Calculation of biomass volume of citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry

A methodology and computational algorithms, to calculate volumes and the total biomass contained in citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry were developed. The methodology could be used as a tool to manage resources from the orchards, establishing adequate predictive models for assessing parameters such as income from raw materials for the cultivation, fruit production, CO2 sink, and waste materials (i.e. residual wood) used for energy or industry. Dendrometry has been traditionally applied to forest trees. However, little research has been conducted on fruit trees due to their heterogeneous structure. To develop the process of biomass quantification it was necessary to perform systems of measurement, enabling to determine volumes of the analysed trees. Firstly, form factors and volume functions for the branches were calculated. These volume functions gave 0.97 coefficient of determination from base diameter and length. The relationships between apparent crown volume and actual volume in the crown (i.e. no hollows) of the trees were established, with 0.80 coefficient of determination. Occupation factor and the distribution of biomass in the crown strata were evaluated. These results could be correlated with production and quality of the fruit, with the amount of residual biomass coming from pruning, and with LIDAR data what may produce a simple, quick and accurate way to predict biomass.This research were developed by the project AGL2010-15334 funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain funds.Velázquez Martí, B.; Estornell Cremades, J.; López Cortés, I.; Marti Gavila, J. (2012). Calculation of biomass volume of citrus trees from an adapted dendrometry. Biosystems Engineering. 112(4):285-292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2012.04.011S285292112

Estimación de parámetros de estructura de nogales utilizando láser escáner terrestre

[EN] Juglans regia L. (walnut) is a tree of significant economic importance, usually cultivated for its seed used in the food market, and for its wood used in the furniture industry. The aim of this work was to develop regression models to predict crown parameters for walnut trees using a terrestrial laser scanner. A set of 30 trees was selected and the total height, crown height and crown diameter were measured in the field. The trees were also measured by a laser scanner and algorithms were applied to compute the crown volume, crown diameter, total and crown height. Linear regression models were calculated to estimate walnut tree parameters from TLS data. Good results were obtained with values of R2 between 0.90 and 0.98. In addition, to analyze whether coarser point cloud densities might affect the results, the point clouds for all trees were subsampled using different point densities: points every 0.005 m, 0.01 m, 0.05 m, 0.1 m, 0.25 m, 0.5 m, 1 m, and 2 m. New regression models were calculated to estimate field parameters. For total height and crown volume good estimations were obtained from TLS parameters derived for all subsampled point cloud (0.005 m – 2 m).[ES] Juglans regiaL. (nogal) es un árbol de importancia económica por el fruto que proporciona y por su madera utilizada en la industria del mueble. El objetivo de este trabajo fue calcular modelos de regresión para estimar los pa-rámetros altura total, altura, diámetro y volumen de copa de nogales utilizando datos registrados mediante un escáner láser terrestre. Un conjunto de 30 árboles fueron escaneados y se aplicaron algoritmos para calcular los parámetros anteriores, que también se midieron en campo utilizando técnicas tradicionales. Se obtuvieron buenos resultados, con valores de R2 entre 0,90 y 0,98 para todos los parámetros. Además, para analizar la relación entre la densidad de puntos registrada y la precisión en la estimación de los parámetros de los nogales, las nubes de puntos de todos los árboles fueron sub-muestreadas utilizando diferentes distancias de separación entre puntos: 0,005 m, 0,01 m, 0,05 m, 0,1 m, 0,25 m, 0,5 m, 1 m y 2 m. Se calcularon nuevos modelos de regresión con los datos muestreados obteniéndose buenas estimaciones de los parámetros para todos los conjuntos de datos.The authors appreciate the financial support provided by the regional government of Spain (Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport Generalitat Valenciana) in the framework of the Project GV/2014/016.Estornell, J.; Velázquez-Martí, A.; Fernández-Sarría, A.; López-Cortés, I.; Martí-Gavilá, J.; Salazar, D. (2017). Estimation of structural attributes of walnut trees based on terrestrial laser scanning. Revista de Teledetección. (48):67-76. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2017.7429SWORD677648Belsley. D.A. 1991. Conditioning Diagnostics: Collinearity and Weak Data in Regression. John Wiley & Sons.Chianucci, F., Puletti, N., Giacomello, E., Cutini, A., & Corona, P. (2015). Estimation of leaf area index in isolated trees with digital photography and its application to urban forestry. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 14(2), 377-382. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2015.04.001Corona, P., Agrimi, M., Baffetta, F., Barbati, A., Chiriacò, M. V., Fattorini, L., … Mattioli, W. (2011). Extending large-scale forest inventories to assess urban forests. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184(3), 1409-1422. doi:10.1007/s10661-011-2050-6Fernández-Sarría, A., Martínez, L., Velázquez-Martí, B., Sajdak, M., Estornell, J., & Recio, J. A. (2013). Different methodologies for calculating crown volumes of Platanus hispanica trees using terrestrial laser scanner and a comparison with classical dendrometric measurements. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 90, 176-185. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2012.09.017Gil, E., Llorens, J., Llop, J., Fàbregas, X., & Gallart, M. (2013). Use of a Terrestrial LIDAR Sensor for Drift Detection in Vineyard Spraying. Sensors, 13(1), 516-534. doi:10.3390/s130100516Greaves, H. E., Vierling, L. A., Eitel, J. U. H., Boelman, N. T., Magney, T. S., Prager, C. M., & Griffin, K. L. (2015). Estimating aboveground biomass and leaf area of low-stature Arctic shrubs with terrestrial LiDAR. Remote Sensing of Environment, 164, 26-35. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2015.02.023Keightley, K. E., & Bawden, G. W. (2010). 3D volumetric modeling of grapevine biomass using Tripod LiDAR. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 74(2), 305-312. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2010.09.005Manes, F., Incerti, G., Salvatori, E., Vitale, M., Ricotta, C., & Costanza, R. (2012). Urban ecosystem services: tree diversity and stability of tropospheric ozone removal. Ecological Applications, 22(1), 349-360. doi:10.1890/11-0561.1MAAM. 2015. Encuesta sobre superficies y rendimientos cultivos (ASYRCE). Encuesta de marco de áreas de Espa-a. Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente de Espa-a, 44 pp.Rosell, J. R., Llorens, J., Sanz, R., Arnó, J., Ribes-Dasi, M., Masip, J., … Palacín, J. (2009). Obtaining the three-dimensional structure of tree orchards from remote 2D terrestrial LIDAR scanning. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 149(9), 1505-1515. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2009.04.008Rosell Polo, J. R., Sanz, R., Llorens, J., Arnó, J., Escolà, A., Ribes-Dasi, M., … Palacín, J. (2009). A tractor-mounted scanning LIDAR for the non-destructive measurement of vegetative volume and surface area of tree-row plantations: A comparison with conventional destructive measurements. Biosystems Engineering, 102(2), 128-134. doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2008.10.009Rosell, J. R., & Sanz, R. (2012). A review of methods and applications of the geometric characterization of tree crops in agricultural activities. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 81, 124-141. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2011.09.00

