Recurrent adult choroid plexus carcinoma treated with high-dose chemotherapy and syngeneic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.

Choroid plexus carcinomas (CPCs) are rare epithelial central nervous system tumors. CPC occurs mainly in infants and young children, comprising ≈ 1 to 4% of all pediatric brain neoplasms. There is very limited information available regarding tumor biology and CPC treatment due to its rarity.

MYC Negative Rectal B-Cell Lymphoma, Unclassifiable, with Features Intermediate between Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Burkitt's Lymphoma in an Immunocompetent Patient.

B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt's lymphoma (BLUI) is a recently added entity to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification to address a grey zone between large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). These are rare aggressive lymphomas, which were previously also known as Burkitt's-like lymphoma (BLL). BL and BLUI/BLL of the colon mostly involve the ileocecal region.

Diagnostic mammography: identifying minimally acceptable interpretive performance criteria.

Purpose: To develop criteria to identify thresholds for the minimally acceptable performance of physicians interpreting diagnostic mammography studies.

Materials And Methods: In an institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant study, an Angoff approach was used to set criteria for identifying minimally acceptable interpretive performance for both workup after abnormal screening examinations and workup of a breast lump. Normative data from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) was used to help the expert radiologist identify the impact of cut points.

Positron emission mammography (PEM): effect of activity concentration, object size, and object contrast on phantom lesion detection.

Purpose: To characterize the relationship between lesion detection sensitivity and injected activity as a function of lesion size and contrast on the PEM (positron emission mammography) Flex Solo II scanner using phantom experiments.

Methods: Phantom lesions (spheres 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 mm diameter) were randomly located in uniform background. Sphere activity concentrations were 3 to 21 times the background activity concentration (BGc).

Multi-edge gene set networks reveal novel insights into global relationships between biological themes.

Curated gene sets from databases such as KEGG Pathway and Gene Ontology are often used to systematically organize lists of genes or proteins derived from high-throughput data. However, the information content inherent to some relationships between the interrogated gene sets, such as pathway crosstalk, is often underutilized. A gene set network, where nodes representing individual gene sets such as KEGG pathways are connected to indicate a functional dependency, is well suited to visualize and analyze global gene set relationships.

Synthesis and QSAR modeling of novel benzimidazolo thiazolidinones, thiazinones and 5-arylidene-2-imino thiazolidinones as antibacterial agents.

A novel series of benzimidazolo thiazolidinones, thiazinones and 5-arylidene-2-imino thiazolidinones were synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity. The compounds were synthesized in excellent yield and the structures were characterized on the basis of IR, 1H-NMR and MASS spectral data. Most of the synthesized compounds showed good antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

A systematic review of the utility of 1.5 versus 3 Tesla magnetic resonance brain imaging in clinical practice and research.

Objective: MRI at 3 T is said to be more accurate than 1.5 T MR, but costs and other practical differences mean that it is unclear which to use.

Methods: We systematically reviewed studies comparing diagnostic accuracy at 3 T with 1.

Impact of mammography detection on the course of breast cancer in women aged 40-49 years.

Purpose: To analyze trends in detection method related to breast cancer stage at diagnosis, treatments, and outcomes over time among 40-49-year-old women.

Materials And Methods: i This study was institutional review board approved, with a waiver of informed consent, and HIPAA compliant. A longitudinal prospective cohort study was conducted of women aged 40-49 years who had primary breast cancer, during 1990-2008, and were identified and tracked by a dedicated registry database (n = 1977).

Multiple factors influence calcium synchronization in arterial vasomotion.

The intercellular synchronization of spontaneous calcium (Ca(2+)) oscillations in individual smooth muscle cells is a prerequisite for vasomotion. A detailed mathematical model of Ca(2+) dynamics in rat mesenteric arteries shows that a number of synchronizing and desynchronizing pathways may be involved. In particular, Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipase C, the intercellular diffusion of inositol trisphosphate (IP(3), and to a lesser extent Ca(2+)), IP(3) receptors, diacylglycerol-activated nonselective cation channels, and Ca(2+)-activated chloride channels can contribute to synchronization, whereas large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium channels have a desynchronizing effect.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: qualitative identification to activity-based protein profiling.

Mass spectrometry has become the method of choice for proteome characterization, including multicomponent protein complexes (typically tens to hundreds of proteins) and total protein expression (up to tens of thousands of proteins), in biological samples. Qualitative sequence assignment based on MS/MS spectra is relatively well-defined, while statistical metrics for relative quantification have not completely stabilized. Nonetheless, proteomics studies have progressed to the point whereby various gene-, pathway-, or network-oriented computational frameworks may be used to place mass spectrometry data into biological context.

