The NOA (Oncological Nutrition in Andalusia) project analyses the degree of integration and areas of improvement in implementing nutritional support in the care plans of cancer patients in Andalusia. ...The aim was to analyse nutritional interventions for better care of cancer patients and for the improvement of the management of malnutrition in cancer. A prospective evaluation of the implementation of two areas of improvement in nutrition was conducted in three hospitals. Data were collected from each hospital over a six-month period using an online platform. A standardised care plan was designed for hospitals in Andalusia, in which proposed improvements were devised and prioritised, selecting nutritional screening in oncology services and the participation of the Nutrition Support Team (NST) on the tumour boards, as well as the assessment of the patients presented at these sessions. Our results indicated an increase in the number of medical records with nutritional evaluation results six months later, regardless of the type of tumour or hospitalisation; and there was greater participation of the NST on the tumour boards, mainly for head and neck and oesophagogastric cases. Solutions for improvement have been pinpointed and implemented that have positively impacted the nutritional care plan in the course of oncological disease.
Dairy production in Holstein cows in a semiarid environment is challenging due to heat stress. Under such conditions, genetic selection for heat tolerance appears to be a useful strategy. The ...objective was to validate molecular markers associated with milk production and thermotolerance traits in Holstein cows managed in a hot and humid environment. Lactating cows (
= 300) exposed to a heat stress environment were genotyped using a medium-density array including 53,218 SNPs. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) detected six SNPs associated with total milk yield (MY305) that surpassed multiple testing (
< 1.14 × 10
). These SNPs were further validated in 216 Holstein cows from two independent populations that were genotyped using the TaqMan bi-allelic discrimination method and qPCR. In these cows, only the SNPs rs8193046, rs43410971, and rs382039214, within the genes
,
, and
, respectively, were associated (
< 0.05) with MY305, rectal temperature (RT), and respiratory rate. Interestingly, these variables improved as the number of favorable genotypes of the SNPs increased from 0 to 3. In addition, a regression analysis detected RT as a significant predictor (R
= 0.362) for MY305 in cows with >1 favorable genotype, suggesting this close relationship was influenced by genetic markers. In conclusion, SNPs in the genes
,
, and
appear to be involved in the molecular mechanism that regulates milk production in cows under heat-stressed conditions. These SNPs are proposed as thermotolerance genetic markers for a selection program to improve the milk performance of lactating Holstein cows managed in a semiarid environment.
Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is caused by mutations in the CYP21 gene. Approximately 95% of mutant alleles are generated by recombination events between the active gene CYP21 and its highly ...homologous pseudogene, CYP21P. Deletion alleles are generated by unequal crossing over, while point mutations are the result of gene conversion events. Deletions account for 20-25% of the 21-hydroxylase deficiency alleles in most populations studied. We have looked for deletions among 53 unrelated Mexican patients with steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency and found that deletions represent less than 1% of the disease alleles. These findings suggest that nearly all mutant alleles in our patient population contain point mutations and that the low representation of deletion alleles among clinically diagnosed patients may be due to missing detection of salt wasters, mainly males, who may die during the neonatal period.
•The southeastern Galapagos shelf ecosystem is developing, stable and resilient.•Top predators fulfill a role in the ecosystem’s order maintenance and its resilience.•Threatened, endemic and ...commercial species contribute to the ecosystem structure.•Low trophic level species play an important role in the ecosystem specialization.•There is a low risk of ecosystem overfishing in the Galapagos Archipelago.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, hosting a high species diversity and endemism and supporting economically important artisanal fisheries for local people and tourists. To ensure proper management and conservation of species in an ecosystem is necessary to determine the species’ contributions to ecosystem functions and organization. We characterized the structure and functioning of the southeastern Galapagos Archipelago shelf ecosystem by building a mass balanced Ecopath model representing the period 2001–2004. The model considered 72 functional groups, emphasizing endemic or threatened species (EoTS), commercial species and seven fishing fleets. Various ecological network analysis indicators were used to determine the status of the ecosystem. Structural and flow-based indices, trophic interactions among groups and keystone species indices were used to determine the ecological role of the species, while fishing pressure indicators were analyzed to determine the sustainability of the fisheries. The results indicate the ecosystem has a middle developing level, is stable and resilient. Marine mammals, sharks, birds and fish with high trophic level (TLs) play roles in maintaining the order of the ecosystem and its resilience. Among these groups highlight several EoTS (e.g., the Galapagos sea lion), and some species of commercial value (e.g., the Galapagos sailfin grouper). EoTS and commercial species are important contributors to the ecosystem structure, but those with a lower TL contribute the most to the energy transfer. These findings suggest that certain commercial species deserve more protection as they contribute in a similar way as EoTS to important ecosystem functions. Contrary to what was expected, the results suggest the fishing activities produce moderate impacts, mainly on fisheries target species, but without significantly affecting the ecosystem functions. However, further studies are recommended to reinforce these findings. This model provides information useful for the design of management strategies that balance the conservation and exploitation of the Galapagos marine resources.
: To compare complications associated with percutaneous gastrostomies performed using PUSH and PULL techniques, whether endoscopic (PEG) or radiological (PRG), in a tertiary-level hospital.
: This ...was a prospective observational study. Adult patients who underwent percutaneous PULL or PUSH gastrostomy using PEG or PRG techniques at the Virgen del Rocio University Hospital and subsequently followed up in the Nutrition Unit between 2009-2020 were included. X2 tests or Fisher's test were used for the comparison of proportions when necessary. Univariate analysis was conducted to study risk factors for PRG-associated complications.
:
= 423 (PULL = 181; PUSH = 242). The PULL technique was associated with a higher percentage of total complications (37.6% vs. 23.8%;
= 0.005), exudate (18.2% vs. 11.2%;
= 0.039), and irritation (3.3% vs. 0%;
= 0.006). In the total sample, there were 5 (1.1%) cases of peritonitis, 3 (0.7%) gastrocolic fistulas, and 1 (0.2%) death due to complications associated with gastrostomy. Gender, age, and different indications were not risk factors for a higher number of complications. The most common indications were neurological diseases (35.9%), head and neck cancer (29%), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (17.2%).
: The PULL technique was associated with more total complications than the PUSH technique, but both were shown to be safe techniques, as the majority of complications were minor.
•SNPs in heat-stress related genes were associated with fertility traits in Holstein cows.•Gene markers allowed to construct an MBV capable to predict pregnancy rate in cows.•Heritability estimates ...were 0.06 for days open (DO) and 0.04 for pregnancy rate (PR)•The additive genetic variance explained by the MBVs was 2.5% for DO and 9.6% for PR.•Significant correlations among molecular and quantitative predictors were detected.
Reproductive management in lactating Holstein cattle is a challenge for dairy producers in Northwestern Mexico where a semi-desert, yet humid, environment is predominant. Under such conditions, a superior cow's ability to get pregnant early during postpartum is desirable to reduce the number of days open and improve fertility parameters. The objective of this study was to predict days open (DO) and pregnancy rate (PR) using molecular markers associated with fertility in lactating Holstein cows managed in a warm climate. This study included 510 cows from three dairy herds located in the Yaqui Valley of Sonora. A blood sample was collected from every cow and spotted onto FTA cards. Each cow was genotyped for 179 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 43 genes in the prolactin and GH-IGF1 pathways. An association mixed-effects model identified three SNPs within the genes AVPR1A, PRLR and SSTR2 associated with DO (P < 0.05), and five SNPs within the genes IGFBP2, IGFBP5, PRLR, PIAS1 and SSTR2 associated with PR (P < 0.05). The SNP effects were estimated and used to calculate the individual molecular breeding values (MBV) for DO and PR. Average MBV were 20.91 ± 0.21 d and 0.29 ± 0.003% for DO and PR, respectively. The correlation between the MBV and DO was 0.0008 (P = 0.968), whereas correlation between MBV and the estimated breeding value (EBV) for DO was −0.16 (P < 0.001) with an adjusted coefficient of determination (R2) of 2.5%. For PR, its correlation with the MBV was 0.15 (P < 0.001) with a R2 of 2.2%, whereas the correlation between MBV and the EBV for PR was 0.31 (P < 0.001) with a R2 of 9.6%. Heritability estimates were 0.06 ± 0.11 and 0.04 ± 0.06 for DO and PR, respectively. In conclusion, candidate gene SNPs from the prolactin and GH-IGF1 pathways were effectively used to construct an MBV for fertility traits in heat-stressed Holstein cattle. These SNPs explained only a small amount of variation for PR, but not for DO; therefore, additional research using denser SNP panels and a larger population is suggested to improve the power of the MBV as genetic predictor for fertility traits in lactating dairy cows managed under warm environmental conditions.
