Slow Growth Rate Research Articles

Genetic Engineering in Mycobacteria

Abstract Genetic tools for targeted modification of the mycobacterial genome contribute to the understanding of the physiology and virulence mechanisms of mycobacteria. Human and animal pathogens, such as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, which causes tuberculosis, and M. leprae, which causes leprosy, are of particular importance. Genetic research opens up novel opportunities to identify and validate new targets for antibacterial drugs and to develop improved vaccines. Although mycobacteria are difficult to work with due to their slow growth rate and a limited possibility to transfer genetic information, significant progress has been made in developing genetic engineering methods for mycobacteria. The review considers the main approaches to changing the mycobacterial genome in a targeted manner, including homologous and site-specific recombination and use of the CRISPR/Cas system.

Paragangliomas of the head and neck: a contemporary review.

Head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) are slow-growing, vascular, typically benign tumors whose growth may induce significant lower cranial nerve deficits. While most tumors arise sporadically, a significant portion is associated with defined genetic syndromes. While surgical resection has historically been the gold standard, management strategies have evolved with acknowledgement of high surgical morbidity, slow tumor growth rates, and technological advances. Conservative management approaches via observation and newer radiation therapy techniques have become more common. This review seeks to provide an update on contemporary management strategies for HNPGLs and future directions.

Spatiotemporal variations and relationships of absorbing aerosol-radiation-gross primary productivity over China.

High-load carbonaceous and dust aerosols can significantly reduce direct radiation (DIRR), which would affect photosynthesis in terrestrial ecosystems, thereby further affecting the productivity of vegetation. Based on this, a variety of remote sensing data were used to study the spatiotemporal distributions and changing tendencies of the absorbing aerosols, CO, DIRR, and gross primary productivity (GPP) in China during 2005-2019; then, the relationships were analyzed between different types of absorbing aerosols and DIRR as well as GPP. The results showed that the annual mean absorbing aerosols index (AAI) in China during 2005-2019 was 0.39, with a slow growth rate of 0.02year-1, and the emission of CO showed a decreasing trend with each passing year, especially in North China Plain and Sichuan Basin. Carbonaceous and dust aerosols were predominantly bounded by Hu line. The east of Hu line was the dominant area of carbonaceous aerosols, and the west of Hu line was the topographical region of dust aerosols. Near the Hu line was the dominant area of carbonaceous-dust aerosols. However, the Karamay-Urumqi-Hami area and Northeast China Plain were exceptional. During the vegetation growing season, different types of absorbing aerosols significantly negatively affected GPP. From a perspective of regional scale variation pattern, the negative effect of absorbing aerosols on vegetation productivity was the most significant in Northeast China; from the perspective of the effects of different vegetation types, the negative effect of absorbing aerosols on grasslands was greater than that of woodlands; from the perspective of the composition characteristics of aerosols, the negative effect of dust aerosols on GPP was greater than that of carbonaceous aerosols.

Review on n-3 HUFA and Live Food Organism for Marine Fish Larvae Nutrition

Marine fish farm industries face ongoing challenges due to a lack of quality seed, a low survival rate and a slow growth rate of marine fish larvae. One of the most sensitive problems is a nutritionally balanced quality feed for rearing these larval fish at the first feeding stage. Many studies have reported high requirements of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, mainly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for proper development, which have also been reported to increase the survival and growth status of larval fish. Marine fish larvae have difficulties accepting artificial feed at their weaning stage, so live food plays a vital role in the rearing process. Artemia is one of the most commonly used live food organisms in marine fish larvae production systems. However, they are deficient in EPA and DHA, which are most critical for larval development. Recent advancements in live food production systems have developed several techniques of bio-encapsulation and enrichment of nutrients in live food. But the instability of DHA and the high cost of enrichment procedures remain-bottlenecks for supplying proper nutrients through live food. This short review emphasizes challenges in marine fish larvae culture in terms of HUFAs nutrition with a comparative study on DHA requirements of marine larval fish and its availability in live food organism Artemia. We also highlighted several factors affecting DHA enrichment process and its degradation following enrichment procedures.

