Status and conflicts in the invasion process of russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens l.) in the lower valley of Río Negro

Las plantas invasoras constituyen un grupo de especies que tienen la capacidad de transformar el ecosistema invadido conduciendo a una notable pérdida de diversidad y degradación del suelo como recurso productivo. En el Valle Inferior de Río Negro (Argentina) ocurre la invasión de espacios agrícolas, tanto bajo riego como de secano, por parte de la maleza Acroptilon repens L. (yuyo moro), declarada plaga nacional en 1986 y sobre la cual existe abundante evidencia respecto de su distribución y perjuicios a nivel mundial. Este trabajo presenta el estado actual de situación con relación al proceso de invasión del yuyo moro en el Valle Inferior, asociando el progreso de la misma a la falta de acciones de prevención y restauración, especialmente como consecuencia de una débil percepción social del impacto de la misma.Invasive plants are able to transform the ecosystem they affect by reducing biodiversity and also degrading the soil as a natural resource for agriculture. Many agricultural sites in both, irrigated and non-irrigated sites, are actually affected by the invasive perennial weed Acroptilon repens L. (russian knapweed, yuyo moro) in the lower valley of Río Negro Province (Argentina). The weed has the “national pest” status from 1986 and is widely recognized its worldwide distribution and agro ecological impact. This work presents the up to date of the situation for the A. repens invasion in the lower valley, which advance is associated with the absence of both, preventive and also restorative actions mainly due to a limited social perception of impact.Fil: Bezic, Carlos Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Sabbatini, Mario Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Dall Armellina, Armando Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; Argentin

Risk-adjusted econometric model to estimate postoperative costs: An additional instrument for monitoring performance after major lung resection

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to develop a risk-adjusted model to estimate individual postoperative costs after major lung resection and to use it for internal economic audit.MethodsVariable and fixed hospital costs were collected for 679 consecutive patients who underwent major lung resection from January 2000 through October 2006 at our unit. Several preoperative variables were used to develop a risk-adjusted econometric model from all patients operated on during the period 2000 through 2003 by a stepwise multiple regression analysis (validated by bootstrap). The model was then used to estimate the postoperative costs in the patients operated on during the 3 subsequent periods (years 2004, 2005, and 2006). Observed and predicted costs were then compared within each period by the Wilcoxon signed rank test.ResultsMultiple regression and bootstrap analysis yielded the following model predicting postoperative cost: 11,078 + 1340.3X (age > 70 years) + 1927.8X cardiac comorbidity − 95X ppoFEV1%. No differences between predicted and observed costs were noted in the first 2 periods analyzed (year 2004, $6188.40 vs$6241.40, P = .3; year 2005, $6308.60 vs$6483.60, P = .4), whereas in the most recent period (2006) observed costs were significantly lower than the predicted ones ($3457.30 vs$6162.70, P < .0001).ConclusionsGreater precision in predicting outcome and costs after therapy may assist clinicians in the optimization of clinical pathways and allocation of resources. Our economic model may be used as a methodologic template for economic audit in our specialty and complement more traditional outcome measures in the assessment of performance

Microwave-assisted and solvent-free peroxidative oxidation of 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone with a CuII–TEMPO catalytic system

Abstract The water-soluble copper(II) complex [Cu(H2R)(HL)]∙H2O (1) was prepared by reaction of copper(II) nitrate hydrate with (E)-2-(((1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)methylene)amino) benzenesulfonic acid (H2L) and diethanolamine (H3R). It was characterized by IR and ESI-MS spectroscopies, elemental and X-ray crystal structural analyses. 1 shows a high catalytic activity for the solvent-free microwave (MW) assisted oxidation of 1-phenylethanol with tert-butylhydroperoxide, leading, in the presence of TEMPO, to yields up to 85% (TON = 850) in a remarkably short reaction time (15 min, with the corresponding TOF value of 3.40 × 103 h− 1) under low power (25 W) MW irradiation

Inability to perform maximal stair climbing test before lung resection: a propensity score analysis on early outcome

Abstract Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess whether patients unable to perform a preoperative maximal stair climbing test had an increased incidence of morbidity and mortality after major lung resection compared to patients who were able to exercise. Methods: Three hundred and ninety one patients submitted to pulmonary lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer were analyzed. Forty-five of these patients were unable to perform a preoperative maximal stair climbing test for underlying comorbidities. Unadjusted and propensity score case matched comparisons were performed between patients who could and who could not perform a preoperative stair climbing test. Multivariable analyses were then performed to identify predictors of morbidity and mortality, and were validated by bootstrap bagging. Results: Patients who could not perform the stair climbing test had similar morbidity rates (31.1 vs. 35.6%, respectively, PZ0.7), but higher mortality rates (15.6 vs. 4.4%, respectively, PZ0.08) and deaths among complicated patients (50 vs. 12.5%, respectively, PZ0.025), compared to propensity score matched patients who could perform the stair climbing test. Logistic regression analyses showed that the inability to perform the stair climbing test was an independent and reliable predictor of mortality (PZ0.005) but not of morbidity (PZ0.2). Conclusions: Patients unable to perform a preoperative maximal exercise test had an increased risk of mortality after major lung resection. Half of these patients did not survive postoperative complications, due to their decreased aerobic reserve caused by physical inactivity which made them unable to cope with the increased oxygen demand.

