The axion emerges in extensions of the Standard Model that explain the absence of CP violation in the strong interactions. Simultaneously, it can provide naturally the cold dark matter in our ...universe. Several searches for axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) have constrained the corresponding parameter space over the last decades but no unambiguous hints of their existence have been found. The axion mass range below 1 meV remains highly attractive and a well motivated region for dark matter axions. In this White Paper we present a description of a new experiment based on the concept of a dielectric haloscope for the direct search of dark matter axions in the mass range of 40 to 400
μ
eV
. This MAgnetized Disk and Mirror Axion eXperiment (MADMAX) will consist of several parallel dielectric disks, which are placed in a strong magnetic field and with adjustable separations. This setting is expected to allow for an observable emission of axion induced electromagnetic waves at a frequency between 10 to 100 GHz corresponding to the axion mass.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the role of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with respect to potential therapy with somatostatin ...analogue (SST-A) and to assess the response rate under therapy with SST-A.
16 patients with documented progression of histologically confirmed advanced RCC were included. Planar whole-body SRS was performed 4, 24 and 48 h post i.v. injection of 175-200 MBq 111In-pentetreoide. 5 and 25 h p.i. SPECT of thorax and abdomen were performed. Documentation of somatostatin receptor expression via SRS in >50% of known tumour lesions was the criteria for treatment start with SST-A (Sandostatin LAR-Depot 30 mg i.m. every four weeks).
In 9/16 of the patients SRS showed at least one metastasis with moderate (n = 5) or intense (n = 4) tracer uptake. Lesion-based SRS evaluation showed only 12.1% (20/165) of all metastases. Most false-negative lesions were located in the lungs. In two patients, the majority of the known metastases was SRS positive and these patients received SST-A therapy. The first radiographic evaluation after a two-month interval showed progressive disease in both patients.
We conclude that SRS is of limited value in staging of advanced RCC. In our patients SST-A did not result in a growth control of RCC. Consequently, the use of SST-A in advanced RCC seems to be no relevant therapeutic option.
Please cite this paper as: de Graaf J, Schutte J, Poeran J, van Roosmalen J, Bonsel G, Steegers E. Regional differences in Dutch maternal mortality. BJOG 2012;119:582–588.
Objective To study ...regional differences in maternal mortality in the Netherlands.
Design Confidential inquiry into the causes of maternal mortality.
Setting Nationwide.
Population A total of 3 108 235 live births and 337 maternal deaths.
Methods Data analysis of all maternal deaths in the period 1993–2008.
Main outcome measure Maternal mortality.
Results The overall national maternal mortality ratio was 10.8 per 100 000 live births. In the 12 provinces of the Netherlands, the maternal mortality ratio ranged from 6.2 in Noord Brabant to 16.3 per 100 000 live births in Zeeland. In the four largest cities, maternal mortality varied from 9.3 in Amsterdam to 21.0 in Rotterdam. At a national level, the most frequent direct cause was pre‐eclampsia. Increased risks for maternal mortality were found for women living in deprived neighbourhoods (RR 1.41), women from non‐Western origin (RR 1.59), and women who were 35 years or older (RR 1.61).
Conclusion There are significant variations in maternal mortality ratios in the Netherlands between cities, provinces, and neighbourhoods. In addition, higher maternal mortality was observed in women of non‐Western origin and in women who were 35 years of age or older.
Background
Although promising results have been reported for Magnetic Resonance image-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MR-HIFU) treatment of uterine fibroids, this treatment is not yet ...widely implemented in clinical practice. During the implementation of a new technology, lessons are learned and an institutional learning-curve often has to be completed. The primary aim of our prospective cohort study was to characterize our learning-curve based on our clinical outcomes. Secondary aims included identifying our lessons learned during implementation of MR-HIFU on a technical, patient selection, patient counseling, medical specialists and organizational level.
Results
Our first seventy patients showed significant symptom reduction and improvement of quality of life at 3, 6 and 12 months after MR-HIFU treatment compared to baseline. After the first 25 cases, a clear plateau phase was reached in terms of failed treatments. The median non-perfused volume percentage of these first 25 treatments was 44.6% (range: 0–99.7), compared to a median of 74.7% (range: 0–120.6) for the subsequent treatments.
Conclusions
Our findings describe the learning-curve during the implementation of MR-HIFU and include straightforward suggestions to shorten learning-curves for future users. Moreover, the lessons we learned on technique, patient selection, patient counseling, medical specialists and organization, together with the provided supplements, may be of benefit to other institutions aiming to implement MR-HIFU treatment of uterine fibroids.
Trial registration
ISRCTN14634593. Registered January 12, 2021—Retrospectively registered,
https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14634593
.
