Colonoscopy versus fecal immunochemical testing in colorectal-cancer screening.

Background: Colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) are accepted strategies for colorectal-cancer screening in the average-risk population.

Methods: In this randomized, controlled trial involving asymptomatic adults 50 to 69 years of age, we compared one-time colonoscopy in 26,703 subjects with FIT every 2 years in 26,599 subjects. The primary outcome was the rate of death from colorectal cancer at 10 years.

The Lowe syndrome protein OCRL1 is involved in primary cilia assembly.

Lowe syndrome (LS) is a devastating, X-linked genetic disease characterized by the presence of congenital cataracts, profound learning disabilities and renal dysfunction. Unfortunately, children affected with LS often die early of health complications including renal failure. Although this syndrome was first described in the early 1950s and the affected gene, OCRL1, was identified more than 17 years ago, the mechanism by which Ocrl1 defects lead to LS's symptoms remains unknown.

Intestinal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: natural history and surveillance guidelines.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are associated to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, which is primarily related to long-standing chronic inflammation. Recognized risk factors are the duration and extent of the disease, severe endoscopic and histological inflammation, primary sclerosing cholangitis, family history of colorectal cancer and in some studies young age at diagnosis. Recent population-based studies have shown that the risk is lower than previously described or even similar to that of the general population, and this could be justified by methodological aspects (hospital-based vs.

Malondialdehyde in early phase of acute pancreatitis.

Aims: to assess oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis, its evolution over time and its relationship with the severity of the disease.

Methods: during a two-year period, patients with acute pancreatitis with less than 24 hours of pain were evaluated. Serum was obtained the first, second and fourth day from admittance, if complications were detected, and after recovery.

Infliximab salvage therapy after failure of ciclosporin in corticosteroid-refractory ulcerative colitis: a multicentre study.

Background: Ciclosporin has proven to be effective in patients with corticosteroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). When therapy with this drug fails, infliximab can be considered to avoid colectomy. The efficacy and safety of this sequential approach remain unknown.

Carbonyl-functionalized quaterthiophenes: a study of the vibrational Raman and electronic absorption/emission properties guided by theoretical calculations.

This work investigates the evolution of the molecular, vibrational, and optical properties within a family of carbonyl-functionalized quaterthiophenes: 5,5'''-diheptanoyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2'''-quaterthiophene (1), 5,5'''-diperfluorohexylcarbonyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2'''-quaterthiophene (2), and 2,7-[bis(5-perfluorohexylcarbonylthien-2-yl)]-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']-dithiophene-4-one (3). The analysis is performed by Raman and UV/Vis absorption/excitation/fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with density functional calculations. Theoretical calculations show that substitution with carbonyl groups and perfluorohexyl chains induces progressive quinoidization of the π-conjugated backbone in comparison to the carbonyl-free compound 5,5'''-dimethyl-2,2':5',2'':5'',2'''-quaterthiophene (DM-4T) used as reference.

Leukocytapheresis for steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis in clinical practice: results of a nationwide Spanish registry.

Background: Several small, prospective, open studies suggest that leukocytapheresis might be efficient in patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis (UC).

Aim: To evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness of leukocytapheresis for the management of steroid-dependent UC in clinical practice.

Methods: A Web-based, nationwide database specifically designed to record the efficacy and safety data of leukocytapheresis therapy in UC was available from September 2007 in Spain.

A portable, contact animal fundus imaging system based on Rol's GRIN lenses.

Objective: To demonstrate a cost-effective, portable, and simple-to-use fundus imaging system for laboratory animals.

Animals Studied: Albino rats, pigmented mice, albino guinea pigs, and New Zealand white rabbits.

Procedure: A contact fundus imaging system was designed and constructed using standard optical and mechanical components: a digital camera, an otoscope, a fiber optic light source, and standard optical lenses and mounts.

Substituent and counterion effects on the formation of π-dimer dications of end-capped heptathienoacenes.

We have investigated the impact of the functionalization and the chemical nature of counterions on the π-dimer dications formation in two end-capped heptathienoacenes. Radical cations of an α-substituted heptathienoacene with triisopropylsilyl groups do not π-dimerize, while those of an α,β-substituted heptathienoacene with four n-decyl side chains show a high propensity toward π-dimerization, increased by PF(6)(-) counterions.

Factors associated to infant mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Half of the 10 million children who die annually in the world are from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The reasons are known, but lack of will and resources avoid the development of sustainable policies. Associated factors to the high infant mortality rate (IMR) in SSA have been investigated in this research.

GreenLight HPS 120-W laser vaporization versus transurethral resection of the prostate for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia: a randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up.

Background: High-level evidence to support the use of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) is limited.

Objective: Assess the efficacy and safety of GreenLight HPS 120-W laser PVP compared with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Design, Setting, And Participants: A randomized clinical trial was performed with 50 patients having lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia in each treatment arm.

The influence of the field setup on the dosimetry of abutted fields in single-isocenter half-beam techniques.

