Examining the Relevancy and Utility of the American Fisheries Society Certification Program to Prepare Future Fisheries Professionals

Fisheries science is a diverse field that requires individuals to be knowledgeable in many disciplines in addition to fisheries (e.g., economics, sociology, political science, chemistry; Kelso and Murphy 1988). This challenges students attempting to enter a career in fisheries, as well as academic institutions and eventual employers, to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge needed to succeed in the profession (Oglesby and Krueger 1989). The preparedness and competency of young professionals entering the workforce has long been a problem (Stauffer and McMullin 2009). Several constraints and ongoing challenges facing the profession have continued to magnify these issues over time (McMullin et al., this issue). These issues stem from the diversity of skills required or expected across employer groups (e.g., government agencies, private sectors, nongovernment organizations) and degree levels sought (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.), complexity of fisheries-related problems, and balancing a broad academic focus with specific training. Additionally, employers perceive that students lack welldeveloped critical thinking, communication, and statistical skills that are highly desired in any area of fisheries. The American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) mission of preparing and promoting the development of fisheries professionals has been addressed in many ways, including development of the AFS Professional Certification Program in 1963. This program provides minimum standards for which fisheries professionals are recognized across government, academic, and nongovernment entities. The certification program fosters greater recognition that fisheries professionals are well equipped and prepared to act on the public’s behalf concerning fisheries-related issues. Two tiers of certification exist, with first-tier certification (Associate Fisheries Professional) contingent upon the completion of higher education courses in six broad subject areas. In this article, we focus on the first tier of certification, the basic education determined by AFS to be critical in preparing young professionals for a career in fisheries

Are We Preparing the Next Generation of Fisheries Professionals to Succeed in their Careers?: A Survey of AFS Members

Natural resource professionals have frequently criticized universities for poorly preparing graduates to succeed in their jobs. We surveyed members of the American Fisheries Society to determine which job skills and knowledge of academic topics employers, students, and university faculty members deemed most important to early-career success of fisheries professionals. Respondents also rated proficiency of recently hired, entry-level professionals (employers) on how well their programs prepared them for career success (students and faculty) in those same job skills and academic topics. Critical thinking and written and oral communication skills topped the list of important skills and academic topics. Employers perceived recent entry-level hires to be less well-prepared to succeed in their careers than either university faculty or students. Entry-level hires with post-graduate degrees rated higher in proficiency for highly important skills and knowledge than those with bachelor’s degrees. We conclude that although universities have the primary responsibility for developing critical thinking and basic communication skills of students, employers have equal or greater responsibility for enhancing skills of employees in teamwork, field techniques, and communicating with stakeholders. The American Fisheries Society can significantly contribute to the preparation of young fisheries professionals by providing opportunities for continuing education and networking with peers at professional conferences. ¿Estamos preparando a la siguiente generación de profesionales en pesquerías para que tengan éxito en sus carreras?: una encuesta a miembros de la AFS Los profesionales de los recursos naturales, con frecuencia, han criticado a las universidades por la preparación deficiente de los graduados para tener éxito en sus trabajos. En este trabajo se encuestaron a miembros de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías para determinar qué conocimiento de tópicos académicos y habilidades laborales consideran los empleados, estudiantes y miembros de facultades universitarias como las más importantes en los profesionales de las pesquerías para tener éxito al inicio de sus carreras. Los encuestados también reconocieron las habilidades de los profesionistas regresados y contratados (empleados) o qué tan bien sus programas académicos los preparaban para tener éxito en sus carreras (estudiantes y facultad) en las mismas habilidades laborales y tópicos académicos. El pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita encabezaron la lista de habilidades y tópicos académicos importantes. Los empleadores percibieron a las contrataciones recientes como menos preparadas para tener éxito en sus carreras que los miembros de la facultad o los propios estudiantes. Los individuos recién contratados con posgrado fueron mejor calificados en cuanto a poseer el conocimiento y las habilidades más importantes que los titulados de licenciatura. Concluimos que si bien las universidades tienen la responsabilidad primordial de desarrollar el pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación en los estudiantes, los empleadores tienen la misma o mayor responsabilidad para fomentar las habilidades de sus trabajadores en lo referente a trabajo en equipo, técnicas de trabajo en campo, y comunicación con los involucrados en las pesquerías. La Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías puede contribuir significativamente a preparar a los jóvenes profesionistas de las pesquerías mediante el otorgamiento de oportunidades para continuar con su educación y el establecimiento de redes de contactos, durante conferencias, con pares y profesionales. Préparons-nous la prochaine génération de professionnels de la pêche à réussir leur carrière?: Un sondage auprès des membres AFS Les professionnels des ressources naturelles ont fréquemment critiqué les universités, car elles préparent mal les diplômés à réussir leur carrière. Nous avons interrogé les membres de l’American Fisheries Society pour déterminer quelles compétences professionnelles et quelles connaissances académiques les employeurs, étudiants et membres du corps professoral des universités jugent les plus importantes pour le succès des professionnels de la pêche au début de leur carrière. Les répondants ont également évalué l’aptitude des professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail (employeurs) ou dans quelle mesure les programmes les ont préparés à réussir leur carrière (étudiants et professeurs) dans ces mêmes compétences professionnelles et sujets académiques. La pensée critique, les compétences en communication écrite et orale étaient en tête de la liste des compétences et des sujets académiques importants. Les employeurs ont perçu les professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail moins bien préparés pour réussir dans leur carrière que les professeurs d’université ou les étudiants. Les employés au niveau d’entrée possédant des diplômes postuniversitaires étaient mieux notés dans la maîtrise des compétences et des connaissances très importantes que ceux ne possédant que des diplômes de baccalauréat. Nous concluons que, bien que les universités aient la responsabilité principale de développer la pensée critique et les compétences en communication de base des étudiants, les employeurs ont la responsabilité égale ou supérieure d’améliorer ces compétences dans le travail d’équipe, les techniques de terrain et la communication avec les parties prenantes. L’American Fisheries Society peut contribuer de manière significative à la préparation des jeunes professionnels de la pêche en offrant des possibilités de formation continue et de réseautage avec des pairs lors de conférences professionnelles

