Development and validation of GT3X accelerometer cut-off points in 5- to 9-year-old children based on indirect calorimetry measurements

The ActiGraph accelerometer is commonly used to measure physical activity in children. Count cut-off points are needed when using accelerometer data to determine the time a person spent in moderate or vigorous physical activity. For the GT3X accelerometer no cut-off points for young children have been published yet. The aim of the current study was thus to develop and validate count cut-off points for young children. Thirty-two children aged 5 to 9 years performed four locomotor and four play activities. Activity classification into the light-, moderate- or vigorous-intensity category was based on energy expenditure measurements with indirect calorimetry. Vertical axis as well as vector magnitude cut-off points were determined through receiver operating characteristic curve analyses with the data of two thirds of the study group and validated with the data of the remaining third. The vertical axis cut-off points were 133 counts per 5 sec for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 193 counts for vigorous activity (VPA) corresponding to a metabolic threshold of 5 MET and 233 for VPA corresponding to 6 MET. The vector magnitude cut-off points were 246 counts per 5 sec for MVPA, 316 counts for VPA - 5 MET and 381 counts for VPA - 6 MET. When validated, the current cut-off points generally showed high recognition rates for each category, high sensitivity and specificity values and moderate agreement in terms of the Kappa statistic. These results were similar for vertical axis and vector magnitude cut-off points. The current cut-off points adequately reflect MVPA and VPA in young children. Cut-off points based on vector magnitude counts did not appear to reflect the intensity categories better than cut-off points based on vertical axis counts alone.

CCND1/CyclinD1 status in metastasizing bladder cancer: a prognosticator and predictor of chemotherapeutic response

The CCND1 gene encodes the protein CyclinD1, which is an important promoter of the cell cycle and a prognostic and predictive factor in different cancers. CCND1 is amplified to a substantial proportion in various tumors, and this may contribute to CyclinD1 overexpression. In bladder cancer, information about the clinical relevance of CCND1/CyclinD1 alterations is limited. In the present study, amplification status of CCND1 and expression of CyclinD1 were evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays from 152 lymph node-positive urothelial bladder cancers (one sample each from the center and invasion front of the primary tumors, two samples per corresponding lymph node metastasis) treated by cystectomy and lymphadenectomy. CCND1 amplification status and the percentage of immunostained cancer cells were correlated with histopathological tumor characteristics, cancer-specific survival and response to adjuvant chemotherapy. CCND1 amplification in primary tumors was homogeneous in 15% and heterogeneous in 6% (metastases: 22 and 2%). Median nuclear CyclinD1 expression in amplified samples was similar in all tumor compartments (60-70% immunostained tumor nuclei) and significantly higher than in non-amplified samples (5-20% immunostained tumor nuclei; P<0.05). CCND1 status and CyclinD1 expression were not associated with primary tumor stage or lymph node tumor burden. CCND1 amplification in primary tumors (P=0.001) and metastases (P=0.02) and high nuclear CyclinD1 in metastases (P=0.01) predicted early cancer-related death independently. Subgroup analyses showed that chemotherapy was particularly beneficial in patients with high nuclear CyclinD1 expression in the metastases, whereas expression in primary tumors and CCND1 status did not predict chemotherapeutic response. In conclusion, CCND1 amplification status and CyclinD1 expression are independent risk factors in metastasizing bladder cancer. High nuclear CyclinD1 expression in lymph node metastases predicts favorable response to chemotherapy. This information may help to personalize prognostication and administration of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Environment and climate of the last 51,000 years – new insights from the Potrok Aike maar lake Sediment Archive Drilling prOject (PASADO)

In this introductory paper we summarize the history and achievements of the Potrok Aike maar lake Sediment Archive Drilling prOject (PASADO), an interdisciplinary project embedded in the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP). The stringent multiproxy approach adopted in this research combined with radiocarbon and luminescence dating provided the opportunity to synthesize a large body of hydrologically relevant data from Laguna Potrok Aike (southern Patagonia, Argentina). At this site, lake level was high from 51 ka until the early Holocene when the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW) were located further to the north. At 9.3 ka cal. BP the SHW moved southward and over the latitude of the study area (52 degrees S) causing a pronounced negative water balance with a lake level decrease of more than 50 m. Two millennia later, the SHW diminished in intensity and lake level rose to a subsequent maximum during the Little Ice Age. Since the 20th century, a strengthening of the SHW increased the evaporative stress resulting in a more negative water balance. A comparison of our data with other hydrological fluctuations at a regional scale in south-eastern Patagonia, provides new insights and also calls for better chronologies and high-resolution records of climate variability.

