Terroir, the unique interaction between genotype, environment, and culture, is highly refined in domesticated grape (Vitis vinifera). Toward cultivating terroir, the science of ampelography tried to ...distinguish thousands of grape cultivars without the aid of genetics. This led to sophisticated phenotypic analyses of natural variation in grape leaves, which within a palmate-lobed framework exhibit diverse patterns of blade outgrowth, hirsuteness, and venation patterning. Here, we provide a morphometric analysis of more than 1,200 grape accessions. Elliptical Fourier descriptors provide a global analysis of leaf outlines and lobe positioning, while a Procrustes analysis quantitatively describes venation patterning. Correlation with previous ampelography suggests an important genetic component, which we confirm with estimates of heritability. We further use RNA-Seq of mutant varieties and perform a genome-wide association study to explore the genetic basis of leaf shape. Meta-analysis reveals a relationship between leaf morphology and hirsuteness, traits known to correlate with climate in the fossil record and extant species. Together, our data demonstrate a genetic basis for the intricate diversity present in grape leaves. We discuss the possibility of using grape leaves as a breeding target to preserve terroir in the face of anticipated climate change, a major problem facing viticulture.
BACKGROUND: Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses is a widespread, performance‐limiting syndrome believed to develop in response to inhaled irritants in the barn environment. OBJECTIVES: To ...evaluate changes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology and exposure to particulates, endotoxin, and ammonia during horses' first month in training. ANIMALS: Forty‐nine client‐owned 12‐ to 36‐month‐old Thoroughbred horses entering race training. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, a convenience sample of horses was assigned to be fed hay from a net (n = 16), whereas the remaining horses were fed hay from the ground (n = 33). BALF was collected at enrollment and after 14 and 28 days in training. Respirable particulate, inhalable particulate, respirable endotoxin, and ammonia concentrations were measured at the breathing zone of each horse weekly. RESULTS: Median respirable particulates were significantly higher when horses were fed from hay nets than when fed hay from the ground (hay net 0.28 mg/m³, no hay net 0.055 mg/m³, P < .001). Likewise, inhalable particulate (hay net 8.3 mg/m³, no hay net 3.3 mg/m³, P = .0064) and respirable endotoxin (hay net 173.4 EU/m³, no hay net 59.2 EU/m³, P = .018) exposures were significantly higher when horses were fed from hay nets. Feeding hay from a net resulted in significantly higher BALF eosinophil proportions over time (P < .001). BALF eosinophils were significantly related to respirable particulate exposure (14 days in training rₛ = 0.37, P = .012, 28 days in training, rₛ = 0.38, P = .017). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Pulmonary eosinophilic inflammation develops in response to respirable particulate exposure in young Thoroughbreds, indicating a potential hypersensitivity to inhaled particulate allergens.
Inhalant exposure to airborne irritants commonly encountered in horse stables is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), ...non‐infectious, inflammatory pulmonary disorders that impact the health and performance of horses across all equine disciplines. IAD and RAO have overlapping clinical, cytological, and functional manifestations of the pulmonary response to organic dust and noxious gases encountered in the barn environment. Study of these diseases has provided important but incomplete understanding of the effect of air quality upon the respiratory health of horses. In this review, the principles of particulate exposure assessment, including health‐related aerosol size fractions and size‐selective sampling, the factors influencing air quality in equine environments, and the effect of air quality on the equine respiratory tract are discussed. The objective of this review is to provide the reader with a summary of the most common chronic inflammatory airway diseases in the horse and the principles of air sampling that are essential to the planning, interpretation, and assessment of equine respiratory health‐related exposure studies.
Prostate Cancer Trends in Montana Zimmerman, Heather J N
Journal of registry management,
2022-Winter, 20220101, Letnik:
49, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Montana and the second-most-common cause of cancer deaths. In 2014, prostate cancer incidence in Montana started increasing significantly, even ...as incidence in the United States overall stayed about the same. The increased incidence was not accompanied by an increase in prostate cancer mortality. Trends in local stage incidence and incidence among men aged 65 to 79 years mirrored the trends in overall prostate cancer incidence and suggest that changes are due to screening behavior. However, it is difficult to determine what may have caused increased screening among Montana men since 2014. Monitoring prostate cancer incidence and mortality is an important tool in determining if there is a change in prostate cancer disease burden or in overdiagnosis, and informs planning for possible public health intervention.
Background
Although self‐expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement as bridge to surgery (BTS) in patients with left‐sided obstructing colonic cancer has shown promising short‐term results, it is used ...infrequently owing to uncertainty about its oncological safety. This population study compared long‐term oncological outcomes between emergency resection and SEMS placement as BTS.
