Esthesioneuroblastoma: clinical course, long-term results of treatment

This rare tumor from a group of neuroendocrine neoplasms was studied. The material for the study was the data of 78 patients with esthesioneuroblastoma who had been treated and followed up at the N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center in the period 1965 to 2014. Information on hospital statistics, clinical features, methods, and treatment results were presented. The possibilities of using the TNM classification for the nasal cavity, ethmoidal sinuses, and nasopharynx were assessed to determine the anatomic extent of primary tumor. The findings contribute to the solution of problems in the diagnosis and treatment of esthesioneuroblastoma at the present stage

Динамика и пространственное распределение снегозапасов в крупном городе в бассейне Волги (на примере Нижнего Новгорода)

Processes of formation and melting of snow cover in large cities remain poorly studied, for example, one of those is Nizhny Novgorod, the largest city in the Volga River basin. Using the relationship between the amount of precipitation, falling over the cold season, and the snow storage, formed on the whole territory of the city, that was built taking account of the influence of thaws, a continuous series of values of the snow water equivalent (snow storage) for the time of the snowmelt beginning was restored for the period 1965– 2019. Thaws were taken into account through the use of the sums of positive air temperatures for the cold period, calculated for each individual year of observation. During the period under consideration, the maximum snow storage occurred in 2011, while the minimum – in 1998; and it was close to the average value in 1973. Field snow-measuring surveys in the city and its environs, carried out in 2020, showed that the classical notion of the snow-storm transport is not true in the urban landscapes rather than in the environs. The use of the results of field snow surveys performed in different parts of the city in 2021, as well as the statistical characteristics of the above series of snow storage values, allowed estimating the distribution of the snow water equivalent in catchments of six small rivers in the city Nizhny Novgorod. The assessment is detailed for different types of urban landscapes and for years of different snow conditions, including the extreme ones.На основе метеорологических характеристик (включая данные о зимних оттепелях) восстановлены отсутствующие значения в ряду снегозапасов на начало весеннего снеготаяния в г. Нижний Новгород с 1965 по 2019 г. Оценена однородность этого ряда с помощью критериев Фишера и Стьюдента, рассчитаны основные статистические характеристики, а также определена теоретическая функция распределения вероятностей, удовлетворительно аппроксимирующая эмпирическую кривую вероятностей снегозапасов. С использованием результатов полевых снегомерных работ, выполненных в разных частях города в 2021 г., а также статистических характеристик многолетнего ряда снегозапасов на начало весеннего снеготаяния оценено пространственное распределение запаса воды в снежном покрове для шести водосборов малых рек города, в том числе и для расположенных в их пределах территорий с различным видом подстилающей поверхности для каждого года исследуемого ряда

Glioblastoma Therapy with Cytotoxic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Optimized by Bioluminescence Imaging of Tumor and Therapeutic Cell Response

Genetically modified adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) with tumor homing capacity have been proposed for localized therapy of chemo- and radiotherapy resistant glioblastomas. We demonstrate an effective procedure to optimize glioblastoma therapy based on the use of genetically modified hAMSCs and in vivo non invasive monitoring of tumor and therapeutic cells. Glioblastoma U87 cells expressing Photinus pyralis luciferase (Pluc) were implanted in combination with hAMSCs expressing a trifunctional Renilla reniformis luciferase-red fluorescent protein-thymidine kinase reporter in the brains of SCID mice that were subsequently treated with ganciclovir (GCV). The resulting optimized therapy was effective and monitoring of tumor cells by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) showed that after 49 days GCV treatment reduced significantly the hAMSC treated tumors; by a factor of 104 relative to controls. Using a Pluc reporter regulated by an endothelial specific promoter and in vivo BLI to image hAMSC differentiation we gained insight on the therapeutic mechanism. Implanted hAMSCs homed to tumor vessels, where they differentiated to endothelial cells. We propose that the tumor killing efficiency of genetically modified hAMSCs results from their association with the tumor vascular system and should be useful vehicles to deliver localized therapy to glioblastoma surgical borders following tumor resection

