Peduncles and pericarps of Cucurbita maxima duch.: a contribution for the reconstruction of domestication process of cultivated squash in Northwest Argentina

El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en reconocer y evaluar las modificaciones biométricas que se dieron en pedúnculos y pericarpios de Cucurbita maxima (subsp. maxima y andreana) ligadas a un proceso de selección, cultivo y/o domesticación en el pasado prehispánico del Noroeste de Argentina. Por medio de la realización de cultivos experimentales -técnica que nos permite reproducir procesos de hibridación e introgresión bajo condiciones controladas- junto al estudio morfométrico de los ejemplares así obtenidos, al igual que de los arqueológicos, se pretende aportar a la comprensión del proceso de domesticación del zapallo criollo. Los resultados obtenidos constatan la presencia de formas silvestres, híbridas y domesticadas hace cerca de 2000 años AP e indican que los pedúnculos son mejores indicadores que los pericarpios para la detección de las mismas mediante caracteres biométricos. Estos resultados llevan a concluir que el flujo génico entre estas formas con diverso grado de manejo habría sido posiblemente alentado como mecanismo de diversificación sobre el cual luego operaría un proceso de selección antrópica, lo cual coincidiría con lo registrado para otros miembros del género, al igual que explicaría la gran diversidad de morfotipos domesticados presentes en los restos arqueobotánicos analizados.The aim of this paper is to recognize and assess biometrical modifications in peduncles and pericarps of squash or “zapallo criollo” (Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima and andreana) which are bound to a process of selection, cultivation and/or domestication in the Prehispanic past at the Argentinean Northwest. It is intended to contribute to the understanding of the process of domestication of the creole pumpkin by carrying out experimental cultivation (a technique which allows to reproduce the processes of hybridization and introgression under controlled conditions) together with morphometric and archaeological studies of the samples obtained. Results confirm the presence of wild, hybrid and domesticated forms near of 2, 000 years BP and that peduncles are better indicators than pericarps to detect those forms through biometrical analysis. These results lead to the conclusion that gene flow among these forms, which underwent several ways of managing, could have been possibly encouraged as a mechanism of diversification on which a process of anthropic selection would later operate. This coincides with records of other members of the same genus and would also explain the great diversity of domesticated morphotypes found in archaeobotanical remains submitted to analysis.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Peduncles and pericarps of Cucurbita maxima duch.: a contribution for the reconstruction of domestication process of cultivated squash in Northwest Argentina

El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en reconocer y evaluar las modificaciones biométricas que se dieron en pedúnculos y pericarpios de Cucurbita maxima (subsp. maxima y andreana) ligadas a un proceso de selección, cultivo y/o domesticación en el pasado prehispánico del Noroeste de Argentina. Por medio de la realización de cultivos experimentales -técnica que nos permite reproducir procesos de hibridación e introgresión bajo condiciones controladas- junto al estudio morfométrico de los ejemplares así obtenidos, al igual que de los arqueológicos, se pretende aportar a la comprensión del proceso de domesticación del zapallo criollo. Los resultados obtenidos constatan la presencia de formas silvestres, híbridas y domesticadas hace cerca de 2000 años AP e indican que los pedúnculos son mejores indicadores que los pericarpios para la detección de las mismas mediante caracteres biométricos. Estos resultados llevan a concluir que el flujo génico entre estas formas con diverso grado de manejo habría sido posiblemente alentado como mecanismo de diversificación sobre el cual luego operaría un proceso de selección antrópica, lo cual coincidiría con lo registrado para otros miembros del género, al igual que explicaría la gran diversidad de morfotipos domesticados presentes en los restos arqueobotánicos analizados.The aim of this paper is to recognize and assess biometrical modifications in peduncles and pericarps of squash or “zapallo criollo” (Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima and andreana) which are bound to a process of selection, cultivation and/or domestication in the Prehispanic past at the Argentinean Northwest. It is intended to contribute to the understanding of the process of domestication of the creole pumpkin by carrying out experimental cultivation (a technique which allows to reproduce the processes of hybridization and introgression under controlled conditions) together with morphometric and archaeological studies of the samples obtained. Results confirm the presence of wild, hybrid and domesticated forms near of 2, 000 years BP and that peduncles are better indicators than pericarps to detect those forms through biometrical analysis. These results lead to the conclusion that gene flow among these forms, which underwent several ways of managing, could have been possibly encouraged as a mechanism of diversification on which a process of anthropic selection would later operate. This coincides with records of other members of the same genus and would also explain the great diversity of domesticated morphotypes found in archaeobotanical remains submitted to analysis.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Evaluation of Circulating Tumor Cells and Related Events as Prognostic Factors and Surrogate Biomarkers in Advanced NSCLC Patients Receiving First-Line Systemic Treatment

In the present study we investigated the prognostic value of Circulating Tumour Cells (CTC) and their utility for therapy monitoring in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 43 patients newly diagnosed with NSCLC were prospectively enrolled. Blood samples were obtained before the 1st, 2nd and 5th cycles of chemotherapy and analyzed using CellSearch technology. Both CTC and CTC-related objects (not morphological standard or broken epithelial cells) were counted. At baseline 18 (41.9%) patients were positive for intact CTC count and 10 (23.2%) of them had ≥5 CTC, while CK positive events were found in 79.1% of patients. The group of patients with CTC ³5 at baseline presented worse PFS and OS than those with <5 CTC (p = 0.034 and p = 0.008, respectively). Additionally, high levels of total CK positive events were associated with poor prognosis in the group of patients with <5 CTC. Regarding therapy monitoring, patients presenting increased levels of CTC during the treatment demonstrated lower OS and PFS rates. All these data supported the value of CTC as a prognostic biomarker and as a surrogate indicator of chemotherapy effectiveness in advanced NSCLC patients, with the additional value of analyzing other “objects” such as apoptotic CTC or CK fragments to guide the clinical management of these patients

X-ray cross-complementing group 1 and thymidylate synthase polymorphisms might predict response to chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer patients

Purpose: 5-Fluorouracil-based chemoradiotherapy before total mesorectal excision is currently the standard treatment of Stage II and III rectal cancer patients. We used known predictive pharmacogenetic biomarkers to identify the responders to preoperative chemoradiotherapy in our series. Methods and Materials: A total of 93 Stage II-III rectal cancer patients were genotyped using peripheral blood samples. The genes analyzed were X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1), ERCC1, MTHFR, EGFR, DPYD, and TYMS. The patients were treated with 225 mg/m2/d continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil concomitantly with radiotherapy (50.4 Gy) followed by total mesorectal excision. The outcomes were measured by tumor regression grade (TRG) as a major response (TRG 1 and TRG 2) or as a poor response (TRG3, TRG4, and TRG5). Results: The major histopathologic response rate was 47.3%. XRCC1 G/G carriers had a greater probability of response than G/A carriers (odds ratio, 4.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.62-10.74, p =.003) Patients with polymorphisms associated with high expression of thymidylate synthase (2R/3G, 3C/3G, and 3G/3G) showed a greater pathologic response rate compared with carriers of low expression (odds ratio, 2.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-6.39, p =.02) No significant differences were seen in the response according to EGFR, ERCC1, MTHFR-C677 and MTHFR-A1298 expression. Conclusions: XRCC1 G/G and thymidylate synthase (2R/3G, 3C/3G, and 3G/3G) are independent factors of a major response. Germline thymidylate synthase and XRCC1 polymorphisms might be useful as predictive markers of rectal tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with 5-fluorouracil