Hibernation: Poikilotherms

Abstract

BackgroundThe standard treatment for patients with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma is cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP). Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the CD20 B-cell antigen, has therapeutic activity in diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. We conducted a randomized trial to compare CHOP chemotherapy plus rituximab with CHOP alone in elderly patients with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. Methods Previously untreated patients with diffuselarge-B-cell lymphoma, 60 to 80 years old, were randomly assigned to receive either eight cycles of CHOP every three weeks (197 patients) or eight cycles of CHOP plus rituximab given on day 1 of each cycle (202 patients). ResultsThe rate of complete response was significantly higher in the group that received CHOP plus rituximab than in the group that received CHOP alone (76 percent vs. 63 percent, P=0.005). With a median follow-up of two years, event-free and overall survival times were significantly higher in the CHOP-plusrituximab group (P<0.001 and P=0.007, respectively). The addition of rituximab to standard CHOP chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of treatment failure and death (risk ratios, 0.58 [95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.77] and 0.64 [0.45 to 0.89], respectively). Clinically relevant toxicity was not significantly greater with CHOP plus rituximab. ConclusionsThe addition of rituximab to the CHOP regimen increases the complete-response rate and prolongs event-free and overall survival in elderly patients with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma, without a clinically significant increase in toxicity. (N Engl J Med 2002;346:235-42.)

Physiological changes during torpor favor association with Endozoicomonas endosymbionts in the urochordate Botrylloides leachii

“…Given that these symbionts appear to occupy only a certain tissue type during torpor, our study raises new questions regarding the role of the vascular tissue that composes the entire soma during torpor states. As torpor is frequently recorded in various marine invertebrates and vertebrates (Crawshaw et al, 1985;Cáceres, 1997;Miller and Roth, 2009;Storey and Storey, 2011;Chen et al, 2016), it is highly plausible to find similar torpor-associated symbioses in other marine invertebrates. Thus, more studies should focus on similar torpor scenarios in the marine arena, aiming to shed light on this abrupt response to hostile environmental conditions.…”

“…Dormancy (i.e., torpor) is widespread and well-documented across terrestrial and marine animals ( Hand and Hardewig, 1996 ; Cáceres, 1997 ; Storey, 2002 ; Storey and Storey, 2011 ). Metazoans undergo dramatic changes during torpor, including metabolic depression, arrested development, and phenotypic plasticity.…”

High-permittivity thin dielectric pad improves peripheral non-contrast MRA at 3T

“…Six healthy volunteers were imaged at 3T(Tim_Trio, Siemens) to compare the following NC-MRA acquisitions with spatial resolution = 1.5 × 1.6 × 2.0 mm and scan time = 3 min: without pad, with commercially available bulky dielectric pad(37 × 25 × 5 cm), and with high-permittivity thin dielectric pad (barium titanate, 38 × 20 × 2 cm), which is 60% thinner than the commercial pad. For details on the MRA protocol, see reference[ 3 ]. For each MRA acquisition, we also acquired a B1 map (see reference[ 4 ] for more details) in the axial plane to cross-section the common femoral arteries.…”

Ectoparasite-posed risk may affect the spatial organization of hibernating clusters of a social bat

“…Boreal winter is a challenging period for most animal species feeding on insects in the temperate and arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. With decreasing temperatures most poikilotherm invertebrate species reduce or totally cease their activity, thus becoming unavailable for predators (Storey & Storey, 2011). This is especially the case for ying insects, as their active ight requires higher body temperature which is really costly to maintain (Salt, 1961).…”