Using microarray analysis of pretreatment FFPE rectal cancer tissues, we identified for the first time a group of miRNA predictors of response to neoadjuvant CRT. This, indeed, can lead to a significant improvement in patient selection criteria and personalized rectal cancer management.

A range of plant species typical of semi-natural grasslands were tested for their sensitivity to short-term ozone injury under normal and reduced irrigation, and in relationship to air vapour pressure deficit. Potted specimens of 24 herbs, legumes and grasses were exposed during two seasons to four O$ treatments in open-top chambers. The ozone treatments were : (a) charcoal-filtered air ; (b) charcoal-filtered air plus ozone to match ambient levels ; (c) charcoal-filtered air plus O $ to ambient levels 1n5 and (d ) charcoal-filtered air with ozone added to twice ambient levels during selected episodes of 7-13 d. During these ozone episodes, half of the plants in each ozone treatment received reduced irrigation (dry treatment) while the rest was kept under full irrigation (wet treatment). Type and date of first occurrence of leaf injury were noted during individual growth periods. Plants were harvested three times per year, and the percentage of injured leaves was recorded. Depending on species, injury symptoms were expressed as flecking (O $ -specific injury), leaf yellowing or anthocyanin formation. Carum carvi and most species of the Fabaceae family (Onobrychis sativa, Trifolium repens, Trifolium pratense) were found to be most responsive to O $ , injury occurring after only a few days of exposure in treatment (b). An episodic reduction in irrigation tended to reduce the expression of O $ -specific symptoms, but only in species for which a reduction in soil moisture potential and an associated reduction in stomatal conductance during the dry episodes were observed. In other species, the protection from O $ injury seemed to be of little importance. Using artificial neural networks the injury response of nine species was analysed in relation to Species, stomatal conductance, ozone as AOT40 (accumulated exposure above a threshold of 0n04 ppm for periods with global radiation 50 W m −# (Fuhrer et al., 1997)), mean relative growth rate, air vapour pressure deficit and global radiation. In the model with all factors, Species was most important, and when Species was omitted, stomatal conductance was the most important determinant for leaf injury to occur, whereas mean relative growth rate was less important. With no plant-related factors included, air vapour pressure deficit and AOT40 were of highest importance. Only in eight species was a positive relationship found between these two factors during the five days before the onset of injury, indicating increasing protection from ozone with increasing air vapour pressure deficit in some but not all species. These data show that across a range of grassland species, leaf injury caused by elevated levels of ozone is most likely to occur in species with high stomatal conductance and that protection from ozone during dry periods is species-specific and depends on a reduction in stomatal conductance due to a decrease in soil moisture potential. Protection under increased vapour pressure deficit can occur in some but not all species, depending on the relationship between stom...

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SUMMARYMicroclimatic factors interact during ozone episodes to influence the sensitivity of plants to ozone and thus arc likely to modify the amount of injury development. This paper investigates these interactions in an ozone-sensitive cultivar of clover {Trifolium subterraneum cv. Geraldton). Experiments were conducted using a glasshouse-based closed-chamber exposure system in which the plants were exposed for 7 h to either chareoal-filtered air {CF) or CF plus ozone at concentrations ranging from 40 to 160 ppb. The microclimatic conditions inside the chambers ranged from 16 to 36 °C, 0-9-3'6 kPa vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and 80--460 /imol m~'^ s"^ Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). Seven days after ozone exposure, the extent of foliar ozone itijun.-was scored visually. The assessment scoring system was validated by pigment analysis. The data from these exposures were analysed using artificial neural networks (ANNs), the principles of which are described in tbe paper. Two ANNs were used, one to investigate the efTeets of microclimate on the threshold AOT40 (dose accumulated above a threshold of 40 ppb) above wbich injury developed, tbe other to determine the extent of visible injury development. Both networks used temperature, VPD, PAR and AOT40 as inputs. Testing with previously unseen data showed that the networks produced accurate predictions of the threshold and extent of injury for a range of ozone doses and microclimatic conditions. For example, the injury score network predicted that at 100 /(mol m"^ s"' PAR and 1 kPa VPD an AOT40 of 3. SO ppb h was required to produce an injury score of 1, wbereas in conditions of 400 /imol m"'' s"^ PAR and 3-5 kPa VPD, an AOT40 of 460 ppb h was required. Analysis of the weightings of components of the trained networks indicated that VPD and PAR had a stronger influence on the response to ozone than did temperature. Furthermore, this approach revealed that microclimate had a greater influence on the extent of ozone injury than on the threshold for injury.

Introduction: The aim was to compare the accuracy of standard supplementary views and GE digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for assessment of soft tissue mammographic abnormalities. Methods: Women recalled for further assessment of soft tissue abnormalities were recruited and received standard supplementary views (typically spot compression views) and two-view GE DBT. The added value of DBT in the assessment process was determined by analysing data collected prospectively by unblinded radiologists working up the cases. Following anonymisation of cases, there was also a retrospective multireader review. The readers first read bilateral standard two-view digital mammography (DM) together with the supplementary mammographic views and gave a combined score for suspicion of malignancy on a fivepoint scale. The same readers then read bilateral standard two-view DM together with two-view DBT. Pathology data were obtained. Differences were assessed using ROC analysis. Results: The study population was 342 lesions in 322 patients. Final diagnosis was malignant in 113 cases (33%) and benign/normal in 229 cases (67%). In the prospective analysis, the performance of two-view DM plus DBT was at least equivalent to the performance of two-view DM and standard mammographic supplementary views-area under the curve (AUC) was 0.946 and 0.922 respectively, which did not reach statistical significance. Similar results were obtained for the retrospective review-AUC was 0.900 (DBT) and 0.873 (supplementary views), which did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: The accuracy of GE DBT in the assessment of screendetected soft tissue abnormalities is equivalent to the use of standard supplementary mammographic views.