A retrospective, multicenter study of the efficacy of lapatinib plus trastuzumab in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients previously treated with trastuzumab, lapatinib, or both: the Trastyvere study

[Purpose]: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of lapatinib (L) and trastuzumab (T) combination in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients previously treated with T and/or L.[Materials and methods]: We conducted a retrospective, post-authorized, multicenter study including patients with HER2-positive MBC or locally advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with the combination of L–T. Concomitant endocrine therapy, as well as brain metastasis and/or prior exposure to L, were allowed.[Results]: One hundred and fifteen patients from 14 institutions were included. The median age was 59.8 years. The median number of prior T regimens in the advanced setting was 3 and 73 patients had received a prior L regimen. The clinical benefit rate (CBR) was 34.8% (95% CI 26.1–43.5). Among other efficacy endpoints, the overall response rate was 21.7%, and median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 3.9 and 21.6 months, respectively. Heavily pretreated and ≥ 3 metastatic organ patients showed lower CBR and PFS than patients with a low number of previous regimens and < 3 metastatic organs. Moreover, CBR did not significantly change in L-pretreated compared with L-naïve patients (31.5% versus 40.5% for L-pretreated versus L-naïve). Grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 19 patients (16.5%).[Conclusion]: The combination of L–T is an effective and well-tolerated regimen in heavily pretreated patients and remains active among patients progressing on prior L-based therapy. Our study suggests that the L–T regimen is a safe and active chemotherapy-free option for MBC patients previously treated with T and/or L.This work was supported by GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) through a contract with Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MedSIR), an academic research organization focused on independent clinical research development

Trajectories of alcohol consumption during life and the risk of developing breast cancer

