The influence of antidesiccants on field performance and physiology of 2+0 ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) seedlings

This thesis research examines the effects of film-forming antidesiccants applied to dormant pondexosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) seedlings after being lifted and to actively growing seedlings. The basic proposition was that antidesiccants would have a positive effect on reducing water loss in ponderosa pine seedlings. In order to evaluate the effects of six different antidesiccant treatments on the physiology, morphology, and phenology of ponderosa pine seedlings, four experiments were conducted and four hypotheses tested. Eleven variables were studied: survival, height and diameter growth, budbreak, budset, foliar damage, root growth potential, water loss, stomatal conductance, electrolyte leakage, and chlorophyll fluorescence. None of the antidesiccants or concentrations tested affected survival or height and diameter growth. However, several antidesiccant treatment did cause temporary reductions in stomata! conductance of outplanted seedlings in June 1992. Seedlings treated with AntiStress® 2000 (1:20 and 1:40) had the lowest reduction in stomatal conductance. In another experiment in a controlled environment, antidesiccants did reduce water loss but failed to significantly affect height growth. Antidesiccant application to actively growing seedlings subjected to different periods of wind exposure reduced foliar damage as measured by the amount of electrolyte leakage released from the fascicles but increased stomatal conductance. In a separate experiment under greenhouse conditions antidesiccants did not reduce stomatal conductance but they did damage seedling foliage. The film-forming antidesiccants had a negative effect on the growth of new roots. A 46% reduction in new root growth was observed. When antidesiccants were used, budbreak activity was also delayed. Moreover, in several experiments antidesiccants had no effect on photochemical efficiency. Antidesiccants also did not affect light absorption or emission. In this thesis research the proposition was that antidesiccants would have a positive effect on ponderosa pine seedlings. Based on the preponderance of evidence from the four experiments conducted, it is concluded that under the conditions of this study, antidesiccants tested had little overall effect on ponderosa pine seedlings. However, had seedlings been subjected to greater water stress, the outcome of this research might have been different

SEEDS STORED IN THE FOREST FLOOR IN A NATURAL STAND OF Pinus montezumae Lamb

ABSTRACT Seed banks have been studied to a greater extent in agriculture than in forestry due to long-standing concerns about the threat to agricultural crops posed by weed species. However, in forest areas seed banks have an important influence on plant succession since the vegetation that colonizes a space after a major disturbance will arise at least partly from them. Knowledge about this condition can help land managers to prescribe site treatments that produce desired vegetation from the perspectives of wildlife habitat, reduced plant competition with crop tree species, and related management concerns. The variability of the soil seed bank of a Pinus montezumae forest was assessed using seedling-emergence method for soil samples. The number of species and seedling abundance were evaluated by sampling four plots in a natural regeneration area. A total of 43 species were recorded in the seed bank (2 trees, 17 shrubs, 1 grass and 23 herbs). Viable seeds of most species were contained in similar abundance in the humus and mineral soil layers. Dominant species in the stand (P. montezumae) and codominant species (P. ayacahuite, Abies religiosa, and Alnus firmifolia) were poorly represented in the soil seed bank which was dominated by seeds of an array of annual and perennial herbs. Regeneration of commercial species under any silvicultural method must come from current seed production, or seed produced off site, but not from the soil seed bank. RESUMEN Los bancos de semillas han sido estudiados más en la agricultura que en el área forestal debido a la preocupación sobre el peligro de que los cultivos sean dominados por malas hierbas. Tienen una gran influencia en la sucesión vegetal que coloniza un área después de un disturbio. El conocimiento sobre bancos de semillas en el suelo puede ayudar a prescribir los tratamientos que propicien condiciones de vegetación deseadas desde la perspectiva de hábitat de fauna silvestre, reducción de competencia con especies de importancia y otros problemas relacionados con el manejo forestal. La variación del banco de semillas en el suelo de un bosque de Pinus montezumae fue evaluado por medio del método de emergencia en muestras de suelo; se determinó la abundancia y el número de taxa mediante el muestreo en cuatro parcelas en un área de regeneración natural. Los resultados indican 43 especies (dos de árboles, 17 de arbustos, una de pasto y 23 de hierbas). La abundancia de semillas viables fue similar para la mayoría de ellas en la capa de humus y suelo mineral; en tanto que las dominantes del rodal (P. montezumae) y codominantes (P. ayacahuite, Abies religiosa y Alnus firmifolia), no estuvieron presentes en el banco, en el cual dominaron herbáceas anuales y perennes. La regeneración de las especies comerciales para este tipo de bosque, bajo cualquier método silvícola, debe provenir de semilla producida en el año in situ o de áreas aledañas, pero no del banco de semillas. Palabras clave: Abies religiosa, Alnus firmifolia, regeneración natural, Pinus montezumae Lamb., plántula, banco de semillas en el suelo

