<i>Aloe erensii, Aloe jucunda</i> and a new cultivar

Aloe erensii and A. jucunda are briefly described both in cultivation and in habitat. Their conservation status records based on IUCN criteria are emphasised since both species are endangered or critically endangered in the wild. An attractive hybrid between these two species has been in cultivation for a significant time and is here formally named Aloe 'Erensjuc'

Longitudinal white matter changes associated with cognitive training

Improvements in behavior are known to be accompanied by both structural and functional changes in the brain. However, whether those changes lead to more general improvements, beyond the behavior being trained, remains a contentious issue. We investigated whether training on one of two cognitive tasks would lead to either near transfer (that is, improvements on a quantifiably similar task) or far transfer (that is, improvements on a quantifiably different task), and furthermore, if such changes did occur, what the underlying neural mechanisms might be. Healthy adults (n = 16, 15 females) trained on either a verbal inhibitory control task or a visuospatial working memory task for 4 weeks, over the course of which they received five diffusion tensor imaging scans. Two additional tasks served as measures of near and far transfer. Behaviorally, participants improved on the task that they trained on, but did not improve on cognitively similar tests (near transfer), nor cognitively dissimilar tests (far transfer). Extensive changes to white matter microstructure were observed, with verbal inhibitory control training leading to changes in a left-lateralized network of frontotemporal and occipitofrontal tracts, and visuospatial working memory training leading to changes in right-lateralized frontoparietal tracts. Very little overlap was observed in changes between the two training groups. On the basis of these results, we suggest that near and far transfer were not observed because the changes in white matter tracts associated with training on each task are almost entirely nonoverlapping with, and therefore afford no advantages for, the untrained tasks

Factors Affecting the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of PEGylated Liposomal Irinotecan (IHL-305) in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

IHL-305 is a PEGylated liposomal formulation of irinotecan (CPT-11). The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 in patients with advanced solid tumors. IHL-305 was administered intravenously once every 4 weeks as part of a Phase I study. Pharmacokinetic studies of the liposomal sum total CPT-11, released CPT-11, SN-38, SN-38G, 7-ethyl-10-[4-N-(5-aminopentanoic acid)-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin, and 7-ethyl-10-[4-amino-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin in plasma were performed. Noncompartmental and compartmental pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted using pharmacokinetic data for sum total CPT-11. The pharmacokinetic variability of IHL-305 is associated with linear and nonlinear clearance. Patients whose age and body composition (ratio of total body weight to ideal body weight [TBW/IBW]) were greater than the median age and TBW/IBW of the study had a 1.7-fold to 2.6-fold higher ratio of released CPT-11 area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) to sum total CPT-11 AUC. Patients aged \u3c60 years had a 1.3-fold higher ratio of percent decrease in monocytes at nadir to percent decrease in absolute neutrophil count at nadir as compared with patients aged ≥60 years. There was an inverse relationship between patient age and percent decrease in monocytes at nadir, ie, younger patients have a higher percent decrease in monocytes. Patients with a higher percent decrease in monocytes at nadir have a decreased plasma exposure of sum total CPT-11. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 are consistent with those of other PEGylated liposomal carriers. Interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 was associated with age, body composition, and monocytes

Factors affecting the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PEGylated liposomal irinotecan (IHL-305) in patients with advanced solid tumors

IHL-305 is a PEGylated liposomal formulation of irinotecan (CPT-11). The objective of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 in patients with advanced solid tumors. IHL-305 was administered intravenously once every 4 weeks as part of a Phase I study. Pharmacokinetic studies of the liposomal sum total CPT-11, released CPT-11, SN-38, SN-38G, 7-ethyl-10-[4-N-(5-aminopentanoic acid)-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin, and 7-ethyl-10-[4-amino-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin in plasma were performed. Noncompartmental and compartmental pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted using pharmacokinetic data for sum total CPT-11. The pharmacokinetic variability of IHL-305 is associated with linear and nonlinear clearance. Patients whose age and body composition (ratio of total body weight to ideal body weight [TBW/IBW]) were greater than the median age and TBW/IBW of the study had a 1.7-fold to 2.6-fold higher ratio of released CPT-11 area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) to sum total CPT-11 AUC. Patients aged <60 years had a 1.3-fold higher ratio of percent decrease in monocytes at nadir to percent decrease in absolute neutrophil count at nadir as compared with patients aged ≥60 years. There was an inverse relationship between patient age and percent decrease in monocytes at nadir, ie, younger patients have a higher percent decrease in monocytes. Patients with a higher percent decrease in monocytes at nadir have a decreased plasma exposure of sum total CPT-11. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 are consistent with those of other PEGylated liposomal carriers. Interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IHL-305 was associated with age, body composition, and monocytes

