Phase II Trial of Brain MRI Surveillance in Stage IV Breast Cancer.

Background: Screening of asymptomatic stage IV breast cancer with brain MRIs is currently not recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines. The incidence of asymptomatic brain metastasis is not well documented.

Methods: The study is designed as a single arm, phase II trial, with the goal of investigating surveillance brain MRIs in neurologically asymptomatic patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Correlation of tumor mutational burden and treatment outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed that 16% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) display DNA repair mechanisms and high tumor mutational burden (TMB). Although, there is accumulating evidence of greater benefit of immunotherapy in tumors with high-TMB, its impact on response to chemotherapy is unknown.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the impact of TMB on progression-free survival (PFS) of CRC patients treated at tertiary care oncology clinics who had their tumors profiled by next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Sugarcane and mulberry silage supplementation of sheep during the peripartum period.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with silage made from sugarcane alone or mulberry and sugarcane on the gastrointestinal nematodes and hematological parameters in peripartum Santa Inês ewes. Three groups, each of 15 ewes, were supplemented with either 100 % sugarcane silage or sugarcane silage and mulberry at ratios of either 75:25 or 50:50. The variables analyzed were weight, body condition, packed cell volume, total plasma protein, hemoglobin, total leukocytes, eosinophils, and number of parasite eggs per gram of feces.

Multidrug and multispecies resistance in sheep flocks from São Paulo state, Brazil.

The economic importance of sheep production is increasing worldwide simultaneously with the emergence of parasitic resistance. This study aimed to survey the current situation of management practices and parasite resistance in sheep flocks in São Paulo state, Brazil. A questionnaire was given to 35 sheep farmers to obtain information related to flock management practices.

Comparative study of the use of diltiazem as an antispasmodic drug in coronary angiography via the transradial approach.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the use, prior to the procedure, of injectable diltiazem to prevent complications.

Methods: Between September 2000 and July 2001, 50 patients underwent transradial coronary angiography and were randomized to receive placebo (GI) or diltiazem (GII) through a catheter inserted into the radial artery. All patients received isosorbide mononitrate.