions (p = 0.033), lesion vascularity (p < 0.0001), initially achieved complete response (p < 0.0001), and objective response (p = 0.046) as significant and independent determinants of 5-year survival. Conclusion: DEB-DOX results, with high rates of 5-year survival for patients, not amenable to curative treatments. Number of lesions, lesion vascularity, and local response were significant independent determinants of 5-year survival.

  18. Chemoembolization With Doxorubicin-Eluting Beads for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Five-Year Survival Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malagari, Katerina; Pomoni, Mary; Moschouris, Hippocrates; Bouma, Evanthia; Koskinas, John; Stefaniotou, Aspasia; Marinis, Athanasios; Kelekis, Alexios; Alexopoulou, Efthymia; Chatziioannou, Achilles; Chatzimichael, Katerina; Dourakis, Spyridon; Kelekis, Nikolaos; Rizos, Spyros; Kelekis, Dimitrios

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report on the 5-year survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with DC Bead loaded with doxorubicin (DEB-DOX) in a scheduled scheme in up to three treatments and thereafter on demand. Materials and Methods: 173 HCC patients not suitable for curable treatments were prospectively enrolled (mean age 70.4 ± 7.4 years). Child-Pugh (Child) class was A/B (102/71 [59/41 %]), Okuda stage was 0/1/2 (91/61/19 [53.2/35.7/11.1 %]), and mean lesion diameter was 7.6 ± 2.1 cm. Lesion morphology was one dominant ≤5 cm (22 %), one dominant >5 cm (41.6 %), multifocal ≤5 (26 %), and multifocal >5 (10.4 %). Results: Overall survival at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years was 93.6, 83.8, 62, 41.04, and 22.5 %, with higher rates achieved in Child class A compared with Child class B patients (95, 88.2, 61.7, 45, and 29.4 % vs. 91.5, 75, 50.7, 35.2, and 12.8 %). Mean overall survival was 43.8 months (range 1.2–64.8). Cumulative survival was better for Child class A compared with Child class B patients (p = 0.029). For patients with dominant lesions ≤5 cm 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival rates were 100, 95.2, 71.4, 66.6, and 47.6 % for Child class A and 94.1, 88.2, 58.8, 41.2, 29.4, and 23.5 % for Child class B patients. Regarding DEB-DOX treatment, multivariate analysis identified number of lesions (p = 0.033), lesion vascularity (p < 0.0001), initially achieved complete response (p < 0.0001), and objective response (p = 0.046) as significant and independent determinants of 5-year survival. Conclusion: DEB-DOX results, with high rates of 5-year survival for patients, not amenable to curative treatments. Number of lesions, lesion vascularity, and local response were significant independent determinants of 5-year survival.

  19. Fifteen-Year Biochemical Relapse-Free Survival, Cause-Specific Survival, and Overall Survival Following I125 Prostate Brachytherapy in Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer: Seattle Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sylvester, John E.; Grimm, Peter D.; Wong, Jason; Galbreath, Robert W.; Merrick, Gregory; Blasko, John C.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To report 15-year biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) outcomes of patients treated with I 125 brachytherapy monotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer early in the Seattle experience. Methods and Materials: Two hundred fifteen patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were consecutively treated from 1988 to 1992 with I 125 monotherapy. They were prospectively followed as a tight cohort. They were evaluated for BRFS, CSS, and OS. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate outcomes by pretreatment clinical prognostic factors. BRFS was analyzed by the Phoenix (nadir + 2 ng/mL) definition. CSS and OS were evaluated by chart review, death certificates, and referring physician follow-up notes. Gleason scoring was performed by general pathologists at a community hospital in Seattle. Time to biochemical failure (BF) was calculated and compared by Kaplan-Meier plots. Results: Fifteen-year BRFS for the entire cohort was 80.4%. BRFS by D'Amico risk group classification cohort analysis was 85.9%, 79.9%, and 62.2% for low, intermediate, and high-risk patients, respectively. Follow-up ranged from 3.6 to 18.4 years; median follow-up was 15.4 years for biochemically free of disease patients. Overall median follow-up was 11.7 years. The median time to BF in those who failed was 5.1 years. CSS was 84%. OS was 37.1%. Average age at time of treatment was 70 years. There was no significant difference in BRFS between low and intermediate risk groups. Conclusion: I 125 monotherapy results in excellent 15-year BRFS and CSS, especially when taking into account the era of treatment effect.

  20. Quantifying discrimination of Framingham risk functions with different survival C statistics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pencina, Michael J; D'Agostino, Ralph B; Song, Linye

    2012-07-10

    Cardiovascular risk prediction functions offer an important diagnostic tool for clinicians and patients themselves. They are usually constructed with the use of parametric or semi-parametric survival regression models. It is essential to be able to evaluate the performance of these models, preferably with summaries that offer natural and intuitive interpretations. The concept of discrimination, popular in the logistic regression context, has been extended to survival analysis. However, the extension is not unique. In this paper, we define discrimination in survival analysis as the model's ability to separate those with longer event-free survival from those with shorter event-free survival within some time horizon of interest. This definition remains consistent with that used in logistic regression, in the sense that it assesses how well the model-based predictions match the observed data. Practical and conceptual examples and numerical simulations are employed to examine four C statistics proposed in the literature to evaluate the performance of survival models. We observe that they differ in the numerical values and aspects of discrimination that they capture. We conclude that the index proposed by Harrell is the most appropriate to capture discrimination described by the above definition. We suggest researchers report which C statistic they are using, provide a rationale for their selection, and be aware that comparing different indices across studies may not be meaningful. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.