Spatial and temporal distribution of the minke whale, <i>Balaenoptera acutorostrata</i> (Lacépède, 1804), in the southern northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, with reference to stock identity

New strandings, bycatch and sightings data for minke whales in the northeast Atlantic Ocean south of Cape Finisterre (Galicia) and the Mediterranean Sea were combined with earlier authenticated records, in order to re-assess spatial and temporal distribution, and provide clues to breeding areas and stock identity. The southern range of IWC-defined Northeastern Atlantic and Central North Atlantic stocks with no explicit, but a de facto, boundary of the Equator, was explored in particular. Senegal (6 records), Mauritania (1) and Western Sahara/Southern Morocco (3) are new West African Range States for the North Atlantic minke whale. Morocco and The Gambia are likely Range States. Specimens stranded or captured in Senegal and Mauritania were either calves (n=6) or neonate (n=1), a strong indication for a near-by calving ground. Juveniles and calves (median SL:418cm, n=6) commonly occur off the Canary Islands, without apparent seasonality. Two strandings, one of which was a neonate (in February), were documented in the Azores. Evidence of minke whales is lacking for Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands. The temporal distribution of 33 records from the western coasts of the Iberian Peninsula in the period 1905-1998 included all seasons, but 76% were registered in spring and summer (March-August). The majority of animals were juveniles (mean SL:537.5cm, n=26); none were neonates. Minke whales were encountered in low numbers in the western and central Mediterranean Sea mostly from March to November, although documented strandings in December and February argue for a year round presence. The Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas and the Gulf of Lion are concentration areas, presumably (cf. fin whales) linked to the abundance of euphausiids. Small calves (SL:300-360cm) suggest that at least some females give birth in the Mediterranean. An unusual stranding in the eastern Black Sea (Georgia) may be related to migration of schooling fish. The southernmost specimen known from the North Atlantic is a calf captured near Hann (14º41'N, 17º27'W), Senegal, in May. Southernmost sightings include: (a) inshore: a foraging individual at Garnet's Bay (24º51'N, 15º05'W) in November; (b) offshore: three minke whales at 10°40'N, 22°00'W in December. While small, the sample from West Africa does not seem to support a restricted, seasonal presence. Most likely, these individuals constitute the offspring and juveniles from the Northeastern Atlantic and/or Central North Atlantic populations, but an unrecognised local population cannot be discounted. Preliminary cladistic analysis of the mtDNA control region of one Senegal minke whale yielded equivocal results depending on the fragment sequenced. Field research in the region should be continued to provide the necessary samples to resolve the question of stock identity

Pleural Mesothelioma in New Caledonia: Associations with Environmental Risk Factors

International audienceBackground: High incidences of malignant mesothelioma (MM) have been observed in New Caledonia. Previous work has shown an association between MM and soil containing serpentinite. Objectives: We studied the spatial and temporal variation of MM and its association with environmental factors. Methods: We investigated the 109 MM cases recorded in the Cancer Registry of New Caledonia between 1984 and 2008 and performed spatial, temporal, and space-time cluster analyses. We conducted an ecological analysis involving 100 tribes over a large area including those with the highest incidence rates. Associations with environmental factors were assessed using logistic and Poisson regression analyses. Results: The highest incidence was observed in the Houaïlou area with a world age-standardized rate of 128.7 per 100,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI), 70.41-137.84]. A significant spatial cluster grouped 18 tribes (31 observed cases vs. 8 expected cases; p = 0.001), but no significant temporal clusters were identified. The ecological analyses identified serpentinite on roads as the greatest environmental risk factor (odds ratio = 495.0; 95% CI, 46.2-4679.7; multivariate incidence rate ratio = 13.0; 95% CI, 10.2-16.6). The risk increased with serpentinite surface, proximity to serpentinite quarries and distance to the peridotite massif. The association with serpentines was stronger than with amphiboles. Living on a slope and close to dense vegetation appeared protective. The use of whitewash, previously suggested to be a risk factor, was not associated with MM incidence. Conclusions: Presence of serpentinite on roads is a major environmental risk factor for mesothelioma in New Caledonia

Spatial and temporal variability in coccolithophore abundance and distribution in the NW Iberian coastal upwelling system

