Form and function in hillslope hydrology : in situ imaging and characterization of flow-relevant structures

Thanks to Elly Karle and the Engler-BunteInstitute, KIT, for the IC measurements of bromide. We are grateful to Selina Baldauf, Marcel Delock, Razije Fiden, Barbara Herbstritt, Lisei Köhn, Jonas Lanz, Francois Nyobeu, Marvin Reich and Begona Lorente Sistiaga for their support in the lab and during fieldwork, as well as Markus Morgner and Jean Francois Iffly for technical support and Britta Kattenstroth for hydrometeorological data acquisition. Laurent Pfister and Jean-Francois Iffly from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) are acknowledged for organizing the permissions for the experiments. Moreover, we thank Markus Weiler (University of Freiburg) for his strong support during the planning of the hillslope experiment and the preparation of the manuscript. This study is part of the DFG-funded CAOS project “From Catchments as Organised Systems to Models based on Dynamic Functional Units” (FOR 1598). The manuscript was substantially improved based on the critical and constructive comments of the anonymous reviewers, Christian Stamm and Alexander Zimmermann, and the editor Ross Woods during the open review process, which is highly appreciated.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Ecohydrological particle model based on representative domains

Non-uniform infiltration and subsurface flow in structured soils is observed in most natural settings. It arises from imperfect lateral mixing of fast advective flow in structures and diffusive flow in the soil matrix and remains one of the most challenging topics with respect to match observation and modelling of water and solutes at the plot scale.This study extends the fundamental introduction of a space domain random walk of water particles as an alternative approach to the Richards equation for diffusive flow (Zehe and Jackisch 2016) to a stochastic–physical model framework simulating soil water flow in a representative, structured soil domain. The central objective of the proposed model is the simulation of non-uniform flow fingerprints in different ecohydrological settings and antecedent states by making maximum use of field observables for parameterisation. Avoiding non-observable parameters for macropore–matrix exchange, an energy-balance approach to govern film flow in representative flow paths is employed. We present the echoRD model (ecohydrological particle model based on representative domains) and a series of application test cases.The model proves to be a powerful alternative to existing dual-domain models, driven by experimental data and with self-controlled, dynamic macropore–matrix exchange from the topologically semi-explicitly defined structures.</p

Form and function in hillslope hydrology : Characterization of subsurface ow based on response observations

Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Marcel Delock, Lisei Köhn, and Marvin Reich for their support during fieldwork, as well as Markus Morgner and Jean Francois Iffly for technical support, Britta Kattenstroth for hydrometeorological data acquisition and isotope sampling, and Barbara Herbstritt and Begoña Lorente Sistiaga for laboratory work. Laurent Pfister and Jean-Francois Iffly from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) are acknowledged for organizing the permissions for the experiments and providing discharge data for Weierbach 1 and Colpach. We also want to thank Frauke K. Barthold and the two anonymous reviewers, whose thorough remarks greatly helped to improve the manuscript. This study is part of DFG-funded CAOS project “From Catchments as Organised Systems to Models based on Dynamic Functional Units” (FOR 1598). The article processing charges for this open-access publication were covered by a Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The use of bisphosphonates in the management of bone involvement from solid tumours and haematological malignancies - a European survey.

Bone metastases in patients with solid tumours (ST) and bone lesions in patients with haematological malignancies (HM) are common. Associated skeletal-related events (SREs) cause severe pain, reduced quality of life and place a burden on health care resources. Bone-targeted agents can reduce the risk of SREs. We evaluated the management of bone metastasis/lesions in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) by an observational chart audit. In total, 881 physicians completed brief questionnaires on 17 193 patients during the observation period, and detailed questionnaires for a further 9303 individuals. Patient cases were weighted according to the probability of inclusion. Although a large proportion of patients with bone metastases/lesions were receiving bisphosphonates, many had their treatment stopped (ST, 19%; HM, 36%) or will never be treated (ST, 18%; HM, 13%). The results were generally similar across the countries, although German patients were more likely to have asymptomatic bone lesions detected during routine imaging. In conclusion, many patients who could benefit from bone-targeted agents do not receive bisphosphonates and many have their treatment stopped when they could benefit from continued treatment. Developing treatment guidelines, educating physicians and increasing the availability of new agents could benefit patients and reduce costs

