Escape and Naturalization of Tagetes patula in Western Ethiopia

This study was carried out on an introduced ornamental - Tagetes patula L., which has escaped cultivation and has been naturalized in Benishangul-Gumuz National Regional State (bgnrs), western Ethiopia. Another introduced ornamental - Zinnia elegans Jacq. and the native species - Bidens prestinaria (Sch. Bip.) Cufod. were included in some of the experiments for comparison. Pre-prepared semi-structured interviews were administered, on the arrival, spread and impact of T. patula. The result showed that the escaped T. patula has no negative impact on the daily life of people, except weeding in farmlands. T. patula was found associated with species that prefer shade and moisture in semi-natural vegetation. It produces a large number of relatively small propagules and has a seed bank. These characters might enhance its invasive ability and make it a potential threat to grazing fields and natural landscapes in western Ethiopia. The result of fire simulation experiment, however, revealed that fire had an effect on seed germination, as there was no seed germination at higher temperature treatment (120°C/5 minutes). The annual fire occurring existing in the woodlands of bgnrs might not allow invasion by the species that are not adapted to fire, like T. patula and Z. elegans. In the absence of annual woodland fire, invasion of the woodland vegetation in bgnrs by T. patula and Z. elegans is most likely to occur

Two kinds of procedural semantics for privative modification

In this paper we present two kinds of procedural semantics for privative modification. We do this for three reasons. The first reason is to launch a tough test case to gauge the degree of substantial agreement between a constructivist and a realist interpretation of procedural semantics; the second is to extend Martin-L ̈f’s Constructive Type Theory to privative modification, which is characteristic of natural language; the third reason is to sketch a positive characterization of privation

High-intensity interval training in polycystic ovary syndrome : A two-center, three-armed randomized

Purpose Exercise training is recommended to improve cardiometabolic health and fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), yet there are few randomized controlled trials on the effects of different exercise protocols on clinical reproductive outcomes. Our aim was to determine the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIT) on menstrual frequency, as a proxy of reproductive function, in women with PCOS. Methods The IMPROV-IT study was a two-center randomized controlled trial undertaken in Norway and Australia. Women with PCOS were eligible for inclusion. After stratification for body mass index <27 or ≥27 kg·m−2 and study center, participants were randomly allocated (1:1:1) to high-volume HIT (HV-HIT), low-volume HIT (LV-HIT), or a control group. Measurements were assessed at baseline, after the 16-wk exercise intervention, and at 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome was menstrual frequency after 12 months. Secondary outcomes included markers of cardiometabolic and reproductive health, quality of life, and adherence to and enjoyment of HIT. Results We randomly allocated 64 participants to the HV-HIT (n = 20), LV-HIT (n = 21), or control group (n = 23). There were no differences in menstrual frequency at 12 months between the LV-HIT and control groups (frequency ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.42), the HV-HIT and control groups (frequency ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.67–1.29), or the LV-HIT and HV-HIT groups (frequency ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.77–1.56). Menstrual frequency increased in all groups from baseline to 12 months. More participants became pregnant in the LV-HIT group (n = 5) than in the control group (n = 0, P = 0.02). Conclusions A semisupervised HIT intervention did not increase menstrual frequency in women with PCOS. Clinical Trial Registration Number:ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02419482)

Lipocalin 2 expression is associated with aggressive features of endometrial cancer

Background: Increased expression of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) has been observed in several cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate LCN2 in endometrial cancer in relation to clinico-pathologic phenotype, angiogenesis, markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and patient survival. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed using a human LCN2 antibody on a population-based series of endometrial cancer patients collected in Hordaland County (Norway) during 1981-1990 (n = 256). Patients were followed from the time of primary surgery until death or last follow-up in 2007. The median follow-up time for survivors was 17 years. Gene expression data from a prospectively collected endometrial cancer series (n = 76) and a publicly available endometrial cancer series (n = 111) was used for gene correlation studies. Results: Expression of LCN2 protein, found in 49% of the cases, was associated with non-endometrioid histologic type (p = 0.001), nuclear grade 3 (p = 0.001), >50% solid tumor growth (p = 0.001), ER and PR negativity (p = 0.028 and 0.006), and positive EZH2 expression (p < 0.001). LCN2 expression was significantly associated with expression of VEGF-A (p = 0.021), although not with other angiogenesis markers examined (vascular proliferation index, glomeruloid microvascular proliferation, VEGF-C, VEGF-D or bFGF2 expression). Further, LCN2 was not associated with several EMT-related markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, P-cadherin, β-catenin), nor with vascular invasion (tumor cells invading lymphatic or blood vessels). Notably, LCN2 was significantly associated with distant tumor recurrences, as well as with the S100A family of metastasis related genes. Patients with tumors showing no LCN2 expression had the best outcome with 81% 5-year survival, compared to 73% for intermediate and 38% for the small subgroup with strong LCN2 staining (p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, LCN2 expression was an independent prognostic factor in addition to histologic grade and FIGO stage. Conclusion: Increased LCN2 expression is associated with aggressive features and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer

High BMI is significantly associated with positive progesterone receptor status and clinico-pathological markers for non-aggressive disease in endometrial cancer

Background: Endometrial cancer incidence is increasing in industrialised countries. High body mass index (BMI, kg m−2) is associated with higher risk for disease. We wanted to investigate if BMI is related to clinico-pathological characteristics, hormone receptor status in primary tumour, and disease outcome in endometrial cancer. Patients and methods: In total, 1129 women primarily treated for endometrial carcinoma at Haukeland University Hospital during 1981–2009 were studied. Body mass index was available for 949 patients and related to comprehensive clinical and histopathological data, hormone receptor status in tumour, treatment, and follow-up. Results: High BMI was significantly associated with low International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, endometrioid histology, low/intermediate grade, and high level of progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA by qPCR (n=150; P=0.02) and protein expression by immunohistochemistry (n=433; P=0.003). In contrast, oestrogen receptor (ERα) status was not associated with BMI. Overweight/obese women had significantly better disease-specific survival (DSS) than normal/underweight women in univariate analysis (P=0.035). In multivariate analysis of DSS adjusting for age, FIGO stage, histological subtype, and grade, BMI showed no independent prognostic impact. Conclusion: High BMI was significantly associated with markers of non-aggressive disease and positive PR status in a large population-based study of endometrial carcinoma. Women with high BMI had significantly better prognosis in univariate analysis of DSS, an effect that disappeared in multivariate analysis adjusting for established prognostic markers. The role of PR in endometrial carcinogenesis needs to be further studied

Global wave loads on a damaged ship

A computational tool was applied based on a two dimensional linear method to predict the hydrodynamic loads for damaged ships. Experimental tests on a ship model have also been carried out to predict the hydrodynamic loads in various design conditions. The results of the theoretical method and experimental tests are compared to validate the theoretical method. The extreme wave induced loads have been calculated by short term prediction. For the loads in intact condition, the prediction with duration of 20 years at sea state 5 is used, while for loads in damaged conditions the prediction in 96 hours exposure time at sea 3 is used. The maximum values of the most probable extreme amplitudes of dynamic wave induced loads in damaged conditions are much less than those in intact condition because of the reduced time. An opening could change the distribution of not only stillwater bending moment but also wave-induced bending moment. It is observed that although some cross sections are not structurally damaged, the total loads acting on these cross sections after damage may be increased dramatically compared to the original design load in intact condition

Maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy and molar incisor hypomineralisation and hypomineralised second primary molars in the offspring at 7–9 years of age:a longitudinal study

