Life-history traits of the long-nosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus.

This work investigates life-history traits of the long-nosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus, which is a common by-catch in Sardinian waters. The reproductive variables were analysed from 979 specimens sampled during scientific and commercial hauls. Females (10·4-117·5 cm total length, LT ) attained larger sizes than males (14·5-99·5 cm LT ). To evaluate age and growth, a sub-sample of 130 individuals (76 females and 54 males) were used. The age was estimated by annuli counts of sectioned vertebral centra. Four models were used for the length-at-age data: the von Bertalanffy, the exponential, the Gompertz and the logistic functions. According to the Akaike's information criterion, the Gompertz model seemed to provide the best fitting curve (L∞ mean ± s.e.: 127·55 ± 4·90 cm, k: 0·14 ± 0·09, IP: 3·97 ± 0·90 years). The oldest female and male were aged 17 (115·5 cm LT ) and 15 years (96·0 cm LT ), respectively. Lengths at maturity were 103·5 cm for females and 91·0 cm for males, corresponding to 90% of the maximum observed length in both sexes. The monthly distribution of maturity stages highlighted an extended reproductive cycle, with spawning females and active males being present almost throughout the year, as confirmed by the gonado-somatic index. Ovarian fecundity reached a maximum of 26 yolked follicles with a mean ± s.e. size of 19·7 ± 6·5 mm.

Age and comorbidities deeply impact on clinical outcome of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders, with very different prognosis in given individuals; age and comorbidities are emerging as relevant patient-related factors influencing clinical outcome in MDS. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of age, comorbidities and disease severity (IPSS and IPSS-R prognostic scores) in a "real-life" series of MDS patients. METHODS: 318 patients with available assessment of comorbidities at diagnosis and consecutively registered into the Registro Ligure delle Mielodisplasie were analyzed. Comorbidities were evaluated according to HCT-CI and MDS-CI comorbidity indexes. Overall survival (OS) and the probability of death among patients who did not develop acute myeloid leukemia (NLD cumulative incidence) were analyzed. RESULTS: Comorbidities were seen in 177 (55.7%) patients. An older age (>75 y) had a significant negative impact on OS (p=0.008). HCT-CI was not associated with OS. MDS-CI was of prognostic significance (p=0.001), but the association was limited to pts with IPSS or IPSS-R "lower-risk". In multivariate analysis, MDS-CI remained an independent factor associated with OS and with an increased risk of NLD both when controlling for IPSS (p=0.019 and p=0.001, respectively) and for IPSS-R (p=0.048 and p=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of age and comorbidities according to a tailored tool such is MDS-CI helps to predict survival in patients with MDS and should be incorporated to current prognostic scores.

Diet and feeding behaviour of longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus.

A total of 255 longnosed skate Dipturus oxyrinchus caught in Sardinian waters (central-western Mediterranean Sea), was analysed with respect to fish total length (LT ), season and depth, in order to provide information on diet and feeding behaviour. Specimens ranging from 93 to 1153 mm LT , were collected at depths between 121 and 671 m, during experimental trawl surveys carried out from 2005 to 2010. The diet comprised crustaceans [prey specific index of relative importance (%IPSRI ) = 72·69], teleosts (%IPSRI = 10·28) and molluscs (%IPSRI = 10·94). Levins' index (Bi ) showed a narrow niche breadth (Bi = 0·35). The mean ± s.e. trophic level (TL ) was 3·63 ± 0·50. The analysis showed major ontogenetic changes in the feeding behaviour. Early life stages were characterized by a benthic diet, which changed to benthopelagic during growth. Mysids, particularly Lophogaster typicus (%IPSRI = 34·51), were the main prey items of immature individuals, replaced by euphausiids, mainly Meganyctiphanes norvegica (%IPSRI = 13·19), in maturing fish. Crustaceans became less important in mature specimens, being replaced by molluscs (%IPSRI = 28·99) and teleosts (%IPSRI = 24·56). A concomitant increase of the TL was recorded (mean ± s.e. = 3·41 ± 0·44, 3·75 ± 0·54 and 4·28 ± 0·61 for immature, maturing and mature individuals). These feeding patterns ensured low levels of intraspecific competition. This study provides new information about the role that the D. oxyrinchus plays in the marine food chain and data now essential to formulate new and effective management plans for this species.