Robotic transanal surgery for local excision of rectal neoplasia, transanal total mesorectal excision, and repair of complex fistulae: clinical experience with the first 18 cases at a single institution.

Background: Robotic transanal surgery represents a natural evolution of transanal minimally invasive surgery. This new approach to rectal surgery provides the ability to perform local excision of rectal neoplasia with precision. Robotic transanal surgery can also be used to perform more advanced procedures including repair of complex fistulae and transanal total mesorectal excision.

Usefulness of Clinical Signs and Diagnostic Tests for Suspected Leaks in Bariatric Surgery.

Background: The early diagnosis of leakage poses a challenge to bariatric surgeons, who need to suspect and treat it promptly. The aim of this study is to determine the value of clinical signs and complementary tests in its detection.

Methods: Between January 2007 and 2012, 200 patients underwent surgery for pathological obesity.

Natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.

Background: Natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) represents one of the most significant innovations in surgery to emerge since the advent of laparoscopy. A decade of progress with this approach has now been catalogued, and yet its clinical application remains controversial.

Methods: A PubMed search was carried out for articles describing NOTES in both the preclinical and the clinical setting.

Risk factors for hyperkalaemia in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed heart failure: a nested case-control study in UK general practice.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for hyperkalaemia in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed heart failure in the UK.

Methods And Results: A nested case-control study was conducted using data from The Health Improvement Network primary care database. A cohort of 19 194 patients aged 1-89 years between January 2000 and December 2005 with newly diagnosed heart failure was followed up and cases of hyperkalaemia identified.

Risk of uncomplicated peptic ulcer disease in a cohort of new users of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the risk of uncomplicated peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in a cohort of new users of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in a UK primary care setting.

Methods: New users of low-dose ASA for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events, aged 50-84 years in 2000-2007, were identified from The Health Improvement Network. Among those 38,975 individuals, 309 patients were considered to be incident cases of uncomplicated PUD.

Estrogen signaling selectively induces apoptosis of hematopoietic progenitors and myeloid neoplasms without harming steady-state hematopoiesis.

Estrogens are potent regulators of mature hematopoietic cells; however, their effects on primitive and malignant hematopoietic cells remain unclear. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we observed differential expression and function of estrogen receptors (ERs) in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and progenitor subsets. ERα activation with the selective ER modulator (SERM) tamoxifen induced apoptosis in short-term HSCs and multipotent progenitors.

Role of SRC family kinases in prolactin signaling.

Prolactin (PRL) is a polypeptide hormone/cytokine mainly synthesized by the lactotrophic cells of the adenohypophysis. In addition to the best-known role in mammary gland development and the functional differentiation of its epithelium, PRL is involved in regulation of multiple physiological processes in higher organisms contributing to their homeostasis. PRL has been also associated with pathology, including breast cancer.

Evaluation and optimization of the Sysmex UF1000i system for the screening of urinary tract infection in primary health care elderly patients.

Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem in the elderly population. Urine culture is still considered the "gold standard" to diagnose infection in this population. However, urine cultures are laborious and costly, and most samples will yield no growth.

Frequency of abnormal esophageal acid exposure in patients eligible for bariatric surgery.

Background: Obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are both high-prevalence diseases in developed nations. Obesity has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of GERD. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of abnormal esophageal acid exposure in patients candidate for bariatric surgery and its relationship with any clinical and endoscopic findings before surgery.

Vaginal Access Minimally Invasive Surgery (VAMIS): A New Approach to Hysterectomy.

Vaginal hysterectomy is the original natural orifice operation. Although one of the most common gynecologic operations performed, the surgical approach has not changed significantly during the past century. This article describes a new approach to hysterectomy using vaginal access minimally invasive surgery (VAMIS).

Molecular dynamics simulations of complex mixtures aimed at the preparation of naproxen-imprinted xerogels.

The main objective of this study was to simulate for the first time a complex sol-gel system aimed at preparing the (S)-naproxen-imprinted xerogel with an explicit representation of all the ionic species at pH 9. For this purpose, a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of different mixtures, including species never studied before using the OPLS-AA force field, were prepared. A new parametrization for these species was developed and found to be acceptable.

Diacylglycerol kinase α promotes 3D cancer cell growth and limits drug sensitivity through functional interaction with Src.

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK)α converts diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid. This lipid kinase sustains survival, migration and invasion of tumor cells, with no effect over untransformed cells, suggesting its potential as a cancer-specific target. Nonetheless the mechanisms that underlie DGKα specific contribution to cancer survival have not been elucidated.

Diets labelled with (13)C-starch and (15)N-protein reveal daily rhythms of nutrient use in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).

All functions in animals rely on daily rhythms, and mealtime can act as a rhythm-marker of nutrients assimilation and use. The effects of meal timing and food composition on carbohydrate use and protein retention of gilthead sea bream were studied. Three groups were fed twice a day (10am and at 5pm) for two months with two alternating diets: a commercial diet (Cd) and a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet (Ed).

The neural crest is a source of mesenchymal stem cells with specialized hematopoietic stem cell niche function.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteolineage cells contribute to the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche in the bone marrow of long bones. However, their developmental relationships remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that different MSC populations in the developing marrow of long bones have distinct functions.

Parathyroid adenoma in third pharyngeal pouch cyst as a rare case of primary hyperparathyroidism.

The primitive thymus and inferior parathyroid derive from the third branchial cleft. During embryonic development, these structures descend, reaching their final localisation. Third branchial cleft anomalies present usually as a fistula, abscess or cyst.

Neuropathy of haematopoietic stem cell niche is essential for myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are diseases caused by mutations in the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment. Most MPN patients have a common acquired mutation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene in HSCs that renders this kinase constitutively active, leading to uncontrolled cell expansion. The bone marrow microenvironment might contribute to the clinical outcomes of this common event.

Robotic transanal total mesorectal excision: a pilot study.

Background: The introduction of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) in 2009 allowed colorectal surgeons to approach transanal access with a different perspective. This has lead to the development of TAMIS for total mesorectal excision (TME). We have previously described robotic transanal TME and here report our initial experience with the first three human cases performed at a single institution.

Robotic transanal surgery for local excision of rectal neoplasms.

Robotic transanal surgery (RTS) has been a natural evolution of transanal minimally invasive surgery. This video demonstrates how RTS is performed for the full-thickness excision of a malignant rectal polyp, with endoluminal robotic suturing of the rectal wall defect. The general approach to RTS, including the approach to docking of the robotic cart, are also illustrated in video format.

A systematic review of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) from 2010 to 2013.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) was introduced as an alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery in 2010. Over the past 4 years, considerable international experience has been gained with this approach. Most published reports focus on TAMIS for local excision of rectal neoplasia, but there are other important applications such as transanal mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.