Sticks, leaves, buckets, and bowls: Distributional patterns of children's at-home object handling in two subsistence societies

Object-centric interactions provide rich learning moments for young children, including opportunities to discover word meanings. Children’s first-person object handling experiences, in particular, form a key source of input—one that varies across cultures and across development. Using daylong photo streams from child-worn cameras, we analyze >17k images to identify the frequency and targets of child object handling across the first four years in two small-scale subsistence farming communities on opposite sides of the globe (Rossel Papuan and Tseltal Mayan). Overall, we see general consistency in the distribution of object categories (e.g., consumables, mealtime tools, natural objects, etc.) handled by children across cultures and age, likely reflecting stable properties of children’s physical environments and day-to-day routines. However, the exact objects available to children vary both within and across communities and diversify with age. These various distributions of handling patterns are discussed in their relation to potential consequences for early learning

Uracil/tegafur plus oral calcium folinate in advanced breast cancer

Uracil and tegafur (in a molar ratio of 4:1 [UFT]) has proven activity against breast cancer and is delivered in an easy-to-administer oral formulation. Orzel, which combines UFT with the oral biomodulator, calcium folinate, may provide even greater antitumor efficacy against breast cancer. Here, we describe the preliminary results of this phase H trial investigating the feasibility of 250 mg/m2/day of UFT plus 45 mg/day of oral calcium folinate administered to highly pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer. The results indicate a highly tolerable regimen and an overall response rate of 27.8% in a group of poor-prognosis patients. These findings warrant continued investigation.Fil: Richardet, Eduardo Arnoldo. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Pedraza, Cecilia. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Mickiewicz, Elizabeth. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Lerzo, Guillermo. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Bonamasa, Miguel. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Coppola, Federico. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Elli, Alicia. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Uranga, Graciela. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Jovtis, Silvia. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Bruno, Mario. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Ventriglia, Mónica. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; ArgentinaFil: Cuevas, María Andrea. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; Argentin

Sarcopenia and myosteatosis are accompanied by distinct biological profiles in patients with pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinomas

<div><p>Introduction</p><p>Pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinomas are associated with abnormal body composition visible on CT scans, including low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and low muscle radiodensity due to fat infiltration in muscle (myosteatosis). The biological and clinical correlates to these features are poorly understood.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Clinical characteristics and outcomes were studied in 123 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic or non-pancreatic periampullary adenocarcinoma and who had available preoperative CT scans. In a subgroup of patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 29), <i>rectus abdominus</i> muscle mRNA expression was determined by cDNA microarray and in another subgroup (n = 29) ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to characterize the serum metabolome.</p><p>Results</p><p>Muscle mass and radiodensity were not significantly correlated. Distinct groups were identified: sarcopenia (40.7%), myosteatosis (25.2%), both (11.4%). Fat distribution differed in these groups; sarcopenia associated with lower subcutaneous adipose tissue (P<0.0001) and myosteatosis associated with greater visceral adipose tissue (P<0.0001). Sarcopenia, myosteatosis and their combined presence associated with shorter survival, Log Rank P = 0.005, P = 0.06, and P = 0.002, respectively. In muscle, transcriptomic analysis suggested increased inflammation and decreased growth in sarcopenia and disrupted oxidative phosphorylation and lipid accumulation in myosteatosis. In the circulating metabolome, metabolites consistent with muscle catabolism associated with sarcopenia. Metabolites consistent with disordered carbohydrate metabolism were identified in both sarcopenia and myosteatosis.</p><p>Discussion</p><p>Muscle phenotypes differ clinically and biologically. Because these muscle phenotypes are linked to poor survival, it will be imperative to delineate their pathophysiologic mechanisms, including whether they are driven by variable tumor biology or host response.</p></div

Biological functions associated with differentially abundant genes for muscle radiodensity and sarcopenia.

<p>Biological functions associated with differentially abundant genes for muscle radiodensity and sarcopenia.</p

Kaplan-Meier plots.

<p>(A) Disease-free survival (DFS) as a function of sarcopenia. (B) Overall survival (OS) as a function of sarcopenia. (C) DFS as a function of myosteatosis. (D) OS as a function of myosteatosis. (E) DFS in individuals with both sarcopenia and myosteatosis. (F) OS in individuals with both sarcopenia and myosteatosis.</p

Metabolomic models that distinguish body composition phenotypes in pancreatic cancer patients.

<p>(A) OPLS-DA scores plots and metabolite lists for NMR and GC-MS metabolites: sarcopenia vs. no sarcopenia or myosteatosis. (B) OPLS-DA scores plots and metabolite lists for NMR and GC-MS metabolites: myosteatosis vs. no sarcopenia or myosteatosis. For the metabolite lists: metabolites in <b>bold</b> are shared in 1H-NMR spectroscopy and GC-MS datasets; metabolites in red have a VIP>1.</p

Patient characteristics as a function of low muscle mass and radiodensity.

<p>Data are expressed as mean ± SD, or as N (%).</p

Cisplatin and fluorouracil alone or with docetaxel in head and neck cancer

A randomized phase 3 trial of the treatment of squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck compared induction chemotherapy with docetaxel plus cisplatin and fluorouracil (TPF) with cisplatin and fluorouracil (PF), followed by chemoradiotherapy. We randomly assigned 501 patients (all of whom had stage III or IV disease with no distant metastases and tumors considered to be unresectable or were candidates for organ preservation) to receive either TPF or PF induction chemotherapy, followed by chemoradiotherapy with weekly carboplatin therapy and radiotherapy for 5 days per week. The primary end point was overall survival. With a minimum of 2 years of follow-up (> or =3 years for 69% of patients), significantly more patients survived in the TPF group than in the PF group (hazard ratio for death, 0.70; P=0.006). Estimates of overall survival at 3 years were 62% in the TPF group and 48% in the PF group; the median overall survival was 71 months and 30 months, respectively (P=0.006). There was better locoregional control in the TPF group than in the PF group (P=0.04), but the incidence of distant metastases in the two groups did not differ significantly (P=0.14). Rates of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were higher in the TPF group; chemotherapy was more frequently delayed because of hematologic adverse events in the PF group. Patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received docetaxel plus cisplatin and fluorouracil induction chemotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy had a significantly longer survival than did patients who received cisplatin and fluorouracil induction chemotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00273546 [ClinicalTrials.gov].)