Encouraging activity for R-CHOP in advanced stage nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

Nodular lymphocyte Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare disease for which the optimal therapy is unknown. We hypothesized that rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) could decrease rates of relapse and transformation. We retrospectively reviewed patients with NLPHL diagnosed between 1995 and 2015 confirmed by central pathologic review. Fifty-nine had sufficient treatment and follow-up data for analysis. We described progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and histologic transformation according to treatment strategy and explored prognostic factors for PFS and OS. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years; 75% were male, and 61% had a typical growth pattern. Twenty-seven patients were treated with R-CHOP with an overall response rate of 100% (complete responses 89%). The median follow-up was 6.7 years, and the estimated 5- and 10-year PFS rates for patients treated with R-CHOP were 88.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.4% to 96.1%) and 59.3 (95% CI, 25.3% to 89.1%), respectively. Excluding patients with histologic transformation at diagnosis, the 5-year cumulative incidence of histologic transformation was 2% (95% CI, 87% to 100%). No patient treated with R-CHOP experienced transformation. A high-risk score from the German Hodgkin Study Group was adversely prognostic for OS (P = .036), whereas male sex and splenic involvement were adversely prognostic for PFS (P = .006 and .002, respectively) but not OS. Our data support a potential role for R-CHOP in patients with NLPHL. Larger prospective trials are needed to define the optimal chemotherapy regimen.

Responses of Soil Fungal Populations and Communities to the Thinning of Cryptomeria Japonica Forests.

Forest management activities, such as tree thinning, alter forest ecology, including key components of forest ecosystems, including fungal communities. In the present study, we investigate the effects of forest thinning intensity on the populations and structures of fungal soil communities in the Cryptomeria japonica forests of central Taiwan as well as the dynamics of soil fungi communities in these forests after a thinning disturbance. Although the populations of soil fungi significantly increased in the first 6 months after thinning, these increases had subsided by 9 months. This pulse was attributed to a transient increase in the populations of rapid colonizers. A multiple regression analysis positively correlated fungal populations with organic matter content and cellulase activity. Thinning initially provided large amounts of fresh leaves and roots as nutrient-rich substrates for soil fungi. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles indicated that soil fungal communities significantly differed among plots with 0% (control), 25%, and 50% tree thinning in the first 21 months post-thinning, with no significant differences being observed after 21 months. The fungal communities of these forest soils also changed with the seasons, and an interactive relationship was detected between seasons and treatments. Seasonal variations in fungal communities were the most pronounced after 50% tree thinning. The results of the present study demonstrate that the soil fungi of Taiwanese C. japonica forests are very sensitive to thinning disturbances, but recover stability after a relatively short period of time.

Brentuximab vedotin: treatment role for relapsed refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

The identification of CD30 has been known since 1985. Trials exploring the targeted therapy focusing on this antigen have led to the successful development and approval of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®) for treatment of relapsed refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. Brentuximab vedotin has a high-level of response with generally durable remission. Common side effects of brentuximab vedotin include peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, nausea, arthralgia, and pyrexia. Grade 3-4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperglycemia have also been reported. Development of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy from John Cunningham virus is a very rare occurrence, but its seriousness has prompted the US FDA to mandate a black box warning. Brentuximab vedotin is currently being evaluated to be used in conjunction with other chemotherapy regimens, including in frontline therapies to induce potentially higher complete remission rate than chemotherapy alone and thus achieve potentially higher progression-free survival rates that might translate ultimately to improve overall survival.

Inoculation of food waste with the thermo-tolerant lipolytic actinomycete Thermoactinomyces vulgaris A31 and maturity evaluation of the compost.

The ability of the thermo-tolerant lipolytic actinomycete, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris A31, to efficiently decompose food waste into mature compost was studied. Using a range of chemical parameters (pH, total organic carbon content (TOC), total nitrogen content, C/N ratio), CO(2) evolution, enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, polyphenol oxidase, urease) and germination assays, the composition, stability and maturity of the compost produced were assessed. Inoculation reduced crude fat and decreased the maturation time of the compost when compared with the control. TOC, C/N ratio, CO(2) evolution, and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, polyphenol oxidase, urease) decreased, pH, total nitrogen content, germination rate, and germination index increased. The dehydrogenase, polyphenol oxidase, and urease activities were shown to be useful indicators for the stability of food waste composts. Based on germination assays, the food waste composts were phytotoxicity free and matured after composting for 2 months. Therefore, inoculation of food waste with the thermo-tolerant lipolytic actinomycete, T. vulgaris A31, presents as a feasible strategy to convert food wastes into mature compost efficiently.

Estimation of methane and nitrous oxide emission from paddy fields and uplands during 1990-2000 in Taiwan.

To investigate the greenhouse gases emissions from paddy fields and uplands, methane and nitrous oxide emissions were estimated from local measurement and the IPCC guidelines during 1990-2000 in Taiwan. Annual methane emission from 182,807 to 242,298 ha of paddy field in the first crop season ranged from 8,062 to 12,066 ton, and it was between 16,261 and 25,007 ton for 144,178-211,968 ha in the second crop season with local measurement. The value ranged from 12,132 to 17,465 ton, and from 16,046 to 24,762 ton of methane in the first and second crop season with the IPCC guidelines for multiple aeration treatments, respectively. Annual nitrous oxide emission was between 472 and 670 ton and between 236 and 359 ton in the first and second crop season, respectively. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from uplands depend on crop, growth season, fertilizer application and environmental conditions. Annual methane emission from upland crops, vegetable, fruit, ornamental plants, forage crops and green manure crops was 138-252, 412-460, 97-100, 3-5, 4-5 and 3-51 ton, respectively. Annual nitrous oxide emission was 1,080-1,976, 1,784-1,994, 2,540-2,622, 31-54, 43-53 and 38-582 ton, respectively. Annual nitrous oxide emission ranged from 91 to 132 ton for 77,593-11,2095 ton of nitrogen-fixing crops, from 991 to 1,859 ton for 3,259,731-6,183,441 ton of non-nitrogen-fixing crops, and from 1.77 to 2.22 Gg for 921,169-1,172,594 ton of chemical fertilizer application. In addition, rice hull burning emitted 19.3-24.2 ton of methane and 17.2-21.5 ton of nitrous oxide, and corn stalk burning emitted 2.1-4.2 ton of methane and 1.9-3.8 ton of nitrous oxide. Methane emission from the agriculture sector was 26421-37914 ton, and nitrous oxide emission was 9810-11,649 ton during 1990-2000 in Taiwan. Intermittent irrigation in paddy fields reduces significantly methane emission; appropriate application of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation in uplands and paddy fields also decreases nitrous oxide emission.