Building bridges between natural and social science disciplines: a standardized methodology to combine data on ecosystem quality trends.

Despite a growing interest in interdisciplinary research, systematic ways of how to integrate data from different disciplines are still scarce. We argue that successful resource management relies on two key data sources: natural science data, which represents ecosystem structure and processes, and social science data, which describes people's perceptions and understanding. Both are vital, mutually complementing information sources that can underpin the development of feasible and effective policies and management interventions. To harvest the added value of combined knowledge, a uniform scaling system is needed. In this paper, we propose a standardized methodology to connect and explore different types of quantitative data from the natural and social sciences reflecting temporal trends in ecosystem quality. We demonstrate this methodology with different types of data such as fisheries stocks and mangrove cover on the one hand and community's perceptions on the other. The example data are collected from three United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere reserves and one marine park in Southeast Asia. To easily identify patterns of convergence or divergence among the datasets, we propose heat maps using colour codes and icons for language- and education-independent understandability. Finally, we discuss the limitations as well as potential implications for resource management and the accompanying communication strategies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nurturing resilient marine ecosystems'.

Randomized controlled clinical trial on the antiseptic efficacy of polihexanide 0.04% on acute traumatic wounds.

Prevention of wound infections is a challenge in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB, polihexanide) 0.04% on acute traumatic wounds. It was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled prospective trial which included 61 patients. The polihexanide group showed a significant decrease in log10 colony-forming units (cfu) (P < 0.001) after 60 min treatment in comparison to baseline cfu, whereas the Ringer solution group did not show a significant change in cfu during 60 min treatment. Treatment of polihexanide 0.04% resulted in a significant reduction of bacterial load in acute traumatic wounds.

The views and knowledge of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder on a range of treatments

Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that appears before the age of 3 years. Symptoms reflect delayed or abnormal social interaction and communication skills, with restricted or repetitive behaviour warranting the need for early intensive treatment.Methods. The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge and views of parents regarding treatments for their children, aged between 5 and 9 years old with ASD, in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa. An embedded mixed methods research design was utilised. Nonrandom purposive sampling was used to select 46 parents of children with ASD. A 42-item questionnaire was used and the data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.Results. More than half of the parents (53%) were unfamiliar with or had only heard of treatments in question, while 13.4% had a practical understanding of the treatments. Of all the treatments, parents rated their knowledge of speech-language therapy (SLT) most highly. The majority (68%) stated that they had difficulties accessing ASD treatment facilities and healthcare professionals, and perceived treatments as being costly. Even so, 74% of parents reported that they had a good relationship with their healthcare professional.Conclusion. The above findings should be viewed as motivation for health professionals to share information regarding the range of ASD treatments. They can assist parents in accessing appropriate facilities, recommend treatments that are supported by research, and update their knowledge on advances in ASD treatment

Microplastics in personal care products: Exploring perceptions of environmentalists, beauticians and students.

Microplastics enter the environment as a result of larger plastic items breaking down ('secondary') and from particles originally manufactured at that size ('primary'). Personal care products are an important contributor of secondary microplastics (typically referred to as 'microbeads'), for example in toothpaste, facial scrubs and soaps. Consumers play an important role in influencing the demand for these products and therefore any associated environmental consequences. Hence we need to understand public perceptions in order to help reduce emissions of microplastics. This study explored awareness of plastic microbeads in personal care products in three groups: environmental activists, trainee beauticians and university students in South West England. Focus groups were run, where participants were shown the quantity of microbeads found in individual high-street personal care products. Qualitative analysis showed that while the environmentalists were originally aware of the issue, it lacked visibility and immediacy for the beauticians and students. Yet when shown the amount of plastic in a range of familiar everyday personal care products, all participants expressed considerable surprise and concern at the quantities and potential impact. Regardless of any perceived level of harm in the environment, the consensus was that their use was unnatural and unnecessary. This research could inform future communications with the public and industry as well as policy initiatives to phase out the use of microbeads.

In vitro characterization of recombinant factor VIII concentrates reveals significant differences in protein content, activity and thrombin activation profile.

Recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) concentrates differ due to cell lines, culture conditions, presence of the B domain and authorized potency assays. This study characterizes three commercially available rFVIII concentrates: a second-generation full length (A), a third-generation full length (B) and a third-generation B domain-deleted (BDD) product (C). rFVIII concentrates were characterized for FVIII activity (FVIII:C) by one-stage clotting and chromogenic assays, FVIII antigen (FVIII:Ag), thrombin activation profile and FXa-generation assay. The rFVIII concentrates exhibited significant differences with regard to FVIII:C, FVIII:Ag and thrombin activation profile. Product A had significantly greater FVIII:C and FVIII:Ag relative to the measured values of products B and C. In addition, product A demonstrated faster and more complete activation by thrombin than the two others. BDD product C had the slowest measured thrombin activation rate. Product A exhibited a greater in vitro FXa generation than products B and C. We found no differences in FXa generation among all three products when FXa generation was normalized for FVIII:Ag. The greater FVIII:C and FVIII:Ag values for product A compared with that for products B and C are due to application of different authorized potency assays (one-stage assay for A vs. chromogenic assay for B and C). The variation in thrombin activation profiles may arise from differences in cell line-dependent posttranslational modifications of the various recombinant proteins.

Liver transplant from a donor with occult HEV infection induced chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in the recipient.

Acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a self-limiting symptomatic or asymptomatic disease. However, as recently observed, it can manifest itself as chronic hepatitis in patients receiving solid organ transplants as well as in patients with HIV infection or severe hematologic disorders. Here, we describe the clinical course of a 73-year-old male patient in whom HEV transmission occurred after receiving a HEV-infected liver from a donor with occult HEV infection, whereby the patient had tested negative for HEV RNA and anti-HEV antibodies shortly before explantation. Anti-HEV IgG, IgM, and HEV RNA were detected in the first tested serum sample of the liver recipient obtained 150 days after liver transplantation and remained positive (earlier samples after OLT were not available). Liver cirrhosis developed within 15 months and the patient died of septic shock. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the donor and recipient's HEV strains, we were able to prove that the occult HEV infection was transmitted via the graft.

[Malignant neoplasms of the lacrimal sac: rarity among tear duct diseases]. / Malignome des Saccus lacrimalis : Seltenheit unter den Tränenwegserkrankungen.

BACKGROUND: Malignant neoplasms of the lacrimal sac are rare in the ophthalmic literature, for which there are only very limited diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations. We present five consecutive cases of our hospital from 2006 to 2009. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of all surgically treated patients with lacrimal duct diseases in the years 2006 to 2009, recording of malignant neoplasms and presentation of diagnostic and therapeutic approach. RESULTS: From January 2006 until October 2009 we performed 213 dacryocystorhinostomies at the Eye Clinic, Charité Campus Virchow Klinikum. In five patients intrasaccal malignancies were histologically proven by biopsy. None of the patients showed typical symptoms such as bloody epiphora. In two patients, a squamous cell carcinoma was seen, and one patient showed an adenocarcinoma. The other patients had a lymphoma and a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The therapeutic approach consisted of surgical resection and radiotherapy. Systemic manifestations did not occur in any of the five patients. In the limited follow-up period no recurrences and no metastases were seen.

Expression of AGR2 in non small cell lung cancer.

We aimed to evaluate immunohistochemically the expression of the human Anterior Gradient-2 (AGR2), a gene which has recently been proposed as an oncogene for lung carcinoma development, in non small cell lung cancer and to correlate the findings to clinico-pathological data including patient survival. 95 cases of NSCLC were immunostained using a polyclonal AGR2 antibody and statistical analyses were applied to test for prognostic and diagnostic associations. AGR2 was expressed in 66.3% of cases, preferentially adenocarcinomas. There were no relevant associations with clinico-pathological parameters. A prognostic value of AGR2 could not be demonstrated neither in multivariate nor in univariate analyses. Interestingly, this is the first study to demonstrate AGR2 expression in squamous cell carcinomas. Although a prognostic value of AGR2 seems unlikely further studies are warranted to investigate the biological role of AGR2 in NSCLC and its differential expression according to histology.

