Prostate cancer survivorship care: If not now, when?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian men, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, and it is estimated that there are over 220 000 Australian men living with a diagnosis of prostate cancer [1]. Survival for men with prostate cancer is excellent in countries that have accessible screening and treatment services, and in Australia 5-year relative survival is over 95% [1]. High incidence, coupled with improving long-term survival, leads to a correspondingly high prevalence rate and high community disease burden. Many men with prostate cancer experience long-term decrements in their mental and physical quality of life, overall they have a greater suicide risk than their non-cancer peers, and unmet supportive care needs are pervasive [2]. In this context, survivorship care for men with prostate cancer is crucial in both the short and long term. The recent development of a Prostate Cancer Survivorship Essentials Framework in the Australian and New Zealand setting provides an example of a regional response to this issue that delivers guidance for policy makers, clinicians, community and consumers on what is essential for step change in prostate cancer survivorship outcomes [3]

Modelling of the electron transfer reactions in Photosystem I by electron tunnelling theory: The phylloquinones bound to the PsaA and the PsaB reaction centre subunits of PS I are almost isoenergetic to the iron–sulfur cluster FX

AbstractPhotosystem I is a large macromolecular complex located in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts and in cyanobacteria that catalyses the light driven reduction of ferredoxin and oxidation of plastocyanin. Due to the very negative redox potential of the primary electron transfer cofactors accepting electrons, direct estimation by redox titration of the energetics of the system is hampered. However, the rates of electron transfer reactions are related to the thermodynamic properties of the system. Hence, several spectroscopic and biochemical techniques have been employed, in combination with the classical Marcus theory for electron transfer tunnelling, in order to access these parameters. Nevertheless, the values which have been presented are very variable. In particular, for the case of the tightly bound phylloquinone molecule A1, the values of the redox potentials reported in the literature vary over a range of about 350 mV. Previous models of Photosystem I have assumed a unidirectional electron transfer model. In the present study, experimental evidence obtained by means of time resolved absorption, photovoltage, and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements are reviewed and analysed in terms of a bi-directional kinetic model for electron transfer reactions. This model takes into consideration the thermodynamic equilibrium between the iron–sulfur centre FX and the phylloquinone bound to either the PsaA (A1A) or the PsaB (A1B) subunit of the reaction centre and the equilibrium between the iron–sulfur centres FA and FB. The experimentally determined decay lifetimes in the range of sub-picosecond to the microsecond time domains can be satisfactorily simulated, taking into consideration the edge-to-edge distances between redox cofactors and driving forces reported in the literature. The only exception to this general behaviour is the case of phylloquinone (A1) reoxidation. In order to describe the reported rates of the biphasic decay, of about 20 and 200 ns, associated with this electron transfer step, the redox potentials of the quinones are estimated to be almost isoenergetic with that of the iron sulfur centre FX. A driving force in the range of 5 to 15 meV is estimated for these reactions, being slightly exergonic in the case of the A1B quinone and slightly endergonic, in the case of the A1A quinone. The simulation presented in this analysis not only describes the kinetic data obtained for the wild type samples at room temperature and is consistent with estimates of activation energy by the analysis of temperature dependence, but can also explain the effect of the mutations around the PsaB quinone binding pocket. A model of the overall energetics of the system is derived, which suggests that the only substantially irreversible electron transfer reactions are the reoxidation of A0 on both electron transfer branches and the reduction of FA by FX

Decades of Delay: EPA Leadership Still Lacking in Protecting America's Great River

This report demonstrates the continuing failure of EPA's voluntary approach and the continuing and growing threats of unregulated nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. EPA has the power and the duty to act to require reasonable, common-sense regulations to address the growing scourge of nutrient pollution, and it should do so. Once again, MRC calls upon EPA to remedy this state of affairs, specifically recommending that EPA:Develop numeric phosphorus criteria for each of the eight states that have yet to adopt them, and numeric nitrogen criteria for all 10 states.Require states to assess their waters for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and to prioritize TMDL development and implementation planning accordingly.Increase oversight of the state NPDES programs to ensure that both narrative and numeric nutrient criteria are implemented through limits in permits, including the use of Water Quality Based Effluent Limits (WQBELs) where appropriate.Disapprove TMDLs that lacking reasonable assurance that nonpoint source reductions are likely to occur and lack monitoring and timelines to ensure that planned reductions actually take place. Further, EPA needs to provide oversight to ensure consistency among EPA Regions in TMDL review and approval (especially in Regions 4 and 6.)Ensure that states' Nutrient Reduction Strategies contain implementation plans detailing point and nonpoint source reductions needed, responsible parties, funding mechanisms, milestones, measurement metrics, and reasonable timelines.Require states under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act to identify programs and practices for controlling nonpoint sources of pollution to the maximum extent possible

Passive Heating: Reviewing Practical Heat Acclimation Strategies for Endurance Athletes

Heat acclimation protocols—both active and passive—have been employed by athletes in an effort to attenuate the detrimental effects of heat stress on physical capacities and sports performance. Active strategies have been extensively reviewed, but have various practical and economic limitations. The purpose of this review was therefore to provide an overview of the passive strategies that have received less attention, yet may be more practical or economically viable; recommendations for athletes are also provided. With a systematic search of the relevant databases ending in June 2018, 16 articles on passive heat acclimation that met the inclusion criteria were included in the review. The review highlighted that passive heat acclimation strategies can successfully induce heat adaptations, evident by reports of improved exercise performance, thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and perceptual responses accompanying such interventions. Based on the review it is apparent that the use of sauna, hot-water immersion and environmental chambers may be used to provide heat stress under passive conditions, for the purpose of acclimation. To maximize the thermoregulatory-adaptive responses, exercise bouts should be employed prior to passive heat stress, rather than passive heating alone, with a minimal delay between exercise and the application of heat stress. Heating bouts should have a minimum duration of 30 min per session and be employed on consecutive days, when possible, with a minimum of 6–7 exposures to induce adaptation. This review identified that information regarding the magnitude of performance changes that can occur, as well as the perceptual responses to passive heating protocols is limited. Future research should investigate the use of passive heat exposures before and/or after repeated heat training sessions, to assess if a further boost to heat adaptation can be achieved with this strategy