Assessing Evidence for a Pervasive Alteration in Tropical Tree Communities

In Amazonian tropical forests, recent studies have reported increases in aboveground biomass and in primary productivity, as well as shifts in plant species composition favouring fast-growing species over slow-growing ones. This pervasive alteration of mature tropical forests was attributed to global environmental change, such as an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, nutrient deposition, temperature, drought frequency, and/or irradiance. We used standardized, repeated measurements of over 2 million trees in ten large (16–52 ha each) forest plots on three continents to evaluate the generality of these findings across tropical forests. Aboveground biomass increased at seven of our ten plots, significantly so at four plots, and showed a large decrease at a single plot. Carbon accumulation pooled across sites was significant (+0.24 MgC ha−1 y−1, 95% confidence intervals [0.07, 0.39] MgC ha−1 y−1), but lower than reported previously for Amazonia. At three sites for which we had data for multiple census intervals, we found no concerted increase in biomass gain, in conflict with the increased productivity hypothesis. Over all ten plots, the fastest-growing quartile of species gained biomass (+0.33 [0.09, 0.55] % y−1) compared with the tree community as a whole (+0.15 % y−1); however, this significant trend was due to a single plot. Biomass of slow-growing species increased significantly when calculated over all plots (+0.21 [0.02, 0.37] % y−1), and in half of our plots when calculated individually. Our results do not support the hypothesis that fast-growing species are consistently increasing in dominance in tropical tree communities. Instead, they suggest that our plots may be simultaneously recovering from past disturbances and affected by changes in resource availability. More long-term studies are necessary to clarify the contribution of global change to the functioning of tropical forests

Large Scale Searches for Brown Dwarfs and Free-Floating Planets

Searches of large scale surveys have resulted in the discovery of over 1000 brown dwarfs in the Solar neighbourhood. In this chapter we review the progress in finding brown dwarfs in large datasets, highlighting the key science goals, and summarising the surveys that have contributed most significantly to the current sample.Comment: Accepted to appear in the Handbook of Exoplanets (Springer); Editors: Hans J. Deeg & Juan Antonio Belmont

The Early Growth Genetics (EGG) and EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortia : design, results and future prospects

The impact of many unfavorable childhood traits or diseases, such as low birth weight and mental disorders, is not limited to childhood and adolescence, as they are also associated with poor outcomes in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease. Insight into the genetic etiology of childhood and adolescent traits and disorders may therefore provide new perspectives, not only on how to improve wellbeing during childhood, but also how to prevent later adverse outcomes. To achieve the sample sizes required for genetic research, the Early Growth Genetics (EGG) and EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortia were established. The majority of the participating cohorts are longitudinal population-based samples, but other cohorts with data on early childhood phenotypes are also involved. Cohorts often have a broad focus and collect(ed) data on various somatic and psychiatric traits as well as environmental factors. Genetic variants have been successfully identified for multiple traits, for example, birth weight, atopic dermatitis, childhood BMI, allergic sensitization, and pubertal growth. Furthermore, the results have shown that genetic factors also partly underlie the association with adult traits. As sample sizes are still increasing, it is expected that future analyses will identify additional variants. This, in combination with the development of innovative statistical methods, will provide detailed insight on the mechanisms underlying the transition from childhood to adult disorders. Both consortia welcome new collaborations. Policies and contact details are available from the corresponding authors of this manuscript and/or the consortium websites.Peer reviewe

Enjeu philosophique du conte romantique (conceptions esthétiques de Novalis)

