Clinical impact of MDR1-expression in testicular germ cell cancer

Aim: The multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1, P-gp, p-170) is a membrane glycoprotein that acts as an energy-dependent drug efflux pump. In various malignancies its expression is associated with resistance to diverse cytostatic drugs, and therefore predicts resistance to systemic treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of MDR1 expression in primary tumor tissue to predict necrosis or viable cancer in residual tumor masses after systemic chemotherapy for advanced testicular germ cell cancer. Materials and Methods: Out of 77 patients, histopathological characteristics of primary testicular cancer specimens and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) samples following chemotherapy were available from 72 and all 77 patients, respectively. Moreover, MDR1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in 47 primary tumors and corresponding 73 RPLND sections. Results: After chemotherapy and subsequent RPLND, the examination of residual tumor masses revealed that mature teratoma and active viable tumor were predominantly found in patients with non-seminoma (NSGCT; p = 0.048), especially in those with containing mature teratoma (p = 0.001). Moreover, using univariate analysis the expression of MDR1 in the primary testicular tumor predicted viable tumor/teratoma residues in RPLND sections (p = 0.003). However, in multivariate analysis including the tumors’ histological subtype, MDR1 expression alone failed to reach statistical significance as an independent prognostic marker for residual vital tumor (p ≥ 0.16). Conclusions: With the limited number of patients given, the correlation between MDR1 expression in primary testis cancer and active residual retroperitoneal disease after chemotherapy failed to reach statistical significance as in independent marker. Therefore, up to now routine MDR1 staining of testicular germ cell cancer samples should not be performed in clinical practice. However, as there was a clear trend, a larger number of patients suffering from metastatic non-seminomas should be studied, as MDR1 expression might have significant prognostic value in this particular subgroup of patients.Белок 1 множественной лекарств енной устойчив ости (MDR1, P-gp, p-170) – это мембранный гликопротеин, функционирующий как энергозависимый насос. При разл ичных фо рмах опухолей его экспр е ссия связана с устойчив о стью опухоли к различным цитостатикам, что может быть использовано для выбора типа терапии. Цель работы — исследование прогности- ческой значимости экспрессии MDR1 в ткани пе рвичной опухоли для оценки возмо жности раз вития некроза или сохран е ния живых клеток в остаточной ткани опухоли после применения системной химиотерапии на поздних стадиях герминативных опухолей яичка. Материалы и методы: про анализиро ваны гисто патоло гические характ е ристики пе рвично й те стикулярной опухоли и образцов, полученных при иссечении ретроперитонеальных лимфатических узлов (RPLND) после хими отерапии 72 и 77 бол ьных соотве тственно. Экспр ессию MDR1 определяли иммун огист охимич еским методом в 47 образцах первичн ой опухоли и соответствующих 73 ср RPLND. Результаты: после хими отерапии и последующей RPLNDисследовани е оста- точных опухолевых тканей показало, чтозрелая тератома и жизнеспособные опух олевые клетки выяв ляют преимущественно у больных, у которых не была обнаружена семинома (NSGCT; p = 0,048), особенно у так овых , у которых была тератома (p = 0,001). Более того, д анные одно факторного анализа показали, что экспр е ссия MDR1 в ткани пе рвично й те стику лярной опу- холи может служить прогностич еским факт ором сохран ения живых опух олевых клеток срезах RPLND (p = 0,003). О нак о применение мультифакторного анализа, в том числе с учетом гистологического подтипа опухоли, показало, что экспр е ссия MDR1 не имеет самостоятельной прогностической значимости для выявления живых остаточных опух олевых клеток (p 0,16). Выводы: ввиду небольшо йвыборкибольных не выяв лено статистически значимойкорреляции между экспр ессией MDR1 в первичной опухоли яичка и наличием активных резидуальных очагов поражения в ретроперитонеальном пространстве. В т о же время, учитывая выявленную тенденцию, экспрессию MDR1, в качестве возможного прогностич еского марк ера, имеет смысл исследовать именно у больных с метастатическими опухолями, не являющимися семиномой

Current Research of the Leiden-Turin Archaeological Mission in Saqqara. A Preliminary Report on the 2018 Season

In 2015, the Museo Egizio in Turin joined the Leiden expedition to Saqqara, in the area south of the Unas causeway. This report presents the expedition’s new approach as well as some first results of this new cooperation. In the 2018 season, the Leiden-Turin expedition worked in the northern sector of its concession, covering an area of ca. 250 sqm just north of the tomb of Maya. Here Late Antique layers overlie a windblown deposit containing some simple burials and numerous “embalmers’ caches”, some of which yielded marl clay cups with hieratic labels. An overview of both the pottery and the human remains found during this season is provided in the present report. Below the wind-blown deposit is a level with Ramesside funerary chapels and shafts. One of them has a remarkable decoration including six small-format figures carved in high relief in the middle of its back wall. The shaft of another chapel was also excavated, revealing several plundered chambers which yielded only scanty finds. A large mud-brick wall exposed during the previous season turned out to belong to the outer wall and pylon entrance of a monumental tomb, whose owner’s name has not been found yet.A photogrammetric survey by a team of the Politecnico di Milano yielded a 3D model of the dig (included in the web version of this report), as well as several 3D models of the monumental tombs (completed or in the making). During the season, conservation work was carried out on several tombs and on the newly discovered Ramesside chapel.Middle Eastern Studie

Quantum computing implementations with neutral particles

We review quantum information processing with cold neutral particles, that is, atoms or polar molecules. First, we analyze the best suited degrees of freedom of these particles for storing quantum information, and then we discuss both single- and two-qubit gate implementations. We focus our discussion mainly on collisional quantum gates, which are best suited for atom-chip-like devices, as well as on gate proposals conceived for optical lattices. Additionally, we analyze schemes both for cold atoms confined in optical cavities and hybrid approaches to entanglement generation, and we show how optimal control theory might be a powerful tool to enhance the speed up of the gate operations as well as to achieve high fidelities required for fault tolerant quantum computation.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures; From the issue entitled "Special Issue on Neutral Particles

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives