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Introduction: Prenatal ovarian torsion (POT) is a clinical condition that has been described before, but is little known and up until now lacks clear guidelines on management. Prenatal discovery of an abdominal mass or cyst can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety with parents. Knowing that POT is a benign condition with marked sonographic-pathologic correlations, our aim is to define the clinical entity and radiological features of a POT with the largest population to date and set up clear guidelines on its management. Materials and methods: We retrospectively collected data from three different pediatric surgical units over a period of 10 years (between 2008-2018). All patients treated for POT were included. Postnatal radiological imaging as well as clinicopathological information was collected and correlated with our diagnostic criteria. Results: We recovered data from a total of 35 patients. A fluid-debris level on ultrasonography (US) was shown to be a specific feature of torsion and was present in all patients. All patients underwent laparoscopic resection of the cyst at a mean age of 73 days. Upon laparoscopy, 16 patients showed signs of adhesions to the cyst. Pathological findings showed the lack of any remaining ovarian tissue in all of the cases. Conclusions: Prenatal ovarian torsion is a condition with distinctive radiological features, the main being a fluid-debris level on sonography. Laparoscopic resection of the cyst has proven to be safe and should be considered in all patients diagnosed with POT.

IntroductionIn situ carbon sequestration in forests is important in the context of climate change mitigation, and setting aside managed forests has been proposed as an option for increased carbon sequestration. Comparing set-aside and managed forests may provide insights and rules of thumb on the potential for additional in situ carbon sequestration in set-aside forest.MethodsIn an observational study, we compared re-inventory data from the network of set-aside forest reserves in Flanders, which have been unmanaged for 17–66 years (2 surveys with a 10 years interval), with re-inventory data from the regional forest inventory, representing the overall forest area in Flanders (2 surveys with a 15 years interval).ResultsThe aboveground carbon pools and sequestration rates were higher in the set-aside forests compared to the average forest in Flanders. In the average Flemish forest, the aboveground carbon pool increased from 64.7 to 85.1 tC ha−1, over a period of 15 years. In the set-aside forests, the mean pool was higher at the first measurement and further increased from 84.8 to 102.4 tC ha−1, over a period of 10 years. The mean aboveground annual carbon sequestration rate was 1.3 tC ha−1 year−1 in the average forest in Flanders and 1.8 tC ha−1 year−1 in the set-aside forests. The stocks and fluxes depended on the soil conditions and were higher in set-aside forests on silt and sandy silt sites compared to wet and sand sites. The set-aside forests on dry sites showed additionality in in situ aboveground carbon sequestration. We saw no indication of approaching a culmination point in the first decades following set-aside: plots with high carbon pools did not show lower carbon sequestration. In conclusion, set-aside forests can combine high carbon pools with high sequestration rates on suitable sites. Under the current management policy, we expect Flemish forests—regular and set-aside—to further increase their carbon pools in the coming decades.

Abstract Summary Depending on the diagnostic modality, the classification of vascular anomalies varies and so does the nomenclature. The ‘International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies’ (ISSVA) is the most widely accepted classification in the literature and is mainly based on the radiologic and clinical presentation. The aim of this article is to review the clinical practice of diagnosis and treatment of vascular anomalies in the head and neck region in a university hospital, with special focus on the nomenclature. All patients with a vascular anomaly presenting to the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery were reviewed in a retrospective manner. Nomenclature, diagnostic process, lesion characteristics, treatment and outcome were examined. The lesions were (re)classified according to the ISSVA classification. A total of 185 patients were identified, of which 12.4% (n = 23) had a congenital anomaly. After reclassification, the most common lesions were venous malformations (n = 47, 25.4%), followed by lobular capillary hemangiomas (n = 17, 9.2%). A group of 39 anomalies could not be further specified. One hundred and one patients (54,6%) received treatment, of which 93 were treated surgically (92,1% of treated patients). Endovascular treatment was considered in 41 patients but applied in only eight. This strict selection led to a low a complication rate. We provide an overview of the clinical practice in the management of vascular anomalies in a university hospital. The histology report is a source of miscommunication because clinicians use the ISSVA classification, while pathologists use the WHO classification. Every professional involved should be aware of the differences in classification and nomenclature.

Objectives The Self-Management Analysis in Chronic Conditions (SMACC) checklist was developed as a guidance tool to support the development, comparison and evaluation of self-management support programmes for persons with a chronic condition. The checklist was based on a previously performed concept analysis of self-management. The aim of this study was to validate its content using an international Delphi study and to deliver a final version.Design A two-round Delphi study was conducted between October 2022 and January 2023. Using the researchers’ networks, professionals with research or clinical expertise in self-management support and chronic conditions were recruited via online purposive snowball sampling. Participants were asked to score each item of the checklist (16 items total) on 3 content validity indicators: (1) clarity and comprehensibility, (2) relevance and importance and (3) degree of alignment with the overall goal of the checklist to promote adequate and comprehensive self-management support programmes. A consensus threshold of 75% agreement was used. The participants were also asked general questions about the checklist as a whole and were asked to provide feedback considering its refinement.Results Fifty-four professionals with an average 14.5 years of experience participated in round 1, 48 with an average 12.5 years of experience participated in round 2. The majority of professionals were from Western Europe. For the majority of items consensus was reached after round 1. In round 2, 3 of the 4 remaining items reached consensus, 1 last item was retained based on highly recurring feedback.Conclusions The SMACC checklist was considered a valid and comprehensive tool to aid the development, evaluation and comparison of self-management support programmes. It was acknowledged as a useful instrument to supplement existing frameworks and was seen as feasible to implement in both research and clinical settings. Further validation in the field, with input from patients and peer experts, will be valuable.

Introduction: Management of persistent and recurrent rectourethral fistula after primary treatment of anorectal malformations (ARM) is challenging. Various surgical techniques have been proposed and until today there is no consensus on the optimal approach. Case presentation: We describe a case of late onset recurrent rectourethral fistula after neonatal ARM repair, treated with a minimally invasive cystoscope-guided trans-anal Fistula-tract Laser Closure (FiLaC). A male patient suffering from ARM, type recto-bulbar fistula, was treated with an anorectoplasty during the neonatal period. Post-operatively, no reoperations were needed and long term follow-up demonstrated good functional outcome. At the age of 19 years, the patient presented with complaints of anal urinary leakage during micturition. Voiding-cysto-urethrography and perineal Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) demonstrated a fistula tract between the bulbar urethra and the distal rectum. Given the lack of associated urinary tract infections or fecaluria and the absence of fecal or urinary incontinence in between micturition, we decided to perform a trans-luminal, non-surgical approach. By analogy with the minimally invasive laser treatment of peri-anal fistula in adults, we performed a trans-anal cystoscope-guided FiLaC. We observed a fast post-operative recovery with an excellent one-year follow-up, illustrated by the elimination of symptoms, absence of fistula opening on rectoscopy and disappearance of the fistula-tract continuity on voiding-cysto-urethrography. Conclusion: This case exemplifies the potential benefits of using minimally invasive FiLaC treatment for the management of recurrent and persistent recto-urethral fistula following primary treatment of ARM. Long term follow-up is awaited to confirm the value of FiLaC in this treatment setting.

Today, lung cancer (LC) occupies a special place in the oncological general morbidity among the male population both in Russia and in foreign countries. Despite modern diagnostic capabilities provided for modern physicians, steadily frequent cases of triggering and exclusion are more common in patients older than 60–65 years. Surgery is the main treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but as the disease progresses, unfortunately, its effectiveness decreases. The strategy of diagnosing and treating patients with one NSCLC has been developed and worked out for a long time and does not cause any difficulties, but in the presence of two or more tumors, especially when they are located in both lungs, the correct choice of therapy is determined by many additional factors. This article describes the rare use of extended bronchoplastic upper lobectomy as a surgical component of the complex treatment of a patient with bilateral synchronous NSCLC. Based on our own observational data, it can be claimed that the use of modern therapeutic principles in combination with surgical intervention allows achieving satisfactory long-term results in the treatment of patients with primary multiple NSCLC.The interest of the presented observation is based on the fact that it contains a description of a rare and unique application of sequential extended bronchoplastic upper lobectomy as a surgical component of the complex treatment of a patient with bilateral synchronous NSCLC, which we have not found analogues in the literature. We have shown that the consistent use of modern therapeutic modalities makes it possible to achieve satisfactory long-term results in the treatment of a locally advanced disease.

