Clonal growth and demography of a hemicryptophyte alpine plant: Leontopodium alpinum Cassini

Clonally reproducing hemicryptophytic rosette plants are common in the alpine belt. However, their demography, and indirectly their growth and reproductive strategy in these harsh conditions, was rarely studied. We analysed the morphology, clonal reproduction and demography of one such species, Leontopodium alpinum, in two populations of the Swiss Alps. The species forms small colonies of 1-5 (maximum 30) sterile rosettes with a few flowering stalks. After flowering, the apical meristem dies and one or two new axillary buds grow below the previous rosette in the following year, developing into short rhizomes (<2 cm), which decay after four years. The new stalk produces sterile rosettes before flowering after two to four years, depending on climatic conditions. The apical meristem often dies during the sterile stage, and is replaced by a new axillary bud. Levkovitch matrices on two stages (sterile and flowering rosettes) showed that rosette survival and clonal reproduction maintain long-lived populations (λ = 0.96). Elasticities indicated that a change in the survival of sterile rosettes had the strongest effect on population dynamics, and this stage lasts, on average, 6.8 years at 2480 m. Altogether, L. alpinum is following Tomlinson's architectural model. This growth form appears perfectly adapted to harsh alpine conditions: the clonal ramification ensures longevity to genets and the semelparous behaviour of the rosettes allows an efficient flowering, whatever the climatic conditions. L. alpinum appears to follow a common growth model among rosette possessing hemicryptophytes in the alpine belt.

Determination of thermal diffusivity in papaya pulp as a function of maturation stage

In order to determine the penetration of the thermal wave in the papaya fruit pulp (Carica papaya L.), cv. Golden, thermal diffusivity of the pulp was obtained measuring temperature at four different depths. Measurements were carried out initially with the fruit on the first stage of maturity. The changes of the thermal diffusivity were expressed as a function of ripening. A temporal decrease of the thermal diffusivity was observed. Chemical (pH, soluble solids and total titratable acidity) and physical (pulp firmness) properties were measured as well and the results were compared to the thermal diffusivity change.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy with helical TomoTherapy for medically inoperable early stage primary and second-primary non-small-cell lung neoplasm: 1-year outcome and toxicity analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effectiveness of stereotactic body radiotherapy with helical TomoTherapy (T-SBRT) for treating medically inoperable primary and second-primary early stage non-small-cell lung neoplasm (SPLN) and evaluated whether the movement of organizing pneumonia (OP) within the irradiation field (IF) can be detected via analysis of radiological changes. METHODS: Patients (n = 16) treated for 1 year (2011-12) at our hospital by T-SBRT at a total dose of 60 Gy in five fractions were examined retrospectively. Outcome and toxicity were recorded and were separately described for SPLN. CT scans were reviewed by a single radiologist. RESULTS: Of the 16 patients, 5 (31.3%) had primary lung malignancies, 10 (62.5%) had SPLN, and 1 case (6.3%) had isolated mediastinal metastasis of lung neoplasm. Pathological evidence was obtained for 72.2% of all lesions. The median radiological follow-up was 11 months (10.5 months for SPLN). For all cases, the 6- and 12-month survival rates were 100% and 77.7% (100% and 71.4%, respectively, for SPLN), and the 6- and 12-month locoregional control rates were 100% in all cases. 2 (12.5%) of 16 patients developed grade 3 late transient radiation pneumonitis following steroid therapy and 1 (6.3%) presented asymptomatic infiltrates comparable to OP opacities. CONCLUSION: T-SBRT seems to be safe and effective. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Mild OP is likely associated with radiation-induced anomalies in the IF, identification of migrating opacities can help discern relapse of radiation-induced opacities.

Could concomitant radio-chemotherapy improve the outcomes of early-stage node negative anal canal cancer patients? A retrospective analysis of 122 patients.

One hundred twenty-two early-stage anal canal cancer patients (median age: 69 years) were treated with curative radiotherapy with (70 patients) or without (52 patients) concomitant chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 65 months (range: 4-238). At multivariate analysis, concomitant chemotherapy significantly improved local control (p = .007). Local control significantly influenced all considered endpoints, except the metastases free survival. The global rates of G3-G4 acute and late toxicity were 13.1% and 8.2%, respectively, and they were not increased by concomitant chemotherapy. Finally, concomitant chemotherapy is efficacious and safe in the treatment of T1-2N0 anal canal cancer patients and should be prospectively studied.

