Salvage stereotactic body radiation therapy for locally recurrent prostate cancer following primary radiation therapy, are benefits worth toxicity risks?: A systematic review.

Introduction: Salvage stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for localized prostate cancer recurrence following radiation therapy remains controversial. We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and side effect profile of salvage SBRT for locally recurrent prostate cancer to define the role of salvage SBRT in clinical practice.

Methods: A systematic review was carried out using Pubmed (MEDLINE) and Scopus databases.

A preliminary study to identify and distinguish southern tropical populations of from oil palm via mating assays, sequence data, and microsatellite markers.

Morphological studies suggest that the major pathogen causing basal stem rot of oil palm in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands is . This study presents the first evidence for conspecificity of from four countries where basal stem rot is prevalent. Seventy-three dikaryotic isolates of from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands were studied via mating tests, analyses of nuc internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.

Investigating Italian Consumer Preferences for Different Characteristics of Provolone Valpadana Using the Conjoint Analysis Approach.

The objective of this paper was twofold. First, we estimated consumer preferences for an Italian cheese (Provolone Valpadana) with respect to several attributes and levels, such as price, origin certification, production system, 'free from' labelling, and brand. Second, we identified consumer clusters with similar preferences for various cheese characteristics.

Glutaric aciduria type 2 presenting with acute respiratory failure in an adult.

Glutaric aciduria (GTA) type II can be seen as late onset form with myopathic phenotype. We present a case of a 19-year old female with progressive muscle weakness was admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) with respiratory failure and acute renal failure. Patient was unconscious.

Simultaneous Accessory Pathway and AV Node Mechanical Block.

We report a clinical case of a 22-year-old female referred to our institution due to palpitations and preexcitation. Her ECG suggested a right superior paraseptal accessory pathway (AP), which was localised during the electrophysiological study at the superior paraseptal region in close proximity to the His recordings. Reproducible orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia was induced by atrial pacing with extrastimuli.

Screening colonoscopy participation in Turkish colorectal cancer patients and their first degree relatives.

Background: This study aimed to research the awareness of screening colonoscopy (SC) among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and their relatives.

Methodology: A questionnaire form including information and behavior about colonoscopic screening for CRCs of patients and their first-degree relatives (FDRs) was prepared.

Results: A total of 406 CRC patients were enrolled into the study, with 1534 FDRs (siblings n: 1381 and parents n: 153) .

Expression of chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) on J744A.1 macrophages co-cultured with fibroblast and/or tumor cells: modeling the influence of microenvironment.

Maturation of macrophages is influenced by the composition of surrounding microenvironment. Expression of CMKLR1, the receptor for chemerin, is potentially associated with the differentiation status of macrophages. In this study, CMKLR1 was determined on peritoneal and tumor-infiltrating macrophages.

WAGR syndrome with tetralogy of Fallot and hydrocephalus.

Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary abnormalities, and mental retardation (WAGR) syndrome occurs sporadically due to deletion of chromosome 11p13. A variety of other abnormalities involving different systems have been reported in patients with WAGR syndrome. We report on a patient with WAGR syndrome with accompanying tetralogy of Fallot and hydrocephalus.

AS2TS system for protein structure modeling and analysis.

We present a set of programs and a website designed to facilitate protein structure comparison and protein structure modeling efforts. Our protein structure analysis and comparison services use the LGA (local-global alignment) program to search for regions of local similarity and to evaluate the level of structural similarity between compared protein structures. To facilitate the homology-based protein structure modeling process, our AL2TS service translates given sequence-structure alignment data into the standard Protein Data Bank (PDB) atom records (coordinates).

Skeletal troponin-I release in orthopedic and soft tissue injuries.

The skeletal isoform of troponin-I (sTnI) is a myofibrillar protein highly specific for myoskeletal injury. We used an indirect immunoenzymometric assay method with high analytical sensitivity to measure sTnI in patients with soft-tissue injury and in orthopedic patients. We assessed 20 soft-tissue injury patients and 16 orthopedic patients for sTnI, cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin, and elastase within 24h of injury, in comparison with 17 control subjects.

Levels of myosin heavy chain fragment in patients with tissue damage.

Background: Myosin heavy chain fragments (MHC) levels are observed to be higher in myoskeletal injuries after surgery. MHC could be a helpful supplementary tool in the study of myoskeletal injuries.

