46 research outputs found
Adiponectin and resistin in acute and chronic graft-vs-host disease patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Aim To investigate the association of adiponectin and resistin
levels in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem
cell transplantation (HSCT) with the clinical outcome, including
the occurrence of acute and chronic graft-vs-host
disease (GVHD), non-relapse mortality, and overall survival.
Methods We prospectively collected serum samples
from 40 patients undergoing either autologous (n = 12;
10 male) or allogeneic (n = 28; 11 male) HSCT for up to 12
months post HSCT and determined adiponectin and resistin
serum concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay.
Results There were no significant differences in adiponectin
levels (18.5 vs 9.3 ÎŒg/mL, P = 0.071) and adiponectin/
BMI ratio (0.82 vs 0.39, P = 0.068) between patients with
acute GVHD grades 2-4 and autologous controls. However,
resistin values were significantly lower in patients with
acute GVHD grades 2-4 than in autologous controls (4.6
vs 7.3 ng/mL, P = 0.030). Adiponectin levels were higher
in patients with chronic GVHD (n = 17) than in autologous
controls (13.5 vs 7.6 ÎŒg/mL, P = 0.051), but the difference
was not significant. Adiponectin/BMI ratio was significantly
higher in patients with chronic GVHD than in autologous
controls (0.59 vs 0.25, P = 0.006). Patients dying from relapse
also had significantly lower adiponectin levels (8.2 ÎŒg/mL)
and adiponectin/BMI ratio (0.3) on admission than surviving
allogeneic (15.8 ÎŒg/mL, P = 0.030 and 0.7, P = 0.004) and
surviving autologous patients (19.2 ÎŒg/mL, P = 0.031 and
0.7, P = 0.021).
Conclusion Adiponectin and resistin levels were altered in
patients with acute and chronic GVHD compared to autologous
controls and were associated with overall survival and
relapse mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT
Species richness in dry grassland patches of eastern Austria: A multi-taxon study on the role of local, landscape and habitat quality variables
AbstractAccording to island biogeography theory, the species richness of patches is determined by their size and spatial isolation, while in conservation practice, it is patch quality that determines protection and guides management. We analysed whether size, isolation or habitat quality are most important for the species richness in a set of 50 dry grassland fragments in agricultural landscapes of eastern Austria. We studied two plant taxa (vascular plants, bryophytes) and 11 invertebrate taxa (gastropods, spiders, springtails, grasshoppers, true bugs, leafhoppers and planthoppers, ground beetles, rove beetles, butterflies and burnets, ants and wild bees). The species richness of three categories was analysed: (1) dry grassland specialist species, (2) all grassland species and (3) all species. We used regression and hierarchical partitioning techniques to determine the relationship between species richness and environmental variables describing patch size and shape, patch quality, landscape configuration and landscape quality. The area-isolation paradigm was only applicable for dry grassland specialists, which comprised 12% of all species. Richness of all grassland species was determined mostly by landscape heterogeneity parameters. Total species richness was highly influenced by spillover from adjacent biotopes, and was significantly determined by the percentage of arable land bordering the patches. When analysing all taxa together, species richness of dry grassland specialists was significantly related to historical patch size but not to current patch size, indicating an extinction debt. At the landscape scale, the variable âshort-grass areaâ was a better predictor than the less specific variable âarea of extensively used landscape elementsâ. âDistance to mainlandâ was a good predictor for specialists of mobile animal taxa. Plant specialists showed a pronounced dependence on quality measures at the patch scale and at the landscape scale, whereas animal specialists were influenced by patch size, patch quality, landscape quality and isolation measures. None of the taxa benefited from linear structures in the surroundings. In conclusion, high patch quality and a network of high-quality areas in the surrounding landscape should be the best conservation strategy to ensure conservation of dry grassland specialists. This goal does not conflict with the specific demands of single taxa
Hemiptera records from Lake Spechtensee and from Southern Styria (Austria)
Hemiptera records gained in July 2015 in course of the 7th European Hemiptera Congress in Styria are presented. In total, 144 Auchenorrhyncha, 143 Heteroptera, 13 Psylloidea and 2 Aphididae species were collected. Ribautodelphax imitans (Delphacidae), Eurhadina saageri (Cicadellidae), Notonecta maculata (Notonectidae), Notonecta meridionalis (Notonectidae) and Polymerus cognatus (Miridae) are new records for Styria
Impact of comorbidities and body mass index on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in myelofibrosis:A study on behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of EBMT
: Investigating the evaluation of eligibility for transplant in myelofibrosis (MF): The role of HCT-CI and BMI. HCT-CI emerges as a key prognostic factor, while BMI shows limited impact. This study expands insights for better clinical decision-making in MF allo-HCT
Baseline Chest Computed Tomography as Standard of Care in High-Risk Hematology Patients
Baseline chest computed tomography (BCT) in high-risk hematology patients allows for the early diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). The distribution of BCT implementation in hematology departments and impact on outcome is unknown. A web-based questionnaire was designed. International scientific bodies were invited. The estimated numbers of annually treated hematology patients, chest imaging timepoints and techniques, IPA rates, and follow-up imaging were assessed. In total, 142 physicians from 43 countries participated. The specialties included infectious diseases (n = 69; 49%), hematology (n = 68; 48%), and others (n = 41; 29%). BCT was performed in 57% (n = 54) of 92 hospitals. Upon the diagnosis of malignancy or admission, 48% and 24% performed BCT, respectively, and X-ray was performed in 48% and 69%, respectively. BCT was more often used in hematopoietic cell transplantation and in relapsed acute leukemia. European centers performed BCT in 59% and non-European centers in 53%. Median estimated IPA rate was 8% and did not differ between BCT (9%; IQR 5-15%) and non-BCT centers (7%; IQR 5-10%) (p = 0.69). Follow-up computed tomography (CT) for IPA was performed in 98% (n = 90) of centers. In high-risk hematology patients, baseline CT is becoming a standard-of-care. Chest X-ray, while inferior, is still widely used. Randomized, controlled trials are needed to investigate the impact of BCT on patient outcome
Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences
The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & NemĂ©sio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; NemĂ©sio 2009aâb; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported
by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on
18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based
researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016