Cytoplasmic overexpression of ALCAM is prognostic of disease progression in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Activated leucocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM, CD166) is a cell surface member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. ALCAM expression has prognostic relevance in prostate and colon cancer. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ALCAM protein expression in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry and to correlate expression levels with clinicopathological data. METHODS: 162 primary breast carcinomas with a mean clinical follow up time of 53 months were immunostained using a monoclonal ALCAM antibody. The staining was evaluated as an immunoreactive score (IRS) and grouped into low v high for both membranous and cytoplasmic staining. RESULTS: Intraductal and invasive carcinomas showed a higher ALCAM expression (median IRS 4 and 6 respectively) than normal breast tissue (IRS 2). In univariate survival analyses a significant association of high cytoplasmic ALCAM expression with shortened patient disease-free survival (mean (SD) five year non-progression rate, 69.4 (4.6)% v 49.4 (11.1)%, p = 0.0142) was found. In multivariate analyses of disease-free survival times, high cytoplasmic ALCAM expression (relative risk (RR) = 2.086, p = 0.026) and nodal status (RR = 2.246, p = 0.035) were significantly associated with earlier disease progression, whereas tumour grading (RR = 1.6, p = 0.052) was of borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that strong cytoplasmic ALCAM expression in primary breast cancer, as detected by immunohistochemistry, might be a new marker for a more aggressive breast cancer biology.

Expression of human Kallikrein 14 (KLK14) in breast cancer is associated with higher tumour grades and positive nodal status.

Human kallikrein 14 (KLK14) is a steroid hormone-regulated member of the tissue kallikrein family of serine proteases, for which a prognostic and diagnostic value in breast cancer has been suggested. To further characterise the value of KLK14 as a breast tumour marker, we have carefully analysed KLK14 expression in normal breast tissue and breast cancer both on the RNA level by real-time RT-PCR (n = 39), and on the protein level (n = 127) using a KLK14-specific antibody for immunohistochemistry. We correlated KLK14 protein expression data with available clinico-pathological parameters (mean follow-up time was 55 months) including patient prognosis. KLK14 RNA expression as quantified by real-time RT-PCR was significantly more abundant in breast tumours compared to normal breast tissue (P = 0.027), an issue that had not been clarified recently. Concordantly with the RNA data, cytoplasmic KLK14 protein expression was significantly higher in invasive breast carcinomas compared to normal breast tissues (P = 0.003). Furthermore, KLK14 protein expression was associated with higher tumour grade (P = 0.041) and positive nodal status (P = 0.045) but was not significantly associated with shortened disease-free or overall patient survival time in univariate analyses. We conclude that KLK14 is clearly overexpressed in breast cancer in comparison to normal breast tissues and is positively associated with conventional parameters of tumour aggressiveness, but due to a missing association with survival times, the use of KLK14 immunohistochemistry as a prognostic marker in breast cancer is questionable.

Polyploidization and centrosome hyperamplification in inflammatory bronchi.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Inflammatory and tumorous bronchi were screened in order to obtain new tumor relevant cytogenetic parameters. MATERIAL OR SUBJECTS: Bronchial cells of 32 patients were cultivated by standard cell culture procedures. METHODS: Tetraploidy and aneuploidy was determined by enumeration of chromosome 7 and 8 versus the number of centrosomes. The resulting data were correlated with histopathological data. RESULTS: Tetra- and aneuploidy of epithelial cells were detectable in 76% of tumor cell cultures, 75% of high grade inflammatory tissues and 40% of non- and low grade-inflammatory tissues. Additionally, we observed centrosome hyper-amplification and multipolar mitoses not only in the tumor but also in the early stages of inflammation. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory bronchi already show tumor-specific features and may consequently represent the preliminary genetic stage of cancer development in bronchi.

Thin section arrays for I-FISH analysis of chromosome-specific imbalances in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.

