The Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals adopted a Resolution in 2005 recognising the impacts of climate change on migratory species. It called on Contracting ...Parties to undertake more research to improve our understanding of these impacts and to implement adaptation measures to reduce foreseeable adverse effects. Given the large diversity of taxa and species affected by climate change, it is impossible to monitor all species and effects thereof. However, it is likely that many of the key ecological and physical processes through which climate change may impact wildlife could be monitored using a suite of indicators, each comprising parameters of species/populations or groups of species as proxies for wider assemblages, habitats and ecosystems. Herein, we identify a suite of 17 indicators whose attributes could reveal negative impacts of climate change on the global status of migratory species: 4 for birds, 4 for marine mammals, 2 for sea turtles, 1 for fish, 3 for land mammals and 3 for bats. A few of these indicators would be relatively straightforward to develop, but most would require additional data collation, and in many cases methodological development. Choosing and developing indicators of the impacts of climate change on migratory species is a challenge, particularly with endangered species, which are subject to many other pressures. To identify and implement conservation measures for these species, indicators must account for the full ensemble of pressures, and link to a system of alerts and triggers for action.
The issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is receiving wide attention from both the scientific and regulatory communities. Recent analyses of the EDC literature have been criticized for ...failing to use transparent and objective approaches to draw conclusions about the strength of evidence linking EDC exposures to adverse health or environmental outcomes. Systematic review methodologies are ideal for addressing this issue as they provide transparent and consistent approaches to study selection and evaluation. Objective methods are needed for integrating the multiple streams of evidence (epidemiology, wildlife, laboratory animal, in vitro, and in silico data) that are relevant in assessing EDCs.
We have developed a framework for the systematic review and integrated assessment (SYRINA) of EDC studies. The framework was designed for use with the International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS) and World Health Organization (WHO) definition of an EDC, which requires appraisal of evidence regarding 1) association between exposure and an adverse effect, 2) association between exposure and endocrine disrupting activity, and 3) a plausible link between the adverse effect and the endocrine disrupting activity.
Building from existing methodologies for evaluating and synthesizing evidence, the SYRINA framework includes seven steps: 1) Formulate the problem; 2) Develop the review protocol; 3) Identify relevant evidence; 4) Evaluate evidence from individual studies; 5) Summarize and evaluate each stream of evidence; 6) Integrate evidence across all streams; 7) Draw conclusions, make recommendations, and evaluate uncertainties. The proposed method is tailored to the IPCS/WHO definition of an EDC but offers flexibility for use in the context of other definitions of EDCs.
When using the SYRINA framework, the overall objective is to provide the evidence base needed to support decision making, including any action to avoid/minimise potential adverse effects of exposures. This framework allows for the evaluation and synthesis of evidence from multiple evidence streams. Finally, a decision regarding regulatory action is not only dependent on the strength of evidence, but also the consequences of action/inaction, e.g. limited or weak evidence may be sufficient to justify action if consequences are serious or irreversible.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The results of long-term monitoring of the Galactic maser source IRAS 18316–0602 (G25.65+1.05) in the water-vapor line at frequency
f
= 22.235 GHz (6
16
–5
23
transitioin) carried out on the 22-m ...Simeiz, 26-m HartRAO, and 26-m Torun radio telescopes are reported. The source has been episodically observed on the Simeiz telescope since 2000, with more regular observations beginning in 2017. A double flare was observed beginning in September 2017 and continuing to February 2018, which was the most powerful flare registered over the entire history of observations of this object. Most of the monitoring of the flare was carried out in a daily regime. Detailed analysis of the variations of the flux density, which reached a maximum value
P
≈ 1.3 × 10
5
Jy, have led to important scientific conclusions about possible mechanisms for the emission in this water line. The exponential growth in the flux density in this double flare testifies that it was associated with a maser that was unsaturated right up to the maximum flux densities observed. An additional argument suggesting the maser was unsaturated is the relatively moderate degree of linear polarization (≈30%), nearly half the value displayed by the Galactic kilomasers in Orion KL. The accurate distance estimate for IRAS 18316–0602 (12.5 kpc) and the flux density at the flare maximum (≈1.3 × 10
5
