A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

The concept of radioguided surgery, which was first developed some 60 years ago, involves the use of a radiation detection probe system for the intraoperative detection of radionuclides. The use of gamma detection probe technology in radioguided surgery has tremendously expanded and has evolved into what is now considered an established discipline within the practice of surgery, revolutionizing the surgical management of many malignancies, including breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer, as well as the surgical management of parathyroid disease. The impact of radioguided surgery on the surgical management of cancer patients includes providing vital and real-time information to the surgeon regarding the location and extent of disease, as well as regarding the assessment of surgical resection margins. Additionally, it has allowed the surgeon to minimize the surgical invasiveness of many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, while still maintaining maximum benefit to the cancer patient. In the current review, we have attempted to comprehensively evaluate the history, technical aspects, and clinical applications of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

Malignant infantile osteopetrosis: dental effects in paediatric patients. Case reports.

AIM: Malignant Infantile Osteopetrosis is a hereditary pathology caused due to osteoclastic cells which are incapable of carrying out their functions and hence do not resorb osseous tissue where required. Thus the consequence is that during growth phase, the medullary cavities and nervous tissue cavities do not undergo sufficient growth and the corresponding organs do not develop adequately. The aim of this study is to outline the role of the pediatric dentist who has to carry out protocols of primary, secondary, tertiary prevention intervening at many levels. Clinical features and dental effects are described. Two case reports are presented in this study. CONCLUSION: Oral problems of osteopetrosis are delayed tooth eruption, absence of some teeth, malformed teeth, enamel hypoplasia, disturbed dentinogenesis, hypomineralisation of enamel and dentin, propensity for tooth decay, defects of the periodontal membrane, thickened lamina dura, mandibular protrusion, and the presence of odontomas. Tooth removal should be limited as it may induce bone fractures and osteomyelitis. The role of the pediatric dentist is defined

Electrostatic Discharge Current Linear Approach and Circuit Design Method

The Electrostatic Discharge phenomenon is a great threat to all electronic devices and ICs. An electric charge passing rapidly from a charged body to another can seriously harm the last one. However, there is a lack in a linear mathematical approach which will make it possible to design a circuit capable of producing such a sophisticated current waveform. The commonly accepted Electrostatic Discharge current waveform is the one set by the IEC 61000-4-2. However, the over-simplified circuit included in the same standard is incapable of producing such a waveform. Treating the Electrostatic Discharge current waveform of the IEC 61000-4-2 as reference, an approximation method, based on Prony’s method, is developed and applied in order to obtain a linear system’s response. Considering a known input, a method to design a circuit, able to generate this ESD current waveform in presented. The circuit synthesis assumes ideal active elements. A simulation is carried out using the PSpice software

A phase II study of the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, CV6504, in advanced pancreatic cancer : correlation of clinical data with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic endpoints

Purpose: Primary objective was to determine response rate of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer to a novel lipoxy-genase and thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor (CV6504); secondary objectives included estimation of pharmacokinetics of CV6504, target-enzyme inhibition, safety and tolerance, quality of life and survival. Patients and methods: Thirty-one patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were planned to receive CV6504, 100 mg TDS, orally for three months, at which point CT scans were performed to assess therapeutic response rates. Steady state concentrations of CV6504 and thromboxane B2 (an indirect measure of thromboxane A2 synthetase (TA2S) inhibition) were made. Of the 31 patients entered into the study, 23 were considered fully evaluable for response. Results: The drug was well tolerated with few side effects; no partial or complete responses were seen, but 10 patients had stable disease at 3 months; quality of life was maintained during therapy; mean CV6504 steady state plasma concentrations of 14 ± 6 ng/ml resulting in 75 ± 18% inhibition of TA2S were achieved; median-survival time for all patients considered eligible for assessment of efficacy was 36.6 weeks after the initial dose of study medication. The actuarial one-year survival was approximately 25%. Conclusion: CV6504 inhibits its target enzyme in vivo, maintains stable disease in 32% of evaluable patients and is well tolerated