Ernährungssicherung durch Ökologischen Landbau am Beispiel der Region Mostviertel- Eisenwurzen

Ein nachhaltiges Agrar- und Ernährungssystem verfolgt zumindest zwei Ziele: Bereitstellung hochwertiger Lebensmittel und Gewährleistung gesunder Ernährung bei gleichzeitiger größtmöglicher Schonung natürlicher Ressourcen. Zur komplementären Erreichung beider Zielsetzungen wird der Ökologische Landbau als Lösungsmodell diskutiert. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, am Beispiel der Region Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen (A) die Folgen einer großflächigen Umstellung für die Lebensmittelproduktionsmengen abzuschätzen. Darüber hinaus soll auf Seiten des Bedarfs eine konkrete Alternative in Form veränderter Verzehrsgewohnheiten entwickelt und deren Rückwirkung auf die Produktion bewertet werden

Toxicity and Cosmesis Outcomes for Single Fraction Intra-Operative Electron Radiotherapy (IOERT) for Breast Cancer

Background: Adjuvant radiation therapy is proven to reduce local recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer. To reduce toxicity, improve geographic accuracy, and reduce treatment time, IOERT can be utilized as an alternative to external beam radiation therapy. The study’s objective was to determine the short term toxicity and cosmesis profile of single fraction IOERT given as definitive treatment in a community setting. Materials and Methods: From Mar 2012 to Jul 2014, 84 patients (3 bilateral), ages 45-91 y.o. with stage 0-II were treated with IOERT (Mobetron, IntraOp Medical, Sunnyvale, CA). A single 21 Gy fraction was administered to the tumor bed after resection. IOERT was delivered using 4.5 – 6 cm applicators with electron energies from 6-12 MeV. At 2w, 6mo and 12mo, toxicity was assessed according to CTCAE Version 4.0 (range 0-4) and cosmesis based on a scale derived for national trials. Results: The median pathologic tumor size was 13 mm (4 tumors \u3e 25mm) with 34 tumors being IDC, 4 ILC, 20 DCIS, and 29 mixed histologies. After the initial resection with IOERT, 85 breasts had a negative margin. Two required re-excision due to positive margins. 65 SLN biopsies were completed, 61 were negative, 4 positive (1 completion ALND). Median follow up was 57.1 weeks. Toxicity (Grade at 2 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months in %): 0: 49, 69, 62 1: 44, 29, 35 2: 7, 2, 3 Cosmesis(Appearance at 2 weeks, 6 months, 12 months in %): Excellent: 71, 86, 79 Good: 28, 14, 21 Fair: 1, 0, 0 *No patients had a toxicity of 3 or 4; or a cosmesis of poor. Conclusion: Single fraction IOERT was well tolerated by all patients with no grade 3+ toxicity up to 12 months. At one year, 97% of patients had 0-1 grade toxicity and 100% of patients had excellent or good cosmesis. This treatment, consistent with current reports, meets critical criteria for incorporation into practice and reduces treatment by 3-6 weeks

Metamaterial fibres for subdiffraction imaging and focusing at terahertz frequencies over optically long distances

Using conventional materials, the resolution of focusing and imaging devices is limited by diffraction to about half the wavelength of light, as high spatial frequencies do not propagate in isotropic materials. Wire array metamaterials, because of their extreme anisotropy, can beat this limit; however, focusing with these has only been demonstrated up to microwave frequencies and using propagation over a few wavelengths only. Here we show that the principle can be scaled to frequencies orders of magnitudes higher and to considerably longer propagation lengths. We demonstrate imaging through straight and tapered wire arrays operating in the terahertz spectrum, with unprecedented propagation of near field information over hundreds of wavelengths and focusing down to 1/28 of the wavelength with a net increase in power density. Applications could include in vivo terahertz-endoscopes with resolution compatible with imaging individual cells.Alessandro Tuniz, Korbinian J. Kaltenecker, Bernd M. Fischer, Markus Walther, Simon C. Fleming, Alexander Argyros and Boris T. Kuhlme

Anastrozole versus tamoxifen for the prevention of locoregional and contralateral breast cancer in postmenopausal women with locally excised ductal carcinoma in situ (IBIS-II DCIS): a double-blind, randomised controlled trial