Jy) makes this the most powerful Galactic kilomaser known. The double form of the flare with exponential rises in flux density rules out the possibility that the flare is the effect of directivity of a radiation beam relative to the observer. The physical nature of the flare is most likely related to internal parameters of the medium in which the maser clumps radiating in the water line are located. A rapid, exponential growth in the flux density of a kilomaser and associated exponential decays requires the presence of an explosive increase in the density of the medium and the photon flux, leading to an increase in the temperature by 10–40 K above the initial base level. A mechanism for the primary energy release in IRAS 18316–0602 is proposed, which is associated with a multiple massive star system located in a stage of evolution preceding its entry onto the main sequence. A flare in this object could initiate gravitational interaction between the central star and a massive companion at its periastron. The resulting powerful gravitational perturbation could lead to the ejection of the envelope of the central supermassive star, which gives rise to an explosive increase in the density and temperature of the associate gas–dust medium when it reaches the disk, where the maser clumps are located.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Powerful flares in Galactic kilomasers are closely associated with regions of intense star formation. They contribute to the elucidation of physical processes occurring in these structures. We have ...recorded a superpowerful flare in the high-velocity −81 km s
−1
line in the Galactic maser source W49N. As a result of our monitoring at the RT-22 (Simeiz), RT-32 (Torun), RT-100 (Effelsberg), and RT-32 (Medicina) radio telescopes in the period from September 2017 to November 2018, we have obtained the shape of the spectral flux density variations in the source with time. At the peak the flux density reached
P
≈5 ×10
4
Jy. The flare has a double pattern and different durations of its components. The pattern of spectral flux density variations for the first flare with a considerably shorter duration is apparently related to a sharp increase in the density of the medium and the photon flux and to a significant rise in the temperature to hundreds of kelvins. We propose a mechanism of primary energy release related to the existence of close massive multiple systems in star-forming regions. A powerful gravitational perturbation at the system’s periastron can lead to a partial ejection of the envelope of the central massive star in a direction close to the major axis of the ellipse of the companion’s orbit. This explains the significant asymmetry of high-velocity lines in W49N. The ejected envelope is an energy source more significant than the stellar wind and can explain the giant flares in the object. Further comprehensive studies in this direction, including monitoring VLBI studies, are needed to confirm this assumption.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
35.
Marine‐derived n‐3 fatty acids therapy for stroke Alvarez Campano, Celia Gabriela; Alvarez Campano, Celia Gabriela; Macleod, Mary Joan ...
Cochrane database of systematic reviews,
06/2019, Volume:
2020, Issue:
12
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Background
Currently, with stroke burden increasing, there is a need to explore therapeutic options that ameliorate the acute insult. There is substantial evidence of a neuroprotective effect of ...marine‐derived n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in experimental stroke, leading to a better functional outcome.
Objectives
To assess the effects of administration of marine‐derived n‐3 PUFAs on functional outcomes and dependence in people with stroke.
Our secondary outcomes were vascular‐related death, recurrent events, incidence of other type of stroke, adverse events, quality of life, and mood.
Search methods
We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group trials register (6 August 2018), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; Issue 1, January 2019), MEDLINE Ovid (from 1948 to 6 August 2018), Embase Ovid (from 1980 to 6 August 2018), CINAHL EBSCO (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; from 1982 to 6 August 2018), Science Citation Index Expanded ‒ Web of Science (SCI‐EXPANDED), Conference Proceedings Citation Index‐Science – Web of Science (CPCI‐S), and BIOSIS Citation Index. We also searched ongoing trial registers, reference lists, relevant systematic reviews, and used the Science Citation Index Reference Search.
Selection criteria
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing marine‐derived n‐3 PUFAs to placebo or open control (no placebo) in people with a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or both.
Data collection and analysis
At least two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of the body of evidence. We contacted study authors for clarification and additional information on stroke/TIA participants. We conducted random‐effects meta‐analysis or narrative synthesis, as appropriate. The primary outcome was efficacy (functional outcome) assessed using a validated scale e.g. Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE) dichotomised into poor or good clinical outcome, Barthel Index (higher score is better; scale from 0 to 100) or Rivermead Mobility Index (higher score is better; scale from 0 to 15).
Main results
We included 29 RCTs; nine of them provided outcome data (3339 participants). Only one study included participants in the acute phase of stroke (haemorrhagic). Doses of marine‐derived n‐3 PUFAs ranged from 400 mg/day to 3300 mg/day. Risk of bias was generally low or unclear in most trials, with a higher risk of bias in smaller studies. We assessed results separately for short (up to three months) and longer (more than three months) follow‐up studies.
