Absence of cardiotoxicity with prolonged treatment and large accumulating doses of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.

Background: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is used as a second-line therapy for gynecologic cancers, with a better short-term toxicity profile compared to doxorubicin or other anthracyclines.

Methods: We screened 14 patients with recurrent gynecologic cancers, who underwent prolonged treatment with large cumulative doses of PLD for overt or subtle signs of cardiotoxicity (CTX) using standard and advanced echocardiography techniques [3D volumetric method for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular/right ventricular global longitudinal strain]. Half the patients had previous echocardiographic studies available for comparison.

Rectal swab screening assays of public health importance in molecular diagnostics: Sample adequacy control.

Rectal swabs are routinely used by public health authorities to screen for multi-drug resistant enteric bacteria including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Screening sensitivity can be influenced by the quality of the swabbing, whether performed by the patient (self-swabbing) or a healthcare practitioner. One common exclusion criterion for rectal swabs is absence of "visible soiling" from fecal matter.

Dose comparison between TG-43-based calculations and radiochromic film measurements of the Freiburg flap applicator used for high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatments of skin lesions.

Purpose: Current high-dose-rate brachytherapy skin treatments with the Freiburg flap (FF) applicator are planned with treatment planning systems based on the American Association of Physicists in Medicine TG-43 data sets, which assume full backscatter conditions in dose calculations. The aim of this work is to describe an experimental method based on radiochromic film dosimetry to evaluate dose calculation accuracy during surface treatments with the FF applicator at different depths and bolus thicknesses.

Methods And Materials: Absolute doses were measured using a reference EBT3 radiochromic film dosimetry system within a Solid Water phantom at different depths (0, 0.

Fear of cancer recurrence: A study of the experience of survivors of ovarian cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to better understand fear of cancer (FCR) through the experience of ovarian and fallopian tube cancer survivors.

Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative design. Twelve participants in remission from ovarian or fallopian tube cancer were recruited.

Endosomal sorting and c-Cbl targeting of paxillin to autophagosomes regulate cell-matrix adhesion turnover in human breast cancer cells.

Post-translational mechanisms regulating cell-matrix adhesion turnover during cell locomotion are not fully elucidated. In this study, we uncovered an essential role of Y118 site-specific tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin, an adapter protein of focal adhesion complexes, in paxillin recruitment to autophagosomes to trigger turnover of peripheral focal adhesions in human breast cancer cells. We demonstrate that the Rab-7 GTPase is a key upstream regulator of late endosomal sorting of tyrosine118-phosphorylated paxillin, which is subsequently recruited to autophagosomes via the cargo receptor c-Cbl.

as a potential novel human pathogen: three cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Introduction: is one of the four yellow-pigmented members of the genus . To date, a single report of isolated from a human sample has been published.

Case Presentation: We report three cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with liver cirrhosis that all occurred in Quebec, Canada.

mTOR-sensitive translation: Cleared fog reveals more trees.

Translation is fundamental for many biologic processes as it enables cells to rapidly respond to stimuli without requiring de novo mRNA synthesis. The mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key regulator of translation. Although mTOR affects global protein synthesis, translation of a subset of mRNAs appears to be exceptionally sensitive to changes in mTOR activity.

Relationship between calcium channel blockers and skin fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Recent experimental evidence suggests that calcium channel blockers (CCBs) may have anti-fibrotic effects on liver and pulmonary fibrosis. We aimed to investigate whether use of CCBs was associated with the skin fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Based on the 5-year follow-up data from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry, we used the generalised estimating equations (GEE) model to assess the relationship between use of CCBs and the primary outcome of skin fibrosis measured by the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS).

Post-stroke dementia - a comprehensive review.

Post-stroke dementia (PSD) or post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) may affect up to one third of stroke survivors. Various definitions of PSCI and PSD have been described. We propose PSD as a label for any dementia following stroke in temporal relation.

Experimental investigation on the accuracy of plastic scintillators and of the spectrum discrimination method in small photon fields.

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of output factor measurements using a commercial (Exradin W1, SI) and a prototype, "in-house" developed, plastic scintillation dosimeter (PSD) in small photon fields.

Methods: Repetitive detector-specific output factor OF measurements were performed in water (parallel to the CAX) using two W1 PSDs (SI), a PTW microLion, a PTW microDiamond and an unshielded diode D1V (SI) to which Monte Carlo calculated corrections factors were applied. Four sets of repetitive measurements were performed with the W1 PSD positioned parallel and perpendicular to the CAX, each set on a different day, and with analytically calculated volume averaging corrections applied.

Neuroimaging in vascular cognitive impairment: a state-of-the-art review.

Imaging is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of dementia, particularly in vascular cognitive impairment, due to the visualization of ischemic and hemorrhagic injury of gray and white matter. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) provide structural and functional information. Clinical MRI is both generally available and versatile - T2-weighted images show infarcts, FLAIR shows white matter changes and lacunar infarcts, and susceptibility-weighted images reveal microbleeds.