Integration of host-pathogen functional genomics data into the chromosome-level genome assembly of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

Disease resilience is of utmost relevance for turbot aquaculture. Several infective diseases, covering a broad spectrum from viruses, bacteria to different parasites, have been identified by industry. Since they increase mortality rates, reduce feed conversion ratios and slow down growth rate, genetic breeding programs for increasing disease resilience are recognized as a useful alternative for controlling pathologies. For this, knowledge of the genetic basis underlying resilience using genomic tools is essential to develop the best effective breeding strategies. In the present study, we compiled the existing genomic information generated in the last decade to construct an integrated atlas of candidate genes and genomic regions involved in pathogen resistance against the main turbot industrial pathogens (Aeromonas salmonicida, Philasterides dicentrarchi, Enteromyxum scophthalmi and the VHS virus) within the chromosome-level turbot genome assembly recently released. Information comprehends reannotated differentially expressed genes (DEG) in different tissues along temporal series, QTL markers associated with important productive traits (disease resistance and growth) and signatures of domestic or wild selection, represented by runs of homozygosity (ROHi) islands and outlier markers for divergent selection. Most genetic features were successfully relocated in the turbot assembly including 81.1% of the total DEGs, plus all QTL markers, ROHi and outlier markers. The updated annotation of DEGs for resistance to each pathology demonstrated significant changes. While the new annotation of 53–83% of the DEGs was coherent with the original, roughly 10–24% showed imprecise annotations in both assembly versions, ∼5% lost their original annotation and 2–24% were now annotated. Functional enrichment revealed mostly functions related to immune response, such as chemotaxis, apoptosis regulation, leukocyte differentiation, cell adhesion, iron homeostasis and vascular permeability. Some DEGs, such as celsr1a (cadherin EGF LAG seen-pass G-type receptor 1), fgg (fibrinogen gamma chain) and c1qtnf9 (C1q and TNF related 9) were found near pathogen-associated QTL markers. Also, some shared DEGs for resistance to all pathogens were positioned near QTL markers or ROHi, such as hamp (hepcidin-1), plg (plasminogen) and a fibrinogen alpha chain-like gene. Overall, our results provide an integrative insight into the genetic architecture of turbot response to a range of pathogens that could prove useful for future genomic studies to benefit aquaculture breeding programs.

Influence of Politics on Women’s Participation in Social Development in Turkana Central Sub-County, Turkana County, Kenya

Women’s participation in social development is fundamental for accomplishing social equity as well as reducing poverty. Worldwide experience shows clearly that supporting a stronger role for women contributes to economic growth, improves child survival and overall family health, and reduces fertility, thus helping to slow population growth rates. However, data show that women are under-represented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving their goals becomes difficult without them being in politics to influence or push their agenda. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the influence of politics on women's participation in social development in Turkana Central Sub-County, Turkana County, Kenya. Liberalism and patriarchy theory was used to guide the study. The study targeted a total population of 630 from 31 women's registered organisations. The study sample was statistically calculated using a confidence level of 95%, a margin of error (confidence interval of 2%) and a population proportion of 50%, and a sampling frame of 500 was arrived at. Using a random selection of numbers in the interval of 5, the sample size obtained was 98. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Data analysis was done using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The descriptive analysis involved the use of frequency, %ages, means and standard deviations, while inferential statistics involved the use of linear regression analysis to measure the relationship between variables. It was found out that political class considered women's participation in development, and according to it, women were considered to be equal to men politically. It was also noted that we have women in community development projects that vie for elective positions and that the political class considered the participation of women in social development. The study further observed that the county assembly had fulfilled the affirmative action of the two-thirds gender rule. The study findings concluded that women's participation in social development was positively correlated to politics. From the study, it is recommended that the public authority should give equivalent freedom to women and men regarding political space and that the climate ought to be favourable for women to take part in political exercises.

