Biochemical basis of vocal fold mobilization after microflap surgery in a rabbit model.

Objectives/hypothesis: To investigate phonation-related extracellular matrix (ECM) changes in the vocal fold lamina propria after microflap surgery using an in vivo rabbit phonation model.

Study Design: Prospective animal study.

Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand White rabbits were used in this study.

Comparison of ventilation and voice outcomes between unilateral laryngeal pacing and unilateral cordotomy for the treatment of bilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Background/aims: Rehabilitation of the bilaterally paralyzed human larynx remains a complex clinical problem. Conventional treatment generally involves surgical enlargement of the compromised airway, but often with resultant dysphonia and risk of aspiration. In this retrospective study, we compared one such treatment, posterior cordotomy, with unilateral laryngeal pacing: reanimation of vocal fold opening by functional electrical stimulation of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle.

Synthesis of a functionalizable water-soluble cryptophane-111.

The development of optimized xenon host systems is of crucial importance for the success of molecular imaging using hyperpolarized (129)Xe MRI. Cryptophane-111 is a promising candidate because of its encapsulation properties. The synthesis of cryptophane-111-based biosensors requires both water-solubilizing and chemically activatable groups.

Impact of experience and technical changes on acute urinary and rectal morbidity in low-dose prostate brachytherapy using loose seeds real-time implantation.

Purpose: To assess the impact of experience and technical changes on morbidity during the first year after permanent prostate brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: From July 2003 to May 2010, 150 patients with prostate cancer underwent low-dose iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy as a monotherapy by the same medical team (one urologist and one radiation oncologist). Patients were divided into three periods: P1 (n = 64), P2 (n = 45), and P3 (n = 41) according to technical changes: use of an automatic stepper from P2, use of a high-frequency ultrasound probe in P3.

Anti-metastatic potential of human Vδ1(+) γδ T cells in an orthotopic mouse xenograft model of colon carcinoma.

The role of human intraepithelial Vδ1(+) γδ T cell cytotoxic effectors in the immune surveillance against metastatic colon cancer has never been addressed, despite their reported capacity to infiltrate colon carcinomas and to kill colonic cancer cells in vitro. We previously showed that Vδ1(+) γδ T cells are enriched in blood in response to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, and that such increase may be protective against epithelial cancers. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether CMV-induced Vδ1(+) γδ T lymphocytes could inhibit the propagation of human colon tumors in vivo, in order to evaluate their immunotherapeutic potential in this context.

Interfacial tension in oil-water-surfactant systems: on the role of intra-molecular forces on interfacial tension values using DPD simulations.

We have computed interfacial tension in oil-water-surfactant model systems using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. Oil and water molecules are modelled as single DPD beads, whereas surfactant molecules are composed of head and tail beads linked together by a harmonic potential to form a chain molecule. We have investigated the influence of the harmonic potential parameters, namely, the force constant K and the equilibrium distance r0, on the interfacial tension values.

On the rational formulation of alternative fuels: melting point and net heat of combustion predictions for fuel compounds using machine learning methods.

We report the development of predictive models for two fuel specifications: melting points (T(m)) and net heat of combustion (Δ(c)H). Compounds inside the scope of these models are those likely to be found in alternative fuels, i.e.

Anti-HIV efficacy and biodistribution of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors delivered as squalenoylated prodrug nanoassemblies.

Due to their hydrophilic nature, most nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) display a variable bioavailability after oral administration and a poor control over their biodistribution, thus hampering their access to HIV sanctuaries. The limited cellular uptake and activation in the triphosphate form of NRTIs further restrict their efficacy and favour the emergence of viral resistance. We have shown that the conjugation of squalene (sq) to the nucleoside analogues dideoxycytidine (ddC) and didanosine (ddI) leads to amphiphilic prodrugs (ddC-sq and ddI-sq) that spontaneously self-organize in water as stable nanoassemblies of 100-300 nm.

"Clickable" hydrosoluble PEGylated cryptophane as a universal platform for 129Xe magnetic resonance imaging biosensors.

We describe the synthesis of a highly water-soluble cryptophane 1 that can be seen as a universal platform for the construction of (129)Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biosensors. Compound 1 is easily functionalized by Huisgen cycloaddition and exhibits excellent xenon-encapsulation properties. In addition, 1 is nontoxic at the concentrations typically used for hyperpolarized (129)Xe MRI.

Influence of prolonged immersion on the resistance of arthroscopy knots in biological media.

Introduction: Biomechanical studies of arthroscopic knots have been performed on sutures that were tied manually and tested immediately after tying. We performed this study to evaluate the knot and the suture during the healing phase, which was not evaluated in these previous studies. Our hypothesis was that the biomechanics features of arthroscopic knots may change in relation to the duration of incubation in biological media simulating synovial fluid.

Competition reactions of H2O•+ radical in concentrated Cl- aqueous solutions: picosecond pulse radiolysis study.

Picosecond pulse-probe radiolysis measurements of highly concentrated Cl(-) aqueous solutions are used to probe the oxidation mechanism of the Cl(-). The transient absorption spectra are measured from 340 to 710 nm in the picosecond range for the ultrafast electron pulse radiolysis of halide solutions at different concentrations up to 8 M. The amount of Cl(2)(•-) formation within the electron pulse increases notably with increasing Cl(-) concentration.

