Novel data according Will Roger`s phenomenon in stomach cancer patients

Mostly Will Roger`s phenomenon means existence of so-called "jumping" or "jumping over the stages" regional metastases in the stomach cancer patients. N1 in the 6th edition means 16 regional lymph nodes involvement, while the N1 seventh edition – only 1-2 of regional lymph nodes involvement. This means that T1N1Mo \ 6th and T1N1Mo \ 7th - not quite the same, and the survival of the two groups will be different. The study, made on the abdominal oncosurgical department of Odessa Regional Oncology Center, included 188 patients operated for gastric cancer in the period 2007-2011. The study included only radically treated patients. Comparison of survival in patients with gastric cancer between 6th revision groups of 7th has been reviewed. The classification mission is to provide differences in the survival rates between the groups. Regression multivariate Cox analysis showed that 7th UICC classification showed different capability of stratifying survival groups of UICC N classification (P \ 0.01)

The use of fentanyl buccal tablets for breakthrough pain by using doses proportional to opioid basal regimen in a home care setting.

Abstract The dose of rapid onset opioids to be given for breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) is controversial. Dose proportional to the basal opioid regimen seem to be safe and effective in hospital units. However, data in other less protected settings, like home care, are lacking. The aim of this open-label study was to assess the efficacy and safety in a group of patients with BTcP followed at home, after giving a dose of fentanyl buccal tablets (FBT) proportional to the opioid basal regimen, skipping the steps for dose titration. Consecutive patients admitted to a home care program presenting BTcP episodes and receiving stable doses of opioids for background pain were selected. Data from four consecutive episodes of BTcP were collected. For each episode, patients were instructed to routinely collect changes in pain intensity and severe adverse effects when pain got severe (T0) and to reassess the same items 15 min after FBT, given as a rescue medication in doses proportional to the daily opioid doses used for background pain (T15). One hundred twenty episodes of BTcP were recorded in 30 patients. One hundred eight episodes were defined as successfully treated, while 12 episodes required a further administration of opioids. Pain intensity significantly decreased at T15 (p < 0.001). In 95.5 and 90.8 % of episodes treated, there was a reduction in pain intensity of more than 33 and 50 %, respectively. No relevant adverse effects were recorded, even in older patients. This study suggests that FBT given in doses proportional to the basal opioid regimen for the management of BTcP is very effective and safe in clinical practice in the home care setting

Tissue-specific classification of alternatively spliced human exons

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biological Engineering Division, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-57).Alternative splicing is involved in numerous cellular functions and is often disrupted and involved in disease. Previous research has identified methods to distinguish alternative conserved exons (ACEs) in human and mouse. However, the cellular machinery, the spliceosome, does not use comparative genomics to decide when to include and when to exclude an exon. Human RefSeq exons obtained from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) genome browser were analyzed for tissue-specific skipping. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were aligned to exons and their tissue of origin and histology were identified. ACEs were also identified as a subset of the skipped exons. About 18% of the exons were identified as tissue-specifically skipped in one of sixteen different tissues at four stringency levels. The different datasets were analyzed for both general features such as exon and intron length, splice site strength, base composition, conservation, modularity, and susceptibility to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay caused by skipping. Cis-element motifs that might bind protein factors that affect splicing were identified using overrepresentation analysis and conserved occurrence rate between human and mouse.(cont.) Tissue-specific skipped exons were then classified with both a decision-tree based classifier (Random ForestsTM) and a support vector machine. Classification results were better for tissue-specific skipped exons vs. constitutive exons than for tissue-specific skipped exons vs. exons skipped in other tissues.by Craig Jeremy Rothman.M.Eng

Stepwise Iterative Fourier Transform: The SIFT

A program, designed specifically to study the respective effects of some common data problems on results obtained through stepwise iterative Fourier transformation of synthetic data with known waveform composition, was outlined. Included in this group were the problems of gaps in the data, different time-series lengths, periodic but nonsinusoidal waveforms, and noisy (low signal-to-noise) data. Results on sinusoidal data were also compared with results obtained on narrow band noise with similar characteristics. The findings showed that the analytic procedure under study can reliably reduce data in the nature of (1) sinusoids in noise, (2) asymmetric but periodic waves in noise, and (3) sinusoids in noise with substantial gaps in the data. The program was also able to analyze narrow-band noise well, but with increased interpretational problems. The procedure was shown to be a powerful technique for analysis of periodicities, in comparison with classical spectrum analysis techniques. However, informed use of the stepwise procedure nevertheless requires some background of knowledge concerning characteristics of the biological processes under study

Asthma and COPD in cystic fibrosis intron-8 5T carriers. A population-based study

