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Cancer cachexia (CC) is highly prevalent and associated with significant morbidity and mortality, yet underrecognized. In 2011, an international cachexia consensus (ICC) proposed a definition, assessment framework, and stages for classification: cancer precachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia. The authors anticipated that a "more practical classification approach for clinical practice" would be required, which we interpreted as a bedside assessment based on clinical data. We investigated whether the ICC classification could be employed in routine dietetic practice without access to objective muscle mass measures.Data from 200 consecutive patients with solid tumors were collected as part of clinical practice by oncology dietitians in five tertiary referral hospitals. Dietitians used information gathered during their routine assessment and applied the ICC framework to assign a stage. When the dietitian was unable to assign a stage, the reason was noted.Based on available data, classification was possible in 177 (88%); 23 (12%) could not be staged. The reasons cited were as follows: unknown C-reactive protein (n = 14), complex clinical situation (n = 5), unknown weight loss (n = 2), and acute illness (n = 2). Thirty (17%) of the 177 participants were judged to be noncachectic. 112 (83%) met the criteria for one of the three ICC stages: 92 (52%) were cachectic; 35 (20%) precachectic, and 20 (11%) refractory.CC staging based on the ICC classification was feasible and practical in routine dietetic practice even without access to objective muscle mass measures. Once validated and operationalized, expert clinical assessment by a dietitian could be a cost-effective means to identify and stage CC, with more resource-intensive means used when there is clinical doubt.

Relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is associated with a poor outcome when standard chemotherapy fails. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate licensed for use at relapse after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following two prior therapies in those unsuitable for ASCT. There are limited data assessing the ability of BV to enable curative SCT. We performed a UK-wide retrospective study of 99 SCT-naïve relapsed/refractory cHL. All had received 2 prior lines and were deemed fit for transplant but had an insufficient remission to proceed. The median age was 32 years. Most had nodular sclerosis subtype, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 and advanced stage disease. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5·6 months and median overall survival (OS) was 37·2 months. The overall response rate was 56% (29% complete response; 27% partial response). 61% reached SCT: 34% immediately post-BV and 27% following an inadequate BV response but were salvaged and underwent deferred SCT. Patients consolidated with SCT had a superior PFS and OS to those not receiving SCT (P < 0·001). BV is an effective, non-toxic bridge to immediate SCT in 34% and deferred SCT in 27%. 39% never reached SCT with a PFS of 3·0 months, demonstrating the unmet need to improve outcomes in those unsuitable for SCT post-BV.

Documented is an intercalibration (IC) exercise for both 210 Po and 210 Pb in seawater aliquots distributed between up to eight international laboratories that followed individual protocols. Dissolved and particulate sam ples were provided by GEOTRACES during two IC cruises at baseline stations in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Included were surface and/or deep dissolved and particulate samples at each site, plus complete profiles analyzed by the laboratory of the lead author. An unspecified solid phase standard was also distributed with 210 Po and 210 Pb in secular equilibrium to confirm spike calibrations. The 210 Po activities reported n = 8) for the standard were very similar with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.6% and mean value indistinguish able from the certified value, confirming accurate calibration of Po spikes. For seawater samples, the agreement was strongly dependent for both nuclides on the activity of the samples. The agreement was relatively good for dissolved seawater samples (RSD = 9% to 29%, n = 4), moderate for the particulate samples (RSD = 12% to 80%, n = 8), and poor for particulate dip blanks (RSD = 50% to 200%, n = 8). Noted is the higher apparent affinity of 210 Po versus 210

Po, a naturally occurring radioisotope that is ubiquitous in seawater, is especially enriched in proteinaceous tissues of marine organisms and may therefore be useful as a tracer of organic carbon flux in marine systems. Due in part to its biomagnification in marine food chains, 210 Po provides the largest radiation dose to any organism under natural conditions. To better understand the extent to which zooplankton can influence the fluxes of 210 Po and serve as a conduit between phytoplankton, which concentrate it greatly from ambient water and higher trophic levels, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments with the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. A. tonsa was presented with either dissolved 210 Po or with one of eight different phytoplankton species and sterile glass beads, all labeled with 210 Po. Assimilation efficiencies (AEs) of ingested 210 Po in copepods ranged from 19% to 55% among the phytoplankton diets, and correlated directly with 210 Po’s cytoplasmic distributions in the algal cells. The AE of 210 Po from ingested glass beads was 0%. The high AE and low efflux rates (mean of 3% d 21 )o f 210 Po in copepods can explain its biomagnification in marine food chains. Uptake and loss parameters of 210 Po in copepods measured in these experiments were used in a model to quantify the relative sources of 210 Po for copepods. Under all realistic scenarios, .90% of 210 Po in copepods appears to be taken up through diet. Model-predicted 210 Po concentrations in copepods in different ocean regions closely matched independent measurements, suggesting that we understand the processes governing this element’s enrichment in zooplankton and thus can make quantitative predictions of its bioconcentration on a site-specific basis.

Bioaccumulation of polonium-210 (t1/2 5 138 d) in marine phytoplankton can introduce this naturally occurring radioisotope into food chains, where it accounts for most of the radiation dose to marine organisms and to human consumers of seafood. Moreover, this isotope could be useful as a tracer of the flux of organic matter in ocean surface waters. We performed laboratory experiments with eight algal species representing six algal divisions to quantify the uptake, cellular partitioning, and retention of 210 Po by algae. Biological uptake was unaffected by temperature or light, and volume concentration factors (VCFs) for these algal species ranged between 0.5 and 3.0 3 10 4 . Interspecific differences in VCFs could be explained by considering the surface area to volume ratios of the cells and cellular protein content. Once associated with the cells, between 30 and 60% of the total cellular 210 Po was in the cytoplasm of the different species. 210 Po was not irreversibly bound to the cells but displayed a biological half-life of ;23 d. Because

Spectres d'absorption dus a des especes Cr(CO) 5 et Cr(CO 5 )Q (avec Q=Cr(CO) 6 ; N 2 ; NH 3 ; methanol; acetone; ethylene et silane). Formation d'un produit inconnu par reaction de deux molecules Cr(CO) 5