New Screening Strategy May Catch Ovarian Cancer

at Early Stages

A new screening strategy for ovarian cancer appears to be highly specific for detecting the disease before it becomes lethal. The strategy is described in a study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. If verified in an ongoing clinical trial, it could potentially help save the lives of thousands of women each year in the United States alone.

There currently are no established screening strategies for ovarian cancer. The disease often causes no specific symptoms and is difficult to detect in the early stages when it is most responsive to treatment. Therefore, ovarian cancer is highly lethal because most women have advanced disease when they are diagnosed.

Karen Lu, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, led a team that tested the potential of a two-stage ovarian cancer screening strategy that incorporates changes in a blood protein called CA125, which is a known tumor marker. In their 11-year study, 4051 post- menopausal women initially underwent an annual CA125 blood test. Based on a calculation called the �Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm,� women were divided into three groups: those who should receive another CA125 test one year later (low risk), those who should receive a repeat CA125 in three months (intermediate risk), and those who should receive a transvaginal ultrasound and be referred to a

gynecologic oncologist (high risk).

An average of 5.8 percent of women were found to be of intermediate risk each year, meaning that they should receive a CA125 test in three months. The average annual referral rate to transvaginal ultrasound and review by a gynecologic oncologist was 0.9 percent. Ten women underwent surgery based on their ultrasound exams, with four having invasive ovarian cancers, two having ovarian tumors of low malignant potential, one having endometrial cancer, and three having benign ovarian tumors. This equates to a positive predictive value of 40 percent for detecting invasive ovarian cancer. The specificity of the testing strategy was 99.9 percent, meaning that only 0.1 percent of patients without cancer would be falsely identified as having the disease. Importantly, all of the ovarian cancers were early stage.

The findings indicate that this screening strategy achieves high specificity with very few false positive results in post-menopausal women. �The results from our study are not practice-changing at this time; however, our findings suggest that using a longitudinal (or change over time) screening strategy may be beneficial in post-menopausal women with an average risk of developing ovarian cancer,� said Dr. Lu. �We are currently waiting for the results of a larger, randomized study currently being conducted in the United Kingdom that uses the same Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm in a similar population of women. If the results of this study are also positive, then this will result in a change in practice.�

Routine Colonoscopy Only Identifies Colon Cancer in

1% of Cases
Colonoscopy is routinely used to identify colon cancer in patients where the primary source of the cancer is unknown. However, scientists writing in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics reveal that this expensive treatment is ineffective, identifying cancer in only 1% of patients.

The team assessed colonoscopies performed between 2000 and 2011 and found that only 1%, 2 of the 160 patients enrolled for colonoscopy,

had a primary colon cancer identified, and both died within one month.

�The cost per colon cancer identified, based on current Medicare reimbursement rates, was approximately $85,000. In addition, adverse events that require additional interventions and prolonged hospitalizations in an already sick population may occur rarely,� said Professor L. Laine, from the Yale University School of Medicine. �One patient had a perforation that required surgery and resulted in the patient having a colostomy during her last months of life.�

Lyme Disease numbers 10 Times Higher than Previously Reported

CDC says Protect Yourself and Your Pets

CHICAGO �The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on August 19 released an estimate of the number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease each year and their new estimate is 10 times higher than previously reported. Lyme disease strikes about 300,000 people each year, according to new information released by federal health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the new estimates, which were also released Sunday night at the 2013 International Conference on Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases in Boston. Usually, only 20,000 to 30,000 illnesses are reported each year, making it the most commonly-reported tick-borne illness in the country. For many years, CDC officials have known that many doctors don't report every case and that the true count was probably much higher.

The new figure is the CDC's most comprehensive attempt at a better estimate. The number comes from a survey of seven national laboratories, a national patient survey and a review of insurance information.

"We know that routine surveillance only gives us part of the picture, and that the true number of illnesses is much greater," Dr. Paul Mead, chief of epidemiology and surveillance for CDC's Lyme disease program, said in a press release. "This new preliminary estimate confirms that Lyme disease

is a tremendous public health problem in the United States, and clearly

highlights the urgent need for prevention."

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that is carried and transmitted by ticks.

According to the CDC, 96% of Lyme disease cases in the U.S. were reported from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

In Michigan, the first official reported human case of Lyme disease was in 1985. Cases have now been reported in both the upper and lower peninsula and in most of Michigan's 83 counties. It is anticipated that the number of cases reported will continue to increase.