Thin section arrays of 20 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas were studied by I-FISH for gains (including amplification) and losses of specific genomic segments. These arrays allow the examination not only of a number of tumor sections but also of the surrounding margins and of inconspicuous control tissue in one experiment. All tumor sections examined significantly differed from the inconspicuous control tissues by containing more or less extensive cell populations with aberrant signal constitutions. In no case, however, did the aberrant population constitute the whole area of the section. Gains of signals were strikingly more frequent than were losses. All tumors showed significant gains of the segments examined, the highest differences between tumor and control sections were found for the segments 9q34 and 8q24, followed by 5p15.3 and 11q13. Amplifications were most frequently found of 11q13: 8 of the 20 tumors showed amplifications in more than 20% of the nuclei, while no nucleus with more than four signals was found in any of the control tissues (control: 0%). Amplifications of the target sequences on chromosomes 8 (14 tumors) and 9 (8 tumors) were observed in low but significant percentages of nuclei, no significant cell population was detected with an amplification of 5p15.3. Fourteen tumors exhibited a significant loss of 13q14, and only 8 tumors a significant loss at any other site. In the tumor margin sections, in most cases, the margins apparently were also affected by the one or the other of the genomic changes of the pertinent primary tumor. Nevertheless, there were, in some cases, also large differences depending on the way of analysis, but also on the specific signal constitution considered. Tumor stages T3 and T4 tended to have higher frequency of nuclei with gains of 5p15.3, 8q24, and 11q13 as compared to T2 tumors and less gains of 9q34 and loss of 13q14. With the exception of 8q24 and 13q14 alterations there was also a trend to higher percentages of aberrant nuclei in the margin of T3-4 tumors vs. T2 tumors.

[Acinic cell carcinomas of the parotid gland. A retrospective analysis]. / Azinuszellkarzinome der Glandula parotidea. Eine retrospektive Analyse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland is a rare malignant tumor, which is generally regarded as low grade. However, rapidly fatal courses do occur. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with acinic cell carcinoma were studied retrospectively who had undergone treatment between 1968 and 1997 at the University Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Hospital in Homburg (Saar), Germany and between 1994 and 1997 at the Marienhospital ENT Hospital in Stuttgart, Germany. RESULTS: The distribution of the T category (UICC 1997) was as follows: T1 n = 8, T2 n = 7, T3 n = 1, and T4 n = 2). Treatment was exclusively surgical in 14 cases and a combination of surgery and postoperative radiotherapy in 4 cases. The recurrence rate according to Kaplan-Meier was 6% after 3 years and 19% after 5, 10, and 15 years. The survival rate was 87% after 3 years and 73% after 5, 10, and 15 years. None of the 12 patients with low-grade tumors according to Batsakis et al. (1979) died from the tumor, whereas survival at 5 years was only 33% for 6 high-grade tumors (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend complete surgical removal of the tumor, in general by total parotidectomy. Postoperative radiotherapy may be useful in advanced high-grade tumors.

Genetic imbalances in preinvasive tissue of hypopharynx provide evidence for cytogenetic heterogeneity.

Multiple chromosomal aberrations have been reported in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). But less information is available on specific patterns of chromosomal amplifications which distinguish different areas of head and neck tumors. To elucidate genetic mechanisms causing the aggressive growth and high proliferation of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we performed reverse chromosome painting (RCP) on a total of eight hypopharyngeal SCC including invasive carcinoma and preinvasive tissue. Five hypopharyngeal invasive carcinomas showed amplifications on chromosome 3q. Furthermore, we detected gains on chromosomes 11q and 6p. Compared to the histologically classified preinvasive tissues, we found amplified alterations on chromosome 6p, 11q and 12q, but none of them showed gains on chromosome 3q. This observed heterogeneity in hypopharyngeal SCC might reflect a specific role of chromosome 3q as a late event in the highly invasive capacity of these SCC.

DNA amplification on chromosome 7q in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck exhibit a highly variable picture of chromosomal aberrations. In the present study the clearly defined anatomical region of the tongue was analyzed for potentially specific patterns of chromosomal alterations. Fresh tumor samples from 18 patients afflicted by squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue constituted the clinical basis of the present investigation. The tumor samples were analyzed on the basis of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), a molecular cytogenetic FISH-approach. Gains in DNA copy numbers were detected as the predominant imbalance on chromosomes 7q (9/18), 3q (48/18), 16p (7/18) and 20q (7/18). The regions of minimal overlap on these chromosomes were mapped to 7q11.2q11.3 and 3q26. A conspicuous finding was the frequent detection of amplifications in the 7q11 region. Gains in the 7q region have been rarely reported in CGH studies of tumors derived from different regions of the head and neck. Amplifications on 7q could thus be specifically linked with the tongue region and could correlate with specific clinical factors of this tumor entity.