How age affects the biology of breast cancer.

Breast cancer incidence increases with age, but there are important age-related differences with respect to the frequency of different tumour subtypes with respect to hormone receptor status and pathological grade. In general, younger patients show a higher frequency of oestrogen receptor-negative, higher-grade tumours, whereas in older patients there is a higher frequency of oestrogen receptor-positive, low-grade tumours. This accounts for the fact that, in general, elderly patients are thought to have a less aggressive form of the disease.

Multivariate analysis of febrile neutropenia occurrence in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: data from the INC-EU Prospective Observational European Neutropenia Study.

Myelosuppression, particularly febrile neutropenia (FN), are serious dose-limiting toxicities that occur frequently during the first cycle of chemotherapy. Identifying patients most at risk of developing FN might help physicians to target prophylactic treatment with colony-stimulating factor (CSF), in order to decrease the incidence, or duration, of myelosuppression and facilitate delivery of chemotherapy as planned. We present a risk model for FN occurrence in the first cycle of chemotherapy, based on a subgroup of 240 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) enroled in our European prospective observational study.

Implantable telescope for end-stage age-related macular degeneration: long-term visual acuity and safety outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate long-term safety and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) results of a telescope prosthesis in patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Prospective, open-label clinical trial with fellow-eye controls.

Methods: Patients with end-stage AMD (bilateral geographic atrophy or disciform scars; BCVA, 20/80 to 20/800) received the telescope prosthesis at 28 centers.

Pharyngeal adaptation in Zenker's diverticulum: the "faux pharyngoesophageal segment".

Background: We have noticed a protrusion on the pharyngeal wall in patients with Zenker's diverticulum (ZD). The protrusion gives the appearance of a neo-pharyngoesophageal segment (faux-PES) and may represent an adaptation to protect the airway.

Study Design: A case-control study.

The clinical significance of radiologically detected silent pulmonary nodules in early breast cancer.

Background: Increasing numbers of patients with early cancer undergo routine staging using computerized tomography (CT). Those in whom indeterminate pulmonary nodules are visualized without the presence of other metastatic lesions represent a clinical dilemma regarding their management as early breast cancer or metastatic disease.

Patients And Methods: Medical records of breast cancer patients who underwent thoracic CT scans between the years 2002 and 2008 were analyzed.

Pegfilgrastim; a neutrophil mediated granulocyte colony stimulating factor-expanding uses in cancer chemotherapy.

Background: Currently G-CSFs such as filgrastim (Neupogen, Amgen, Inc.) and pegfilgrastim (Neulasta, Amgen, Inc.) are widely used to reduce chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Identification of an Arabidopsis gene encoding a GH95 alpha1,2-fucosidase active on xyloglucan oligo- and polysaccharides.

alpha1,2-linked fucose can be found on xyloglucans which are the main hemicellulose compounds of dicotyledons. The fucosylated nonasaccharide XXFG derived from xyloglucans plays a role in cell signaling and is active at nanomolar concentrations. The plant enzyme acting on this alpha1,2-linked fucose residues has been previously called fucosidase II; here we report on the molecular identification of a gene from Arabidopsis thaliana (At4g34260 hereby designed AtFuc95A) encoding this enzyme.

Mortality among workers exposed to acrylonitrile in fiber production: an update.

Objective: The investigation updates the mortality experience through 2002 for a cohort of workers exposed to acrylonitrile (AN).

Methods: Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were estimated based on two reference populations: the US population and a regional employee population. Exposure-response analyses were conducted using Cox regression models for cumulative and mean intensity exposure measures.

Neutropenia occurrence and predictors of reduced chemotherapy delivery: results from the INC-EU prospective observational European neutropenia study.

Goals Of Work: Neutropenia is a life-threatening, dose-limiting toxicity of many chemotherapy regimens. The goals of this study were to assess the incidence and risk of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, febrile neutropenia (FN) and dose limitations in breast cancer and lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy in Europe.

Patients And Methods: Four hundred forty-four breast cancer and 305 lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy at 66 practices in five European countries participated in this prospective, observational study.

The influence of dental unit waterline cleaners on composite-to-dentin bond strengths.

Background: One approach to controlling dental unit waterline (DUWL) contamination by microorganisms is the addition of chemical cleaners to the treatment water. Yet, there is concern that these cleaners might affect the bonding of resin-based composites to enamel and dentin. The authors evaluated the influence of DUWL cleaners on composite-to-dentin bond strengths.

Baseline susceptibility of tobacco budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Cry1F toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Transgenic cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., lines expressing both Cry1F and Cry1Ac insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been commercially available in the United States since 2005. Both Bt proteins are highly effective against tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.

Construction of a functional CMP-sialic acid biosynthesis pathway in Arabidopsis.

