The Role of the Molecular Subtypes in the Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: Understanding the biology of the tumor, by dividing it into molecular subtypes, has made it possible to individualize the therapeutic approach in high-risk patients. AIM: We aimed to determine the importance of established molecular subtypes in the prognosis and the importance of disease-free and overall survival (OS) in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 94 patients with non-metastatic breast cancer for the period 2010–2018. The median follow-up time was 60 months. The mean age in the study group was 60.03 years (SD ± 10.52). According to the characteristics of the studied indicators, we divided the group into Luminal A (n-59 [62.7%]), Luminal B/HER2 (−) (n-2 [2.1%]), Luminal B/HER2 (+) (n-8 [8.5%]), HER2 overexpressing (n-3 [3.2%]), and triple-negative subtype (n-22 [23.5%]). In all patients in the study group, we analyzed the 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) and referred it to molecular subtypes, lymphatic status, HER-2 status, the presence or absence of endocrine therapy for the follow-up period, tumor differentiation, and type of surgery. RESULTS: We observed the 5-year OS in 92% of patients identified as Luminal A; at 50% of Luminal B/HER2 (−) neg.; in 62.5% with Luminal B/HER2 (+), in 67% with HER2-overexpressing carcinoma; and in 66.7% of patients with triple-negative subtype. The total cancer-associated mortality rate in the analyzed period reached 15.9% (n = 15). Patients with mastectomy (p = 0.019, p = 0.027), positive axilla with more than 4 lymph node (LN) (p = 0.000; p = 0.000), and Luminal B/HER-2 (+) tumors (p = 0.004; p = 0.003) were the independent prognostic factors for worse DFS and OS in our study group. Histological differentiation and HER-2 expression were in unsatisfactory correlation (p = 0.077; p = 0.044 and p = 0.081; p = 0.055, respectively). CONCLUSION: Molecular subtypes are essential in the prognosis of breast cancer and maybe a criterion for an individualized therapeutic approach

Mapping and assessment of urban ecosystem condition and services using integrated index of spatial structure

Urban ecosystems are the areas where built infrastructure covers a large proportion of the land surface but the main source of ecosystem services provision is the green infrastructure. This provision is very much dependent on the particular combination of green spaces such as parks or vegetation belts and paved areas such as buildings and streets. The spatial arrangement of these elements is an important parameter which could be used for the assessment of the ecosystem condition in the urban areas. An integrated index of spatial structure is proposed which incorporates built types and land cover from the Local Climate Zones (LCZ) concept with urban ecosystems' classes developed on the basis of MAES typology. An algorithm has been developed for index generation using an urban ecosystems' database and remote sensing data. The index is used to define vegetation cover in urban ecosystems and assess their condition as a part of the assessment framework. It is also applied in the assessment of several ecosystem services through quantification of ecosystem services' indicators or as an indicator in a complex assessment. The results show that, although most urban ecosystems in Bulgaria are assessed as moderate and good condition, very few of them have very good condition and about 3.5% have very bad condition. The highest scores are defined for urban green areas while the lowest are for transport networks. The use of an integrated index in urban ecosystem services' assessment is represented by examples for global and local climate regulation. The results are used to develop maps of ecosystem services supply capacity for selected cities. The overall analysis indicates that the urban ecosystems in Bulgaria have a moderate to good capacity for local climate regulation and moderate to low capacity for global climate regulation. The integrated index of spatial structure provides an appropriate basis for characterisation and assessment of the urban ecosystems condition and ecosystem services following the requirements of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the MAES process. The proposed approach enables the internal heterogeneity of the urban ecosystems at national level to be defined, this being one of the main challenges in studying urban ecological systems

Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa

Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape-scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high-vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero carbon energy. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species' specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5 × 5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines. Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey. Synthesis and applications. We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird-EI conflicts

Bird community patterns in sub– Mediterranean pastures: the effects of shrub cover and grazing intensity. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation

Abstract Bird community patterns in sub-Mediterranean pastures: the effects of shrub cover and grazing intensity.-Shrubs are widely considered a threat to grassland biodiversity. We investigated the effects of shrub cover and grazing intensity on bird communities in sub-Mediterranean pastures in Bulgaria. The point-count method was used on 80 plots in open (< 10% shrub cover) and shrubby (approx. 20% cover) pastures under either intensive or extensive management (grazing intensity) from 2008 to 2009. We recorded a total of 1,956 observations of birds from 53 species. Main environmental gradients accounting for the bird community pattern were related to vegetation succession and land productivity. Bird species richness was higher in shrubby pastures than in open sites, while no effect was found in respect to total bird abundance. Bird species diversity (i.e. H' index) was highest in extensive shrubby pastures. Shrubland specialists were positively affected by shrub cover and extensive management of pastures while grassland and woodland specialists showed no significant response to these factors. We conclude that a small proportion of shrubs within pastures may be beneficial for farmland birds and sustainable management of pastures could be achieved by greater flexibility of national agri-environmental schemes. Key words: Agri-environmental scheme, Farmland birds, Grassland management, Semi-natural habitats, Shrubby vegetation. Resumen Patrones de las comunidades de aves en los pastos submediterráneos: el efecto de la cubierta arbustiva y la intensidad de pastoreo.-Se suele considerar a los arbustos como una amenaza a la biodiversidad de los pastos. Investigamos los efectos de la cubierta arbustiva y la intensidad del pastoreo sobre las comunidades de aves en los pastos submediterráneos de Bulgaria. Se utilizó el método de estaciones de escucha en 80 puntos de registro en pastos abiertos (cubierta arbustiva < 10%) y arbustivos (aproximadamente un 20% de la superficie cubierta), con una gestión de pastoreo tanto intensiva como extensiva desde 2008 a 2009. Registramos un total de 1.956 observaciones de aves pertenecientes a 53 especies distintas. Los gradientes ambientales principales responsables de los patrones de las comunidades de aves se relacionaron con la sucesión de la vegetación y la productividad de la tierra. La riqueza de especies de aves era mayor en los pastos arbustivos que en los lugares abiertos, aunque no se observó efecto alguno con respecto a la abundancia total de aves. La mayor diversidad de especies de aves (índice H') se daba en los pastos arbustivos con gestión extensiva. Los especialistas en zonas arbustivas se veían afectados positivamente por la cubierta arbustiva y la gestión extensiva de los pastos, mientras que los especialistas de praderas y bosques no presentaron ninguna respuesta positiva a dichos factores. Nuestra conclusión es que una pequeña proporción de arbustos dentro de los pastos puede ser beneficiosa para las aves de tierras de labrantío, y la gestión sostenible de los pastos podría alcanzarse mediante una mayor flexibilidad de los esquemas agroambientales nacionales

Breeding performance and population trend of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus in Bulgaria: conservation implications

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) has been classified as ‘Endangered’ due to rapid population declines across its range. Thus, exhaustive studies on its demography may serve as an important stepping stones for successful conservation programs. Breeding performance is one of the main components of the demography of a raptor population. Evaluating reproductive rates is easier than other demographic parameters, while remaining a very useful metric to identify factors driving raptor population trends. Here we present the breeding performance of the species’ population in Bulgaria as a result of a long-term monitoring (2005–2016). The studied population shows high breeding performance, based on a breeding success (1.11 ± 0.13 fledglings / laying pairs), productivity (0.88 ± 0.1 fledglings / occupied territories) and fledgling success (1.2 ± 0.1 fledglings / successful pairs), all among the highest recorded in Europe. Pairs breeding in territories with high occupancy rate produced 88% of the fledglings