Plants sustain human life. Understanding geographic patterns of the diversity of species used by people is thus essential for the sustainable management of plant resources. Here, we investigate the... Show morePlants sustain human life. Understanding geographic patterns of the diversity of species used by people is thus essential for the sustainable management of plant resources. Here, we investigate the global distribution of 35,687 utilized plant species spanning 10 use categories (e.g., food, medicine, material). Our findings indicate general concordance between utilized and total plant diversity, supporting the potential for simultaneously conserving species diversity and its contributions to people. Although Indigenous lands across Mesoamerica, the Horn of Africa, and Southern Asia harbor a disproportionate diversity of utilized plants, the incidence of protected areas is negatively correlated with utilized species richness. Finding mechanisms to preserve areas containing concentrations of utilized plants and traditional knowledge must become a priority for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Show less
Introduction: The survival benefit of inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) vs no ILND in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP) and the absence of lymph node invasion is unclear... Show moreIntroduction: The survival benefit of inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) vs no ILND in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the penis (SCCP) and the absence of lymph node invasion is unclear. We addressed this uncertainty within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER 2000-2018) database. Material and methods: We identified lymph node negative SCCP patients who either underwent ILND (pN0) or clinical examination only (cN0). We tested for the effect of ILND vs no ILND on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in Kaplan-Meier plots, univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses, in a pT stage-specific fashion, before and after 1:3 propensity score matching (PSM). Sensitivity analyses were conducted according to historical and contemporary treatment periods as well as geographic regions. Results: Of 2520 SCCP patients, 369 (15%) underwent ILND (pN0) vs 2151 (85%) did not (cN0). The pN0 vs cN0 distribution according to pT stages was as follows: 80 (7%) vs 1092 (93%) in pT1b, and 289 (21%) vs 1059 (79%) in pT2-3. At 36 months, CSM-free survival in pT2-3 stage was 89% in ILND vs 74% in no ILND patients (multivariable hazard ratio: 0.42, CI 0.30-0.60, p < 0.001). This result was confirmed in sensitivity analyses, and after 1:3 PSM. The same analyses could not be completed in pT1b stage due to insufficient number of observations and events. Conclusions: In pT2-3 stage SCCP, a significantly lower CSM was recorded in lymph node negative patients treated with ILND than in their clinical lymph node negative counterparts who did not undergo ILND. Show less
Background: There is a paucity of data describing the ability of margin, ischemia, complications, score (MIC) and trifecta in predicting long-term outcomes of robotic assisted partial nephrectomy ... Show moreBackground: There is a paucity of data describing the ability of margin, ischemia, complications, score (MIC) and trifecta in predicting long-term outcomes of robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN). Objective: To compare a novel trifecta (negative margins, no significant complications, and perioperative estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] decrease <30%) versus standard MIC as predictors of oncologic and functional results in a large series of RAPNs. Design, setting, and participants: : Between 2009 and 2019, a multicenter dataset was queried for patients with nonmetastatic renal masses who underwent RAPN at eight participating institutions. Intervention: RAPN. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: MIC and trifecta achievement were determined for the overall cohort and a subgroup undergoing off-clamp RAPN (ocRAPN), respectively. The overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and new onset of end-stage renal disease (ESRD; defined as eGFR <30 ml/min) probabilities were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analyses were used to identify predictors of OS, RFS, and ESRD. For all analyses, two-sided p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results and limitations: Out of 1807 patients, MIC and trifecta were achieved in 71.1% (n = 1285) and 82.6% (n = 1492), respectively, and once restricted to the ocRAPN cohort, in 95.6% (n = 625) and 81.6% (n = 534), respectively. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, both MIC and trifecta achievement predicted higher OS and lower ESRD probabilities (all p < 0.014), while only trifecta achievement was a predictor of RFS probabilities (p = 0.009). On multivariable Cox regression, MIC did not predict any of the endpoints independently, while trifecta achievement was an independent predictor of higher OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18-0.86; p = 0.019) and lower ESRD development probabilities (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.15-0.72; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Trifecta, initially described as comprehensive measures of perioperative outcomes, needs to stand the test of time. Compared with MIC, the recent trifecta was an independent predictor of clinically significant endpoints, namely, survival and ESRD development probabilities. Patient summary: Our novel trifecta represents a reliable method for estimating survival and development of end-stage renal disease after robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy. (c) 2020 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Show less
