•The majority of OPC patients are affected from late taste impairment after RT.•Taste markedly improved in the first years from end of RT, but plateaued after year 5.•Treatment site, CTV1 dose and ...age might have an influence on taste impairment.
Taste impairment is a common radiation-induced toxicity in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients acutely. However, data on the potential for recovery and the time dependent course of late taste impairment are limited.
As part of an IRB-approved observational prospective study, HNC patients underwent serial surveys including the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory - Head and Neck module (MDASI-HN). For our analysis, we extracted MDASI-HN taste item results from oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy and at least two taste assessments after ≥1 year from end of radiotherapy (RT).
1214 MDASI taste items from 326 patients between 1 and 13 years post-RT were included. Median prescribed dose to the high-dose clinical target volume (CTV1) was 66.0 Gy, with 180 patients (55%) receiving chemotherapy. Taste markedly improved in the first years from end of RT, but plateaued after year 5. In patients with taste assessment in subsequent years, a significant reduction in taste impairment was found from the second to the third year (p = 0.001) and tended towards significance from the third to the fourth year (p = 0.058). Multivariate analysis revealed treatment site as significant factor in the sixth year from RT and CTV1 dose and age in the seventh year.
Radiation-induced taste impairment may improve over an extended time interval, but becomes relatively stable from year 5 post-RT. Direct characterization of RT-induced taste impairment and the calculation of normal tissue complication probability should include consideration of the time-dependent course in taste recovery.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This paper describes selection and characterization of the landing site for the Mars 2004 Beagle 2 mission. The site is within Isidis Planitia between 10°–12°N, 266°–274°W, centered at 11.6°N, ...269.5°W. This is at low elevation (−3600 to −3900 m MOLA), is flat (MOLA RMS slope = 0.57°), radar data suggest a smoother surface at decimeter to meter scales than the Pathfinder site and it has a moderate rock abundance (2–17%, mean 11%). In addition to this, Isidis shows evidence for concentration and remobilization of volatiles. In particular, the basin contains conical landforms. We favor models involving the formation of tuff cones during magma‐ice interaction. Structures identified as dykes in MOC images may be remnants of magma conduits. The pattern of bulk thermal inertia in Isidis (higher values of 500 Jm−2s−0.5K−1 around the SW‐S‐E margin decreasing toward the center and north) suggests that an influx of sediment spread from the Noachian areas around the southern half of the basin over the basin floor. The coarse, higher thermal inertia material was deposited closest to the sediment source. The variable state of erosion of the tuff cones suggests that they formed intermittently over a long period of time during Amazonian and possibly Hesperian epochs. Geologically recent resurfacing of Isidis has also occurred by aeolian processes, and this is shown by a deficit in impact craters <120 m diameter. The proportion of rocky material is predicted to be slightly less than the Viking and Pathfinder sites, but there will probably be more duricrust.
Background
To test whether the vitamin D status of anesthesia department caregivers practicing at high Northern latitudes is compatible with current recommendations, the 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) ...levels of caregivers at hospitals in Iceland (64°08′ N) and in Wisconsin (43°07′ N) were compared at the end of winter.
Methods
Anesthesia department faculty and resident physicians, non‐physician anesthetists, and critical care nurses completed a questionnaire, and provided blood samples for analysis of 25(OH)D by reverse‐phase high performance liquid chromatography.
Results
One hundred and six participants in Iceland and 124 participants in Wisconsin were enrolled. No difference in mean serum 25(OH)D levels between Iceland 70.53 nmol/l, standard deviation (SD) 30.87 nmol/l and Wisconsin (70.0 nmol/l, SD 30.0 nmol/l) was observed. In Iceland and Wisconsin, 25(OH)D levels below 25 nmol/l were observed in 4.7% and 4.0%, below 50 nmol/l in 34.9% and 25.0%, and below 75 nmol/l in 56.6% and 61.3% of caregivers, respectively.