Lung cancer (LC) takes the first place in the structure of overall oncology in males. More than 1.8 million of new cases of lung cancer (LC) are registered each year worldwide. LC is the leading cause of cancer death in both developing and developed countries, and the 5 years survival rate is as low as 19 %. Many factors explain such unsatisfactory outcomes, including the LC diagnosis at an advanced stage, when the currently available treatments can rarely provide cure. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chromosomal rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is sensitive to targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Tumor cells containing ALK fusion are sensitive to TKIs – targeted drugs that have significantly improved the results of treatment of patients with ALK-positive NSCLC, half of whom survive more than 6.8 years after diagnosis. The number of patients with ALK-positive NSCLC varies, so ALK rearrangements are detected in about 3–7 % of lung adenocarcinomas, which accounts for up to 60.000 new cases of the disease annually worldwide. ALK-positive NSCLC is observed almost exclusively in adenocarcinomas associated with persons of younger age, male and never smoked or smoked a little. Patients with ALK-positive stage I–III NSCLC are shown treatment similar to patients with wild-type NSCLC, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or multimodal treatment, depending on the stage of the tumor process. Numerous ALK TKIs have been developed in recent years, including alectinib, which is the current preferred first-line agent for patients who haven’t received therapy. The study of the mechanisms of resistance has led to the development of next-generation ALK inhibitors that better penetrate the central nervous system, actively affecting brain metastases. This review highlights the current state and prospects for the development of ALK-positive NSCLC therapy.

Background: The heterogeneity of rectal biopsy techniques has encouraged us to search for a surgical and pathological standardisation of this diagnostic technique to exclude Hirschsprung’s disease. The different amounts of information on the anatomopathology report prompted us to compile a template for the anatomopathology report for diagnostic rectal biopsies for surgical colleagues and pathologists working on Hirschsprung’s disease. Methods: We gathered the anonymous biopsy information and its pathology information from five hospitals for all patients in which rectal biopsies were taken to diagnose Hirschsprung’s disease over two years (2020–2021). Results: Of the 82 biopsies, 20 suction (24.4%), 31 punch (37.8%) and 31 open biopsies (37.8%) were taken. Of all biopsies, 69 were conclusive (84.2%), 13 were not (15.8%). In the suction biopsy group, 60% were conclusive and 40% were not; for punch biopsy, the values were 87% and 13%, respectively and for open biopsy, 97% and 3%. Inconclusive results were due to insufficient submucosa in 6/8 suction biopsies, 4/4 punch biopsies and 0/1 open biopsies. An insufficient amount of submucosa was the reason for an inconclusive result in 6/20 cases (30%) after suction biopsy, 4/31 (12.9%) cases after punch biopsy and 0 cases (0%) after open biopsy. We had one case with major postoperative bleeding post suction biopsy; there were no further adverse effects after biopsy. Conclusions: Diagnostic rectal biopsies in children are safe. Non-surgical biopsies are more likely to give inconclusive results due to smaller amounts of submucosa present in the specimen. Open biopsies are especially useful when previous non-surgical biopsies are inconclusive. An experienced pathologist is a key factor for the result. The anatomopathology report should specify the different layers present in the specimen, the presence of ganglion cells and hypertrophic nerve fibres, their description and a conclusion.

