Association of 1800 cGy cranial irradiation with intellectual function in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Cranial radiation therapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has been associated with adverse neuropsychological effects, such as low intelligence. However, records show that these associations usually occur when the dose of radiation used is 2400 cGy. We investigated whether a lower dose of 1800 cGy had the same adverse effects on long-term survivors and whether high doses of methotrexate but no radiation therapy would have a more beneficial effect. We evaluated 203 children for six years in a multi-centre European study. The patients were divided into two groups: 129 children treated with 1800 cGy of cranial radiation therapy and 74 children who received high-dose methotrexate but no radiation therapy. We used full scale intelligence quotient, verbal, and performance IQ tests to assess the patient's intelligence. We found a significant decline in full scale intelligence quotient in the irradiated group that increased with the length of time from diagnosis. Younger age at diagnosis was associated with lower full scale intelligence quotient in the radiated group. Our results indicate that a radiation dose of 1800 cGy can have negative effects on neurocognitive function and we continue to question the benefit of low-dose cranial radiation therapy

ENRAIZAMENTO DE ESTACAS CAULINARES DE BRINCO-DE-PRINCESA COM DIFERENTES COMPRIMENTOS

Fuchsia regia, conhecida como brinco-de-princesa, é nativa do Brasil, sendo cultivada como ornamental nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do país. A demanda por espécies ornamentais tem crescido ao longo dos anos, devido à utilização no paisagismo, gerando aumento no uso de técnicas de propagação vegetativa. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o enraizamento de estacas caulinares de F. regia com diferentes comprimentos. Ramos semilenhosos de F. regia foram coletados e confeccionadas estacas com 7, 14 e 21 cm de comprimento, com corte em bisel na base e reto acima da última gema axilar, sendo mantido um par de folhas no ápice. O plantio foi realizado em tubetes contendo vermiculita de granulometria fina como substrato. O experimento foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação com nebulização intermitente. Aos 40 dias após a instalação do experimento foram avaliadas as variáveis: porcentagem de estacas enraizadas, número de raízes formadas por estaca e comprimento das três maiores raízes, massa fresca e seca das raízes (g), porcentagem de estacas com brotações, número de brotações formadas por estaca e porcentagem de estacas com folhas retidas. Foi observada média de 97,08% de estacas enraizadas, não sendo verificada diferença significativa entre os tratamentos. Estacas de 14 cm apresentaram resultados superiores aos demais tratamentos para o número médio de raízes (29,69) e porcentagem de estacas com brotações (93,75%). Conclui-se que o comprimento da estaca não afeta o enraizamento desta espécie, sendo a Fuchsia regia considerada de fácil enraizamento.Fuchsia regia, called earring princess, is native to Brazil and cultivated as ornamental species in the south and southwest regions of this country. The demand for ornamental species has been increasing during last years, due to their use in landscape gardening. Techniques of vegetative propagation are thus frequently used to supply plant material. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the rooting of F. regia stem cuttings of several sizes. Semi-hardwood ramifications of F. regia were collected and cuttings with 7, 14 and 21 cm were prepared with cut obliquely at the base and straight above the last axilar bud. They were planted in plastic tubes with fine vermiculite. Experiment was carried out in a greenhouse under intermittent mist. After 40 days they were evaluated concerning with: percentage of rooted cuttings, number of roots and length of the three biggest roots, roots fresh and dry weight (g), percentage of cuttings with branches, number of branches per cutting and percentage of cuttings with retained leaves. The percentage of rooted cuttings were 97.08%, with no statistical difference among the treatments. Cuttings with 14 cm length were the best for average number of roots (29.69) and percentage of cuttings with buds (93.75%). It was concluded that the cutting length didn’t affect the rooting percentage and Fuchsia regia is considered an easy rooting specie

Social cognition in people with schizophrenia: A cluster-analytic approach

Background The study aimed to subtype patients with schizophrenia on the basis of social cognition (SC), and to identify cut-offs that best discriminate among subtypes in 809 out-patients recruited in the context of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses. Method A two-step cluster analysis of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), the Facial Emotion Identification Test and Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test scores was performed. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the cut-offs of variables that best discriminated among clusters. Results We identified three clusters, characterized by unimpaired (42%), impaired (50.4%) and very impaired (7.5%) SC. Three theory-of-mind domains were more important for the cluster definition as compared with emotion perception and emotional intelligence. Patients more able to understand simple sarcasm (14 for TASIT-SS) were very likely to belong to the unimpaired SC cluster. Compared with patients in the impaired SC cluster, those in the very impaired SC cluster performed significantly worse in lie scenes (TASIT-LI <10), but not in simple sarcasm. Moreover, functioning, neurocognition, disorganization and SC had a linear relationship across the three clusters, while positive symptoms were significantly lower in patients with unimpaired SC as compared with patients with impaired and very impaired SC. On the other hand, negative symptoms were highest in patients with impaired levels of SC. Conclusions If replicated, the identification of such subtypes in clinical practice may help in tailoring rehabilitation efforts to the person's strengths to gain more benefit to the person

