Floral and insect-induced volatile formation in Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea, a perennial, outcrossing relative of A. thaliana

Volatile organic compounds have been reported to serve some important roles in plant communication with other organisms, but little is known about the biological functions of most of these substances. To gain insight into this problem, we have compared differences in floral and vegetative volatiles between two closely related plant species with different life histories. The self-pollinating annual, Arabidopsis thaliana, and its relative, the outcrossing perennial, Arabidopsis lyrata, have markedly divergent life cycles and breeding systems. We show that these differences are in part reflected in the formation of distinct volatile mixtures in flowers and foliage. Volatiles emitted from flowers of a German A. lyrata ssp. petraea population are dominated by benzenoid compounds in contrast to the previously described sesquiterpene-dominated emissions of A. thaliana flowers. Flowers of A. lyrata ssp. petraea release benzenoid volatiles in a diurnal rhythm with highest emission rates at midday coinciding with observed visitations of pollinating insects. Insect feeding on leaves of A. lyrata ssp. petraea causes a variable release of the volatiles methyl salicylate, C11- and C16-homoterpenes, nerolidol, plus the sesquiterpene (E)-β-caryophyllene, which in A. thaliana is emitted exclusively from flowers. An insect-induced gene (AlCarS) with high sequence similarity to the florally expressed (E)-β-caryophyllene synthase (AtTPS21) from A. thaliana was identified from individuals of a German A. lyrata ssp. petraea population. Recombinant AlCarS converts the sesquiterpene precursor, farnesyl diphosphate, into (E)-β-caryophyllene with α-humulene and α-copaene as minor products indicating its close functional relationship to the A. thaliana AtTPS21. Differential regulation of these genes in flowers and foliage is consistent with the different functions of volatiles in the two Arabidopsis species

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: The Pros-IT CNR study

Background: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. Methods: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. Conclusions: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care

Un acaratterizzazione grafica dei k-archi di un piano di Galois di ordine dispari che risultano essere ovali di un sottopiano proprio

In an odd order Galois plane we characterize graphically the k-arcs contained in a conic with four projective characters (cfr.B.Segre [9]): actually they are ovals of a proper subplane.Moreover we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a k-arc to be a closed arc

Super resolution and interferences suppression technique applied to SHARAD data

Herein we present a super resolution and electromagnetic interference suppression technique based on Maximum Entropy Method and applied to data acquired by the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) on board the NASA's 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission, currently operating on Mars. We show that the proposed algorithm allows to enhance signal-to-noise ratio by several decibels and the range resolution over a factor of three. Subsurface imaging is improved remarkably, allowing additional insights for the scientific community in the interpretation of the SHARAD radar data

Radiation-induced sarcoma of the skull: report of two cases.

The authors describe two cases of sarcomas of the skull following cranial irradiation in patients treated for other neoplasms, acute lymphatic leukemia, and astrocytoma, respectively. The patients (one man and one woman: mean age 24.5 years) developed sarcomas within the irradiated field after a mean latency period of 11.5 years. Histologically, the tumor proved to be a fibrosarcoma. Despite aggressive surgery and other therapy, the survival of the patients was short (10 and 8 months, respectively). The pathological and clinical aspects of this unusual complication are analyzed with reference to 41 cases taken from the world literature

Least squares image estimation in the presence of drift and pixel noise

We discuss Least Squares (LS) image estimation for large data in the presence of electronic noise and drift. We introduce a data model where, in addition to the electronic noise and drift, also an additional type of noise, termed pixel noise, is considered. This noise arises when the sampling does not take place on a regular grid and may bias the estimate if not accounted for. Based on the model, we present an efficient Alternating Least Squares (ALS) algorithm, producing the LS image estimate. Finally, we apply the ALS to the data of the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS), which is an infrared photometer onboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Herschel space telescope. In this context, we discuss the ALS implementation and complexity and present an example of the results

Least squares time-series synchronization in image acquisition systems

We consider an acquisition system constituted by an array of sensors scanning an image. Each sensor produces a sequence of readouts, called a time series. In this framework, we discuss the image estimation problem when the time series are affected by noise and by a time shift. In particular, we introduce an appropriate data model and consider the least squares (LS) estimate, showing that it has no closed form. However, the LS problem has a structure that can be exploited to simplify the solution. In particular, based on two known techniques, namely, separable nonlinear LS and alternating LS, we propose and analyze several practical estimation methods. As an additional contribution, we discuss the application of these methods to the data of the photodetector array camera and spectrometer, which is an infrared photometer onboard the Herschel satellite. In this context, we investigate the accuracy and the computational complexity of the methods, using both true and simulated dat

[Epidermoid cyst of the cranial vault. Neuroradiological and therapeutic considerations].

AIM: Intradiploic epidermoid cyst is a slow-growing tumor affecting only rarely the cranial bones. PATIENT: The authors describe a case of intradiploic epidermoid cyst of the cranial vault in which there was a predominantly intracranial extension. Roentgenographic and CT findings do not permit a differential diagnosis. Complete removal of the cyst and its capsule was accomplished, with complete recovery. CONCLUSION: Total removal oft the tumor and its capsule is associated with a very good long-term prognosis without recurrence