5,722 research outputs found
Validation of the English and Chinese versions of the Quick-FLIC quality of life questionnaire.
A useful measure of quality of life should be easy and quick to complete. Recently, we reported the development and validation of a shortened Chinese version of the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC), which we called the Quick-FLIC. In the present study of 327 English-speaking and 221 Chinese-speaking cancer patients, we validated the English version of the Quick-FLIC and further assessed the Chinese version. The 11 Quick-FLIC items were administered alongside the 11 remaining items of the full FLIC, but there appeared to be little context effect. Validity of the English version of the Quick-FLIC was attested by its strong correlation with two other measures of quality of life, and its ability to detect differences between patients with different performance status and treatment status (each P<0.001). Its internal consistency (alpha=0.86) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation=0.76) were also satisfactory. The measure was responsive to changes in performance status (P<0.001). The Chinese version showed similar characteristics. The Quick-FLIC behaved in ways that are highly comparable with the FLIC, even though the Quick-FLIC comprised only 11 items whereas the FLIC comprised 22. Further research is required to see whether the use of shorter instruments can improve data quality and response rates, but the fact that shorter instruments place less burden on the patients is itself inherently important
Optically Induced Reorientation in Nematic Cylindrical Structures
Cyclindrical structures of nematics give rise to several opto-optical effects related to molecular reorientation. One of these effects is the formation of diffraction ring patterns similar to the ones observed in planar cells, but differing in shape. Another effect has been observed, namely a quasi-chaotic motion of rings with a very large angular spread; this motion can be obtained using a cw laser and high power densities. The phenomenon could be attributed to thermal motion, however, there are some features that cannot be explained by a purely thermal effect, e.g., a wavelength dependence of the threshold and the frequencies of the ring motion
DNA methylation of ESR-1 and N-33 in colorectal mucosa of patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Introduction: Epigenetic marking such as DNA methylation influence gene transcription and chromosomal stability and may also be affected by environmental exposures. Few studies exist on alteration in DNA methylation profiles (genomic and gene specific methylation) in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and none assessing its relationship with lifestyle exposures.
Aims & Methods: To assess genomic methylation and promoter methylation of the ESR-1 (oestrogen receptor - 1) and N-33 (tumour suppressor candidate-3) genes in the macroscopically normal mucosa of UC patients as well as to investigate effects of anthropometric and lifestyle exposures on DNA methylation. Sixty eight subjects were recruited (24 UC and 44 age and sex matched controls). Colorectal mucosal biopsies were obtained and DNA was extracted. Genomic DNA methylation was quantified using the tritium-labelled cytosine extension assay (3[H] dCTP) whilst gene specific methylation was quantified using the COBRA method.
Results: The methylation level of both ESR-1 and N-33 genes were significantly higher in UC subjects compared with controls (7.9% vs 5.9%; p = 0.015 and 66% vs 9.3%; p < 0.001 respectively). There was no detectable difference in global DNA methylation between patients with UC and age and sex matched controls. No associations between indices of DNA methylation and anthropometric measures or smoking patterns were detected.
Conclusions: For the first time, we have shown increased methylation in the promoter regions of the putative tumour suppressor gene N-33 in macroscopically normal mucosa of patients with UC. In addition, we have confirmed that methylation of ESR-1 promoter is higher in UC patients compared with age and sex matched controls. These findings suggests that, inactivation through methylation of the putative tumour suppressor genes N-33 and ESR-1, may not be associated with colorectal carcinogenesis in UC
Laser beam filamentation in fractal aggregates
We investigate filamentation of a cw laser beam in soft matter such as
colloidal suspensions and fractal gels. The process, driven by
electrostriction, is strongly affected by material properties, which are taken
into account via the static structure factor, and have impact on the statistics
of the light filaments.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Revised version with corrected figure 5. To be
published in Phys. Rev. Let
Simple model for decay of superdeformed nuclei
Recent theoretical investigations of the decay mechanism out of a
superdeformed nuclear band have yielded qualitatively different results,
depending on the relative values of the relevant decay widths. We present a
simple two-level model for the dynamics of the tunneling between the
superdeformed and normal-deformed bands, which treats decay and tunneling
processes on an equal footing. The previous theoretical results are shown to
correspond to coherent and incoherent limits of the full tunneling dynamics.
Our model accounts for experimental data in both the A~150 mass region, where
the tunneling dynamics is coherent, and in the A~190 mass region, where the
tunneling dynamics is incoherent.Comment: 4 page
Optically Induced Modulation of a Laser Beam in Nematic Liquid Crystals Structures
In this paper we report the experimental results obtained when an He-Ne laser beam crosses an MBBA homeotropic sandwich structure and is modulated by the influence of another laser beam, in our case an Ar+ laser, crossing through the same region. We extend some results previously reported by us1 2 concerning the influence of the ratio of the diameters of the laser beams on the modulation characteristics. A theoretical model, based on the one reported in Ref6 , shows good agreement with the
experimental results. If the Ar+ laser is intensity chopped, the resulting He-Ne diffracted image is also intensity modulated. The highest frequency observed has been 500 p. p. s
Finite size effects on transport coefficients for models of atomic wires coupled to phonons
We consider models of quasi-1-d, planar atomic wires consisting of several,
laterally coupled rows of atoms, with mutually non-interacting electrons. This
electronic wire system is coupled to phonons, corresponding, e.g., to some
substrate. We aim at computing diffusion coefficients in dependence on the wire
widths and the lateral coupling. To this end we firstly construct a numerically
manageable linear collision term for the dynamics of the electronic occupation
numbers by following a certain projection operator approach. By means of this
collision term we set up a linear Boltzmann equation. A formula for extracting
diffusion coefficients from such Boltzmann equations is given. We find in the
regime of a few atomic rows and intermediate lateral coupling a significant and
non-trivial dependence of the diffusion coefficient on both, the width and the
lateral coupling. These results, in principle, suggest the possible
applicability of such atomic wires as electronic devices, such as, e.g.,
switches.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.
Renal cell carcinoma: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up â€
RADBIOMOD: A simple program for utilising biological modelling in radiotherapy plan evaluation
Abstract not availableJoe H. Chang, Christopher Gehrke, Ramachandran Prabhakar, Suki Gill, Morikatsu Wada, Daryl Lim Joon, Vincent Kho
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