Background: Whether there are lifetime points of greater sensitivity to the deleterious effects of alcohol intake on the breasts remains inconclusive. Objective: To compare the influence of distinctive trajectories of alcohol consumption throughout a woman’s life on development of breast cancer (BC). Methods: 1278 confirmed invasive BC cases and matched (by age and residence) controls from the Epi-GEICAM study (Spain) were used. The novel group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify different alcohol consumption trajectories throughout women’s lifetime. Results: Four alcohol trajectories were identified. The first comprised women (45%) with low alcohol consumption (<5 g/day) throughout their life. The second included those (33%) who gradually moved from a low alcohol consumption in adolescence to a moderate in adulthood (5 to <15 g/day), never having a high consumption; and oppositely, women in the third trajectory (16%) moved from moderate consumption in adolescence, to a lower consumption in adulthood. Women in the fourth (6%) moved from a moderate alcohol consumption in adolescence to the highest consumption in adulthood (=15 g/day), never having a low alcohol consumption. Comparing with the first trajectory, the fourth doubled BC risk (OR 2.19; 95% CI 1.27, 3.77), followed by the third (OR 1.44; 0.96, 2.16) and ultimately by the second trajectory (OR 1.17; 0.86, 1.58). The magnitude of BC risk was greater in postmenopausal women, especially in those with underweight or normal weight. When alcohol consumption was independently examined at each life stage, =15 g/day of alcohol consumption in adolescence was strongly associated with BC risk followed by consumption in adulthood. Conclusions: The greater the alcohol consumption accumulated throughout life, the greater the risk of BC, especially in postmenopausal women. Alcohol consumption during adolescence may particularly influence BC risk. © 2021, The Author(s)

SOLTI-1805 TOT-HER3 Study Concept: A Window-of-Opportunity Trial of Patritumab Deruxtecan, a HER3 Directed Antibody Drug Conjugate, in Patients With Early Breast Cancer

Background: Preclinical data support a key role for the human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) pathway in hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Recently, new HER3 directed antibody drug conjugates have shown activity in breast cancer. Given the need to better understand the molecular biology, tumor microenvironment, and mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer, we designed this window-of-opportunity study with the HER3 directed antibody drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd; U3-1402). Trial Design: Based on these data, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, window-of-opportunity study was designed to evaluate the biological effect of patritumab deruxtecan in the treatment of naïve patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer whose primary tumors are ≥1 cm by ultrasound evaluation. Patients will be enrolled in four cohorts according to the mRNA-based ERBB3 expression by central assessment. The primary endpoint is a CelTIL score after one single dose. A translational research plan is also included to provide biological information and to evaluate secondary and exploratory objectives of the study

Oestrogen receptor activity in hormone-dependent breast cancer during chemotherapy: ER activity in pre-menopausal HR+ breast cancer during CT

Background: Chemotherapy efficacy in early-stage hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) according to menopausal status needs a biological explanation. Methods: We compared early-stage HR+ BC biological features before and after (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy (ET), and assessed oestrogen receptor (ER) pathway activity in both pre- and post-menopausal patients. The nCounter platform was used to detect gene expression levels. Findings: In 106 post-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2-negative BC randomized to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or ET (letrozole+ribociclib), a total of 19 oestrogen-regulated genes, including progesterone receptor (PGR), were found downregulated in the ET-based arm-only. We confirmed this finding in an independent dataset of 20 letrozole-treated post-menopausal patients and found, conversely, an up-regulation of the same signature in HR+/HER2-negative MCF7 cell line treated with estradiol. PGR was found down-regulated by 2 weeks of ET+anti-HER2 therapy in pre-/post-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2-positive (HER2+) BC, while anti-HER2 therapy alone increased PGR expression in HR-negative/HER2+ BC. In 88 pre- and post-menopausal patients with newly diagnosed HR+/HER2-negative BC treated with chemotherapy, the 19 oestrogen-regulated genes were found significantly downregulated only in pre-menopausal patients. In progesterone receptor (PR)+/HER2-negative BC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=40), tumours became PR-negative in 69.2% of pre-menopausal patients and 14.8% of post-menopausal patients (p=0.001). Finally, a mean decrease in PGR levels was only observed in pre-menopausal patients undergoing anti-HER2-based multi-agent chemotherapy. Interpretation: Chemotherapy reduces the expression of ER-regulated genes in pre-menopausal women suffering from hormone-dependent BC by supressing ovarian function. Further studies should test the value of chemotherapy in this patient population when ovarian function is suppressed by other methods. Funding: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Breast Cancer Now, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the American Association for Cancer Research, Fundació La Marató TV3, the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Pas a Pas, Save the Mama, Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, PhD4MDgrant of “Departament de Salut”, exp SLT008/18/00122, Fundación SEOM and ESMO. Any views, opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those solely of the author(s

SEOM clinical guidelines in metastatic breast cancer 2015

Metastatic breast cancer is essentially an incurable disease. However, recent advances have resulted in a significant improvement of overall survival. The SEOM guidelines are intended to make evidence-based recommendations on how to manage patients with metastatic breast cancer to achieve the best patient outcomes based on a rational use of the currently available therapies. To assign a level of certainty and a grade of recommendation the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines methodology was selected as reference