Soil-borne diseases and weeds can be inhibited by mustard family (Brassicaceae) cover crops that are mowed and incorporated into the soil with tillage—a process referred to as biofumigation. To ...determine whether a fall-seeded mustard cover crop produces enough biomass to be a biofumigant in spring, this study measured the amount of biomass produced by a mixture of ‘Caliente Rojo’ brown mustard ( Brassica juncea ) and ‘Nemat’ arugula ( Eruca sativa ) grown in three commercial fields and a university research farm in southern New Mexico, USA. This study also determined whether the mustard biomass incorporated in the soil inhibits a weed Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri ), but does not affect a cash crop adversely chile pepper ( Capsicum annuum ). Results indicated that, if the mustard cover crop was seeded before the first frost in fall, mustard cover crops produced biomass in quantities sufficient for biofumigation in spring. Mustard biomass incorporated in the soil reduced the survival and germination of Palmer amaranth seeds. Under greenhouse conditions, chile pepper plants grown in soil with mustard cover crop biomass were larger than chile plants grown in soil without mustard biomass. Chile pepper plants in soil with mustard biomass did not show symptoms of Verticillium wilt ( Verticillium dahliae ), whereas such symptoms were found on about 33% of chile pepper plants in soil without mustard biomass. These results suggest that a fall-seeded mustard cover crop that is tilled into the soil in early spring is a potential pest management technique for chile pepper in New Mexico.
We evaluated survival after optimal treatment for acromegaly and assessed the predictive effects of different remission criteria for survival in 164 consecutive acromegalic patients, treated by ...transsphenoidal surgery and adjuvant therapy between 1977 and 2002. The goal of treatment was a mean GH less than 5 mU/liter, a normal glucose-suppressed GH, and a normal IGF-I for age in all patients. Surgery initially cured 108 patients (66%). Adjuvant therapy for persistent disease was given to 49 patients. At the end of follow-up (mean, 12.3 yr), remission rates for surgery and multimodality treatment were 54% and 90%, respectively. In 2033 person-years of follow-up, 28 of 164 patients died, resulting in an observed:expected mortality ratio of 1.3 (confidence interval, 0.87–1.87). Significant predictors for survival were the duration of disease and the postoperative glucose-suppressed GH. The effects of these predictors became less significant with increasing follow-up duration. A time-dependent effect on survival was observed for serial IGF-I concentrations, but not for serial GH concentrations. Of the three remission criteria, IGF-I was the only one to be significantly associated with survival in this study, with a relative risk of 4.78 for an elevated as opposed to a normal IGF-I concentration.
In drought affected regions, alternative water sources and salt tolerant crops have become increasingly important. Although there is extensive documentation describing the response of halophytes to ...NaCl laboratory solutions, limited data exist on their responses to natural brackish groundwater (BGW) and desalination brine concentrate that could be dominated by ions other than Na and Cl. This study investigated the biomass, evapotranspiration (ET), water productivity (WP), and ion uptake responses of three southwestern USA native halophyte species, Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. (fourwing saltbush), A. lentiformis (Torr.) S. Watson (big saltbush), and Lepidium alyssoides A. Gray var. alyssoides (mesa pepperwort). Six-week-old seedlings were irrigated with a nonsaline control treatment electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.6 dS m- 1, CaSO4-dominant BGW (EC ≈ 4 dS m-1), CaSO4-dominant reverse osmosis (RO) desalination concentrate (EC ≈ 8 dS m- 1), and counterpart NaCl-dominant solutions (EC ≈4 or 8 dS m-1). After 6 wk, BGW and low NaCl solutions increased shoot biomass of A. lentiformis by ≈20% but did not stimulate top growth of A. canescens or L. alyssoides. Increasing salinity had no effect on WP of L. alyssoides, but it increased WP of the Atriplex spp. The combined shoot Na and Cl concentrations reached ≈7% of dry wt. in L. alyssoides and 9% to 10% in the Atriplex spp. with no characteristic signs of leaf burn. Conversely, roots were the main sinks for Ca and S, combining for 6% to 7% of dry weight and showing the potential to put the main brine solutes to beneficial use. Markedly similar patterns in growth and water use with the NaCl-only solutions and the CaSO4-dominant solutions suggests a primary role of total salinity in these salinity responses, which in turn supports the use of diverse BGW typesnot just NaCl for halophyte production.
