Radiation therapy duration influences overall survival in patients with cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This article analyses the influence of treatment duration on survival in patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix treated by radical radiation therapy. METHOD: Three hundred and sixty patients with FIGO stage IB-IIIB carcinoma of the cervix were treated in Lausanne (Switzerland) with external radiation and brachytherapy as first line therapy. Median therapy duration was 45 days. Patients were classified according to the duration of the therapies, taking 60 days (the 75th percentile) as an arbitrary cut-off. RESULTS: The 5-year survival was 61% (S.E. = 3%) for the therapy duration group of less than 60 days and 53% (S.E. = 7%) for the group of more than 60 days. In terms of univariate hazard ratio (HR), the relative difference between the two groups corresponds to a 50% increase of deaths (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.03-2.28) for the longer therapy duration group (P = 0.044). In a multivariate analysis, the magnitude of estimated relative hazards for the longer therapies are confirmed though significance was reduced (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.94-2.45, P = 0.084). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that short treatment duration is a factor associated with longer survival in carcinoma of the cervix.

Disentangling in vivo the effects of iron content and atrophy on the ageing human brain.

Evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies shows that healthy aging is associated with profound changes in cortical and subcortical brain structures. The reliable delineation of cortex and basal ganglia using automated computational anatomy methods based on T1-weighted images remains challenging, which results in controversies in the literature. In this study we use quantitative MRI (qMRI) to gain an insight into the microstructural mechanisms underlying tissue ageing and look for potential interactions between ageing and brain tissue properties to assess their impact on automated tissue classification. To this end we acquired maps of longitudinal relaxation rate R1, effective transverse relaxation rate R2* and magnetization transfer - MT, from healthy subjects (n=96, aged 21-88 years) using a well-established multi-parameter mapping qMRI protocol. Within the framework of voxel-based quantification we find higher grey matter volume in basal ganglia, cerebellar dentate and prefrontal cortex when tissue classification is based on MT maps compared with T1 maps. These discrepancies between grey matter volume estimates can be attributed to R2* - a surrogate marker of iron concentration, and further modulation by an interaction between R2* and age, both in cortical and subcortical areas. We interpret our findings as direct evidence for the impact of ageing-related brain tissue property changes on automated tissue classification of brain structures using SPM12. Computational anatomy studies of ageing and neurodegeneration should acknowledge these effects, particularly when inferring about underlying pathophysiology from regional cortex and basal ganglia volume changes.

Preserved capillary density of dorsal finger skin in treated hypertensive patients with or without type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Capillary rarefaction is a hallmark of untreated hypertension. Recent data indicate that rarefaction may be reversed by antihypertensive treatment in nondiabetic hypertensive patients. Despite the frequent association of diabetes with hypertension, nothing is known on the capillary density of treated diabetic patients with hypertension. METHODS: We enrolled 21 normotensive healthy, 25 hypertensive only, and 21 diabetic (type 2) hypertensive subjects. All hypertensive patients were treated with a blocker of the renin-angiotensin system, and a majority had a home blood pressure ≤135/85 mmHg. Capillary density was assessed with videomicroscopy on dorsal finger skin and with laser Doppler imaging on forearm skin (maximal vasodilation elicited by local heating). RESULTS: There was no difference between any of the study groups in either dorsal finger skin capillary density (controls 101 ± 11 capillaries/mm(2) , nondiabetic hypertensive 99 ± 16, diabetic hypertensive 96 ± 18, p > 0.5) or maximal blood flow in forearm skin (controls 666 ± 114 perfusion units, nondiabetic hypertensive 612 ± 126, diabetic hypertensive 620 ± 103, p > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of the presence or not of type 2 diabetes, capillary density is normal in hypertensive patients with reasonable control of blood pressure achieved with a blocker of the renin-angiotensin system.

