Comparative survival study between the old and new bronchogenic carcinoma classification

Introduction

A new classification of bronchogenic carcinoma has been made by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and published by Frank C. Detterbeck et al in the journal Chest (2009). The Thoracic Surgery Department of the Gerona (Spain) University Hospital has re-staged a series of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma who had attempted curative surgery, with the aim of comparing the survival (survival for T, survival for M, and survival by disease staging) between the old and new classification, and also to determine whether these changes in survival are statistically significant. Another one of the objectives of the study is to see whether there is agreement between the current survival of our surgical series and that published by the IASLC.

Patients and methods

Data on 855 patients who had attempted bronchogenic carcinoma curative surgery were entered into a data base. They were radiologically, clinically and histologically staged according to the new and old staging. Survival was calculated according to the T, M, N, and histology stages. A statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS program and the changes in survival between both classifications were analysed.

Results

No statistically significant changes were observed in survival (P = .58) with the new classification in stage IIA, but there were statistically significant changes in survival (P = .0001) in stage IIIB.

Discussion

The study confirms that the current TNM classification is useful, since it shows changes in survival in 2 histological stages (one of them statistically significant). The survival data of our series now fits better with those provided by the IASLC.     

Isocaloric intake of a high-fat diet modifies adiposity and lipid handling in a sex dependent manner in rats

Background  

High-fat (HF) diet feeding usually leads to hyperphagia and body weight gain, but macronutrient proportions in the diet can modulate energy intake and fat deposition. The mechanisms of fat accumulation and mobilization may differ significantly between depots, and gender can also influence these differences.     

Peer Reviewed: Awareness of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests and Use of Genetic Tests Among Puerto Rican Adults, 2009

Introduction

Genetic testing remains low among racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States. We aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of awareness of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests and the prevalence of genetic test use in a population-based sample of adults in Puerto Rico.

Methods

We analyzed data from adults aged 18 years or older who completed information on genetic test awareness (n = 611; 96% of study population) from the Health Information National Trends Survey conducted in Puerto Rico in 2009. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated by using logistic regression models to identify factors associated with awareness of DTC genetic tests.

Results

The majority of respondents (56%) were aware of direct-to-consumer genetic tests, and approximately 4% had ever undergone any genetic test. Respondents who had never been married were less likely to be aware of DTC tests, as were current smokers. Respondents who ever sought cancer information were more likely to be aware of these tests.

Conclusion

We provide the first published data on the awareness of DTC genetic tests and on use of genetic testing in Puerto Rico. Forty-four percent of our sample of Puerto Rican adults were unaware of direct-to-consumer genetic tests. Given the lack of clear benefits of DTC genetic tests to the general population, educational interventions should be developed to increase awareness and specific knowledge regarding the appropriate use of DTC genetic tests among people who are already aware of their existence.     

Design,Synthesis, and In Vitro Antiproliferative Activity of Hydantoin and Purine Derivatives with the 4-Acetylphenylpiperazinylalkyl Moiety

Cancer represents one of the most serious health problems and the second leading cause of death around the world. Heterocycles, due to their prevalence in nature as well as their structural and chemical diversity, play an immensely important role in anti-cancer drug discovery. In this paper, a series of hydantoin and purine derivatives containing a 4-acetylphenylpiperazinylalkyl moiety were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated for their anticancer activity on selected cancer cell lines (PC3, SW480, SW620). Compound 4, a derivative of 3′,4′-dihydro-2′H-spiro[imidazolidine-4,1′-naphthalene]-2,5-dione, was the most effective against SW480, SW620, and PC3 cancer cell lines. Moreover, 4 has high tumor-targeting selectivity. Based on docking studies, it was concluded that R isomers of 3′,4′-dihydro-2′H-spiro[imidazolidine-4,1′-naphthalene]-2,5-dione could be further studied as promising scaffolds for the development of thymidine phosphorylase inhibitors.     