•Gypsiferous groundwater and NaCl elicit similar effects on selected halophytes•CaSO4-dominant water and halophytes provide new lessons in salt and nutrient “mining”•Roots, the “forgotten half” of halophytes, are brine nutrient sinks•Halophytes expose benefits of RO concentrate as a value-added product•Halophytes are a sustainable alternative to desalination brine disposal
Zusammenfassung
Die Behandlung von Weichteiltumoren bei Erwachsenen hat sich in den letzten 8 Jahren durch Erkenntnisse zur differenziellen Chemotherapiesensitivität unterschiedlicher ...histopathologischer Subtypen deutlich verbessert. Zu den bedeutenden Fortschritten zählt die Einführung von Tyrosinkinaseinhibitoren in die Behandlung von gastrointestinalen Stromatumoren und Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Auch vorläufige Ergebnisse zum Einsatz von mTOR-Antagonisten sind vielversprechend. Weitere Schritte mit klinischer Relevanz waren die kürzlich erfolgte Zulassung von Trabectedin für die Behandlung von Lipo- und Leiomyosarkomen, die Identifizierung von Gemcitabin, ggf. in Kombination mit Docetaxel, als effektive Therapie sowohl für uterine Leiomyosarkome als auch für andere Sarkomtypen sowie die Bewertung von Taxanen in der Therapie von Angiosarkomen. Sogar für klassische Substanzen, beispielsweise Doxorubicin und Ifosfamid, zeigt sich zunehmend eine differenzielle Sensitivität unterschiedlicher histopathologischer Subtypen hinsichtlich der Remissionsraten und des progressionsfreien Überlebens. Trotz dieser Fortschritte ist die Prognose für Patienten mit Weichteilsarkomen insgesamt nach wie vor sehr unbefriedigend. Wenn immer möglich, sollten Patienten innerhalb von klinischen Studien behandelt werden.
Overwinter mustard cover crops incorporated into soil may suppress early-season weeds in chile pepper ( Capsicum annuum ). However, the potential for mustard cover crops to harbor beet leafhoppers ( ...Circulifer tenellus ) is a concern because beet leafhoppers transmit beet curly top virus to chile pepper. The objectives of this study were to determine the amounts of a biopesticidal compound (sinigrin) added to soil from ‘Caliente Rojo’ brown mustard ( Brassica juncea ) cover crops ended on three different days before beet leafhopper flights during spring and to determine the effects of the cover crop termination date on weed densities and hand-hoeing times for chile pepper. To address these objectives, a field study was conducted in southern New Mexico. In 2019–20, the cover crop was ended and incorporated into soil 45, 31, and 17 days before beet leafhopper flights. In 2020–21, cover crop termination occurred 36, 22, and 8 days before beet leafhopper flights. Treatments also included a no cover crop control. Cover crop biomass and sinigrin concentrations were determined at each termination. Chile pepper was seeded 28 days after the third termination date. Weed densities and hand-hoeing times were determined 28 and 56 days after chile pepper seeding. In 2019–20, the third termination (17 days before beet leafhopper flights) yielded the maximum cover crop biomass (820 g⋅m −2 ) and greatest sinigrin addition to soil (274 mmol⋅m −2 ). However, only the second termination (31 days before beet leafhopper flights) suppressed weeds in chile pepper. In 2020–21, the third termination (8 days before beet leafhopper flights) yielded the maximum cover crop biomass (591 g⋅m −2 ) and greatest sinigrin addition to soil (213 mmol⋅m −2 ), and it was the only treatment that suppressed weeds. No cover crop treatment reduced hand-hoeing times. These results indicate that overwinter mustard cover crops can be ended to evade beet leafhopper flights and suppress weeds in chile pepper.
Summary
Introduction The treatment of craniopharyngiomas is associated with long‐term morbidity.
Aim of the study To assess the long‐term functional outcome and mortality rates after treatment for ...craniopharyngiomas, we audited our data with special focus on cardiovascular, neurological and psychosocial morbidity.
Patients and methods Between 1965 and 2002, 54 consecutive patients underwent surgery for craniopharyngiomas at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC). Fifteen patients (25%) received additional postoperative radiation therapy. The median follow‐up period was 10 years (range 1–37 years).
Results Long‐term cure rate was 82% and long‐term recurrence rate 18%. Visual fields/visual acuity stabilized or improved in 74% of cases. The long‐term prevalence rate of hypopituitarism was 89%. In addition, long‐term cardiovascular, neurological and psychosocial morbidity rates were high: 22% (risk factors 57%), 49% and 47%, respectively. Female sex was an independent predictor of increased cardiovascular, neurological and psychosocial morbidity (odds ratio 3·78, P = 0·031). Ten patients (18%) died during an 828 person‐year follow‐up. The actuarial patient survival rates 5, 10 and 20 years after the initial operation were 95, 85 and 85%, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 2·88 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·35–4·99.
Conclusion Craniopharyngioma is associated with excessive long‐term multisystem morbidity and mortality, especially in female patients, despite a high cure rate. These observations indicate that dedicated long‐term follow‐up of these patients is required. The purpose of the follow‐up should be: first, to look for recurrences and to ensure appropriate endocrine replacement, especially oestrogen replacement in premenopausal females; and second, to achieve intensive control of glucose, lipids, blood pressure and weight, as in any other patient with increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
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