Methods
Through a national collaborative research project, long‐term outcome data were collected for all patients who underwent resection for left‐sided obstructing colonic cancer between 2009 and 2016 in 75 Dutch hospitals. Patients were identified from the Dutch Colorectal Audit database. SEMS as BTS was compared with emergency resection in the curative setting after 1 : 2 propensity score matching.
Results
Some 222 patients who had a stent placed were matched to 444 who underwent emergency resection. The overall SEMS‐related perforation rate was 7·7 per cent (17 of 222). Three‐year locoregional recurrence rates after SEMS insertion and emergency resection were 11·4 and 13·6 per cent (P = 0·457), disease‐free survival rates were 58·8 and 52·6 per cent (P = 0·175), and overall survival rates were 74·0 and 68·3 per cent (P = 0·231), respectively. SEMS placement resulted in significantly fewer permanent stomas (23·9 versus 45·3 per cent; P < 0·001), especially in elderly patients (29·0 versus 57·9 per cent; P < 0·001). For patients in the SEMS group with or without perforation, 3‐year locoregional recurrence rates were 18 and 11·0 per cent (P = 0·432), disease‐free survival rates were 49 and 59·6 per cent (P = 0·717), and overall survival rates 61 and 75·1 per cent (P = 0·529), respectively.
Conclusion
Overall, SEMS as BTS seems an oncologically safe alternative to emergency resection with fewer permanent stomas. Nevertheless, the risk of SEMS‐related perforation, as well as permanent stoma, might influence shared decision‐making for individual patients.
The disease‐free and overall survival of patients with left‐sided obstructive colonic cancer treated with either emergency resection or stent placement and elective resection was compared using a propensity score‐matched analysis. No difference was found in any of the oncological outcome measures. Patients treated with stent placement, however, had significantly fewer permanent stomas.
Self‐expandable metal stent oncologically safe
Background. Enteric fever is a major global problem. Emergence of antibacterial resistance threatens to render current treatments ineffective. There is little research or public health effort ...directed toward Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A, because it is assumed to cause less severe enteric fever than does S. enterica serovar Typhi. There are few data on which to base this assumption, little is known of the serovar's antibacterial susceptibilities, and there is no readily available tolerable vaccination. Methods. A prospective study was conducted of 609 consecutive cases of enteric fever (confirmed by blood culture) to compare the clinical phenotypes and antibacterial susceptibilities in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A infections. Variables independently associated with either infection were identified to develop a diagnostic rule to distinguish the infections. All isolates were tested for susceptibility to antibacterials. Results. Six hundred nine patients (409 with S. Typhi infection and 200 with S. Paratyphi A infection) presented during the study period. The infections were clinically indistinguishable and had equal severity. Nalidixic acid resistance, which predicts a poor response to fluoroquinolone treatment, was extremely common (75.25% of S. Paratyphi A isolates and 50.5% of S. Typhi isolates; P < .001). S. Paratyphi A was more likely to be resistant to ofloxacin (3.6% vs. 0.5%; P = .007) or to have intermediate susceptibility to ofloxacin (28.7% vs. 1.8%; P < .001) or ciprofloxacin (39.4% vs. 8.2%; P < .001). MICs for S. Paratyphi A were higher than for S. Typhi (MIC of ciprofloxacin, 0.75 vs. 0.38 µg/mL P < .001; MIC of ofloxacin, 2.0 vs. 0.75 µg/mL P < .001). Conclusions. The importance of S. Paratyphi A has been underestimated. Infection is common, the agent causes disease as severe as that caused by S. Typhi and is highly likely to be drug resistant. Drug resistance and lack of effective vaccination suggest that S. Paratyphi A infection may become a major world health problem.
Background: The increasing sub-classification of cancer patients due to more detailed molecular classification of tumors, and limitations of current trial designs, require innovative research ...designs. We present the design, governance and current standing of three comprehensive nationwide cohorts including pancreatic, esophageal/gastric, and colorectal cancer patients (NCT02070146). Multidisciplinary collection of clinical data, tumor tissue, blood samples, and patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures with a nationwide coverage, provides the infrastructure for future and novel trial designs and facilitates research to improve outcomes of gastrointestinal cancer patients.
Material and methods: All patients aged ≥18 years with pancreatic, esophageal/gastric or colorectal cancer are eligible. Patients provide informed consent for: (1) reuse of clinical data; (2) biobanking of primary tumor tissue; (3) collection of blood samples; (4) to be informed about relevant newly identified genomic aberrations; (5) collection of longitudinal PROs; and (6) to receive information on new interventional studies and possible participation in cohort multiple randomized controlled trials (cmRCT) in the future.