Optimising in situ gamma measurements to identify the presence of radioactive particles in land areas

High-coverage in situ surveys with gamma detectors are the best means of identifying small hotspots of activity, such as radioactive particles, in land areas. Scanning surveys can produce rapid results, but the probabilities of obtaining false positive or false negative errors are often unknown, and they may not satisfy other criteria such as estimation of mass activity concentrations. An alternative is to use portable gamma-detectors that are set up at a series of locations in a systematic sampling pattern, where any positive measurements are subsequently followed up in order to determine the exact location, extent and nature of the target source. The preliminary survey is typically designed using settings of detector height, measurement spacing and counting time that are based on convenience, rather than using settings that have been calculated to meet requirements. This paper introduces the basis of a repeatable method of setting these parameters at the outset of a survey, for pre-defined probabilities of false positive and false negative errors in locating spatially small radioactive particles in land areas. It is shown that an un-collimated detector is more effective than a collimated detector that might typically be used in the field

Impacts of Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on Water Quality

Waste from agricultural livestock operations has been a long-standing concern with respect to contamination of water resources, particularly in terms of nutrient pollution. However, the recent growth of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) presents a greater risk to water quality because of both the increased volume of waste and to contaminants that may be present (e.g., antibiotics and other veterinary drugs) that may have both environmental and public health importance. Based on available data, generally accepted livestock waste management practices do not adequately or effectively protect water resources from contamination with excessive nutrients, microbial pathogens, and pharmaceuticals present in the waste. Impacts on surface water sources and wildlife have been documented in many agricultural areas in the United States. Potential impacts on human and environmental health from long-term inadvertent exposure to water contaminated with pharmaceuticals and other compounds are a growing public concern. This work-group, which is part of the Conference on Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards—Searching for Solutions, identified needs for rigorous ecosystem monitoring in the vicinity of CAFOs and for improved characterization of major toxicants affecting the environment and human health. Last, there is a need to promote and enforce best practices to minimize inputs of nutrients and toxicants from CAFOs into freshwater and marine ecosystems

The lower mass function of the young open cluster Blanco 1: from 30 Mjup to 3 Mo

We performed a deep wide field optical survey of the young (~100-150 Myr) open cluster Blanco1 to study its low mass population well down into the brown dwarf regime and estimate its mass function over the whole cluster mass range.The survey covers 2.3 square degrees in the I and z-bands down to I ~ z ~ 24 with the CFH12K camera. Considering two different cluster ages (100 and 150 Myr), we selected cluster member candidates on the basis of their location in the (I,I-z) CMD relative to the isochrones, and estimated the contamination by foreground late-type field dwarfs using statistical arguments, infrared photometry and low-resolution optical spectroscopy. We find that our survey should contain about 57% of the cluster members in the 0.03-0.6 Mo mass range, including 30-40 brown dwarfs. The candidate's radial distribution presents evidence that mass segregation has already occured in the cluster. We took it into account to estimate the cluster mass function across the stellar/substellar boundary. We find that, between 0.03Mo and 0.6Mo, the cluster mass distribution does not depend much on its exact age, and is well represented by a single power-law, with an index alpha=0.69 +/- 0.15. Over the whole mass domain, from 0.03Mo to 3Mo, the mass function is better fitted by a log-normal function with m0=0.36 +/- 0.07Mo and sigma=0.58 +/- 0.06. Comparison between the Blanco1 mass function, other young open clusters' MF, and the galactic disc MF suggests that the IMF, from the substellar domain to the higher mass part, does not depend much on initial conditions. We discuss the implications of this result on theories developed to date to explain the origin of the mass distribution.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures and 5 tables accepted in A&

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae

We systematically surveyed period variations of superhumps in SU UMa-type dwarf novae based on newly obtained data and past publications. In many systems, the evolution of superhump period are found to be composed of three distinct stages: early evolutionary stage with a longer superhump period, middle stage with systematically varying periods, final stage with a shorter, stable superhump period. During the middle stage, many systems with superhump periods less than 0.08 d show positive period derivatives. Contrary to the earlier claim, we found no clear evidence for variation of period derivatives between superoutburst of the same object. We present an interpretation that the lengthening of the superhump period is a result of outward propagation of the eccentricity wave and is limited by the radius near the tidal truncation. We interpret that late stage superhumps are rejuvenized excitation of 3:1 resonance when the superhumps in the outer disk is effectively quenched. Many of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae showed long-enduring superhumps during the post-superoutburst stage having periods longer than those during the main superoutburst. The period derivatives in WZ Sge-type dwarf novae are found to be strongly correlated with the fractional superhump excess, or consequently, mass ratio. WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with a long-lasting rebrightening or with multiple rebrightenings tend to have smaller period derivatives and are excellent candidate for the systems around or after the period minimum of evolution of cataclysmic variables (abridged).Comment: 239 pages, 225 figures, PASJ accepte