Rising Conservation Tillage Acreage: Implications for Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot of Soybean

Cropping practices are shifting to conservation tillage to counter the growing threat of wind and water erosion due to excessive soil disturbances by conventional tillage practices. In addition, reduction in costs of production and the availability of effective herbicides and drill-planters have played a significant part in decision making. Conservation tillage is defined as any tillage systems that maintain at least 30% of the soil surface covered by residues after planting (National Resource Conservation Service). No-till, mulch-till and ridge-till tillage systems meet the residue level requirement, and their practice is currently on the rise both at the state and national level

Regional Assessment of Soybean Brown Stem Rot, Phytophthora sojae, and Heterodera glycines Using Area-Frame Sampling: Prevalence and Effects of Tillage

The prevalence of brown stem rot (caused by Phialophora gregata), Heterodera glycines, and Phytophthora sojae in the north central United States was investigated during the fall of 1995 and 1996. Soybean fields were randomly selected using an area-frame sampling design in collaboration with the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil and soybean stem samples, along with tillage information, were collected from 1,462 fields in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio. An additional 275 soil samples collected from Indiana were assessed for H. glycines. For each field, the incidence and prevalence of brown stem rot was assessed in 20 soybean stem pieces. The prevalence and recovery (expressed as the percentage of leaf disks colonized) of P. sojae and the prevalence and population densities of H. glycines were determined from the soil samples. The prevalence of brown stem rot ranged from 28% in Missouri to 73% in Illinois; 68 and 72% of the fields in Minnesota and Iowa, respectively, showed symptomatic samples. The incidence of brown stem rot was greater in conservation-till than in conventional-till fields in all states except Minnesota, which had few no-till fields. P. sojae was detected in two-thirds of the soybean fields in Ohio and Minnesota, whereas 63, 55, and 41% of the fields in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, respectively, were infested with the pathogen. The recovery rates of P. sojae were significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) in conservation-till than in conventional-till fields in all states except Iowa. H. glycines was detected in 83% of the soybean fields in Illinois, 74% in Iowa, 71% in Missouri, 60% in Ohio, 54% in Minnesota, and 47% in Indiana. Both the prevalence and population densities of H. glycines were consistently greater in tilled than in no-till fields in all states for which tillage information was available

Long-Term Outcomes After Curative Resection of HCV-Positive Versus Non-Hepatitis Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: an International Multi-Institutional Analysis