Inflammation and symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with acute coronary heart disease

Depression following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS, including myocardial infarction or unstable angina) is associated with recurrent cardiovascular events, but the depressive symptoms that are cardiotoxic appear to have particular characteristics: they are 'incident' rather than being a continuation of prior depression, and they are somatic rather than cognitive in nature. We tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of inflammatory responses during the ACS would predict somatic symptoms of depression 3 weeks and 6 months later, specifically in patients without a history of depressive illness. White cell count and C-reactive protein were measured on the day after admission in 216 ACS patients. ACS was associated with very high levels of inflammation, averaging 13.23×10(9)/l and 17.06 mg/l for white cell count and C-reactive protein respectively. White cell count during ACS predicted somatic symptom intensity on the Beck Depression Inventory 3 weeks later (β=0.122, 95% C.I. 0.015-0.230, p=0.025) independently of age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, marital status, smoking, cardiac arrest during admission and clinical cardiac risk, but only in patients without a history of depression. At 6 months, white cell count during ACS was associated with elevated anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale independently of covariates including anxiety measured at 3 weeks (adjusted odds ratio 1.08, 95% C.I. 1.01-1.15, p=0.022). An unpredicted relationship between white cell count during ACS and cognitive symptoms of depression at 6 months was also observed. The study provides some support for the hypothesis that the marked inflammation during ACS contributes to later depression in a subset of patients, but the evidence is not conclusive.

The EVIDENT-trial: protocol and rationale of a multicenter randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of an online-based psychological intervention

BACKGROUND: Depressive disorders are among the leading causes of worldwide disability with mild to moderate forms of depression being particularly common. Low-intensity treatments such as online psychological treatments may be an effective way to treat mild to moderate depressive symptoms and prevent the emergence or relapse of major depression. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a currently recruiting multicentre parallel-groups pragmatic randomized-controlled single-blind trial. A total of 1000 participants with mild to moderate symptoms of depression from various settings including in- and outpatient services will be randomized to an online psychological treatment or care as usual (CAU). We hypothesize that the intervention will be superior to CAU in reducing depressive symptoms assessed with the Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, primary outcome measure) following the intervention (12 wks) and at follow-up (24 and 48 wks). Further outcome parameters include quality of life, use of health care resources and attitude towards online psychological treatments. DISCUSSION: The study will yield meaningful answers to the question of whether online psychological treatment can contribute to the effective and efficient prevention and treatment of mild to moderate depression on a population level with a low barrier to entry. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial Registration Number: NCT01636752.

Climate change and infectious diseases of wildlife: Altered interactions between pathogens, vectors and hosts

Infectious diseases result from the interactions of host, pathogens, and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, also vectors. The interactions involve physiological and ecological mechanisms and they have evolved under a given set of environmental conditions. Environmental change, therefore, will alter host-pathogen-vector interactions and, consequently, the distribution, intensity, and dynamics of infectious diseases. Here, we review how climate change may impact infectious diseases of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Climate change can have direct impacts on distribution, life cycle, and physiological status of hosts, pathogens and vectors. While a change in either host, pathogen or vector does not necessarily translate into an alteration of the disease, it is the impact of climate change on the interactions between the disease components which is particularly critical for altered disease risks. Finally, climate factors can modulate disease through modifying the ecological networks host-pathogen-vector systems are belonging to, and climate change can combine with other environmental stressors to induce cumulative effects on infectious diseases. Overall, the influence of climate change on infectious diseases involves different mechanisms, it can be modulated by phenotypic acclimation and/or genotypic adaptation, it depends on the ecological context of the host-pathogen-vector interactions, and it can be modulated by impacts of other stressors. As a consequence of this complexity, non-linear responses of disease systems under climate change are to be expected. To improve predictions on climate change impacts on infectious disease, we suggest that more emphasis should be given to the integration of biomedical and ecological research for studying both the physiological and ecological mechanisms which mediate climate change impacts on disease, and to the development of harmonized methods and approaches to obtain more comparable results, as this would support the discrimination of case-specific versus general mechanisms