Coal fly ash basins as an attractive nuisance to birds: parental provisioning exposes nestlings to harmful trace elements.

Birds attracted to nest around coal ash settling basins may expose their young to contaminants by provisioning them with contaminated food. Diet and tissues of Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) nestlings were analyzed for trace elements to determine if nestlings were accumulating elements via dietary exposure and if feather growth limits elemental accumulation in other tissues. Arsenic, cadmium, and selenium concentrations in ash basin diets were 5× higher than reference diets.

Modeling Ca2+ signaling in the microcirculation: intercellular communication and vasoreactivity.

A network of intracellular signaling pathways and complex intercellular interactions regulate calcium mobilization in vascular cells, arteriolar tone, and blood flow. Different endothelium-derived vasoreactive factors have been identified and the importance of myoendothelial communication in vasoreactivity is now well appreciated. The ability of many vascular networks to conduct signals upstream also is established.

Production of a reference transcriptome and transcriptomic database (PocilloporaBase) for the cauliflower coral, Pocillopora damicornis.

Background: Motivated by the precarious state of the world's coral reefs, there is currently a keen interest in coral transcriptomics. By identifying changes in coral gene expression that are triggered by particular environmental stressors, we can begin to characterize coral stress responses at the molecular level, which should lead to the development of more powerful diagnostic tools for evaluating the health of corals in the field. Furthermore, the identification of genetic variants that are more or less resilient in the face of particular stressors will help us to develop more reliable prognoses for particular coral populations.

Preoperative predictors of weight loss following bariatric surgery: systematic review.

Background: Obesity affects 32% of adults in the USA. Surgery generates substantial weight loss, but 20-30% fails to achieve successful weight loss. Our objective was to identify preoperative psychosocial factors associated with weight loss following bariatric surgery.

Blood chromium levels of children working in gem-polishing industries in India.

The gem-polishing industry in Jaipur, India employs a substantial proportion of children. The process of polishing may result in exposure to chromium in working children. Thus, this study aims to find out the levels of chromium in these working children and the associated factors.

Patient behaviors associated with weight regain after laparoscopic gastric bypass.

Background: Patients undergoing gastric bypass lose substantial weight, but 20% regain weight starting at 2 years after surgery. Our objective was to identify behavioral predictors of weight regain after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB).

Methods: We retrospectively surveyed 197 patients for factors predictive of weight regain (≥15% from lowest weight to weight at survey completion).

The role of TLR4 activation in photoreceptor mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Purpose: Herein the authors investigated whether the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the innate immune response causes retinal photoreceptor oxidative stress and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage.

Methods: On day 5 after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant containing heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (CFA), retinas were submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array focused on the TLR signaling, or apoptosis, pathway. CFA-mediated TLR4 activation, oxidative stress, and mtDNA damage were determined in B10.

Isolated uveal tuberculoma masquerading as an intraocular tumor in an immunocompetent patient-a clinical-pathologic study with diagnosis by PCR.

Purpose: The aim of this article is to report a case of uveal tuberculoma simulating an intraocular tumor in which the diagnosis was only possible by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis.

Method: This is a case report.

Results: A36-year-old male presented with a progressive growing intraocular tumor and no history or positive test for other systemic disease.

Improving the isotretinoin photostability by incorporating in microemulsion matrix.

The present paper demonstrates the increased photostability of isotretinoin when loaded in microemulsion. The photodegradation of isotretinoin, in methanol and microemulsion formulation was studied under direct sun light. The photodegradation process was monitored by UV spectrophotometry.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® on nonpalpable mammographic findings (excluding calcifications).

Screening mammography can detect breast cancer before it becomes clinically apparent. However, the screening process identifies many false-positive findings for each cancer eventually confirmed. Additional tools are available to help differentiate spurious findings from real ones and to help determine when tissue sampling is required, when short-term follow-up will suffice, or whether the finding can be dismissed as benign.

Behavioral factors associated with successful weight loss after gastric bypass.

Patients undergoing bariatric surgery lose substantial weight (> or = 50% excess weight loss [EWL]), but an estimated 20 per cent fail to achieve this goal. Our objective was to identify behavioral predictors of weight loss after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. We retrospectively surveyed 148 patients using validated instruments for factors predictive of weight loss.

Asthenopia (eyestrain) in working children of gem-polishing industries.

Working children of gem-polishing units are exposed to poor illumination and improper workstations. Also processes require lot of visual and mental concentration for precision. This may result in eyestrain.