A novel mobile application to determine mandibular and tongue laterality discrimination in women with chronic temporomandibular disorder

Chronic pain from temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is caused by a somatosensory disturbance due to sustained activation of central nervous system nociceptive pathways, which can induce changes in neuroplasticity in the thalamus, basal ganglia and limbic system, as well as disturbances in the somatosensory, prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex and cognitive impairment. The main objective of this study was to determine the discrimination capacity of mandibular and tongue laterality between women with chronic TMDs and asymptomatic women. This descriptive-comparative study examined 2 groups with a total of 30 women. All participants were between the ages of 23 and 66 years and were assigned to the chronic TMD group or the asymptomatic group according to the inclusion criteria. We employed a mobile application developed specifically for this study to measure the accuracy and reaction time (RT) of mandibular and tongue laterality discrimination. The chronic TMD group had a lower success rate in laterality discrimination (mean mandibular accuracy of 40% and mean tongue accuracy of 67%) than the asymptomatic group (mean mandibular accuracy of 61% and mean tongue accuracy of 90%). These results showed statistically significant differences between the groups for mandibular laterality discrimination (d, 1.14; p<0.01) and tongue laterality discrimination (d, 0.79; p=0.03). The asymptomatic group had faster RTs than the chronic TMD group. The data revealed statistically significant differences for the right mandibular RT (d, 0.89; p=0.02) and right tongue RT (d, 0.83; p=0.03). However, there were no significant differences for left mandibular and left tongue RT. We found that the women with chronic TMDs had a lower success rate and slower RTs in the discrimination of mandibular laterality when compared with the asymptomatic women

Preliminary study of the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory-11:validation for patients with head and neck cancer

Cancer involves numerous physical, psychological and emotional changes and has a negative impact on patients. Although there are a wide variety of questionnaires for general use in patients with cancer, very few are available that assess the pain, disability and craniomandibular functionality of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in a more specific manner. The purpose of this study is to present the preliminary behavior of the CF-PDI in its reduced version adapted for patients with HNC. A total of 61 patients with HNC were included in a study to preliminarily analyze the internal consistency of the instrument, the convergent validity and the floor and ceiling effects. All the patients completed the informed consent document and a battery of 5 questionnaires: The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia for Temporomandibular Disorders (TSK-TMD), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Quality of Life Questionnaire in patients with HNC (QLQ-HN) and the reduced version of the Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CF-PDI-11). Patients also performed 2 physical tests: measurements of the pain threshold on the masseter muscle and on the distal phalanx of the first finger; and the maximum mouth opening in neutral head position. Cronbach's ? coefficient showed a very high internal consistency of 0.92. In terms of convergent validity, a statistically significant correlation was found between the CF-PDI-11 and the following variables: NRS, TSK-TMD, PCS, QLQ-HN, the threshold of pain in the distal phalanx of the first finger and the maximum interincisal opening. However, 21.3% of patients obtained the lowest possible score. The strongest correlation was found between the CF-PDI-11 and the QLQ-HN (r = 0.85, p <0.01). The preliminary version of the CF-PDI-11 shows that it could be a valid and reliable instrument to measure pain, disability and quality of life in patients with HNC

CONSENSO SOBRE EL USO DE PROTEÍNA EN EL PACIENTE CRÍTICO – ACNC

El paciente crítico tiene una pérdida de masa muscular significativa, observando frecuentemente sarcopenia en estos pacientes. Su presencia aumenta los desenlaces adversos, estancias hospitalarias, mayor riesgo de infecciones, aumento del tiempo de asistencia ventilatoria mecánica, mayor discapacidad al alta hospitalaria, menor posibilidad del retorno normal a la vida habitual de los pacientes, incremento en gastos en salud y mayor mortalidad. Objetivo: Indicar el uso oportuno y adecuado de la proteína en el paciente crítico. Métodos: la Asociación Colombiana De Nutrición Clínica (ACNC) y la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Critica y Cuidados Intensivos (AMCI) mediante metodología de consenso realizaron unas recomendaciones con un grupo de expertos. Resultados: 46 recomendaciones fueron aprobadas con consenso superior al 80%. Conclusiones: La intervención óptima proteica temprana y progresiva en el paciente crítico, es importante para obtener los mejores desenlaces clínicos, disminuir complicaciones e impactar en costos de atención hospitalaria.

