Proton radiotherapy significantly reduces pneumonia in oesophageal cancer patients.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgical resection is the current standard of care for oesophageal cancer (EC) patients. This treatment is associated with a variety of complications, with pneumonia being the most common. We hypothesize that proton radiotherapy (PRT) can significantly reduce the incidence of pneumonia compared to photon radiotherapy (PhRT).

Characterization of Leaf Rust Resistance in International Barley Germplasm Using Genome-Wide Association Studies.

A panel of 114 genetically diverse barley lines were assessed in the greenhouse and field for resistance to the pathogen , the causal agent of barley leaf rust. Multi-pathotype tests revealed that 16.6% of the lines carried the all-stage resistance (ASR) gene , followed by (4.

Development of a consensus-based delineation guideline for locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Background And Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is used in locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) to increase chances of a radical surgical resection. Delineation in LRRC is hampered by complex disease presentation and limited clinical exposure. Within the PelvEx II trial, evaluating the benefit of chemotherapy preceding nCRT for LRRC, a delineation guideline was developed by an expert LRRC team.

Robustness assessment of clinical adaptive proton and photon radiotherapy for oesophageal cancer in the model-based approach.

Purpose: In the Netherlands, oesophageal cancer (EC) patients are selected for intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) using the expected normal tissue complication probability reduction (ΔNTCP) when treating with IMPT compared to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). In this study, we evaluate the robustness of the first EC patients treated with IMPT in our clinic in terms of target and organs-at-risk (OAR) dose with corresponding NTCP, as compared to VMAT.

Materials And Methods: For 20 consecutive EC patients, clinical IMPT and VMAT plans were created on the average planning 4DCT.

Risk of ischaemic cerebrovascular events in head and neck cancer patients is associated with carotid artery radiation dose.

Background And Purpose: Radiotherapy in the head and neck area may cause vascular damage to the carotid arteries, increasing the risk of anterior circulation ischaemic cerebrovascular events (ICVEs). However, limited data exists on the relationship between radiation dose to the carotid arteries and risk of ICVE. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the relationship between radiation dose to the carotid arteries and anterior circulation ICVE risk.

Towards the clinical implementation of intensity-modulated proton therapy for thoracic indications with moderate motion: Robust optimised plan evaluation by means of patient and machine specific information.

Purpose: Compared to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), clinical benefits are anticipated when treating thoracic tumours with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). However, the current concern of plan robustness as a result of motion hampers its wide clinical implementation. To define an optimal protocol to treat lung and oesophageal cancers, we present a comprehensive evaluation of IMPT planning strategies, based on patient 4DCTs and machine log files.

Late-Maturity Alpha-Amylase in Wheat () and Its Impact on Fresh White Sauce Qualities.

When wheat experiences a cold-temperature 'shock' during the late stage of grain filling, it triggers the abnormal synthesis of late-maturity -amylase (LMA). This increases the enzyme content in affected grain, which can lead to a drastic reduction in falling number (FN). By commercial standards, a low FN is taken as an indication of inferior quality, deemed unsuitable for end-product usage.

Lessons from a GWAS study of a wheat pre-breeding program: pyramiding resistance alleles to Fusarium crown rot.

Much has been published on QTL detection for complex traits using bi-parental and multi-parental crosses (linkage analysis) or diversity panels (GWAS studies). While successful for detection, transferability of results to real applications has proven more difficult. Here, we combined a QTL detection approach using a pre-breeding populations which utilized intensive phenotypic selection for the target trait across multiple plant generations, combined with rapid generation turnover (i.

A comprehensive motion analysis - consequences for high precision image-guided radiotherapy of esophageal cancer patients.

Background And Purpose: When treating patients for esophageal cancer (EC) with photon or proton radiotherapy (RT), breathing motion of the target and neighboring organs may result in deviations from the planned dose distribution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the magnitude and dosimetric impact of breathing motion. Results were based on comparing weekly 4D computed tomography (4D CT) scans with the planning CT, using the diaphragm as an anatomical landmark for EC.

Weekly robustness evaluation of intensity-modulated proton therapy for oesophageal cancer.

Background And Purpose: Intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) is expected to result in clinical benefits by lowering radiation dose to organs-at-risk (OARs). However, there are concerns about plan robustness due to motion. To address this uncertainty we evaluated the robustness of IMPT compared to the widely clinically used volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) on weekly repeated computed tomographies (CT).

Investigation of inter-fraction target motion variations in the context of pencil beam scanned proton therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Purpose: For locally advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), inter-fraction target motion variations during the whole time span of a fractionated treatment course are assessed in a large and representative patient cohort. The primary objective is to develop a suitable motion monitoring strategy for pencil beam scanning proton therapy (PBS-PT) treatments of NSCLC patients during free breathing.

Methods: Weekly 4D computed tomography (4DCT; 41 patients) and daily 4D cone beam computed tomography (4DCBCT; 10 of 41 patients) scans were analyzed for a fully fractionated treatment course.