Purpose: To study the influence of the field setup on the dosimetry at the junction in single-isocenter half-beam techniques.

Methods: The dosimetry at the junction for a two-field setup with the gantry at zero was first evaluated with radiochromic films. A three-field setup, with an anterior field and two opposed lateral fields, was also analyzed for two different relative positions of the fields involved.

Urethral stricture in women. Morphofunctional diagnosis and treatment.

Objectives: The objective of this article is to describe the diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction in women and the treatment of urethral strictures as a cause of it.

Method: A bibliographic review was performed in the Medline (PubMed) data base on articles published on the diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction in women and the treatment of urethral stricture in the period between 1989-2009.

Results: The prevalence of obstruction in women varies between 2.

Mesoporous TiO2-based experimental layout for on-target enrichment and separation of multi- and monophosphorylated peptides prior to analysis with matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry.

A simple method for on-target enrichment and subsequent separation and analysis of phosphorylated peptides is presented. The tryptic digest of a phosphorylated protein, in this case β-casein, is loaded onto a spot on a thin stripe made of mesoporous TiO(2) sintered onto a conductive glass surface. After washing with a salicylic buffer in order to remove the nonphosphorylated peptides, the stripe is placed in an elution chamber containing a phosphate solution.

External validation and applicability of the EORTC risk tables for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: To perform an external validation of the EORTC risk tables and to evaluate their applicability in the patients of our institution by comparing the actual risk of recurrence and progression in our series to those obtained through the application of the EORTC tables.

Methods: Retrospective study, based on a prospective cohort of 417 patients in follow-up with primary TaT1 bladder tumors, operated on in our center between 1998 and 2008 and collected in our database. Risk scores were assigned depending on the tumor characteristics to divide our series into four risk groups according to these ratings.

Child health inequality: framing a social work response.

Numerous studies acknowledge that the well-being of our nation hinges on the health of its people. There is specific concern about children because they represent the future. Ignoring children's health needs can compromise their educational preparedness, occupational pursuits, productivity, and longevity.

Magnetic resonance imaging tendon integrity assessment after arthroscopic partial-thickness rotator cuff repair.

Purpose: Our goal was to assess the integrity of the repaired rotator cuff in patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears who underwent a technique of tear completion followed by surgical repair, using post-repair magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a minimum of 2 years' follow-up.

Methods: An all-arthroscopic surgical technique was used for these marked partial-thickness tears, by use of double-loaded footprint anchors and/or lateral sutures or anchors as appropriate for tissue quality. A total of 22 patients who had completion of the tear followed by repair were reimaged with 2-sequence noncontrast MRI to determine the integrity of the rotator cuff repair at a minimum of 2 years postoperatively.

Usefulness of oral beclometasone dipropionate in the treatment of active ulcerative colitis in clinical practice: the RECLICU Study.

Background: Beclometasone dipropionate (BDP) is a relatively new topically acting oral steroid to treat mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC). We estimate that 20,000 patients have received oral BDP in Spain in the last two years. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral BDP in clinical practice.

Bbs8, together with the planar cell polarity protein Vangl2, is required to establish left-right asymmetry in zebrafish.

Laterality defects such as situs inversus are not uncommonly encountered in humans, either in isolation or as part of another syndrome, but can have devastating developmental consequences. The events that break symmetry during early embryogenesis are highly conserved amongst vertebrates and involve the establishment of unidirectional flow by cilia within an organising centre such as the node in mammals or Kupffer's vesicle (KV) in teleosts. Disruption of this flow can lead to the failure to successfully establish left-right asymmetry.

Discovery of novel benzoxaborole-based potent antitrypanosomal agents.

We report the discovery of benzoxaborole antitrypanosomal agents and their structure-activity relationships on central linkage groups and different substitution patterns in the sulfur-linked series. The compounds showed in vitro growth inhibition IC50 values as low as 0.02 μg/mL and in vivo efficacy in acute murine infection models against Tryapnosoma brucei.

Monitoring endocrine activity in kraft mill effluent treated by aerobic moving bed bioreactor system.

A Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) was operated at three different hydraulic retention times for a period of 414 days. The fate of the extractive compounds and the estrogenic activity of the Pinus radiata kraft mill effluents were evaluated using Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. Results show that the MBBR reactor is able to remove between 80-83% of estrogenic activity present in the kraft mill Pinus radiata influent, where the values of the effluent's estrogenic activity ranged between 0.

Detection of myxoid liposarcoma-associated FUS-DDIT3 rearrangement variants including a newly identified breakpoint using an optimized RT-PCR assay.

Myxoid/round cell liposarcoma is characterized by the recurrent translocations t(12;16)(q13;p11) and, less commonly, t(12;22)(q13;q12), which fuse FUS or EWSR1, respectively, to DDIT3 on chromosome 12. Although a number of different variant breakpoints have been described, greater than 90% of all cases have one of the three different FUS-DDIT3 fusions, which may have clinical significance. To identify the individual breakpoints, a sequence-specific assay such as reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) is needed.