Physiological and morphological correlates of whole-plant light compensation point in temperate deciduous tree seedlings.

A range of traits, including metabolic costs, biomass allocation and seed reserves, may contribute to interspecific variation in the shade tolerance of tree seedlings. In addition, shade tolerance may be affected by differential responses of species to soil resource availability at low light. We used a custom-built whole-plant gas-exchange chamber to quantify instantaneous whole-plant light compensation point (WPLCP) and to parameterize whole-plant daily C gain models for seedlings of eight temperate deciduous tree species. We examined the relationship of WPLCP to growth, biomass allocation and gas-exchange under high and low light and nutrient availabilities and compared it to WPCLP of naturally recruited saplings. For species showing a response, both increased light and nutrient availability resulted in increased WPLCP. However, species' responses to resource availability did not correspond closely with shade tolerance as has generally been predicted. Variation in WPLCP within species was best predicted by whole-plant dark respiration rates, leaf-level light compensation point and leaf mass per area. Among species, seed size was a strong negative correlate of WPLCP, explaining 66% of the variation. Species with the lowest WPLCP maintained lower growth rates across treatments but greater biomass in the low-light treatment compared with more light-demanding species. These data suggest that a number of traits, in particular metabolic costs and seed size, contribute to WPLCP. However, gas-exchange-based WPLCP was 1.5-3.5 times lower than corresponding growth-based field estimates of WPLCP, suggesting that other factors such as biotic interactions or ontogenetic shifts in whole-plant light requirements may substantially increase species' WPLCP under natural conditions.

Leaf optical responses to light and soil nutrient availability in temperate deciduous trees.

Leaf optical parameters influence light availability at the cellular, leaf, and canopy scale of integration. While recent studies have focused on leaf optical responses to acute plant stress, the effects of changes in plant resources on leaf optics remain poorly characterized. We examined leaf optical and anatomical responses of five temperate deciduous tree species to moderate changes in nutrient and light availability. Spectral reflectance in the visible waveband generally increased at high light, but decreased with increased nutrient availability. Patterns of both spectral reflectance and absorptance were primarily determined by chlorophyll concentration although carotenoid concentration was also influential. While most anatomical features did not explain residual variation in reflectance, cuticle thickness was significantly related to reflectance at complementary angles compared to the angle of incidence. Absorptance did not change with light environment; however, absorption efficiency per unit biomass increased by approximately 40% under low light, due to reduced leaf mass per area. We conclude that changes in resource availability differentially influence leaf optical properties and that such changes are driven primarily by changes in pigment concentrations. The magnitude of leaf optical responses to moderate changes in resource availability was comparable to those of acute stress responses and varied among species.

Diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas in vulvar cancer.

Invasive vulvar cancer is rare. The etiology of vulvar cancer is incompletely understood. Human papilloma virus is known to be the major causal factor. The keystep in the diagnosis is punch biopsy with attention to unifocal or multifocal lesions and involvement of adjacent regions. The therapeutic procedure is based mostly on histomorphologic parameters e.g. unifocal/multifocal lesion, localisation, tumor typing/grading, depth of invasion; the goal of these morphologic and morphometric parameters is to reduce radicality in order to avoid postoperative morbidity without jeopardising the chances of cure. This individualization considers treatment options in both the vulvar and the groin.

[Aspects of birth and breastfeeding from children with cleft palate]. / Aspekte von Geburt und Stillen von Kindern mit Spaltbildungen.

Cleft lip and palate are the second most congenital malformations--with increasing incidence. Therefore it is even more important for the involved gynaecologist to be informed about the anomaly itself as well as its consequences according to children's nutrition. The aim of this article is to focus on this problem and to present help for breastfeeding and nutrition with human milk.

[Introduction of an occupational group-spreading EDP-commission -increase of transparency and compliance]. / Einführung einer berufsgruppenübergreifenden EDV-Kommission -Erhöhung von Transparenz und Compliance.

The rising use of the EDP in hospitals of each order of magnitude raises different problems. Since each field of activity has own hard and software requests, this leads first of all to a multiplicity of heterogeneous isolated solutions, which make economic maintenance and servicing much more difficult. Besides redundancies and bad investments are pre-programmed. Secondly the central assignment for hard and software often takes place according to obscure and sometimes unreasonable criteria. Thirdly the coworkers, who are to operate locally with appropriate systems, frequently as the latter or not at all involved with the consequence of a contraproductive or boycotting adjustment of the coworkers and from this resulting reduction of the data quality. As solution for this in the Klinikum Krefeld was created 1995 a EDP-commission of the hospital physicians, that functions as official organ of the directors of hospital in EDP interests. The chronology and the solutions for the described problems are represented. - Due to the positive results of this institution in logical consequence 1999 a occupational group-spreading EDV commission was brought into being, which represents medical and nursery service, administration and EDP department and advises in all EDP interests both with strategic decisions the managing director as partner for the coworkers in EDP problems functions The chronology, the personnel composition as well as the agenda of the EDP-commission are represented. After our knowledge a such commission in Germany was not institutionalized yet, so that we want to energize to likewise transfer this due to our throughout positive experiences in the own hospital.

