Combined treatment of rituximab,idarubicin, dexamethasone,cytarabine, methotrexate with radiotherapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma

The overall response rates and long‐term survival of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are still significantly inferior to the results achieved in similar subtypes of extranodal non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is clearly necessary to investigate new therapeutic methods on PCNSL. We encountered three patients histologically documented PCNSL as diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). They were treated with R‐IDARAM which comprised rituximab, idarubicin, dexamethasone, cytarabine and methotrexate. Patient 1 received stereotactic brachytherapy (SBT) prior to chemotherapy performed with iodine‐125 seeds (cumulative therapeutic dose 50 Gy). After six cycles of R‐IDARAM at 3‐weekly intervals, radiotherapy was applied at a dosage of 2000–4000 cGy in conventional schedule (180 or 200 cGy/day) to whole brain or spinal cord in all patients. Complete remission (CR) was achieved after first two cycles of R‐IDARAM in all patients. All three patients remained in CR at the time of this report with a median duration of follow‐up of 23 months (ranging from 13 to 41 months). Three patients have been alive for 41, 13, 16 months respectively until now. The patient with the longest survival time was the one given SBT prior to chemotherapy. This study suggests that R‐IDARAM combining with radiotherapy maybe a high effective regimen in PCNSL patients especially those with primary central nervous system DLBCL. A comprehensive treatment combining internal radiotherapy by SBT, modified R‐IDARAM and followed reduced external radiotherapy may be a new treatment concept for PCNSL with higher efficiency and lower toxicity.     

Invertebrate communities in dry-season pools of a large subtropical river: patterns and processes

In order to develop an optical model to map the extent of coastal waters, the authors analyzed variations in bio-optical constituents and submarine optical properties along a transect from the nutrient-enriched coastal bay, Himmerfjärden, out into the open Baltic Sea. The model is a simple implementation of the “ecosystem approach,” because the optical constituents are proxies for important components of ecosystem state. Yellow substance or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is often a marker for terrestrial freshwater or decay processes in the littoral zone. Phytoplankton pigments, especially chlorophyll a, are used as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass that may be stimulated by fluvial or coastal inputs of anthropogenic nutrients. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is placed in suspension by tidal or wind-wave stirring of shallow seabeds, and is therefore an indicator for physical forcing. It is the thesis of this article that such constituents, and the optical properties that they control, can be used to provide an ecological definition of the extent of the coastal zone. The spatial distribution of the observations was analyzed using a steady-state model that assumes diffusional transport of bio-optical variables along an axis perpendicular to the coast. According to the model, the resulting distribution along this axis can be described as a low-order polynomial (of order 1–3) when moving from a “source” associated with land to the open-sea “sink.” Order 1 implies conservative mixing, and the higher orders imply significant biological or chemical processes within the gradient. The analysis of the transect data confirmed that the trend of each optical component could be described well using a low-order polynomial. Multiple regression analysis was then used to weigh the contribution of each optical component to the spectral attenuation coefficient K _d(490) along the transect. The results showed that in this Swedish Baltic case study, the inorganic fraction of the SPM may be used to distinguish between coastal and open-sea waters, as it showed a clear break between coastal and open-sea waters. Alternative models may be needed for coastal waters in which fronts interrupt the continuity of mixing.     

The impact of diffuse sunlight on canopy light-use efficiency, gross photosynthetic product and net ecosystem exchange in three forest biomes

For three forest canopies (a sparse, boreal needleleaf; a temperate broadleaf; and a dense, tropical, broadleaf stand) light‐use efficiency (LUE) is found to be 6–33% higher when sky radiance is dominated by diffuse rather than direct sunlight. This enhancement is much less than that reported previously for both crops (110%; Choudbury, 2001 ) and moderately dense temperate woodland (50–180%). We use the land‐surface scheme JULES to interpret the observed canopy response. Once sunflecks and leaf orientation are incorporated explicitly into the scheme, our simulations reproduce convincingly the overall level of canopy gross photosynthetic product (GPP), its enhancement with respect to diffuse sunlight and the mean 15% reduction in productivity observed during the afternoon due to stomatal closure. The LUE enhancement under diffuse sunlight can be explained by sharing of the canopy radiation‐load, which is reduced under direct sky radiance. Once sunflecks are accounted for the advantage of implementing more sophisticated calculations of stomatal conductance (e.g. Ball–Berry and SPA submodels) is less obvious even for afternoon assimilation. Empirical relations are developed between observed carbon flux and the environmental variables total downwelling shortwave radiation (SW), canopy temperature (T) and the fraction of diffuse sky radiance (fDIF). These relations allow us to gauge the impact of increased/reduced insolation on GPP and net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Overall the three stands appear to be fairly stable within global trends and typical interannual variability (SW changing by <15%). Greatest sensitivity is exhibited by the boreal site, Zotino, where NEE falls by 9±4% for a 15% reduction in SW.     

Canopy photosynthesis of six major arable crops is enhanced under diffuse light due to canopy architecture

Diffuse radiation generally increases photosynthetic rates if total radiation is kept constant. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain this enhancement of photosynthesis, but conclusive results over a wide range of diffuse conditions or about the effect of canopy architecture are lacking. Here, we show the response of canopy photosynthesis to different fractions of diffuse light conditions for five major arable crops (pea, potato, wheat, barley, rapeseed) and cover crops characterized by different canopy architecture. We used 13 years of flux and microclimate measurements over a field with a typical 4 year crop rotation scheme in Switzerland. We investigated the effect of diffuse light on photosynthesis over a gradient of diffuse light fractions ranging from 100% diffuse (overcast sky) to 11% diffuse light (clear‐sky conditions). Gross primary productivity (GPP) increased with diffuse fraction and thus was greater under diffuse than direct light conditions if the absolute photon flux density per unit surface area was kept constant. Mean leaf tilt angle (MTA) and canopy height were found to be the best predictors of the diffuse versus direct radiation effect on photosynthesis. Climatic factors, such as the drought index and growing degree days (GDD), had a significant influence on initial quantum yield under direct but not diffuse light conditions, which depended primarily on MTA. The maximum photosynthetic rate at 2,000 µmol m^?2 s^?1 photosynthetically active radiation under direct conditions strongly depended on GDD, MTA, leaf area index (LAI) and the interaction between MTA and LAI, while under diffuse conditions, this parameter depended mostly on MTA and only to a minor extent on canopy height and their interaction. The strongest photosynthesis enhancement under diffuse light was found for wheat, barley and rapeseed, whereas the lowest was for pea. Thus, we suggest that measuring canopy architecture and diffuse radiation will greatly improve GPP estimates of global cropping systems.     

Characterization and prognostic significance of alternative splicing events in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas

Alternative splicing (AS) is assumed to play important roles in the progression and prognosis of cancer. Currently, the comprehensive analysis and clinical relevance of AS in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas have not been systematically addressed. Here, we gathered alternative splicing data of lower‐grade diffuse gliomas from SpliceSeq. Based on the Percent Spliced In (PSI) values of 515 lower‐grade diffuse glioma patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we performed subtype‐differential AS analysis and consensus clustering to determine robust clusters of patients. A total of 48 050 AS events in 10 787 genes in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas were profiled. Subtype‐differential splicing analysis and functional annotation revealed that spliced genes were significantly enriched in numerous cancer‐related biological phenotypes and signalling pathways. Consensus clustering using AS events identified three robust clusters of patients with distinguished pathological and prognostic features. Moreover, each cluster was also associated with distinct genomic alterations. Finally, we developed and validated an AS‐related signature with Cox proportional hazards model. The signature, significantly associated with clinical and molecular features, could serve as an independent prognostic factor for lower‐grade diffuse gliomas. Thus, our results indicated that AS events could discriminate molecular subtypes and have prognostic impact in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas.     

