Evolving therapeutic targets in renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose Of Review: Recent developments in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will be discussed, with emphasis on data published over the past year. The genetics and molecular biology of the various histologic subtypes of kidney cancer will be reviewed, as these subtle yet important genomic and metabolic alterations provide the opportunity for rational drug development and personalized treatment regimens.

Recent Findings: Additional targeted agents continue to be added to the uro-oncologist's armamentarium in the fight against metastatic kidney cancer.

Switching from single-stranded to double-stranded DNA limits the unwinding processivity of ring-shaped T7 DNA helicase.

Phage T7 helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) by encircling one strand while excluding the complementary strand from its central channel. When T7 helicase translocates on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), it has kilobase processivity; yet, it is unable to processively unwind linear dsDNA, even 60 base-pairs long. Particularly, the GC-rich dsDNAs are unwound with lower amplitudes under single-turnover conditions.

The use of functional electrical stimulation cycles in children and adolescents with spinal cord dysfunction: a pilot study.

Background And Methods: Children who experience spinal cord injuries (SCI) may develop many complications, including loss of bone mass, osteoporosis, and pathological fractures. Additionally, patients with SCI often rate their quality of life as poor compared to non-injured peers. We examined the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycle exercise on bone mineral density (BMD) and quality of life (QOL) in six patients ranging in age from 9 to 20 years.

Controlled multicenter evaluation of a bacteriophage-based method for rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus in positive blood cultures.

Staphylococci are a frequent cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs). Appropriate antibiotic treatment for BSIs may be delayed because conventional laboratory testing methods take 48 to 72 h to identify and characterize isolates from positive blood cultures. We evaluated a novel assay based on bacteriophage amplification that identifies Staphylococcus aureus and differentiates between methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S.

A discussion of exposure science in the 21st century: a vision and a strategy.

Background: The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences recently published the report Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy. The expert committee undertaking this report included expertise from ecology, chemistry, exposure science, toxicology, public health, bioethics, engineering, medicine, and policy.

Objective: Our aim is to inform members of the scientific community in fields aligned with environmental and public health so they are more able to appreciate the full breadth of the vision and understand the framework developed in order to move the vision forward.

A deceptive case of cellulitis caused by a Gram-negative pathogen.

Yokenella regensburgei is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae that has rarely been implicated in clinical disease. We report here a case of septicemia with a skin and soft tissue source caused by Y. regensburgei in an immunocompromised host.

Topoisomerase IIβ deficiency enhances camptothecin-induced apoptosis.

Camptothecin (CPT), a topoisomerase (Top) I-targeting drug that stabilizes Top1-DNA covalent adducts, can induce S-phase-specific cytotoxicity due to the arrest of progressing replication forks. However, CPT-induced non-S-phase cytotoxicity is less well characterized. In this study, we have identified topoisomerase IIβ (Top2β) as a specific determinant for CPT sensitivity, but not for many other cytotoxic agents, in non-S-phase cells.

Enhancing the tissue donor pool through donation after death in the field.

Introduction: Tissue transplantation is an important adjunct to modern medical care and is used daily to save or improve patient lives. Tissue allografts include bone, tendon, corneas, heart valves and others. Increasing utilization may lead to tissue shortages, and tissue procurement organizations continue to explore ways to expand the cadaveric donor pool.

Penetrating neck trauma: a review of management strategies and discussion of the 'No Zone' approach.

The evaluation and management of hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating neck injury has evolved considerably over the previous four decades. Algorithms developed in the 1970s focused on anatomic neck "zones" to distinguish triage pathways resulting from the operative constraints associated with very high or very low penetrations. During that era, mandatory endoscopy and angiography for Zone I and III penetrations, or mandatory neck exploration for Zone II injuries, became popularized, the so-called "selective approach.

Combinatorial mRNA binding by AUF1 and Argonaute 2 controls decay of selected target mRNAs.

The RNA-binding protein AUF1 binds AU-rich elements in 3'-untranslated regions to regulate mRNA degradation and/or translation. Many of these mRNAs are predicted microRNA targets as well. An emerging theme in post-transcriptional control of gene expression is that RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs co-regulate mRNAs.

Outcomes using lower vs higher hemoglobin thresholds for red blood cell transfusion.

Clinical Question: Is a lower vs higher hemoglobin threshold best for minimizing both red blood cell use and adverse clinical outcomes when used to trigger red blood cell transfusions in anemic patients in critical care and acute care settings?

Bottom Line: Compared with higher hemoglobin thresholds, a hemoglobin threshold of 7 or 8 g/dL is associated with fewer red blood cell units transfused without adverse associations with mortality, cardiac morbidity, functional recovery, or length of hospital stay.