[Urinary continence following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: qualitative analysis].

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to report urinary continence after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) for localised prostate cancer and the return to baseline rate for urinary continence. The minor purpose was to determine the risk factors, which influence return to baseline urinary continence after radical prostatectomy.

Methods: Prospective evaluation of urinary continence with self-administered questionnaire in 300 consecutive LRP for localized prostate cancer.

FOLFIRI regimen in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma resistant to gemcitabine and platinum-salts.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the FOLFIRI regimen in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) after the failure of gemcitabine and platinum salts.

Methods: All consecutive patients with histologically confirmed, metastatic PAC and World Health Organization performance status (PS) ≤ 2 received FOLFIRI-1 [irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) on day 1 and leucovorin 400 mg/m(2) followed by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 400 mg/m(2) bolus, then 5-FU 2400 mg/m(2) as a 46-h infusion, biweekly] or FOLFIRI-3 (irinotecan 100 mg/m(2) on day 1 and leucovorin 400 mg/m(2), then 5-FU 2400 mg/m(2) as a 46-h infusion and irinotecan 100 mg/m(2) repeated on day 3, biweekly) after failure of gemcitabine and platinum-based chemotherapies as a systematic policy in two institutions between January 2005 and May 2010. Tumor response, time to progression (TTP), overall survival rate (OS) and grade 3-4 toxicities were retrospectively studied.

Circulating levels of interleukin-17 and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Aim: Interleukin (IL)-17 pathway is being clinically targeted in immune-mediated diseases, most of which are associated with a significant cardiovascular risk. We investigated the relationship between serum levels of IL-17 and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: We used data from 981 patients enrolled in the prospective, multicentre French registry of Acute ST elevation, or non-ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (Fast-MI, NCT00673036).

Direct Poly(β-alanine) Synthesis via Polycondensation in Ionic Liquids.

Poly(β-alanine) was successfully synthesized by an alternative method, which is the direct polyamidation of β-alanine in ionic liquids with triphenylphosphite as a condensing agent. It was found that 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate was the most suitable reaction medium, in which a number-average degree of polymerization up to 49.5 was obtained.

Metabolic correction of congenital erythropoietic porphyria with iPSCs free of reprogramming factors.

Congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP) is due to a deficiency in the enzymatic activity of uroporphyrinogen III synthase (UROS); such a deficiency leads to porphyrin accumulation and results in skin lesions and hemolytic anemia. CEP is a candidate for retrolentivirus-mediated gene therapy, but recent reports of insertional leukemogenesis underscore the need for safer methods. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has opened up new horizons in gene therapy because it might overcome the difficulty of obtaining sufficient amounts of autologous hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation and the risk of genotoxicity.

miRNAs, a potential target in the treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinomas.

Lung cancer is a serious public health problem and Non Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, NSCLC, is particularly resistant to current treatments. So it is important to find new strategies that are active against NSCLC. miRNA is implicated in cancer and may be implicated in NSCLC.

Voice quality after recurrent laryngeal nerve resection and immediate reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate clinician perception of voice quality, patient self-reported psychosocial impact of dysphonia, and glottic closure in patients who have undergone resection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and immediate operative reconstruction during thyroid surgery.

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Single tertiary care hospital.

Impact of the per-operatory application of GLIADEL wafers (BCNU, carmustine) in combination with temozolomide and radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme: efficacy and toxicity.

Purpose: For the last few years wafers of Gliadel have been inserted into the operation cavity in patients with glioblastoma multiforme. This is followed by concurrent radio-chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ) according to the Stupp protocol. Only a few studies have investigated this kind of treatment regimen and the impact in terms of survival and toxicity of the combination of Gliadel with TMZ and radiotherapy.

Modulation of inflammatory and profibrotic signaling in a rabbit model of acute phonotrauma using triamcinolone.

Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that prophylactic triamcinolone modulates acute vocal fold inflammatory and profibrotic signaling during acute phonotrauma.

Study Design: In vivo rabbit phonation model.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Head to head comparison of nomograms predicting probability of lymph node invasion of prostate cancer in patients undergoing extended pelvic lymph node dissection.

Objective: To validate the Briganti nomogram and compare it with 2 current lymph node invasion (LNI) nomograms (the Cagiannos nomogram and the updated 2007 Partin tables). The Briganti nomogram predicts the probability of LNI in patients undergoing extended pelvic lymph node dissection (EPLND) during radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

Methods: Irrespective of the risk of LNI, 173 consecutive patients were treated for localized prostate cancer with radical laparoscopic prostatectomy and EPLND.

A thermosensitive low molecular weight hydrogel as scaffold for tissue engineering.

Hydrogels that are non-toxic, easy to use, cytocompatible, injectable and degradable are valuable biomaterials for tissue engineering and tissue repair. However, few compounds currently fulfil these requirements. In this study, we describe the biological properties of a new type of thermosensitive hydrogel based on low-molecular weight glycosyl-nucleosyl-fluorinated (GNF) compound.