Intensive cyclic chemotherapy and transplantation of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) or whole blood in high-risk breast cancer — follow up at 10 years

Aim: The main aim of our paper is to contribute to objectification of currently widely discussed results of overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) and time from relapse to tumor progression (TTP) in women with breast cancer. Methods: Forty consecutive patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were admitted to the study. Fifty-six women were included in the control group. All patients received 6 cycles of adjuvant intensive cyclic combined chemotherapy with epirubicin 150 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 1250 mg/m2 (EC) applied each 14 days. To overcome haematological toxicity transplantations of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) or whole blood enriched of PBPC were used. Results: We found statistically significant difference in OS regardless of the stage of the disease to the benefit of women treated by intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy when compared with the control group. In evaluation of DFS no statistically significant difference was found in survival between the control group and the group with all stages of the disease. TTP in women without relation to the stage was statistically significantly longer than in the control group. Conclusion: In our study intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy did not show better curative effect when compared with conventional dosage chemotherapy.Цель:объективизация широко обсуждаемых результатов по общей выживаемости (OВ), периода ремиссии (ПР) и продолжительности периода от рецидива к опухолевой прогрессии (ПРОП) у больных раком молочной железы. Методы: обследовано 40 больных, отвечающих установленным критериям отбора, и 56 здоровых женщин, составивших контрольную группу. У всех больных проведено 6 циклов адъювантной интенсивной циклической комбинированной химио­терапии (эпирубицин — 150 мг/м2 и циклофосфамид — 1250 мг/м2 (ЭЦ)), проводимой каждые 14 дней. Для преодоления гематологической токсичности применяли трансплантацию клеток-предшественников периферической крови (КППК) или цельной крови, обогащенной КППК. Результаты: выявлены статистически значимые различия в ОВ, не зависящие от стадии заболевания, у пациенток, получавших интенсивную циклическую химиотерапию ЭЦ, по сравнению с контрольной группой. При оценке ПР не выявлено статистически значимых различий выживаемости между контрольной группой и больными во всех стадиях заболевания. ПРОП у пациенток независимо от стадии заболевания статистически значимо выше, чем таковой контрольной группы. Выводы: по результатам исследования, интенсивная циклическая химиотерапия ЭЦ не имеет лечебных преимуществ по сравнению со стандартной дозовой химиотерапией

First occurence of Cherry virus a (cva) in the Czech Republic

A preliminary survey on Cherry virus A (CVA) has been performed in the Czech Republic in 2008-2009, including a germplasm collection, various growing areas and nurseries. 200 sweet and sour cherry leaf samples (Prunus avium, P. cerasus) were collected and tested by optimized RT-PCR using a new set of primers CVAZR2/CVAZF2. The 405 bp CVA-specific amplicon was obtained from two sweet cherry trees, namely cv. H 15/31 from Holovousy germplasm collection (originally from Romania) and the seedling P. avium from the nursery SEMPRA Turnov. To confirm RTPCR results, CVA amplification products were directly sequenced. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CVA in the Czech Republic.Keywords: CVA, sweet and sour cherries, RT-PC

Thin static charged dust Majumdar-Papapetrou shells with high symmetry in D >= 4

We present a systematical study of static D >= 4 space-times of high symmetry with the matter source being a thin charged dust hypersurface shell. The shell manifold is assumed to have the following structure S_(beta) X R^(D-2-beta), beta (in the interval ) is dimension of a sphere S_(beta). In case of (beta) = 0, we assume that there are two parallel hyper-plane shells instead of only one. The space-time has Majumdar-Papapetrou form and it inherits the symmetries of the shell manifold - it is invariant under both rotations of the S_(beta) and translations along R^(D-2-beta). We find a general solution to the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a given shell. Then, we examine some flat interior solutions with special attention paid to D = 4. A connection to D = 4 non-relativistic theory is pointed out. We also comment on a straightforward generalisation to the case of Kastor-Traschen space-time, i.e. adding a non-negative cosmological constant to the charged dust matter source.Comment: Accepted in Int. J. Theor. Phy

Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XF(e)96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer

Du Preez G, Fourie H, Daneel M, et al. Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XF(e)96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Scientific Reports. 2020;10(1): 4239.Caenorhabditis elegans presents functioning, biologically relevant phenotypes and is frequently used as a bioindicator of toxicity. However, most C. elegans in vivo effect-assessment methods are laborious and time consuming. Therefore, we developed a novel method to measure the oxygen consumption rate of C. elegans as a sublethal endpoint of toxicity. This protocol was tested by exposing 50 larval stage one C. elegans individuals for 48h (at 20 degrees C) to different concentrations of two toxicants i.e. benzylcetyldimethylammonium chloride (BAC-C16) and cadmium (Cd). Following exposures, the oxygen consumption rate of the C. elegans individuals were measured using the high-throughput functionality of the Seahorse XF(e)96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Dose-response curves for BAC-C16 (R-2=0.93; P=0.001) and Cd (R-2=0.98; P=0.001) were created. Furthermore, a strong, positive correlation was evidenced between C. elegans oxygen consumption rate and a commonly used, ecologically relevant endpoint of toxicity (growth inhibition) for BAC-C16 (R-2=0.93; P=0.0001) and Cd (R-2=0.91; P=0.0001). The data presented in this study show that C. elegans oxygen consumption rate can be used as a promising functional measurement of toxicity

A synthesis of the effects of cheatgrass invasion on the US Great Basin carbon storage

Non‐native, invasive Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) is pervasive in sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin ecoregion of the western United States, competing with native plants and promoting more frequent fires. As a result, cheatgrass invasion likely alters carbon (C) storage in the region. Many studies have measured C pools in one or more common vegetation types: native sagebrush, invaded sagebrush and cheatgrass‐dominated (often burned) sites, but these results have yet to be synthesized. We performed a literature review to identify studies assessing the consequences of invasion on C storage in above‐ground biomass (AGB), below‐ground biomass (BGB), litter, organic soil and total soil. We identified 41 articles containing 386 unique studies and estimated C storage across pools and vegetation types. We used linear mixed models to identify the main predictors of C storage. We found consistent declines in biomass C with invasion: AGB C was 55% lower in cheatgrass (40 ± 4 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (89 ± 27 g C/m2) and BGB C was 62% lower in cheatgrass (90 ± 17 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (238 ± 60 g C/m2). In contrast, litter C was \u3e4× higher in cheatgrass (154 ± 12 g C/m2) than native sagebrush (32 ± 12 g C/m2). Soil organic C (SOC) in the top 10 cm was significantly higher in cheatgrass than in native or invaded sagebrush. SOC below 20 cm was significantly related to the time since most recent fire and losses were observed in deep SOC in cheatgrass \u3e5 years after a fire. There were no significant changes in total soil C across vegetation types. Synthesis and applications. Cheatgrass invasion decreases biodiversity and rangeland productivity and alters fire regimes. Our findings indicate cheatgrass invasion also results in persistent biomass carbon (C) losses that occur with sagebrush replacement. We estimate that conversion from native sagebrush to cheatgrass leads to a net reduction of C storage in biomass and litter of 76 g C/m2, or 16 Tg C across the Great Basin without management practices like native sagebrush restoration or cheatgrass removal