BENCHMARKING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW INDEPENDENT MONTE CARLO DOSE CALCULATION QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT TOOL FOR CLINICAL TRIALS

Introduction Commercial treatment planning systems employ a variety of dose calculation algorithms to plan and predict the dose distributions a patient receives during external beam radiation therapy. Traditionally, the Radiological Physics Center has relied on measurements to assure that institutions participating in the National Cancer Institute sponsored clinical trials administer radiation in doses that are clinically comparable to those of other participating institutions. To complement the effort of the RPC, an independent dose calculation tool needs to be developed that will enable a generic method to determine patient dose distributions in three dimensions and to perform retrospective analysis of radiation delivered to patients who enrolled in past clinical trials. Methods A multi-source model representing output for Varian 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams was developed and evaluated. The Monte Carlo algorithm, know as the Dose Planning Method (DPM), was used to perform the dose calculations. The dose calculations were compared to measurements made in a water phantom and in anthropomorphic phantoms. Intensity modulated radiation therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy techniques were used with the anthropomorphic phantoms. Finally, past patient treatment plans were selected and recalculated using DPM and contrasted against a commercial dose calculation algorithm. Results The multi-source model was validated for the Varian 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams. The benchmark evaluations demonstrated the ability of the model to accurately calculate dose for the Varian 6 MV and the Varian 10 MV source models. The patient calculations proved that the model was reproducible in determining dose under similar conditions described by the benchmark tests. Conclusions The dose calculation tool that relied on a multi-source model approach and used the DPM code to calculate dose was developed, validated, and benchmarked for the Varian 6 MV and 10 MV photon beams. Several patient dose distributions were contrasted against a commercial algorithm to provide a proof of principal to use as an application in monitoring clinical trial activity.

Cellular uptake and localization of inhaled gold nanoparticles in lungs of mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: Inhalative nanocarriers for local or systemic therapy are promising. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) have been widely considered as candidate material. Knowledge about their interaction with the lungs is required, foremost their uptake by surface macrophages and epithelial cells.Diseased lungs are of specific interest, since these are the main recipients of inhalation therapy. We, therefore, used Scnn1b-transgenic (Tg) mice as a model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and compared uptake and localization of inhaled AuNP in surface macrophages and lung tissue to wild-type (Wt) mice. METHODS: Scnn1b-Tg and Wt mice inhaled a 21-nm AuNP aerosol for 2 h. Immediately (0 h) or 24 h thereafter, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages and whole lungs were prepared for stereological analysis of AuNP by electron microscopy. RESULTS: AuNP were mainly found as singlets or small agglomerates of <= 100 nm diameter, at the epithelial surface and within lung-surface structures. Macrophages contained also large AuNP agglomerates (> 100 nm). At 0 h after aerosol inhalation, 69.2+/-4.9% AuNP were luminal, i.e. attached to the epithelial surface and 24.0+/-5.9% in macrophages in Scnn1b-Tg mice. In Wt mice, 35.3+/-32.2% AuNP were on the epithelium and 58.3+/-41.4% in macrophages. The percentage of luminal AuNP decreased from 0 h to 24 h in both groups. At 24 h, 15.5+/-4.8% AuNP were luminal, 21.4+/-14.2% within epithelial cells and 63.0+/-18.9% in macrophages in Scnn1b-Tg mice. In Wt mice, 9.5+/-5.0% AuNP were luminal, 2.2+/-1.6% within epithelial cells and 82.8+/-0.2% in macrophages. BAL-macrophage analysis revealed enhanced AuNP uptake in Wt animals at 0 h and in Scnn1b-Tg mice at 24 h, confirming less efficient macrophage uptake and delayed clearance of AuNP in Scnn1b-Tg mice. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled AuNP rapidly bound to the alveolar epithelium in both Wt and Scnn1b-Tg mice. Scnn1b-Tg mice showed less efficient AuNP uptake by surface macrophages and concomitant higher particle internalization by alveolar type I epithelial cells compared to Wt mice. This likely promotes AuNP depth translocation in Scnn1b-Tg mice, including enhanced epithelial targeting. These results suggest AuNP nanocarrier delivery as successful strategy for therapeutic targeting of alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages in COPD.

