The relationship between multiple mating by queens, within-colony genetic variability and fitness in the ant Lasius niger

Multiple mating has been suggested to benefit social insect queens because high genetic variation within colonies might decrease the load imposed by sterile diploid males, enhance resistance to parasites and pathogens, and lead to a more effective division of labour and/or a wider range of tolerable environmental conditions. We tested these hypotheses in the ant Lasius niger with three population samples from Switzerland and Sweden. We found no diploid males in young or mature colonies suggesting a lack of diploid male load. Colonies with multiply-mated queens were not larger nor did they produce more sexuals than colonies with singly-mated queens. We did find a significantly lower frequency of multiple mating among newly mated queens than among the queens heading mature colonies in one population sample (Switzerland 1997). However, this result was not repeated in the other study population, or in the following year in the Swiss population

Pylorus-Preserving Pancreatoduodenectomy. Experience in 20 Patients

Twenty patients underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy for benign or malignant periampullary and pancreatic disease. Eighteen patients had a partial and two patients a total pancreatectomy. There were 19 elective and 1 emergency operations

Evaluation of Adaptive Changes by Non-Invasive Imaging in Hepatic Vein Outflow Obstruction

Hepatic vein outflow obstruction induces remarkable changes of intra–hepatic blood circulation; the significance of these changes remains uncertain. Six patients with obstruction of the hepatic veins were evaluated by duplex Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography. The adaptive changes secondary to obstruction were analyzed and their significance was correlated with the clinical findings. Four patients presenting unilateral hepatic vein occlusion had unilateral reversed portal flow. Two of them, with lobar liver atrophy and contralateral compensatory hypertrophy required operation; the other two, with normal appearance of the liver, benefitted from conservative treatment. Two patients with bilateral hepatic vein occlusion, intra-hepatic bypasses, bilateral lobar atrophy and caudate lobe hypertrophy, received operations. Intrahepatic unilateral portal flow reversal compensates for unilateral hepatic outflow obstruction. The combination of complete or subtotal hepatic vein obstruction and atrophy–hypertrophy complex predicates advanced disease despite flow reversal or spontaneous shunt

Biliary Stricture Following Hepatic Resection

Anatomic distortion and displacement of hilar structures due to liver lobe atrophy and hypertrophy occasionally complicates the surgical approach for biliary stricture repair. Benign biliary stricture following hepatic resection deserves special consideration in this regard because the inevitable hypertrophy of the residual liver causes marked rotation and displacement of the hepatic hilum that if not anticipated may render exposure for repair difficult and dangerous. Three patients with biliary stricture after hepatectomy illustrate the influence of hepatic regeneration on attempts at subsequent stricture repair. Following left hepatectomy, hypertrophy of the right and caudate lobes causes an anteromedial rotation and displacement of the portal structures. After right hepatectomy, the rotation is posterolateral, and a thoracoabdominal approach may be necessary for adequate exposure. Radiographs obtained in the standard anteroposterior projection may be deceptive, and lateral views are recommended to aid in operative planning

Hypersensitive quantification of major astringency markers in food and wine by substoichiometric quenching of silicon-rhodamine conjugates

Tannins are chemically diverse polyphenols in plant-derived products that not only show diverse biological activities but also play a crucial role in determining the sensory attributes of food and beverages. Therefore, their accurate and cost-effective quantification is essential. Here, we identified a novel fluorescence quenching mechanism of different synthetic rhodamine fluorophores, with a high selectivity towards tannic acid (TA) and catechin-3-gallate (C3G) compared to a structurally diverse panel of tannins and polyphenols. Specific chemical conjugates of silicon-rhodamine with alkyl linkers attached to bulky apolar moieties had a limit of detection near 500 pM and a linear range spanning 5–100 nM for TA. We validated the assay on 18 distinct red wine samples, which showed high linearity (R2 = 0.92) with methylcellulose precipitation with no interference from anthocyanins. In conclusion, a novel assay was developed and validated that allows the sensitive and selective quantification of major astringency markers abundant in food and beverages

Sphincter-sparing surgery after preoperative radiotherapy for low rectal cancers: feasibility, oncologic results and quality of life outcomes

The present study assesses the choice of surgical procedure, oncologic results and quality of life (QOL) outcomes in a retrospective cohort of 53 patients with low-lying rectal cancers (within 6 cm of the anal verge) treated surgically following preoperative radiotherapy (RT, median dose 45 Gy) with or without concomitant 5-fluorouracil. QOL was assessed in 23 patients by using two questionnaires developed by the QOL Study Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer: EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR38. After a median interval of 29 days from completion of RT, abdominoperineal resection (APR) was performed in 29 patients (55%), low anterior resection in 23 patients (20 with coloanal anastomosis) and transrectal excision in one patient. The 3-year actuarial overall survival and locoregional control rates were 71.4% and 77.5% respectively, with no differences observed between patients operated by APR or restorative procedures. For all scales of EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR38, no significant differences in median scores were observed between the two surgical groups. Although patients having had APR tended to report a lower body image score (P = 0.12) and more sexual dysfunction in male patients, all APR patients tended to report better physical function, future perspective and global QOL. In conclusion, sphincter-sparing surgery after preoperative RT seems to be feasible, in routine practice, in a significant proportion of low rectal cancers without compromising the oncologic results. However, prospective studies are mandatory to confirm this finding and to clarify the putative QOL advantages of sphincter-conserving approaches. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Patterns and risk factors for locoregional failures after mastectomy for breast cancer: an International Breast Cancer Study Group report

