growth factor enhancement of cardiac regeneration

The potential for endogenous or supplementary stem cells to restore the form and function of damaged tissues is particularly promising for overcoming the restricted regenerative capacity of the mammalian heart. To maintain blood circulation, this essential organ needs to launch a rapid response to repair damage of the muscle wall and to prevent muscle loss. The capacity of growth factors to supplement the repair process has been successfully applied to restore the integrity of damaged skeletal muscle, reducing the fibrotic response to injury, and recruiting local populations of self-renewing precursor cells and circulating stem cells. We review the recent evidence that extension of growth factor supplementation to the heart may overcome its inherent regenerative impediments through improvement of the local tissue environment and stimulation of cell replacement, and we speculate on future research directions for treatment of myocardial damage

Apoptosis: a relevant tool for anticancer therapy.

Apoptosis is a form of cell death that permits the removal of damaged, senescent or unwanted cells in multicellular organisms, without damage to the cellular microenvironment. Defective apoptosis represents a major causative factor in the development and progression of cancer. The majority of chemotherapeutic agents, as well as radiation, utilize the apoptotic pathway to induce cancer cell death. Resistance to standard chemotherapeutic strategies also seems to be due to alterations in the apoptotic pathway of cancer cells. Recent knowledge on apoptosis has provided the basis for novel targeted therapies that exploit apoptosis to treat cancer. These new target include those acting in the extrinsic/intrinsic pathway, proteins that control the apoptosis machinery such as the p53 and proteosome pathway. Most of these forms of therapy are still in preclinical development because of their low specifity and susceptibility to drug resistance, but several of them have shown promising results. In particular, this review specifically aims at providing an update of certain molecular players that are already in use in order to target apoptosis (such as bortezomib) or which are still being clinically evaluated (such ONYX-015, survivin and exisulind/aptosyn) or which, following preclinical studies, might have the necessary requirements for becoming part of the anticancer drug programs (such as TRAIL/Apo2L, apoptin/VP3)

Financial sector pro-cyclicality: lessons from the crisis

We analyze the main forces affecting financial system pro-cyclicality (the fact that developments in the financial sector can amplify business cycle fluctuations). We first review some major structural developments in financial markets that may influence pro-cyclicality and that have been overlooked in earlier analyses. We then examine three issues that are center stage in the current debate: capital regulation, accounting standards and managers’ incentives. After reviewing the institutional set-up and the key mechanisms at work, we critically examine a series of proposals designed to mitigate pro-cyclicality.pro-cyclicality, financial accelerator, capital requirements, leverage, accounting standards, incentives

The use of the LigaSure device and the Stapler in closure of the small bowel: a comparative ex vivo study

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the LigaSure device in closing divisions of the small bowel in an ex vivo porcine model. Methods Two types of closure were performed: stumps created by ‘‘muco-mucosa’’ fusion and stumps created by ‘‘sero-serosa’’ fusion. For each type of closure, different power levels of the LigaSure system were tested in com-bination with different numbers of applications and then compared with the Stapler group. Results With both types of intestinal closure, the highest value of burst pressure was obtained with the application of a power level of three bars and one frequency application. The high burst pressure of the muco-mucosa stump group was significantly lower than that of the Stapler group (41.8 ±5.9 vs. 75.8±5.9, respectively, p\0.01). No differences were found between the high burst pressure of the sero-serosa stump group and the Stapler group (74.1 ±5.5 vs. 75.8±5.9, respectively,p=0.2). Conclusions Our preliminary results showed that the LigaSure is an efficient tool for closing the intestines when sero-serosa stumps are created. The second step of our work will be to evaluate the feasibility of this tool in cre-ating intestinal anastomos

Dia Nacional de Combate ao Fumo: um Marco para o Controle do Tabagismo no Brasil

Ao longo dos últimos 25 anos, o controle do tabagismo no Brasil tem sido calcado centralmente em medidas educativas e legislativas. E o marco inaugural desse movimento foi a instituição do Dia Nacional de Combate ao Fumo, a primeira contribuição do Congresso Nacional para o controle do tabagismo no Brasil, por meio da Lei Federal nº 7.488, de junho de 1986. Em 2011, ano do 25º aniversário da Lei, nada mais apropriado do que apresentar o tema com uma edição especial da Revista Brasileira de Cancerologia (RBC), exclusivamente voltada ao tabagismo. Aqui, o leitor encontrará 11 artigos originais, sendo dois deles de conteúdo histórico; um de opinião; três de revisão e uma resenha. Revista essa que também será produzida em inglês e distribuída na 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, de 20 a 24 de março de 2012, em Cingapura

Valve Migration Into the Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Managed by Coaxial Double-Valve Alignment

The efficacy and overall safety of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with severe aortic stenosis at high risk for conventional surgery is validated. Nevertheless, infrequent, but severe, intraprocedural complications, often necessitating intraoperative bailout maneuvers, are reported. Among these, valve migration into the left ventricle is particularly dismal and requires conversion to an emergent surgical procedure with a reported disproportionally high mortality rate. We report herein a case in which valve migration into the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) was successfully managed by repositioning a second prosthesis, thus avoiding emergent surgery

Are public health professionals prepared for public health genomics? A cross-sectional survey in Italy

Background: Public health genomics is an emerging multidisciplinary approach, which aims to integrate genome-based knowledge in a responsible and effective way into public health. Despite several surveys performed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and professional behaviors of physicians towards predictive genetic testing, similar surveys have not been carried out for public health practitioners. This study is the first to assess knowledge, attitudes and training needs of public health professionals in the field of predictive genetic testing for chronic diseases. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used to carry out a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of Italian public health professionals. Results: A response rate of 67.4% (797 questionnaires) was achieved. Italian public health professionals have the necessary attitudinal background to contribute to the proper use of predictive genetic testing for chronic diseases, but they need additional training to increase their methodological knowledge. Knowledge significantly increases with exposure to predictive genetic testing during postgraduate training (odds ratio (OR) = 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05-2.88), time dedicated to continuing medical education (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.14-2.04) and level of English language knowledge (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07-1.72). Adequate knowledge is the strongest predictor of positive attitudes from a public health perspective (OR = 3.98, 95% CI = 2.44-6.50). Physicians show a lower level of knowledge and more public health attitudes than other public health professionals do. About 80% of public health professionals considered their knowledge inadequate and 86.0% believed that it should be improved through specific postgraduate training courses. Conclusions: Specific and targeted training initiatives are needed to develop a skilled public health workforce competent in identifying genomic technology that is ready for use in population health and in modeling public health genomic programs and primary care services that need to be developed, implemented and evaluated