Image-Guided Radiation Therapy Is Equally Effective for Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), are highly prevalent and a significant cause of morbidity. Image-guided superficial radiation therapy (IGSRT) uses integrated high-resolution dermal ultrasound to improve lesion visualization, but it is unknown whether efficacy varies by histology. This large retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the effect of tumor histology on freedom from recurrence in 20,069 biopsy-proven NMSC lesions treated with IGSRT, including 9928 BCCs (49.

Is the peripheral microcirculation a window into the human coronary microvasculature?

An increasing body of evidence suggests a pivotal role for the microvasculature in the development of cardiovascular disease. A dysfunctional coronary microvascular network, specifically within endothelial cells-the inner most cell layer of vessels-is considered a strong, independent risk factor for future major adverse cardiac events. However, challenges exist with evaluating this critical vascular bed, as many of the currently available techniques are highly invasive and cost prohibitive.

Impaired microvascular reactivity in patients treated with 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy regimens: Potential role of endothelial dysfunction.

Background: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is the second most common cancer chemotherapy associated with short- and long-term cardiotoxicity. Although the mechanisms mediating these toxicities are not well understood, patients often present with symptoms suggestive of microvascular dysfunction. We tested the hypotheses that patients undergoing cancer treatment with 5-FU based chemotherapy regimens would present with impaired microvascular reactivity and that these findings would be substantiated by decrements in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene expression in 5-FU treated human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC).

Cardiac changes in collegiate athletes following SARS-CoV-2 infection and quarantine: a prospective Case-Control study.

Objective: Athletes are susceptible to acute respiratory tract infections, including SARS-CoV-2, which can affect cardiovascular function. We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 infection and quarantine on cardiac function in male and female collegiate athletes.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective, case-control study and performed transthoracic echocardiography in a diverse group of convalescent SARS-CoV-2-positive athletes following a 10-14-day quarantine, matched to non-SARS-CoV-2 athletes.

Inorganic nitrate supplementation may improve diastolic function and the O cost of exercise in cancer survivors: a pilot study.

In non-cancer populations, inorganic dietary nitrate (NO) supplementation is associated with enhanced cardiorespiratory function but remains untested in patients with a history of cancer. Therefore, this pilot study sought to determine if oral NO supplementation, as a supportive care strategy, increases left ventricular (LV) function and exercise performance in survivors of cancer treated with anticancer therapy while simultaneously evaluating the feasibility of the methods and procedures required for future large-scale randomized trials. Two cohorts of patients with a history of cancer treated with anticancer chemotherapy were recruited.

Association between Serum Biomarkers with Postoperative Complications and Delay of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Initiation in Ovarian Cancer Patients Undergoing Primary Cytoreductive Surgery: A Pilot Study.

This study sought to describe and relate the factors associated with complications and delays in adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer treated with primary cytoreductive surgery. Serum from patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer scheduled for primary cytoreductive surgery were analyzed for prealbumin, 25-OH Vitamin D, intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein 2 (MCP-2), macrophage derived chemokine (MDC). Postoperative complications were identified using common terminology criteria for adverse events 4.

Thromboxane A receptors contribute to the exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in male rats with heart failure.

Mechanical and metabolic signals associated with skeletal muscle contraction stimulate the sensory endings of thin fiber muscle afferents and produce reflex increases in sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure during exercise (i.e., the exercise pressor reflex; EPR).

Does wearing a facemask decrease arterial blood oxygenation and impair exercise tolerance?

Introduction: Concerns have been raised that COVID-19 face coverings compromise lung function and pulmonary gas exchange to the extent that they produce arterial hypoxemia and hypercapnia during high intensity exercise resulting in exercise intolerance in recreational exercisers. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of a surgical, flannel or vertical-fold N95 masks on cardiorespiratory responses to incremental exercise.

Methods: This investigation studied 11 adult males and females at rest and while performing progressive cycle exercise to exhaustion.

Influence of muscular contraction on vascular conductance during exercise above versus below critical power.

We tested the hypothesis that limb vascular conductance (LVC) would increase during the immediate recovery phase of dynamic exercise above, but not below, critical power (CP) indicating a threshold for muscular contraction-induced impedance of limb blood flow (LBF). CP (115 ± 26 W) was determined in 7 men and 7 women who subsequently performed ∼5 min of near-supine cycling exercise both below and above CP. LVC demonstrated a greater increase during immediate recovery and remained significantly higher following exercise above, compared to below, CP (all p < 0.

Arterial stiffness is associated with cardiovascular and cancer mortality in cancer patients: Insight from NHANESIII.

Background: Cancer survivors are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than second malignancy, resulting in a decreased quality of life and increased cost of care. Additional knowledge of CVD prevention by identifying possible risk factors has clinical relevance. Our main objective was to determine the relevance of a clinical index of arterial stiffness, pulse pressure, in predicting CVD mortality in cancer patients, with a second objective to examine its relationship with cancer mortality.

Lower endothelium-dependent microvascular function in adult breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Purpose: Cancer patients with a history of radiotherapy are at an increased risk of ischemic heart disease. Preclinical animal studies demonstrate markedly impaired acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation within days to weeks post-irradiation, however, whether microvascular function is affected in the intact human circulation during cancer radiation therapy has yet to be determined.

Materials And Methods: Using laser-Doppler flowmetry, microvascular endothelium-dependent and independent responses were evaluated through iontophoresis of acetylcholine (ACh) (part 1, n = 7) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (part 2, n = 8), respectively, in women currently receiving unilateral chest adjuvant radiation therapy for breast cancer.

Exaggerated sympathetic and cardiovascular responses to dynamic mechanoreflex activation in rats with heart failure: Role of endoperoxide 4 and thromboxane A receptors.