Representation of Sound Objects within Early-Stage Auditory Areas: A Repetition Effect Study Using 7T fMRI.

Environmental sounds are highly complex stimuli whose recognition depends on the interaction of top-down and bottom-up processes in the brain. Their semantic representations were shown to yield repetition suppression effects, i. e. a decrease in activity during exposure to a sound that is perceived as belonging to the same source as a preceding sound. Making use of the high spatial resolution of 7T fMRI we have investigated the representations of sound objects within early-stage auditory areas on the supratemporal plane. The primary auditory cortex was identified by means of tonotopic mapping and the non-primary areas by comparison with previous histological studies. Repeated presentations of different exemplars of the same sound source, as compared to the presentation of different sound sources, yielded significant repetition suppression effects within a subset of early-stage areas. This effect was found within the right hemisphere in primary areas A1 and R as well as two non-primary areas on the antero-medial part of the planum temporale, and within the left hemisphere in A1 and a non-primary area on the medial part of Heschl's gyrus. Thus, several, but not all early-stage auditory areas encode the meaning of environmental sounds.

Recruitment of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) to the Fibroblast Cell Surface by Lysyl Hydroxylase 3 (LH3) Triggers Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) Activation and Fibroblast Differentiation.

Solid tumor growth triggers a wound healing response. Similar to wound healing, fibroblasts in the tumor stroma differentiate into myofibroblasts (also referred to as cancer-associated fibroblasts) primarily, but not exclusively, in response to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Myofibroblasts in turn enhance tumor progression by remodeling the stroma. Among proteases implicated in stroma remodeling, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP-9, play a prominent role. Recent evidence indicates that MMP-9 recruitment to the tumor cell surface enhances tumor growth and invasion. In the present work, we addressed the potential relevance of MMP-9 recruitment to and activity at the surface of fibroblasts. We show that recruitment of MMP-9 to the fibroblast cell surface occurs through its fibronectin-like (FN) domain and that the molecule responsible for the recruitment is lysyl hydroxylase 3 (LH3). Functional assays suggest that both pro- and active MMP-9 trigger α-smooth muscle actin expression in cultured fibroblasts, reflecting myofibroblast differentiation, possibly as a result of TGF-β activation. Moreover, the recombinant FN domain inhibited both MMP-9-induced TGF-β activation and α-smooth muscle actin expression by displacing MMP-9 from the fibroblast cell surface. Together our results uncover LH3 as a new docking receptor of MMP-9 on the fibroblast cell surface and demonstrate that the MMP-9 FN domain is essential for the interaction. They also show that the recombinant FN domain inhibits MMP-9-induced TGF-β activation and fibroblast differentiation, providing a potentially attractive therapeutic reagent toward attenuating tumor progression where MMP-9 activity is strongly implicated.

Comparison of quality of life after stereotactic body radiotherapy and surgery for early-stage prostate cancer

Background: As the long-term efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) becomes established and other prostate cancer treatment approaches are refined and improved, examination of quality of life (QOL) following prostate cancer treatment is critical in driving both patient and clinical treatment decisions. We present the first study to compare QOL after SBRT and radical prostatectomy, with QOL assessed at approximately the same times pre- and post-treatment and using the same validated QOL instrument. Methods: Patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with either radical prostatectomy (n = 123 Spanish patients) or SBRT (n = 216 American patients). QOL was assessed using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) grouped into urinary, sexual, and bowel domains. For comparison purposes, SBRT EPIC data at baseline, 3 weeks, 5, 11, 24, and 36 months were compared to surgery data at baseline, 1, 6, 12, 24,and 36 months. Differences in patient characteristics between the two groups were assessed using Chi-squared tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were constructed for each EPIC scale to account for correlation among repeated measures and used to assess the effect of treatment on QOL. Results: The largest differences in QOL occurred in the first 1-6 months after treatment, with larger declines following surgery in urinary and sexual QOL as compared to SBRT, and a larger decline in bowel QOL following SBRT as compared to surgery. Long-term urinary and sexual QOL declines remained clinically significantly lower for surgery patients but not for SBRT patients. Conclusions: Overall, these results may have implications for patient and physician clinical decision making which are often influenced by QOL. These differences in sexual, urinary and bowel QOL should be closely considered in selecting the right treatment, especially in evaluating the value of non-invasive treatments, such as SBRT.