Background: To define the chronological changes of long-term survival among patients with non-hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (Non-Hep-HCC) versus hepatitis C-related HCC (HCV-HCC) over the last two decades. Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection for HCC between 2000 and 2017 were identified from an international multi-institutional database. Overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed and compared among Non-Hep-HCC versus HCV-HCC patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to mitigate residual bias. Results: Among 617 patients, 196 (31.8%) patients had HCV-HCC, whereas 421 (68.2%) patients had Non-Hep-HCC. While patients with HCV-HCC had an improvement in OS over time (5-year OS, 2000-2009 55% vs. 2010-2017 67%, p = 0.034), OS among patients with Non-Hep-HCC remain unchanged (5-year OS, 2000-2009 53% vs. 2010-2017 52%, p = 0.905). In the matched cohort, patients with HCV-HCC had a worse OS versus patients with Non-Hep-HCC during 2000 and 2009 (5-year OS, 12% vs. 63%, p = 0.029), but significantly better OS from 2010 to 2017 than patients with Non-Hep-HCC (5-year OS, 86% vs. 73%, p = 0.035). The recurrence timing, patterns and re-treatments were comparable among Non-Hep-HCC and HCV-HCC patients. Conclusion: While OS of patients with HCV-HCC improved over time, the long-term survival of patients with Non-Hep-HCC patients remained unchanged and was more unfavorable.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Serum α-Fetoprotein Levels at Time of Recurrence Predict Post-Recurrence Outcomes Following Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Introduction: Although preoperative α-fetoprotein (AFP) has been recognized as an important tumor marker among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the predictive value of AFP levels at the time of recurrence (rAFP) on post-recurrence outcomes has not been well examined. Methods: Patients undergoing curative-intent resection of HCC between 2000 and 2017 were identified using a multi-institutional database. The impact of rAFP on post-recurrence survival, as well as the impact of rAFP relative to the timing and treatment of HCC recurrence were examined. Results: Among 852 patients who underwent resection of HCC, 307 (36.0%) individuals developed a recurrence. The median rAFP level was 8 ng/mL (interquartile range 3-100). Among the 307 patients who developed recurrence, 3-year post-recurrence survival was 48.5%. Patients with rAFP > 10 ng/mL had worse 3-year post-recurrence survival compared with individuals with rAFP 10 vs. 10 vs. 10 ng/mL had a twofold higher hazard of death in the post-recurrence setting (hazard ratio 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.26-3.04). Conclusion: AFP levels at the time of recurrence following resection of HCC predicted post-recurrence survival independent of the secondary treatment modality used. Evaluating AFP levels at the time of recurrence can help inform post-recurrence risk stratification of patients with recurrent HCC.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multi-Institutional Development and External Validation of a Nomogram for Prediction of Extrahepatic Recurrence After Curative-Intent Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Backgrounds: Extrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgical resection is associated with unfavorable prognosis. The objectives of the current study were to identify the risk factors and develop a nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence after initial curative surgery. Methods: A total of 635 patients who underwent curative-intent resection for HCC between 2000 and 2017 were identified from an international multi-institutional database. The clinicopathological characteristics, risk factors, and long-term survival of patients with extrahepatic recurrence were analyzed. A nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence was established and validated in 144 patients from an external cohort. Results: Among the 635 patients in the derivative cohort, 283 (44.6%) experienced recurrence. Among patients who recurred, 80 (28.3%) patients had extrahepatic ± intrahepatic recurrence, whereas 203 (71.7%) had intrahepatic recurrence only. Extrahepatic recurrence was associated with more advanced initial tumor characteristics, early recurrence, and worse prognosis versus non-extrahepatic recurrence. A nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence was developed using the β-coefficients from the identified risk factors, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, multiple lesions, tumor size, and microvascular invasion. The nomogram demonstrated good ability to predict extrahepatic recurrence (c-index: training cohort 0.786; validation cohort: 0.845). The calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between estimated and observed extrahepatic recurrence (p = 0.658). Conclusions: An externally validated nomogram was developed with good accuracy to predict extrahepatic recurrence following curative-intent resection of HCC. This nomogram may help identify patients at high risk of extrahepatic recurrence and guide surveillance protocols as well as adjuvant treatments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synergistic Impact of Alpha-Fetoprotein and Tumor Burden on Long-Term Outcomes Following Curative-Intent Resection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Introduction: The prognostic role of tumor burden score (TBS) relative to pre-operative α -fetoprotein (AFP) levels among patients undergoing curative-intent resection of HCC has not been examined. Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection of HCC between 2000 and 2017 were identified from a multi-institutional database. The impact of TBS on overall survival (OS) and cumulative recurrence relative to serum AFP levels was assessed. Results: Among 898 patients, 233 (25.9%) patients had low TBS, 572 (63.7%) had medium TBS and 93 (10.4%) had high TBS. Both TBS (5-year OS; low TBS: 76.9%, medium TBS: 60.9%, high TBS: 39.1%) and AFP (>400 ng/mL vs. <400 ng/mL: 48.5% vs. 66.1%) were strong predictors of outcomes (both p < 0.001). Lower TBS was associated with better OS among patients with both low (5-year OS, low-medium TBS: 68.0% vs. high TBS: 47.7%, p < 0.001) and high AFP levels (5-year OS, low-medium TBS: 53.7% vs. high TBS: not reached, p < 0.001). Patients with low-medium TBS/high AFP had worse OS compared with individuals with low-medium TBS/low AFP (5-year OS, 53.7% vs. 68.0%, p = 0.003). Similarly, patients with high TBS/high AFP had worse outcomes compared with patients with high TBS/low AFP (5-year OS, not reached vs. 47.7%, p = 0.015). Patients with high TBS/low AFP and low TBS/high AFP had comparable outcomes (5-year OS, 47.7% vs. 53.7%, p = 0.24). The positive predictive value of certain TBS groups relative to the risk of early recurrence and 5-year mortality after HCC resection increased with higher AFP levels. Conclusion: Both TBS and serum AFP were important predictors of prognosis among patients with resectable HCC. Serum AFP and TBS had a synergistic impact on prognosis following HCC resection with higher serum AFP predicting worse outcomes among patients with HCC of a certain TBS class.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio