Capsule endoscopy or angiography in patients with acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: a prospective randomized study with long-term follow-up.

Objectives: Both capsule endoscopy (CE) and angiography have been recommended as first investigation for patients with acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). However, no studies have directly compared the two modalities in patients with overt OGIB. We compared the diagnostic yield and long-term outcomes of patients with overt OGIB randomized to CE or angiogram.

Uniform amplification of phage display libraries in monodisperse emulsions.

In this paper, we describe a complete experimental setup for the uniform amplification of libraries of phage. Uniform amplification, which multiplies every phage clone by the same amount irrespective of the growth rate of the clone is essential for phage-display screening. Amplification of phage libraries in a common solution is often non-uniform: it favors fast-growing clones and eliminates those that grow slower.

Common peroneal neuropathy and cancer.

Common peroneal neuropathy (CPN) may develop unexpectedly in patients with underlying cancer. To clarify the underlying pathophysiology, clinical and neurophysiological data were prospectively collected from 10 oncology clinic patients referred for neurological assessment after the onset of foot weakness. In all patients, the CPN occurred in the setting of advanced systemic malignancy frequently associated with marked weight loss at the time of foot weakness.

Quantitative synthesis of genetically encoded glycopeptide libraries displayed on M13 phage.

Phage display is a powerful technology that enables the discovery of peptide ligands for many targets. Chemical modification of phage libraries have allowed the identification of ligands with properties not encountered in natural polypeptides. In this report, we demonstrated the synthesis of 2 × 10(8) genetically encoded glycopeptides from a commercially available phage-displayed peptide library (Ph.

A new generation of zirconia supported metal oxide catalysts for converting low grade renewable feedstocks to biodiesel.

A new class of zirconia supported mixed metal oxides (ZnO-TiO(2)-Nd(2)O(3)/ZrO(2) and ZnO-SiO(2)-Yb(2)O(3)/ZrO(2)) has demonstrated the ability to convert low quality, high free fatty acid (FFA) bio-oils into biodiesel. Pelletized catalysts of ZrO(2) supported metal oxides were prepared via a sol-gel process and tested in continuous flow packed bed reactors for up to 6 months. In a single pass, while operating at mild to moderate reaction conditions, 195 °C and 300 psi, these catalysts can perform simultaneous esterification and transesterification reactions on feedstock of 33% FFA and 67% soybean oil to achieve FAME yields higher than 90%.

Digestive cancer management in Asia: position statements: a report on GI Oncology Summit in 2011.

Background And Aim: With the rising incidence of digestive cancers in the Asia Pacific region and the advancement in diagnosis, management and palliation in these conditions, the clinical burden on oncologists is ever increasing. This Summit meeting was called to discuss the optimal management of digestive cancers and the role of Gastroenterologists.

Method: Experts from Asia Pacific countries in the fields of medical, oncologic, surgical and endoscopic management of cancers in the esophagus, stomach, colon/rectum and the liver reviewed the literature and their practice.

An inductively powered implantable blood flow sensor microsystem for vascular grafts.

Monitoring blood flow rate inside prosthetic vascular grafts enables an early detection of the graft degradation, followed by the timely intervention and prevention of the graft failure. This paper presents an inductively powered implantable blood flow sensor microsystem with bidirectional telemetry. The microsystem integrates silicon nanowire (SiNW) sensors with tunable piezoresistivity, an ultralow-power application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and two miniature coils that are coupled with a larger coil in an external monitoring unit to form a passive wireless link.

Synthesis and evaluation of potent and selective human V1a receptor antagonists as potential ligands for PET or SPECT imaging.

SRX246 is a potent, highly selective human vasopressin V1a antagonist that crosses the blood-brain barrier in rats. CNS penetration makes SRX246 an ideal candidate for potential radiolabeling and use in visualization and characterization of the role of the V1a receptor in multiple stress-related disorders. Before radiolabeling studies, cold reference analogs of SRX246 were prepared.

Institution learning curve of laparoscopic colectomy--a multi-dimensional analysis.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the learning curve for laparoscopic colorectal resection of a university colorectal unit, the operative outcome in its developing and established period of laparoscopic colorectal resection is compared.

Methods: We analyzed 1,031 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resections for colorectal carcinoma performed in a colorectal unit between April 1992 and December 2008. Multi-dimensional analyses of the learning curves of the institution and seven individual surgeons were performed.

Expanding the clinical, radiological and neuropathological phenotype of chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS).

Chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) is a recently described inflammatory disease of the CNS with a predilection for the hindbrain and responsive to immunotherapy. Five further cases are described with detailed pathology and long term evaluation. CLIPPERS does not represent a benign condition, and without chronic immunosuppression the disease may relapse.

Identification of NVP-BKM120 as a Potent, Selective, Orally Bioavailable Class I PI3 Kinase Inhibitor for Treating Cancer.

Phosphoinositide-3-kinases (PI3Ks) are important oncology targets due to the deregulation of this signaling pathway in a wide variety of human cancers. Herein we describe the structure guided optimization of a series of 2-morpholino, 4-substituted, 6-heterocyclic pyrimidines where the pharmacokinetic properties were improved by modulating the electronics of the 6-position heterocycle, and the overall druglike properties were fine-tuned further by modification of the 4-position substituent. The resulting 2,4-bismorpholino 6-heterocyclic pyrimidines are potent class I PI3K inhibitors showing mechanism modulation in PI3K dependent cell lines and in vivo efficacy in tumor xenograft models with PI3K pathway deregulation (A2780 ovarian and U87MG glioma).