Anthracycline-trastuzumab regimens for HER2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer: current experience and future strategies

Anthracycline-trastuzumab-containing regimens demonstrate significant clinical activity in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer; however, the utility of this strategy is limited by unacceptably high rates of significant cardiotoxicity, particularly with concurrent administration. Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is thought to be mediated primarily through increased myocardial oxidative stress, modified partly by the activity of neuregulins. Trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity is thought to be mediated by the ErbB/neuregulin system, with exposure to trastuzumab partly blocking the protective effect of neuregulins on the myocardium. As a result, trastuzumab increases the risk of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Several strategies have been adopted in attempts to minimize cardiotoxicity, including patient selection on the basis of preexisting cardiac risk, monitoring of cardiac function during treatment, and early management of cardiac dysfunction. The use of less cardiotoxic anthracyclines may be one strategy to lessen the risk of cardiotoxicity. Liposomal doxorubicin products offer similar efficacy compared with conventional doxorubicin, with significantly less cardiotoxicity, and have been successfully used in combination with trastuzumab in the metastatic and neo-adjuvant setting. Clinical trials are currently underway to assess the safety of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin during concurrent administration with trastuzumab compared with standard sequential treatment using conventional doxorubicin in the adjuvant settin

In-situ-Vergleichstest für Sensoren zur Matrixpotentialmessung

Wassergehalt und Matrixpotenzial sind zentrale bodenhydrologische Zustandsvariablen. Zur in-situ Messung dieser Größen im Freiland bietet der Markt eine zunehmende Vielzahl von konkurrierenden Systemen und Technologien an. Zur Messung des Matrixpotentials existiert allerdings bis heute kein Sensorsystem, das mit Zuverlässigkeit und Genauigkeit das Matrixpotential über den gesamten Feuchtebereich messen kann. Zur Prüfung der Messcharakteristik von Bodenfeuchtesensoren hat ein Konsortium von 10 Institutionen im Jahr 2016 über mehrere Monate eine Vergleichsstudie auf einer homogenisierten Testfläche durchgeführt. Die Fläche war ca. 60 m2 groß, natürlichen meteorologischen Bedingungen ausgesetzt und wurde von Vegetation freigehalten. In einem Raster von 0,5 m Weite wurden 15 verschiedene Systeme zur Messung der Bodenfeuchte und 13 verschiedene Systeme zur Messung des Matrixpotenzials in jeweils vierfacher Wiederholung in 0,2 m Tiefe installiert. In diesem Beitrag sollen spezifisch die Ergebnisse der Matrixpotentialmessungen diskutiert werden, deren Technologie auf direkter Druckmessung (Tensiometer T4, T5, T8 der Fa. UMS), Messungen der dielektrischen Eigenschaften (MPS-1, MPS-2 und MPS-6 der Fa. Decagon Devices) bzw. Messungen der Wärmedissipation (pF-Meter, TensioMark der Fa. EcoTech) beruhen. Wir diskutieren die Ergebnisse hinsichtlich der absoluten Lage und Variabilität der Signale, der Reaktionszeiten auf schnelle Feuchteänderungen und auf Temperaturschwankungen. Die Studie zeigte ferner, wie komplex die Probleme einer Vergleichsstudie im Feld generell sind. Trotz großer Sorgfalt bei der Versuchsanlage konnte z.B. die Homogenitätsannahme nur für eine initiale Periode von wenigen Wochen aufrecht gehalten werden. Ein Starkregenereignis mit Infiltrationsüberschuss führte zur Bildung von Bodenkrusten und oberflächlichen Umverteilungsnetzwerken, und damit zu kleinskaliger Heterogenität der oberen Randbedingung. Generell wirft dies Fragen auf in Hinblick auf die Aussagekraft einzelner Sensorenwerte in Freilandstudien

Picturing and modeling catchments by representative hillslopes

This study explores the suitability of a single hillslope as a parsimonious representation of a catchment in a physically based model. We test this hypothesis by picturing two distinctly different catchments in perceptual models and translating these pictures into parametric setups of 2-D physically based hillslope models. The model parametrizations are based on a comprehensive field data set, expert knowledge and process-based reasoning. Evaluation against streamflow data highlights that both models predicted the annual pattern of streamflow generation as well as the hydrographs acceptably. However, a look beyond performance measures revealed deficiencies in streamflow simulations during the summer season and during individual rainfall–runoff events as well as a mismatch between observed and simulated soil water dynamics. Some of these shortcomings can be related to our perception of the systems and to the chosen hydrological model, while others point to limitations of the representative hillslope concept itself. Nevertheless, our results confirm that representative hillslope models are a suitable tool to assess the importance of different data sources as well as to challenge our perception of the dominant hydrological processes we want to represent therein. Consequently, these models are a promising step forward in the search for the optimal representation of catchments in physically based models

Risk factors for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia occurrence in breast cancer patients: data from the INC-EU Prospective Observational European Neutropenia Study

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) places patients at risk of life-threatening infections. While reduction of chemotherapy dose or delay of the subsequent treatment cycle and, consequently, reduction of relative dose intensity (RDI) may limit myelotoxicity, these actions can also impact adversely on treatment outcome and should be avoided in adjuvant settings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Based on data from 444 breast cancer patients in the INC-EU Prospective Observational European Neutropenia Study, we have evaluated patient-specific and treatment-specific factors that impact on the incidence of grade 4 CIN (absolute neutrophil count <0.5 x 10(9)/L), either during the first or in any cycle of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, across a range of regimens and doses. RESULTS: Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, risk factors for grade 4 CIN were identified as older age, lower weight, higher planned dose intensity of doxorubicin, epirubicin, or docetaxel, higher number of planned cycles, vascular comorbidity, lower baseline white blood cell count, and higher baseline bilirubin. Use of colony-stimulating factor before a neutropenic event occurred, dose delays, and dose reductions were protective against grade 4 CIN. CONCLUSIONS: By identifying risk factors for grade 4 CIN, CSF prophylaxis may be appropriately targeted to prevent low RDI in patients treated with curative intent

Relevance of the H2 + O reaction pathway for the surface formation of interstellar water. Combined experimental and modeling study

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High efficacy and low toxicity of weekly docetaxel given as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer

Background: Docetaxel is one of the most effective antitumor agents currently available for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This phase II multicenter study prospectively analyzed the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel given on a weekly schedule as first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Patients and Methods: All patients received docetaxel, 35 mg/m(2) weekly for 6 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of rest. Subsequent cycles ( 3 weeks of treatment, 2 weeks of rest) were given until a maximum of 5 cycles or disease progression. Premedication consisted of 8 mg dexamethasone intravenously 30 min prior to the infusion of docetaxel. Results: Fifty-four patients at a median age of 58 years with previously untreated MBC were included in the study. A median of 10 doses ( median cumulative dose 339 mg/m(2)) was administered ( range: 2 - 18). The overall response rate was 48.1% ( 95% CI: 34 - 61%, intent-to-treat). Median survival was 15.8 months and median time to progression was 5.9 months ( intent-to-treat). Hematological toxicity was mild with absence of neutropenia-related complications. Grade 3 neutropenia was observed in 3.7% of patients and grade 3 and 4 anemia was observed in 5.6 and 1.9% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: The weekly administration of docetaxel is highly efficient and safe as first-line treatment for MBC and may serve as an important treatment option specifically in elderly patients and patients with a reduced performance status. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel