Primary Mediastinal Liposarcoma

Liposarcomas (LPS) are uncommon and present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allow for a diagnostic orientation, allowing differentiated from other more common tumors of the anterior mediastinum. Surgery is the treatment of choice and has the advantage of being curative. We report a case of well-differentiated liposarcoma of the anterior mediastinum.Key Words: Liposarcoma, Mediastinum, Surger

Pulmonary Lymphangiomyomatosis in Bourneville’s Tuberous Sclerosis: Case Report

Lymphangiomyomatosisis a rare disease characterized by a proliferation of abnormal smooth muscle cells responsible for infiltration with the destruction of tissue architecture and genesis of cystic lung and lymphatic lesions. In addition to lung damage, Bourneville’s tuberous sclerosis (BTS) also affects the skin, brain, retina, kidneys, and, less frequently, the heart and bone. We report the case of a young patient with bilateral pneumothorax revealing pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis in the context of Bourneville’stuberoussclerosis BTS

La place de la médiastinotomie antérieure dans le diagnostic des tumeurs médiastinales et médiastino-pulmonaires.

Introduction : Malgré le développement des techniques de biopsie mini-invasives, la médiastinotomie antérieure reste la technique de choix pour la biopsie des masses médiastinales antérieures. Matériel et méthodes : Il s'agit d'une rétrospective, intéressant toutes les médiastinotomies antérieures réalisées au service de chirurgie Thoracique du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hassan II de Fès, sur une période de 4 ans (de février 2009 à février 2013). Résultats : Au cours de cette période la médiastinotomie antérieure a été réalisée chez 33 patients. Il s’agissait de 24 hommes et 9 femmes, âgés de 15 à 70 ans avec un âge moyen de 38 ans. La symptomatologie clinique a été dominée par la toux, la dyspnée et la douleur thoracique. Tous nos patients avaient bénéficié d’une radiographie thoracique de face et d’une TDM thoracique, qui avaient montré une masse médiastinale antérieure. Elle a permis de confirmer le diagnostic histologique chez tous nos patients, et rectifier ou redresser le diagnostic chez 8 patients (24%). Les suites opératoires étaient simples chez 33 patients soit 100%. Le taux de mortalité était nul (0%) et aucune complication n’a été rencontrée dans notre série. Conclusion : La médiastinotomie antérieure reste la technique de choix pour l'exploration des masses médiastinales antérieures et parfois médiastino-pulmonaires, à priori inextirpables

Mélanome endobronchique

Le mélanome malin a un potentiel métastatique important. Les métastases pulmonaires du mélanome sont communes cependant la localisation endobronchique reste rare et pose le problème de son origine primitive ou secondaire. Nous rapportons le cas d’un mélanome pulmonaire qui présente des particularités intéressantes: une lésion cutanée présumée primitive totalement régressive, la présentation radio clinique mimant parfaitement un cancer bronchique primitif, un aspect endoscopique bourgeonnant et grisâtre dont l’étude histologique a permis de poser le diagnostic, une agressivité tumorale avec une extension intracardiaque et bourgeon tumoral intra cavitaire. A travers cette observation, les auteurs étudient les caractéristiques radio-cliniques pouvant distinguer le mélanome pulmonaire primitif du secondaire; la localisation endobronchique avec une revue de la littérature sur les métastases endo bronchiques; le bilan d’extension à entamer en cas de mélanome pulmonaire ainsi que les difficultés thérapeutiques posés par ce type de lésion dont le pronostic reste péjoratif

Variation in Transpiration Efficiency and Related Traits in a Groundnut Mapping Population.

Transpiration efficiency (TE) was evaluated in groundnut genotypes JUG 26, ICGS 76, CSMG 84-1, ICGS 44, ICGV 86031, TAG 24 and ICG 2773 using the dry-down method. Pot-grown plants were irrigated to 90% field capacity then subjected to drought stress (i.e. irrigating plants with 70% of the water lost the day before the onset of drought stress) at 28 days after sowing (DAS). Significant variation among the genotypes for TE was evident, with TAG 24 and ICGV 86031 showing the lowest and highest values of TE, respectively. The soil water content where transpiration began to decline relative to the control varied among the genotypes, and these threshold values were negatively correlated to TE. In another dry-down experiment, 318 F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) obtained from a cross between ICGV 86031 and TAG 24 were also characterized, along with their parents, for TE. Substantial variation was observed among the RILs for transpiration, TE and specific leaf area (SLA) before and after the imposition of drought stress, and for SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR) before, during and at the end of drought stress. ICGV 86031 recorded greater TE and SCMA, and lower SLA than TAG 24. The analysis of TE values for the RILs revealed that the trait segregated transgressively and was governed by polygenes. The heritability value was highest for SLA, followed by SCMR. The heritability values were low for TE and transpiration. SLA and SCMR can be useful as alternative indices when the direct biomass-based evaluation of TE is not possible

Drought management in pulse crops

In the context of the rainfed production systems of the Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT), crop drought resistance is defined in terms of yield stability in a specific target environment. Chickpea and pigeon pea are known for their adaptation to SAT regions and their relative ability to produce grain and biomass under water-lImited conditions. However, the current challenge is to reduce the yield gaps under rainfed conditions, and sustain food security for the benefit of resource 'poor farmers across the SAT. Efforts are currently being made at ICRISAT to implement a holistic approach for drought resistance improvement, with the objectIve to enhance crop performance under water-limited condItions. The component traIts currently considered for marker assisted selection of drought resistance in legumes include drought-avoidance root traits in chickpea. The identification and mapping of quantitative trait logic (QTLs)· for specific drought-resistance component traits can also be used to dissect the genetic and physiological mechanisms involved in drought performance. If validated with accurate phenotyping and properly integrated into marker-assisted breeding programmes, tillS approach will allow pyramiding of drought resistance mechanisms and accelerate the development locally adapted pulse genotypes

Evaluation of transgenic groundnut lines under water limited conditions

The transpiration response of 14 transgenic groundnut genotypes to water deficit was studied under greenhouse conditions and compared with that of JL 24 (control). Plants were grown under well-watered conditions until 19 days after sowing, after which the plants were saturated with water then subjected to drought stress (absence of irrigation). JL 24 started to show wilting symptoms (loss of turgor) after 21 days of stress, after which severe symptoms were evident in this line. JL 24 reached the stage III (normalized transpiration rate or NTR <0.1) after 27 days. Wilting symptoms were not observed in the transgenic lines even after 21 days. Thereafter, these lines exhibited various levels of wilting symptoms, with a few transgenic lines showing no symptoms, and lines RD 14, RD 22 and RD 25 showing reduced levels of symptoms compared to JL 24. The transgenic lines varied largely in the number of days to reach the end point. RD 14 reached the end point in 29 days, whereas RD 4 reached the endpoint in 52 days. Data on NTR, fraction of transpirable soil water, and number of days to end point were subjected to average linkage cluster analysis for the development of a dendrogram. This dendrogram showed that the lines could be classified into 4 groups, which clearly distinguished the water use pattern among these lines, suggesting that the transgenic lines varied in their stomatal response to water deficit

Relationships Between Transpiration Efficiency and Its Surrogate Traits in the rd29A:DREB1A Transgenic Lines of Groundnut

Transpiration efficiency (TE) contributes to crop performance under water-limited conditions, but is difficult to measure. Herein, we assess the relationships between TE and surrogate traits and how these interact with water regimes, using isogenic materials: five transgenic events of groundnut and their wild-type (WT) parent JL 24, among which large variation in TE was previously reported. These five events came from the insertion of transcription factor DREB1A from Arabidopsis thaliana, driven by stress responsive promoter rd29. The events were in T3 generation and had been selected from a preliminary trial for having a large range of variation in the time needed to deplete soil moisture upon exposure to soil drying. Two experiments were conducted, in each case with plants exposed to well-watered (WW) and water-stressed (WS) conditions. Significant correlations were found between TE and soil plant analysis development chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR), TE and specific leaf area (SLA), and SLA and SCMR in both experiments. Nevertheless, these significant relationships were confined to the drought stress (DS) treatment. No correlation between TE and Δ13C (carbon isotope discrimination) was found in the present study, regardless of the water regime, and in none of the two experiments. A significant negative correlation was established between TE and the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) threshold values where transpiration declined upon soil drying, in both experiments. The mean vapour pressure deficit in the two different seasons (1.47 kPa and 0.73 kPa) did not affect the ranking of genotypes for TE. It is concluded that surrogates for TE, when used, need careful consideration of the drought stress status of plants at the time of measurement, and that differences in TE might be closely related to how plants respond to soil drying, with high TE genotypes maintaining gas exchange until the soil is dryer than low TE genotypes

Variation in transpiration efficiency and its related traits in a groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) mapping population

Transpiration efficiency (TE) has been recognized as an important source of yield variation under drought stress in groundnut. Here the variation for TE is evaluated in a set of 318 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of groundnut at F8 generation, derived from a cross between a high TE (ICGV 86031) and a low TE (TAG 24) parent, and the value of specific leaf area (SLA), SPAD chlorophyll meter readings (SCMR) and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) as surrogates of TE are measured. Transpiration efficiency was measured gravimetrically in the 318 RILs and parents under progressive soil drying in a pot culture in two post-rainy seasons. Large and consistent variation for TE existed among the RILs across years. The overall distribution of TE among the RILs indicated that TE was governed by dominant and additive genes. Surrogates SLA and SCMR, were measured prior, during and after completion of the drought period, whereas Δ13C was measured on the dried tissue after harvest. Transpiration efficiency was negatively associated with SLA after the completion of stress treatment (r2=0.15) and Δ13C in leaves (r2=0.13) and positively associated with SCMR during stress (r2=0.17). These associations, all fairly weak, were significant only in 2004. None of these relationships was found in 2005. Although the heritability of SCMR during 2005 was relatively higher than that of TE, and although SCMR has previously been used to identify contrasting germplasm for TE, the stress-dependence of the relationship with TE, and the poor regression coefficients (r2) with that RIL population, do not confer that these surrogates are adequately robust enough in that population. Though more time consuming, a direct gravimetric evaluation for TE appeared to be more reliable

Development of crop cultivars for increased and stable production in dry lands of the semi-arid tropics

Increasing the grain yield and its stability in dry lands of the tropics of Asia and Africa, as the horne to a vast impoverished humanity,'contipues to be a major challenge for agricultural research and development Development of genetically enhanced cultivars with high yield potential, appropriate maturity, an'd resistance to biotic and abiotic stress factors is an effective approach to increasing and stabilizing the production in these regions. Advances possible through this approach are illustrated with the impacts made in pearl millet (Pelllliselul11 glaucum), a warm~season cereal; and chickpea (Cicer arielillum), a cool-season legume, which are amongst the five mandate crops of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAn. The research in this paper is largely the work done by ICRISAT in partnership with the national agricultural research systems and advanced research institutes. The convention,!l approach of enhancement both in pearl millet ang chickpea has been highly successful. Progress has also been made in the areas of molecular marker-assisted selection in both crops, and in wide hybridization and transgenic technology in chickpea to improve those traits that are less amenable to genetic manipulation through conventional methods of genetic enhancement