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate associations between maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) and hypomineralised second primary molars (HSPM) among children. Methods: The study had a longitudinal design using prospectively collected data from 176 mother and child pairs. Mothers were initially recruited in a randomised controlled trial to assess a pregnancy exercise programme. Along with the 7-year follow-up, we invited the children to a dental examination. The exposure variable was maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in gestational weeks 18–22 and 32–36, categorised as insufficient (< 50 nmol/l) and sufficient (≥ 50 nmol/l). Negative binomial hurdle models were used to analyse potential associations between the exposure variables and MIH or HSPM. The models were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Among the children (7–9 years old), 32% and 22% had at least one tooth with MIH or HSPM, respectively. A significant association was found between insufficient maternal vitamin D measured in gestational weeks 18–22 and the number of affected teeth among those with MIH at 7–9 years (adjusted RR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.13–2.93). Conclusion: Considering any limitations of the present study, it has been shown that insufficient maternal serum vitamin D at mid-pregnancy was associated with a higher number of affected teeth among the offspring with MIH at 7–9 years of age. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate whether this finding is replicable and to clarify the role of maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and MIH, as well as HSPM, in children

Low BMI-1 expression is associated with an activated BMI-1-driven signature, vascular invasion, and hormone receptor loss in endometrial carcinoma

We studied the expression of polycomb group (PcG) protein BMI-1 in a large population-based patient series of endometrial carcinomas in relation to clinical and molecular phenotype. Also, 57 fresh frozen endometrial carcinomas were studied for the relationship between BMI-1 protein expression, BMI-1 mRNA level, and activation of an 11-gene signature reported to represent a BMI-1-driven pathway. BMI-1 protein expression was significantly weaker in tumours with vascular invasion (P<0.0001), deep myometrial infiltration (P=0.004), and loss of oestrogen receptor (ER) (P<0.0001) and progesterone receptors (PR) (P=0.03). Low BMI-1 protein expression was highly associated with low BMI-1 mRNA expression (P=0.002), and similarly low BMI-1 mRNA expression correlated significantly with vascular invasion, ER and PR loss, and histologic grade 3. In contrast, activation of the reported 11-gene signature, supposed to represent a BMI-1-driven pathway, correlated with low mRNA expression of BMI-1 (P<0.001), hormone receptor loss, presence of vascular invasion, and poor prognosis. We conclude that BMI-1 protein and mRNA expression are significantly correlated and that BMI-1 expression is inversely associated with activation of the 11-gene signature. Loss of BMI-1 seems to be associated with an aggressive phenotype in endometrial carcinomas

Integrated Genomic Analysis of the 8q24 Amplification in Endometrial Cancers Identifies ATAD2 as Essential to MYC-Dependent Cancers

Chromosome 8q24 is the most commonly amplified region across multiple cancer types, and the typical length of the amplification suggests that it may target additional genes to MYC. To explore the roles of the genes most frequently included in 8q24 amplifications, we analyzed the relation between copy number alterations and gene expression in three sets of endometrial cancers (N = 252); and in glioblastoma, ovarian, and breast cancers profiled by TCGA. Among the genes neighbouring MYC, expression of the bromodomain-containing gene ATAD2 was the most associated with amplification. Bromodomain-containing genes have been implicated as mediators of MYC transcriptional function, and indeed ATAD2 expression was more closely associated with expression of genes known to be upregulated by MYC than was MYC itself. Amplifications of 8q24, expression of genes downstream from MYC, and overexpression of ATAD2 predicted poor outcome and increased from primary to metastatic lesions. Knockdown of ATAD2 and MYC in seven endometrial and 21 breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that cell lines that were dependent on MYC also depended upon ATAD2. These same cell lines were also the most sensitive to the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Trichostatin-A, consistent with prior studies identifying bromodomain-containing proteins as targets of inhibition by HDAC inhibitors. Our data indicate high ATAD2 expression is a marker of aggressive endometrial cancers, and suggest specific inhibitors of ATAD2 may have therapeutic utility in these and other MYC-dependent cancers