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH DAMAGING BIRD STRIKES FOR UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT

Analysis of strike data is critical to determine the true economic costs of bird strikes, determine the magnitude of safety issues, and develop preventive measures. Analysis of USAF bird-strike data identified trends and indicated suggested relationships among factors contributing to damaging strikes. From FY 1988 through FY 1997, the annual mean was 2,668 bird strikes with peaks evident in fall and spring. Daylight and dusk were hazardous for bird strikes. More bird strikes occurred during airfield operations and when aircraft were operating at low altitudes (and when soaring birds were more numerous). Aircraft speed, phase of flight, taxonomic group, bird mass and aircraft group were the strongest predictors of damaging bird strikes. Bird strike rates were calculated for USAF aircraft. Bomber aircraft had the highest strike rate; these aircraft frequently fly long missions at low altitudes where they are likely to encounter birds. The analyses indicated that factors contributing to USAF bird strikes overlap and interact. The study allows recommendations for improving reporting of bird strikes and data management as well as make recommendations for airfield management. Results will enable USAF to better focus research on preventing bird strikes, and assess the effectiveness of bird management programs

Dispelling Assumptions about Stocked-Trout Fisheries and Angler Satisfaction

<p>We investigated three assumptions about stocked-trout fisheries: (1) stocking densities (trout/km or trout/ha) correlate with angler catch rates, (2) catch rates decline with time after stocking, and (3) angler satisfaction correlates with catch rates. We interviewed 5,689 anglers on 14 put-and-take trout waters in Virginia from October 2013 to May 2014 and from October 2014 to May 2015 to assess their fishing effort for stocked trout, catch, and level of satisfaction with their fishing experience that day. Stocking density did not affect the stocked-trout catch rate on streams or lakes, and catch rates remained relatively constant from the day after stocking up to 1 month after stocking. The type of water body affected both angler effort and catch rate. We found that catch rates above thresholds (0.46 trout/angler-hour on lakes; 1.21 trout/angler-hour on streams) had minor effects on angler satisfaction, but below those threshold values, satisfaction increased greatly with increasing catch rates on both lakes and streams. Given the concerns over increasing costs to maintain stocking programs, our results suggest that agencies could reduce their stocking densities and frequencies without appreciably reducing angler satisfaction.</p> <p>Received January 13, 2016; accepted July 17, 2016 Published online November 10, 2016</p

