Expert consensus document:Cholangiocarcinoma: current knowledge and future perspectives consensus statement from the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma (ENS-CCA)

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a heterogeneous group of malignancies with features of biliary tract differentiation. CCA is the second most common primary liver tumour and the incidence is increasing worldwide. CCA has high mortality owing to its aggressiveness, late diagnosis and refractory nature. In May 2015, the "European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma" (ENS-CCA: www.enscca.org or www.cholangiocarcinoma.eu) was created to promote and boost international research collaboration on the study of CCA at basic, translational and clinical level. In this Consensus Statement, we aim to provide valuable information on classifications, pathological features, risk factors, cells of origin, genetic and epigenetic modifications and current therapies available for this cancer. Moreover, future directions on basic and clinical investigations and plans for the ENS-CCA are highlighted

Estimating volume growth from successive double sampling for stratification

Volume growth is a key indicator in forest management and planning and, accordingly, an integral part of the estimation procedure of forest resources from sample based inventories. Growth estimation from successive double sampling for stratification (2SS) is somewhat challenging and has not been sufficiently addressed in the pertinent literature. Applying 2SS on successive occasions, with updated stratification on each occasion, may lead to fluctuation of sampling units among the strata and to a certain number of sample plots that have to be discarded or that have to be newly established on the second occasion, to obtain the required per-strata sampling proportions, which are stipulated in advance. After presenting a notation to implement growth estimation into 2SS standard formulas, the question of strata shifts and the occurrence of discarded and of new sample plots in the context of growth estimation is addressed. Although growth, unlike net change, can only be estimated from direct observations on remeasured sample plots, it was shown that ignoring discarded or new plots might lead to severely biased estimators. Modified estimators for mean growth and variances are provided and their application is illustrated using data from a repeated survey in a central German forest district.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Agent-mediated spatial storage effect in heterogeneous habitat stabilizes competitive mouse lemur coexistence in Menabe Central, Western Madagascar

BACKGROUND: Spatio-temporal distribution patterns of species in response to natural and anthropogenic drivers provide insight into the ecological processes that determine community composition. We investigated determinants of ecological structure in a species assemblage of 4 closely related primate species of the family Cheirogaleidae (Microcebus berthae, Microcebus murinus, Cheirogaleus medius, Mirza coquereli) in western Madagascar by extensive line transect surveys across spatial and temporal heterogeneities with the specific goal of elucidating the mechanisms stabilizing competitive coexistence of the two mouse lemur species (Microcebus spp.). RESULTS: Interspecific competition between the mouse lemurs was indicated by negative spatial associations in degraded habitat and by habitat partitioning along anthropogenic disturbance gradients during dry seasons with resource scarcity. In non-degraded habitat, intraguild predator M. coquereli, but not C. medius, was negatively associated with M. murinus on the population level, whereas its regional distribution overlapped spatially with that of M. berthae. The species’ interspecific distribution pattern across spatial and temporal heterogeneities corresponded to predictions for agent-mediated coexistence and thus confirmed M. coquereli’s stabilizing impact on the coexistence of mouse lemurs. CONCLUSIONS: Interspecific interactions contribute to ecological structure in this cheirogaleid assemblage and determinants vary across spatio-temporal heterogeneities. Coexistence of Microcebus spp. is stabilized by an agent-mediated spatial storage effect: M. coquereli creates refuges from competition for M. berthae in intact habitat, whereas anthropogenic environments provide M. murinus with an escape from resource competition and intraguild predation. Species persistence in the assemblage therefore depends on the conservation of habitat content and context that stabilizing mechanisms rely on. Our large-scale population level approach did not allow for considering all potential functional and stochastic drivers of ecological structure, a key limitation that accounts for the large proportion of unexplained variance in our models

Tree allometry for estimation of carbon stocks in African tropical forests

International audienceTropical forests in Africa store large amounts of carbon and there is an urgent need for accurate methods to estimate this important carbon stock. One method to achieve this is by allometric equations but in many forest ecosystems in Africa these have not been developed. This study combined biomass data of 896 trees from five tropical countries in Africa and eight different sources to develop mixed-species regression equations for estimation of total biomass and height in Dry, Moist and Wet forest types. For estimation of total biomass, allometric equations combining diameter, height and wood density provided the best estimators in the three forest types. Because adding wood density to diameter improved height estimation, we recommend using allometric equations that combine diameter and wood density for height estimations in mixed and diverse tropical forests. Comparing ecosystem-specific (Dry, Moist and Wet) allometric equations to general allometric equations developed with combined data, and also to pan-tropical equations, showed that ecosystem-specific equations provided better estimators. The results highlight the importance of considering wood density in tree allometry for biomass as well as for tree height estimations. Although general allometric equations can be useful, this study recommends when they are available, the use of existing site-specific or ecosystem-specific allometric equations which provide better estimates

Linking the Salt Transcriptome with Physiological Responses of a Salt-Resistant Populus Species as a Strategy to Identify Genes Important for Stress Acclimation1[W][OA]

To investigate early salt acclimation mechanisms in a salt-tolerant poplar species (Populus euphratica), the kinetics of molecular, metabolic, and physiological changes during a 24-h salt exposure were measured. Three distinct phases of salt stress were identified by analyses of the osmotic pressure and the shoot water potential: dehydration, salt accumulation, and osmotic restoration associated with ionic stress. The duration and intensity of these phases differed between leaves and roots. Transcriptome analysis using P. euphratica-specific microarrays revealed clusters of coexpressed genes in these phases, with only 3% overlapping salt-responsive genes in leaves and roots. Acclimation of cellular metabolism to high salt concentrations involved remodeling of amino acid and protein biosynthesis and increased expression of molecular chaperones (dehydrins, osmotin). Leaves suffered initially from dehydration, which resulted in changes in transcript levels of mitochondrial and photosynthetic genes, indicating adjustment of energy metabolism. Initially, decreases in stress-related genes were found, whereas increases occurred only when leaves had restored the osmotic balance by salt accumulation. Comparative in silico analysis of the poplar stress regulon with Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) orthologs was used as a strategy to reduce the number of candidate genes for functional analysis. Analysis of Arabidopsis knockout lines identified a lipocalin-like gene (AtTIL) and a gene encoding a protein with previously unknown functions (AtSIS) to play roles in salt tolerance. In conclusion, by dissecting the stress transcriptome of tolerant species, novel genes important for salt endurance can be identified