Hepaticoduodenostomy as a technique for biliary anastomosis in children with choledochal cyst: An experience with 31 cases

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and complications of hepaticoduodenostomy in the treatment of choledochal cyst in children. Summary background data The conventional treatment of choledochal cyst includes Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy for biliary reconstruction. This procedure, however, disrupts normal bowel continuity and requires two anastomoses. We studied the technique of hepaticoduodenostomy as an effective alternative to this technique.Patients and methods A total of 31 children undergoing  hepatoduodenostomy for choledochal cyst over a period of 9 years were included in this study.Results The patients operated upon had outcomes similar to those treated by the Roux-en-Y technique in other studies.Conclusion Hepaticoduodenostomy is an effective alternative to the conventional Roux-en-Y anastomotic technique in cases of choledochal cyst in children. Keywords: choledochal cyst, hepaticoduodenostomy, pediatri

Sled-pull Training Improves Maximal Horizontal Velocity in Collegiate Male and Female Soccer Players

The force velocity profile (FvP), which details the capacity to sprint and accelerate, is a determinant of success in soccer. To date, no data exist that details the FvP of male and female collegiate Division I soccer players. Further, there is limited insight on how training interventions may modify the FvP of either males or females. PURPOSE: The aim of this investigation was to compare FvP between collegiate male and female athletes and assess the efficacy of a 12-week sled pull training intervention. METHODS: 17 male (20.17 ± 1.38 yrs) and 12 female (19.75 ± 1.05 yrs) soccer players participated in a 12-week sled pull training intervention. FvP was measured prior, during, and after training using a 30m sprint to assess maximal horizontal force (F0), maximal horizontal speed (V0), and maximal power output (Pmax). RESULTS: The intervention improved 30m sprint times of men by 11.86% (pre: 4.35 ± 0.17s, post: 4.27 ± 0.17, p0 in both men (pre: 7.98 ± 0.36 m/s, post: 8.09 ± 0.35 m/s, p0 or Pmax. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to detail FvP in both male and female collegiate soccer players. A 12-week sled pull training intervention improves 30m sprint times and V0 in both male and female collegiate athletes, but does not improve F0 and Pmax. Thus, the sled pull intervention should be modified or paired with other training that specifically targets force and power development

Increasing Efforts to Reduce Cervical Cancer through State-Level Comprehensive Cancer Control Planning

Reducing cervical cancer disparities in the U.S. requires intentional focus on structural barriers such as systems and policy which impact access to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, cervical cancer screening and treatment. Such changes are difficult and often politicized. State comprehensive cancer control (CCC) plans are vehicles that, if designed well, can help build collective focus on structural changes. Study objectives were to identify the prioritization of cervical cancer in state CCC plans, the conceptualization of HPV within these plans, and the focus of plans on structural changes to reduce cervical cancer disparities. Data were gathered by systematic content analysis of CCC plans from 50 states and the District of Columbia from February-June 2014 for evidence of cervical cancer prioritization, conceptualization of HPV, and focus on structural barriers to cervical cancer vaccination, screening or treatment. Findings indicate that prioritization of cervical cancer within state CCC plans may not be a strong indicator of state efforts to reduce screening and treatment disparities. While a majority of plans reflected scientific evidence that HPV causes cervical and other cancers, they did not focus on structural elements impacting access to evidence-based interventions. Opportunities exist to improve state CCC plans by increasing their focus on structural interventions that impact cervical cancer prevention, detection, and treatmentparticularly for the 41% of plans ending in 2015 and the 31% ending between 2016-2020. Future studies should focus on the use of policy tools in state CCC plans and their application to cervical cancer prevention and treatment

Festivals and deterioration of aquatic environment: A case study of Idol immersion in Tapi River, India

In the civil society different festivals are celebrated, these are the integral part of human life and many of festivals are religious, seasonal change and culturally important. The present study elucidated environmental impact of Ganesh idol immersion on water quality of Tapi River and for this purpose water samples were collected during different durations (pre immersion, during immersion and post immersion) from selected sampling stations or idol immersion points of Tapi River. The important water quality parameters like pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, total hardness, total alkalinity, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, oil & grease and total calcium were analysed for the study. Result shows that dissolved oxygen was depleted while remaining parameter were increased during the idol immersion and it was concluded that aquatic ecosystem of Tapi river was deteriorated and pollution and nutrient load were increased due to these religious activities. The celebration of festivals and these religious activities can’t stop but pollution can reduce to save the river

Recurrent patterns of DNA copy number alterations in tumors reflect metabolic selection pressures.

