OBJECTIVE To perform a comparative dosimetric analysis, based on computer simulations, of temporary balloon implants with (99m)Tc and balloon brachytherapy with high-dose-rate (HDR) (192)Ir, as boosts to radiotherapy. We hypothesized that the two techniques would produce equivalent doses under pre-established conditions of activity and exposure time. MATERIALS AND METHODS Simulations of impla...

PURPOSE This multicenter, retrospective study evaluated treatment and clinical outcomes of patients with early stage breast cancer who received adjuvant high-dose rate (HDR) electronic brachytherapy (EBT) treatment post-lumpectomy using the Axxent(®) EBT system. Dosimetric data from the EBT treatment plans were compared with those based on iridium-192 HDR brachytherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS M...

Human paraoxonase 1 (h-PON1) is a serum enzyme that can hydrolyze a variety of substrates. The enzyme exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-atherogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and organophosphate-hydrolyzing activities. Thus, h-PON1 is a strong candidate for the development of therapeutic intervention against a variety conditions in human. However, the crystal structure of h-P...

OBJECTIVE Evaluate long-term safety and efficacy of etanercept treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS Patients with AS who previously participated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of etanercept were eligible to enroll in a 168-week open-label extension (OLE). Safety end points included rates of adverse events (AE), serious adverse events (SAE), infections, serio...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β has been shown to play a central role in the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which can be corrected via treatment with paclitaxel. The biology of microRNA (miR) can be modulated by paclitaxel. We hypothesized that paclitaxel may attenuate renal fibrosis in a rat model of remnant kidney disease by inhibiting TGF-β induced-miRs. Rats in groups of 12 ...

OBJECTIVE Increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the kidney is driven by profibrotic mediators including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). We investigated whether some of their effects may be mediated through changes in expression of certain microRNAs (miRNAs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Proximal tubular cells, primary r...

microRNAs provide a novel layer of regulation for gene expression by interfering with the stability and/or translation of specific target mRNAs. Overall levels of microRNAs are frequently down-regulated in cancer cells, and reducing general microRNA processing increases cancerogenesis in transgenic models, suggesting that at least some microRNAs might act as effectors in tumor suppression. Acco...

Theories of spatial navigation hypothesize that animals use vector or topological information to choose routes, often including detours, to move objects or themselves to goals. We assessed adult capuchin monkeys' (Cebus apella) navigation through 192 virtual two-dimensional mazes that incorporated detour problems. Six monkeys initially were significantly less likely to choose the correct paths ...

INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 186 GENERAL PROPERTIES OF THE GENUS MYCOPLASMA.............................. 186 Definition.................................................................... 186 Taxonomy.................................................................... 187 Relationship of Mycoplasmas to L Forms......................................

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a 128-bit block cipher with a user key of 128, 192 or 256 bits, released by NIST in 2001 as the next-generation data encryption standard for use in the USA. It was adopted as an ISO international standard in 2005. Impossible differential cryptanalysis and the boomerang attack are powerful variants of differential cryptanalysis for analysing the security...