Catchment-based sampling of river eDNA integrates terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity of alpine landscapes.

Monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic species assemblages at large spatial scales based on environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to enable evidence-based environmental policymaking. The spatial coverage of eDNA-based studies varies substantially, and the ability of eDNA metabarcoding to capture regional biodiversity remains to be assessed; thus, questions about best practices in the sampling design of entire landscapes remain open. We tested the extent to which eDNA sampling can capture the diversity of a region with highly heterogeneous habitat patches across a wide elevation gradient for five days through multiple hydrological catchments of the Swiss Alps. Using peristaltic pumps, we filtered 60 L of water at five sites per catchment for a total volume of 1800 L. Using an eDNA metabarcoding approach focusing on vertebrates and plants, we detected 86 vertebrate taxa spanning 41 families and 263 plant taxa spanning 79 families across ten catchments. For mammals, fishes, amphibians and plants, the detected taxa covered some of the most common species in the region according to long-term records while including a few more rare taxa. We found marked turnover among samples from distinct elevational classes indicating that the biological signal in alpine rivers remains relatively localised and is not aggregated downstream. Accordingly, species compositions differed between catchments and correlated with catchment-level forest and grassland cover. Biomonitoring schemes based on capturing eDNA across rivers within biologically integrated catchments may pave the way toward a spatially comprehensive estimation of biodiversity

The impact of immediate breast reconstruction on the time to delivery of adjuvant therapy: the iBRA-2 study

Background: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is routinely offered to improve quality-of-life for women requiring mastectomy, but there are concerns that more complex surgery may delay adjuvant oncological treatments and compromise long-term outcomes. High-quality evidence is lacking. The iBRA-2 study aimed to investigate the impact of IBR on time to adjuvant therapy. Methods: Consecutive women undergoing mastectomy ± IBR for breast cancer July–December, 2016 were included. Patient demographics, operative, oncological and complication data were collected. Time from last definitive cancer surgery to first adjuvant treatment for patients undergoing mastectomy ± IBR were compared and risk factors associated with delays explored. Results: A total of 2540 patients were recruited from 76 centres; 1008 (39.7%) underwent IBR (implant-only [n = 675, 26.6%]; pedicled flaps [n = 105,4.1%] and free-flaps [n = 228, 8.9%]). Complications requiring re-admission or re-operation were significantly more common in patients undergoing IBR than those receiving mastectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was required by 1235 (48.6%) patients. No clinically significant differences were seen in time to adjuvant therapy between patient groups but major complications irrespective of surgery received were significantly associated with treatment delays. Conclusions: IBR does not result in clinically significant delays to adjuvant therapy, but post-operative complications are associated with treatment delays. Strategies to minimise complications, including careful patient selection, are required to improve outcomes for patients

Relapse cell population differs from acute onset clone as shown by absence of the initially activated N-ras oncogene in a patient with acute myelomonocytic leukemia

We have conducted a follow-up study of a patient with myelomonocytic leukemia exhibiting an N-ras mutation (Gln61----Lys61) using the polymerase chain reaction method and synthetic oligonucleotide hybridization probes. This method allowed us to detect as little as 3% of N-ras-mutated cells within a population. When the patient went into clinical remission, the mutation became undetectable. When a relapse occurred, the blasts did not carry the N-ras mutation. Analysis of M13 cloned amplified N-ras sequences from relapse DNA revealed exclusively the wild type allele of the N-ras gene. These findings suggest that the relapse cell population is derived from a different clone than the acute phase population. Furthermore, the data argue that N-ras mutation is not an initiating lesion in this case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML)

