Uveal Melanoma: A European Network to Face the Many Challenges of a Rare Cancer

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary ocular cancer in adults, accounting for 5% of all melanomas. Despite effective treatments for the primary tumour, up to 50% of UM patients will develop metastasis, leading to a very poor prognosis and a median overall survival of 6 to 12 months, with no major improvements in the last 30 years. There is no standard oncological treatment available for metastatic UM patients, and BRAF/MEK and immune checkpoint inhibitors show disappointing results when compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM). Recent advances in biology, however, identified specific gene and chromosome alterations, potentially permitting an actively tailored surveillance strategy, and dedicated clinical studies. Being a rare cancer, UM patients have to overcome issues such as identifying referral centres, having access to information, and partnering with oncologists for specific management strategies and research priorities. Here, we describe how the EUropean Rare Adult solid CAacer Network (EURACAN) will help in addressing these challenges and accelerating international collaborations to enhance the development of innovative treatments in UM

Developing Symptom Lists for People with Cancer Treated with Targeted Therapies

Background: Targeted Therapies (TTs) have revolutionised cancer treatment with their enhanced specificity of action. Compared with conventional therapies, TTs are delivered over a longer period and often have unusual symptom profiles. Patient reported outcome measures such as symptom side-effect lists need to be developed in a time-efficient manner to enable a rapid and full evaluation of new treatments and effective clinical managementObjective: the aim of this study is to develop a set of TT-related symptoms and identify the optimal method for developing symptom lists. Patients and Methods: symptoms from TT treatment in the context of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), HER2 positive breast cancer, or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours (GIST) were identified through literature reviews, interviews with health care professionals (HCPs) and patients, and patient focus groups. The symptom set was then pilot tested in patients across the three cancer diagnoses: The number of items derived from each source (literature, patients, or HCPs) were compared. Results: a total of 316 patients and 86 HCPs from 16 countries participated. An initial set of 209 symptoms was reduced to 61 covering 12 symptom categories. Patient interviews made the greatest contribution to the item set.Conclusions: symptom lists should be created based on input from patients. The item set described will be applicable to the assessment of new TTs, and in monitoring treatment.<br/

Uveal Melanoma: A European Network to Face the Many Challenges of a Rare Cancer

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary ocular cancer in adults, accounting for 5% of all melanomas. Despite effective treatments for the primary tumour, up to 50% of UM patients will develop metastasis, leading to a very poor prognosis and a median overall survival of 6 to 12 months, with no major improvements in the last 30 years. There is no standard oncological treatment available for metastatic UM patients, and BRAF/MEK and immune checkpoint inhibitors show disappointing results when compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM). Recent advances in biology, however, identified specific gene and chromosome alterations, potentially permitting an actively tailored surveillance strategy, and dedicated clinical studies. Being a rare cancer, UM patients have to overcome issues such as identifying referral centres, having access to information, and partnering with oncologists for specific management strategies and research priorities. Here, we describe how the European Rare Adult solid Cancer Network (EURACAN) will help in addressing these challenges and accelerating international collaborations to enhance the development of innovative treatments in UM

Identification of a gene signature for discriminating metastatic from primary melanoma using a molecular interaction network approach

Understanding the biological factors that are characteristic of metastasis in melanoma remains a key approach to improving treatment. In this study, we seek to identify a gene signature of metastatic melanoma. We configured a new network-based computational pipeline, combined with a machine learning method, to mine publicly available transcriptomic data from melanoma patient samples. Our method is unbiased and scans a genome-wide protein-protein interaction network using a novel formulation for network scoring. Using this, we identify the most influential, differentially expressed nodes in metastatic as compared to primary melanoma. We evaluated the shortlisted genes by a machine learning method to rank them by their discriminatory capacities. From this, we identified a panel of 6 genes, ALDH1A1, HSP90AB1, KIT, KRT16, SPRR3 and TMEM45B whose expression values discriminated metastatic from primary melanoma (87% classification accuracy). In an independent transcriptomic data set derived from 703 primary melanomas, we showed that all six genes were significant in predicting melanoma specific survival (MSS) in a univariate analysis, which was also consistent with AJCC staging. Further, 3 of these genes, HSP90AB1, SPRR3 and KRT16 remained significant predictors of MSS in a joint analysis (HR = 2.3, P = 0.03) although, HSP90AB1 (HR = 1.9, P = 2 × 10−4) alone remained predictive after adjusting for clinical predictors

Embryonic Development of Barbel (Barbus barbus)

Barbel (Barbus barbus L.) is rarely bred and reared in hatcheries, and data on the early development of this species are scarce. Thus, the aim of the study was to describe its embryonic development in detail. Eggs and sperm were obtained from artificially stimulated spawning. Fertilized eggs were incubated in ten 2000-ml aquaria filled with aerated dechlorinated tap water and maintained at a constant 18°C, the optimal temperature for embryonic development of barbel. The eggs swelled to a maximum of 18% during the first hour after fertilization. There were eight distinct stages of embryonic development: two blastomeres, eight blastomeres, small-celled blastula, embryo body formation, body segmentation, formation of brain and eye germs, change of yolk sac shape, and first movement of the embryo. Sur- vival during development was over 81% and during hatching 74%. Of the newly hatched larvae, 88% were normal, 7% were dead, and only 5% had morphological abnormalities, the most common of which were yolk sac mal- formations, spinal cord curvatures, and heart edema

