Comparative indicators for cancer network management in England: Availability, characteristics and presentation

BACKGROUND: In 2000, the national cancer plan for England created 34 cancer networks, new organisational structures to coordinate services across populations varying between a half and three million people. We investigated the availability of data sets reflecting measures of structure, process and outcome that could be used to support network management. METHODS: We investigated the properties of national data sets relating to four common cancers - breast, colorectal, lung and prostate. We reviewed the availability and completeness of these data sets, identified leading items within each set and put them into tables of the 34 cancer networks. We also investigated methods of presentation. RESULTS: The Acute Hospitals Portfolio and the Cancer Standards Peer Review recorded structural characteristics at hospital and cancer service level. Process measures included Hospital Episode Statistics, recording admissions, and Hospital Waiting-List data. Patient outcome measures included the National Survey of Patient Satisfaction for cancer, and cancer survival, drawn from cancer registration. Data were drawn together to provide an exemplar indicator set a single network, and methods of graphical presentation were considered. CONCLUSION: While not as yet used together in practice, comparative indicators are available within the National Health Service in England for use in performance assessment by cancer networks

miR-124 and miR-137 inhibit proliferation of glioblastoma multiforme cells and induce differentiation of brain tumor stem cells

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an invariably fatal central nervous system tumor despite treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Further insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive GBM formation are required to improve patient outcome. MicroRNAs are emerging as important regulators of cellular differentiation and proliferation, and have been implicated in the etiology of a variety of cancers, yet the role of microRNAs in GBM remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNAs in regulating the differentiation and proliferation of neural stem cells and glioblastoma-multiforme tumor cells.status: publishe

Chitosan–Starch–Keratin composites: Improving thermo-mechanical and degradation properties through chemical modification

The lysozyme test shows an improved in the degradability rate, the weight loss of the films at 21 days is reduced from 73 % for chitosan-starch matrix up to 16 % for the composites with 5wt% of quill; but all films show a biodegradable character depending on keratin type and chemical modification. The outstanding properties related to the addition of treated keratin materials show that these natural composites are a remarkable alternative to potentiat-ing chitosan–starch films with sustainable featuresChitosan–starch polymers are reinforced with different keratin materials obtained from chicken feather. Keratin materials are treated with sodium hydroxide; the modified surfaces are rougher in comparison with untreated surfaces, observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry show an increase in the endothermic peak related to water evaporation of the films from 92 °C (matrix) up to 102–114 °C (reinforced composites). Glass transition temperature increases from 126 °C in the polymer matrix up to 170–200 °C for the composites. Additionally, the storage modulus in the composites is enhanced up to 1614 % for the composites with modified ground quill, 2522 % for composites with modified long fiber and 3206 % for the composites with modified short fiber. The lysozyme test shows an improved in the degradability rate, the weight loss of the films at 21 days is reduced from 73 % for chitosan-starch matrix up to 16 % for the composites with 5wt% of quill; but all films show a biodegradable character depending on keratin type and chemical modification. The outstanding properties related to the addition of treated keratin materials show that these natural composites are a remarkable alternative to potentiat-ing chitosan–starch films with sustainable featuresUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de México Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Querétaro Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Celaya Universidad Autónoma de Cd. Juáre

Reproducibility and accuracy of non-invasive measurement of infarct size in mice with high-resolution PET/CT

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the reproducibility and accuracy of 2-deoxy-2[(18)F]fluoro-D: -glucose ((18)F-FDG) for non-invasive quantification of myocardial infarct size in mice by a high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) system. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice were studied by (18)F-FDG PET/CT 1 week after induction of myocardial infarction by permanent coronary occlusion or sham procedure. In a subset of mice, PET/CT was repeated 2 days apart to assess the reproducibility of infarct size measurements. Histological analysis was used as reference method to validate imaging data. The average difference in infarct size measurements between the first and the second study was -0.42% ± 2.07% (95% confidence interval -2.6 to 1.75) with a repeatability coefficient of 4.05%. At Bland-Altman analysis, the lower and upper limits of agreement between the two repeated studies were -4.46% and 3.63%, respectively, and no correlation between difference and mean was found (P = .89). The concordance correlation coefficient was 0.99 (P < .001) and the intraclass coefficient of correlation was 0.99. A high correlation between PET/CT and histology was found for measurement of infarct size (P < .001). Using Bland-Altman analysis, the mean difference in infarct size measurement (PET/CT minus histology) was 1.9% (95% confidence interval 0.94% to 2.86%). CONCLUSIONS: In a mice model of permanent coronary occlusion non-invasive measurement of infarct size with high-resolution (18)F-FDG, PET/CT has excellent reproducibility and accuracy. These findings support the use of this methodology in serial studies