The lactation curve in dairy cows is influenced by the calving season, which is highly dependent on the warm climate in semi-arid regions. Objective herein was to evaluate effects of calving season ...on the parameters and components of the lactation curve in Holstein cows. The study included 278,317 milk records collected from 1086 cows from the 1st to 5th calving and good body condition score. The cows were grouped according to the season in which they calved: winter-calved (CS1), summer-calved (CS2), and autumn-calved cows (CS3). Ambient temperature and humidity data were used to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI). The NLIN procedure was used to estimate the parameters of the lactation curve that served to calculate the components. The mixed procedure was executed to analyze the fixed effect of calving season. Associations between lactation curve traits were tested using correlation and regression analyses. A univariate model was utilized to calculate heritability. Average THI values during the lactation period were 73.5, 68.5, and 69.5 units for CS1, CS2, and CS3 groups, respectively. Initial milk production and increasing rate to the maximum milk yield in CS1 and CS3 groups were higher (
P
< 0.05) than CS2 cows. However, persistency and total milk yield during the entire lactation period were superior (
P
< 0.05) for CS2 and CS3 cows compared to CS1 cows, probably due to the moderate heat stress during the lactation period in the CS1 group. In cows from CS2 and CS3 groups, total milk production at 305 days was moderately correlated with initial milk production (
r
= 0.47;
P
< 0.05), and highly correlated with milk yield at peak day (
r
= 0.91;
P
< 0.05) which resulted as reliable predictor for total milk yield during the entire lactation (
R
2
= 0.83). In conclusion, the THI prevailing during the different calving seasons appeared to be an important factor influencing the performance of the lactation curve.
Anti‐programmed death‐1 (anti‐PD1) treatment has significantly improved outcomes of advanced melanoma with a considerable percentage of patients achieving complete response (CR). This real‐world ...study analyzed the feasibility of elective anti‐PD1 discontinuation in advanced melanoma patients with CR and evaluated factors related to sustained response. Thirty‐five patients with advanced cutaneous or primary unknown melanoma with CR to nivolumab or pembrolizumab from 11 centers were included. Mean age was 66.5 years, and 97.1% had ECOG PS 0–1. 28.6% had ≥3 metastatic sites with 58.8% having M1a‐M1b disease; 8.6% had liver and 5.7% had brain metastases. At baseline, 80% had normal LDH, and 85.7% had a neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio ≤3. 74.3% of patients had CR confirmed in PET‐CT. Median duration of anti‐PD1 was 23.4 months (range 1.3–50.5). 24 months after therapy discontinuation, 91.9% of patients were progression‐free. Estimated PFS and OS at 36, 48, and 60 months from the start of anti‐PD1 were 94.2%, 89.9%, 84.3%, and 97.1%, 93.3%, 93.3%, respectively. Antibiotics use after anti‐PD1 discontinuation increased the odds of progression (OR 16.53 95% CI 1.7, 226.03). The study confirms the feasibility of elective anti‐PD1 discontinuation in advanced melanoma patients with CR and favorable prognostic factors at baseline.
PDF