Examining the Relevancy and Utility of the American Fisheries Society Certification Program to Prepare Future Fisheries Professionals

Fisheries science is a diverse field that requires individuals to be knowledgeable in many disciplines in addition to fisheries (e.g., economics, sociology, political science, chemistry; Kelso and Murphy 1988). This challenges students attempting to enter a career in fisheries, as well as academic institutions and eventual employers, to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge needed to succeed in the profession (Oglesby and Krueger 1989). The preparedness and competency of young professionals entering the workforce has long been a problem (Stauffer and McMullin 2009). Several constraints and ongoing challenges facing the profession have continued to magnify these issues over time (McMullin et al., this issue). These issues stem from the diversity of skills required or expected across employer groups (e.g., government agencies, private sectors, nongovernment organizations) and degree levels sought (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.), complexity of fisheries-related problems, and balancing a broad academic focus with specific training. Additionally, employers perceive that students lack welldeveloped critical thinking, communication, and statistical skills that are highly desired in any area of fisheries. The American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) mission of preparing and promoting the development of fisheries professionals has been addressed in many ways, including development of the AFS Professional Certification Program in 1963. This program provides minimum standards for which fisheries professionals are recognized across government, academic, and nongovernment entities. The certification program fosters greater recognition that fisheries professionals are well equipped and prepared to act on the public’s behalf concerning fisheries-related issues. Two tiers of certification exist, with first-tier certification (Associate Fisheries Professional) contingent upon the completion of higher education courses in six broad subject areas. In this article, we focus on the first tier of certification, the basic education determined by AFS to be critical in preparing young professionals for a career in fisheries

Are We Preparing the Next Generation of Fisheries Professionals to Succeed in their Careers?: A Survey of AFS Members

