Early Tithonian Saturnalidae (Radiolaria) from the Solnhofen area (Southern Franconian Alb, Southern Germany)

In order to complete the study of the very rich early Tithonian (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone) radiolarian fauna from the Muhlheim Member of the Mornsheim Formation outcropping in the Solnhofen area, the taxa of the family Saturnalidae are described. Although rather rare, the Saturnalidae of this member contain 14 species, ten of which are new. These species belong to four genera, one of which is new (Moebicircus n. gen.), and two subfamilies (Hexasaturnalinae and Saturnalinae). The taxonomy at generic level of these late Jurassic radiolarians is founded on the basis of the position of the blades along the ring and number and morphology of the spines. Type of spines (simple or forked) has either species level value or none, depending on species. Special attention was given to anomalies, which sometimes are rather frequent, since they can give information of paleobiological and paleoecological orders. Among them frequent cases of open ring and additional spines with Dicerosaturnalis and Siamese twins skeletons with Spongosaturninus and Dicerosaturnalis are to be noted. The authors hope that this new taxonomy will give a better image of the evolution and radiation of the Saturnalidae during the Tithonian.

Current standards and progress in understanding and treatment of GIST.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), despite being rare, pose a relevant medical problem from the viewpoint of diagnosis and management. GIST are fragile, liable to metastasize and often located in delicate structures. Surgical options, therefore, are limited. In the last decade an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the disease has resulted in novel modes of treatment. The introduction of systemic tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with imatinib has significantly improved the outcome of the disease and prolonged the survival of GIST patients. For many patients the acute threat of a deadly cancer has been transformed into a manageable chronic condition. Drug safety, tolerability and compliance, subjects of concern in all long-term therapies, have proven to be acceptable for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. The present paper provides a compact overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology and morphology of GIST, with special reference to the underlying molecular biology. Relevant aspects of diagnosis, therapy and monitoring of the disease are reviewed with particular emphasis on the available clinical evidence and recent guidelines.