Generation and characterization of antigenic variants induced by exposure of tumor cells to UV radiation in vitro

Antigenic changes present in nonantigenic tumor cells exposed to UV radiation (UV) in vitro were investigated by addressing the following questions: (1) Are antigenic variants (AV) produced that are rejected in normal but not immunosuppressed mice? (2) Does generation of AV depend upon intrinsic properties of the cells exposed or result from the action of UV? (3) Is antigenic modification induced by UV due to increased histocompatibility antigen expression? (4) Do AV crossreact immunologically with parental tumor or with other AV? and (5) Is the UV-associated common antigen expressed on UV-induced tumors present on UV-irradiated tumor cells? AV were generated at different frequencies following in vitro UV irradiation of a spontaneous murine fibrosarcoma (51% of cell lines tested), a murine melanoma (56%), and two melanoma clones (100% and 11%). This indicated that the percentage of AV produced is an intrinsic property of the cell line exposed. The increased antigenicity did not correlate with an increased expression of class I histocompatibility antigens. Immunological experiments demonstrated that the AV and parental cells shared a determinant that was susceptible to immune recognition, but incapable of inducing immunity. In contrast, the AV were noncrossreactive, suggesting that variant-specific antigens were also expressed. Finally, the AV were recognized by UV-induced suppressor cells, indicating that the UV-associated common antigen expressed by UV-induced tumors was also present. This investigation provides new information on the susceptibility of tumors to antigenic modification by UV and on the relationship between tumor antigens and neoplastic transformation. Furthermore, it suggests an immunological approach for cancer therapy. ^

Patient classification system: An integrated method for measuring nursing intensity and optimizing resource allocation

A patient classification system was developed integrating a patient acuity instrument with a computerized nursing distribution method based on a linear programming model. The system was designed for real-time measurement of patient acuity (workload) and allocation of nursing personnel to optimize the utilization of resources.^ The acuity instrument was a prototype tool with eight categories of patients defined by patient severity and nursing intensity parameters. From this tool, the demand for nursing care was defined in patient points with one point equal to one hour of RN time. Validity and reliability of the instrument was determined as follows: (1) Content validity by a panel of expert nurses; (2) predictive validity through a paired t-test analysis of preshift and postshift categorization of patients; (3) initial reliability by a one month pilot of the instrument in a practice setting; and (4) interrater reliability by the Kappa statistic.^ The nursing distribution system was a linear programming model using a branch and bound technique for obtaining integer solutions. The objective function was to minimize the total number of nursing personnel used by optimally assigning the staff to meet the acuity needs of the units. A penalty weight was used as a coefficient of the objective function variables to define priorities for allocation of staff.^ The demand constraints were requirements to meet the total acuity points needed for each unit and to have a minimum number of RNs on each unit. Supply constraints were: (1) total availability of each type of staff and the value of that staff member (value was determined relative to that type of staff's ability to perform the job function of an RN (i.e., value for eight hours RN = 8 points, LVN = 6 points); (2) number of personnel available for floating between units.^ The capability of the model to assign staff quantitatively and qualitatively equal to the manual method was established by a thirty day comparison. Sensitivity testing demonstrated appropriate adjustment of the optimal solution to changes in penalty coefficients in the objective function and to acuity totals in the demand constraints.^ Further investigation of the model documented: correct adjustment of assignments in response to staff value changes; and cost minimization by an addition of a dollar coefficient to the objective function. ^

The molecular cloning and characterization of human heparanase cDNA and the immunochemical localization of heparanase in metastatic melanomas

