The Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Prevention (NORCCAP) screening study: baseline findings and implementations for clinical work-up in age groups 50-64 years

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials of sufficient power testing the long-term effect of screening for colorectal neoplasia only exist for faecal occult blood testing (FOBT). There is indirect evidence that flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) may have a greater yield. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of screening with FS or a combination of FS and FOBT in an average-risk population in an urban and combined urban and rural population in Norway. METHODS: 20,780 men and women (1:1), aged 50-64 years, were invited for once-only screening (FS only or a combination of FS and FOBT (1:1)) by randomization from the population registry. A positive FS was defined as a finding of any neoplasia or any polyp > or = 10 mm. A positive FS or FOBT qualified for colonoscopy. RESULTS: Overall attendance was 65%. Forty-one (0.3%) cases of CRC were detected. Any adenoma was found in 2208 (17%) participants and 545 (4.2%) had high-risk adenomas. There was no difference in diagnostic yield between the FS and the FS and FOBT group regarding CRC or high-risk adenoma. Work-up load comprised 2821 colonoscopies in 2524 (20%) screenees and 10% of screenees were recommended later colonoscopy surveillance. There were no severe complications at FS, but six perforations after therapeutic colonoscopy (1:336). CONCLUSIONS: The present study bodes well for future management of a national screening programme, provided that follow-up results reflect adequate proof of a net benefit. It is highly questionable whether the addition of once-only FOBT to FS will contribute to this effect.     

Remote magnetic versus manual catheters: evaluation of ablation effect in atrial fibrillation by myocardial marker levels

Background  

A remote magnetic navigation (MN) system is available for radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), challenging the conventional manual ablation technique. The myocardial markers were measured to compare the effects of the two types of MN catheters with those of a manual-irrigated catheter in AF ablation.     

Robust nuclear lamina-based cell classification of aging and senescent cells

Changes in the shape of the nuclear lamina are exhibited in senescent cells, as well as in cells expressing mutations in lamina genes. To identify cells with defects in the nuclear lamina we developed an imaging method that quantifies the intensity and curvature of the nuclear lamina. We show that this method accurately describes changes in the nuclear lamina. Spatial changes in nuclear lamina coincide with redistribution of lamin A proteins and local reduction in protein mobility in senescent cell. We suggest that local accumulation of lamin A in the nuclear envelope leads to bending of the structure. A quantitative distinction of the nuclear lamina shape in cell populations was found between fresh and senescent cells, and between primary myoblasts from young and old donors. Moreover, with this method mutations in lamina genes were significantly distinct from cells with wild-type genes. We suggest that this method can be applied to identify abnormal cells during aging, in in vitro propagation, and in lamina disorders.     

Elective laparoscopic recto-sigmoid resection for diverticular disease is suitable as a training operation

Purpose  

Some authors state that elective laparoscopic recto-sigmoid resection is more difficult for diverticular disease as compared with malignancy. For this reason, starting laparoscopic surgeons might avoid diverticulitis, making the implementation phase unnecessary long. The aim of this study was to determine whether laparoscopic resection for diverticular disease should be included during the implementation phase.     

Folding and signaling share the same pathway in a photoreceptor

The photoreceptor photoactive yellow protein (PYP) was used as a model system to study receptor activation and protein folding. Refolding was studied by stopped-flow absorbance spectroscopy for PYP with either a trans or a cis chromophore. Chromophore trans to cis isomerization, the mechanism of light detection by PYP, greatly affects the protein folding process. When the cis chromophore is present, refolding from the unfolded state proceeds through the putative signaling state of PYP as an on-pathway intermediate. In addition, moderate denaturant concentrations result in the specific unfolding of the signaling state of PYP. Thus, the signaling state is common to the pathways of folding and signaling. This result provides an avenue for the study of protein folding. We demonstrate how this approach can be used to establish whether a folding intermediate is on-pathway or off-pathway. The results also reveal transient partial unfolding as a molecular mechanism for signaling.     

Development of infant independence in a captive group of lowland gorillas

In March 1976, 3 lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) were born to primiparous females living with an adult male in a large compound at the field station of the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center of Emory University. Observations of parent and infant behavior began at the birth of the infants, using several methods of data collection. This report focuses on the development of independence in these infants over the 1st 1½ years of life. As expected, measures of mother-infant contact and proximity decreased with age. Several measures suggested that infant independence developed as an interactive process between mothers and infants, with primary responsibility changing over the months of study. Maternal behaviors that served to maintain mother-infant contact were found to decrease with age, with an eventual shift to infant responsibility for contact maintenance. Additionally, the adult male appeared to influence developing independence as reflected in the maternal protectiveness evoked by his behavior.     

Recruitment Source and Behavioral Risk Patterns of HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men

To effectively target HIV prevention activities, community outreach workers need to know how to locate persons at greatest risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV. This study compared the behavioral characteristics of HIV-positive men who have sex with men recruited from different sources: AIDS service organizations, mainstream gay environments, public/private sex environments, and friend referrals. Men recruited from sex environments exhibited the riskiest behavior: more male partners, more likely to have casual sex, more likely to have had unprotected insertive sex with men of HIV-negative or unknown status, less likely to have disclosed serostatus to primary partners, less comfortable discussing serostatus with others, and less feeling of personal responsibility for disclosure. A distinctive group of men, the referral group, did not identify with the gay community and reported sex with men and women. Future efforts should continue to assess the types of people that are recruited from different sources so that program and research efforts can be appropriately targeted.The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.An erratum to this article can be found at