Targeting Transcriptional and Translational Hindrances in a Modular T7RNAP Expression System in Engineered Pseudomonas putida.

The T7 RNA polymerase is considered one of the most popular tools for heterologous gene expression in the gold standard biotechnological host Escherichia coli. However, the exploitation of this tool in other prospective hosts, such as the biotechnologically relevant bacterium Pseudomonas putida, is still very scarce. The majority of the existing T7-based systems in P.putida show low expression strengths and possess only weak controllability. A fundamental understanding of these systems is necessary in order to design robust and predictable biotechnological processes. To fill this gap, we established and characterized a modular T7 RNA polymerase-based system for heterologous protein production in P.putida, using the enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (eGFP) as an easy-to-quantify reporter protein. We have effectively targeted the limitations associated with the initial genetic setup of the system, such as slow growth and low protein production rates. By replacing the T7 phage-inherent TΦ terminator downstream of the heterologous gene with the synthetic tZ terminator, growth and protein production rates improved drastically, and the T7 RNA polymerase system reached a productivity level comparable to that of an intrinsic RNA polymerase-based system. Furthermore, we were able to show that the system was saturated with T7 RNA polymerase by applying a T7 RNA polymerase ribosome binding site library to tune heterologous protein production. This saturation indicates an essential role for the ribosome binding sites of the T7 RNA polymerase since, in an oversaturated system, cellular resources are lost to the synthesis of unnecessary T7 RNA polymerase. Eventually, we combined the experimental data into a model that can predict the eGFP production rate with respect to the relative strength of the ribosome binding sites upstream of the T7 gene.

Inclusion of a fish oil processing fraction as additive in diets for weaning piglets

The weaning process in pig production is commonly associated to low feed intake, slow growth rate and increased morbidity of piglets. This study evaluates a nutritional intervention consisting of supplementing with a fish oil product rich in mono- and diglycerides (FOMG) and containing 0.069 g/g of ω-3, to improve animal health and productive performance during the post-weaning period. In a preliminary experiment (experiment 1), a total of 136 piglets were randomly distributed in two groups (4 pens per group) to evaluate the productive effects of dietary supplementation with FOMG at 15 g/kg (T15) in substitution of lard (T0) as fat source during the post-weaning period in a commercial farm. Besides, in experiment 2 a total of 72 weaned piglets were fed on a control diet (T0) or supplemented with 15 (T15) or 30 g FOMG/kg (T30) in substitution of sunflower oil, with 6 pens of 4 piglets per treatment. In experiment 2 growth and intake were weekly controlled, and blood was sampled on days 14 and 34. At day 35 post-weaning, 6 piglets per treatment were euthanized to study the microbial fermentation and the ileal and caecal bacterial community by 16 S amplicon sequencing. Results indicated that piglets fed T15 diet tended to have a higher growth gain during the post-weaning period in experiment 1 (P = 0.067). This increased growth was partially explained by a greater feed intake (0.14 higher) but also due to improved animal health as showed by the lower proportion of neutrophils (P = 0.006), blood cortisol (P = 0.098) and morbidity (P < 0.05) in experiment 2. Treatment T15 also tended (P = 0.064) to promote a higher volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration at the ileum, which could be compatible with a higher nutrient absorption and a subsequent lower VFA concentration in the hindgut (P < 0.001). Moreover, FOMG supplementation at T15 exerted modulatory effects on the gut microbiota promoting a shift in the bacterial community structure, lower diversity (Richness index, P < 0.05) and a trend (P = 0.076) for a higher butyrate proportion at the ileum, together with a lower (P < 0.05) and most favourable Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio at the caecum. On the contrary, T30 diet promoted less beneficial effects than T15. These findings indicated that supplementation of piglets with FOMG at a level of 15 g/kg represents a suitable strategy to improve pig performance and gut health during the post-weaning period.

Tissue-engineered grafts exploit axon-facilitated axon regeneration and pathway protection to enable recovery after 5-cm nerve defects in pigs.