The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the role played by endoperoxide 4 receptors (EP4-R) and thromboxane A receptors (TxA-R) during isolated dynamic muscle mechanoreflex activation in rats with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-rEF) and sham-operated healthy controls. We found that injection of the EP4-R antagonist L-161,982 (1 μg) into the arterial supply of the hindlimb had no effect on the peak pressor response to dynamic hindlimb muscle stretch in HF-rEF (n = 6, peak ∆MAP pre: 27 ± 7; post: 27 ± 4 mm Hg; P = 0.99) or sham (n = 6, peak ∆MAP pre: 15 ± 3; post: 13 ± 3 mm Hg; P = 0.

No effect of endoperoxide 4 or thromboxane A receptor blockade on static mechanoreflex activation in rats with heart failure.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Do endoperoxide 4 and thromboxane A receptors, which are receptors for cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic metabolism, on thin fibre muscle afferents play a role in the chronic mechanoreflex sensitization present in rats with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-rEF)? What is the main finding and its importance? The data do not support a role for endoperoxide 4 receptors or thromboxane A receptors in the chronic mechanoreflex sensitization in HF-rEF rats.

Abstract: We investigated the role of cyclooxygenase metabolite-associated endoperoxide 4 receptors (EP4-R) and thromboxane A receptors (TxA -R) on thin fibre muscle afferents in the chronic mechanoreflex sensitization in rats with myocardial infarction-induced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HF-rEF). We hypothesized that injection of either the EP4-R antagonist L-161,982 (1 µg) or the TxA -R antagonist daltroban (80 µg) into the arterial supply of the hindlimb would reduce the increase in blood pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) evoked in response to 30 s of static hindlimb skeletal muscle stretch (a model of isolated mechanoreflex activation) in decerebrate, unanaesthetized HF-rEF rats but not sham-operated control rats (SHAM).

Impact of high sodium intake on blood pressure and functional sympatholysis during rhythmic handgrip exercise.

High dietary sodium intake is a risk factor for arterial hypertension; given that the ability to overcome sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction (functional sympatholysis) is attenuated in individuals with hypertension, we investigated the cardiovascular responses to high salt (HS) intake in healthy humans. We hypothesized that a HS intake of 15 g/day for 7 days would attenuate functional sympatholysis and augment the blood pressure response to handgrip exercise (HGE). Thirteen participants (6 males, 7 females) underwent 2 individual days of testing.

Perforation of Meckel's diverticulum by an intact fish bone.

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, with an overall incidence of approximately 2.2%. It is generally noted incidentally during laparotomy for management of other abdominal pathology.

Evaluation of a completely automated tissue-sectioning machine for paraffin blocks.

Tissue sectioning automation can be a resourceful tool in processing anatomic pathology specimens. The advantages of an automated system compared with the traditional manual sectioning rely on the consistency of the final sectioned material translated into invariable thickness, uniform orientation during serial sectioning and less tissue sectioning artifacts. This technical note presents the design of an automated tissue-sectioning device and compares the sectioned specimens with normal manual tissue sectioning performed by experienced histology technician.

Evaluation of a completely automated tissue-sectioning machine for paraffin blocks.

Tissue-sectioning automation can be a resourceful tool in processing anatomical pathology specimens. The advantages of an automated system compared with traditional manual sectioning are the invariable thickness, uniform orientation and fewer tissue-sectioning artefacts. This short report presents the design of an automated tissue-sectioning device and compares the sectioned specimens with normal manual tissue sectioning performed by an experienced histology technician.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: multimodality imaging features with pathological correlation.

Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are rare entities. Functioning neuroendocrine tumors tend to present early because of hormone-induced clinical symptoms, but detection of the primary lesion may be difficult owing to their small size. Neuroendocrine tumors are typically hypervascular and show enhancement after contrast administration on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Characterisation of transmission Raman spectroscopy for rapid quantitative analysis of intact multi-component pharmaceutical capsules.

A detailed characterisation of the performance of transmission Raman spectroscopy was performed from the standpoint of rapid quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical capsules using production relevant formulations comprising of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and 3 common pharmaceutical excipients. This research builds on our earlier studies that identified the unique benefits of transmission Raman spectroscopy compared to conventional Raman spectroscopy. These include the ability to provide bulk information of the content of capsules, thus avoiding the sub-sampling problem, and the suppression of interference from the capsule shell.

Intracellular synchrotron nanoimaging and DNA damage/genotoxicity screening of novel lanthanide-coated nanovectors.

Aims: In cancer therapy, research has focused on the development of nanocarriers that can aid diagnosis, deliver therapeutic agents and monitor treatment progress. This study introduces high-resolution synchrotron x-ray fluorescence microscopy (SR-XFM) to investigate intracellular localization of novel lanthanide-coated nanoparticles in human cells and their genotoxicity screening after internalization.

Materials & Methods: Noble metal nanoparticles coated with cerium and luminescent europium complexes have been developed as platforms for bioimaging and potential biodelivery applications.

Enhancement of ischemic wound healing by inducement of local angiogenesis.

Objective: To determine if monocytes activated toward an angiogenic phenotype can be used to improve ischemic tissue healing in a rat skin flap model.

Study Design: Prospective experimental study on Wistar rats.

Methods: A caudally based 9 x 3 cm dorsal skin/panniculus carnosus flap was raised in 15 rats.

Application of ex situ dynamic nuclear polarization in studying small molecules.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has become an attractive technique to boost the sensitivity of NMR experiments. In the case of ex situ polarizations two-dimensional (2D) spectra are limited by the short lifetime of the polarization after dissolution and sample transfer to a high field NMR magnet. This limitation can be overcome by various approaches.