Bimetallic nickel complexes for selective CO2 carbon capture and sequestration

Herein we report on the selective CO₂ uptake from air by a dinickel azacryptand complex and its capability to act as a reversible CO₂ storage system.

Survival in patients with primary liver cancer, gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract cancer and pancreatic cancer in Europe 1999-2007: Results of EUROCARE-5

BACKGROUND

The EUROCARE study collects and analyses survival data from population-based cancer registries (CRs) in Europe in order to provide data on between-country differences in survival and time trends in survival.

METHODS

This study analyses data on liver cancer, gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract cancers ("biliary tract cancers"), and pancreatic cancer diagnosed in 2000-2007 from 88 CRs in 29 countries. Relative survival (RS) was estimated overall, by region, sex, age and period of diagnosis using the complete approach. Time trends in 5-year RS over 1999-2007 were also analysed using the period approach.

RESULTS

The prognosis of the studied cancers was poor. Age-standardised 5-year RS was 12% for liver cancer, 17% for biliary tract cancers and 7% for pancreatic cancer. There were some between-country differences in survival. In general, RS was low in Eastern Europe and high in Central and Southern Europe. For all sites, 5-year RS was similar in men and women and decreased with advancing age. No substantial changes in survival were reported for pancreatic cancer over the period 1999-2007. On average, there was a crude increase in 5-year RS of 3 percentage points between the periods 1999-2001 and 2005-2007 for liver cancer and biliary tract cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

The major changes in imaging techniques over the study period for the diagnosis of the three studied cancers did not result in an improvement in the prognosis of these cancers. In the near future, new innovative treatments might be the best way to improve the prognosis in these cancers.

Investigation of effect of particle size and rumen fluid addition on specific methane yields of high lignocellulose grass silage

This work examines the digestion of advanced growth stage grass silage. Two variables were investigated: particle size (greater than 3 cm and less than 1cm) and rumen fluid addition. Batch studies indicated particle size and rumen fluid addition had little effect on specific methane yields (SMYs). In continuous digestion of 3 cm silage the SMY was 342 and 343 L CH4 kg(-1)VS, respectively, with and without rumen fluid addition. However, digester operation was significantly affected through silage floating on the liquor surface and its entanglement in the mixing system. Digestion of 1cm silage with no rumen fluid addition struggled; volatile fatty acid concentrations rose and SMYs dropped. The best case was 1cm silage with rumen fluid addition, offering higher SMYs of 371 L CH4 kg(-1)VS and stable operation throughout. Thus, physical and biological treatments benefited continuous digestion of high fibre grass silage.

Imaging and dosimetric errors in 4D PET/CT-guided radiotherapy from patient-specific respiratory patterns: a dynamic motion phantom end-to-end study

Effective positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) guidance in radiotherapy of lung cancer requires estimation and mitigation of errors due to respiratory motion. An end-to-end workflow was developed to measure patient-specific motion-induced uncertainties in imaging, treatment planning, and radiation delivery with respiratory motion phantoms and dosimeters. A custom torso phantom with inserts mimicking normal lung tissue and lung lesion was filled with [(18)F]FDG. The lung lesion insert was driven by six different patient-specific respiratory patterns or kept stationary. PET/CT images were acquired under motionless ground truth, tidal breathing motion-averaged (3D), and respiratory phase-correlated (4D) conditions. Target volumes were estimated by standardized uptake value (SUV) thresholds that accurately defined the ground-truth lesion volume. Non-uniform dose-painting plans using volumetrically modulated arc therapy were optimized for fixed normal lung and spinal cord objectives and variable PET-based target objectives. Resulting plans were delivered to a cylindrical diode array at rest, in motion on a platform driven by the same respiratory patterns (3D), or motion-compensated by a robotic couch with an infrared camera tracking system (4D). Errors were estimated relative to the static ground truth condition for mean target-to-background (T/Bmean) ratios, target volumes, planned equivalent uniform target doses, and 2%-2 mm gamma delivery passing rates. Relative to motionless ground truth conditions, PET/CT imaging errors were on the order of 10-20%, treatment planning errors were 5-10%, and treatment delivery errors were 5-30% without motion compensation. Errors from residual motion following compensation methods were reduced to 5-10% in PET/CT imaging, <5% in treatment planning, and <2% in treatment delivery. We have demonstrated that estimation of respiratory motion uncertainty and its propagation from PET/CT imaging to RT planning, and RT delivery under a dose painting paradigm is feasible within an integrated respiratory motion phantom workflow. For a limited set of cases, the magnitude of errors was comparable during PET/CT imaging and treatment delivery without motion compensation. Errors were moderately mitigated during PET/CT imaging and significantly mitigated during RT delivery with motion compensation. This dynamic motion phantom end-to-end workflow provides a method for quality assurance of 4D PET/CT-guided radiotherapy, including evaluation of respiratory motion compensation methods during imaging and treatment delivery.