Functional restoration following major peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is challenging, given slow axon growth rates and eventual regenerative pathway degradation in the absence of axons. We are developing tissue-engineered nerve grafts (TENGs) to simultaneously "bridge" missing nerve segments and "babysit" regenerative capacity by providing living axons to guide host axons and maintain the distal pathway. TENGs were biofabricated using porcine neurons and "stretch-grown" axon tracts. TENG neurons survived and elicited axon-facilitated axon regeneration to accelerate regrowth across both short (1 cm) and long (5 cm) segmental nerve defects in pigs. TENG axons also closely interacted with host Schwann cells to maintain proregenerative capacity. TENGs drove regeneration across 5-cm defects in both motor and mixed motor-sensory nerves, resulting in dense axon regeneration and electrophysiological recovery at levels similar to autograft repairs. This approach of accelerating axon regeneration while maintaining the pathway for long-distance regeneration may achieve recovery after currently unrepairable PNIs.

Genetic Variability of the Monkeypox Virus Clade IIb B.1.

Monkeypox is caused by a sylvatic, double-stranded DNA zoonotic virus. Since 1 January 2022, monkeypox cases have been reported to WHO from 106 Member States across six WHO regions, and as of 2 October 2022, a total of 68,900 confirmed cases, including 25 deaths, occurred. Here, by using a whole genome approach, we perform a genetic and phylodynamic survey of the monkeypox virus Clade IIb B.1, which is the lineage causing the current multi-country outbreak. Results suggest that outbreaks seem to be isolated and localized in several epidemic clusters with geographic consistency. Currently, monkeypox appears to be a virus with a flattened genetic variability in terms of evolutionary path, with a very slow rate of growth in the population size. This scenario confirms that the monkeypox virus lacks the evolutionary advantage, given by the high level of mutation rate, which is very strong in RNA viruses. Of course, constant genome-based monitoring must be performed over time in order to detect the change in its genetic composition, if any.

Laser diagnostics to characterize the in-flame growth of platinum nanoparticles manufactured by the reactive spray deposition technology

Reactive Spray Deposition Technology (RSDT) is an atmospheric pressure, flame-based advanced manufacturing method used to fabricate Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for proton exchange fuel cells and water electrolyzers. RSDT combines the flame synthesis of catalyst nanoparticles and their deposition onto the membrane in one step. The properties of the synthesized nanoparticles, such as their Size Distribution Function (SDF), determine the manufactured electrodes’ performance, which can be evaluated when the deposition is complete via ex-situ characterization of the products. Efforts to improve RSDT for manufacturing state-of-the-art MEAs can be significantly enhanced with integrated laser diagnostics that enable in situ measurement of the synthesized catalyst nanoparticles. This paper reports the implementation of laser diagnostics in an RSDT facility and evaluates their potential to assist the manufacturing process. Laser Light Scattering (LS) and Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII) measurements are performed in the oxygen-rich zone of the flame at various distances from the flame fuel jet nozzle downstream of its luminous region. The measurements quantitatively track the evolution in size and volume fraction of platinum-based nanoparticles in two flames that yield different catalytic properties in the manufactured electrodes. The profiles of the measured nanoparticles’ volume fraction along the flame axis can be estimated a priori so that the average nanoparticle sizes can be measured in quasi-real time via LS. Nanoparticles experience an extremely slow growth rate while being convected at distances from 150 nm to 300 nm from the fuel nozzle. Complementary characterizations of the synthesized nanoparticles are performed ex-situ via High-Angle Annular Darkfield Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM) image analyses of samples collected on grids at a fixed distance from the fuel jet nozzle. Comparing the results from laser and microscopy techniques not only cross-validates the findings but also provides the parameters to infer the bimodal SDF in-situ and yields evidence that the coagulation efficiency of the synthesized nanoparticles has extremely low values in the investigated zone of the flames.