"Poème magique", considéré comme une véritable oeuvre de référence, le conte Henri d'Ofterdingen ouvre de nouvelles perspectives, en réaction contre l'Aufklärung et en contrepoint au Wilhem Meister de Goethe. Dans sa réflexion, par des dialogues à des fins éducatives ou par l'évocation de mythes susceptibles de confirmer sa vocation de poète, Novalis mène une introspection qui apporte une nouvelle dimension à l'oeuvre littéraire. Consciemment ou inconsciemment, l'auteur-narrateur-protagoniste édifie son propre Moi, par une tension voulue entièrement dirigée vers le Beau et qui l'éloigne de tout engagement spontané contraire à son éthique. Le cadre historique choisi offre une gamme de héros qui incarnent les pensées de l'auteur et entrent désormais dans l'oeuvre littéraire, au même titre que les mythes évoqués. L'accord profond de l'homme et de la nature, leur harmonie reconquise et l'effacement des frontières qui opposent réel et idéal, nature et science, vie et mort, apparaissent clairement dans le poème-conte où Novalis, grâce à la magie des mots, crée l'Age d'Or convoité. La disparition de repères chronologiques fonde une nouvelle conception du temps accordée à la formation du héros chez qui expérience philosophique et aspiration esthétique se rejoignent pour devenir éthique de vie. Le respect de la nature, le lien que l'homme établit avec elle, tant dans sa conduite qu'à l'intérieur de lui-même, la priorité accordée à la communication, et la recherche de l'harmonie voulue et réalisée par le poète, donnent à son oeuvre une place à part où transparaissent perspectives fantastiques et analyses psychanalytiques. La dynamique imaginaire, ainsi constituée grâce à la vision poétique de Novalis et à sa sensibilisation de la raison, donne désormais au lecteur le même rôle initiatique que celui de l'auteur et constitue déjà une forme d'écriture post-moderne"Magical Poem", considered as a true reference work, the story Henri d'Ofterdingen opens up new perspectives that counter the Aufklärung and Wilhem Meister of Goethe. Novalis, in his reflection through educational dialogues or by myths that confirm him as a poet, carries out an introspection that brings out a new dimension in literature. Consciously or unconsciously, the writer-narrator-protagonist builds up his own self, by a desired tension totally driven towards the Beautiful and separates him from all spontaneous involvement opposed to his ethic. The chosen historical setting offers a series of heroes who embody the thought of the author and take their place in the literary work just as in the cited myths. The deep renewed harmony betwen man and nature and the effacing of the frontiers between the real and the ideal, nature and science, life and dead come out clearly in the poem-story where Novalis because of the magic of the words creates the desired Golden Age. The disappearance of chronological reference founds a new idea of time for the formation of the hero, in whom philosophical experience and aesthetic aspiration come together to create an ethic of life. The respect for nature, the tie which unites man to her in the behaviour and inside himself, the priority given to communication, and the search for desired and realised harmony by the author give his work a special place where there appear fantastic perspectives and psychoanalytic analyses. The dynamic imaginary which issues from the poetic vision of Novalis and his sensitiveness to reason gives henceforth the reader the same initiative role as the author's and constitutes a form of post-modern writingST DENIS-BU PARIS8 (930662101) / SudocSudocFranceF

Aquifer-yield continuum as a guide and typology for science-based groundwater management [Le continuum aquifère-débit comme guide typologique pour une gestion scientifique de l'eau souterraine]

Groundwater availability is at the core of hydrogeology as a discipline and, simultaneously, the concept is the source of ambiguity for management and policy. Aquifer yield has undergone multiple definitions resulting in a range of scientific methods to calculate and model availability reflecting the complexity of combined scientific, management, policy, and stakeholder processes. The concept of an aquifer-yield continuum provides an approach to classify groundwater yields along a spectrum, from non-use through permissive sustained, sustainable, maximum sustained, safe, permissive mining to maximum mining yields, that builds on existing literature. Additionally, the aquifer-yield continuum provides a systems view of groundwater availability to integrate physical and social aspects in assessing management options across aquifer settings. Operational yield describes the candidate solutions for operational or technical implementation of policy, often relating to a consensus yield that incorporates human dimensions through participatory or adaptive governance processes. The concepts of operational and consensus yield address both the social and the technical nature of science-based groundwater management and governance