The discovery of immune checkpoint inhibition has revolutionized the treatment of many solid malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) can restore the antitumor immune response by blocking the inhibition of T-cell activation. Anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is currently the main biomarker of the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 / PD-L1 blockade in the treatment of NSCLC without driver mutations. High tumor mutational burden suggests an increased neoantigens load and has been associated with the effectiveness of ICI therapy. Microsatellite instability, a biomarker approved for immunotherapy across solid tumors, but it is uncommon in NSCLC. Primary resistance to ICIsis characteristic of NSCLC with driver mutations, acquired is associated with immunoediting resulting in the depletion of potentially immunogenic neoantigens. The review discusses recent advances and future directions for predicting the results of immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC.

Increasing life expectancy is the goal of social programs in the Russian Federation as a reflection of the success of public health. Globally, there is a trend for aging of the population, contributing to an increased risk for lung cancer developing which is primarily a disease of the elderly. Chronologic age or performance scores alone are not accurate predictors of patients’ capacity for tolerating aggressive cancer therapies. Use of a comprehensive geriatric assessment to determine treatment strategy is able to reduce toxicities and treatment failures. Safe elderly patients are often able to tolerate surgical resection, radiation, and/or chemotherapy appropriate for their tumor stage, with outcomes similar to those of younger patients, albeit with higher rates of treatment-related toxicity.

Autistic children and young people who find physical interaction challenging may feel more able to communicate in familiar environments. Communication and social interaction utilising digital online platforms and spaces may provide such an environment, with a comfortable level of engagement that can be relatively controlled. As blogs, vlogs, and online uploads are often live and up to date, these constitute useful first-hand perspectives, particularly for and from neurodiverse individuals who may find physical interaction and communication difficult and confusing.As an initial source of their perspectives, together with the views of their stakeholders, thematic analysis of autistic authors and bloggers within the community was conducted from digital publicly available blog posts and published articles in relation to a particular activity - cosplay. Analysis was performed in relation to independent sole and group cosplay (dress-up) play activities within the physical home and digital online spaces to ascertain if, and if so, to what extent dress up creative and character cosplay is used by autistic individuals as a response to socio-spatial exclusions, to create own space within which to belong and exhibit agency.Findings, using Grounded Theory for thematic analysis, revealed a connection between autistic children and young people's feeling of exclusion in socio-material space and their pursuit of activites that sought friendship and like-minded others online. Within these digital spaces autistic individual are finding means and the ability to communicate together. Digital spaces for cosplay practice are encouraging feelings of acceptance whilst also providing a platform to be themselves and feel confident to reach out to, and engage with others.

Aim. To study the features of biochemical and morphometric parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cognitive impairment (CI).Material and methods. The experimental group included 72 patients with CI and T2D, the control group − 20 patients with T2D and without CI. We used the Montreal Cognitive Scale (MoCA) to assess the presence of CI. We also evaluated the levels of 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG), continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and data of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Results. We revealed that patients with T2D and CI have high HbA1c levels, but there was no significant difference of 1,5-AG levels between the groups. In patients with CI, we also established a decrease in gray and white matter surface area, as well as subcortical structures (the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and putamen on both sides; the amygdala and globus pallidus on the right). The severity of CI correlated with polyneuropathy severity. In patients with proliferative retinopathy, there was a decrease in the volume of the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and nucleus accumbens. Conclusion. The study revealed that patients with T2D with CI have worse levels of carbohydrate metabolism parameters, as well as a decrease in the cortical and subcortical brain structures.

For centuries, coppice and coppice-with-standards were the main forest management systems in the northern and central parts of present Belgium. A high population density and a low forest cover in the whole region resulted in a high demand for wood, therefore strict regulations and management regimes were necessary to prevent overexploitation. We illustrate this with a well-documented case, that of Meerdaal Forest in Central Belgium, with reference to other sites in the region. Meerdaal Forest is a woodland 30 km east of Brussels. For centuries its high quality timber stands, especially oak, were managed as coppice-with-standards, with a gradually increasing share of standard trees. Using archive documents and ancient maps, we have reconstructed how this coppice-with-standard management has been developed and optimized over a period of about 500 years. Changes in cutting cycles and configurations were discerned, with a gradual increase of the importance of the standard layer over time. The analysis also showed how wood production could be successfully combined with other sources of income like grazing and pannage. We conclude that former managers of Meerdaal Forest, notwithstanding their lack of scholarship and reference works, developed a state-of-the-art sustainable and flexible management regime that allowed to provide high revenues during many centuries.