Natural resource professionals have frequently criticized universities for poorly preparing graduates to succeed in their jobs. We surveyed members of the American Fisheries Society to determine which job skills and knowledge of academic topics employers, students, and university faculty members deemed most important to early-career success of fisheries professionals. Respondents also rated proficiency of recently hired, entry-level professionals (employers) on how well their programs prepared them for career success (students and faculty) in those same job skills and academic topics. Critical thinking and written and oral communication skills topped the list of important skills and academic topics. Employers perceived recent entry-level hires to be less well-prepared to succeed in their careers than either university faculty or students. Entry-level hires with post-graduate degrees rated higher in proficiency for highly important skills and knowledge than those with bachelor’s degrees. We conclude that although universities have the primary responsibility for developing critical thinking and basic communication skills of students, employers have equal or greater responsibility for enhancing skills of employees in teamwork, field techniques, and communicating with stakeholders. The American Fisheries Society can significantly contribute to the preparation of young fisheries professionals by providing opportunities for continuing education and networking with peers at professional conferences. ¿Estamos preparando a la siguiente generación de profesionales en pesquerías para que tengan éxito en sus carreras?: una encuesta a miembros de la AFS Los profesionales de los recursos naturales, con frecuencia, han criticado a las universidades por la preparación deficiente de los graduados para tener éxito en sus trabajos. En este trabajo se encuestaron a miembros de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías para determinar qué conocimiento de tópicos académicos y habilidades laborales consideran los empleados, estudiantes y miembros de facultades universitarias como las más importantes en los profesionales de las pesquerías para tener éxito al inicio de sus carreras. Los encuestados también reconocieron las habilidades de los profesionistas regresados y contratados (empleados) o qué tan bien sus programas académicos los preparaban para tener éxito en sus carreras (estudiantes y facultad) en las mismas habilidades laborales y tópicos académicos. El pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita encabezaron la lista de habilidades y tópicos académicos importantes. Los empleadores percibieron a las contrataciones recientes como menos preparadas para tener éxito en sus carreras que los miembros de la facultad o los propios estudiantes. Los individuos recién contratados con posgrado fueron mejor calificados en cuanto a poseer el conocimiento y las habilidades más importantes que los titulados de licenciatura. Concluimos que si bien las universidades tienen la responsabilidad primordial de desarrollar el pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación en los estudiantes, los empleadores tienen la misma o mayor responsabilidad para fomentar las habilidades de sus trabajadores en lo referente a trabajo en equipo, técnicas de trabajo en campo, y comunicación con los involucrados en las pesquerías. La Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías puede contribuir significativamente a preparar a los jóvenes profesionistas de las pesquerías mediante el otorgamiento de oportunidades para continuar con su educación y el establecimiento de redes de contactos, durante conferencias, con pares y profesionales. Préparons-nous la prochaine génération de professionnels de la pêche à réussir leur carrière?: Un sondage auprès des membres AFS Les professionnels des ressources naturelles ont fréquemment critiqué les universités, car elles préparent mal les diplômés à réussir leur carrière. Nous avons interrogé les membres de l’American Fisheries Society pour déterminer quelles compétences professionnelles et quelles connaissances académiques les employeurs, étudiants et membres du corps professoral des universités jugent les plus importantes pour le succès des professionnels de la pêche au début de leur carrière. Les répondants ont également évalué l’aptitude des professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail (employeurs) ou dans quelle mesure les programmes les ont préparés à réussir leur carrière (étudiants et professeurs) dans ces mêmes compétences professionnelles et sujets académiques. La pensée critique, les compétences en communication écrite et orale étaient en tête de la liste des compétences et des sujets académiques importants. Les employeurs ont perçu les professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail moins bien préparés pour réussir dans leur carrière que les professeurs d’université ou les étudiants. Les employés au niveau d’entrée possédant des diplômes postuniversitaires étaient mieux notés dans la maîtrise des compétences et des connaissances très importantes que ceux ne possédant que des diplômes de baccalauréat. Nous concluons que, bien que les universités aient la responsabilité principale de développer la pensée critique et les compétences en communication de base des étudiants, les employeurs ont la responsabilité égale ou supérieure d’améliorer ces compétences dans le travail d’équipe, les techniques de terrain et la communication avec les parties prenantes. L’American Fisheries Society peut contribuer de manière significative à la préparation des jeunes professionnels de la pêche en offrant des possibilités de formation continue et de réseautage avec des pairs lors de conférences professionnelles

Effects of the operation of Kerr and Hungry Horse Dam on the Kokanee Fishery in the Flathead River system.

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Effects of the operation of Kerr and Hungry Horse Dam on the Kokanee Fishery in the Flathead River system.

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Exploring Genotype: Phenotype Correlations at Baseline and at One Year for ET and PV Patients in the Majic Study

The myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) polycythaemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythaemia (ET) are associated with significant symptom burden with impaired quality of life (QoL). In the MAJIC study patients refractory/intolerant to hydroxycarbamide (HC), were randomised to treatment with ruxolitinib (Rux) or best available therapy (BAT). In this unique and comprehensive analysis we explore quality of life (QoL) outcomes in the MAJIC study using the MPN10 Self-Assessment Form (SAF) in particular using this unique dataset to explore for the first time differences between JAK2 ET vs PV, and JAK2 ET vs CALR ET at baseline and 12 months of therapy with Rux or BAT. Methods 306 patients were randomised, (190, PV and 116 ET arm) and followed for 5 years, no cross over was permitted. MPN10 SAF was assessed at baseline, 2, 4, 8 and 12 months in both arms. Equal variance two sample t-tests were used to test differences between diagnosis groups (JAK2 ET vs PV & JAK2 ET vs CALR ET) in baseline scores and 12-month change from baseline scores, here negative change from baseline indicates improvement. QoL data was also collected using MD Anderson Symptoms Inventory (MDASI) and 5 level EQ5D at the same time points as the MPN10 SAF. Results JAK2 ET vs PV 110 participants with JAK2 mutation were included in the analysis for JAK2 ET vs PV. 81 (74%) had PV and 29 (26%) had JAK2 ET; 44 patients (54.3%) with PV and 18 (62.1%) patients with ET were randomised to Rux, and 37 (45.6%) patients with PV and 11 (37.9%) with ET to BAT. Baseline mean total symptom score (TSS) was similar (JAK2 ET: 18.9. SD 18.4 and PV: 23.7, SD 17.81 (p=0.27). Mean for pruritus was 1.9 (SD 2.47) in JAK2 ET and 3.5 (SD 2.99) in PV (p=0.03). Other baseline scores were comparable: mean scores for fatigue was 3.3 (SD 3.07) for JAK2 ET vs 4.7 (SD 2.68) for PV, for early satiety was 2.6 (SD 2.78) for JAK2 ET vs 2.1 (SD 2.40) for PV, for abdominal discomfort 3.0 (SD 3.34) for JAK2 ET vs 2.0 (SD 2.78) for PV, for inactivity was 2.4 (SD 2.86) for JAK2 ET vs 3.2 (SD 2.72) for PV; for concentration problems was 2.2 (SD 2.51) for JAK2 ET vs 2.9 (SD 3.11) for PV, for night sweats was 1.6 (SD 2.20) for JAK2 ET vs 2.1 (SD 2.66) for PV, for bone pain was 1.8 (SD 2.97) for JAK2 ET vs 2.0 (SD 2.86) for PV, for fever was 0.5 (SD 1.46) for JAK2 ET vs 0.5 (SD 1.70) for PV and for weight loss was 0.3 (SD 0.73) for JAK2 ET vs 1.0 (SD 2.15) for PV (p>0.05 for all). Concerning change at 12 months, mean (SD) change in TSS was -0.5 (SD 10.86) for JAK2 ET (n=21) vs -0.8 (SD 13.32) for PV (n=66) (P=0.93). Mean for individual symptom scores at 12 months were also not significantly different between the two phenotypic disease group (P>0.05 for all parameters). (Fig 1, top panels). CALR vs JAK2 ET Exploring symptoms for CALR vs JAK2 ET: 45 patients were included; 9/16 (56.3%) CALR and 18/29 (62.1%) JAK2 patients were assigned to Rux (p=0.70). 10/16 (62.5%) CALR ET and 19/29 (65.5%) JAK2 ET. Baseline mean total symptom score (TSS) was similar (JAK2 ET: 18.9, SD 18.4 and CALR ET: 18.8, SD 16.99 (p=0. 0.98). All other baseline scores were comparable in this intolerant/ refractory population (p>0.05 for all. Concerning change at 12 months, mean (SD) change in TSS was -0.5 (SD 10.86) for JAK2 ET vs -2.8 (SD 9.96) for CALR ET (P=0.56). Mean for individual symptom scores at 12 months were also not significantly different between the two phenotypic disease group (P>0.05 for all parameters); the mean change in night sweats approached but did not reach significance similar (JAK2 ET: 0.2 (SD 1.89) and CALR ET: 1.8 (SD 3.07) (p=0. 0.06). (Fig 1, lower panels). Preliminary analysis of the MDASI and EQ5D-5L data at baseline and at 12 months shows similar results and will be presented. Conclusion This first analysis of its kind compared the symptom burden and other parameters of QoL of patients with PV and ET, resistant/intolerant to HC shows that with the exception of pruritus at baseline there were no substantial differences between JAK2 ET or PV. Equally changes in symptom burden across 12 months did ot substantially differ between JAK2 ET or PV. A second analysis of JAK2 vs CALR ET also failed to show substantial differences. This data should be expanded in a larger cohort but supports a symptom continuum of JAK2 ET and PV and also JAK2 vs CALR ET. Figure 1 Disclosures Mead: Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Yap: Faron Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Knapper: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Drummond: CTI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Mesa: Pharma: Consultancy; CTI: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; AOP: Consultancy; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; La Jolla Pharma: Consultancy; Samus: Research Funding; Promedior: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; CTI: Research Funding. Scherber: Incyte Corporation: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. McMullin: Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: clinical trial support, Research Funding. Harrison: CTI BioPharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Promedior: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Keros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Sierra Oncology: Honoraria; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Speakers Bureau; Geron: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Galacteo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau.The article is available via Open Access. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text.Published version (6 month embargo