A systematic investigation of the spatial and temporal variability in coccolithophore abundance and distribution through the water column of the NW Iberian coastal up-welling system was performed. From July 2011 to June 2012, monthly sampling at various water depths was conducted at two parallel stations located at 42 degrees N. Total coccosphere abundance was higher at the outer-shelf station, where warmer, nutrient-depleted waters favoured coccolithophore rather than phytoplanktonic diatom blooms, which are known to dominate the inner-shelf location. In seasonal terms, higher coccosphere and coccolith abundances were registered at both stations during upwelling seasons, coinciding with high irradiance levels. This was typically in conjunction with stratified, nutrient-poor conditions (i.e. relaxing upwelling conditions). However, it also occurred during some upwelling events of colder, nutrient-rich subsurface waters onto the continental shelf. Minimum abundances were generally found during downwelling periods, with unexpectedly high coccolith abundance registered in subsurface waters at the inner-shelf station. This finding can only be explained if strong storms during these downwelling periods favoured resuspension processes, thus remobilizing deposited coccoliths from surface sediments, and hence hampering the identification of autochthonous coccolithophore community structure. At both locations, the major coccolithophore assemblages were dominated by Emiliania huxleyi, small Gephyrocapsa group, Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Florisphaera profunda, Syracosphaera spp., Coronosphaera mediterranea, and Calcidiscus leptoporus. Ecological preferences of the different taxa were assessed by exploring the relationships between environmental conditions and temporal and vertical variability in coccosphere abundance. These findings provide relevant information for the use of fossil coccolith assemblages in marine sediment records, in order to infer past environmental conditions, of particular importance for Paleoceanography. Both E. huxleyi and the small Gephyrocapsa group are proposed as proxies for the upwelling regime with a distinct affinity for different stages of the upwelling event: E. huxleyi was associated with warmer, nutrient-poor and more stable water column (i.e. upwelling relaxation stage) while the small Gephyrocapsa group was linked to colder waters and higher nutrient availability (i.e. early stages of the upwelling event), similarly to G. oceanica. Conversely, F. profunda is suggested as a proxy for the downwelling regime and low-productivity conditions. The assemblage composed by Syracosphaera pulchra, Coronosphaera mediterranea, and Rhabdosphaera clavigera may be a useful indicator of the presence of subtropical waters conveyed northward by the Iberian Poleward Current. Finally, C. leptoporus is proposed as an indicator of warmer, saltier, and oligotrophic waters during the downwelling/winter regime.EXCAPA project - Xunta de Galicia [10MDS402013PR]; CALIBERIA project (Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia - Portugal) [PTDC/MAR/102045/2008]; CALIBERIA project [COMPETE/FEDER-FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-010599, BI/PTDC/MAR/102045/2008/2010-016, BI/PTDC/MAR/102045/2008/2010-022, BI/PTDC/MAR/102045/2008/2011-027]; Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad [CGL2015-68459-P]; Ministry of Education of Spain [AP2010-2559]; ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ); Xunta de Galicia (Spain); FCT [SFRH/BPD/111433/2015]; Plurianual/Estrategico project [UID/Multi/04326/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Disparities in care and outcomes for primary liver cancer in England during 2008–2018: a cohort study of 8.52 million primary care population using the QResearch database

Background: Liver cancer has one of the fastest rising incidence and mortality rates among all cancers in the UK, but it receives little attention. This study aims to understand the disparities in epidemiology and clinical pathways of primary liver cancer and identify the gaps for early detection and diagnosis of liver cancer in England. Methods: This study used a dynamic English primary care cohort of 8.52 million individuals aged ≥25 years in the QResearch database during 2008–2018, followed up to June 2021. The crude and age-standardised incidence rates, and the observed survival duration were calculated by sex and three liver cancer subtypes, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and other specified/unspecified primary liver cancer. Regression models were used to investigate factors associated with an incident diagnosis of liver cancer, emergency presentation, late stage at diagnosis, receiving treatments, and survival duration after diagnosis by subtype. Findings: 7331 patients were diagnosed with primary liver cancer during follow-up. The age-standardised incidence rates increased over the study period, particularly for HCC in men (increased by 60%). Age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity, and geographical regions were all significantly associated with liver cancer incidence in the English primary care population. People aged ≥80 years were more likely to be diagnosed through emergency presentation and in late stages, less likely to receive treatments and had poorer survival than those aged <60 years. Men had a higher risk of being diagnosed with liver cancer than women, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.9 (95% confidence interval 3.6–4.2) for HCC, 1.2 (1.1–1.3) for CCA, and 1.7 (1.5–2.0) for other specified/unspecified liver cancer. Compared with white British, Asians and Black Africans were more likely to be diagnosed with HCC. Patients with higher socioeconomic deprivation were more likely to be diagnosed through the emergency route. Survival rates were poor overall. Patients diagnosed with HCC had better survival rates (14.5% at 10-year survival, 13.1%–16.0%) compared to CCA (4.4%, 3.4%–5.6%) and other specified/unspecified liver cancer (12.5%, 10.1%–15.2%). For 62.7% of patients with missing/unknown stage in liver cancer, their survival outcomes were between those diagnosed in Stages III and IV. Interpretation: This study provides an overview of the current epidemiology and the disparities in clinical pathways of primary liver cancer in England between 2008 and 2018. A complex public health approach is needed to tackle the rapid increase in incidence and the poor survival of liver cancer. Further studies are urgently needed to address the gaps in early detection and diagnosis of liver cancer in England. Funding: The Early Detection of Hepatocellular Liver Cancer (DeLIVER) project is funded by Cancer Research UK (Early Detection Programme Award, grant reference: C30358/A29725)