Rapid in vivo analysis of synthetic promoters for plant pathogen phytosensing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We aimed to engineer transgenic plants for the purpose of early detection of plant pathogen infection, which was accomplished by employing synthetic pathogen inducible promoters fused to reporter genes for altered phenotypes in response to the pathogen infection. Toward this end, a number of synthetic promoters consisting of inducible regulatory elements fused to a red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter were constructed for use in phytosensing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For rapid analysis, an <it>Agrobacterium</it>-mediated transient expression assay was evaluated, then utilized to assess the inducibility of each synthetic promoter construct <it>in vivo</it>. Tobacco (<it>Nicotiana tabacum </it>cv. Xanthi) leaves were infiltrated with <it>Agrobacterium </it>harboring the individual synthetic promoter-reporter constructs. The infiltrated tobacco leaves were re-infiltrated with biotic (bacterial pathogens) or abiotic (plant defense signal molecules salicylic acid, ethylene and methyl jasmonate) agents 24 and 48 hours after initial agroinfiltration, followed by RFP measurements at relevant time points after treatment. These analyses indicated that the synthetic promoter constructs were capable of conferring the inducibility of the RFP reporter in response to appropriate phytohormones and bacterial pathogens, accordingly.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These observations demonstrate that the <it>Agrobacterium</it>-mediated transient expression is an efficient method for <it>in vivo </it>assays of promoter constructs in less than one week. Our results provide the opportunity to gain further insights into the versatility of the expression system as a potential tool for high-throughput <it>in planta </it>expression screening prior to generating stably transgenic plants for pathogen phytosensing. This system could also be utilized for temporary phytosensing; e.g., not requiring stably transgenic plants.</p

Very Bright Green Fluorescent Proteins from the Pontellid Copepod Pontella mimocerami

Marguerite E. Hunt is with UT Austin; Michael P. Scherrer is with UT Austin; Frank D. Ferrari is with the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution; Mikhail V. Matz is with UT Austin.Background -- Fluorescent proteins (FP) homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria have revolutionized biomedical research due to their usefulness as genetically encoded fluorescent labels. Fluorescent proteins from copepods are particularly promising due to their high brightness and rapid fluorescence development. Results -- Here we report two novel FPs from Pontella mimocerami (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae), which were identified via fluorescence screening of a bacterial cDNA expression library prepared from the whole-body total RNA of the animal. The proteins are very similar in sequence and spectroscopic properties. They possess high molar extinction coefficients (79,000 M−1 cm−) and quantum yields (0.92), which make them more than two-fold brighter than the most common FP marker, EGFP. Both proteins form oligomers, which we were able to counteract to some extent by mutagenesis of the N-terminal region; however, this particular modification resulted in substantial drop in brightness. Conclusions -- The spectroscopic characteristics of the two P. mimocerami proteins place them among the brightest green FPs ever described. These proteins may therefore become valuable additions to the in vivo imaging toolkit.This work was supported by the Ocean Exploration program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“Operation Deep Scope 2007”), and the National Institutes of Health grant R01 GM078247 to M. V. M. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Biological Sciences, School o