Surface mapping, organic matter and water stocks in peatlands of the Serra do Espinhaço meridional - Brazil

Peatlands are soil environments that store carbon and large amounts of water, due to their composition (90 % water), low hydraulic conductivity and a sponge-like behavior. It is estimated that peat bogs cover approximately 4.2 % of the Earth's surface and stock 28.4 % of the soil carbon of the planet. Approximately 612 000 ha of peatlands have been mapped in Brazil, but the peat bogs in the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional (SdEM) were not included. The objective of this study was to map the peat bogs of the northern part of the SdEM and estimate the organic matter pools and water volume they stock. The peat bogs were pre-identified and mapped by GIS and remote sensing techniques, using ArcGIS 9.3, ENVI 4.5 and GPS Track Maker Pro software and the maps validated in the field. Six peat bogs were mapped in detail (1:20,000 and 1:5,000) by transects spaced 100 m and each transect were determined every 20 m, the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinates, depth and samples collected for characterization and determination of organic matter, according to the Brazilian System of Soil Classification. In the northern part of SdEM, 14,287.55 ha of peatlands were mapped, distributed over 1,180,109 ha, representing 1.2 % of the total area. These peatlands have an average volume of 170,021,845.00 m³ and stock 6,120,167 t (428.36 t ha-1) of organic matter and 142,138,262 m³ (9,948 m³ ha-1) of water. In the peat bogs of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, advanced stages of decomposing (sapric) organic matter predominate, followed by the intermediate stage (hemic). The vertical growth rate of the peatlands ranged between 0.04 and 0.43 mm year-1, while the carbon accumulation rate varied between 6.59 and 37.66 g m-2 year-1. The peat bogs of the SdEM contain the headwaters of important water bodies in the basins of the Jequitinhonha and San Francisco Rivers and store large amounts of organic carbon and water, which is the reason why the protection and preservation of these soil environments is such an urgent and increasing need.

Heritability of the retinal microcirculation in flemish families.

BACKGROUND Few population studies have described the heritability and intrafamilial concordance of the retinal microvessels, or the genetic or environmental correlations of the phenotypes of these vessels. METHODS We randomly selected 413 participants from 70 families (mean age, 51.5 years; 50.1% women) from a Flemish population. We postprocessed retinal images using IVAN software to generate the central retinal arteriole equivalent (CRAE), central retinal venule equivalent (CRVE), and arteriole-to-venule-ratio (AVR) from these images. We used SAGE version 6.2 and SAS version 9.2 to compute multivariate-adjusted estimates of heritability and intrafamilial correlations of the CRAE, CRVE, and AVR of the retinal microvessels in the images. RESULTS Sex, age, mean arterial pressure, and smoking explained up to 12.7% of the variance of the phenotypes of the retinal microvessels of the study participants. With adjustments applied for these covariates, the heritability estimates of CRAE, CRVE, and AVR were 0.213 (P = 0.044), 0.339 (P = 0.010), and 0.272 (P = 0.004), respectively. The parent-offspring correlations for CRAE, CRVE, and AVR were 0.118 (NS), 0.225 (P < 0.01), and 0.215 (P < 0.05), respectively. The corresponding values were 0.222 (P < 0.05), 0.213 (P < 0.05), and 0.390 (P < 0.001) for sib-sib correlations, respectively. The genetic and environmental correlations between CRAE and CRVE were 0.360 and 0.545 (P < 0.001 for both). CONCLUSION Our study showed moderate heritability for CRAE, CRVE, and AVR, and a significant genetic correlation of CRAE with CRVE in the Flemish population of our study. These findings suggest that genetic factors influence the diameter of the retinal microvessels, and that CRAE and CRVE share some genetic determinants.