Social cognition in people with schizophrenia: A cluster-analytic approach

Background The study aimed to subtype patients with schizophrenia on the basis of social cognition (SC), and to identify cut-offs that best discriminate among subtypes in 809 out-patients recruited in the context of the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses. Method A two-step cluster analysis of The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), the Facial Emotion Identification Test and Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test scores was performed. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to identify the cut-offs of variables that best discriminated among clusters. Results We identified three clusters, characterized by unimpaired (42%), impaired (50.4%) and very impaired (7.5%) SC. Three theory-of-mind domains were more important for the cluster definition as compared with emotion perception and emotional intelligence. Patients more able to understand simple sarcasm (14 for TASIT-SS) were very likely to belong to the unimpaired SC cluster. Compared with patients in the impaired SC cluster, those in the very impaired SC cluster performed significantly worse in lie scenes (TASIT-LI <10), but not in simple sarcasm. Moreover, functioning, neurocognition, disorganization and SC had a linear relationship across the three clusters, while positive symptoms were significantly lower in patients with unimpaired SC as compared with patients with impaired and very impaired SC. On the other hand, negative symptoms were highest in patients with impaired levels of SC. Conclusions If replicated, the identification of such subtypes in clinical practice may help in tailoring rehabilitation efforts to the person's strengths to gain more benefit to the person

Enraizamento de estacas caulinares de brinco-de-princesa com diferentes comprimentos

Fuchsia regia, conhecida como brinco-de-princesa, é nativa do Brasil, sendo cultivada como ornamental nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do país. A demanda por espécies ornamentais tem crescido ao longo dos anos, devido à utilização no paisagismo, gerando aumento no uso de técnicas de propagação vegetativa. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o enraizamento de estacas caulinares de F. regia com diferentes comprimentos. Ramos semilenhosos de F. regia foram coletados e confeccionadas estacas com 7, 14 e 21 cm de comprimento, com corte em bisel na base e reto acima da última gema axilar, sendo mantido um par de folhas no ápice. O plantio foi realizado em tubetes contendo vermiculita de granulometria fina como substrato. O experimento foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação com nebulização intermitente. Aos 40 dias após a instalação do experimento foram avaliadas as variáveis: porcentagem de estacas enraizadas, número de raízes formadas por estaca e comprimento das três maiores raízes, massa fresca e seca das raízes (g), porcentagem de estacas com brotações, número de brotações formadas por estaca e porcentagem de estacas com folhas retidas. Foi observada média de 97,08% de estacas enraizadas, não sendo verificada diferença significativa entre os tratamentos. Estacas de 14 cm apresentaram resultados superiores aos demais tratamentos para o número médio de raízes (29,69) e porcentagem de estacas com brotações (93,75%). Conclui-se que o comprimento da estaca não afeta o enraizamento desta espécie, sendo a Fuchsia regia considerada de fácil enraizamento

Association of 1800 cGy cranial irradiation with intellectual function in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

textabstractCranial radiation therapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has been associated with adverse neuropsychological effects, such as low intelligence. However, records show that these associations usually occur when the dose of radiation used is 2400 cGy. We investigated whether a lower dose of 1800 cGy had the same adverse effects on long-term survivors and whether high doses of methotrexate but no radiation therapy would have a more beneficial effect. We evaluated 203 children for six years in a multi-centre European study. The patients were divided into two groups: 129 children treated with 1800 cGy of cranial radiation therapy and 74 children who received high-dose methotrexate but no radiation therapy. We used full scale intelligence quotient, verbal, and performance IQ tests to assess the patient's intelligence. We found a significant decline in full scale intelligence quotient in the irradiated group that increased with the length of time from diagnosis. Younger age at diagnosis was associated with lower full scale intelligence quotient in the radiated group. Our results indicate that a radiation dose of 1800 cGy can have negative effects on neurocognitive function and we continue to question the benefit of low-dose cranial radiation therapy

Two‐year effectiveness and safety of golimumab in ulcerative colitis: An IG‐IBD study

BACKGROUND: Few data exist regarding the long‐term effectiveness of golimumab in ulcerative colitis. No data have been reported on real‐world continuous clinical response. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the long‐term outcomes in a large cohort of patients on golimumab who had ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Consecutive patients with active ulcerative colitis, started on golimumab, were enrolled and prospectively followed up. The primary end point was to evaluate the long‐term persistence on golimumab therapy. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients with ulcerative colitis were studied. Of these, 79.2% were steroid dependent, and 46.3% were naïve to anti‐tumour necrosis factor alpha agents. The median duration of golimumab therapy was 52 weeks (range: 4–142 weeks). The cumulative probability of maintaining golimumab treatment was 47.3% and 22.5% at 54 and 108 weeks, respectively. Biological‐naïve status (odds ratio [OR] = 3.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44–6.29; p = 0.003) and being able to discontinue steroids at Week 8 (OR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.34–8.30; p = 0.010) and Week 14 (OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.08–8.02; p = 0.036) were associated with longer persistence on therapy. At Week 54, 65/124 (52.4%) postinduction responders were in continuous clinical response. A continuous clinical response was associated with a lower likelihood of golimumab discontinuation throughout the subsequent year of therapy (p < 0.01). Overall, 40 (23.1%) patients were in clinical remission at the last follow‐up visit. Twenty‐six adverse events were recorded, leading to golimumab withdrawal in 9.2% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: : Biological‐naïve status and not requiring steroids at Weeks 8 and 14 seem to be associated with a longer persistence on golimumab therapy in ulcerative colitis