ЛЕЧЕНИЕ БОЛЬНЫХ С МЕСТНОРАСПРОСТРАНЕННЫМИ РЕЦИДИВАМИ РАКА КОЖИ ЛИЦА КРИО-ЛУЧЕВЫМ МЕТОДОМ

The aim of the study was to improve the treatment outcomes for patients with locally advanced recurrent basal cell and squamous cell skin carcinomas of the face. Material and methods. A total of 26 patients with locally advanced recurrent basal cell (n=21) and squamous cell (n=5) skin carcinomas of the skin were treated with radiotherapy (2–2.5 Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 60–70 Gy, 5 days a week) in combination with local freezing of the tumor. Local cooling of the tumor to the temperature of tissue freezing was performed 10–15 minutes before each session of radiation therapy using liquid nitrogen cryo-preservation equipment. Patients with recurrent skin cancer who had received previously radiation therapy were not eligible for cryoradiotherapy. Results. Complete response was achieved in 23 (88.5 %) patients, residual tumors were removed by conventional surgery (n=2) and cryosurgery (n=1). At 2 to 14-year follow up, recurrences of skin cancer occurred in 3 (11.5 %) cases. Good aesthetic and functional results were observed. Conclusion. Cryo-radiotherapy was shown to be effective, providing long-term aesthetic and functional results. Целью работы явилось улучшение результатов лечения больных с местнораспространенными рецидивами базальноклеточного и плоскоклеточного рака кожи лица. Материал и методы. Для лечения больных с местнораспространенными рецидивами рака кожи лица применён крио-лучевой метод, включающий проведение лучевой терапии РОД 2–2,5 Гр 5 дней в нед до СОД 60–70 Гр в сочетании с локальным охлаждением новообразования. Локальное охлаждение до температуры замораживания тканей производится с помощью криогенного аппарата жидким азотом по разработанной методике за 10–15 мин перед каждым сеансом облучения. Метод был применён по показаниям у 26 больных с местнораспространенными рецидивами базальноклеточного (n=21) и плоскоклеточного (n=5) рака кожи лица. Крио-лучевой метод не показан, если рецидив рака кожи возник после ранее проведенного лучевого лечения. Результаты. Полная регрессия опухоли достигнута у 23 (88,5 %) больных, остаточные опухоли были удалены хирургическим (n=2) и криохирургическим (n=1) методами. При последующем наблюдении в сроки от 2 до 14 лет рецидивы возникли у 3 (11,5 %) больных. Отмечены хорошие эстетические и функциональные результаты лечения. Заключение. Показана высокая эффективность крио-лучевого метода, получены хорошие эстетические, функциональные и отдалённые результаты.

КЛИНИЧЕСКИЕ РЕКОМЕНДАЦИИ. ДИАГНОСТИКА И ЛЕЧЕНИЕ РАКА РОТОГЛОТКИ

Клинические рекомендации подготовлены на основании материалов научно-практической конференции Проблемной комиссии «Опухоли головы и шеи» Научного совета по злокачественным новообразованиям Отделения медицинских наук Российской академии наук и Министерства здравоохранения РФ, посвященной памяти профессора Александра Ильича Пачеса, «Актуальные вопросы диагностики и лечения рака ротоглотки» (25 июня 2015 г., г. Архангельск).Клинические рекомендации подготовлены на основании материалов научно-практической конференции Проблемной комиссии «Опухоли головы и шеи» Научного совета по злокачественным новообразованиям Отделения медицинских наук Российской академии наук и Министерства здравоохранения РФ, посвященной памяти профессора Александра Ильича Пачеса, «Актуальные вопросы диагностики и лечения рака ротоглотки» (25 июня 2015 г., г. Архангельск)

Development of Gene Expression Markers of Acute Heat-Light Stress in Reef-Building Corals of the Genus Porites

Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to increased incidence of climate-induced coral bleaching, which will have widespread biodiversity and economic impacts. A simple method to measure the sub-bleaching level of heat-light stress experienced by corals would greatly inform reef management practices by making it possible to assess the distribution of bleaching risks among individual reef sites. Gene expression analysis based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine coral condition in situ. We evaluated the expression of 13 candidate genes during heat-light stress in a common Caribbean coral Porites astreoides, and observed strong and consistent changes in gene expression in two independent experiments. Furthermore, we found that the apparent return to baseline expression levels during a recovery phase was rapid, despite visible signs of colony bleaching. We show that the response to acute heat-light stress in P. astreoides can be monitored by measuring the difference in expression of only two genes: Hsp16 and actin. We demonstrate that this assay discriminates between corals sampled from two field sites experiencing different temperatures. We also show that the assay is applicable to an Indo-Pacific congener, P. lobata, and therefore could potentially be used to diagnose acute heat-light stress on coral reefs worldwide

Russian consensus statement on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with carotid stenosis

Carotid stenosis is a multidisciplinary problem that requires the involvement of a specialists’ team, including cardiovascular surgeons, neurosurgeons, endovascular surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, and internists. In this consensus statement, a group of experts considered the main stages of diagnosing carotid stenosis, as well as discussed, the necessary prevention methods and features of choosing the optimal treatment approach. The aim was to provide concise and structured information on the management of patients with carotid stenosis. This document was developed based on the updated clinical guidelines of the European Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Association for Vascular Surgery, taking into account the consensus opinion of Russian experts