Implication of breast cancer phenotype for patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

Background: We aimed to study the implications of breast cancer (BC) subtypes for the development and prognosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC).

Patients And Methods: Data from the breast cancer patients diagnosed with LC between 2005 and 2010 were retrieved. Patients were classified in luminal A, B, HER2 positive and triple negative (TN) and their BC diagnosis, treatment, and outcome were analyzed according to each subtype.

Homogeneous sonophotolysis of food processing industry wastewater: Study of synergistic effects, mineralization and toxicity removal.

The mineralization of industrial wastewater coming from food industry using an emerging homogeneous sonophotolytic oxidation process was evaluated as an alternative to or a rapid pretreatment step for conventional anaerobic digestion with the aim of considerably reducing the total treatment time. At the selected operation conditions ([H(2)O(2)]=11,750ppm, pH=8, amplitude=50%, pulse length (cycles)=1), 60% of TOC is removed after 60min and 98% after 180min when treating an industrial effluent with 2114ppm of total organic carbon (TOC). This process removed completely the toxicity generated during storing or due to intermediate compounds.

Subtle increases in interletter spacing facilitate the encoding of words during normal reading.

Background: Several recent studies have revealed that words presented with a small increase in interletter spacing are identified faster than words presented with the default interletter spacing (i.e., w a t e r faster than water).

Letter position coding across modalities: the case of Braille readers.

Background: The question of how the brain encodes letter position in written words has attracted increasing attention in recent years. A number of models have recently been proposed to accommodate the fact that transposed-letter stimuli like jugde or caniso are perceptually very close to their base words.

Methodology: Here we examined how letter position coding is attained in the tactile modality via Braille reading.

Development of Condom-Use Self-Efficacy over 36 months among Early Adolescents: A Mediation Analysis.

This research evaluates condom-use self-efficacy and its increase throughout adolescence. Documentation of the development of condom-use self-efficacy would be important for prevention efforts given the influence of self-efficacy on actual condom-usage. This study assesses a hypothesized mediation mechanism of the development of self-efficacy using a mediation analysis approach.

Volumetric analysis of subarachnoid hemorrhage: assessment of the reliability of two computerized methods and their comparison with other radiographic scales.

Object: There were two main purposes to this study: first, to assess the feasibility and reliability of 2 quantitative methods to assess bleeding volume in patients who suffered spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and second, to compare these methods to other qualitative and semiquantitative scales in terms of reliability and accuracy in predicting delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and outcome.

Methods: A prospective series of 150 patients consecutively admitted to the Hospital 12 de Octubre over a 4-year period were included in the study. All of these patients had a diagnosis of SAH, and diagnostic CT was able to be performed in the first 24 hours after the onset of the symptoms.

Hot water, UV-C and superatmospheric oxygen packaging as hurdle techniques for maintaining overall quality of fresh-cut pomegranate arils.

Background: In recent years there has been increasing consumer pressure to avoid the use of agrochemicals such as chlorine on fresh plant products for extending their shelf life. The combined use of eco-sustainable techniques may be an alternative. The effect of hot water (HW), ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light and high oxygen packaging (HO) on the overall quality of fresh-cut pomegranate arils stored under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for up to 14 days at 5 °C was studied.

Visual word recognition models should also be constrained by knowledge about the visual system.

Frost's article advocates for universal models of reading and critiques recent models that concentrate in what has been described as "cracking the orthographic code." Although the challenge to develop models that can account for word recognition beyond Indo-European languages is welcomed, we argue that reading models should also be constrained by general principles of visual processing and object recognition.

In utero closure of myelomeningocele does not improve lower urinary tract function.

Purpose: Recent data comparing prenatal to postnatal closure of myelomeningocele showed a decreased need for ventriculoperitoneal shunting and improved lower extremity motor outcomes in patients who underwent closure prenatally. A total of 11 children whose spinal defect was closed in utero were followed at our spina bifida center. We hypothesized that in utero repair of myelomeningocele improves lower urinary tract function compared to postnatal repair.

The financial burden of mandibular trauma.

Purpose: Patients with mandibular trauma in the greater Seattle region are frequently transferred to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) despite trained providers in the surrounding communities. HMC receives poor reimbursement for these services, creating a disproportionate financial burden on the hospital. In this study we aim to identify the variables associated with increased cost of care, measure the relative financial impact of these variables, and quantify the revenue loss incurred from the treatment of isolated mandibular fractures.

Identification of novel vga(A)-carrying plasmids and a Tn5406-like transposon in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis of human and animal origin.

Nine staphylococcal strains of human and animal origin with a lincomycin-resistant/erythromycin-susceptible phenotype and carrying vga genes were characterised to determine the genetic elements involved in the dissemination of these uncommon resistance genes. These strains were typed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and/or spa typing. Antimicrobial susceptibility was studied by disk diffusion and agar dilution methods.

Hyperventilation in anticipatory music performance anxiety.

Objectives And Methods: Self-report studies have shown an association between music performance anxiety (MPA) and hyperventilation complaints. However, hyperventilation was never assessed physiologically in MPA. This study investigated the self-reported affective experience, self-reported physiological symptoms, and cardiorespiratory variables including partial pressure of end-tidal CO(2) (Petco(2)), which is an indicator for hyperventilation, in 67 music students before a private and a public performance.