Lyme disease can cause fatigue, fever, joint pain, kidney damage, lethargy, loss of appetite, neurologic disorders and trouble walking. Lyme disease is treatable, but as with most problems, the sooner it is caught, the better. If left untreated, it is potentially fatal.

While the CDC�s newest numbers estimate the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is approximately 300,000 people, veterinarians want to remind people that their pets are also susceptible to Lyme disease.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Aug 23

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Temperatures were generally average throughout the Great Lakes basin last weekend and no significant precipitation fell. Temperatures rose throughout this workweek, with the vast majority of the basin experiencing temperatures exceeding 5 degrees above average by Wednesday. The weekend will start off with average to slightly below average temperatures, but will heat up significantly starting on Saturday and continuing into Monday. The temperature increase will be especially notable in the Lake Superior basin and the northern portion of the Lake Michigan-Huron basin where towns like Marquette, MI, Green Bay, WI, and Duluth, MN are expected to experience temperatures 15 degrees above normal. Thunderstorms are predicted throughout the basin on Sunday and Monday.

LAKE LEVEL CONDITIONS

Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron water levels are 7 and 4 inches, respectively, above their levels at this time last year. Lakes St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario are 6, 9, and 13 inches, respectively, above their levels of a year ago. During the next 30 days, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron are expected to fall 1 and 2 inches, respectively. The levels of Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are expected to drop 3, 5, and 7 inches, respectively, over the next month.

FORECASTED MONTHLY OUTFLOWS/CHANNEL CONDITIONS

Lake Superior�s outflow through the St. Marys River is projected to be above average for the month of August. Lake Huron�s outflow into the St.

Clair River and the outflow from Lake St. Clair into the Detroit River are

also expected to be below average throughout the month of August. Lake Erie�s outflow through the Niagara River is predicted to be near average and the outflow of Lake Ontario into the St. Lawrence River is expected to be above average in August.

ALERTS

Official records are based on monthly average water levels and not daily water levels. Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by changing water levels. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

	Superior	Mich-Huron	St. Clair	Erie	Ontario
Level for Aug 4	601.77	577.62	574.05	571.65	245.87
Datum, in ft	601.10	577.50	572.30	569.20	243.30
Diff in inches	+8	+1	+21	+29	+31
Diff last month	0	-1	-6	-6	-7
Diff from last yr	+7	+4	+6	+9	+13

Fishing is big business, $42 Billion big

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. � With more than 33 million anglers in the United States spending nearly $42 billion a year on their activities, sportfishing in America is big business. From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and everywhere in between, anglers young and old spend money on equipment, boats, travel, food, gas and more. But for those companies providing goods and services to sportfishermen, understanding precisely where those dollars are being spent has been elusive. That is until now.

For the first time, detailed market data are available. Southwick Associates, the outdoor industry�s leading research and survey firm, is offering its 2012 Size of the Sportfishing Market Report that presents the actual dollars spent on a wide range of detailed sportfishing product categories and even for top brands. The report identifies the true size of the fishing rod and reel market, as well as those for fishing line, lures, terminal tackle, fly-fishing gear, fishing electronics, ice fishing, fishing apparel and other key equipment categories within the sportfishing market.

�Understanding how and where fishermen spend their money can help businesses and organizations better position themselves to serve this lucrative group of consumers,� says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates. �Our intention is to help sportfishing businesses better understand the U.S. sportfishing market and improve not only their business performance, but to provide the products anglers want.�

Southwick Associates utilizes proprietary market data from their own research combined with the most recent data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other key government sources to compile the report.

The 2012 Size of the Sportfishing Market Report is the latest in a series of market reports being made available by Southwick Associates. Also available for sale are:

The 2012 Size of Hunting Market Report, which provides data on the actual dollars spent by hunters on product categories such as traditional rifles, tactical rifles, handguns, shotguns, muzzleloaders, air rifles, ammunition types, bowhunting, decoys, game calls, optics, handloading and more.

The 2012 Size of Firearms and Ammunition Market Report, which examines how much money is spent on the total rifle market including sales of traditional rifles versus tactical or modern sporting rifles (MSR), as well as total sales of handguns, shotguns, muzzleloaders, air rifles, rifle ammunition, handgun ammunition and shotgun ammunition.

The 2012 Size of the Recreational Shooting Market (coming this fall!), a report produced with the cooperation of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) that provides insight into the actual numbers of participants and dollars spent on shooting handguns, rifles, shotguns and other types of firearms, as well as archery, handloading, types of ammunition purchased and more.

