Growth of the purple dye murex, Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae), marked and released in a semi-intensive fish culture earthen pond

The present study reports the growth rate of the purple dye murex, Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae), estimated from mark-recapture experiments. A total of 1067 specimens (shell length = 43.4±8.1 mm, range = 14.6−78.4 mm) were marked with Dymo® tape tags and released in a semi-intensive fish culture earthen pond. After a period at liberty ranging from almost two months to around two years, 288 individuals were recaptured (shell length = 67.4±6.2 mm, range = 45.3−88.6 mm), which corresponded to a recapture rate of 27.0%. At recapture, only one specimen had lost the tag (tag loss rate <0.1%) and all remaining tags were intact and legible. Mean monthly growth rates were 0.9±1.0 mm in shell length, 0.4±0.5 mm in shell width and 0.7±0.7 g in total weight. Growth rates showed high inter-individual variability and an evident decreasing trend with specimen size. Comparison of growth rates with similar information available for other muricids confirmed that B. brandaris is a relatively slow-growing species. This provides valuable information for both fisheries management and for assessing the potential of B. brandaris as a candidate species for molluscan aquaculture.Crecimiento de la cañailla, Bolinus Brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae), mediante técnicas de marcado-recaptura realizadas en estanques de cultivo semiintensivo de peces. – Se ha estudiado el crecimiento de la cañailla Bolinus brandaris (Gastropoda: Muricidae) mediante técnicas de marcado-recaptura. Se marcaron un total de 1067 individuos (longitud concha = 43.4±8.1 mm, rango = 14.6−78.4 mm) con etiquetas plásticas Dymo, que fueron puestos en libertad en un estanque en tierra dedicado al cultivo semiintensivo de peces. En el plazo de tiempo comprendido entre dos meses y dos años, se recuperaron 288 ejemplares (longitud concha = 67.4±6.2 mm, rango = 45.3−88.6 mm), lo que corresponde a una tasa de recaptura del 27.0%. Las etiquetas permanecieron intactas y legibles en todos los ejemplares recuperados, a excepción de un único individuo (tasa de pérdida de marca <0.1%). La tasa de crecimiento media mensual estimada fue de 0.9±1.0 mm de longitud, 0.4±0.5 mm de anchura y 0.7±0.7 g de peso total. Esta tasa muestra una elevada variabilidad intraespecífica y una tendencia clara a la disminución con el aumento de la talla. Comparando las tasas de crecimiento obtenidas en este estudio con la información disponible sobre diversas especies de murícidos, se confirma que B. brandaris es un gasterópodo de crecimiento relativamente lento. Este estudio resulta de interés tanto para gestionar la pesca de este recurso como para evaluar el potencial de la especie como candidata a ser cultivada.publishe

Interview with Rita Vokes

Oral History with Rita Vokes. After a 27 year career, she retired in 1995 and started a wellness consulting business, "For the HEALTH of it" to teach healthy lifestyles to a variety of military and civilian audiences, both Stateside and Overseas. Elected regional director, vice president and president of Society of AF Nurses, a 2,000 member organization of retired/active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve AF nurses, from 1995 - 2009. Vokes served from 1968-1995

Five-Year Outcomes From the Randomized, Phase III Trials CheckMate 017 and 057: Nivolumab Versus Docetaxel in Previously Treated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In two phase III trials (CheckMate 017 and CheckMate 057), nivolumab showed an improvement in overall survival (OS) and favorable safety versus docetaxel in patients with previously treated, advanced squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC, respectively. We report 5-year pooled efficacy and safety from these trials. Patients (N = 854; CheckMate 017/057 pooled) with advanced NSCLC, ECOG PS ≤ 1, and progression during or after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 1:1 to nivolumab (3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks) or docetaxel (75 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks) until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point for both trials was OS; secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. Exploratory landmark analyses were investigated. After the minimum follow-up of 64.2 and 64.5 months for CheckMate 017 and 057, respectively, 50 nivolumab-treated patients and nine docetaxel-treated patients were alive. Five-year pooled OS rates were 13.4% versus 2.6%, respectively; 5-year PFS rates were 8.0% versus 0%, respectively. Nivolumab-treated patients without disease progression at 2 and 3 years had an 82.0% and 93.0% chance of survival, respectively, and a 59.6% and 78.3% chance of remaining progression-free at 5 years, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 8 of 31 (25.8%) nivolumab-treated patients between 3-5 years of follow-up, seven of whom experienced new events; one (3.2%) TRAE was grade 3, and there were no grade 4 TRAEs. At 5 years, nivolumab continued to demonstrate a survival benefit versus docetaxel, exhibiting a five-fold increase in OS rate, with no new safety signals. These data represent the first report of 5-year outcomes from randomized phase III trials of a programmed death-1 inhibitor in previously treated, advanced NSCLC