Public-domain software for root image analysis

In the search for high efficiency in root studies, computational systems have been developed to analyze digital images. ImageJ and Safira are public-domain systems that may be used for image analysis of washed roots. However, differences in root properties measured using ImageJ and Safira are supposed. This study compared values of root length and surface area obtained with public-domain systems with values obtained by a reference method. Root samples were collected in a banana plantation in an area of a shallower Typic Carbonatic Haplic Cambisol (CXk), and an area of a deeper Typic Haplic Ta Eutrophic Cambisol (CXve), at six depths in five replications. Root images were digitized and the systems ImageJ and Safira used to determine root length and surface area. The line-intersect method modified by Tennant was used as reference; values of root length and surface area measured with the different systems were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient and compared by the confidence interval and t-test. Both systems ImageJ and Safira had positive correlation coefficients with the reference method for root length and surface area data in CXk and CXve. The correlation coefficient ranged from 0.54 to 0.80, with lowest value observed for ImageJ in the measurement of surface area of roots sampled in CXve. The IC (95 %) revealed that root length measurements with Safira did not differ from that with the reference method in CXk (-77.3 to 244.0 mm). Regarding surface area measurements, Safira did not differ from the reference method for samples collected in CXk (-530.6 to 565.8 mm²) as well as in CXve (-4231 to 612.1 mm²). However, measurements with ImageJ were different from those obtained by the reference method, underestimating length and surface area in samples collected in CXk and CXve. Both ImageJ and Safira allow an identification of increases or decreases in root length and surface area. However, Safira results for root length and surface area are closer to the results obtained with the reference method.

Urinary Sphincter Based on Electronics and Artificial Muscles

Objectives: The AMS 800 is the current artifi cial urinary sphincter (AUS) forincontinence due to intrinsic sphincter defi ciency. Despite good clinical results,technical failures inherent to the hydraulic mechanism or urethral ischemicinjury contribute to revisions up to 60%. We are developing an electronic AUS,called ARTUS to overcome the rigors of AMS. The objective of this study wasto evaluate the technical effi cacy and tissue tolerance of the ARTUS systemin an animal model.Methods: The ARTUS is composed by three parts: thecontractile unit, a series of rings and an integrated microprocessor. The contractileunit is made of Nitinol fi bers. The rings are placed around the urethrato control the fl ow of urine by squeezing the urethra. They work in a sequentialalternative mode and are controlled by a microprocessor. In the fi rst phase athree-rings device was used while in the second phase a two-rings ARTUS wasused. The device was implanted in 14 sheep divided in two groups of six andeight animals for study purpose. The fi rst group aimed at bladder leak pointpressure (BLPP) measurement and validation of the animal model; the secondgroup aimed at verifying midterm tissue tolerance by explants at twelve weeks.General animal tolerance was also evaluated.Results: The ARTUS systemimplantation was uneventful. When the system was activated, the BLPP wasmeasured at 1.038 ± 0.044 bar (mean ± SD). Urethral tissue analysis did notshow signifi cant morphological changes. No infection and no sign of discomfortwere noted in animals at 12 weeks.Conclusions: The ARTUS proved to beeffective in continence achievement in this study. Histological results supportour idea that a sequential alternative mode can avoid urethral atrophy andischemia. Further technical developments are needed to verify long-termoutcome and permit human use.

Modeval2 Reference Manual

El Projecte MODEVAL respon a la necessitat detectada en matèria d'avaluació de competències bàsiques de les persones, i tracta de definir quins són els nivells bàsics d'habilitats que garanteixen unes condicions individuals favorables per al desenvolupament de la persona, la ciutadania activa, i la integració social, cultural i professional dels individus. Mentre el projecte MODEVAL 1 tenia com a objectiu realitzar un marc de referència metodològic a nivell europeu per a dur a terme l'avaluació de competències; el projecte MODEVAL 2, és a dir, el present treball, té com a objectiu la creació de mòduls de formació per als diferents interessats (és a dir, formadors d'alfabetització i de formació bàsica, investigadors, coordinadors de centres de formació, els responsables polítics, estadístics, persones que realitzaran enquestes a gran escala sobre el coneixement de base, etc.) per tal d'aplicar les recomanacions del projecte i crear les seves pròpies eines d'avaluació.