BACKGROUND: Carriers of cystic fibrosis intron-8 5T alleles with high exon-9 skipping could have increased annual lung function decline and increased risk for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: We genotyped 9131 individuals from the adult Danish population for cystic fibrosis 5T, 7T, 9T, and F508del alleles, and examined associations between 11 different genotype combinations, and annual FEV(1 )decline and risk of asthma or COPD. RESULTS: 5T heterozygotes vs. 7T homozygous controls had no increase in annual FEV(1 )decline, self-reported asthma, spirometry-defined COPD, or incidence of hospitalization from asthma or COPD. In 5T/7T heterozygotes vs. 7T homozygous controls we had 90% power to detect an increase in FEV(1 )decline of 8 ml, an odds ratio for self-reported asthma and spirometry-defined COPD of 1.9 and 1.7, and a hazard ratio for asthma and COPD hospitalization of 1.8 and 1.6, respectively. Both 5T homozygotes identified in the study showed evidence of asthma, while none of four 5T/F508del compound heterozygotes had severe pulmonary disease. 7T/9T individuals had annual decline in FEV(1 )of 19 ml compared with 21 ml in 7T homozygous controls (t-test:P = 0.03). 6.7% of 7T homozygotes without an F508del allele in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene reported asthma vs. 11% of 7T/9T individuals with an F508del allele (χ(2):P = 0.01) and 40% of 7T homozygotes with an F508del allele (P = 0.04). 7T homozygotes with vs. without an F508del allele also had higher incidence of asthma hospitalization (log-rank:P = 0.003); unadjusted and adjusted equivalent hazard ratios for asthma hospitalization were 11 (95%CI:1.5–78) and 6.3 (0.84–47) in 7T homozygotes with vs. without an F508del allele. CONCLUSION: Polythymidine 5T heterozygosity is not associated with pulmonary dysfunction or disease in the adult Caucasian population. Furthermore, our results support that F508del heterozygosity is associated with increased asthma risk independently of the 5T allele

A study of the effects of leg strengthening exercises on the vertical jumping and speed of running of college women

The primary purpose of this study was to determine what effect a program of leg strengthening exercises would have on the leg strength, vertical jumping, and running speed of college women. A secondary purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationships among leg strength, vertical jumping, and running speed both before and after the administration of an exercise program designed to increase leg strength. This study used twenty-nine women physical education major students of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as subjects. These subjects were randomly selected and randomly assigned to either Group A, the exercise group, or Group E, the control group. Both groups were given initial and final tests of leg strength, vertical jumping, and running speed, measured respectively by a Back and Leg Dynamometer, the Modified Vertical Power Jump Test, and an electronic timing device designed specifically for use in this study. After the initial testing session, the exercise group, Group A, was given a four-week exercise program designed by the writer to increase leg strength. The exercise program consisted of eight exercises progressively increased in number of repetitions over the twelve sessions

An investigation of diagnostic sex bias for narcissistic personality disorder, in comparison to histrionic and antisocial personality disorders

The present study investigated diagnostic sex bias. Specifically, the validity of the gender base rate hypothesis (i.e, relying on the gender base rate information provided in the DSM-III-R for differential diagnoses), which has previously been offered as an explanation for diagnostic sex bias, was tested against an alternative hypothesis, that clinicians base their diagnoses on gender sex role expectations. It was predicted that clinicians would display a diagnostic sex bias for Narcissistic personality disorder, which the gender base rate hypothesis could not explain, but the sex role expectations hypothesis could. This study also investigated how strictly clinicians adhere to DSM-III-R criteria when making diagnostic decisions. Three hundred and seventy-two doctoral level clinicians comprised the sample. Each clinician read one of eighteen versions of a case scenario, made a diagnosis, and completed several post-experimental questionnaires. A subset of the clinicians also completed a DSM-III-R criterion checklist

Identification and characterization of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene mutations