Copy number alteration (CNA) profiling of human tumors has revealed recurrent patterns of DNA amplifications and deletions across diverse cancer types. These patterns are suggestive of conserved selection pressures during tumor evolution but cannot be fully explained by known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Using a pan-cancer analysis of CNA data from patient tumors and experimental systems, here we show that principal component analysis-defined CNA signatures are predictive of glycolytic phenotypes, including 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose (FDG) avidity of patient tumors, and increased proliferation. The primary CNA signature is enriched for p53 mutations and is associated with glycolysis through coordinate amplification of glycolytic genes and other cancer-linked metabolic enzymes. A pan-cancer and cross-species comparison of CNAs highlighted 26 consistently altered DNA regions, containing 11 enzymes in the glycolysis pathway in addition to known cancer-driving genes. Furthermore, exogenous expression of hexokinase and enolase enzymes in an experimental immortalization system altered the subsequent copy number status of the corresponding endogenous loci, supporting the hypothesis that these metabolic genes act as drivers within the conserved CNA amplification regions. Taken together, these results demonstrate that metabolic stress acts as a selective pressure underlying the recurrent CNAs observed in human tumors, and further cast genomic instability as an enabling event in tumorigenesis and metabolic evolution

Preclinical efficacy studies of a novel nanoparticle-based formulation of paclitaxel that out-performs Abraxane

Poly-(γ-l-glutamylglutamine)–paclitaxel (PGG–PTX) is a novel polymer-based formulation of paclitaxel (PTX) in which the PTX is linked to the polymer via ester bonds. PGG–PTX is of interest because it spontaneously forms very small nanoparticles in plasma. In mouse models, PGG–PTX increased tumor exposure to PTX by 7.7-fold relative to that produced by PTX formulated in Cremophor. In this study, the efficacy of PGG–PTX was compared to that of Abraxane, an established nanoparticular formulation of PTX, in three different tumor models. Efficacy was quantified by delay in tumor growth of NCI H460 human lung cancer, 2008 human ovarian cancer and B16 melanoma xenografts growing in athymic mice following administration of equitoxic doses of PGG–PTX and Abraxane administered on either a single dose or every 7 day schedule. Toxicity was assessed by change in total body weight. The efficacy and toxicity of PGG–PTX was shown to increase with dose in the H460 model. PGG–PTX was ~1.5-fold less potent than Abraxane. PGG–PTX produced statistically significantly greater inhibition of tumor growth than Abraxane in all three tumor models when mice were given single equitoxic doses of drug. When given every 7 days for 3 doses, PGG–PTX produced greater inhibition of tumor growth while generating much less weight loss in mice bearing H460 tumors. PGG–PTX has activity that is superior to that of Abraxane in multiple tumor models. PGG–PTX has the potential to out-perform Abraxane in enhancing the delivery of PTX tumors while at the same time further reducing the toxicity of both single dose and weekly treatment regimens

Telomerase and breast cancer

Current therapies for breast cancer include treatments that are toxic and often result in drug resistance. Telomerase, a cellular reverse transcriptase that maintains the ends of chromosomes (telomeres), is activated in the vast majority of breast cancers (over 90% of breast carcinomas) but not in normal adjacent tissues. Telomerase is thus an attractive target for both diagnosis and therapy because of its distinct pattern of expression. We address the use of telomerase in the diagnostics of breast pathology, as well as the use of telomerase inhibitors in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer

CCAT2, a novel noncoding RNA mapping to 8q24, underlies metastatic progression and chromosomal instability in colon cancer

The functional roles of SNPs within the 8q24 gene desert in the cancer phenotype are not yet well understood. Here, we report that CCAT2, a novel long noncoding RNA transcript (lncRNA) encompassing the rs6983267 SNP, is highly overexpressed in microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer and promotes tumor growth, metastasis, and chromosomal instability. We demonstrate that MYC, miR-17-5p, and miR-20a are up-regulated by CCAT2 through TCF7L2-mediated transcriptional regulation. We further identify the physical interaction between CCAT2 and TCF7L2 resulting in an enhancement of WNT signaling activity. We show that CCAT2 is itself a WNT downstream target, which suggests the existence of a feedback loop. Finally, we demonstrate that the SNP status affects CCAT2 expression and the risk allele G produces more CCAT2 transcript. Our results support a new mechanism of MYC and WNT regulation by the novel lncRNA CCAT2 in colorectal cancer pathogenesis, and provide an alternative explanation of the SNP-conferred cancer risk