Kuumahierteen laadun ja energiankulutuksen optimointi

Kuumahierteen menestyksekäs kehitys on vähentänyt kemiallisten massojen käyttöä painopapereiden raaka-aineena. Hiertäminen kuluttaa kuitenkin huomattavasti enemmän energiaa muihin massanvalmistusmenetelmiin verrattuna. Tämän työn tavoitteena oli optimoida Stora Enson Varkauden tehtaiden uuden TMP-linjan massan laatua ja energiankäyttöä. Työ koostui jauhimien monimuuttujakoeajoista, Metso Paperin painekoeajosta sekä koko TMP-linjaa koskevista tarkistusajoista. Monimuuttujakoeajot suoritettiin 600 t vuorokausituotannolla 60 % kuorimohakesuhteella. Jauhatuksen kokonaisenergiankulutuksen rajaksi sovittiin vanhojen jauhinlinjojen perusteella 2,3 MWh/t. Massan laadun kriittisimmäksi tekijäksi osoittautui vetoindeksi, joten optimoinnin tavoitteeksi muodostui vetoindeksin kehittäminen annetun energiankulutuksen puitteissa. Kuumahierteen laadun kehittymisen kannalta merkittävin vaihe oli hakkeen kuituuntuminen. Kuituuntumisen tulee tapahtua riittävän korkeassa lämpötilassa ligniinin pehmenemisen ja kuitujen joustavuuden saavuttamiseksi sekä alhaisella intensiteetillä, jolloin kuituja ei katkota. Ensimmäisen vaiheen jauhatuksen EOK:n on oltava vähintään 1,00 MWh/t, jolloin toisen vaiheen jauhatus vaatii energiaa vähintään 0,70 MWh/t. Rejektijauhimen tuotantotason tulisi olla mahdollisimman suuri ja intensiiviseen jauhatukseen käytettävän ominaisenergian noin 1,00 MWh/t.

The effects of milk as a food matrix for polyphenols on the excretion profile of cocoa (-)-Epicatechin metabolites in healthy humans subjects

The effect of different food matrices on the metabolism and excretion of polyphenols is uncertain. The objective of the study was to evaluate the possible effect of milk on the excretion of (2)-epicatechin metabolites from cocoa powder after its ingestion with and without milk. Twenty-one volunteers received the following three test meals each in a randomised cross-over design with a 1-week interval between meals: (1) 250 ml whole milk as a control; (2) 40 g cocoa powder dissolved in 250 ml whole milk (CC-M); (3) 40 g cocoa powder dissolved in 250 ml water (CC-W). Urine was collected before consumption and during the 0-6, 6-12 and 12-24 h periods after consumption. (2)-Epicatechin metabolite excretion was measured using liquid chromatography-MS. One (2)-epicatechin glucuronide and three (2)-epicatechin sulfates were detected in urine excreted after the intake of the two cocoa beverages (CC-M and CC-W). The results show that milk does not significantly affect the total amount of metabolites excreted in urine. However, differences in metabolite excretion profiles were observed; there were changes in the glucuronide and sulfate excretion rates, and the sulfation position between the period of excretion and the matrix. The matrix in which polyphenols are consumed can affect their metabolism and excretion, and this may affect their biological activity. Thus, more studies are needed to evaluate the effect of these different metabolite profiles on the body.

Single stage transforaminal retrojugular tumor resection: The spinal keyhole for dumbbell tumors in the cervical spine.

BACKGROUND: Dumbbell tumors are defined as having an intradural and extradural component with an intermediate component within an expanded neural foramen. Complete resection of these lesions in the subaxial cervical spine is a challenge, and it has been achieved through a combined posterior/anterior or anterolateral approach. This study describes a single stage transforaminal retrojugular (TFR) approach for dumbbell tumors resection in the cervical spine. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of a series of 17 patients treated for cervical benign tumors, 4 of which were "true" cervical dumbbell tumors operated by a simplified retrojugular approach. The TFR approach allows a single stage gross total resection of both the extraspinal and intraspinal/intradural components of the tumor, taking advantage of the expanded neural foramen. All patients were followed clinically and radiologically with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: Gross total resection was confirmed in all four patients by postoperative MRI. Minimal to no bone resection was performed. No fusion procedure was performed and no delayed instability was seen. At follow up, one patient had a persistent mild hand weakness and Horners syndrome following resection of a hemangioblastoma of the C8 nerve root. The other three patients were neurologically normal. CONCLUSIONS: The TFR approach appears to be a feasible surgical option for single stage resection in selective cases of dumbbell tumors of the cervical spine.

