Predictive value of hematological and phenotypical parameters on postchemotherapy leukocyte recovery

Background: Grade IV chemotherapy toxicity is defined as absolute neutrophil count <500/μL. The nadir is considered as the lowest neutrophil number following chemotherapy, and generally is not expected before the 7th day from the start of chemotherapy. The usual prophylactic dose of rHu-G-CSF (Filgrastim) is 300 μg/day, starting 24-48 h after chemotherapy until hematological recovery. However, individual patient response is largely variable, so that rHu-G-CSF doses can be different. The aim of this study was to verify if peripheral blood automated flow cytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis may be helpful in predicting the individual response and saving rHu-G-CSF. Methods: During Grade IV neutropenia, blood counts from 30 cancer patients were analyzed daily by ADVIA 120 automated flow cytochemistry analyzer and by Facscalibur flow cytometer till the nadir. "Large unstained cells" (LUCs), myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), blasts, and various cell subpopulations in the peripheral blood were studied. At nadir rHu-G-CSF was started and 81 chemotherapy cycles were analyzed. Cycles were stratified according to their number and to two dose-levels of rHuG-CSF needed to recovery (300-600 vs. 900-1200 μg) and analyzed in relation to mean values of MPXI and mean absolute number of LUCs in the nadir phase. The linear regressions of LUCs % over time in relation to two dose-levels of rHu-G-CSF and uni-multivariate analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations, CD34+ cells, MPXI, and blasts were also performed. Results: In the nadir phase, the increase of MPXI above the upper limit of normality (>10; median 27.7), characterized a slow hematological recovery. MPXI levels were directly related to the cycle number and inversely related to the absolute number of LUCs and CD34 +/CD45+ cells. A faster hematological recovery was associated with a higher LUC increase per day (0.56% vs. 0.25%), higher blast (median 36.7/μL vs. 19.5/μL) and CD34+/CD45+ cell (median 2.2/μL vs. 0.82/μL) counts. Conclusions: Our study showed that some biological indicators such as MPXI, LUCs, blasts, and CD34 +/CD45+ cells may be of clinical relevance in predicting individual hematological response to rHu-G-CSF. Special attention should be paid when nadir MPXI exceeds the upper limit of normality because the hematological recovery may be delayed. © 2009 Clinical Cytometry Society

MAPPING EVOLVING HISTORICAL LANDSCAPE SYSTEMS

Landscape is not a sum of elements to be juxtaposed in a paper or a digital space. It is a complex system of relationships among components that have evolved over time. It is not a sum of material permanencies, more or less recognizable and placeable in space, but an interweaving of economic, social, religious and political meanings that link permanencies and give them value.How to represent these relationships from existing geographic or historical databases? How can we illustrate the co-evolution between nature and culture that has given form to today’s landscape? And how to allow at the same time to update data and their relationships?Through the comparison among examples taken from local participative experiences (ecomuseum community maps) and others directly managed and produced by the Authors (itinerary maps), the contribution reflects on these main critical issues: landscape representation problems, data collecting and updating, information sharing. The main results show that the data digitalization and georeferencing can help to illustrate and understand tangible and intangible characteristics of landscape and overcome the gaps from a sharing mapping procedure with a bottom-up approach and the point of view by the experts with a top-down approach. On the contrary, the digital representation of landscape data shows another set of problems that currently are mainly solved in traditional ways. The paper will also deal with these aspects.</p

Kinetochore alignment within the metaphase plate is regulated by centromere stiffness and microtubule depolymerases

During mitosis in most eukaryotic cells, chromosomes align and form a metaphase plate halfway between the spindle poles, about which they exhibit oscillatory movement. These movements are accompanied by changes in the distance between sister kinetochores, commonly referred to as breathing. We developed a live cell imaging assay combined with computational image analysis to quantify the properties and dynamics of sister kinetochores in three dimensions. We show that baseline oscillation and breathing speeds in late prometaphase and metaphase are set by microtubule depolymerases, whereas oscillation and breathing periods depend on the stiffness of the mechanical linkage between sisters. Metaphase plates become thinner as cells progress toward anaphase as a result of reduced oscillation speed at a relatively constant oscillation period. The progressive slowdown of oscillation speed and its coupling to plate thickness depend nonlinearly on the stiffness of the mechanical linkage between sisters. We propose that metaphase plate formation and thinning require tight control of the state of the mechanical linkage between sisters mediated by centromeric chromatin and cohesion