ENERGI LISTRIK DAN PEMBANGUNAN MANUSIA: BUKTI EMPIRIS DARI TINGKAT PROVINSI DI INDONESIA

Abstract This study aims to analyze the effect of the electrification ratio on HDI in Indonesia for general and specific purpose: with a specific analysis of provinces divided into various categories. The slow growth rate of HDI and the disparity of HDI in various provinces has pushed the government to work out the right solution to overcome these problems. One effort that can be done is to encourage an equal electrification ratio between provinces. The electrification ratio is known to have an important role in improving all indicators in HDI, which include economy, health and education. This study uses panel data from 33 provinces in the year 2010-2018, with the fixed effect estimation method. The other variables used in this study consist of density population, the number of poor in the population, the number of health and education facilities, and the number of teachers and health workers. The empirical results show that in general the electrification ratio has a positive effect on HDI. Meanwhile, the effect of the electrification ratio in various categories of provinces shows that the results can be positive or negative. The electrification ratio has the greatest effect on the sub-categories of provinces that have low GRDP, low HDI and low IPM low GRDP performance

Genome-wide identification and characterization of OVATE family proteins in Betula luminifera reveals involvement of BlOFP3 and BlOFP5 genes in leaf development.

Ovate family proteins (OFP) are plant-specific transcription factors involved in regulating morphologies of the lateral organs, plant growth and development. However, the functional roles of OFP genes in Betula luminifera, an important timber tree species, are not well studied. In this study, we identified 20 BlOFP genes and analyzed their phylogenetic relationship, gene structure, conserved motifs, and cis-elements. Further, expression analysis indicates that BlOFP genes were up-regulated in leaves on the one-year-old branch compared to leaves on the current-year branch and bract, except BlOFP7, BlOFP11, BlOFP14 and BlOFP12. The overexpression of BlOFP3 and BlOFP5 in Arabidopsis thaliana not only resulted in a slower growth rate but also produced sawtooth shape, flatter and darker green rosette leaves. Further investigation showed that the leaf thickness of the transgenic plants was more than double that of the wild type, which was caused by the increasement in the number and size of palisade tissue cells. Furthermore, the expression analysis also indicated that the expressions of several genes related to leaf development were significantly changed in the transgene plants. These results suggested the significant roles of BlOFP3 and BlOFP5 in leaf development. Moreover, protein-protein interaction studies showed that BlOFP3 interacts with BlKNAT5, and BlOFP5 interacts with BlKNAT5, BlBLH6 and BlBLH7. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that BlOFP3 and BlOFP5 were involved in leaf shape and thickness regulation by forming a complex with BlKNAT5, BlBLH6 and BlBLH7. In addition, our study serves as a guide for future functional genomic studies of OFP genes of the B. luminifera.

Warmer incubation temperatures and later lay-orders lead to shorter telomere lengths in wood duck (Aixsponsa) ducklings.

The environment that animals experience during development shapes phenotypic expression. In birds, two important aspects of the early-developmental environment are lay-order sequence and incubation. Later-laid eggs tend to produce weaker offspring, sometimes with compensatory mechanisms to accelerate their growth rate to catch-up to their siblings. Further, small decreases in incubation temperature slow down embryonic growth rates and lead to wide-ranging negative effects on many posthatch traits. Recently, telomeres, noncoding DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes, have been recognized as a potential proxy for fitness because longer telomeres are positively related to lifespan and individual quality in many animals, including birds. Although telomeres appear to be mechanistically linked to growth rate, little is known about how incubation temperature and lay-order may influence telomere length. We incubated wood duck (Aix sponsa) eggs at two ecologically-relevant temperatures (34.9°C and 36.2°C) and measured telomere length at hatch and 1week after. We found that ducklings incubated at the lower temperature had longer telomeres than those incubated at the higher temperature both at hatch and 1week later. Further, we found that later-laid eggs produced ducklings with shorter telomeres than those laid early in the lay-sequence, although lay-order was not related to embryonic developmental rate. This study contributes to our broader understanding of how parental effects can affect telomere length early in life. More work is needed to determine if these effects on telomere length persist until adulthood, and if they are associated with effects on fitness in this precocial species.