CONSENSO SOBRE O USO DE PROTEÍNA EM PACIENTES CRÍTICOS – ACNC

The critical patient has a significant loss of muscle mass, frequently observing sarcopenia in these patients. Its presence increases adverse outcomes, hospital stays, increased risk of infections, increased time on mechanical ventilatory assistance, greater disability at hospital discharge, less possibility of return to normal life for patients, increased health costs, and higher mortality. Objective: Indicate the opportune and adequate use of the protein in the critically ill patient. Methods: the Colombian Association of Clinical Nutrition (ACNC) and the Colombian Association of Critical Medicine and Intensive Care (AMCI), using a consensus methodology, made recommendations with a group of experts. Results: 46 recommendations were approved with a consensus greater than 80%. Conclusions: Optimal early and progressive protein intervention in critically ill patients is important to obtain the best clinical outcomes, reduce complications, and have an impact on hospital care costs.El paciente crítico tiene una pérdida de masa muscular significativa, observando frecuentemente sarcopenia en estos pacientes. Su presencia aumenta los desenlaces adversos, estancias hospitalarias, mayor riesgo de infecciones, aumento del tiempo de asistencia ventilatoria mecánica, mayor discapacidad al alta hospitalaria, menor posibilidad del retorno normal a la vida habitual de los pacientes, incremento en gastos en salud y mayor mortalidad. Objetivo: Indicar el uso oportuno y adecuado de la proteína en el paciente crítico. Métodos: la Asociación Colombiana De Nutrición Clínica (ACNC) y la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Critica y Cuidados Intensivos (AMCI) mediante metodología de consenso realizaron unas recomendaciones con un grupo de expertos. Resultados: 46 recomendaciones fueron aprobadas con consenso superior al 80%. Conclusiones: La intervención óptima proteica temprana y progresiva en el paciente crítico, es importante para obtener los mejores desenlaces clínicos, disminuir complicaciones e impactar en costos de atención hospitalaria.&nbsp;O paciente crítico apresenta perda importante de massa muscular, observando-se frequentemente sarcopenia nesses pacientes. Sua presença aumenta os desfechos adversos, internações hospitalares, aumento do risco de infecções, aumento do tempo de assistência ventilatória mecânica, maior incapacidade na alta hospitalar, menor possibilidade de retorno à vida normal dos pacientes, aumento dos custos de saúde e maior mortalidade. Objetivo: Indicar o uso oportuno e adequado da proteína no paciente crítico. Métodos: a Associação Colombiana de Nutrição Clínica (ACNC) e a Associação Colombiana de Medicina Crítica e Terapia Intensiva (AMCI), utilizando uma metodologia de consenso, fizeram recomendações com um grupo de especialistas. Resultados: 46 recomendações foram aprovadas com consenso superior a 80%. Conclusões: A intervenção proteica precoce e progressiva ideal em pacientes críticos é importante para obter os melhores resultados clínicos, reduzir complicações e impactar nos custos hospitalares

Final results from the PERUSE study of first-line pertuzumab plus trastuzumab plus a taxane for HER2-positive locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, with a multivariable approach to guide prognostication

Background: The phase III CLinical Evaluation Of Pertuzumab And TRAstuzumab (CLEOPATRA) trial established the combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab and docetaxel as standard first-line therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive locally recurrent/metastatic breast cancer (LR/mBC). The multicentre single-arm PERtUzumab global SafEty (PERUSE) study assessed the safety and efficacy of pertuzumab and trastuzumab combined with investigator-selected taxane in this setting. Patients and methods: Eligible patients with inoperable HER2-positive LR/mBC and no prior systemic therapy for LR/mBC (except endocrine therapy) received docetaxel, paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel with trastuzumab and pertuzumab until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Prespecified subgroup analyses included subgroups according to taxane, hormone receptor (HR) status and prior trastuzumab. Exploratory univariable analyses identified potential prognostic factors; those that remained significant in multivariable analysis were used to analyse PFS and OS in subgroups with all, some or none of these factors. Results: Of 1436 treated patients, 588 (41%) initially received paclitaxel and 918 (64%) had HR-positive disease. The most common grade 653 adverse events were neutropenia (10%, mainly with docetaxel) and diarrhoea (8%). At the final analysis (median follow-up: 5.7 years), median PFS was 20.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) 18.9-23.1] months overall and was similar irrespective of HR status or taxane. Median OS was 65.3 (95% CI 60.9-70.9) months overall. OS was similar regardless of taxane backbone but was more favourable in patients with HR-positive than HR-negative LR/mBC. In exploratory analyses, trastuzumab-pretreated patients with visceral disease had the shortest median PFS (13.1 months) and OS (46.3 months). Conclusions: Mature results from PERUSE show a safety and efficacy profile consistent with results from CLEOPATRA and median OS exceeding 5 years. Results suggest that paclitaxel is a valid alternative to docetaxel as backbone chemotherapy. Exploratory analyses suggest risk factors that could guide future trial design

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)