Iniciación a la Investigación Educativa. Capacitación para el desarrollo de habilidades de investigación a estudiantes de nivel secundario

En este proyecto de Extensión Universitaria se respondió a la solicitud realizada por directivos de la Escuela Secundaria Normal Mixta “Provincia de San Luis”, para que los estudiantes de 6to año conozcan y resignifiquen los principios de la investigación científica, hasta ahora, propia de las Universidades Públicas Nacionales. Para lograr estos objetivos se trabajó en deconstruir la imagen de “el científico”.Los investigadores del Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo de Fármacos – FCV – UNLPam (CIDEF) desarrollaron un plan de trabajo que consistió en alternar conceptos teóricos con rutinas de laboratorio. Como resultados, se contextualizó en el ámbito científico académico universitario, la integración de saberes previos de los estudiantes que se aplican en la planificación de una investigación. Por otro lado se logró una integración entre los estudiantes de Educación Secundaria con docentes-investigadores del nivel superior y estudiantes universitarios en formación. Como conclusión, la participación de los estudiantes en este proyecto les permitió que reconocieran el perfil de un investigador y los pasos de la investigación científica sistematizada. De esta manera, lograron un acercamiento a la ciencia y a las actividades de investigación que se realizan en las universidades. Al mismo tiempo, desmitificaron la imagen del científico preconcebida y de la actividad científica, contemplando la investigación como una actividad vocacional que está a su alcance

Liver transplantation for colorectal liver metastasis: Survival without recurrence can be achieved

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ESPRESSO: The next European exoplanet hunter

The acronym ESPRESSO stems for Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations; this instrument will be the next VLT high resolution spectrograph. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined-Coud\'e Laboratory of the VLT and linked to the four 8.2 m Unit Telescopes (UT) through four optical Coud\'e trains. ESPRESSO will combine efficiency and extreme spectroscopic precision. ESPRESSO is foreseen to achieve a gain of two magnitudes with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and to improve the instrumental radial-velocity precision to reach the 10 cm/s level. It can be operated either with a single UT or with up to four UTs, enabling an additional gain in the latter mode. The incoherent combination of four telescopes and the extreme precision requirements called for many innovative design solutions while ensuring the technical heritage of the successful HARPS experience. ESPRESSO will allow to explore new frontiers in most domains of astrophysics that require precision and sensitivity. The main scientific drivers are the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, nearby G to M-dwarfs and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. The project passed the final design review in May 2013 and entered the manufacturing phase. ESPRESSO will be installed at the Paranal Observatory in 2016 and its operation is planned to start by the end of the same year.Comment: 12 pages, figures included, accepted for publication in Astron. Nach

Expected performance of the ASTRI-SST-2M telescope prototype

ASTRI (Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana) is an Italian flagship project pursued by INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) strictly linked to the development of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA. Primary goal of the ASTRI program is the design and production of an end-to-end prototype of a Small Size Telescope for the CTA sub-array devoted to the highest gamma-ray energy region. The prototype, named ASTRI SST-2M, will be tested on field in Italy during 2014. This telescope will be the first Cherenkov telescope adopting the double reflection layout in a Schwarzschild-Couder configuration with a tessellated primary mirror and a monolithic secondary mirror. The collected light will be focused on a compact and light-weight camera based on silicon photo-multipliers covering a 9.6 deg full field of view. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to estimate the performance of the planned telescope. The results regarding its energy threshold, sensitivity and angular resolution are shown and discussed.Comment: In Proceedings of the 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2013), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). All CTA contributions at arXiv:1307.223