Endovascular therapy for advanced post-thrombotic syndrome: Proceedings from a multidisciplinary consensus panel.

Patients with advanced post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) and chronic iliac vein obstruction suffer major physical limitations and impairment of health-related quality of life. Currently there is a lack of evidence-based treatment options for these patients. Early studies suggest that imaging-guided, catheter-based endovascular therapy can eliminate iliac vein obstruction and saphenous venous valvular reflux, resulting in reduced PTS severity; however, these observations have not been rigorously validated.

Warburg Effect - a Consequence or the Cause of Carcinogenesis?

Ever since its discovery (1924) the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) remains an unresolved puzzle: why the aggressive cancer cells "prefer" to use the energetically highly inefficient method of burning the glucose at the cellular level? While in the course of the last 90 years several hypotheses have been suggested, to this date there is no clear explanation of this rather unusual effect. Even though it is commonly assumed that Warburg effect is a consequence of carcinogenesis, yet another hypothesis could be brought up that the cellular switch to aerobic glycolysis may represent the very point in time when a normal cell becomes cancerous. Furthermore, this switch may happen at the point where the fate of pyruvic acid is determined, caused by the inadequate supply of enzymes that promote citric as opposed to lactic acid cycle.

Reference radiochromic film dosimetry: Review of technical aspects.

For decades, film was used as a powerful two-dimensional (2D) dosimetry tool for radiotherapy treatment verification and quality assurance. Unlike the old silver-halide based radiographic films, radiochromic films change its color upon irradiation without the need for chemical development. Radiation dose deposited within a sensitive layer of the radiochromic film initiates polymerization of the active component, the degree of which depends on the amount of energy deposited.

nanoCAGE reveals 5' UTR features that define specific modes of translation of functionally related MTOR-sensitive mRNAs.

The diversity of MTOR-regulated mRNA translation remains unresolved. Whereas ribosome-profiling suggested that MTOR almost exclusively stimulates translation of the TOP (terminal oligopyrimidine motif) and TOP-like mRNAs, polysome-profiling indicated that MTOR also modulates translation of mRNAs without the 5' TOP motif (non-TOP mRNAs). We demonstrate that in ribosome-profiling studies, detection of MTOR-dependent changes in non-TOP mRNA translation was obscured by low sensitivity and methodology biases.

Biomedical Potential of mTOR Modulation by Nanoparticles.

Modulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), the principal regulator of cellular homeostasis, underlies the biological effects of engineered nanoparticles, including regulation of cell death/survival and metabolic responses. Understanding the mechanisms and biological actions of nanoparticle-mediated mTOR modulation may help in developing safe and efficient nanotherapeutics to fight human disease.

Energy dependent calibration of XR-QA2 radiochromic film with monochromatic and polychromatic x-ray beams.

Purpose: This work investigates the energy response and dose-response curve determinations for XR-QA2 radiochromic film dosimetry system used for synchrotron radiation work and for quality assurance in diagnostic radiology, in the range of effective energies 18-46.5 keV.

Methods: Pieces of XR-QA2 films were irradiated, in a plane transverse to the beam axis, with a monochromatic beam of energy in the range 18-40 keV at the ELETTRA synchrotron radiation facility (Trieste, Italy) and with a polychromatic beam from a laboratory x-ray tube operated at 80, 100, and 120 kV.

Use of a control film piece in radiochromic film dosimetry.

Purpose: Radiochromic films change their color upon irradiation due to polymerization of the sensitive component embedded within the sensitive layer. However, agents, other than monitored radiation, can lead to a change in the color of the sensitive layer (temperature, humidity, UV light) that can be considered as a background signal and can be removed from the actual measurement by using a control film piece. In this work, we investigate the impact of the use of control film pieces on both accuracy and uncertainty of dose measured using radiochromic film based reference dosimetry protocol.

Shorter Hospital Stay and Lower 30-Day Readmission After Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty Compared to Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: Reducing hospital stay and unplanned hospital readmission of arthroplasty patients has been a topic of recent interest. The aim of the present study was to query the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to compare the length of hospital stay (LOS) and the subsequent 30-day hospital readmission rates in patients undergoing primary unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: We identified 1340 UKAs and 36,274 TKAs over a 2-year period (2011-2012).

Simultaneous Bilateral Versus Unilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparison of 30-Day Readmission Rates and Major Complications.

We queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to compare the rate of 30-day readmissions and major complications between simultaneous bilateral and unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We identified 1771 patients who underwent simultaneous (same-day) bilateral TKA and matched them to a control group of 6790 patients who underwent unilateral TKA. The simultaneous bilateral TKA patients had longer surgery, were more commonly performed under general anesthesia, had a higher rate of postoperative transfusion, and a greater proportion of patients discharged to rehabilitation facilities.