Correlation of Quality of Life between Treatment Outcomes in the Majic Study Which Compared Ruxolitinib to Best Available Therapy in Polycythemia Vera

MAJIC is a phase II trial of Ruxolitinib (RUX) vs Best Available Therapy (BAT) in polycythemia vera (PV) patients with resistance/intolerance to Hydroxycarbamide (HC). This analysis involved a primary comparison between the RUX and BAT arms for quality of life (QOL) durability over 60 months, with secondary comparisons of best QOL response within first year in complete hematologic responders (CR) vs a group of partial or no response (NR/PR). This is a unique analysis due to cross-over nature of prior studies.Patients were stratified by treatment arm with either RUX or BAT. QOL was assessed over 0-60 months using the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Symptom Assessment Form (MPN-SAF). MPN-SAF Total Symptom Score (TSS) was computed as the average of all completed items multiplied by 10 (scale 0‐100, higher score represents higher symptom burden). Estimates of change from baseline and between arm differences in change by timepoint were made using a linear mixed model with compound symmetry covariance structure, which included covariates for categorical time point, treatment arm, and the interaction between time point and treatment arm. The difference between arms in proportion of patients with best post-baseline TSS response of 50% or greater was testing using a Chi-square test.In this study, 147 of the 190 trial patients had started treatment and completed at least their baseline assessment and were included in the analysis with 39 patients completing through 60 months. Groups were comprised of 76 patients in the RUX group (31 females, 45 males, mean age 64.2 [SD 11.4]) and 71 patients in the BAT group (29 females, 42 males, mean age 64.6 [SD 11.5]). Symptom scores at baseline were similar between arms, with MPN-SAF weight loss the only statistically significant difference (BAT 0.7 [SD 1.71] vs RUX 1.7 [SD 2.83], p=0.02). Significant, durable improvements in TSS were noted in RUX patients with symptom improvements lasting a mean of 52 months. BAT patients experienced a worsening of their symptom burden with improvements back to baseline notable at 56 months (Figure 1). MPN-SAF TSS there were significant differences between treatment arms in change from baseline to months 2-32, 44, and 48 (all p&lt;0.05). In all months the trend was in the direction of larger improvement in the RUX arm, with the point estimate for difference ranging from 2.1 (at month 56) to 11.3 (at month 4) with most prominent changes occurring between months 2 and 32. Of the 80 patients with MPN-SAF TSS scores at baseline and at least one post-baseline timepoint, 13/41 (31.7%) BAT and 24/39 (61.5%) RUX patients had TSS reduction of 50% or greater in at least one time point, which was statistically significant (p=0.008). In regard to specific symptoms, there was a statistically significant between arm difference seen in over 5 timepoints for fatigue, early satiety, night-sweats, itching, bone pain, and weight loss.Comparing MPN-SAF TSS in Complete Response (CR n=51) vs Non-Responder/Partial Responders (NR/PR) (n=96) there was no difference at baseline in any of the measures at any time point. A possible limitation of this study is the potential for bias in which the patients who were lost to follow up could be different then the patients who remained in the study through all 60 months which would affect generalization, particularly at time points at the later years.The novel findings of this investigation demonstrate that Ruxolitinib ameliorates the PV symptom burden in patients resistant or intolerant to HC in a robust durable manner over at least four years, while patients receiving BAT have worsening of their symptom burden over this same time period.Figure 1Figure 1. Mead: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Celgene/BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Yap: Celgene: Honoraria; Faron Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria. Scherber: Incyte Corporation: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Knapper: Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; As ellas: Ended employment in the past 24 months, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau. Drummond: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; CTI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. McMullin: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Bristol Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: clinical trial support, Research Funding; AbbVie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Mesa: CTI: Research Funding; AOP: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Gilead: Research Funding; Pharma: Consultancy; Promedior: Research Funding; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; CTI: Research Funding; Samus: Research Funding; Sierra Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; La Jolla Pharma: Consultancy. Harrison: CTI BioPharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Geron: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Constellation Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Galacteo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte Corporation: Speakers Bureau; Sierra Oncology: Honoraria; Promedior: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Keros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.The article is available via Open Access. Click on the 'Additional link' above to access the full-text.Published version (6 month embargo