On the presence of the Ponto-Caspian hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) in an Iberian estuary: highlights on the introduction vectors and invasion routes

Several non-native invertebrate and vertebrate species have been detected in the Guadiana Estuary (SW-Iberian Peninsula, Europe) during the 21st century. In June 2015, the non-native hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) was detected for the first time in this estuary, which motivated an assessment of its distribution during late Spring and Summer 2016. The main goals of this paper were to: i) report the presence of Cordylophora caspia and its distribution in the Guadiana Estuary, ii) record the substrates colonized, salinity, and water temperatures at locations where the species was detected, iii) evaluate possible introduction vectors and invasion routes; and iv) discuss the potential impacts and management options. Cordylophora caspia occupied a 25-km stretch of the estuary with salinities between 0.2 and 13.8 and occupied a variety of human-made substrates. Shipping was the most likely introduction vector of C. caspia, which might have originated from populations in the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea. Currently, the potential ecological impacts are likely low since the population size is small due to an apparent shortage of suitable habitat. Economic effects are minimal at present because there are no major industries along the basin extracting water from the estuary. An integrated ecohydrological approach-i.e. freshets released from dams to control the populations of Cnidaria-was proposed to minimize or mitigate the potential negative effects of this species in the Guadiana Estuary.Delta Stewardship Council; Delta Science Program [1167]; Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) through the Jellyfisheries project [PTDC/MAR-BIO/0440/2014]; European Regional Development Fund (COMPETE program-Operational Competitiveness Programme); FCT [SFRH/BPD/108949/2015]; [UID/Multi/04326/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

First record of the nudibranch tenellia adspersa (Nordmann, 1845) in Portugal, associated with the invasive hydrozoan cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771)

The estuarine nudibranch Tenellia adspersa (Nordmann, 1845) was recorded for the first time in Portugal, while sampling for fouling fauna of artificial structures along the salinity gradient of the Guadiana estuary (SW Iberian Peninsula). Two specimens were found in association with the invasive hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) and kept in the laboratory for taxonomy purposes. After two days, batches of eggs were seen in C. caspia branches, while the nudibranchs were also actively feeding on the hydrozoan polyps. The fast generation times of T. adspersa, along with its food preference for C. caspia, might suggest a positive role of the nudibranch on controlling this invasive hydrozoan in the Guadiana estuary. Introduction routes and facilitation interactions are discussed.FCT: SFRH/BD/140556/2018/ PTDC/MAR-BIO/0440/2014/ UID/04326/2020/ (COMPETE - Operational Competitiveness Programme)/ DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0008.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sublobar Resection, Radiofrequency Ablation or Radiotherapy in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND: The best therapy for patients with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are medically unfit for lobectomy or prefer not to undergo surgery has not yet been demonstrated. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed data from our prospective database to evaluate the recurrence and survival rates and assess the extent to which the type of treatment explains outcome differences. METHODS: This study included 116 patients with histologically proven clinical stage I NSCLC who were treated with sublobar resection (SLR; n = 42), radiofrequency ablation (RFA; n = 25) or radiotherapy (RT; n = 49) between 2009 and 2013. The primary end point was the time to primary tumor recurrence (PR). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to compare the recurrence patterns and survivals after adjustments for potential confounders. RESULTS: The SLR patients were younger and exhibited better performance status. The RT patients had larger tumors. After adjusting for age and tumor size, there were differences between the different treatments in terms of the PR rate, but no differences were observed in overall (OS) or disease-free survival. The hazard ratio for PR comparing SLR versus RT adjusted for age and tumor size was 2.73 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.72–10.27) and that for SLR versus RFA was 7.57 (95% CI 1.94–29.47). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SLR was associated with a higher primary tumor control rate compared to RFA or RT, although the OSs were not different. These results should be confirmed in prospective trials

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Ecosystem modelling in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea: Structure and functioning of a complex system

International audienceEcopath mass-balanced models are widely-used tools to address various challenges in the understanding and protection of ecosystems. To track the continuing improvements in data and the evolving environment (climate change, anthropic pressure), new models are regularly being developed. In this study, we built a Gulf of Lion Ecopath model, focused on the continental shelf, featuring enhanced representation of benthic invertebrates and a realistic assessment of catches, and which takes into account the significant changes observed after 2008–2009 in the trophic structure of this ecosystem as well as related changes in fisheries activities. The model is composed of 68 functional groups, including 6 primary producers, discards and detritus, 27 invertebrate groups, 31 fish groups, dolphins and seabirds. New datasets were taken into account for biomasses, as well as for diets. P/B and Q/B parameters were calculated to include the most recent and geographically closest data. Model results highlight a food web diagram, ranging over 5 trophic levels and placing Prionace glauca, Squalus acanthias and dolphins as top predators. The mixed trophic impact analysis showed that the groups with the highest accumulated negative impacts are, in decreasing order, benthic trawls, nets and carnivorous echinoderms. The groups with the highest accumulated positive impacts are, in decreasing order, detritus, microphytoplankton and nanoplankton. The flux analysis shows that a major part of the flows occurs at trophic level 2 with 35.1% of the model total throughput and 43.8% of the total biomass. The catches have a mean trophic level of 3.47, higher than in previous studies, reflecting the changes in the fisheries activities

Circulating Interleukin-4 Is Associated with a Systemic T Cell Response against Tumor-Associated Antigens in Treatment-Naïve Patients with Resectable Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Simple Summary Cytokines can increase the activity of T cells specific for tumor-associated antigens and thereby promote tumor-specific immune responses. In this study, cytokine profiles and T cell responses against 14 tumor-associated antigens were investigated in 36 treatment-naive patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer. Based on these results, preoperative serum interleukin-4 levels can play a role in predicting T cell responses specific for tumor-associated antigens and recurrence-free survival regardless of tumor stage. This is clinically relevant as patients with high preoperative serum interleukin-4 levels could be at high risk of postoperative tumor recurrence and, therefore, should be considered for adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment. From this perspective, preoperative serum interleukin-4 levels may become a useful option to assess the risk of postoperative tumor recurrence in non-small-cell lung cancer. Spontaneous T cell responses to tumor-associated antigens (TAs) in the peripheral blood of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be relevant for postoperative survival. However, the conditions underlying these T cell responses remain unclear. We quantified the levels of 27 cytokines in the peripheral blood and tumor tissues from treatment-naive patients with NSCLC (n = 36) and analyzed associations between local and systemic cytokine profiles and both TA-specific T cell responses and clinical parameters. We defined T cell responders as patients with circulating T cells that were reactive to TAs and T cell nonresponders as patients without detectable TA-specific T cells. TA-specific T cell responses were correlated with serum cytokine levels, particularly the levels of interleukin(IL)-4 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), but poorly correlated with the cytokine levels in tumor tissues. Nonresponders showed significantly higher serum IL-4 levels than responders (p = 0.03); the predicted probability of being a responder was higher for individuals with low serum IL-4 levels. In multivariable Cox regression analyses, in addition to IL-4 (hazard ratio (HR) 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78-9.9); p = 0.116), the age-adjusted IL-8 level (HR 3.9 (95% CI: 1.05-14.5); p = 0.042) predicted tumor recurrence. However, this study included data for many cytokines without adjustment for multiple testing; thus, the observed differences in IL-4 or IL-8 levels might be incidental findings. Therefore, additional studies are necessary to confirm these results

Binding of Chemotactic Collagen-Derived Peptides to Fibroblasts: THE RELATIONSHIP TO FIBROBLAST CHEMOTAXIS

We previously showed that collagen, α-chains, and collagen-derived peptide fragments induce chemotactic migration of human fibroblasts in vitro. We now describe biochemical and immunological evidence showing there are binding sites for collagen peptides on fibroblast membranes. By the use of (14)C-labeled α1(I) chain, binding to intact fibroblasts was demonstrated. The process was reversible, and time- and fibroblast concentration-dependent. Scatchard plot analyses of the data obtained for the binding of α1(I) suggested that there are ≅ 16 × 10(6) binding sites per fibroblast with an association constant of 1.1 × 10(7)/M for α1(I). Dissociation of the bound radioactivity and subsequent chromatographic analysis on agarose A-1.5 m revealed that the α1 was unaltered. The binding of (14)C-labeled α1 was inhibited by each of the CNBr peptides derived from α1 chain of chick skin collagen and CNBr peptide mixtures of various genetic types of collagen chains. Immunofluorescence studies with anti-α1 antibody showed that α1-treated fibroblasts exhibited strong immunofluorescence. The intensity of fluorescence was markedly diminished by prior absorption of the antibody with α1. The α1-treated cells stained with preimmune sera did not show significant fluorescence. Dose-response curves of fibroblast chemotaxis induced by α1 and the binding of α1 by fibroblasts correlate closely. Furthermore, the potency of α1-CNBr peptides as chemotactic agents correlates with their ability to inhibit the binding of labeled α1(I). These data suggest the hypothesis that collagenderived peptides cause fibroblast chemotactic migration by acting on fibroblast membranes