Conclusions
25(OH)D levels below the 50 nmol/l (20 ng/ml) threshold recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, and below the 75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) threshold recommended by The Endocrine Society, are highly prevalent among anesthesia caregivers working at two Northern hospitals at the end of winter who may otherwise not meet criteria to be tested. Anesthesia and critical care providers may wish to determine their 25(OH)D levels and use effective, safe, and low cost supplementation to target a 25(OH)D level compatible with optimal health.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been considered the standard of care for patients with three-vessel disease (3VD), but long-term comparative results from randomized trials of CABG vs. ...percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES) remain limited.
Patients with de novo 3VD or left main disease were randomly assigned to PCI with the paclitaxel-eluting first-generation stent or CABG in the SYNTAX trial. This pre-specified analysis presents the 5-year outcomes of patients with 3VD (n = 1095). The rate of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) was significantly higher in patients with PCI compared with CABG (37.5 vs. 24.2%, respectively; P < 0.001). Percutaneous coronary intervention as opposed to CABG resulted in significantly higher rates of the composite of death/stroke/myocardial infarction (MI) (22.0 vs. 14.0%, respectively; P < 0.001), all-cause death (14.6 vs. 9.2%, respectively; P = 0.006), MI (9.2 vs. 4.0%, respectively; P = 0.001), and repeat revascularization (25.4 vs. 12.6%, respectively; P < 0.001); however, stroke was similar between groups at 5 years (3.0 vs. 3.5%, respectively; P = 0.66). Results were dependent on lesion complexity (P for interaction = 0.12); in patients with a low (0-22) SYNTAX score, PCI vs. CABG resulted in similar rates of MACCE (33.3% vs. 26.8%, respectively; P = 0.21) but significantly more repeat revascularization (25.4% vs. 12.6%, respectively; P = 0.038), while in intermediate (23-32) or high (≥ 33) SYNTAX score terciles, CABG demonstrated clear superiority in terms of MACCE, death, MI, and repeat revascularization. Differences in MACCE between PCI and CABG were larger in diabetics hazard ratio (HR) = 2.30 than non-diabetics (HR = 1.51), although the P for interaction failed to reach significance for MACCE (P for interaction = 0.095) or any of the other endpoints.
Five-year results of patients with 3VD treated with CABG or PCI using the first-generation paclitaxel-eluting DES suggest that CABG should remain the standard of care as it resulted in significantly lower rates of death, MI, and repeat revascularization, while stroke rates were similar. For patients with low SYNTAX scores, PCI is an acceptable revascularization strategy, although at a price of significantly higher rates of repeat revascularization.
NCT00114972.
Elevations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) have been used to construct a precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The northern ice cap has a maximum elevation of 3 ...kilometers above its surroundings but lies within a 5-kilometer-deep hemispheric depression that is contiguous with the area into which most outflow channels emptied. Polar cap topography displays evidence of modification by ablation, flow, and wind and is consistent with a primarily H$_2$O composition. Correlation of topography with images suggests that the cap was more spatially extensive in the past. The cap volume of 1.2 × 10$^6$ to 1.7 × 10$^6$ cubic kilometers is about half that of the Greenland ice cap. Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of CO$_2$ that condensed out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many clouds exhibit dynamical structure likely caused by the interaction of propagating wave fronts with surface topography.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aims: Characterization of microbial communities present in a surface petroleum seep in which hydrocarbons have been biodegraded for thousands of years in order to improve the understanding on ...natural petroleum biodegradation.
Methods and Results: DNA was extracted from a natural, surface petroleum seep and subjected to culture independent analysis (rRNA gene‐based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and phylogenetic analysis of clone libraries). Molecular analysis suggested dominance by acidophilic bacteria, especially Alphaproteobacteria (mainly bacteria related to Acidiphilium and Acidocella). Archaea were not detected, but fungi were present. pH of the samples was around 3·5.
Conclusions: Acidophilic microbial communities are associated with an acidic petroleum seep.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Microbial community structure analysis gives information on the environmental conditions under which petroleum biodegradation occurs. This knowledge could be applied to define conditions for specific cultivation or activity measurements. The activity of acidophilic micro‐organisms deserves more attention with respect to their involvement in natural petroleum degradation. This knowledge will contribute to the design of oil bioremediation strategies for polluted acidic settings.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
To identify the most likely metabolic disturbances and risk factors for stone formation in a group of patients with calcium oxalate urolithiasis, and to establish the relationship between the ...mineralogical composition of calculi and impaired excretion of inhibitors and promoters of stone formation.
Fifty patients with calcium oxalate urolithiasis were tested using a complex of physicochemical methods. Patients assessment included evaluation of quantitative mineralogical composition of calculi, daily urine pH profile and daily urinary excretion of urates, calcium, magnesium, oxalate, phosphate and citrate ions.
The main mineralogical phase of the stones in over 80% of patients was calcium oxalate monohydrate; none of the patients had pure dihydrate stones. The most frequent metabolic disorders were hypocitraturia, hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria. Predominant risk factors were excessive body weight and insufficient fluid intake. Only one patient had an idiopathic stone formation. It was established for the first time that patients with calcium oxalate stones, containing 10 or more mass percent of apatites had statistically significantly lower daily urinary calcium and oxalate excretion and simultaneously increased phosphate excretion.
The study findings showed that patients with calculi based on calcium oxalate dihydrate should undergo testing for daily urinary excretion of calcium and citrate while pa-tients with calcium oxalate stones containing 10 or more mass percent of apatites should also be tested for daily phosphate excretion and urine pH-profile. Daily urinary citrate excretion was reduced in all study patients, and urate excretion was significantly increased, apparently due to an imbalanced diet and excessive intake of animal protein. Menopausal and postmenopausal women are at a particular risk due to low urinary citrate excretion and high urinary calcium excretion regardless of stone composition.
A new method of computing using DNA plasmids is introduced and the potential advantages are listed. The new method is illustrated by reporting a laboratory computation of an instance of the ...NP-complete algorithmic problem of computing the cardinal number of a maximal independent subset of the vertex set of a graph. A circular DNA plasmid, specifically designed for this method of molecular computing, was constructed. This computational plasmid contains a specially inserted series of DNA sequence segments, each of which is bordered by a characteristic pair of restriction enzyme sites. For the computation reported here, the DNA sequence segments of this series were used to represent the vertices of the graph being investigated. By applying a scheme of enzymatic treatments to the computational plasmids, modified plasmids were generated from which the solution of the computational problem was selected. This new method of computing is applicable to a wide variety of algorithmic problems. Further computations in this style are in progress.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
A classification and documentation of the range of morphologic features and structures of volcanic origin on Venus, their size distribution, and their global distribution and associations are ...presented based on a preliminary analysis of Magellan data. Some of the major questions about volcanism on Venus are addressed.
Objective: To investigate whether phosphorylated tau protein (tau-pT181) is increased in variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) and if the tau-pT181/tau protein ratio is useful for distinguishing ...between patients with and without CJD. Methods: CSF tau protein and tau-pT181 were measured in 50 patients with sporadic CJD (sCJD), 51 patients with vCJD, 46 sCJD controls, and 37 vCJD controls, using Innotest hTau and Innotest P-Thr181, Innogenetics. Results: Concentrations of CSF tau protein were increased in sCJD (5120 v 367 pg/ml in controls, p<0.001) and vCJD (952 v 106 pg/ml, p<0.001); tau-pT181 was also raised in sCJD (61 v 35 pg/ml in controls, p = 0.002) and vCJD (114 v 33 pg/ml, p<0.001). Median concentrations of tau-pT181 were higher in vCJD than in sCJD (p<0.001). The tau-pT181/tau protein ratio was lower than in controls in both sCJD (12 v 128 (p<0.001)) and vCJD (119 v 279 (p<0.001)). Mean tau-pT181/tau protein ratio was 10-fold higher in vCJD than in sCJD. Raised CSF tau protein had the highest efficiency for distinguishing sCJD and vCJD from controls. Conclusions: CSF tau-pT181 concentrations are raised in vCJD and are higher than in sCJD. Measurement of CSF tau-pT181/tau protein ratio does not improve the diagnostic efficiency of CSF tau protein alone for either vCJD or sCJD. The higher concentration of CSF tau-pT181 found in vCJD suggests that unexplained pathogenic factors influence the phosphorylation of tau protein in vCJD patients.
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