Background Rates and risk factors of local, axillary and supraclavicular recurrences can guide patient selection and target for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Patients and methods Local, axillary and supraclavicular recurrences were evaluated in 8106 patients enrolled in 13 randomized trials. Patients received chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy and mastectomy without radiotherapy. Median follow-up was 15.2 years. Results Ten-year cumulative incidence for chest wall recurrence of >15% was seen in patients aged 10%: ≥4 positive nodes (10.2%); for axillary failures of >5%: aged 15% were age <40, peritumoral vessel invasion or 0-7 uninvolved nodes. Age, number of positive nodes and number of uninvolved nodes were significant parameters for each locoregional relapse site. Conclusion PMRT to the chest wall and supraclavicular fossa is supported in patients with ≥4 positive nodes. With 1-3 positive nodes, chest wall PMRT may be considered in patients aged <40 years, with 0-7 uninvolved nodes or with vascular invasion. The findings do not support PMRT to the dissected axill

Premenopausal endocrine-responsive early breast cancer: who receives chemotherapy?

Background: The role of chemotherapy in addition to combined endocrine therapy for premenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer remains an open question, yet trials designed to answer it have repeatedly failed to adequately accrue. The International Breast Cancer Study Group initiated two concurrent trials in this population: in Premenopausal Endocrine Responsive Chemotherapy (PERCHE), chemotherapy use is determined by randomization and in Tamoxifen and Exemestane Trial (TEXT) by physician choice. PERCHE closed with inadequate accrual; TEXT accrued rapidly. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 1317 patients (890 with baseline data) were randomly assigned to receive ovarian function suppression (OFS) plus tamoxifen or OFS plus exemestane for 5 years in TEXT. We explore patient-related factors according to whether or not chemotherapy was given using descriptive statistics and classification and regression trees. Results: Adjuvant chemotherapy was chosen for 64% of patients. Lymph node status was the predominant determinant of chemotherapy use (88% of node positive treated versus 46% of node negative). Geography, patient age, tumor size and grade were also determinants, but degree of receptor positivity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status were not. Conclusions: The perceived estimation of increased risk of relapse is the primary determinant for using chemotherapy despite uncertainties regarding the degree of benefit it offers when added to combined endocrine therapy in this populatio

Differential efficacy of three cycles of CMF followed by tamoxifen in patients with ER-positive and ER-negative tumors: Long-term follow up on IBCSG Trial IX

Background: The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive lymph node-negative breast cancer is being reassessed. Patients and methods: After stratification by ER status, 1669 postmenopausal patients with operable lymph node-negative breast cancer were randomly assigned to three 28-day courses of ‘classical' CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen for 57 months (CMF→tamoxifen) or to tamoxifen alone for 5 years. Results: ERs were positive in 81% of tumors. At a median follow-up of 13.1 years, patients with ER-positive breast cancers did not benefit from CMF [13-year disease-free survival (DFS) 64% CMF→tamoxifen, 66% tamoxifen; P = 0.99], whereas CMF substantially improved the prognosis of patients with ER-negative breast cancer (13-year DFS 73% versus 57%, P = 0.001). Similarly, breast cancer-free interval (BCFI) was identical in the ER-positive cohort but significantly improved by chemotherapy in the ER-negative cohort (13-year BCFI 80% versus 63%, P = 0.001). CMF had no influence on second nonbreast malignancies or deaths from other causes. Conclusion: CMF is not beneficial in postmenopausal patients with node-negative ER-positive breast cancer but is highly effective within the ER-negative cohort. In the future, other markers of chemotherapy response may define a subset of patients with ER-positive tumors who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherap

Dysfunction of homeostatic control of dopamine by astrocytes in the developing prefrontal cortex leads to cognitive impairments

Astrocytes orchestrate neural development by powerfully coordinating synapse formation and function and, as such, may be critically involved in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental abnormalities and cognitive deficits commonly observed in psychiatric disorders. Here, we report the identification of a subset of cortical astrocytes that are competent for regulating dopamine (DA) homeostasis during postnatal development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), allowing for optimal DA-mediated maturation of excitatory circuits. Such control of DA homeostasis occurs through the coordinated activity of astroglial vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) together with organic cation transporter 3 and monoamine oxidase type B, two key proteins for DA uptake and metabolism. Conditional deletion of VMAT2 in astrocytes postnatally produces loss of PFC DA homeostasis, leading to defective synaptic transmission and plasticity as well as impaired executive functions. Our findings show a novel role for PFC astrocytes in the DA modulation of cognitive performances with relevance to psychiatric disorders