Background Third-generation aromatase inhibitors are more effective than tamoxifen for preventing recurrence in postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive invasive breast cancer. However, it is not known whether anastrozole is more effective than tamoxifen for women with hormone-receptor-positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Here, we compare the efficacy of anastrozole with that of tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive DCIS. Methods In a double-blind, multicentre, randomised placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women who had been diagnosed with locally excised, hormone-receptor-positive DCIS. Eligible women were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio by central computer allocation to receive 1 mg oral anastrozole or 20 mg oral tamoxifen every day for 5 years. Randomisation was stratified by major centre or hub and was done in blocks (six, eight, or ten). All trial personnel, participants, and clinicians were masked to treatment allocation and only the trial statistician had access to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was all recurrence, including recurrent DCIS and new contralateral tumours. All analyses were done on a modified intention-to-treat basis (in all women who were randomised and did not revoke consent for their data to be included) and proportional hazard models were used to compute hazard ratios and corresponding confidence intervals. This trial is registered at the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN37546358. Results Between March 3, 2003, and Feb 8, 2012, we enrolled 2980 postmenopausal women from 236 centres in 14 countries and randomly assigned them to receive anastrozole (1449 analysed) or tamoxifen (1489 analysed). Median follow-up was 7·2 years (IQR 5·6–8·9), and 144 breast cancer recurrences were recorded. We noted no statistically significant difference in overall recurrence (67 recurrences for anastrozole vs 77 for tamoxifen; HR 0·89 [95% CI 0·64–1·23]). The non-inferiority of anastrozole was established (upper 95% CI <1·25), but its superiority to tamoxifen was not (p=0·49). A total of 69 deaths were recorded (33 for anastrozole vs 36 for tamoxifen; HR 0·93 [95% CI 0·58–1·50], p=0·78), and no specific cause was more common in one group than the other. The number of women reporting any adverse event was similar between anastrozole (1323 women, 91%) and tamoxifen (1379 women, 93%); the side-effect profiles of the two drugs differed, with more fractures, musculoskeletal events, hypercholesterolaemia, and strokes with anastrozole and more muscle spasm, gynaecological cancers and symptoms, vasomotor symptoms, and deep vein thromboses with tamoxifen. Conclusions No clear efficacy differences were seen between the two treatments. Anastrozole offers another treatment option for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive DCIS, which may be be more appropriate for some women with contraindications for tamoxifen. Longer follow-up will be necessary to fully evaluate treatment differences

The ability of organic farming to nourish the Austrian people: an empirical study in the region Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen (A)

A sustainable agricultural and food system is characterized by two qualities: availability of high-quality, healthy food along with the best possible preservation of natural resources. Organic farming is discussed as a solution model for the complementary achievement of both aims. Taking the region Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen (A) as a case study, the present investigation examines the regional self-reliance in food production by means of three scenarios. In the basic scenario, the current land use of the region is set against the present-day food demand of the local population. The organic scenario assumes that the farming method of the region adheres 100% to the guidelines of organic farming. The food produced is set against the current food demand, as in the basic scenario. In the third scenario, the organic-alternative scenario, the 100% organically produced food is set against a food demand of the local population that follows the recommendations of nutritional science, comprising more plant-based diets. The results show that in the case of the hypothetical conversion to organic farming, food production decreases in absolute numbers. Despite this reduction, the local population can be sufficiently supplied with food energy, both in the case of the average Austrian diet as well as in a diet according to the recommendations of nutritional science. The number of people that can be supplied outside the region is higher in the nutritional science diet than in the average Austrian diet, despite the lower total net export quantity. While egg, meat and milk production are up to six times the local demand, the degree of self-supply of plant products (especially fruit and vegetables) covers only two-thirds of the demand after conversion. Moreover, our calculations show how a change of consumption patterns affects the demand for imported feedstuff. The region changes from being a net importer of concentrate (76,190 t fresh mass) at the starting point to a gross exporter (39,784 t fresh mass) in the organic and the organic-alternative scenario. In summary, agricultural production according to the guidelines of organic farming and a diet following the recommendations of nutritional science seems a promising strategy for achieving a sustainable agricultural and food system

The Adrenocortical Stress Response in Three North American \u3cem\u3eAccipiters\u3c/em\u3e During Fall Migration

The associations among corticosterone levels, energy stores, and stress are highly relevant to bird migration physiology. Many birds maintain elevated baseline corticosterone levels during migration, yet they frequently modulate additional glucocorticoid secretion, probably to protect their flight muscles from catabolism. We report on the adrenocortical response to capture and handling stress in three Accipiter species, the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), the Cooper’s Hawk (A. cooperii), and the Northern Goshawk (A. gentilis) during fall migration. We found mean baseline corticosterone levels to be similar in Sharp-shinned Hawks and Northern Goshawks, but significantly higher in Cooper’s Hawks. Likewise, mean baseline levels of corticosterone did not differ in hatch-year and after-hatch-year male and female Sharpshinned Hawks and Northern Goshawks, but they were higher in adult male Cooper’s Hawks than adult females. Mean corticosterone levels did not increase significantly after 30 min of capture and handling stress in any of the three species, indicating that they modulated their adrenocortical stress responses. Fat scores were not correlated with baseline corticosterone levels, except in Sharp-shinned Hawks, in which elevated baseline corticosterone levels were associated with low fat scores