Heparanase, an endo-$\beta$-D-glucuronidase, has been associated with melanoma metastasis. Polyclonal antibodies directed against the murine N-terminal heparanase peptide detected a M$\sb{\rm r}\sim 97,000$ protein upon SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of mouse melanoma and human melanoma cell lysates. In an indirect immunocytochemical study, metastatic human A375-SM and mouse B16-BL6 melanoma cells were stained with the anti-heparanase antibodies. Heparanase antigen was localized in the cytoplasm of permeabilized melanoma cells as well as at the cell surface of unpermeabilized cells. Immunohistochemical staining of frozen sections from syngeneic mouse organs containing micrometastases of B16-BL6 melanoma demonstrated heparanase localized in metastatic melanoma cells, but not in adjacent normal tissues. Similar studies using frozen sections of malignant melanomas resected from patients indicated that heparanase is localized in invading melanoma cells, but not in adjacent connective tissues.^ Monoclonal antibodies directed against murine heparanase were developed and characterized. Monoclonal antibody 10E5, an IgM, precipitated and inhibitated the enzymatic activity of heparanase. A 2.6 kb cDNA was isolated from a human melanoma $\lambda$gt11 cDNA library using the monoclonal antibody 10E5. Heparan sulfate cleavage activity was detected in the lysogen lysates from E. Coli Y1089 infected with the $\lambda$gt11 cDNA and this activity was inhibited in the presence of 10-fold excess of heparin, a potent inhibitor of heparanase. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA was determined and insignificant homology was found with the gene sequences currently known. The cDNA hybridized to a 3.2-3.4 kb mRNA in human A375 melanoma, WI-38 fibroblast, and THP-1 leukemia cells using Northern blots.^ Heparanase expression was examined using Western and Northern blots. In comparison to human A375-P melanoma cells, the quantity of 97,000 protein recognized by the polyclonal anti-heparanase antibodies doubled in the metastatic variant A375-SM cells and the quantity of 3.2-3.4 kb mRNA doubled in A375MetMix, a metastatic variant similar to A375-SM cells. In B16 murine melanoma cell, the intensity of the 97,000 protein increased more than 2 times comparing with B16-F1 cells. The extent in the increase of the protein and the mRNA levels is comparable to the change of heparanase activity observed in those cells.^ In summary, the studies suggest that (a) the N-terminus of the heparanase molecule in mouse and human is antigenically related; (b) heparanase antigens are localized at the cell surface and in the cytoplasm of metastatic human and mouse melanoma cells; (c) heparanase antigens are localized in invasive and metastatic murine and human melanomas in vivo, but not in adjacent normal tissues; (d) heparanase molecule appeared to be differentially expressed at the transcriptional as well as at the translational level; and (e) the size of human heparanase mRNA is 3.2-3.4 kilobase. ^

STABILITY AND FOLDING OF MUTANT FORMS OF ISO-1 CYTOCHROME-C FROM SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Partially functional forms of iso-1-cytochrome c from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were obtained by replacements of the evolutionarily conserved proline 71 with valine, isoleucine and threonine (Ernst et.al.,1985). Pro-71 lies at the juncture of two short helical regions and is believed to be important for proper local polypeptide chain folding within the iso-1-cytochrome c structure.^ To study folding in the absence of intermolecular disulfide dimer formation the free sulfhydryl group of Cys-102 was modified in both wild type and mutant proteins with an alkylating reagent, methyl methanethiosulfonate. Spectral analysis of the wild type and mutant proteins shows that the native-like functional (or partially functional) folded structure of cytochrome c is retained in the chemically modified derivatives. The replacement of Pro-71 with valine, isoleucine or threonine reduces the intensity of the 696 nm absorbance band which is an indicator of the Met-80 ligation to the heme. Thermal stability and guanidine hydrochloride unfolding studies of the mutant proteins shows a destabilization of the protein as a result of mutation. The degree of destabilization depends on the chemical nature of the substituent amino acid in the mutant protiens.^ Kinetics of folding/unfolding reactions of the proteins were monitored by fluorescence changes using stopped flow mixing to obtain guanidine hydrochloride concentration jumps ending below, within, and above the transition zone. The replacement of Pro-71 alters the rate on one of the fastest phases, $\tau\sb3$, while the two other phases, $\tau\sb1$ & $\tau\sb2$, remain the same.^ Slow refolding kinetic studies indicate that replacement of Pro-71 does not completely eliminate the absorbance or fluorescence detected slow phases leading to the conclusion that Pro-71 is not involved in the generation of the slow phases in the folding kinetics of iso-1-cytochrome c.^ The alkaline conformational change involving the disappearance of the 696 nm absorbance band occurs with increasing pH in the alkaline pH region (Davis et al., 1974). The apparent pK of this conformational change in mutant proteins is shifted as much as two pH units compared to wild type. The equilibrium and kinetic data of alkaline transition for the wild type follows a simple mechanism proposed by Davis et al., (1974) for horse heart cytochrome c. A more complex mechanism is proposed for the behavior of the mutant proteins. ^