Low-dose lacosamide-induced atrial fibrillation: Case analysis with literature review.

Lacosamide (LCM) is a novel antiepileptic drug (AED) approved by the FDA for adjunctive treatment of partial epilepsy with and without secondary generalization. Lacosamide dose-dependent dysrhythmias (PR-interval prolongation, AV block, and atrial fibrillation/flutter) have been reported. This case represents the first instance of LCM-induced atrial fibrillation following a low loading dose (200 mg).

The analysis of image feature robustness using cometcloud.

The robustness of image features is a very important consideration in quantitative image analysis. The objective of this paper is to investigate the robustness of a range of image texture features using hematoxylin stained breast tissue microarray slides which are assessed while simulating different imaging challenges including out of focus, changes in magnification and variations in illumination, noise, compression, distortion, and rotation. We employed five texture analysis methods and tested them while introducing all of the challenges listed above.

Lumpectomy closure technique does not affect dosimetry in patients undergoing external-beam-based accelerated partial breast irradiation.

Background: During the breast lumpectomy procedure, surgeons traditionally elect to use either a superficial or full-thickness closure when sealing the wound depending on surgeon preference as well as desired outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine dosimetric endpoints in patients with superficial versus full-thickness closures with accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI).

Methods: Patients who underwent breast conservation surgery followed by 3D conformal external-beam APBI were identified (n = 45) and were separated according to the type of cavity closure performed: superficial and full thickness.

The transcriptional corepressor SMRTER influences both Notch and ecdysone signaling during Drosophila development.

SMRTER (SMRT-related and ecdysone receptor interacting factor) is the Drosophila homologue of the vertebrate proteins SMRT and N-CoR, and forms with them a well-conserved family of transcriptional corepressors. Molecular characterization of SMRT-family proteins in cultured cells has implicated them in a wide range of transcriptional regulatory pathways. However, little is currently known about how this conserved class of transcriptional corepressors regulates the development of particular tissues via specific pathways.

Evaluating beliefs associated with late-stage lung cancer presentation in minorities.

Introduction: Minority patients in the United States present with later stages of lung cancer and have poorer outcomes. Cultural factors, such as beliefs regarding lung cancer and discrimination experiences, may underlie this disparity.

Methods: Patients with a new diagnosis of lung cancer were recruited from four medical centers in New York City.

Endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Background: : Bilateral hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy (BHL±ML) is an important radiographic finding. Since it was examined 38 years ago by Winterbauer and colleagues, better diagnostic techniques have been developed. The purpose of this study was to reexamine the diagnosis of BHL±ML by Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

Medical complications of obesity and optimization of the obese patient for colorectal surgery.

Obesity is a medical epidemic with an enormous impact on disease prevalence and health care utilization. In the preoperative period, an awareness of medical issues associated with obesity is an important part of the planning for surgical procedures. The authors highlight the diagnostic and treatment options for medical conditions commonly affecting the obese patient including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and deep venous thrombosis.

Granuloma annulare treated with excimer laser.

Objective: To review the current therapy for granuloma annulare and report a case of refractory generalized granuloma annulare successfully treated with excimer laser. A discussion about the characteristics of excimer laser and the mechanism of its effectiveness is presented.

Design: Patient case report and literature review.

Prolonged exposure to acid and bile induces chromosome abnormalities that precede malignant transformation of benign Barrett's epithelium.

Unlabelled: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is an asymptomatic, pre-malignant condition of the esophagus that can progress to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). BE arises typically in individuals with long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The neoplastic progression of BE has been extensively studied histologically and defined as a metaplasia- dyplasia- carcinoma sequence.

The Quick Start Contraception Initiation Method during the 6-week postpartum visit: an efficacious way to improve contraception in Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Background: About half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and many start soon after a previous delivery. Our aim was to determine if the implementation of the Quick Start Contraception Initiation Method during the 6-week postpartum evaluation could improve the delivery of contraception.

Study Design: The medical records of 979 patients seen for their 6-week postpartum visit at our urban Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) between July 2004 and June 2006 were reviewed.

Ex vivo assessment of contractility, fatigability and alternans in isolated skeletal muscles.

Described here is a method to measure contractility of isolated skeletal muscles. Parameters such as muscle force, muscle power, contractile kinetics, fatigability, and recovery after fatigue can be obtained to assess specific aspects of the excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) process such as excitability, contractile machinery and Ca(2+) handling ability. This method removes the nerve and blood supply and focuses on the isolated skeletal muscle itself.