Modeval2 Manuel de Reference

El Projecte MODEVAL respon a la necessitat detectada en matèria d'avaluació de competències bàsiques de les persones, i tracta de definir quins són els nivells bàsics d'habilitats que garanteixen unes condicions individuals favorables per al desenvolupament de la persona, la ciutadania activa, i la integració social, cultural i professional dels individus. Mentre el projecte MODEVAL 1 tenia com a objectiu realitzar un marc de referència metodològic a nivell europeu per a dur a terme l'avaluació de competències; el projecte MODEVAL 2, és a dir, el present treball, té com a objectiu la creació de mòduls de formació per als diferents interessats (és a dir, formadors d'alfabetització i de formació bàsica, investigadors, coordinadors de centres de formació, els responsables polítics, estadístics, persones que realitzaran enquestes a gran escala sobre el coneixement de base, etc.) per tal d'aplicar les recomanacions del projecte i crear les seves pròpies eines d'avaluació.

Subclinical thyroid dysfunction, cardiac function, and the risk of heart failure. The Cardiovascular Health study.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine whether subclinical thyroid dysfunction was associated with incident heart failure (HF) and echocardiogram abnormalities. BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism have been associated with cardiac dysfunction. However, long-term data on the risk of HF are limited. METHODS: We studied 3,044 adults>or=65 years of age who initially were free of HF in the Cardiovascular Health Study. We compared adjudicated HF events over a mean 12-year follow-up and changes in cardiac function over the course of 5 years among euthyroid participants, those with subclinical hypothyroidism (subdivided by thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] levels: 4.5 to 9.9, >or=10.0 mU/l), and those with subclinical hyperthyroidism. RESULTS: Over the course of 12 years, 736 participants developed HF events. Participants with TSH>or=10.0 mU/l had a greater incidence of HF compared with euthyroid participants (41.7 vs. 22.9 per 1,000 person years, p=0.01; adjusted hazard ratio: 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 3.34). Baseline peak E velocity, which is an echocardiographic measurement of diastolic function associated with incident HF in the CHS cohort, was greater in those patients with TSH>or=10.0 mU/l compared with euthyroid participants (0.80 m/s vs. 0.72 m/s, p=0.002). Over the course of 5 years, left ventricular mass increased among those with TSH>or=10.0 mU/l, but other echocardiographic measurements were unchanged. Those patients with TSH 4.5 to 9.9 mU/l or with subclinical hyperthyroidism had no increase in risk of HF. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with euthyroid older adults, those adults with TSH>or=10.0 mU/l have a moderately increased risk of HF and alterations in cardiac function but not older adults with TSH<10.0 mU/l. Clinical trials should assess whether the risk of HF might be ameliorated by thyroxine replacement in individuals with TSH>or=10.0 mU/l.

Drinking Patterns and Their Predictive Factors in CONTROL: a 12-Month Prospective Study in a Sample of Alcohol-Dependent Patients Initiating Treatment.

Aims: To describe the drinking patterns and their baseline predictive factors during a 12-month period after an initial evaluation for alcohol treatment. Methods CONTROL is a single-center, prospective, observational study evaluating consecutive alcohol-dependent patients. Using a curve clustering methodology based on a polynomial regression mixture model, we identified three clusters of patients with dominant alcohol use patterns described as mostly abstainers, mostly moderate drinkers and mostly heavy drinkers. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify baseline factors (socio-demographic, alcohol dependence consequences and related factors) predictive of belonging to each drinking cluster. ResultsThe sample included 143 alcohol-dependent adults (63.6% males), mean age 44.6 ± 11.8 years. The clustering method identified 47 (32.9%) mostly abstainers, 56 (39.2%) mostly moderate drinkers and 40 (28.0%) mostly heavy drinkers. Multivariate analyses indicated that mild or severe depression at baseline predicted belonging to the mostly moderate drinkers cluster during follow-up (relative risk ratio (RRR) 2.42, CI [1.02-5.73, P = 0.045] P = 0.045), while living alone (RRR 2.78, CI [1.03-7.50], P = 0.044) and reporting more alcohol-related consequences (RRR 1.03, CI [1.01-1.05], P = 0.004) predicted belonging to the mostly heavy drinkers cluster during follow-up. Conclusion In this sample, the drinking patterns of alcohol-dependent patients were predicted by baseline factors, i.e. depression, living alone or alcohol-related consequences and findings that may inform clinicians about the likely drinking patterns of their alcohol-dependent patient over the year following the initial evaluation for alcohol treatment.

