<Emphasis Type="Italic">Iridaea cordata</Emphasis> (Gigartinales,Rhodophyta): responses to artificial UVB radiation

The effects of UVB radiation on the different developmental stages of the carrageenan-producing red alga Iridaea cordata were evaluated considering: (1) carpospore and discoid germling mortality; (2) growth rates and morphology of young tetrasporophytes; and (3) growth rates and pigment content of field-collected plant fragments. Unialgal cultures were submitted to 0.17, 0.5, or 0.83 W m⁻² of UVB radiation for 3 h per day. The general culture conditions were as follows: 12 h light/12 h dark cycles; irradiance of 55 μmol photon^.per square meter per second; temperature of 9 ± 1°C; and seawater enriched with Provasoli solution. All UVB irradiation treatments were harmful to carpospores ( 0.17  \textW \textm ^{- 2} = 40.9 ±6.9% 0.17\;{\text{W}}\,{{\text{m}}^{ - 2}} = 40.9 \pm 6.9\% , 0.5  \textW \textm ^{- 2} = 59.8 ±13.4% 0.5\;{\text{W}}\,{{\text{m}}^{ - 2}} = 59.8 \pm 13.4\% , 0.83  \textW \textm ^{- 2} = 49 ±17.4% 0.83\;{\text{W}}\,{{\text{m}}^{ - 2}} = 49 \pm 17.4\% mortality in 3 days). Even though the mortality of all discoid germlings exposed to UVB radiation was unchanged when compared to the control, those germlings exposed to 0.5 and 0.83 W m⁻² treatments became paler and had smaller diameters than those cultivated under control treatment. Decreases in growth rates were observed in young tetrasporophytes, mainly in 0.5 and 0.83 W m⁻² treatments. Similar effects were only observed in fragments of adult plants cultivated at 0.83 W m⁻². Additionally, UVB radiation caused morphological changes in fragments of adult plants in the first week, while the young individuals only displayed this pattern during the third week. The verified morphological alterations in I. cordata could be interpreted as a defense against UVB by reducing the area exposed to radiation. However, a high level of radiation appears to produce irreparable damage, especially under long-term exposure. Our results suggest that the sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation decreases with increased algal age and that the various developmental stages have different responses when exposed to the same doses of UVB radiation.     

Aprepitant versus ondansetron in preoperative triple-therapy treatment of nausea and vomiting in neurosurgery patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting is 50% to 80% after neurosurgery. The common prophylactic treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting is a triple therapy of droperidol (Inapsine), promethazine (Phenergan) and dexamethasone (Decadron). Newer, more effectives methods of prophylaxis are being investigated. We designed this prospective, double-blind, single center study to compare the efficacy of ondansetron (Zofran) to a neurokinin-1 antagonist, aprepitant (Emend), as a substitute for droperidol, in the prophylactic treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting after neurosurgery. METHODS: After obtaining institutional review board approval, One hundred-seventy-six patients, 18-85 years of age with ASA I to III, who did not receive anti-emetics 24 hours before surgery and are expected to undergo general anesthesia for neurosurgery lasting longer than two hours were included in this study. After meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria and providing written informed consent, patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two treatment groups: aprepitant or ondansetron. Because ondansetron is given intravenously and aprepitant orally, patients will be given an oral or intravenous placebo to maintain the double blind. Patients will receive aprepitant 40 mg PO/placebo within 2 hours prior to induction. At induction, a combination of intravenous dexamethasone 10 mg, promethazine 25 mg and ondansetron 4 mg/placebo will be given. The primary outcome measures are the episodes and severity of nausea and vomiting; administration of rescue antiemetic; and opioid consumption for 120 hours postoperatively. Standard safety assessments will include adverse event reports, physical and laboratory data, awakening time and duration of recovery from anesthesia. Logistic regression will be used to test the efficacy of aprepitant compared to ondansetron with demographic characteristics as potential covariates in the model. For the number of rescue therapy treatments used during the postoperative period, a Wilcoxon rank sum test will be performed. DISCUSSION: The results of this comparative study will potentially identify an improved treatment regimen that will decrease the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing neurosurgery. This will serve to enhance patient recovery and overall satisfaction of neurosurgical patients in the immediate postoperative period. Registered at The Ohio State University Biomedical Sciences Institutional Review Board: Protocol Number: 2007H0053 KEYWORDS: aprepitant, postoperative nausea and vomiting, craniotomy, ondansetron. Word Count: 347.     

Trichoderma spp. as elicitors of wheat plant defense responses against Septoria tritici

Leaf blotch of wheat is a widespread and highly active disease that affects wheat production. In addition to the use of chemicals and proper cultivation methods, microbial antagonists are used to control plant pathogens. Trichoderma spp. stimulate a systemic induced response in plants. Therefore, the efficacy of Trichoderma spp. against wheat leaf blotch was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. The susceptible plants were sprayed with Septoria tritici conidiospores. In order to select an efficient method of pretreatment with Trichoderma spp., leaf spraying and seed coating with 14 isolates were tested in 2003 and 2004. The extent of leaf necrosis area and pycnidial coverage was estimated. Antagonism was assessed by the capacity of each Trichoderma spp. isolate to restrict the progress of leaf blotch, 21 days after inoculation. Of the two methods, seed coating was more efficacious against leaf blotch than leaf spraying. Amongst the 14 isolates tested, the isolate prepared from T. harzianum (Th5) produced the highest level of protection. None of the treatments caused changes in plant stem diameter or dry weight. Trichoderma spp. did not get into leaves while S. tritici was present, even in asymptomatic leaf extracts. In addition, the leaf apoplast antifungal proteolytic activity was measured in plants 7, 15, and 22 days after sowing. This antifungal action decreased in plants only inoculated with S. tritici, but increased in those grown from seeds coated with the T. harzianum (Th5) isolate. This increase conferred resistance to the susceptible wheat cultivar. The endogenous germin-like protease inhibitor coordinated the proteolytic action. These results suggest that T. harzianum stimulates a biochemical systemic induced response against leaf blotch.     

A clinical and molecular portrait of non-metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is a rare gastrointestinal malignancy associated with high-risk Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Despite improved outcomes in non-metastatic ASCC, definitive chemoradiotherapy constitutes the standard treatment for localized disease. Evidences for predictive and prognostic biomarkers are limited. Here, we performed a viral, immune, and mutational characterization of 79 non-metastatic ASCC patients with complete definitive chemoradiotherapy. HPV-16 was detected in 91% of positive cases in single infections (78%) or in coinfections with multiple genotypes (22%). Fifty-four percent of non-metastatic ASCC cases displayed mutations affecting cancer driver genes such as PIK3CA (21% of cases), TP53 (15%), FBXW7 (9%), and APC (6%). PD-L1 expression was detected in 57% of non-metastatic ASCC. Increased PD-L1 positive cases (67%) were detected in patients with complete response compared with non-complete response to treatment (37%) (p = 0.021). Furthermore, patients with PD-L1 positive tumors were significantly associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with patients with PD-L1 negative tumors (p = 0.006 and p = 0.002, respectively). PD-L1 expression strongly impacts CR rate and survival of non-metastatic ASCC patients after standard definitive chemoradiotherapy. PD-L1 expression could be used to stratify good versus poor responders avoiding the associated morbidity with abdominal perineal resection.     

A novel method for sexing live adult Alphitobius diaperinus

This work aimed to identify discriminant morphological characteristics in Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) adults that enable live males and females to be distinguished. The method of sexing proposed here is based on dimorphism of the 8th abdominal sternite and is 100% accurate. The method allows differentiation of the sexes non-destructively.