Effect of tubal explants and their secretions on bovine spermatozoa: modulation of ROS production and DNA damage.

Although low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a physiological role in maintaining sperm function, an increase in ROS generation above these levels may result in the induction of sperm membrane and DNA damage. The main objective of this study was to determine whether bovine oviducal explants (TU) and their conditioned media (CM) have a modulatory effect on the production of ROS, and consequently, on sperm DNA integrity. Thawed sperm were exposed to bovine TU and to CM obtained from the ampullar and isthmal regions after 4 and 12h, and DNA damage and intracellular ROS production was assessed by TUNEL and DHE and SYTOX Green, respectively.

Dietary fat modifies the postprandial inflammatory state in subjects with metabolic syndrome: the LIPGENE study.

Scope: Our aim was to investigate whether the inflammatory state associated to metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients is affected by diets with different fat quality and quantity.

Methods And Results: Seventy-five subjects from LIPGENE cohort were included in this feeding trial and randomly assigned to one of four diets: high saturated fatty acids (HSFA); high monounsaturated fatty acids (HMUFA) and two low-fat, high complex carbohydrate (LFHCC) diets, supplemented with long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LFHCC n-3) or placebo (LFHCC), for 12 weeks each. A postprandial fat challenge, reflecting the intervention dietary fat composition, was conducted post-intervention.

Inhibition of TNF-α improves the bladder dysfunction that is associated with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetic bladder dysfunction (DBD) is common and affects 80% of diabetic patients. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying DBD remain elusive because of a lack of appropriate animal models. We demonstrate DBD in a mouse model that harbors hepatic-specific insulin receptor substrate 1 and 2 deletions (double knockout [DKO]), which develops type 2 diabetes.

Pepino mosaic virus and Tomato torrado virus: two emerging viruses affecting tomato crops in the Mediterranean basin.

The molecular biology, epidemiology, and evolutionary dynamics of Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) are much better understood than those of Tomato torrado virus (ToTV). The earliest descriptions of PepMV suggest a recent jump from nontomato species (e.g.

When things are not as they appear: assessing the adequacy of cluster randomization when outcome events are rare at baseline.

The present study randomly assigned 15 Bahamian elementary schools to one of three intervention conditions. To assess the adequacy of cluster randomization, we examined two concerns identified by the local research team: inequality of gender distribution and environmental risk among groups. Baseline significant differences in risk and protective behaviors were minimal.

Severe traumatic head injury: prognostic value of brain stem injuries detected at MRI.

Background And Purpose: Traumatic brain injuries represent an important cause of death for young people. The main objectives of this work are to correlate brain stem injuries detected at MR imaging with outcome at 6 months in patients with severe TBI, and to determine which MR imaging findings could be related to a worse prognosis.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and eight patients with severe TBI were studied by MR imaging in the first 30 days after trauma.

Evaluation of different pulverisation methods for RNA extraction in squash fruit: lyophilisation, cryogenic mill and mortar grinding.

Introduction: Quality and integrity of RNA are critical for transcription studies in plant molecular biology. In squash fruit and other high water content crops, the grinding of tissue with mortar and pestle in liquid nitrogen fails to produce a homogeneous and fine powered sample desirable to ensure a good penetration of the extraction reagent.

Objective: To develop an improved pulverisation method to facilitate the homogenisation process of squash fruit tissue prior to RNA extraction without reducing quality and yield of the extracted RNA.

Bilateral cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy applied to patients with aggressiveness.

Objective: To perform a preliminary study on the effects and safety of bilateral cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy in patients with aggressive behavior.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-three psychiatric patients showing aggressive behavior refractory to conventional treatment were initially evaluated. The subjects were clinically selected using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF).

[Illness perception: an evaluation to be conducted by nurses].

Illness perception is understood as the way individuals understand and cope with their disease. The objective of this paper was to identify articles in literature developed by nurses on disease perception, and the instruments available to assess it. An integrative literature review was performed, which identified nine papers that related to the perception of the disease with Health Education, Coping, Treatment adherence and quality of life.

[T-cell pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: analysis of survival and prognostic factors in 4 consecutive protocols of the Spanish cooperative study group SHOP].

Background And Objectives: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent cancer in childhood, with cure rates of 80-85%. In T-cell ALL (15% of ALL), prognostic factors are ill defined. We aimed to describe the event-free survival (EFS) and analyze clinical prognostic factors in a series of pediatric T-ALL of 4 consecutive clinical trials.

Sorafenib in combination with capecitabine: an oral regimen for patients with HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor with antiangiogenic/antiproliferative activity. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIB trial assessed sorafenib with capecitabine for locally advanced or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -negative breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to first- or second-line capecitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) orally twice a day for days 1 to 14 of every 21-day cycle with sorafenib 400 mg orally twice a day or placebo.

High-throughput SNP genotyping in Cucurbita pepo for map construction and quantitative trait loci mapping.

Background: Cucurbita pepo is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, the second- most important horticultural family in terms of economic importance after Solanaceae. The "summer squash" types, including Zucchini and Scallop, rank among the highest-valued vegetables worldwide. There are few genomic tools available for this species.