For many centuries, coppice-with-standards management was applied in the mixed oak stands of Meerdaal forest (Belgium). Over the last century, these stands were gradually converted to high forest. On an area of 20 ha, the coppice-with-standards management is being restored, with specific adaptations for biodiversity (conservation of dead wood and veteran trees). A survey of saproxylic beetles was performed at 8 locations in the forest, including one site within the coppice-with-standards restoration. This survey not only allowed an evaluation of the saproxylic beetle richness of the forest complex, but also made exploratory observations on the effect of this type of management, as compared to non-intervention, on species richness and composition of saproxylic beetles. The results show that the overall species richness in the forest complex was quite high and comparable to forest reserves in Germany. Both coppice-with-standards and high forest options appear to be equally species-rich, but consist of different communities, both containing specific, rare and notable species, with more thermophilous and light-demanding species in the coppice-with-standards plot. Based on these observations we suggest that a diversified management approach may be the most suitable to conserve and enhance diverse saproxylic beetle communities in formerly intensively managed semi-natural woodlands. This could include areas of active conservation management aimed at producing open-canopy stands with considerable amounts of sun-exposed deadwood, combined with areas of non-intervention in a matrix of multifunctional forests, where conservation of dead wood and veteran trees is fully incorporated in the management.

The aim of this study was to better characterize head and neck solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) and to evaluate surgical treatment. This retrospective study included patients who presented with head and neck SFTs. Clinical, radiological, and histological information and data regarding the treatments performed were collected. The risk of locoregional and distant metastases was calculated, and for orbital SFTs a specific classification was used. Overall, 34 patients were included. The majority of the SFTs were found in the oral cavity (n = 10), followed by the neck region (n = 8). The mean time to recurrence was 67.4 months. All patients underwent primary surgical resection. Recurrence was observed in five patients with a low risk of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The treatment of choice is complete resection. Recurrence seems to be highly correlated with positive surgical margins. The safety margin should be increased when removing the lesion, and long-term follow-up should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

В статье представлены результаты биоимпе­дансного исследования состава тела женщин среднего возраста с проблемами ожирения и избыточной массы тела, эффективности применения комплекса мероприятий с элементами физической реабилитации, оздорови­тельной физической культуры, эрготерапии, направ­ленных на улучшение функционального состоя­ния обследуемых. Задачи работы – оценить функцио­наль­ное состояние и уровень мотивации к выздоровлению женщин среднего возраста при избыточной массе тела и ожирении первой степени, на основании полу­чен­ных результатов разработать программу комп­лексной реабилитации для женщин, основанную на использо­вании мероприятий оздоровительной физической культуры, физической реабилитации и эрготерапев­ти­ческих мероприятий, оценить эффективность воз­действия разработанной программы. Уста­новлено, что применение комплекса мероприятий физической реабилитации является эффективным для женщин среднего возраста при избыточной массе тела и ожирении первой степени.

Abstract Intestinal malrotation complicated by the development of midgut volvulus presents a difficult management dilemma because of the risk of short bowel syndrome. Here, we present our experience with a case of severe intestinal ischemia after derotation in a newborn successfully managed using systemic tissue plasminogen activator. The present report supports the usefulness of thrombolysis as a therapeutic option for reperfusion of ischemic small bowel due to midgut volvulus in neonates.