Methods: Serum levels of myosin heavy chain fragments (MHC) were assessed in orthopedic patients before operation (OBO) and after operative (OAO) repairs and in the early phase of soft tissue injury (STI) using a radioimmunoassay involving monoclonal antibodies to the human beta-type MHC.

Cardiovascular tolerance of healthy elderly subjects to weight-lifting exercises.

Objective: To evaluate the hemodynamic strain and the myocardial tolerance of weight-lifting exercises in healthy elderly subjects.

Methods: Sixty-five healthy elderly subjects (32 men/33 women) aged 65-80, were studied. Weight-lifting exercises consisted of two sets of 12 repetitions at 12-repetition maximum (RM) and four sets of five repetitions at 5-RM for, horizontal leg press, seated chest press, and bilateral leg extension movements.

Specialized intestinal metaplasia in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Background: There is an increasing awareness that short (less than 3 cm) segments of Barrett's epithelium and macroscopically normal cardia epithelium may harbour specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM), a premalignant phenotype. The prevalence of SIM was studied prospectively in an unselected population of patients attending for endoscopy, and the association of SIM with symptoms, lifestyle, medication, endoscopic oesophagitis and carditis was investigated.

Methods: Two hundred consecutive patients underwent endoscopy.

Effects of bone fracture and surgery on plasma myosin heavy chain fragments of skeletal muscle.

Objective: Myosin heavy chain (MHC) fragment is part of a structural or force-bearing protein expressed in the thick filament of muscle fibres. Since MHC fragment is a contractile protein, an increase in plasma MHC concentrations after muscle injury indicates degradation of the contractile apparatus. This study was conducted to determine whether MHC concentrations could be a tool in the assessment of tissue damage in patients with myoskeletal injuries.

Reduced reflex sensitivity persists several days after long-lasting stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

The mechanisms related to the acute and delayed secondary impairment of the stretch reflex function were investigated after long-lasting stretch-shortening cycle exercise. The results demonstrated a clear deterioration in muscle function immediately after fatigue, which was accompanied by a clear reduction in active and passive reflex sensitivity. For active and passive stretch reflexes, this reduction was biphasic (P < 0.

Geographic variations in the composition of ivory of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana).

Tracing the source of origin of illegal ivory will contribute to the identification of poorly managed game parks and facilitate steps taken to prevent the African elephant from becoming extinct. This study was aimed at establishing a database on the composition of ivory obtained from elephant sanctuary areas in Southern Africa. Fragments of elephant ivory from seven geographically distinct areas in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana were analysed for inorganic and organic content.

Skeletal troponin I as a marker of exercise-induced muscle damage.

The utility of skeletal troponin I (sTnI) as a plasma marker of skeletal muscle damage after exercise was compared against creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (Mb), and myosin heavy chain (MHC) fragments. These markers were serially measured in normal physical education teacher trainees after four different exercise regimens: 20 min of level or downhill (16% decline) running (intensity: 70% maximal O2 uptake), high-force eccentric contractions (70 repetitions), or high-force isokinetic concentric contractions of the quadriceps group (40 repetitions). Eccentrically biased exercise (downhill running and eccentric contractions) promoted greater increases in all parameters.

Epitope localization of monoclonal antibodies used in human troponin I immunoenzymometric assay.

Serum troponin I isoforms have proven to be potent markers of striated muscle injury. They reach the blood-stream soon after their liberation from the damaged muscular cell and can be detected by the use of selected antibodies. Among monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) originally produced against cardiac troponin I (cTnI), two MAbs able to cross react with the skeletal isoform of troponin I (sTnI) were selected and used to develop a one-step immunoenzymometric assay which allows the quantification of both cardiac and skeletal isoforms (scTnI IEMA).

Preliminary screening of plants used in South Africa as traditional herbal remedies during pregnancy and labour.

Agapanthus africanus, Pentanisia prunelloides and Gunnera perpensa are indigenous plants which are used in traditional herbal remedies during pregnancy and childbirth. A crude decoction of each plant was tested on isolated rat uterus and ileum for pharmacological activity. Agapanthus africanus and Pentanisia prunelloides exhibited direct smooth muscle activity on the uterus and ileum preparations, while Gunnera perpensa showed direct smooth muscle activity on the uterus only.