The carbon isotope composition of natural SiC (moissanite) from the Earth's mantle: New discoveries from ophiolites

Moissanite (natural SiC) has been recovered from podiform chromitites of several ophiolite complexes, including the Luobusa and Donqiao ophiolites in Tibet, the Semail ophiolite in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and the Ray-Iz ophiolite of the Polar Urals, Russia. Taking these new occurrences with the numerous earlier reports of moissanite in diamondiferous kimberlites leads to the conclusion that natural SiC is a widespread mineral in the Earth's mantle, which implies at least locally extremely low redox conditions. The ophiolite moissanite grains are mostly fragments (20 to 150 mu m) with one or more crystal faces, but some euhedral hexagonal grains have also been recovered. Twinned crystals are common in chromitites from the Luobusa ophiolite. The moissanite is rarely colorless, more commonly light bluish-gray to blue or green. Many grains contain inclusions of native Si and Fe-Si alloys (FeSi(2), Fe(3)Si(7)). Secondary ion mass spectrometric (SIMS) analysis shows that the ophiolite-hosted moissanite has a distinctive (13)C-depleted isotopic composition (delta(13)C from -18 to -35 parts per thousand, n=36), much lighter than the main carbon reservoir in the upper mantle (delta(13)C near -5 parts per thousand). The compiled data from moissanite from kimberlites and other mantle settings share the characteristic of strongly (13)C-depleted isotopic composition. This suggests that moissanite originates from a separate carbon reservoir in the mantle or that its formation involved strong isotopic fractionation. The degree of fractionation needed to produce the observed moissanite compositions from the main C-reservoir would be unrealistically large at the high temperatures required for moissanite formation. Subduction of biogenic carbonaceous material could potentially satisfy both the unusual isotopic and redox constraints on moissanite formation, but this material would need to stay chemically isolated from the upper mantle until it reached the high-T stability field of moissanite. The origin of moissanite in the mantle is still unsolved, but all evidence from the upper mantle indicates that it cannot have formed there, barring special and local redox conditions. We suggest, alternatively, that moissanite may have formed in the lower mantle, where the existence of (13)C-depleted carbon is strongly supported by studies of extraterrestrial carbon (Mars, Moon, meteorites). (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Avaliação populacional de lagartas e inimigos naturais em azevém, com rede de varredura

Os noctuídeos constituem as principais pragas fitófagas de gramíneas e decisões sobre seu controle baseiam-se em porcentuais de desfolhamento, desconsiderando o grau de incidência da praga. Este estudo objetivou testar a rede de varredura na avaliação das populações de Noctuidae e principais grupos de inimigos naturais, em azevém (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), nos turnos da manhã e da noite. O trabalho foi conduzido em duas lavouras, em Salvador do Sul, RS. Realizou-se um experimento com coletas semanais e outro, complementar, com coletas em cada fase de desenvolvimento do azevém, mantendo criação laboratorial. No primeiro, foram coletadas 2.044 lagartas, das quais somente 151 foram coletadas no período matinal; à noite foram detectadas diferenças estatísticas entre datas de coleta e tamanho das lagartas. Também foram capturadas 387 aranhas, 577 microimenópteros e 983 outros insetos de interesse no controle biológico; houve significância estatística entre turnos e datas em relação a Carabidae, Forficulidae, Tachinidae, Nabidae, Vespidae, microimenópteros e Araneae. Do segundo experimento, obtiveram-se 11 espécies, das quais Pseudaletia sequax Franc., 1951, foi a predominante. O emprego da rede de varredura permite avaliar as populações de Noctuidae e principais grupos de inimigos naturais, em azevém, no turno da noite.