Delivery of health care at the end of life in cancer patients of four swiss cantons a retrospective database study (SAKK 89/09)

Background The use of cancer related therapy in cancer patients at the end-of-life has increased over time in many countries. Given a lack of published Swiss data, the objective of this study was to describe delivery of health care during the last month before death of cancer patients. Methods Claims data were used to assess health care utilization of cancer patients (identified by cancer registry data of four participating cantons), deceased between 2006-2008. Primary endpoints were hospitalization rate and delivery of cancer related therapies during the last 30 days before death. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the explanatory value of patient and geographic characteristics. Results 3809 identified cancer patients were included. Hospitalization rate (mean 68.5%, 95%CI 67.0-69.9) and percentage of patients receiving anti-cancer drug therapies (ACDT, mean 14.5%, 95%CI 13.4-15.6) and radiotherapy (mean 7.7%, 95%CI 6.7-8.4) decreased with age. Canton of residence and insurance type status most significantly influenced the odds for hospitalization or receiving ACDT. Conclusions The intensity of cancer specific care showed substantial variation by age, cancer type, place of residence and insurance type status. This may be partially driven by cultural differences within Switzerland and the cantonal organization of the Swiss health care system.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles and wireless sensor networks for spraying pesticides

The application of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural areas is of crucial importance for crop yields. The use of aircrafts is becoming increasingly common in carrying out this task mainly because of their speed and effectiveness in the spraying operation. However, some factors may reduce the yield, or even cause damage (e.g., crop areas not covered in the spraying process, overlapping spraying of crop areas, applying pesticides on the outer edge of the crop). Weather conditions, such as the intensity and direction of the wind while spraying, add further complexity to the problem of maintaining control. In this paper, we describe an architecture to address the problem of self-adjustment of the UAV routes when spraying chemicals in a crop field. We propose and evaluate an algorithm to adjust the UAV route to changes in wind intensity and direction. The algorithm to adapt the path runs in the UAV and its input is the feedback obtained from the wireless sensor network (WSN) deployed in the crop field. Moreover, we evaluate the impact of the number of communication messages between the UAV and the WSN. The results show that the use of the feedback information from the sensors to make adjustments to the routes could significantly reduce the waste of pesticides and fertilizers.

Selective uptake, distribution, and redistribution of Cd-109, Co-57, Zn-65, Ni-63, and Cs-134 via xylem and phloem in the heavy metal hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L

The focus of this article was to explore the translocation of Cd-109, Co-57, Zn-65, Ni-63, and Cs-134 via xylem and phloem in the newly found hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. Two experiments with the uptake via the roots and transport of Cd-109, Co-57, and Zn-65 labeled by roots, and the redistribution of Cd-109, Zn-65, Co-57, Ni-63, and Cs-134 using flap label in S. nigrum in a hydroponic culture with a standard nutrient solution were conducted. The results showed that Cd-109 added for 24 h to the nutrient medium of young plants was rapidly taken up, transferred to the shoot, and accumulated in the cotyledons and the oldest leaves but was not efficiently redistributed within the shoot afterward leading to a rather low content in the fruits. In contrast, Co-57 was more slowly taken up and released to the shoot, but afterward, this element was redistributed from older leaves to younger leaves and maturing fruits. Zn-65 was rapidly taken up and transferred to the shoot (mainly to the youngest leaves and not to the cotyledons). Afterward, this radionuclide was redistributed within the shoot to the youngest organs and finally accumulated in the maturing fruits. After flap labeling, all five heavy metals tested (Cd-109, Co-57, Zn-65, Ni-63, Cs-134) were exported from the labeled leaf and redistributed within the plant. The accumulation in the fruits was most pronounced for Ni-63 and Zn-65, while a relatively high percentage of Co-57 was finally found in the roots. Cs-134 was roughly in the middle of them. The transport of Cd-109 differed from that previously reported for wheat or lupin and might be important for the potential of S. nigrum to hyperaccumulate cadmium.