Previous studies have reported that plants contain negligible amounts of free or protein-bound N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). This is a major disadvantage for the use of plants as a biopharmaceutical expression system, since N-glycans with terminal Neu5Ac residues are important for the biological activities and half-lives of recombinant therapeutic glycoproteins in humans. For the synthesis of Neu5Ac-containing N-glycans, plants have to acquire the ability to synthesize Neu5Ac and its nucleotide-activated derivative, cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Effect of once-weekly epoetin beta on survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving anthracycline- and/or taxane-based chemotherapy: results of the Breast Cancer-Anemia and the Value of Erythropoietin (BRAVE) study.

Purpose: The Breast Cancer-Anemia and the Value of Erythropoietin (BRAVE) study evaluated whether epoetin beta would improve survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Patients And Methods: BRAVE was an open-label, randomized, multicenter study in patients with MBC treated with anthracycline- and/or taxane-based chemotherapy. Patients (hemoglobin [Hb] < 12.

A case of fatal felodipine overdose.

A 54 year gentleman was admitted to hospital within four hours of taking an overdose of modified release felodipine tablets, with a total dose of approximately 250 mg. The initial management comprised fluid resuscitation, calcium chloride and glucagon. He remained hypotensive and was commenced on hyperinsulinaemia-euglycaemic therapy.

Using extracted teeth for research: the effect of storage medium and sterilization on dentin bond strengths.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has adopted guidelines for infection control of extracted teeth used for research and teaching, requiring that teeth be sterilized before use. The authors conducted a study to test the null hypothesis that the storage medium and sterilization method have no effect on composite-to-dentin bond strengths.

Materials And Methods: The authors collected 170 bovine incisors, cleaned them and placed them randomly into one of six storage media at 37 degrees C for 60 days: distilled water (dH(2)O), 0.

Adaptation of the "in-gel release method" to N-glycome analysis of low-milligram amounts of material.

Protein N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification which plays numerous crucial physiological roles. The N-glycan pattern varies depending on the species organs, tissues and even cell types and their respective physiological states. Obtaining enough starting material from a particular cell type or tissue for N-glycan purification by conventional methods can, in certain cases, be very difficult.

Evaluation of side effects and patients' perceptions during tooth bleaching.

Objective: The objective of this nightguard vital bleaching (NGVB) study was to compare tooth sensitivity (TS), gingival irritation (GIr), and other side effects, as well as patients' perceptions during tooth bleaching, from treatment with experimental 5 and 7% hydrogen peroxide (HP) bleaching solutions with those of a commercially available 10% carbamide peroxide (CP) product.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-one participants completed the study wearing a scalloped maxillary treatment tray without reservoirs with the different concentrations of bleaching gels for 30 minutes twice a day for 7 days. Parameters evaluated were changes in gingival index (GI), nonmarginal gingival index, nongingival oral mucosal index, and tooth vitality.

Cross-sectional study of lipids and liver enzymes related to a serum biomarker of exposure (ammonium perfluorooctanoate or APFO) as part of a general health survey in a cohort of occupationally exposed workers.

Objective: To examine the relationship between serum perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), a biomarker of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) exposure, and lipids and liver enzymes in a cross-sectional study among workers with potential occupational exposure to APFO.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,025 active workers with potential exposure to APFO using linear regression to examine the relationship between PFOA and selected outcomes from a standard metabolic health screening survey, emphasizing lipids and liver enzymes.

Results: Most outcome parameters were within normal limits.

Retrospective cohort mortality study of workers in a polymer production plant including a reference population of regional workers.

Purpose: Based on previous reports of increased serum lipid levels in workers at a U.S. polymer manufacturing facility, the study objective was to investigate ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality as well as a broad range of mortality causes for an occupational cohort at the facility.

The Grey Nomad phenomenon: changing the script of aging.

This article explores a relatively new and little understood phenomenon, that of the Australian Grey Nomads. Every year increasing numbers of older Australians take to the road. This article explores the phenomenon both empirically and theoretically.

Longitudinal study of serum lipids and liver enzymes in workers with occupational exposure to ammonium perfluorooctanoate.

Objective: To examine the relationship between serum perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), a biomarker of ammonium perfluorooctanoate exposure, and lipids and liver enzymes.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study on 454 workers and used mixed models to examine the relationship between serum PFOA and lipids and liver enzymes.

Results: One part per million (ppm) increase in serum PFOA was associated with a 1.

A unique beta1,3-galactosyltransferase is indispensable for the biosynthesis of N-glycans containing Lewis a structures in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In plants, the only known outer-chain elongation of complex N-glycans is the formation of Lewis a [Fuc alpha1-4(Gal beta1-3)GlcNAc-R] structures. This process involves the sequential attachment of beta1,3-galactose and alpha1,4-fucose residues by beta1,3-galactosyltransferase and alpha1,4-fucosyltransferase. However, the exact mechanism underlying the formation of Lewis a epitopes in plants is poorly understood, largely because one of the involved enzymes, beta1,3-galactosyltransferase, has not yet been identified and characterized.