Ixodes ricinus ticks infected with the causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, have higher energy reserves

Ticks use their energy reserves to maintain their water balance, search for hosts and transmit tick-borne pathogens. However, the influence of tick-borne pathogens on the energy reserves of the tick vector has not been well studied. The relationship between Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infection status and fat content in questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs was examined. Nymphs were sampled from the field. Their body mass and fat content were measured, and their Borrelia genospecies infection status (using reverse line blot analysis), and spirochete load (using quantitative PCR) were analysed. Of the 900 nymphs tested, 21.2% were infected with a variety of Borrelia genospecies. Borrelia-infected nymphs had 12.1% higher fat content than uninfected ticks after correcting for body size. For the subset of Borrelia-infected nymphs, no relationship was found between spirochete load and fat content and bioenergetics calculations suggest that Borrelia spirochetes consume a negligible fraction of the tick energy reserves. While the mechanism that causes the association between Borrelia infection and higher fat content in I. ricinus nymphs remains unknown, the present study complements our previous findings that Borrelia-infected nymphs had higher survival times under desiccating conditions and walked less within a humidity gradient.

European guidelines for quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening and diagnosis: overview and introduction to the full supplement publication

Population-based screening for early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) and precursor lesions, using evidence-based methods, can be effective in populations with a significant burden of the disease provided the services are of high quality. Multidisciplinary, evidence-based guidelines for quality assurance in CRC screening and diagnosis have been developed by experts in a project co-financed by the European Union. The 450-page guidelines were published in book format by the European Commission in 2010.  They include 10 chapters and over 250 recommendations, individually graded according to the strength of the recommendation and the supporting evidence. Adoption of the recommendations can improve and maintain the quality and effectiveness of an entire screening process, including identification and invitation of the target population, diagnosis and management of the disease and appropriate surveillance in people with detected lesions. To make the principles, recommendations and standards in the guidelines known to a wider professional and scientific community and to facilitate their use in the scientific literature, the original content is presented in journal format in an open-access Supplement of Endoscopy. The editors have prepared the present overview to inform readers of the comprehensive scope and content of the guidelines.

Biochemical properties of Xenopus laevis p53

The p53 gene has evolutionarily highly conserved boxes from rainbow trout to man whereas other regions are divergent in different species. In order to define conserved and species specific properties of p53 we analyzed frog p53. Since the commonly available monoclonal antibodies do not react with Xenopus p53 we expressed a recently cloned Xenopus laevis cDNA in bacteria and this protein was used to generate polyclonal antibodies. This antibody recognizes p53 from Xenopus laevis oocytes, baculovirus infected insect cells and p53 from an in vitro transcription/translation reaction but not from somatic Xenopus tissue cells. In contrast to p53 from other species Xenopus p53 is mainly found in the cytoplasm. Xenopus p53 forms mainly tetramers as p53 from other species. Like p53 from other species Xenopus p53 is tightly associated with a protein kinase activity and phosphorylated by this associated enzyme. Xenopus p53 binds strongly to its own RNA without any influence on the translation of p53 mRNA. Thus, Xenopus p53 seems to have some properties in common with p53 from other species and some additional species specific features.

Phosphorylation of wild-type and mutant phenotypes of p53 by an associated protein-kinase

Immunopurified mutant mouse p53 from transformed cells is known to be tightly associated with a protein kinase which phosphorylates p53 in an in vitro kinase reaction. Wild-type p53 from a non-transformed cell line was not associated with a protein kinase whereas immunopurified wild-type p53 from a transformed cell line was tightly associated with a protein kinase which phosphorylated p53. In order to compare wild-type and mutant p53 in the same cellular environment both forms were cloned in a baculovirus expression system and in in vitro transcription/translation vectors and both p53 proteins were expressed in the two systems. Wild-type and mutant p53 from baculovirus infected insect cells were tightly associated with a protein kinase which phosphorylates p53. In contrast, immunopurified wild-type and mutant p53 from an in vitro transcription/translation reaction were not associated with a protein kinase but could be phosphorylated by added casein kinase II. Thus, in the present paper we demonstrate that the association of p53 with a protein kinase and the in vitro phosphorylation of p53 seems to depend on the surrounding cellular environment.

[Botulinum toxin in the treatment of adult spasticity. An interdisciplinary German 10-point consensus 2010]

Spasticity is one of the major causes of functional impairment in adults with lesions of the central nervous system. For instance, approximately 30% of post-stroke patients suffer from different degrees of spasticity with possible consecutive impairments. Numerous studies or meta-analyses showed that local injections of botulinum toxin in spastic muscles lead to dose-dependent reduction in muscle tone and improvement of passive movements (e. g. facilitated care), especially following repeated injections.However, country-specific regulations and patient-remote administration in German health care often do not allow adequate provision of this therapy. Thus, the present consensus statement based on the EBM analyses of the published international literature tries to highlight recent advances and the standard in the field of local spasticity treatment, aiming to facilitate communication between the decision makers and German reimbursement institutions in health care. Prior to initiation of BoNT-A injections, patient-oriented goals should be identified in a multiprofessional context to assure realistic goals for this specific treatment and patient expectations. In Germany for the treatment of focal spasticity following stroke three products have been approved: Botox® (Pharm Allergan, Ettlingen), Dysport® (Ipsen Pharma, Ettlingen) and Xeomin® (Merz Pharma, Frankfurt/Main). For all preparations safety has been repeatedly shown. Functional improvements have also been illustrated for selected patients concerning hand/arm function and gait. The dose per muscle and the selection of muscles to be injected have to be individualized according to the patient's symptoms and should be accompanied by modern neurorehabilitative therapies such as redression or repetitive activation of the injected and antagonistic muscles.