Lifetime income patterns and alcohol consumption: investigating the association between long- and short-term income trajectories and drinking

Lifetime patterns of income may be an important driver of alcohol use. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between long-term and short-term measures of income and the relative odds of abstaining, drinking lightly-moderately and drinking heavily. We used data from the US Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), a national population-based cohort that has been followed annually or biannually since 1968. We examined 3111 adult respondents aged 30-44 in 1997. Latent class growth mixture models with a censored normal distribution were used to estimate income trajectories followed by the respondent families from 1968 to 1997, while repeated measures multinomial generalized logit models estimated the odds of abstinence (no drinks per day) or heavy drinking (at least 3 drinks a day), relative to light/moderate drinking (<1-2 drinks a day), in 1999-2003. Lower income was associated with higher odds of abstinence and of heavy drinking, relative to light/moderate drinking. For example, belonging to a household with stable low income ($11-20,000) over 30 years was associated with 1.57 odds of abstinence, and 2.14 odds of heavy drinking in adulthood. The association between lifetime income patterns and alcohol use decreased in magnitude and became non-significant once we controlled for past-year income, education and occupation. Lifetime income patterns may have an indirect association with alcohol use, mediated through current socioeconomic conditions.     

First Screen-Printed Sensor (Electrochemically Activated Screen-Printed Boron-Doped Diamond Electrode) for Quantitative Determination of Rifampicin by Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry

In this paper, a screen-printed boron-doped electrode (aSPBDDE) was subjected to electrochemical activation by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 0.1 M NaOH and the response to rifampicin (RIF) oxidation was used as a testing probe. Changes in surface morphology and electrochemical behaviour of RIF before and after the electrochemical activation of SPBDDE were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The increase in number and size of pores in the modifier layer and reduction of charge transfer residence were likely responsible for electrochemical improvement of the analytical signal from RIF at the SPBDDE. Quantitative analysis of RIF by using differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ solution of PBS of pH 3.0 ± 0.1 at the aSPBDDE was carried out. Using optimized conditions (E_acc of −0.45 V, t_acc of 120 s, ΔE_A of 150 mV, ν of 100 mV s⁻¹ and t_m of 5 ms), the RIF peak current increased linearly with the concentration in the four ranges: 0.002–0.02, 0.02–0.2, 0.2–2.0, and 2.0–20.0 nM. The limits of detection and quantification were calculated at 0.22 and 0.73 pM. The aSPBDDE showed satisfactory repeatability, reproducibility, and selectivity towards potential interferences. The applicability of the aSPBDDE for control analysis of RIF was demonstrated using river water samples and certified reference material of bovine urine.     

Examining spatial variations in the prevalence of mental health problems among 5-year-old children in Canada

The purpose of this study is to examine spatial variations in the prevalence rates of the three most common behaviour problems among 5-year-old children in Canada, to establish the data's suitability for potential spatial analyses of factors contributing to the prevalence of such problems. Data on kindergarten children's outcomes are routinely collected for populations of children in Canada using the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a population-level, teacher completed questionnaire. These data have been previously used to estimate prevalence rates of aggression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. The current study geographically analyzed these estimates to examine their consistency in relation to gender differences at larger provincial geographies and smaller Census Subdivision (CSD) geographies. Multilevel analyses were completed to examine the variation in prevalence at both levels of geography. Data for over 150,000 5-year-olds in three Canadian provinces and 410 Census Subdivisions were available for analyses. Prevalence rates of behaviour problems estimated with the EDI showed consistent gender relationships at both levels of aggregation. Controlling for individuals' age and sex, there was significant variation at the CSD level in risk of behavioural problems, and for anxiety and aggression, this was not explained by the distribution of CSDs in different provinces. This suggests local variation in these aspects of children's behaviour, within provinces. These findings open up the opportunity to further explore the utility and variability of EDI-based spatial variation in children's mental health.