Size of maturity for blue king crab Paralithodes platypus in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk

We determined the size of sexual maturity of male and female blue crabs in the northwestern part of the sea (zone of cold core action), as well as in the northeastern part of the sea and the local cluster near the Iona bank (zone of comparatively warm waters). Morphological 50% maturation of males in the northwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk was observed at the carapace width of 73.3 mm. Similar width were demonstrated for the northeastern part of the sea and for the Iona Bank area – respectively 88.5 mm and 91.0 mm. Females in samples from the northwestern part of the sea reached functional 50% maturity at the carapace width of 71.7 mm, from the northeastern part – of 79.4 mm, and from the Iona Bank – of 81.0 mm. Comparison with available literature data showed that blue crab in the northwestern part of the Sea of Okhotsk has probably the slowest growth rate, and the crabs have the smallest size at maturity compared to individuals in the other areas.

Lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA interference of CENPK inhibits growth of colorectal cancer cells with overexpression of Cullin 4A.

BACKGROUNDColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. The identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC is a key research imperative. Immunohistochemical analysis has revealed high expression of centromere protein K (CENPK) in CRC. However, the role of CENPK in the progression of CRC is not well characterized.AIMTo evaluate the effects of knockdown of CENPK and overexpression of Cullin 4A (CUL4A) in RKO and HCT116 cells.METHODSHuman colon cancer samples were collected and tested using a human gene expression chip. We identified CENPK as a potential oncogene for CRC based on bioinformatics analysis. In vitro experiments verified the function of this gene. We investigated the expression of CENPK in RKO and HCT116 cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blot, and flow cytometry. The effect of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) virus-infected RKO cells on tumor growth was evaluated in vivo using quantitative analysis of fluorescence imaging. To evaluate the effects of knockdown of CENPK and overexpression of CUL4A in RKO and HCT116 cells, we performed a series of in vitro experiments, using qPCR, western blot, MTT assay, and flow cytometry.RESULTSWe demonstrated overexpression of CENPK in human colon cancer samples. CENPK was an independent risk factor in patients with CRC. The downstream genes FBX32, CUL4A, and Yes-associated protein isoform 1 were examined to evaluate the regulatory action of CENPK in RKO cells. Significantly delayed xenograft tumor emergence, slower growth rate, and lower final tumor weight and volume were observed in the CENPK short hairpin RNA virus infected group compared with the CENPK negative control group. The CENPK gene interference inhibited the proliferation of RKO cells in vitro and in vivo. The lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference of CENPK inhibited the proliferation of RKO and HCT116 colon cancer cells, with overexpression of the CUL4A.CONCLUSIONWe indicated a potential role of CENPK in promoting tumor proliferation, and it may be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CRC.

GROWTH TRAJECTORIES OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ADHD TREATED WITH DELAYED-RELEASE/EXTENDED-RELEASE METHYLPHENIDATE (JORNAY PM®): A PILOT STUDY OF REAL-WORLD DATA FROM A LARGE US CLAIMS DATABASE

Stimulants are associated with a slowed growth rate in pediatric patients with ADHD. DR/ER-MPH (formerly HLD200; trade name: JORNAY PM®) is an evening-dosed, delayed-release, and extended-release methylphenidate released in the colon; it has no immediate-release component and provides a dose-dependent duration of effect for individuals with ADHD. Herein, we report real-world weight and height changes in patients newly prescribed DR/ER-MPH in its first year of availability vs patients treated with 2 established branded stimulants, osmotic release oral system (OROS) MPH (Concerta®) and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX; Vyvanse®).

