Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships among six Abies species from European and Turkish areas

The phylogenetic relationships of the Abies species in European and Turkish regions have frequently been an object of controversial conclusions. Therefore, we compared the genetic structures of 21 populations belonging to six Abies species which are native to  entral, eastern and south-eastern European regions and  different areas in the Turkey (Asia minor). We used the allele frequency distribution of five isozyme gene locialready showing a high discriminatory power to assess the genetic differentiation among the Abies populations. The UPGMA-dendrogram based on genetic distances showed a clear discrimination between the Turkish Abies species and A. alba from Europe. The particular allele frequency distributions at the isozyme loci PGI-A and 6PGDH-Aconfirmed a great genetic dissimilarity between A. alba and the Turkish Abies species.These results contradict the phylogenetic relationships of the Abies species postulated inother studies

Imatinib in combination with hydroxyurea versus hydroxyurea alone as oral therapy in patients with progressive pretreated glioblastoma resistant to standard dose temozolomide

A randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study of patients with progressive, recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) for whom front-line therapy had failed was conducted. This study was designed to determine whether combination therapy with imatinib and hydroxyurea (HU) has superior antitumor activity compared with HU monotherapy in the treatment of recurrent GBM. The target population consisted of patients with confirmed recurrent GBM and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 who had completed previous treatment comprising surgical resection, irradiation therapy, and first-line chemotherapy (preferably temozolomide (TMZ) containing regimen) and who have progressed despite treatment. If first-line chemotherapy did not contain TMZ, a second completed chemotherapy was acceptable. The primary efficacy parameter was progression-free survival (PFS). The primary comparison of combination therapy versus monotherapy for PFS was not significant (adjusted P = 0.56). The hazard ratio (HR) (adjusted HR = 0.93) was not clinically relevant. The median PFS for the combination arm was low at 6 weeks and similar to the median PFS in the monotherapy arm (6 weeks). The 6-month PFS for the two treatment groups was very similar (5% in the combination arm vs. 7% in the monotherapy arm). No clinically meaningful differences were found between the two treatment arms, and the primary study end point was not met. Among the patients receiving imatinib, no adverse events were reported that were either previously unknown or unexpected as a consequence of the disease

Der Einfluss von Offshore-Windenergie auf die EEX-Strompreise

This article examines the relationship between offshore wind power generation and the electricity price on the European Energy Exchange (EEX) in Germany. With the help of a GARCH model we show in an integrated approach the influence of offshore wind energy on the level and volatility of the electricity price. The results show that offshore wind energy has a price-reducing effect on the electricity price, but in terms of variability the influence is not so clearly identified. Overall, this study can demonstrate a negative impact on the electricity market through the expansion of offshore wind energy. In this respect, there is a need for political action to promote the expansion of offshore wind energy and minimise its influence on electricity price fluctuations. Dieser Artikel untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen der Offshore-Windenergieerzeugung und dem Strompreis an der European Energy Exchange (EEX) in Deutschland. Mit Hilfe eines GARCH-Modells wird in einem integrierten Ansatz der Einfluss der Offshore-Windenergie auf die Höhe und Volatilität des Strompreises ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Offshore-Windenergie einen preisreduzierenden Effekt auf den Strompreis hat. In Bezug auf die Variabilität kann der Einfluss hingegen nicht eindeutig identifiziert werden. Insgesamt kann diese Studie einen negativen Einfluss auf den Strommarkt durch den Ausbau der Offshore-Windenergie nachweisen. Insofern besteht ein politischer Handlungsbedarf, um den Ausbau der Offshore-Windenergie zu fördern und ihren Einfluss auf die Strompreisschwankungen zu minimieren