Results: In 2015, clinical data of 21,758 newly diagnosed patients were collected in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Additional clinical data on the surgical procedures were registered in surgical audits for 13,845 patients. Within the first two years, tumor tissue and blood samples were obtained from 1507 patients; during this period, 1180 patients were included in the PRO registry. Response rate for PROs was 90%. The consent rate to receive information on new interventional studies and possible participation in cmRCTs in the future was >85%. The number of hospitals participating in the cohorts is steadily increasing.
Conclusion: A comprehensive nationwide multidisciplinary gastrointestinal cancer cohort is feasible and surpasses the limitations of classical study designs. With this initiative, novel and innovative studies can be performed in an efficient, safe, and comprehensive setting.
We demonstrate that deformation of partially molten ductile rocks can produce melt segregation by two‐phase flow. In simple shear experiments on several melt‐rock systems at high temperature and ...pressure, melt segregates into distinct melt‐rich layers oriented 20° to the shear plane. Melt segregates in samples in which pressure gradients can develop at length scales less than the sample thickness. A simple scaling argument combined with a comparison of length scale data suggests that such pressure gradients can develop in the samples with compaction lengths less than or on the order of the sample thickness. In nature, stress‐driven melt segregation may produce both high‐permeability pathways that contribute to rapid extraction of melt and localization of deformation that increases the anisotropy in viscosity of partially molten regions of the upper mantle and lower crust.
Abstract
Aims
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by ventricular dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Adequate arrhythmic risk assessment is important to ...prevent sudden cardiac death. We aimed to study the incremental value of strain by feature-tracking cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (FT-CMR) in predicting sustained VA in ARVC patients.
Methods and results
CMR images of 132 ARVC patients (43% male, 40.6 ± 16.0 years) without prior VA were analysed for global and regional right and left ventricular (RV, LV) strain. Primary outcome was sustained VA during follow-up. We performed multivariable regression assessing strain, in combination with (i) RV ejection fraction (EF); (ii) LVEF; and (iii) the ARVC risk calculator. False discovery rate adjusted P-values were given to correct for multiple comparisons and c-statistics were calculated for each model. During 4.3 (2.0–7.9) years of follow-up, 19% of patients experienced sustained VA. Compared to patients without VA, those with VA had significantly reduced RV longitudinal (P ≤ 0.03) and LV circumferential (P ≤ 0.04) strain. In addition, patients with VA had significantly reduced biventricular EF (P ≤ 0.02). After correcting for RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC risk calculator separately in multivariable analysis, both RV and LV strain lost their significance hazard ratio 1.03–1.18, P > 0.05. Likewise, while strain improved the c-statistic in combination with RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC risk calculator separately, this did not reach statistical significance (P ≥ 0.18).
Conclusion
Both RV longitudinal and LV circumferential strain are reduced in ARVC patients with sustained VA during follow-up. However, strain does not have incremental value over RVEF, LVEF, and the ARVC VA risk calculator.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) runs in families. Prior family studies surveyed patients inquiring about family history without surveying family members. The stigma associated with IBS may lead ...relatives to not share information with others, resulting in underestimates of familial aggregation of IBS. The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of patient‐report of family history of IBS in cases and controls, and to estimate familial aggregation of IBS using both a case–control and a family‐study design. Fifty cases and 53 controls completed symptom questionnaires and provided contact information for first‐degree relatives. Questionnaires were mailed to relatives. Relatives were considered to have IBS if they met Rome criteria and did not have an alternate GI diagnosis. Cases and controls identified 573 relatives in their families. A total of 202 (51%) of 396 living relatives participated. The kappa statistics between proband‐ and relative‐reported IBS for case‐ and control‐relatives were 0.27 and 0.04. Cases reported 21% of relatives had IBS; relative‐reports showed 37% (P = 0.003). Controls reported 4% of relatives had IBS; relative‐reports showed 16% (P = 0.013). Regardless of whether the proband or the relative themselves were the information source, case‐relatives were threefold as likely to have IBS than control‐relatives (P < 0.05). However, overall rates were higher when data collected from relatives were used. Regardless of approach, strong familial aggregation of IBS was observed. Cases and controls underestimated the frequency of IBS in their relatives and agreement between proband‐ and relative‐report of IBS status was extremely poor, thus emphasizing the need for direct data collection from relatives in IBS family studies.
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