For pricing information or to purchase any of Southwick Associates� market reports, contact John DePalma, with Brand Intelligent, at [email protected] or 303-552-8454. More information can also be found on southwickassociates.com.

Record sales of Firearms and Ammunition

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. � Record sales of firearms and ammunition have made headlines since 2008 with last year posting an all-time high number of background checks for firearms purchases at 16.8 million. But businesses involved in the shooting industry might be surprised to know in which product categories are most of that money is being spent. Do modern sporting rifles command the most-units-sold list or do handgun sales still reign? Ammunition is hard to find, but which calibers are showing the most sales and move quickest off store shelves?

For the first time, detailed market size information is now available to manufacturers, retailers and the rest of the industry. Southwick Associates, the outdoor industry�s leading research and survey firm, is offering the 2012 Size of Firearms and Ammunition Market Report. Presented are detailed market size estimates, reported in retail dollars, for all types of firearms and ammunition, such as sales of traditional rifles versus tactical or modern sporting rifles. The report also breaks down total

sales of handguns, shotguns, muzzleloaders and air rifles as well as rifle ammunition, handgun ammunition and shotgun ammunition � by gauge and caliber - to provide the most accurate picture of the market available.

�Sales of firearms and ammunition have set records in recent years, changing our understanding of the size and composition of the market. This report provides smart companies with the insights needed to make the best marketing and investment decisions possible,� says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates.

Southwick Associates utilizes proprietary market data from their own research combined with the most recent and reliable data from a variety of key government sources�including federal excise tax collections�to compile the report.

For pricing information or to purchase a report, contact John DePalma, with Brand Intelligent, at [email protected] or 303-552-8454.

Even experienced boater need a vessel safety check

The most cautious boaters can sometimes experience unexpected problems on the water. That's why the U.S. Coast Guard recommends

that all recreational boaters, including personal watercraft and paddle

sport users, take advantage of the free Vessel Safety Check program every year.www.uscgboating.org/

Boating Infrastructure Grants

SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Local governments, privately-owned marinas and boatyards have until Sept. 25, 2013 to apply for grants available to provide temporary docking facilities for large boats through the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program. Funds for the program come from federal excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuels through the Sport Fishing and Boating Safety program, and can provide up to 75 percent of an approved project�s cost.

The program is intended to enhance boating for transient, non-trailerable

recreational boats - those 26 ft long or longer. The applicant must provide the other 25% of a project�s cost. Eligible facilities must accommodate boats of 26 feet or longer, must be used by transient boaters who do not stay more than 10 consecutive days and must be open to the public. Projects could include boat slips, mooring buoys, navigational aids, safe harbors and initial dredging to provide transient boats with safe channel depths. All proposals must be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the IDNR Federal Aid and Special Funds Section at 217-782-2602.

Ohio's Squirrel Hunting Season Begins Sept. 1

COLUMBUS, OH � Ohio�s squirrel hunting season opens Sunday, Sept. 1, when many hunters will go to the woods with the opportunity to take as many as six squirrels per day, according to the Ohio DNR.

Ohio's squirrel season is a longtime tradition for many hunters. Ample hunting opportunities are available for fox, gray, black and red squirrels. This is an excellent time to take a young person hunting, or scout for the upcoming deer and fall wild turkey hunting seasons. Legal hunting hours for squirrels are one half-hour before sunrise to sunset daily, and the season runs through Jan. 31, 2014.

Squirrel season will be closed during the one-week statewide deer gun season, Dec. 2-8.

The eighth annual Squirrel Hunting Cooperator Survey conducted by the ODNR Division of Wildlife compared hunter results and nut crop ratings to provide an index of Ohio�s squirrel population status. The abundance of nut crops is a good indicator of squirrel populations for the following year. The statewide nut production ratings for the fall of 2012 was higher than

2011. All tree species, except beech, showed above average production in 2012. However, a cold winter in 2012-2013 may have negatively impacted squirrel densities. The 2013-2014 harvest may not equal the above average harvests of the past two seasons, although a good harvest is still expected for this season.

Primary fox squirrel range occurs in the agricultural landscapes in northeastern and western Ohio, whereas the primary gray squirrel range is in the extensively forested east-central, southeastern and south-central Ohio. Gray squirrels are more dependent on hard mast such as acorns and hickory nuts, and their abundance is closely tied to the mast crop of the previous fall. Fox squirrels are less dependent upon mast crop resources and are more likely to consume supplemental food in agricultural areas.

