Adaptability and phenotypic stability of soybean cultivars for grain yield and oil content.

The aim of this study was to verify the adaptability and stability of soybean cultivars with regards to yield and oil content. Data of soybean yield and oil content were used from experiments set up in six environments in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 crop seasons in the municipalities of Patos de Minas, Uberaba, Lavras, and São Gotardo, Minas Gerais, Brazil, testing 36 commercial soybean cultivars of both conventional and transgenic varieties. The Wricke method and GGE biplot analysis were used to evaluate adaptability and stability of these cultivars. Large variations were observed in grain yield in relation to the different environments studied, showing that these materials are adaptable. The cultivars exhibited significant differences in oil content. The cultivars BRSGO204 (Goiânia) and BRSMG (Garantia) exhibited the greatest average grain yield in the different environments studied, and the cultivar BRSMG 760 SRR had the greatest oil content among the cultivars evaluated. Ecovalence was adopted to identify the most stable cultivars, and the estimates were nearly uniform both for grain yield and oil content, showing a variation of 0.07 and 0.01%, respectively. The GGE biplot was efficient at identifying cultivars with high adaptability and phenotype stability.

The new ICP minimally invasive method shows that the Monro-Kellie doctrine is not valid.

The Monro-Kellie doctrine states that the interior of the cranium is formed of three main components: blood, fluid and cerebral parenchyma. An increase in the volume of one or more components may increase the intracranial pressure (ICP). This doctrine also affirms that the skull cannot be expanded after the closure of the fontanels. Monro and Kellie's theory has been perfected during the last two centuries. This study leads to a new contribution that proves that even adults' consolidated skulls present volumetric changes as a consequence of ICP variations.

Association of drug metabolism gene polymorphisms with toxicities, graft-versus-host disease and survival after HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with leukemia.

Individual differences in drug efficacy or toxicity can be influenced by genetic factors. We investigated whether polymorphisms of pharmacogenes that interfere with metabolism of drugs used in conditioning regimen and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis could be associated with outcomes after HLA-identical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Pharmacogenes and their polymorphisms were studied in 107 donors and patients with leukemia receiving HSCT. Candidate genes were: P450 cytochrome family (CYP2B6), glutathione-S-transferase family (GST), multidrug-resistance gene, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). The end points studied were oral mucositis (OM), hemorrhagic cystitis (HC), toxicity and venoocclusive disease of the liver (VOD), GvHD, transplantation-related mortality (TRM) and survival. Multivariate analyses, using death as a competing event, were performed adjusting for clinical factors. Among other clinical and genetic factors, polymorphisms of CYP2B6 genes that interfere with cyclophosphamide metabolism were associated with OM (recipient CYP2B6(*)4; P=0.0067), HC (recipient CYP2B6(*)2; P=0.03) and VOD (donor CYP2B6(*)6; P=0.03). Recipient MTHFR polymorphisms (C677T) were associated with acute GvHD (P=0.03), and recipient VDR TaqI with TRM and overall survival (P=0.006 and P=0.04, respectively).Genetic factors that interfere with drug metabolisms are associated with treatment-related toxicities, GvHD and survival after HLA-identical HSCT in patients with leukemia and should be investigated prospectively.

Dealing with metastatic breast cancer in elderly women: results from a French study on a large cohort carried out by the 'Observatory on Elderly Patients'.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of elderly patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is not clearly defined and seems to vary according to the subjective appreciation of the physician. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After interviewing 107 French specialists qualified in oncology, data concerning 1009 MBC patients were collected: 500 patients were between 65 and 74 years and 509 were >75 years of age. Differences in diagnosis and treatment strategy were analyzed for both age groups to identify the physician's criteria of choice and the eventual use of the geriatric assessment among those criteria. RESULTS: At diagnosis, synchronous metastatic disease was more frequent in patients over 75 years old (52% versus 39%; P<0.001). Physicians indicated that treatment was based on age and on a subjective evaluation of the patient's general status. Sixty-eight per cent of younger patients and only 31% of older ones received chemotherapy (P<0.001). In the older group drug doses were lower than those usually recommended in three-quarters of cases. Only 10% of physicians considered that they under-treat patients using the FEC 50 regimen. Over 75 years of age, hormone therapy was offered to most patients, including 8% with hormone-independent tumors. Geriatric covariates were never considered. Geriatricians rarely, if ever, played a role in the therapeutic decision. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of elderly patients with MBC in prospective trials is warranted to define standards of care and reduce heterogeneity in the decision-making process.

In vivo tissue characterization using magnetic techniques.

Among the few non-invasive methods to quantify liver iron deposits, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biomagnetic liver susceptometry (BLS) have been considered the best to evaluate iron overload in the body. This diagnosis is necessary for patients who regularly receive red blood cells transfusion and that have a genetic disorder known as hemochromatosis. In this work, we present the evaluation of the clinical usefulness of MRI and BLS of hepatic tissue to quantify iron deposits in non-transfused and transfused patients. Liver iron evaluation by MRI and BLS were performed in a group of 48 patients. The MRI images weighted in T2 were acquired using multi-slice single-spin-echo (SSE) and single-slice multi-spin-echo (MSE), conducted on a 1.5 T whole body scanner. BLS measurements were performed using an ac superconducting susceptometer based on SQUID. Typically MRI is able to evaluate iron overload in liver as high as 30 mg/g(dry tissue) when using MRI scanners provided with specially designed pulse sequences. For higher iron concentrations susceptibility measurement works better than MRI to evaluate higher iron overloads in the liver, because in this case there is saturation of MRI signal.

Evaluación experimental de la ludoterapia no directiva, aplicada a niños institucionales que presentan agresión / sss

El presente estudio experimental (grupo control) pretende investigar la efectividad de la ludoterapia no directiva, como técnica de tratamiento psicológico infantil en conductas agresivas en niños institucionales, se estudia la ludoterapia como variable independiente y la conducta agresiva como variable dependiente. Se investigó a 20 niños internos en el Hogar Virgen de Fátima (Institución Estatal)que presentaban conducta agresiva sin problemas orgánicos, con un promedio de edad de 5 a 7 años de ambos sexos, utilizando como instrumento la terapia lúdica no directiva, observandose diariamente el comportamiento de cada niño(a) en el aula de clases, el comedor y en las horas de recreación. Resultados: Se observó disminución considerable de agresión en el grupo experimental de niños luego de aplicada la terapia lúdica no directiva principalmente apartir de la novena y decima sesión. Sugiere la aplicación de la terapia del juego tambien a los padres de familia sobre todo en problemas de agresión y retraimiento