ProCOC: The prostate cancer outcomes cohort study

BACKGROUND: Despite intensive research over the last several decades on prostate cancer, many questions particularly those concerning early diagnosis and the choice of optimal treatment for each individual patient, still remain unanswered. The goal of treating patients with localized prostate cancer is a curative one and includes minimizing adverse effects to preserve an adequate quality of life. Better understanding on how the quality of life is affected depending on the treatment modality would assist patients in deciding which treatment to choose; furthermore, the development of prognostic biomarkers that indicate the future course of the illness is a promising approach with potential and the focus of much attention. These questions can be addressed in the context of a cohort study. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, multi-center cohort study within the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. We will include patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer independently of treatment finally chosen. We will acquire clinical data including quality of life and lifestyle, prostate tissue specimen as well as further biological samples (blood and urine) before, during and after treatment for setup of a bio-bank. Assessment of these data and samples in the follow up will be done during routine controls. Study duration will be at least ten years. Influence of treatment on morbidity and mortality, including changes in quality of life, will be identified and an evaluation of biomarkers will be performed. Further we intend to set up a bio-bank containing blood and urine samples providing research of various natures around prostate cancer in the future. DISCUSSION: We presume that this study will provide answers to pertinent questions concerning prognosis and outcomes of men with localised prostate cancer

The historical origin of palaeotropical intercontinental disjunctions in flowering plants: insights from the pantropical plant family Annonaceae

Theme: New Frontiers in BotanySession: SY04 - Annonaceae evolution: integrating molecules, biogeography and ecologyGeographic isolation of sister taxa in the African and Asian tropics (palaeotropical intercontinental disjunction; PID) is a major biogeographic pattern explained by four competing hypotheses: rafting on the Indian tectonic plate (‘Gondwanan vicariance hypothesis’); migration facilitated by a northern mid-latitude corridor of frost-free climates during the Eocene (‘boreotropics hypothesis’); overland dispersal across Arabia associated with the Miocene Climatic Optimum; and transoceanic dispersal. The explanatory challenges posed by PIDs are addressed here using the pantropical flowering plant family Annonaceae as a study system. Molecular dating and ancestral area reconstructions were undertaken using plastid DNA sequence data (ca. 6 kb) derived from an extensive taxon sampling, incorporating ca. 75% of all genera, with phylogenetically informed sampling of species within genera that are distributed across the African and Asian tropics. Statistical dispersal-vicariance analysis and likelihood reconstructions indicated 12 intercontinental dispersal events between Africa and Asia. All but one of these dispersals were from Africa to Asia. Between 10 and 12 vicariance events were inferred, ranging from the late Paleocene to the late Miocene, with mean divergence times of seven events in the Miocene. Although migration through the Eocene boreotropics has previously been highlighted as the predominant process underlying intercontinental disjunctions, our results indicate that post-boreotropical processes have also had a major impact on shaping PIDs. Palaeogeographic reconstructions and the fossil record from the Arabian Peninsula support the plausibility of a hypothesized window of overland dispersal opportunity for lowland tropical forest taxa prior to climate deterioration commencing in the late Middle Miocene, providing an alternative to transoceanic dispersal. The patterns observed underscore the hypothesis that intercontinental floristic exchange, facilitated by both the Eocene boreotropics and the erosion of oceanic and climatic biogeographic barriers between Africa and Asia in the Miocene, had a substantial impact on the assembly of palaeotropical forest floras.link_to_OA_fulltex

Biogeographic patterns and environmental drivers of species richness in the globally distributed Millettioid/Phaseoloid clade (Fabaceae, subfamily Papilionoideae)

Peer reviewed: TrueIntroductionThe Millettioid/Phaseoloid (MP) clade of Fabaceae is globally distributed, economically important, and highly diverse, making it an attractive system for studying biogeographic and macroecological patterns at a global scale. We conducted the first global macroecological study to map and explore the environmental drivers of the MP clade's species richness patterns.MethodsWe compiled 116,212 species occurrences (161 genera) for the MP clade and 20 environmental variables (19 bioclimatic variables and elevation). Geospatial analyses were performed to estimate species richness patterns and biogeographic heterogeneity. The effects of environmental variables on the species richness of the MP clade were measured through multiple regression models.ResultsOur study identified the megathermal regions as hotspots of species richness for the MP clade. While species distributions and richness largely fit the latitudinal diversity gradient pattern, there was a significant negative relationship between the species richness of the MP clade along the latitude and longitude. The Afrotropic biogeographic realm had the highest alpha diversity (~36%); in terms of biome types, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests had the highest alpha diversity (25%), while the beta diversity revealed a high dispersal rate and habitat tracking. Furthermore, the species richness was positively influenced by multiple climatic factors, with the mean diurnal range of temperatures and precipitation in the warmest quarter having strongest influence.DiscussionOverall, the staggering species richness patterns could be explained by multiple diversity gradient hypotheses. Particularly, colder climates play a crucial role in shaping the species richness pattern by limiting the ecological opportunities for MP clade species in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. This suggests that the species richness patterns of the MP clade can be described as "when dispersal meets adaptation." Our study provides a new basis for identifying priority regions for conservation of legumes.</jats:sec