Complex Physiological Response of Norway Spruce to Atmospheric Pollution - Decreased Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Unchanged Tree Biomass Increment.

Atmospheric pollution critically affects forest ecosystems around the world by directly impacting the assimilation apparatus of trees and indirectly by altering soil conditions, which subsequently also leads to changes in carbon cycling. To evaluate the extent of the physiological effect of moderate level sulfate and reactive nitrogen acidic deposition, we performed a retrospective dendrochronological analysis of several physiological parameters derived from periodic measurements of carbon stable isotope composition ((13)C discrimination, intercellular CO2 concentration and intrinsic water use efficiency) and annual diameter increments (tree biomass increment, its inter-annual variability and correlation with temperature, cloud cover, precipitation and Palmer drought severity index). The analysis was performed in two mountain Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands of the Bohemian Forest (Czech Republic, central Europe), where moderate levels of pollution peaked in the 1970s and 1980s and no evident impact on tree growth or link to mortality has been reported.

[Current Possibilities for Predicting Responses to EGFR Blockade in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer].

Background: The combination of modern systemic chemotherapy and anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies improves overall survival and quality of life for patients with metastatic colorecal cancer. By contrast, the addition of anti-EGFR therapy to the treatment regime of resistant patients may lead to worse progression-free survival and overall survival. Therefore, identifying sensitive and resistant patients prior to targeted therapy of metastatic colorecal cancer is a key point during the initial decision making process.

Exploring the role of sphingolipid machinery during the epithelial to mesenchymal transition program using an integrative approach.

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) program is activated in epithelial cancer cells and facilitates their ability to metastasize based on enhanced migratory, proliferative, anti-apoptotic, and pluripotent capacities. Given the fundamental impact of sphingolipid machinery to each individual process, the sphingolipid-related mechanisms might be considered among the most prominent drivers/players of EMT; yet, there is still limited knowledge. Given the complexity of the interconnected sphingolipid system, which includes distinct sphingolipid mediators, their synthesizing enzymes, receptors and transporters, we herein apply an integrative approach for assessment of the sphingolipid-associated mechanisms underlying EMT program.

Long-term approach to patients with postsurgical seizures.

Objective: The main purpose of the study was to analyze the long-term outcomes and therapeutic approaches for patients with seizures within the first year after surgery. The secondary aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between 1-year outcome and long-term outcome and choice of therapy.

Methods: Our study was a retrospective investigation of the long-term outcomes of 95 patients (33.

Decreased expression levels of PIWIL1, PIWIL2, and PIWIL4 are associated with worse survival in renal cell carcinoma patients.

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a newly discovered class of small non-coding RNAs involved in silencing of transposable elements and in sequence-specific chromatin modifications. PIWI proteins (PIWIL), which belong to the family of Argonaute genes/proteins, bind to piRNAs and function mainly in germ line cells, but more recently were described to be functional also in stem cells and cancer cells. To date, there have been four PIWI proteins discovered in humans: PIWIL1, PIWIL2, PIWIL3, and PIWIL4.

Atomization of Bismuthane in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge: A Mechanistic Study.

Atomization of bismuthane in a planar dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atomizer was investigated using a variety of probes, including atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) to monitor distribution of free atoms along the optical path and direct analysis in real time (DART) coupled to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer to identify the structure of the species arising from the hydride generator as well as the atomizer. Results obtained with the DBD were compared to those from a conventional externally heated quartz tube atomizer (QTA). Free Bi atoms were essentially absent outside the central part of the DBD atomizer, suggesting their high reactivity.

Outcomes for Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Achieving a Complete Response on Targeted Therapy: A Registry-based Analysis.

Background: It is currently not known whether treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) can be safely discontinued in patients achieving a complete response (CR).

Objective: To assess outcomes for patients with mRCC achieving CR on targeted therapy (TT) and the survival of patients discontinuing TT after CR.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A national registry was used to identify patients achieving CR during first-line TT using bevacizumab, sunitinib, sorafenib, or pazopanib.

MiR-205 functions as a tumor suppressor in adenocarcinoma and an oncogene in squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus.

Esophageal cancer is a malignant disease with poor prognosis, increasing incidence, and ineffective treatment options. MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression involved in many biological processes including carcinogenesis. We determined miR-205 expression levels in tumor/non-tumor tissues of 45 esophageal cancer patients using qPCR and found that decreased level of miR-205 in tumor tissue correlates with poor overall survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients.

MiR-338-5p sensitizes glioblastoma cells to radiation through regulation of genes involved in DNA damage response.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain tumor. Despite radical surgery and radiotherapy supported by chemotherapy, the disease still remains incurable with an extremely low median survival rate of 12-15 months from the time of initial diagnosis. The main cause of treatment failure is considered to be the presence of cells that are resistant to the treatment.

[Retrospective NGS Study in High-risk Hereditary Cancer Patients at Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute].

Background: Currently, more than 200 hereditary cancer syndromes have been described, yet, in most countries genetic testing is restricted to a narrow spectrum of genes within a limited group of people tested.

Methods: For this retrospective study we used the TruSight cancer panel (Illumina)--NGS panel targeting 94 cancer predisposition genes in order to analyze 50 high-risk cancer patients with significant personal and family history of cancer who did not carry mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, TP53 or APC genes. All pathogenic and potentially pathogenic mutations detected by NGS technology have been confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

[Recommended Extension of Indication Criteria for Genetic Testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome].

Genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is indicated by a genetic counselor on the basis of personal and family history evaluation, with regards to consensual criteria, reflecting the current knowledge. The latest recommendation accepted by Czech Oncology Society and Society of Medical Genetics was published in the supplement 22 to the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2009. Since the availability of PARP inhibitors for treatment of ovarian cancer in BRCA1/ 2 mutation carriers, an update of these guidelines is urgently needed.

[Immunotherapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer].

The immune system is believed to play a dual role in carcinogenesis. On one hand, it could prompt tumorigenesis and cancer progression, on the other hand, it has the capacity to eradicate tumor cells. There has been an evidence of natural immunogenicity in breast cancer and we have also witnessed several attempts to stimulate non-specific antitumor immune response (Coleys toxin, BCG vaccine etc.

[Triple Negative Breast Cancer].

Background: In the Czech Republic, around 6,500 women get breast cancer each year; out of this number, nearly 1,000 women are triple negative subtype. Triple negative breast cancer is characterized by lack of expression of α-estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Vast majority of these cases are low-differentiated carcinomas, majority belonging to the basal-like subgroup defined originally by DNA chips.

Could tight junctions regulate the barrier function of the aged skin?

The skin is known to be the largest organ in human organism creating interface with outer environment. The skin provides protective barrier against pathogens, physical and chemical insults, and against uncontrolled loss of water. The barrier function was primarily attributed to the stratum corneum (SC) but recent studies confirmed that epidermal tight junctions (TJs) also play important role in maintaining barrier properties of the skin.

Old World megadroughts and pluvials during the Common Era.

Climate model projections suggest widespread drying in the Mediterranean Basin and wetting in Fennoscandia in the coming decades largely as a consequence of greenhouse gas forcing of climate. To place these and other "Old World" climate projections into historical perspective based on more complete estimates of natural hydroclimatic variability, we have developed the "Old World Drought Atlas" (OWDA), a set of year-to-year maps of tree-ring reconstructed summer wetness and dryness over Europe and the Mediterranean Basin during the Common Era. The OWDA matches historical accounts of severe drought and wetness with a spatial completeness not previously available.

Prediction of response to anti-EGFR antibody-based therapies by multigene sequencing in colorectal cancer patients.

Background: The anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (moAbs) cetuximab or panitumumab are administered to colorectal cancer (CRC) patients who harbor wild-type RAS proto-oncogenes. However, a percentage of patients do not respond to this treatment. In addition to mutations in the RAS genes, mutations in other genes, such as BRAF, PI3KCA, or PTEN, could be involved in the resistance to anti-EGFR moAb therapy.

Long non-coding RNA ZFAS1 interacts with CDK1 and is involved in p53-dependent cell cycle control and apoptosis in colorectal cancer.

We determined expression of 83 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and identified ZFAS1 to be significantly up-regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue. In cohort of 119 CRC patients we observed that 111 cases displayed at least two-times higher expression of ZFAS1 in CRC compared to paired normal colorectal tissue (P < 0.0001).

MicroRNA expression profiling identifies miR-31-5p/3p as associated with time to progression in wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab.

The aim of our study was to investigate whether microRNAs (miRNAs) could serve as predictive biomarkers to anti-EGFR therapy (cetuximab, panitumumab) in patients with RAS wild-type (wt-RAS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Historical cohort of 93 patients with mCRC (2006-2009) was included and further divided into exploratory and validation cohorts. MiRNAs expression profiling was performed on the exploratory cohort of 41 wt-KRAS mCRC patients treated with cetuximab to identify miRNAs associated with time to progression (TTP).

Occurrence and Fate of Trace Contaminants during Aerobic and Anaerobic Sludge Digestion and Dewatering.

Digestion of municipal wastewater biosolids is a necessary prerequisite to their beneficial use in land application, in order to protect public health and the receiving environment. In this study, 13 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), 11 musks, and 17 polybrominated diphenyl ethers were analyzed in 84 samples including primary sludge, waste activated sludge, digested biosolids, dewatered biosolids, and dewatering centrate or filtrate collected from five wastewater treatment plants with aerobic or anaerobic digestion. Aerobic digestion processes were sampled during both warm and cold temperatures to analyze seasonal differences.

Combination of MiR-378 and MiR-210 Serum Levels Enables Sensitive Detection of Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Serum microRNAs are emerging as a clinically useful tool for early and non-invasive detection of various cancer types including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Based on our previous results, we performed the study to analyze circulating serum miR-378 and miR-210 in patients with various histological subtypes of RCC. RNA was purified from blood serum samples of 195 RCC patients and 100 healthy controls.

Legacy of Pre-Disturbance Spatial Pattern Determines Early Structural Diversity following Severe Disturbance in Montane Spruce Forests.

Background: Severe canopy-removing disturbances are native to many temperate forests and radically alter stand structure, but biotic legacies (surviving elements or patterns) can lend continuity to ecosystem function after such events. Poorly understood is the degree to which the structural complexity of an old-growth forest carries over to the next stand. We asked how pre-disturbance spatial pattern acts as a legacy to influence post-disturbance stand structure, and how this legacy influences the structural diversity within the early-seral stand.