The great melting pot. Common sole population connectivity assessed by otolith and water fingerprints

Quantifying the scale and importance of individual dispersion between populations and life stages is a key challenge in marine ecology. The common sole (Solea solea), an important commercial flatfish in the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, has a marine pelagic larval stage, a benthic juvenile stage in coastal nurseries (lagoons, estuaries or shallow marine areas) and a benthic adult stage in deeper marine waters on the continental shelf. To date, the ecological connectivity among these life stages has been little assessed in the Mediterranean. Here, such an assessment is provided for the first time for the Gulf of Lions, NW Mediterranean, based on a dataset on otolith microchemistry and stable isotopic composition as indicators of the water masses inhabited by individual fish. Specifically, otolith Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca profiles, and delta C-13 and delta O-18 values of adults collected in four areas of the Gulf of Lions were compared with those of young-of-the-year collected in different coastal nurseries. Results showed that a high proportion of adults (>46%) were influenced by river inputs during their larval stage. Furthermore Sr/Ca ratios and the otolith length at one year of age revealed that most adults (similar to 70%) spent their juvenile stage in nurseries with high salinity, whereas the remainder used brackish environments. In total, data were consistent with the use of six nursery types, three with high salinity (marine areas and two types of highly saline lagoons) and three brackish (coastal areas near river mouths, and two types of brackish environments), all of which contributed to the replenishment of adult populations. These finding implicated panmixia in sole population in the Gulf of Lions and claimed for a habitat integrated management of fisherie

Species of Eurydice (Isopoda, Flabellifera) from southern Brazil

This paper reports species of Eurydice (Isopoda, Flabellifera) occurring on the continental shelf of southern Brazil, from lat. 22º00'S. Three species are recorded. E. littoralis (Moore, 1902), is a new occurrence from Brazil. Detailed illustrations and new morphologi cal data are furnished for this species hitherto inadequately described. E. elongata sp. n. and E. emarginata sp. n., are new to science. The flagellar process on the antenna 2, reported in three species of Eurydice, seems to be an exclusively male characteristic, and probably it will also occur in the males of most of the already described species. Genus and species diagnosis are provided, together with a classification key for all species recorded up to date from southern Brazil. All available distributional and ecological infor mation completes the account of each species.No presente trabalho faz-se um levantamento das especies do gênero Eurydice (Isopoda, Flabellifera) ocorrendo na plataforma continental centrosul do Brasil, a partir da Lat. 22º00'S. Tres espécies são assinaladas para a região: E. littoralis (Moore, 1902), E. elongata sp. n. e E. emarginata sp.n. Novos dados morfológicos e detalhadas ilustrações são apresentadas para a espécie E. littoralis. O processo flagelar da antena 2, observado em três espécies de Eurydice, parece constituir uma característica exclusiva dos machos, donde se pressupõe possa também ser encontrado em outros machos de espécies já descritas. São fornecidas diagnoses para o gênero e espécie, assim como urna chave de classificação para todas as espécies tratadas. Tanto quanto possível, observações ecológicas completam a descrição das espécies

Compliance and treatment satisfaction of post menopausal women treated for osteoporosis. Compliance with osteoporosis treatment

International audienceBackgroundAdherence to anti-osteoporosis treatments is poor, exposing treated women to increased fracture risk. Determinants of poor adherence are poorly understood. The study aims to determine physician- and patient- rated treatment compliance with osteoporosis treatments and to evaluate factors influencing compliance.MethodsThis was an observational, cross-sectional pharmacoepidemiological study with a randomly-selected sample of 420 GPs, 154 rheumatologists and 110 gynaecologists practicing in France. Investigators included post-menopausal women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and a treatment initiated in the previous six months. Investigators completed a questionnaire on clinical features, treatments and medical history, and on patient compliance. Patients completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic features, lifestyle, attitudes and knowledge about osteoporosis, treatment compliance, treatment satisfaction and quality of life. Treatment compliance was evaluated with the Morisky Medication-taking Adherence Scale. Variables collected in the questionnaires were evaluated for association with compliance using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results785 women were evaluated. Physicians considered 95.4% of the sample to be compliant, but only 65.5% of women considered themselves compliant. The correlation between patient and physician perceptions of compliance was low (κ: 0.11 [95% CI: 0.06 to 0.16]). Patient-rated compliance was highest for monthly bisphosphonates (79.7%) and lowest for hormone substitution therapy (50.0%). Six variables were associated with compliance: treatment administration frequency, perceptions of long-term treatment acceptability, perceptions of health consequences of osteoporosis, perceptions of knowledge about osteoporosis, exercise and mental quality of life.ConclusionCompliance to anti-osteoporosis treatments is poor. Reduction of dosing regimen frequency and patient education may be useful ways of improving compliance

Quality of life and quality-adjusted survival (Q-TWiST) in patients receiving dose-intensive or standard dose chemotherapy for high-risk primary breast cancer