Temperature calibration along the NW Iberian margin : multi-proxy approach

1 poster presented at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2012, Vienna, Austria, 22 – 27 April 2012Marine sediments, mainly the ones from coastal upwelling areas, are valuable archives for past reconstructions, including climate changes, global and regional oceanography, and the cycles of biochemical components in the ocean. However, the regional calibrations of the sediment properties (“proxy” data) to the present-day oceanographic and biological conditions are necessary for interpretation of high-resolution sediment-derived information. Many works have contributed directly or indirectly to improving proxy calibrations related to upwelling and nutrient cycling parameters, but there are few studies with a multi-proxy approach for the same region. Along NW Iberian margin, little work has been done regarding with calibration of proxy data. Thus, we lack understanding on (1) how the seasonally variable hydrography affects the various plankton groups and (2) how much of the water column signal is preserved in the sediments and available for paleo-reconstructions. In order to minimize this lack of information from the upper water column temperature point of view, we investigate trace element and stable isotopes from planktonic foraminifera, and alkenone Uk’37 index from a large set of core-top sediment samples from the NW Iberian margin (41.5-42.5ºN; 9-10ºW). Sediment data are compared with present-day water column data (CTD, stable isotopes, satellite measurements) and to “global” calibration data sets of the proxies with sea surface temperature. We explore reconstructing upper water column structure using three species (G. bulloides, N. pachyderma dextral, and G. inflata) with different depth habitats, different seasonal abundances, and linked to specific hydrographic conditions in this region. Preliminary results show that Mg/Ca and 18O temperatures of all species are consistent with seasonal temperatures observed in present-day water column data. In addition G. bulloides and N. pachyderma dextral appears with temperatures related with subtropical and subpolar Eastern North Atlantic Central Waters, respectively.N

The assessment of neuromuscular fatigue during 120 min of simulated soccer exercise

Purpose This investigation examined the development of neuromuscular fatigue during a simulated soccer match incorporating a period of extra time (ET) and the reliability of these responses on repeated test occasions. Methods Ten male amateur football players completed a 120 min soccer match simulation (SMS). Before, at half time (HT), full time (FT), and following a period of ET, twitch responses to supramaximal femoral nerve and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were obtained from the knee-extensors to measure neuromuscular fatigue. Within 7 days of the first SMS, a second 120 min SMS was performed by eight of the original ten participants to assess the reliability of the fatigue response. Results At HT, FT, and ET, reductions in maximal voluntary force (MVC; −11, −20 and −27%, respectively, P ≤ 0.01), potentiated twitch force (−15, −23 and −23%, respectively, P < 0.05), voluntary activation (FT, −15 and ET, −18%, P ≤ 0.01), and voluntary activation measured with TMS (−11, −15 and −17%, respectively, P ≤ 0.01) were evident. The fatigue response was robust across both trials; the change in MVC at each time point demonstrated a good level of reliability (CV range 6–11%; ICC2,1 0.83–0.94), whilst the responses identified with motor nerve stimulation showed a moderate level of reliability (CV range 5–18%; ICC2,1 0.63–0.89) and the data obtained with motor cortex stimulation showed an excellent level of reliability (CV range 3–6%; ICC2,1 0.90–0.98). Conclusion Simulated soccer exercise induces a significant level of fatigue, which is consistent on repeat tests, and involves both central and peripheral mechanisms