Hunters who wish to participate in the Squirrel Hunting Cooperator Survey, designed to track trends in nut crops and squirrel populations across Ohio, should contact the Waterloo Wildlife Research Station, 360 E. State St., Athens, Ohio 45701, at 740-589-9930 for more information.

Bumper crop of small walleyes stocked

400,000 bigger ones on target for fall stocking

Wisconsin Walleye Initiative underway to improve walleye fishing

LAKE MILLS � Good news for walleye anglers: state fish hatcheries have finished stocking the first of two waves of walleye to go out this year and the number of fish stocked far surpassed original estimates, state fisheries officials say.

Four state fish hatcheries equipped to grow �coolwater� fish such as walleye and musky sent more than 2.3 million walleye out the door earlier this summer, 560,000 fish more than originally expected. These fish were 1 to 3 inches long when they were transferred into their new homes. They are the �small fingerlings� that DNR has traditionally stocked the most of because growing the fish to the �large fingerling� size of 4 to 7 inches would cost significantly more and exceed hatchery capacity, according to Mike Staggs, DNR fisheries director.

This year is different. In September and October, DNR will be stocking hundreds of thousands of the large fingerlings, made possible by the recently passed state budget that provided DNR more money to produce and procure larger size walleye for stocking. Normally, DNR would stock 3 to 4 million smaller walleye and 60,000 to 70,000 of the larger fingerling walleye. But the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative allows DNR to hold back more fish instead of stocking them at the smaller size, and give them extra growing time. As a result, DNR will be stocking more than 400,000 larger fingerling walleye this fall and will be planning to produce and stock even more in coming years.

�The fantastic walleye production our hatcheries had so far has not only allowed us to stock more lakes with small fingerlings, but is now giving us a chance to stock as many large fingerlings as we can this fall,� Staggs says. The Wisconsin Walleye Initiative developed by DNR and Gov. Scott Walker aims to improve walleye populations statewide by producing more larger walleye for stocking in waters where it can improve walleye fishing.

�We�d like to thank Governor Walker for supporting this Initiative,� said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. �Stocking plays an important role in maintaining our state�s walleye populations, and we think this initiative will help improve walleye fishing in Wisconsin.� Research shows the best walleye fisheries are universally self-sustaining through natural reproduction and produce populations two to three times higher than those waters stocked even at the highest levels.

But stocking more of the larger fish is also the quickest way to increase walleye populations on the broadest scale. Recent research in northern Wisconsin lakes shows that the larger stocked fish survive better. Stagg says the DNR is mobilizing to put the Walleye Initiative funding, available July 1, to work. Production of the larger walleye fingerlings at state hatcheries has increased, and DNR is drafting the rules and contracts

that will allow the agency to buy walleye from private fish farms and

provide competitive grants to build the capacity of tribal, municipal and private hatcheries to produce larger walleye for stocking as well, he says.

A banner production year at Lake Mills State Fish Hatchery leads the way. The smaller walleye fingerlings stocked earlier this summer in Wisconsin waters were hatched in May and raised in outdoor ponds at Lake Mills Hatchery, Art Oehmcke Hatchery in Woodruff, Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery in Spooner and the Winding Creek rearing ponds.

Lake Mills had its best production year ever, producing a total of 1,570,633 small fingerling walleyes, well up from the 1.1 million fish they expected to produce, says Jesse Landwehr, pond foreman. He says the banner production year reflects some of the tweaks he and staff have been making to their propagation process over the years to improve it, and to ideal weather conditions when DNR staff drained the ponds to collect the fish to place in stocking trucks.

Overcast, cooler conditions meant the fish were less stressed when they were caught in the nets and placed in the trucks, allowing better survival. Landwehr says the Lake Mills Hatchery was not only able to meet the �quotas� or requests they were responsible for meeting for stocked fish, but had surplus fish they were able to feed into the propagation system.

Ultimately, that meant more waters got more fish, and that stocking trucks in some cases didn�t have to travel as far, saving gas money and staff time.

Also importantly, the banner production year also meant that Lake Mills had enough fish that for the first time, they could hold some of the small fingerling walleye longer to experiment with growing them larger on artificial fish food. They also were able to supply local cooperators the small fingerlings so the cooperators could raise those fish to the larger size.

That means that the Lake Mills Hatchery is joining the three other facilities in raising more large walleye for stocking in the fall under the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative.

Landwehr says the walleye growing now in outside ponds and also in tanks inside would be stocked out early in October at the large fingerling size.

Staggs says DNR fisheries staff and partners have done a great job in getting the walleye initiative rolling and encourages anglers and others to follow major developments through the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative web pages. �Because of the late notice, things are hectic but we�ll produce and procure as many large fingerlings as we can and stock them in as many lakes as we can,� he says.