Mutations in LONP1, a mitochondrial matrix protease, cause CODAS syndrome.

Cerebral, ocular, dental, auricular, skeletal anomalies (CODAS) syndrome (MIM 600373) was first described and named by Shehib et al, in 1991 in a single patient. The anomalies referred to in the acronym are as follows: cerebral-developmental delay, ocular-cataracts, dental-aberrant cusp morphology and delayed eruption, auricular-malformations of the external ear, and skeletal-spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. This distinctive constellation of anatomical findings should allow easy recognition but despite this only four apparently sporadic patients have been reported in the last 20 years indicating that the full phenotype is indeed very rare with perhaps milder or a typical presentations that are allelic but without sufficient phenotypic resemblance to permit clinical diagnosis. We performed exome sequencing in three patients (an isolated case and a brother and sister sib pair) with classical features of CODAS. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm results as well as for mutation discovery in a further four unrelated patients ascertained via their skeletal features. Compound heterozygous or homozygous mutations in LONP1 were found in all (8 separate mutations; 6 missense, 1 nonsense, 1 small in-frame deletion) thus establishing the genetic basis of CODAS and the pattern of inheritance (autosomal recessive). LONP1 encodes an enzyme of bacterial ancestry that participates in protein turnover within the mitochondrial matrix. The mutations cluster at the ATP-binding and proteolytic domains of the enzyme. Biallelic inheritance and clustering of mutations confirm dysfunction of LONP1 activity as the molecular basis of CODAS but the pathogenesis remains to be explored.

1D.03: Inactive matrix GLA protein is associated with renal resistive index in a population-based study

OBJECTIVE: Renal resistive index (RRI) varies directly with renal vascular stiffness and pulse pressure. RRI correlates positively with arteriolosclerosis in damaged kidneys and predicts progressive renal dysfunction. Matrix Gla-protein (MGP) is a vascular calcification inhibitor that needs vitamin K to be activated. Inactive MGP, known as desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP), can be measured in plasma and has been associated with various cardiovascular (CV) markers, CV outcomes and mortality. In this study we hypothesize that increased RRI is associated with high levels of dp-ucMGP. DESIGN AND METHOD: We recruited participants via a multi-center family-based cross-sectional study in Switzerland exploring the role of genes and kidney hemodynamics in blood pressure regulation. Dp-ucMGP was quantified in plasma samples by sandwich ELISA. Renal doppler sonography was performed using a standardized protocol to measure RRIs on 3 segmental arteries in each kidney. The mean of the 6 measures was reported. Multiple regression analysis was performed to estimate associations between RRI and dp-ucMGP adjusting for sex, age, pulse pressure, mean pressure, renal function and other CV risk factors. RESULTS: We included 1035 participants in our analyses. Mean values were 0.64 ± 0.06 for RRI and 0.44 ± 0.21 (nmol/L) for dp-ucMGP. RRI was positively associated with dp-ucMGP both before and after adjustment for sex, age, body mass index, pulse pressure, mean pressure, heart rate, renal function, low and high density lipoprotein, smoking status, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering drugs, and history of CV disease (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RRI is independently and positively associated with high levels of dp-ucMGP after adjustment for pulse pressure and common CV risk factors. Further studies are needed to determine if vitamin K supplementation can have a positive effect on renal vascular stiffness and kidney function.

Matrix Analytic Analysis of Delays in Communication Systems

Tässä päättötyössä annetaan kuvaus kehitetystä sovelluksesta Quasi Birth Death processien ratkaisuun. Tämä ohjelma on tähän mennessä ainutlaatuinen ja sen avulla voi ratkaista sarjan tehtäviä ja sitä tarvitaan kommunikaatio systeemien analyysiin. Mainittuun sovellukseen on annettu kuvaus ja määritelmä. Lyhyt kuvaus toisesta sovelluksesta Quasi Birth Death prosessien tehtävien ratkaisuun on myös annettu