Why do we teach about the Holocaust and about other genocides? The Holocaust has been a compulsory part of the English National Curriculum since 1991; however, curriculum documents say little about why pupils should learn about the Holocaust or about what they should learn. Tamsin Leyman and Richard Harris decided to use the opportunity presented by the recent National Curriculum review to explore these issues with pupils, some of whom had studied other genocides and some of whom had not. Their article reports how students responded to the challenge in the context of learning about the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide and argues that asking students to think about why and how they are learning about these topics has beneficial effects, not least on students' thinking about the significance of the Holocaust.

This clinical trial included 63 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent radical surgical resection of the tumor at the Thoracic Surgery Department of Rostov Research Oncological Institute from 2009 to 2011, The patients were randomized in two groups, i.e., 33 patients (52%) of the main group received adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy accomplished with Ingaron, whereas 30 cases (48%) in control group were assigned to receive conventional adjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy was administered according to the following schedule: carboplatinum, AUC = 5 i.v. on day 1; etoposide, 100 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1,3,5; interferon-gamma, 500.000 I.E./m2 i.v. on days 2,4,6. In the patiens undergoing lobectomy, carboplatinum was replaced for cisplatinum 100 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1. Comparative evaluation of the both treatment regimens has shown a correcting effect of Ingaron upon cellular immunity links. The Ingaroncontaining chemoimmunotherapy may contribute to improvement of 3-year event-free survival among lung adenocarcinoma patients by 19 percent (p = 0.06607).

This study examined cross-cultural differences and similarities in children's moral understanding of individual- or collective-oriented lies and truths. Seven-, 9-, and 11-year-old Canadian and Chinese children were read stories about story characters facing moral dilemmas about whether to lie or tell the truth to help a group but harm an individual or vice versa. Participants chose to lie or to tell the truth as if they were the character (Experiments 1 and 2) and categorized and evaluated the story characters' truthful and untruthful statements (Experiments 3 and 4). Most children in both cultures labeled lies as lies and truths as truths. The major cultural differences lay in choices and moral evaluations. Chinese children chose lying to help a collective but harm an individual, and they rated it less negatively than lying with opposite consequences. Chinese children rated truth telling to help an individual but harm a group less positively than the alternative. Canadian children did the opposite. These findings suggest that cross-cultural differences in emphasis on groups versus individuals affect children's choices and moral judgments about truth and deception.

The article is about generation problem of digital watermarks for graphic files. Mathematical model of digital watermarks generation is presented. The algorithm of messages introduction is analyzed. Developed steganography algorithm application for copyright check to a concrete file of multimedia is offered.

En comparación con las numerosas investigaciones centradas en los factores de vulnerabilidad cognitiva que subyacen en el inicio y el desarrollo del trastorno depresivo mayor, los estudios que investigan el procesamiento disfuncional de la información emocional en el trastorno bipolar siguen siendo escasos. Por ello, el presente estudio experimental ha analizado la naturaleza y el curso temporal de los sesgos atencionales en pacientes depresivos con trastorno bipolar. Un total de catorce pacientes deprimidos con Trastorno Bipolar I (TB) y catorce participantes controles no deprimidos (CN), emparejados en edad, sexo y nivel educativo, realizaron una modificación emocional de la tarea de señalización espacial. Las señales consistían en expresiones faciales de enfado, neutrales y positivas presentadas durante 200 y 1.000 ms. Los pacientes con TB mostraron un mayor efecto de validación de las señales en las caras de enfado y presentaron más dificultades a la hora de desvincular la atención de las expresiones faciales de enfado y de alegría en comparación con los participantes CN, que por el contrario, demostraron un «sesgo protector» distanciado de la información negativa. Este patrón diferenciado de procesamiento atencional solo se halló en la fase inicial del procesamiento de la información en una presentación de 200 ms de duración. Estos resultados demuestran la existencia de déficits en las fases iniciales del procesamiento atencional de la información emocional en pacientes deprimidos bipolares en comparación con los controles sanos.