Short follow‐up (up to three months)
Functional outcome was reported in only one pilot study as poor clinical outcome assessed with GOSE (risk ratio (RR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36 to 1.68; 40 participants; very low quality evidence). Mood (assessed with GHQ‐30, lower score better), was reported by only one study and favoured control (mean difference (MD) 1.41, 95% CI 0.07 to 2.75; 102 participants; low‐quality evidence).
We found no evidence of an effect of the intervention for the remainder of the secondary outcomes: vascular‐related death (two studies, not pooled due to differences in population, RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 8.00, and RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 7.72; 142 participants; low‐quality evidence); recurrent events (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.02 to 8.84; 18 participants; very low quality evidence); incidence of other type of stroke (two studies, not pooled due to different type of index stroke, RR 6.11, 95% CI 0.33 to 111.71, and RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.58; 58 participants; very low quality evidence); and quality of life (physical component mean difference (MD) −2.31, 95% CI −4.81 to 0.19, and mental component MD −2.16, 95% CI −5.91 to 1.59; one study; 102 participants; low‐quality evidence).
Adverse events were reported by two studies (57 participants; very low quality evidence), one trial reporting extracranial haemorrhage (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.04 to 1.73) and the other one reporting bleeding complications (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.01 to 7.35).
Longer follow‐up (more than three months)
One small trial assessed functional outcome with both Barthel Index (MD 7.09, 95% CI −5.16 to 19.34) for activities of daily living, and Rivermead Mobility Index (MD 1.30, 95% CI −1.31 to 3.91) for mobility (52 participants; very low quality evidence). We carried out meta‐analysis for vascular‐related death (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.35; five studies; 2237 participants; low‐quality evidence) and fatal recurrent events (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.55; three studies; 1819 participants; low‐quality evidence).
We found no evidence of an effect of the intervention for mood (MD 1.00, 95% CI −2.07 to 4.07; one study; 14 participants; low‐quality evidence). Incidence of other type of stroke and quality of life were not reported.
Adverse events (all combined) were reported by only one study (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.58; 1455 participants; low‐quality evidence).
Authors' conclusions
We are very uncertain of the effect of marine‐derived n‐3 PUFAs therapy on functional outcomes and dependence after stroke as there is insufficient high‐quality evidence. More well‐designed RCTs are needed, specifically in acute stroke, to determine the efficacy and safety of the intervention.
Studies assessing functionality might consider starting the intervention as early as possible after the event, as well as using standardised clinically‐relevant measures for functional outcomes, such as the modified Rankin Scale. Optimal doses remain to be determined; delivery forms (type of lipid carriers) and mode of administration (ingestion or injection) also need further consideration.
Representational difference analysis was used to search for pathogens in multiple sclerosis brains. We detected a 341-nucleotide fragment that was 99.4% identical to the major DNA binding protein ...gene of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). Examination of 86 brain specimens by PCR demonstrated that HHV-6 was present in >70% of MS cases and controls and is thus a commensal virus of the human brain. By DNA sequencing, 36/37 viruses from MS cases and controls were typed as HHV-6 variant B group 2. Other herpesviruses, retroviruses, and measles virus were detected infrequently or not at all. HHV-6 expression was examined by immunocytochemistry with monoclonal antibodies against HHV-6 virion protein 101K and DNA binding protein p41. Nuclear staining of oligodendrocytes was observed in MS cases but not in controls, and in MS cases it was observed around plaques more frequently than in uninvolved white matter. MS cases showed prominent cytoplasmic staining of neurons in gray matter adjacent to plaques, although neurons expressing HHV-6 were also found in certain controls. Since destruction of oligodendrocytes is a hallmark of MS, these studies suggest an association of HHV-6 with the etiology or pathogenesis of MS.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Context.
The massive young stellar object (MYSO)
G358.93−0.03-MM1
showed an extraordinary near-infrared- to (sub-)millimetre-dark and far-infrared-loud accretion burst, which is closely associated ...with flares of several class II methanol maser transitions, and, later, a 22 GHz water maser flare.
Aims.
Water maser flares provide an invaluable insight into ejection events associated with accretion bursts. Although the short timescale of the 22 GHz water maser flare made it impossible to carry out a very long baseline interferometry observation, we could track it with the
Karl G. Jansky
Very Large Array (VLA).
Methods.
