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Summary Men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer (PC) are increasingly electing active surveillance (AS) as their initial management strategy. While this may reduce the side effects of treatment for PC, many men on AS eventually convert to active treatment. PC is one of the most heritable cancers, and genetic factors that predispose to aggressive tumors may help distinguish men who are more likely to discontinue AS. To investigate this, we undertook a multi-institutional genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 5,222 PC patients and 1,139 other patients from replication cohorts, all of whom initially elected AS and were followed over time for the potential outcome of conversion from AS to active treatment. In the GWAS we detected 18 variants associated with conversion, 15 of which were not previously associated with PC risk. With a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), we found two genes associated with conversion (MAST3, p = 6.9 × 10−7 and GAB2, p = 2.0 × 10−6). Moreover, increasing values of a previously validated 269-variant genetic risk score (GRS) for PC was positively associated with conversion (e.g., comparing the highest to the two middle deciles gave a hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.94–1.36); whereas decreasing values of a 36-variant GRS for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were positively associated with conversion (e.g., comparing the lowest to the two middle deciles gave a HR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.04–1.50). These results suggest that germline genetics may help inform and individualize the decision of AS—or the intensity of monitoring on AS—versus treatment for the initial management of patients with low-risk PC., Genetic factors may distinguish who should receive active surveillance (AS) versus treatment following prostate cancer diagnosis. We undertook the first study to investigate this and report novel variants, genes, and risk scores associated with AS outcomes. These findings could help inform and individualize the decision of AS.

The use of live algae and preserved algal products was examined as to their utility in supporting growth and survival of the feather duster worm, Sabellastarte spectabilis. Hatchery-reared 4-mo-old worms were provided the same cell densities of live T-Iso, preserved T-Iso, live Nannochlropsis sp., and preserved Nannochloropsis sp. over the course of 132 d. A group of worms placed in a water table that received a continuous flow of raw seawater served as controls. Live and preserved T-Iso resulted in the highest survival (86.7 ± 6.2% and 78.3 ± 16.5%, respectively) compared to all the other treatments. Live T-Iso fed worms resulted in significantly larger worms than all other treatments with the preserved T-Iso treatment supporting similar growth to those being fed live Nannochloropsis sp. and exposed to raw seawater. The preserved Nannochloropsis sp. resulted in significantly lower survival and growth when compared to all the other treatments. Fatty acid profiles of the algal diets and worm carcasses obtained during the current investigation suggest that T-Iso outperformed Nannochloropsis because of its higher energy or fatty acid content.

Recent improvements in enriching Artemia make mahimahi culture possible without using copepods. Mahimahi survive better when cultured copepods Euterpina acutifrons are used, especially when the larvae are under stresses such as high stocking density, cold weather, or the rigors of metamorphosis. This study looked at some differences between copepods and enriched Artemia.This study tested stress resistance by holding postlarval (PL) mahimahi out of water in a hand net for varying periods of time. Recovery from this stress shock was higher in PLs whose diet was higher in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA appeared to play an important role in stress resistance. High eicosapentaenoate (EPA) or high HUFA did not confer stress resistance when DHA levels were low. Copepods contained higher levels of many essential amino acids in addition to higher levels of DHA compared with enriched brine shrimp. Larvae sickened by disease appeared to lose fat, including DHA, but they conserved DHA relative to other fatty acids. Even when sick, mahimahi larvae fed a copepod diet resisted stress better than larvae fed an enriched brine shrimp diet. Optimal Artemia enrichment levels of DHA for mahimahi have not been reached and this may explain why it has been difficult for others to raise this fish consistently. E. acutifrons is relatively easy to culture, but may not be practical for commercial hatcheries, due to low yield (less than 10 g per 100 L per week).

Live hatchery feeds were assayed for fatty acids (FA), amino acids (AA), and their ability to support growth and survival of larval and postlarval mahimahi Coryphaena hippurus at two different hatchery stages. Euterpina acuritrons copepods (C), mahimahi yolk-sac larvae (YSL), Artemia parthenogenica brine shrimp nauplii (BSn), A. parthenogenica juveniles (BSj), and Brachionus plicatilis rotifers (R) were assayed, using several enrichment media. There was little difference in AAs among feeds. Levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were about 10 times higher in YSL than in their feeds. This explains previous findings where first stage larval survival (0–9 days) was not affected by feed HUFA levels. Second stage survival was significantly higher when larvae were fed copepods. Enrichment with 100 ppm SuperSelco greatly improved the survival of larvae that were fed brine shrimp. The even higher omega-3 fatty acids found in copepods appear to be important for survival of larvae under more stressful conditions. Brine shrimp juveniles enriched with SuperSelco are a good food for postlarval mahimahi. Yolksac larvae of mahimahi are an even better food, promoting faster growth at less cost, for large scale mahimahi aquaculturists. Different batches of yolksac mahimahi larvae varied by a factor of 10 in their concentration of DHA, but always had the highest level of DHA as much as 40% of total fatty acids (FAs). These “high HUFA” batches of YSL also had the highest levels of EPA and total fatty acids. The data suggest that climate and broodstock age may have considerable influence on larval nutrition.