La neurofibromatose 1 (NF 1) affecte un individu sur 3000 et se caractérise par l'extrême variabilité des symptôme cliniques. Le gène de NF/, situé sur le chromosome l 7q 11.2, contient 350 kb et 60 exons. Le taux de mutation est de 1 x 104/gamète/génération. Environ 50% des mutations sont d'origine familiale et 50% sporadique. Nous avons identifié et caractérisé une mutation qui cause l'exclusion des exons 11 et l 2a, six délétions et un polymorphisme HinclI et aussi déterminé le déséquilibre de liaison dans la population québécoise. Une mutation originale a été identifiée grâce au test de tronquation des protéines; elle serait la cause de l'exclusion d'exons. Le séquençage de la région génomique entre les introns 1 Oc et 12a a permis d'identifier le changement d'un G en A en position 2056+ l dans le site d' épissage 5' de l 'exon 12a. Ceci engendre l'excision des deux exons l l et 12a sans changement du cadre de lecture et sans que la quantité des ARN messagers en soit affectée. Des essais d'épissage in vivo et in vitro nous ont permis de démontrer pour la première fois que le mutation naturelle supprime la définition des exons. Nos résultats montrent aussi que la séquence encodée par les exons 11 et l 2a est essentielle pour l'activité de la neurofibromine. L 'haplotypage de 19 familles a permis de détecter la perte d'hétérozygosité (LOH) grâce aux 4 microsatellites et aux RFLPs RsaI et EcoRI. Six délétions (2 familles:76 l 0 et 74 73, et 4 patients: 178, 184, 236 et 23 7) ont été identifiées et caractérisées par la LOH et des buvardages de type Southern. La délétion dans la famille 7610 est d'origine maternelle et seul restent les exons l-4b. La délétion dans la famille 7473 est aussi d'origine maternelle et les exons de là 5 sont délétés, la délétion s'arrêtant quelque part avant l' intron 26. Avec le patient 1 78 la délétion commence entre les exons 23-2 et 27b pour se terminer après la région 3' de NFJ. La délétion dans le patient 184 commence au 5' du gène et se termine entre les exons 27b-29. La délétion dans le patient 236 commence entre les exons 14-18 et se termine après l'extrémité 3' de NFJ. Avec le patient 237, la délétion commence entre les exons 38-45 et se termine après la région 3' du gène. Ces délétions sont distribuées au hasard dans le gène NF 1.Abstract: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) afflicts 1 in 3,000 individuals and is characterized with variable clinical presentations. The NF1 gene spans 350 kb on chromosome 17q11.2 with 60 exons. The gene exhibits high mutation rate of 1 × 104/gamete/generation and approximately 50% are sporadic new mutations. In this study, a splice site mutation and 6 gross deletions have been identified and characterized. Also, a HincII polymorphism was detected and the linkage disequilibrium was investigated. Using a protein truncation assay, we have identified a exon skipping mutation. The mutation, which consists of a G to A transition at position +1 (2056+1) of the 5' splice site of exon 12a, is associated with the loss of both exons 11 and 12a in the NF1 mRNA. The mutation inactivates the 5' splice site of exon 12a, prevents exon definition and leads to the skipping of both exons 11 and 12a. These results document the first example of a natural mutation that inactivates exon definition, and suggest that the 11-12a region of NF1 plays an important role in the activity of neurofibromin. Six gross deletions (families 7610 and 7473, patients 178, 184, 236 and 236) have been identified. The breakpoint of the deletion is located between exons 5 and 26. The deletions are unique and different from those reported previously. The deletions are not associated with unusual clinical features. The HincII polymorphism is located between exons 1 and 4a as defined by probe GE2-400 bp. Three alleles are detected: A1 (3.1 and 3.3 kb), A2 (2.4 and 4.0 kb), A3 (1.3 and 5.1 kb). The detected heterozygote forms are A1-A2, or A1-A3 and the homozygote forms A1-A1 or A2-A2. Analysis haplotypes of the 19 NF1 families indicates that the four intragenic polymorphic microsatellites are strongly linked with the NF1 disease. However, no linkage disequilibrium and founder effect was observed in this Québec population collection. In conclusion, the study shows that the analysis of NF1 gene mutation is complex. No particular founder mutation has been observed in the Québec population."--Résumé abrégé par UM

High-speed scanless entire bandwidth mid-infrared chemical imaging

Mid-infrared spectroscopy probes molecular vibrations to identify chemical species and functional groups. Therefore, mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging is one of the most powerful and promising candidates for chemical imaging using optical methods. Yet high-speed and entire bandwidth mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging has not been realized. Here we report a mid-infrared hyperspectral chemical imaging technique that uses chirped pulse upconversion of sub-cycle pulses at the image plane. This technique offers a lateral resolution of 15 $\mu$m, and the field of view is adjustable between 800 $\mu$m $\times$ 600 $\mu$m to 12 mm $\times$ 9 mm. The hyperspectral imaging produces a 640 $\times$ 480 pixel image in 8 s, which covers a spectral range of 640-3015 cm$^{-1}$, comprising 1069 wavelength points and offering a wavenumber resolution of 2.6-3.7 cm$^{-1}$. For discrete frequency mid-infrared imaging, the measurement speed reaches a frame rate of 5 kHz, the repetition rate of the laser. As a demonstration, we effectively identified and mapped different components in a microfluidic device, plant cell, and mouse embryo section. The great capacity and latent force of this technique in chemical imaging promise to be applied to many fields such as chemical analysis, biology, and medicine.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure