SAVI Scout® System for Excision of Non-Palpable Breast Lesions.

BACKGROUND: The standard localization of non-palpable breast masses is wire/needle localization (WL). Newer technologies have evolved, allowing more efficient scheduling and improving surgeon and patient experiences. These include Radioactive Seed, MagSeed®, and SAVI Scout® (SS). We adopted SS at our program in July of 2017. We are reporting our experience comparing SAVI Scout® with needle localization. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study comparing SS and wire localization techniques for the excision of both benign and malignant lesions. Chart reviews of localized patients between 7/1/2017 and 6/30/2019, recording the age of the patient, date of procedure, localization method, pathology of lesion postexcision, number and status of margins, guidance method (mammogram vs. ultrasound), specimen size, and distance of reflector from biopsy clip, were completed to compare these localization methods with the aim of asserting their equality. RESULTS: There were 48 wire and 64 SS localized excisions. Successful lesion excision was achieved in 100% of cases for both techniques. There were 1 SS and 4 WL re-excisions for margin clearance not reaching statistical significance. 51 additional margins were obtained in the SS cases compared to 36 margins in the WL cases without a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: 1- Both SS and WL achieved 100% excision of targeted lesions 2- SS localization was successfully implemented, offering more convenience for patients and providers 3- More re-excisions in the WL group as compared to the SS group did not reach statistical significance and requires further investigation 4- A prospective controlled trial comparing the different localization techniques can address questions related to effectiveness, cost, patient and provider experiences.

Can the name Mugil cephalus (Pisces: Mugilidae) be used for the species occurring in the north western Atlantic?

Menezes et al. (2010) show that Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 is different from Mugil liza Valenciennes 1836, the latter being the mullet found along the Atlantic coast of South America. They also suggest that individuals identified as M. cephalus from the northwest Atlantic could represent a population of M. liza in this region, since they doubt the presence of M. cephalus in waters colder than the ones of the West Indies. In order to clarify the presence of M. cephalus in the northwest Atlantic, this study compares meristic and morphometric measurements of M. cephalus and M. liza from the Gulf of Mexico with those obtained by Menezes et al. (2010) for M. liza from South America and for M. cephalus in the Mediterranean Sea. Results show that there are differences in both morphometric and meristic data between the two species. The morphometric measure that differentiates these species is the distance from the snout to the dorsal fin, which is positioned backwards in M. liza compared with M. cephalus. The body width is consistently greater in M. cephalus than M. liza. The meristic character that discriminates between both species is the number of scales in the longitudinal series that, in M. cephalus, ranges from 38 to 43 while in M. liza between 32 to 39. The information presented in this work confirms the presence of M. cephalus in the Gulf of Mexico and the sympatric presence of M. liza is established, even if its abundance is quite low.

Texas National Coastal Assessment (2000-2004): challenges, solutions, lessons learned and future directions.

The Texas National Coastal Assessment (NCA) program began with the immediate challenge of integrating the NCA effort with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Division and its existing probabilistic Fishery Independent Monitoring Program. Close coordination and detailed planning along with a novel two boat sampling operation helped to make this alliance work. Partnerships with National Estuary Programs and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) greatly improved coverage of the Texas coast over the initial fifty station design. Airboats, biobags, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) corers were instrumental in overcoming numerous technical challenges. NCA data provide a more complete assessment of water and sediment quality than the traditional 305(b) report, with better spatial coverage and a measure of validity. There were differing patterns of PCBs, PAHs, DDTs and chlorinated pesticides, and metals such as mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) along the Texas coast. A confederation of Texas state agencies is considering ways to take advantage of probabilistic sampling designs to monitor the Texas coast. The TCEQ and TPWD are working on a joint project to redesign sediment and water quality monitoring that may serve as a springboard to a continuous monitoring program and opportunities for further improvement of ecosystem health assessment of the Texas coast.