Intracerebral quantitative chromophore estimation from reflectance spectra captured during deep brain stimulation implantation

Quantification of blood fraction (f_blood), blood oxygenation (S), melanin, lipofuscin and oxidised and reduced Cytochrome aa 3 and c was done from diffuse reflectance spectra captured in cortex, white matter, globus pallidus internus (GPi) and subthalamus during stereotactic implantations of 29 deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes with the aim of investigating whether the chromophores can give physiological information about the targets for DBS. Double‐sided Mann‐Whitney U ‐tests showed more lipofuscin in GPi compared to white matter and subthalamus (p < 0.05). Compared to the other structures, f_bloodwas significantly higher in cortex (p < 0.05) and S lower in GPi (p < 0.05). Median values and range for f_blood were 1.0 [0.2–6.0]% in the cortex, 0.3 [0.1–8.2]% in white matter, 0.2 [0.1–0.8]% in the GPi and 0.2 [0.1–11.7]% in the subthalamus. Corresponding values for S was 20 [0–81]% in the cortex, 29 [0–78]% in white matter, 0 [0–0]% in the GPi and 0 [0–92]% in the subthalamus. In conclusion, the measurements indicate very low oxygenation and blood volume for DBS patients, especially in the GPi. It would be of great interest to investigate whether this is due to the disease, the normal situation or an artefact of doing invasive measurements. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Paraneuronal pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells in scorpion catfish Heteropneustes fossilis: an environment scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope study

Yadav, L., Sengar, M., Zaccone, D. and Gopesh, A. 2011. Paraneuronal pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells in scorpion catfish Heteropneustes fossilis: an environment scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope study. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00 : 1–8. Pseudobranchial neurosecretory system (PNS), found in the gill region of certain groups of teleosts, falls under the category of the ‘diffuse neuroendocrine system’ (DNES). The cells belonging to the system share morpho‐functional features with the paraneuronal cells observed in respiratory tract and airway surfaces of higher vertebrates. On the basis of the experimental observations, a role in condition of hypoxia has been recorded for this system. In an attempt to elucidate the ultrastructure of pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells, present investigation was undertaken using environment scanning electron microscope (ESEM) and TEM in an air‐breathing catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis. The external morphology of PNS under ESEM appeared as a mass of cells supplied with nerves and blood capillaries. Each cell mass is made up of numerous pear‐shaped neurosecretory cells, confirmed by neurosecretion‐specific acid violet stain. The TEM investigation of the cells revealed the presence of different sizes of dense‐cored vesicles in the cytoplasm, which was observed as granular cytoplasm under light microscope. Presence of large number of mitochondria in the cytoplasm confirmed active involvement of these cells in the physiology of fishes. Although lacuna prevails regarding the exact function of this system of fish, its probable role in hypoxic condition and surfacing behavior are speculated.     

Genetic association of interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms and susceptibility to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis

Published data on the association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene polymorphisms and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) risk are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed, focusing on four major IL-10 gene variants in the promoter region: –3575T/A, –1082A/G, –819C/T and –592C/A. We applied the false discovery rate (FDR) method to adjust for multiple testing. A significant association between IL-10 –3575T/A polymorphism and the risk of DLBCL was observed in the pooled 10 case–control studies (A vs. T: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.08–1.25, P < 0.0001; AA + TA vs. TT: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.08–1.33, P = 0.0009; AA vs. TA + TT: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.09–1.44, P = 0.001). The results indicated that carriers of –1082G allele (–1082GG/GA genotypes) had a nearly 30% increased risk of DLBCL, as compared with carriers of –1082AA genotype (GG + GA vs. AA: OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.08–1.57, P = 0.005). When P-values were not adjusted for multiple testing, the risk was significantly decreased among people with –592AA genotype (AA vs. AC + CC: OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.43–0.94, P = 0.02), while carriers with –819TT genotype also modestly weakened the DLBCL susceptibility at a marginal level of significance (TT vs. CT + CC: OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.35–0.99, P = 0.05). However, these associations were not significant after correction for multiple testing. This meta-analysis suggests that IL-10 –3575A allele confers a greater risk to DLBCL susceptibility, while –1082A/G polymorphism also has significant association with DLBCL risk. These results may help to further clarify the malignancy-risk gene signature of DLBCL, and thus have prognostic and predictive value especially for early-stage DLBCL.