Quality of life (QL) is an important consideration when comparing adjuvant therapies for early breast cancer, especially if they differ substantially in toxicity. We evaluated QL and Q-TWiST among patients randomised to adjuvant dose-intensive epirubicin and cyclophosphamide administered with filgrastim and progenitor cell support (DI-EC) or standard-dose anthracycline-based chemotherapy (SD-CT). We estimated the duration of chemotherapy toxicity (TOX), time without disease symptoms and toxicity (TWiST), and time following relapse (REL). Patients scored QL indicators. Mean durations for the three transition times were weighted with patient reported utilities to obtain mean Q-TWiST. Patients receiving DI-EC reported worse QL during TOX, especially treatment burden (month 3: P<0.01), but a faster recovery 3 months following chemotherapy than patients receiving SD-CT, for example, less coping effort (P<0.01). Average Q-TWiST was 1.8 months longer for patients receiving DI-EC (95% CI, −2.5 to 6.1). Q-TWiST favoured DI-EC for most values of utilities attached to TOX and REL. Despite greater initial toxicity, quality-adjusted survival was similar or better with dose-intensive treatment as compared to standard treatment. Thus, QL considerations should not be prohibitive if future intensive therapies show superior efficacy

Biophysical Factors Affecting the Distribution of Demersal Fish around the Head of a Submarine Canyon Off the Bonney Coast, South Australia

We sampled the demersal fish community of the Bonney Canyon, South Australia at depths (100–1,500 m) and locations that are poorly known. Seventy-eight species of demersal fish were obtained from 12 depth-stratified trawls along, and to either side, of the central canyon axis. Distributional patterns in species richness and biomass were highly correlated. Three fish assemblage groupings, characterised by small suites of species with narrow depth distributions, were identified on the shelf, upper slope and mid slope. The assemblage groupings were largely explained by depth (ρw = 0.78). Compared to the depth gradient, canyon-related effects are weak or occur at spatial or temporal scales not sampled in this study. A conceptual physical model displayed features consistent with the depth zonational patterns in fish, and also indicated that canyon upwelling can occur. The depth zonation of the fish assemblage was associated with the depth distribution of water masses in the area. Notably, the mid-slope community (1,000 m) coincided with a layer of Antarctic Intermediate Water, the upper slope community (500 m) resided within the core of the Flinders Current, and the shelf community was located in a well-mixed layer of surface water (<450 m depth)

Sequencing of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for early breast cancer

Background After surgery for localised breast cancer, adjuvant radiotherapy improves both local control and breast cancer specific survival. In patients at risk of harbouring micro-metastatic disease, adjuvant chemotherapy improves 15-year survival. However, the best sequence of administering these two types of adjuvant therapy for early stage breast cancer is not clear

Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review

Submarine canyons are major geomorphic features of continental margins around the world. Several recent multidisciplinary projects focused on the study of canyons have considerably increased our understanding of their ecological role, the goods, and services they provide to human populations, and the impacts that human activities have on their overall ecological condition. Pressures from human activities include fishing, dumping of land-based mine tailings, and oil and gas extraction. Moreover, hydrodynamic processes of canyons enhance the down-canyon transport of litter. The effects of climate change may modify the intensity of currents. This potential hydrographic change is predicted to impact the structure and functioning of canyon communities as well as affect nutrient supply to the deep-ocean ecosystem. This review not only identifies the ecological status of canyons, and current and future issues for canyon conservation, but also highlights the need for a better understanding of anthropogenic impacts on canyon ecosystems and proposes other research required to inform management measures to protect canyon ecosystemsVersión del edito

Structuring Factors Of The Cumacean Communities Of The Continental Shelf Of Southeastern Brazil

Cumaceans are benthic crustaceans distributed worldwide, from intertidal to abyssal plains. They live in sandy and muddy bottoms and can sometimes be found in the water column. Despite their ecological importance as food items for fishes and other organisms and their usefulness as environmental indicators, very few studies have investigated their biodiversity and distribution in Brazil. The present paper reports an ecological study of the cumacean species found on the continental shelf off Santos, southeastern Brazil. It investigates the composition and spatio-temporal structure of the communities, the main environmental factors responsible for the maintenance of that structure and analyzes the effects of the seasonal oceanographic changes on the community descriptors. A grid of 21 stations located between 10 and 100 m depth was created in winter 2005 and summer 2006 and the sediment samples collected with a 0.1 m2 box corer. Twenty four species were obtained, five of them being the most numerous: Diastylis sexpectinata, D. sympterygiae, Eudorella sp., Oxyurostylis salinoi and Anchistylis notus, the latter highly dominant in summer. Diastylis sympterygiae was characteristic of the shallowest and least saline stations (< 16 m depth; S = 33.07 - 34.2) in both seasons. Of the total of 919 individuals, nearly 70% occurred in summer. The area was divided into four depth bands and no significant temporal difference was found as regards the density distribution of cumaceans in those bands as between the samples of the two campaigns. There were, however, spatial differences within bands in the summer campaign: the higher values of density, diversity and richness were close to the 50 m isobath in both campaigns, a fact that could well be attributed to the ongoing effect of the South Atlantic Central Water in this area. The results showed also that depth and the sediment particle size were the main structural factors determining the composition and distribution of the cumacean species