The effects of Roundup on gametes of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella Val. Preliminary research

Badania prowadzono na jajach (ikrze) i plemnikach amura białego (Ctenopharyngodon idella Val.) uzyskanych podczas sztucznie stymulowanego tarła. Do oceny wpływu Roundupu na ikrę zastosowano następujące stężenia herbicydu: 0,0 ‒ kontrola; 0,1; 0,2; 0,5; 2,0; 5,0 i 10,0 mg/l. Natomiast ruchliwość plemników mierzono w tężeniach: 0,0 ‒ kontrola; 0,1; 0,5; 2,0; 5,0; 10,0; 20,0 i 50,0 mg/l. Badania wykazały, że herbicyd spowodował zwiększone pęcznienie ikry oraz znacząco skrócił czas ruchliwości plemników amura białego

The Problems of lingvistic actualization in semantic cultural component Smerdyakov's proper name

The proper name of personage is connected with associative field of literary and cultural context. In the report the name of Smerdyakov is analysed. Various peculiarities of analysis are disclosed in the present report. The article contains the results of research of database in Smerdyakov's proper name along with the influence of cultural and poetic contexts

Zbiorowiska chwastów upraw ziemniaka (Solanum tuberosum L.) Mazowieckiego Parku Krajobrazowego

This paper presents a description of segetal communities in potato crops cultivated in the Masovian Landscape Park. The communities were analysed based on 64 phytosociological relevés made at 45 localities. 4 associations were found in the study area, that is, Digitarietum ischaemi, Echinochloo-Setarietum, Galinsogo-Setarietum, and Lamio-Veronicetum politae. Phytocenoses representing the associations Digitarietum ischaemi and Echinochloo-Setarietum were most varied floristically. Lower syntaxonomical units were determined within these associations, that is, subassociations and variants. These phytocenoses were frequently found; they occurred in various habitats characterized by different trophic and moisture conditions. Patches of the association Lamio-Veronicetum polita were rare and they occurred only on fertile soils and on small areas.Praca przedstawia charakterystykę zbiorowisk segetalnych wykształcających się w uprawach ziemniaka na terenie Mazowieckiego Parku Krajobrazowego. Do opracowania zbiorowisk wykorzystano 64 zdjęcia fitosocjologiczne wykonane w 45 miejscowościach. Na badanym terenie w uprawach ziemniaka stwierdzono występowanie 4 zespołów: Digitarietum ischaemi, Echinochloo-Setarietum, Galinsogo-Setarietum, Lamio-Veronicetum politae. Najbardziej zróżnicowane pod względem florystycznym były fitocenozy zakwalifikowane do zespołów Digitarietum ischaemi i Echinochloo-Setarietum. W ramach tych asocjacji wyróżniono niższe jednostki syntaksonomiczne w randze podzespołów i wariantów. Fitocenozy te były często spotykane, występowały w szerokim spektrum siedliskowym zarówno pod względem troficznym, jak i wilgotnościowym. Na glebach żyznych rzadko i na niewielkich powierzchniach notowano płaty zespołu Lamio-Veronicetum politae. Charakteryzowały się one pełnym składem gatunków diagnostycznych dla tej asocjacji

Picture books that scare adults : A picture book analysis of a selection of Gro Dahles and Svein Nyhus children's books

I denna uppsats analyseras Gro Dahles och Svein Nyhus bilderböcker Snäll (2008), Den Arge (2009) och Akvarium (2015) ur ett etnometodologiskt görande-perspektiv och ett symboliskt interaktionistiskt synsätt kring känslor. Analysen är en kvalitativ bilderboksanalys och syftet är att bidra med en fördjupad förståelse kring litteratur som pedagogiskt verktyg i arbetet kring svårpratade ämnen i förskolan. Det framkom att bilderböcker kan utgöra ett adekvat, pedagogiskt verktyg i arbetet kring svårpratade ämnen i förskolan. Genom att arbeta med litteratur som behandlar svårpratade ämnen i förskolan skapas förutsättning för barn att känna igen sig i situationer som litteraturen innehåller. Barnen kan då koppla sina egna erfarenheter och sammanhang till litteraturens handling och bearbeta sin egen verklighet genom bilderböckernas föreställningsvärldar. This essay consists of an analysis of Gro Dahles and Svein Nyhus picture books Snäll (2008), Den Arge (2009) and Akvarium (2015) from an ethnomethodological perspective of agency and a symbolic interactionist perspective of emotions. The analysis is a qualitative picture book analysis with the aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of literature as a pedagogical tool when working with difficult topics in preschool education. It appeared that picture books can contribute as an adequate, pedagogical tool in working with difficult topics in preschool education. Working with literature that refers to difficult topics can create conditions where children can recognize themselves through the content of the book. Therefore, they can relate their own experiences to the content and process their own reality through imaginary worlds of the picture books