Effects of Altered Stock Assessment Frequency on the Management of a Large Coastal Shark

AbstractStock assessments are particularly resource‐intensive processes. Demand for assessments typically exceeds capacity, stimulating interest in reducing stock assessment frequency for suitable species. Species with slow population growth rates, low economic importance, and low recruitment variability, like coastal sharks in the USA, have been identified as appropriate candidates for long‐interim assessment periods. We conducted a Stock Synthesis–based management strategy evaluation with a threshold harvest rate control rule within the southeastern USA to assess the impact of stock assessment frequency for the slow‐growing Sandbar Shark Carcharhinus plumbeus. Stock assessments for the Sandbar Shark in the southeastern USA have been conducted or updated every 4–6 years since 1998. The Sandbar Shark proved to be a particularly good candidate species for reduced assessment frequency, as noted by unaffected management procedure performance across interim periods of 1, 5, and 10 years. Management objectives, including probability of stock recovery, relative biomass level, cumulative U.S. commercial catch, and probability of overfishing, were minimally adversely impacted with interim periods equal to 15 years. Based on our findings, assessment frequency for large coastal shark species could reasonably be reduced in the future to once every 10 or more years without compromising management success.

S3611 Gastric Metastasis Masquerading as a Polyp

Introduction: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal tumor and accounts for 3% of all cancer deaths. Gastric metastasis is a rare event with a reported incidence of 0.2 - 0.7% . There are less than 60 cases of gastric metastasis from a renal cell carcinoma. We present a rare case of a metastatic lesion appearing as a gastric polyp and the importance of the necessity of polypectomy regardless of size during any endoscopy. Case Description/Methods: 78 year-old male status-post radical nephrectomy 22 years ago for renal cell carcinoma and pulmonary metastasis 8 years ago presented with dysphagia. Patient has been actively followed by oncology and maintained on pazopanib for 10 years. EGD found 2 large polyps in the proximal gastric body along the greater curvature >1 cm. Pathology showed positivity for CAM5.2 and PAX8, confirming the diagnosis of a clear cell type of RCC. Discussion: Renal cell carcinoma even if treated with radical nephrectomy can become metastatic and recur 30% of the time. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) commonly metastases to the lung (70%), bones (30-40%), liver (20%), adrenal (10%), and brain (8%) [3-5]. Gastric metastases are exceedingly rare (< 1%). A systematic review by Prudhomme et al. identified 38 cases of RCC in the stomach between 1950- and 2018, and 73% presented with multiple metastatic sites (mainly lungs and bones). In spite of radical nephrectomy, given possible microvascular metastases of mRCC, unusual lesions should always be biopsied for malignancy. Given mRCC’s variable dormant nature, regardless of chemo-therapy status, clinicians should not hesitate to rule out possible mRCC as lesions can have very slow growth rate ranging from 0.31–211.93 cm^3/year and may be clinical silent for decades. Due to mRCC slow-growing nature, they result in several false-negative chest X-ray/abdominal CT screenings within the first 10 years and mRCC may re-surface decades later with alarm symptoms. Slow growing metastasized lesions are still malignant; the patient’s malignant polyp may have been growing 0.045cm/year for two decades. The minimum size cutoff for polypectomy is clinician-dependent with some guidelines recommending a 2-cm minimum and others recommending resection of all polyps greater than 0.5 cm. In patients with noted history of mRCC, regardless of size, all polyps should be biopsied.

Growth Analysis of Red Algae Eucheuma spinosum using Basket Method in Tesabela Village, Kupang Regency

The purpose of this study was to determine the growth of red algae Eucheuma spinosum using basket method in Batubao marine waters, Tesabela Village, West Kupang District. This research has been conducted for three months, from September to November 2020. The method used in this research were observation and experiments in the field. The results showed that the red algae Eucheuma spinosum cultivated for six weeks had a slow growth rate. The absolute weight measurement results at the end of the study were only 199 g, although it was slow but the growth continued, the observations showed that the cultivated red algae was not predated by herbivore fish or turtles, because of the use of baskets. The slow growth is due to environmental factors, especially poor of brightness. The condition of the waters during the study tended to be cloudy with a maximum visibility of 1.5 meters with a water temperature that was high enough to reach 30 oC.