Organ sparing potential and inter-fraction robustness of adaptive intensity modulated proton therapy for lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to compare adaptive intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) robustness and organ sparing capabilities with that of adaptive volumetric arc photon therapy (VMAT). Eighteen lung cancer patients underwent a planning 4DCT (p4DCT) and 5 weekly repeated 4DCT (r4DCT) scans. Target volumes and organs at risk were manually delineated on the three-dimensional (3D) average scans of the p4DCT (av_p4DCT) and of the r4DCT scans (av_r4DCT).

Artificial Fusion of mCherry Enhances Trehalose Transferase Solubility and Stability.

LeLoir glycosyltransferases are important biocatalysts for the production of glycosidic bonds in natural products, chiral building blocks, and pharmaceuticals. Trehalose transferase (TreT) is of particular interest since it catalyzes the stereo- and enantioselective α,α-(1→1) coupling of a nucleotide sugar donor and monosaccharide acceptor for the synthesis of disaccharide derivatives. Heterologously expressed thermophilic trehalose transferases were found to be intrinsically aggregation prone and are mainly expressed as catalytically active inclusion bodies in To disfavor protein aggregation, the thermostable protein mCherry was explored as a fluorescent protein tag.

Speed breeding is a powerful tool to accelerate crop research and breeding.

The growing human population and a changing environment have raised significant concern for global food security, with the current improvement rate of several important crops inadequate to meet future demand . This slow improvement rate is attributed partly to the long generation times of crop plants. Here, we present a method called 'speed breeding', which greatly shortens generation time and accelerates breeding and research programmes.

Application of Multiple Imputation for Missing Values in Three-Way Three-Mode Multi-Environment Trial Data.

It is a common occurrence in plant breeding programs to observe missing values in three-way three-mode multi-environment trial (MET) data. We proposed modifications of models for estimating missing observations for these data arrays, and developed a novel approach in terms of hierarchical clustering. Multiple imputation (MI) was used in four ways, multiple agglomerative hierarchical clustering, normal distribution model, normal regression model, and predictive mean match.

Simulated breeding with QU-GENE graphical user interface.

Comparing the efficiencies of breeding methods with field experiments is a costly, long-term process. QU-GENE is a highly flexible genetic and breeding simulation platform capable of simulating the performance of a range of different breeding strategies and for a continuum of genetic models ranging from simple to complex. In this chapter we describe some of the basic mechanics behind the QU-GENE user interface and give a simplified example of how it works.

Origin of leaf rust adult plant resistance gene Rph20 in barley.

Rph20 is the only reported, simply inherited gene conferring moderate to high levels of adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust (Puccinia hordei Otth) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Key parental genotypes were examined to determine the origin of Rph20 in two-rowed barley.

Occurrence of LINE, gypsy-like, and copia-like retrotransposons in the clonally propagated sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Retrotransposons are a class of transposable elements that represent a major fraction of the repetitive DNA of most eukaryotes. Their abundance stems from their expansive replication strategies. We screened and isolated sequence fragments of long terminal repeat (LTR), gypsy-like reverse transcriptase (rt) and gypsy-like envelope (env) domains, and two partial sequences of non-LTR retrotransposons, long interspersed element (LINE), in the clonally propagated allohexaploid sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.

Development and characterization of microsatellite loci for Khaya senegalensis (Meliaceae)1.

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite loci were developed to characterize genetic variation and population subdivision in Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss.

Mapping Rph20: a gene conferring adult plant resistance to Puccinia hordei in barley.

A doubled haploid (DH) barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) population of 334 lines (ND24260 × Flagship) genotyped with DArT markers was used to map genes for adult plant resistance (APR) to leaf rust (Puccinia hordei Otth) under field conditions in Australia and Uruguay. The Australian barley cultivar Flagship carries an APR gene (qRphFlag) derived from the cultivar Vada.

Impact of depth of pedigree and inclusion of historical data on the estimation of additive variance and breeding values in a sugarcane breeding program.

Sugarcane breeders in Australia combine data across four selection programs to obtain estimates of breeding value for parents. When these data are combined with full pedigree information back to founding parents, computing limitations mean it is not possible to obtain information on all parents. Family data from one sugarcane selection program were analysed using two different genetic models to investigate how different depths of pedigree and amount of data affect the reliability of estimating breeding value of sugarcane parents.

Genetic maps for Pinus elliottii var. elliottii and P. caribaea var. hondurensis using AFLP and microsatellite markers.

Genetic maps for individual Pinus elliottii var. elliottii and P. caribaea var.

Variation in branchlet delta13C in relation to branchlet nitrogen concentration and growth in 8-year-old hoop pine families (Araucaria cunninghamii) in subtropical Australia.

Carbon isotope composition (delta13C) of branchlet tissue at nine canopy positions, and nitrogen concentration (N(mass)) at four canopy positions, were assessed in 8-year-old hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii Ait. ex D. Don) trees from 23 half-sib families, grown in six blocks of a progeny test in southeastern Queensland, Australia.