Mercury in duckweed as an indicator of technogenesis in Russia

Актуальность. Исследования обусловлены необходимостью поиска чувствительных индикаторов техногенеза, элементный состав которых может позволить получить объективную информацию об эколого-геохимической обстановке изучаемой территории. Ртуть отличается высокими токсикологическими свойствами по отношению к живому организму. Использование биообъектов, находящихся в начале пищевой цепочки, является наиболее информативным и объективным, а также может послужить важной информацией для дальнейшего прогнозирования экологической обстановки территории. Цель: определить индикаторные способности элементного состава водных растений семейства рясковые (Lemnaceae) к эколого-геохимической обстановке различных урбанизированных территорий России на примере изучения концентраций ртути в ней. Объекты: водное растение семейства рясковые (Lemnaceae), отличающееся повсеместной встречаемостью, высокой скоростью прироста биомассы и толерантностью к климатическим условиям окружающей среды. Методика. Исследование проведено по единой методике в 65 населенных пунктах 46 регионов Российской Федерации. Определение валового содержания ртути в ряске проводилось методом атомно-абсорбционной спектрометрии. Результаты. Рассмотрена роль одного из индикаторов техногенеза - водные растения семейства рясковые. Получены количественные оценки распределения ртути в макрофите на исследуемой территории, определено среднее содержание ртути в ряске по России (среднее медианное - 14,7 нг/г, среднее арифметическое - 18 нг/г). Обнаружены аномальные концентрации ртути в водном растении на территории Ставропольского края, Республик Северная Осетия-Алания и Башкоркостан, а также Кировской и Кемеровской областей. Эколого-геохимическая обстановка данных территорий может быть обусловлена влиянием техногенных факторов, наиболее весомыми из которых является хлорно-щелочное производство. Отдельно изучена региональная специфика на примере Томского района Томской области, на территории которого подробно изучена зона влияния Северного промышленного узла.Relevance. The studies are determined by the need to find the sensitive technogenesis indicators, which elemental composition can show the ecological and geochemical situation of the territory. Mercury have negative toxicological influence on living organism. Biological objects at the beginning of food chain could be informative and objective indicators of environmental situation and can have important information for further predictions. The aim of the research is to determine the indicator abilities of Lemnaceae family aquatic plants to the ecological and geochemical situation of various urbanized territories in Russia by studying concentration of mercury. Objects: an aquatic plant of the duckweed family (Lemnaceae), characterized by widespread occurrence, high biomass growth rate and tolerance to climatic environmental conditions. Methodology. The study was carried out according to a single methodology in 65 settlements from 46 regions of the Russian Federation. The determination of gross mercury in duckweed was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry. Results. The role of aquatic plant of the duckweed family as a geo-indicator of technogenesis is considered. The distribution of mercury in macrophyte from the study area was discovered, the average mercury content in duckweed for Russia (average median - 14,7 ng/g, arithmetic average - 18 ng/g) was calculated. The abnormally high concentrations of mercury were determined in an aquatic plant from the Stavlopol Krai, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and Bashkorkostan, Kirov and Kemerovo Regions. The ecological and geochemical situation in these territories may be influenced by technogenic factors, such as chlorine-hydroxide production. The regional specificity of the Tomsk region were studied individually. The influence of the Northern industrial zone was particularly studied there

Trends in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction types at a breast cancer tertiary referral centre before and after introduction of acellular dermal matrices

Background: Reconstructive breast surgery has continued to evolve over the last decade with a key change being the adoption of acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) as an adjunct for implant-based procedures. This retrospective observational study assesses the effect of ADMs on post-mastectomy reconstructive practice performed in a single institution. Methods: We conducted a review of all patients undergoing breast reconstruction at a University Teaching Hospital for an 18-month period before and after adopting ADMs. Demographic, procedural and complication data for these two cohorts were compared (χ2 and Student's t-tests). Results: A total of 264 women (336 breasts), mean age 47.5 years, were identified: 137 before and 127 after the introduction of ADM. Implant-only reconstructions increased from 16% to 52% following the adoption of ADM (p < 0.01), whereas the proportion of both latissimus dorsi and deep inferior epigastric perforator flap reconstructions decreased significantly (31%–11% and 49%–34%, respectively, p < 0.01). The rate of early complications for the implant-only procedures was not significantly different with or without ADM (26% versus 20%, respectively, p = 0.44), despite there being no difference in the rate of adjuvant radiotherapy (22% versus 35%, respectively, p = 0.30). Conclusions: This study showed that since ADM introduction to our centre, more breast reconstructions have been of the implant-only type with consequent reductions in the more complex and expensive autologous techniques. Implant-only procedures that incorporated ADM use had similar complication rates to those that did not