DNR plans to increase pheasant stocking in 2013

POYNETTE � The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources plans to release 75,000 pheasants on 92 public properties across the state in 2013. These stocking levels are up from 54,000 pheasants released on 70 public properties in 2012.

�The additional properties stocked this year will allow hunters to explore and find success on properties they may not have hunted in the past,� said Bob Nack, DNR Poynette game farm manager. �There�s certainly something special about a fall pheasant hunt, and being able to expand opportunities for our pheasant hunters is very exciting.�

The pheasant stocking program is largely supported by pheasant hunters, through the purchase of pheasant stamps, according to Nack.�Being able to increase stocking levels translates directly into more recreational opportunities for the hunters who support the program,� said Nack.

The department will be releasing pheasants on 22 new properties in traditional pheasant range. In addition to the new properties, most properties stocked in the past will see increases in the number of pheasants released.

�By stocking this way, we are aiming to evenly distribute hunting pressure on public hunting grounds while also providing opportunities in new areas that can support the birds and are accessible to urban residents,� said Scott Walter, DNR upland game bird specialist.

Of the 22 new properties, 14 are located in southern Wisconsin, seven in eastern Wisconsin, and one in northwestern Wisconsin. Properties were selected based on the amount of pheasant hunting cover and proximity to large population centers.

A 2013 stocking information sheet and property maps can be found by visiting the DNR's web site and searching keywords �pheasant stocking.� �We are excited about the increase in pheasant production and look forward to an exciting fall pheasant hunting season,� said Dr. Vic Connors, Friends of Poynette Game Farm president. The department partners with Friends of Poynette Game Farm, a non-profit group dedicated to supporting quality pheasant hunting opportunities through a stocking program.

To further increase hunting opportunities, DNR also cooperates with conservation clubs enrolled in the Cooperative Day-old Chick Program. Through the program, the conservation clubs raise the pheasant chicks and then release them on local public hunting grounds and private lands open to public pheasant hunting. In 2013, the department provided 36,250 rooster chicks to 34 clubs.

The list of private lands open to pheasant hunting is available by calling the Poynette game farm office, 608-635-8120, after Oct. 1. The 2013 pheasant hunting season runs from noon, Oct. 19 to Dec. 31

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Can Lake Michigan perch be revivied?

Perch have declined precipitously in Lake Michigan over the last two decades, once the most targeted sport fish on the lake as well as an important commercial species, it has been relegated mostly to memories. The perch crash has been well-documented, but fisheries managers have not attempted any remedy. Wisconsin DNR managers have steadfastly refused to try stocking. And no habitat improvements or other experimental projects have been targeted at a perch recovery.

Pontoons help keep boating industry afloat

Pontoons, once considered an ugly duckling by some boating enthusiasts, have led the marine industry out of the worst slump in decades. In May, sales of aluminum fishing boats 16� and longer were up 9% from a year earlier, fiberglass-deck boat sales remained down, but pontoon sales were up 18%. It's the only segment of the powerboat industry that has really shown growth since 2007

Obamacare Contains Forced Inspection Provision �
A provision in Obamacare provides millions of dollars in annual funding for State inspectors to conduct forced visits on homes with what the government deems is �high-risk� behaviors. And get this: Inspectors conducting a risk assessment are to take note of firearms in the home

Gov. Quinn signs law requiring owners to report lost, stolen guns

The new law also will require private gun sellers to verify that buyers have valid Firearm Owner's Identification cards. Under that provision, which takes effect next year, private sellers will have to contact the Illinois State Police to confirm whether buyers have valid FOID cards.

Feds OK grants to remove fish passage barriers in Great Lakes
The federal government is awarding $645,000 to Michigan and other Great Lakes states to support removal of 12 barriers and reconnect more than 91 stream miles

Washington still sucking up ammo supplies

The latest agency to buy massive amounts of ammunition is the Transportation Security Administration, which doesn�t even arm most of its agents. The TSA is seeking to purchase nearly 3.5 million rounds of ammo. The planned purchase, then, would give the agency the availability of nearly 10,000 rounds per day for �training.�

Maryland 'Substantial Reason' Requirement Challenged
An important gun rights case pending before the Supreme Court could be as significant as recent gun-rights wins like District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010). The case comes out of Maryland, where the State requires an applicant for license to carry a handgun to demonstrate "a good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger."

DNR plans to increase pheasant stocking in 2013

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