High-density stable glasses formed on soft substrates.

Enabled by surface-mediated equilibration, physical vapour deposition can create high-density stable glasses comparable with liquid-quenched glasses aged for millions of years. Deposition is often performed at various rates and temperatures on rigid substrates to control the glass properties. Here we demonstrate that on soft, rubbery substrates, surface-mediated equilibration is enhanced up to 170 nm away from the interface, forming stable glasses with densities up to 2.

Polyamorphism of vapor-deposited amorphous selenium in response to light.

Enhanced surface mobility is critical in producing stable glasses during physical vapor deposition. In amorphous selenium (a-Se) both the structure and dynamics of the surface can be altered when exposed to above-bandgap light. Here we investigate the effect of light on the properties of vapor-deposited a-Se glasses at a range of substrate temperatures and deposition rates.

A National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme using FIT: Achievements and Challenges.

Colorectal cancer accounts for 11% of all cancer-related deaths in Ireland. With the aim of diagnosing these cancers at an earlier stage, and detecting premalignant lesions, the National Screening Service (NSS) offered a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) to all individuals aged 60 to 69. All individuals in the age range were contacted by post and invited to participate in the programme.

Increased spontaneous apoptosis, but not survivin expression, is associated with histomorphologic response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer.

Purpose: Survivin has been shown to be an important mediator of cellular radioresistance in vitro. This study aims to compare survivin expression and apoptosis to histomorphologic responses to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) in rectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-six pre-treatment biopsies were studied.

Spontaeneous subacute portomesenteric venous thrombosis: a case report.

Although uncommon and often asymptomatic, portal venous thrombosis can have catastrophic consequences for the individual it afflicts, particularly when the process propagates to involve the superior mesenteric vein. Familiarity with the condition's pathogenesis and presentation however permits early diagnosis and allows aggressive conservative management to achieve a successful outcome. Here we describe the successful outcome of such management for a 42-year-old male patient who developed this condition spontaneously.

Hematochezia in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

Although commonly detectable in patients with cirrhosis, rectal varices only infrequently cause significant hematochezia (0.5-3.6%).

Combination of SELDI-TOF-MS and data mining provides early-stage response prediction for rectal tumors undergoing multimodal neoadjuvant therapy.

Objective: We investigated whether proteomic analysis of the low molecular weight region of the serum proteome could predict histologic response of locally advanced rectal cancer to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT).

Summary Background Data: Proteomic analysis of serum is emerging as a powerful new modality in cancer, in terms of both screening and monitoring response to treatment. No study has yet assessed its ability to predict and monitor the response of rectal cancer to RCT.

COX-2 overexpression in pretreatment biopsies predicts response of rectal cancers to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy.

Purpose: To determine the utility of COX-2 expression as a response predictor for patients with rectal cancer who are undergoing neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT).

Methods And Materials: Pretreatment biopsies (PTB) from 49 patients who underwent RCT were included. COX-2 and proliferation in PTB were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL stain.