Bacteriophages and viruses as a support for organic synthesis and combinatorial chemistry.

Display of polypeptide on the coat proteins of bacteriophages and viruses is a powerful tool for selection and amplification of libraries of great diversity. Chemical diversity of these libraries, however, is limited to libraries made of natural amino acid side chains. Bacteriophages and viruses can be modified chemically; peptide libraries presented on phage thus can be functionalized to yield moieties that cannot be encoded genetically.

Detection of miR-92a and miR-21 in stool samples as potential screening biomarkers for colorectal cancer and polyps.

Objective: The detection of molecular markers in stool samples is a potential strategy for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. This study evaluated the feasibility of detecting miR-21 and miR-92a in stool samples of patients with CRC or polyps.

Methods: The reproducibility of detection and stability of stool-based microRNA were evaluated.

Laparoscopic-assisted versus open resection of right-sided colonic cancer--a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purposes: This study aims to compare the perioperative outcomes and survival between laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy (LARH) and open right hemicolectomy (ORH) for right-sided colon cancer.

Methods: Between July 1996 and October 2005, 145 patients were randomized to receive LARH (n = 71) or ORH (n = 74).

Results: The median follow-up of living patients was 99.

Emergency laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy: can we achieve outcomes similar to elective operation?

The aim of this study was to compare short-term clinical outcomes of elective and emergency laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy. Between January 2005 and December 2009, 181 patients had laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy performed at our institute (148 elective and 33 emergency cases). The demographic data, operative details, and short-term outcomes were collected.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection versus local excision for early rectal neoplasms: a comparative study.

Background: Transanal local excision (LE) is a well-established treatment option for early rectal neoplasms not amenable to complete colonoscopic removal. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been introduced recently as a novel procedure that enables en bloc resection of large rectal neoplasms. To date, no report comparing the two approaches can be found in the literature.

The neurologic manifestations of the acute porphyrias.

The porphyrias are diseases characterised by accumulation of porphyrins and porphyrin precursors owing to enzymatic deficiencies of the haem synthetic pathway. In the acute hepatic porphyrias accumulation of porphyrin precursors, in particular delta-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), cause dysfunction of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. This leads to the characteristic clinical findings of abdominal pain, neuropsychiatric symptoms and neuropathy.

Murine typhus returns to New South Wales: a case of isolated meningoencephalitis with raised intracranial pressure.

Murine typhus (MT) occurs worldwide, but, in Australia, is only regularly diagnosed in south-west Western Australia. Meningoencephalitis is an uncommon complication of MT, often accompanied by rash or systemic involvement. We report a case of MT presenting exclusively with meningoencephalitis, raised intracranial pressure, papilloedema and bilateral 6th cranial nerve palsies.

Fluctuating gustatory disturbance and ophthalmodynia heralding the onset of a paramedian pontine infarction.

Lasting taste disturbance has been previously reported as a consequence of brainstem infarction, but there are no previous reports of transient gustatory sensations preceding the onset of stroke. Ophthalmodynia, presenting as "salt-and-pepper" eye pain, has been reported rarely. We present a 58-year-old right-handed woman who had fluctuating ophthalmodynia and taste disturbance immediately preceding a left paramedian pontine infarction.

En bloc urinary bladder resection for locally advanced colorectal cancer: a 17-year experience.

Background And Objectives: En bloc bladder resection is often required for treating colorectal cancer with suspected urinary bladder invasion. Our aim was to review our institutional experience in en bloc resection of locally advanced colorectal cancer involving the urinary bladder over a period of 17 years.

Methods: The hospital records of 72 patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer who underwent en bloc urinary bladder resection at our institution between July 1987 and December 2004 were retrospectively reviewed.

Diversity of phage-displayed libraries of peptides during panning and amplification.

The amplification of phage-displayed libraries is an essential step in the selection of ligands from these libraries. The amplification of libraries, however, decreases their diversity and limits the number of binding clones that a screen can identify. While this decrease might not be a problem for screens against targets with a single binding site (e.

Electroacupuncture in reduction of discomfort associated with barostat-induced rectal distension--a randomized controlled study.

Background: This pilot study aims to explore the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in reduction of colorectal discomfort caused by Barostat-induced rectal distension.

Method: Subjects scheduled for a colonoscopy screening procedure were recruited and randomized to receive either electroacupuncture (EA) or sham acupuncture (SA) (short stud instead of needle) for 45 min to acupuncture points Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), and Zusanli (ST36). A balloon catheter attached to the Dual Drive Barostat machine was then inserted into the subjects' rectal region.

Pivotal role of protein kinase Cdelta in angiotensin II-induced endothelial cyclooxygenase-2 expression: a link to vascular inflammation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that angiotensin II (Ang II) induced endothelial cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression, which in turn mediated the generation of proinflammatory cytokines.

Methods And Results: Western blot analysis on primary rat endothelial cells showed Ang II induced COX-2 expression, which was abolished by cotreatment of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (SB 202190) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (PD 98059) inhibitors. Protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) inhibitor (rottlerin) prevented extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 phosphorylation and COX-2 expression.

Synthesis and in Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation of Phosphoinositide-3-kinase Inhibitors.

Phospoinositide-3-kinases (PI3K) are important oncology targets due to the deregulation of this signaling pathway in a wide variety of human cancers. A series of 2-morpholino, 4-substituted, 6-(3-hydroxyphenyl) pyrimidines have been reported as potent inhibitors of PI3Ks. Herein, we describe the structure-guided optimization of these pyrimidines with a focus on replacing the phenol moiety, while maintaining potent target inhibition and improving in vivo properties.