Association of MiR-126 with Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides, a Marker for Malignant Mesothelioma

BACKGROUND: Improved detection methods for diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are essential for early and reliable detection as well as treatment. Since recent data point to abnormal levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) in tumors, we hypothesized that a profile of deregulated miRNAs may be a marker of MPM and that the levels of specific miRNAs may be used for monitoring its progress. METHODS AND RESULTS: miRNAs isolated from fresh-frozen biopsies of MPM patients were tested for the expression of 88 types of miRNA involved in cancerogenesis. Most of the tested miRNAs were downregulated in the malignant tissues compared with the normal tissues. Of eight significantly downregulated, three miRNAs were assayed in cancerous tissue and adjacent non-cancerous tissue sample pairs collected from 27 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded MPM tissues by quantitative RT-PCR. Among the miRNAs tested, only miR-126 significantly remained downregulated in the malignant tissues. Furthermore, the performance of the selected miR-126 as biomarker was evaluated in serum samples of asbestos-exposed subjects and MPM patients and compared with controls. MiR-126 was not affected by asbestos exposure, whereas it was found strongly associated with VEGF serum levels. Levels of miR-126 in serum, and its levels in patients' serum in association with a specific marker of MPM, SMRPs, correlate with subjects at high risk to develop MPM. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: We propose miR-126, in association with SMRPs, as a marker for early detection of MPM. The identification of tumor biomarkers used alone or, in particular, in combination could greatly facilitate the surveillance procedure for cohorts of subjects exposed to asbestos

Erratum to nodal management and upstaging of disease. Initial results from the Italian VATS Lobectomy Registry

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.]

Cooperative metal–ligand Assisted E/Z isomerization and cyano activation at CuII and CoII complexes of arylhydrazones of active methylene nitriles

New (E/Z)-2-(2-(1-cyano-2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)hydrazinyl)benzoic acid (H2L4) and known sodium 2-(2-(dicyanomethylene)hydrazinyl)benzenesulfonate (NaHL1), 2-(2-(dicyano-methylene)hydrazinyl)benzoic acid (H2L2), and sodium (E/Z)-2-(2-(1-cyano-2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)hydrazinyl)benzenesulfonate (NaHL3) were used in the template synthesis of a series of CuII and CoII complexes [Cu(H2O)2L1a]·H2O (1), [Cu(H2O)(3-pyon)L1b]·H2O (2), [Cu(H2O)(4-pyon)L1b] (3), [Co(H2O)-((CH3)2NCHO)(μ-L2a)]2·(CH3)2NCHO (4), [Cu3(μ3-OH)-(NO3)(CH3OH)(μ2-X)3(μ2-HL3)] (5), [Cu(H2O)(py)L3]·H2O (6), [Cu(H2O)2(μ-L4)]6 ·6H2O (7), [Cu(2-cnpyb)2(L1b)2]·2H2O (8), [Cu(2-cnpya)2(L1a)2]·2H2O (9), and [Cu(H2O)(4-cnpy)(L1a)2] (10), where 3-pyon = 1-(pyridin-3-yl)ethanone, 4-pyon = 1-(pyridin-4-yl)ethanone, py = pyridine, HX = syn-2-pyridinealdoxime, 4-cnpy = 4-cyanopyridine; 2-cnpya, 2-cnpyb, L1a, L1b, L2a are the ligands derived from nucleophilic attack of methanol (a) or water (b) on a cyano group of 2-cyanopyridine (2-cnpy), L1 or L2, respectively, giving the corresponding iminoesters (2-cnpya, L1a or L2a) or carboxamides (2-cnpyb or L1b). An auxiliary ligand, namely syn-2-pyridinealdoxime or pyridine, acting cooperatively with the metal ion (CuII in this case), induced an E/Z isomerization of the H2L4 ligand; the E- and Z-isomers were isolated separately and fully characterized (compounds 9 and 10, respectively). A one-pot activation of nitrile groups in different molecules was achieved in the syntheses of 8 and 9. Complexes 1−10 are catalyst precursors for the solvent-free microwave (MW)-assisted selective oxidation of secondary alcohols to the corresponding ketones, with typical yields in the 29−99% range (TOFs up to 4.94 × 103 h−1) after 30 min of MW irradiation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio