Abstract Farming for the sustainable production of halophyte crops should begin with the popular knowledge of saline and beneficial plants. In this respect, the use of drip irrigation with a seawater supply for the production of the halophytic specie Salicornia magellanica was evaluated in a small-scale culture in three growth periods; a randomized design of fifteen plantings were developed in each treatment (n=15), with two irrigation flows in two plant stages (two and seven months of initial pre-planting growth in pots). The irrigation flow showed different effects on the production parameters and plant age, with highest yields recorded in more developed plants at the third season. Hydroponics with low concentration of sea water, showed a greater and significant values in survival of plants, largest length and number of shoots. These results made it possible to model the consumption of seawater for crops in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, optimizing its use in order to reduce the cost of seawater provision for micro crops far from the sea coast.

Resumen La producción de cultivos halófitas en una agricultura sustentable, debe iniciar con el conocimiento popular de las plantas salinas y beneficiosas. Con base a lo anterior, se evaluó el uso de riego por goteo con suministro de agua de mar para la producción de la especie halófila Salicornia magellanica en un cultivo de pequeña escala en tres períodos de crecimiento; en cada tratamiento se desarrolló un diseño aleatorizado de quince plantaciones (n = 15), con dos caudales de riego en dos etapas de planta (dos y siete meses de crecimiento inicial pre-plantación en macetas). El caudal de riego mostró diferentes efectos sobre los parámetros de producción y edad de la planta, donde los mayores rendimientos se registraron en plantas más desarrolladas en la tercera temporada. En la hidroponía con agua de mar las de baja concentración, tuvieron valores mayores y significativos en supervivencia de plantas, mayor longitud y número de brotes. Estos resultados permiten modelar el consumo de agua de mar para cultivos en Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, optimizando su uso con el fin de reducir el costo del suministro de agua de mar para micro cultivos alejados de la costa del mar.

OBJECTIVES: Osteosarcoma of the jaw (OSAJ) is fundamentally different in clinical practice from its peripheral counterparts. Studies are difficult to conduct due to low incidence rates. The primary aim of this study was to provide for the first time a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the treatment concepts and outcome data of OSAJ patients treated at the University Hospital Vienna and to compare these with two recently published studies on OSAJ. The clinical study was accompanied by a biomarker study investigating the prognostic relevance of melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) in OSAJ specimens. METHOD: Eighteen patients were included, and their outcomes were compared to published data. Immunohistochemistry was performed with mouse monoclonal antibodies against MAGE-A. Survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meyer method. The log-rank test was used to analyze potential prognostic parameters. Fisher’s exact test was performed to define the significant differences between the survival rates of the current study and the DOESAK registry. RESULTS: Disease-specific survival was 93.8% after five and 56.3% after ten years. The development of metastases (p=0.033) or relapse (p=0.037) was associated with worsened outcomes in our group as well as in the comparative group. Despite the different treatment concepts of the study groups, survival rates were comparable. MAGE-A failed to show prognostic relevance for OSAJ patients. CONCLUSIONS: Uncertainties about the optimal treatment strategies of OSAJ patients will currently remain. Thus, prospective studies of OSAJ are needed but are only feasible in a multicenter study setting, conducted over a prolonged time period.

OBJECTIVES: This retrospective study performed a comprehensive analysis of the usage of intra-arterial chemotherapy (iaCh) for locally recurrent UICC stage IV oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) over two decades at the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery at the University Hospital Vienna to assess the utility of its future use. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2014, iaCh was indicated in 48 OSCC cases. In these, the two most frequent iaCh schemes, cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (Cis/5-FU) and methotrexate/bleomycin (MTX/Bleo), were chosen for further analysis. The effect on survival of two distinct intra-arterial protocols and their covariates were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method as well as univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 29.91 months. The two intra-arterial chemotherapy groups did not differ significantly in sample size, demographic data or therapeutic covariates. The Cis/5-FU iaCh regimen was associated with significantly better overall survival (median OS 2.6 years vs. 1.3 years; p=0.002) and had a beneficial effect on survival (HR=3.62, p=0.015). Side effects occurred at a frequency similar to that described in the literature for intravenous chemotherapy (ivCh). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a preference for administering Cis/5-FU for iaCh. Nevertheless, due to economic considerations in healthcare expenditures, there is no future for iaCh in the treatment of head and neck carcinomas because ivCh is known to be equivalent.