The evolution of the spatial structure of the 22 GHz water masers and their association with the continuum sources in the region is studied with the VLA during two epochs, pre- and post-H
2
O maser flare.
Results.
A drastic change in the distribution of the water masers is revealed: in contrast to the four maser groups detected during epoch I, only two newly formed clusters are detected during epoch II. The 22 GHz water masers associated with the bursting source MM1 changed in morphology and emission velocity extent.
Conclusions.
Clear evidence of the influence of the accretion burst on the ejection from
G358.93−0.03-MM1
is presented. The accretion event has also potentially affected a region with a radius of ∼2″ (∼13 500 AU at 6.75 kpc), suppressing water masers associated with other point sources in this region.
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FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT We report the detection of significant flaring events of the water masers associated with W49N using the radio telescopes RT-22 (Simeiz) and RT-32 (Torun). Two flares were detected between ...2017 September to 2018 November. The −81 km s−1 water-maser feature reached a maximum of ∼50 kJy during these flares. The correlation of the observed exponential growth in flux density with a decreasing line width is consistent with the expected behaviour of an unsaturated maser. Possible mechanisms producing energy releases sufficient to power the water-maser flares in W49N are discussed.
Survival rates after surgery for rectal cancer remain at about 40% at 5 years from diagnosis. The aim of this study was to find out whether local recurrence rate could be reduced and survival ...increased by a moderately high dose of preoperative radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced, but otherwise operable, carcinoma of the rectum.
We carried out a prospective randomised trial of surgery alone (n=140) versus surgery preceded by 40 Gy radiotherapy (n=139) given in 20 fractions of 2 Gy over 4 weeks. The patients, from 20 regional centres throughout the UK, were enrolled between 1981 and 1989, and followed up for a minimum of 5 years or to death.
217 patients died, 114 of 140 allocated surgery alone and 103 of 139 allocated preoperative radiotherapy: median survival times were 24 months and 31 months, respectively. The hazard ratio for overall survival was 0·79 (95% CI 0·60–1·04, p=0·10). At 5 years' follow-up 65 patients allocated surgery alone and 50 who received preoperative radiotherapy had local recurrence (hazard ratio 0·68 0·47–0·98, p=0·04); the corresponding numbers of patients with distant recurrence were 67 and 49 (hazard ratio 0·66 0·46–0·95, p=0·02). There was a significant benefit of radiotherapy on disease-free survival (hazard ratio 0·76 0·58–1·0, p=0·05). There was no increase in postoperative or late complications in the radiotherapy group.
Our results provide further evidence that preoperative radiotherapy can reduce the rate of local recurrence of rectal cancer in patients with locally advanced disease. However, survival results are still equivocal, and so we must await the results of a meta-analysis of all radiotherapy trials from which precise and definitive results, particularly for survival, may be obtained.
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DOBA, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, VSZLJ
Purpose: Rapamycin has been shown to have antitumor effects in various tumor models. To study the effect of rapamycin at different
stages of breast cancer development, we used two unique mouse models ...of breast cancer with activated phosphatidylinositol
3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Met-1 tumors are highly invasive and metastatic, and mammary intraepithelial neoplasia-outgrowths
(MIN-O), a model for human ductal carcinoma in situ , are transplantable premalignant mammary lesions that develop invasive carcinoma with predictable latencies. Both of these
models were derived from mammary lesions in Tg( MMTV-PyV-mT ) mice.
Experimental Design: Met-1 tumors were used to study the effect of rapamycin treatment on invasive disease. Transplanted MIN-O model was used
to study the effect of rapamycin on premalignant mammary lesions. Animals were in vivo micro–positron emission tomography imaged to follow the lesion growth and transformation to tumor during the treatment. Cell
proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis was assayed by immunohistochemistry.
Results: Rapamycin inhibited in vitro tumor cell proliferation and in vivo Met-1 tumor growth. The growth inhibition was correlated with dephosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) targets.
Rapamycin treatment significantly reduced the growth of the premalignant MIN-O lesion, as well as tumor incidence and tumor
burden. Growth inhibition was associated with reduced cell proliferation and angiogenesis and increased apoptosis.
Conclusions: In PyV-mT mouse mammary models, rapamycin inhibits the growth of premalignant lesions and invasive tumors. Although the inhibitory
effect of rapamycin was striking, rapamycin treatment did not completely obliterate the lesions.
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