Diaphragmatic eventration : an uncommon presentation of a phrenic nerve schwannoma.

We describe a patient who presented with a left lower lobe lung lesion suspicious for cancer with possible hilar involvement. Intraoperatively, we found a primary left phrenic nerve tumor, diaphragmatic eventration, and left lower lobe atelectasis. He was successfully treated with total excision of the tumor and plication of the diaphragm. Histopathology was consistent with schwannoma of the phrenic nerve. Diaphragmatic eventration is an uncommon presentation of a phrenic nerve schwannoma, which is itself a rarely occurring tumor. Surgical resection of the tumor and diaphragmatic plication is the primary modality of management in these patients.

[Results of adjuvant chemotherapy of operated high risk cervix carcinoma]. / Ergebnisse der adjuvanten Chemotherapie des operierten High-Risk-Zervixkarzinoms.

Patients with carcinoma of the cervix and histologically proven blood vessel invasion have a poor prognosis. At the I. Frauenklinik der Universität München, 34 women were enrolled for a prospective study and were alternatively treated with or without adjuvant chemotherapy (carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil). Of the 28 patients included in the follow-up (14 with/14 without chemotherapy), 12 patients died (5 with/7 without chemotherapy). The disease-free interval was 18.6 months in the group treated with chemotherapy compared to 29.3 months in the group without chemotherapy. There is no statistically significant difference in the survival of patients with blood vessel invasion in relationship to adjuvant chemotherapy following radical hysterectomy.

[Risk of hematogenous metastasis of cancer of the uterine cervix]. / Uber das Risiko der hämatogenen Fernmetastasierung beim Karzinom der Cervix uteri.

Metastasis development in cervical cancer was analysed retrospectively to determine whether haematogenic metastases occurred with higher frequency in younger women than in older women. Based on clinical and morphologic data, parameters for the identification of a high-risk group for the development of haematogenic metastases were established. The data of 533 patients who underwent therapy at the University Women's Hospital Berlin-Charlottenburg from 1970 to 1984 were evaluated. 11.8% of these patients developed haematogenic metastases. No significant difference was found in the 5-year risk for development of haematogenic metastases between different age groups. Furthermore, no increase in the incidence of haematogenic metastases was found in women under 35 years in the course of time. The influence of pretreatment characteristics for the development of haematogenic metastases was assessed in 185 patients who underwent surgery for cervical cancer from 1979 to 1984. Univariate as well as multivariate regression analysis of histopathologic characteristics in the surgical specimens revealed blood vessel invasion, tumour grading, dissociated tumour growth, and number of mitoses as important parameters for the occurrence of haematogenic metastases. In this study group, patient age strongly influenced the occurrence of haematogenic metastases. In contrast, prognostic parameters for the development of local recurrence of the disease were derived from morphologic data which described the locoregional spread of the tumour (staging, tumour growth beyond the cervix, involvement of the corpus uteri, and lymph node involvement).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Increasing incidence of HELLP syndrome. Diagnosis and treatment]. / Das zunehmend häufigere HELLP-Syndrom. Diagnostik und Behandlung.

QUESTION: The HELLP Syndrome as a complication of severe preeclampsia is becoming more frequent; because of the high risk for mother and child the immediate diagnostic and consistent therapy is of great importance. METHODS AND RESULTS: From 1989 to 1992 there were in the Frauenklinik Krefeld 17 out of 5413 deliveries with HELLP Syndrome (3.1/1000). The combination of symptoms were different: Clinical symptoms as upper abdominal pain were present in 76% (13/17), hypertension in 70% (11/17). Typical laboratory parameters as increased level of LDH were seen in 94% (16/17), elevated liver enzymes in 88% (15/17) and thrombocytopenia in 82% (14/17). It was, for the most part, primiparas from 32nd to 38th gestational week. All patients were delivered directly after diagnosis had been made by cesarean section. In one of the cases we was forced to carry out the hysterectomy because of unstoppable bleeding of placenta increta. Other complications did not occur, all the patients were released from hospital after the usual period of hospitalization without any further complaints. Regarding the children there was one case of infans mortuus, no fetus died peri- or postpartal. The complication rate was 25% (4/16). However all children were released after intensive pediatric treatment, the results of pediatric controls were all normal. CONCLUSION: By means of early diagnosis and immediate delivery it is possible to reach a significant improvement of prognosis for mother and child, even in a disease as serious as HELLP Syndrome.