Effective and comprehensive monitoring of the quantity of deadwood has become an important aspect of forest inventories for studies on structural and demographic dynamics, biodiversity and carbon stocks. Assessing dead wood quantity, however, is challenging and time consuming due to the structural complexity of deadwood. To monitor coarse woody debris (CWD) in a 10-year remeasuring cycle, we propose to combine full area sampling, to assess and position large-diameter CWD, with line intersect sampling, to estimate the volume of small-diameter CWD. The aim was to simultaneously I) lower the work load in the field, II) ensure low variability in average CWD volume and III) enable remeasurement of a high share of individual CWD objects to study dead wood dynamics and related biodiversity. Using data from 1601 circular plots measured with full area sampling in 16 temperate forest reserves (Flanders, northern Belgium), we simulated line intersect transects and tested threshold diameters between 10 and 130 cm to subdivide CWD to be measured with full area or line intersect sampling. The work load of the combined sampling with a threshold diameter of 20 to 40 cm was about 50 to 90% of the full area sampling work load respectively. Yet, no significant increase in the coefficient of variation (CV) of the average CWD volume was registered for threshold diameters up to 30 cm (133 %) compared to the full area sampling (125 %). The probability to relocate a 30 cm diameter CWD object after 10 years was 50 % and the probability for remeasuring increased with diameter. Using full area sampling with 10 cm threshold results in only 32 % of the objects relocated and remeasured after 10 years; using the combined sampling, only positioning logs over 30 cm increases this figure to 67 %, thus avoiding idle work. We conclude that combining full area and line intersect sampling has the advantage of lowering the work load, increasing the share of relocated objects over time, while not significantly increasing the variability in average CWD volume. An optimal threshold diameter between both methods was comprised between 20 and 40 cm but might further depend on relative importance of work load, need for relocation, CV, the study setup (e.g. number and size of plots), stand characteristics (e.g. CWD volume, dominant tree species) and decay rate. We propose to use a 30 cm threshold diameter for measuring CWD in temperate forest reserves. • 1601 Full Area Sampling forest reserve plots with simulated Line Intersect Sampling. • Threshold diameter 30 cm to split-up Line Intersect to Full Area Sampling. • Reduced work load in the field of 17–33 %. • Little effect on the variability in average Coarse Woody Debris volume. • Increased share of Coarse Woody Debris objects re-measured after 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maja Gasparic, Sophie LeymanTeva Pharmaceuticals Europe BV, European Headquarters, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsHaving read the original Hoggatt et al article1 and the corrigendum published online on August 27, 2015,2 we do not consider the description of lipegfilgrastim to be entirely accurate, and we would therefore like to clarify what lipegfilgrastim actually is.The description of lipegfilgrastim used in the original article was a “long-acting biosimilar filgrastim”.1 This description was subsequently amended in the corrigendum to “lipegfilgrastim has an active substance that is similar to filgrastim, with similar pharmacokinetics, receptor binding affinity, safety and efficacy as pegfilgrastim”.2 Read the Corrigendum

Milk Fat Globule--EGF--factor VIII (MFGE8), also called lactadherin, is a secreted protein, which binds extracellularly to phosphatidylserine and to αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins. On human and mouse cells expressing these integrins, such as endothelial cells, phagocytes and some tumors, MFGE8/lactadherin has been shown to promote survival, epithelial to mesenchymal transition and phagocytosis. A protumoral function of MFGE8 has consequently been documented for a few types of human cancers, including melanoma, a subtype of breast cancers, and bladder carcinoma. Inhibiting the functions of MFGE8 could thus represent a new type of therapy for human cancers. Here, we show by immunohistochemistry on a collection of human ovarian cancers that MFGE8 is overexpressed in 45% of these tumors, and we confirm that it is specifically overexpressed in the triple-negative subtype of human breast cancers. We have established new in vitro assays to measure the effect of MFGE8 on survival, adhesion and migration of human ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Using these assays, we could identify new MFGE8-specific monoclonal antibodies, which efficiently blocked these three tumor-promoting effects of MFGE8. Our results suggest future use of MFGE8-blocking antibodies as new anti-cancer therapeutics in subgroups of ovarian carcinoma, and triple-negative breast carcinoma patients.