Liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis

Aim: To examine the survival benefit of liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis and the potential prognostic factors that affect patient survival. Methods: All patients who had resection of lung or liver metastasis for colorectal metastasis in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong from 1995 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The overall and disease‐free survival was analysed, in particularly between liver and lung metastasis. All factors that may have affected the survival were entered into Cox's proportional hazards regression model to identify significant variables associated with survival. Results: At 5 years, the overall survival of patients who had resection of lung and liver metastasis was 44% and 38%, respectively; the disease‐free survival was 26% and 24%, respectively. Overall and disease‐free survival of patients with resection of lung metastasis was comparable to those with resection of liver metastasis. The differentiations of primary tumour and time to metastasis were shown to be significant prognostic factors influencing overall survival. Those patients with systemic chemotherapy after resection of colorectal metastasis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of overall survival. Conclusion: Resection of lung and liver metastases from colorectal origin was safe and both procedures improved survival. The use of chemotherapy after resection of metastasis significantly improved the overall survival.     

Diagnosis of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes in a Chinese family by PCR/restriction enzyme analysis

The clinical presentation and the biochemical and molecular genetic findings are described in a 13 year old Chinese boy with MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). The diagnosis was initially suspected because of the characteristic clinical features and the strong family history of convulsions. Using polymerase chain reaction—restriction enzyme analysis, the heteroplasmic nt3243 A→G mutation in mtDNA of peripheral blood leucocytes and a muscle sample was demonstrated. The oligosymptomatic relatives were then screened by this method and the degree of heteroplasmy was analysed. This appears to be the first report of a MELAS family in Hong Kong with this described mutation. Molecular genetic techniques are advantageous in the diagnosis of MELAS.     

Body fat in normal adults estimated by oxygen-18- and deuterium-dilution and by anthropometry: a comparison

We estimated body fat in 20 normal adults (10 males and 10 females) from 18O- and 2H-dilution spaces and from the equations of Durnin & Womersley and Pollock, Schmidt & Jackson based on skinfold thickness measurements. Differences between methods for body fat estimation were found to be sex-dependent: subsequent analyses indicated significant differences between methods within each sex. Regardless of sex, the highest fat estimates were obtained with the 18O-dilution method, followed by those obtained with the 2H-dilution method or the Durnin & Womersley equation. The lowest fat estimates were obtained using the Pollock, Schmidt & Jackson equation. The 18O-dilution method and the Durnin & Wormersley anthropometric method are both suitable and appropriate for body fat estimation in adults studied under field conditions.     

血液与非血液灌流行缺血预处理鼠心的电生理实验研究

本实验研究血液与非血液灌流条件下缺血预处理（ＩＰ）对心肌的保护作用。应用离体大鼠Ｌａｎｇｅｎｄｏｒｆ灌流模型，分血液灌流ＩＰ组、非血液（ＫｒｅｂｓＨｅｎｓｅｌｅｉｔ液，ＫＨ液）灌流ＩＰ组及相应的对照组。测量心肌电生理特性等指标。结果与ＫＨ液灌流心脏相似，用血液灌流的大鼠心脏经ＩＰ后，在随后的停灌和复灌期间，心室颤动阈升高，心律失常发生率明显降低。实验结论为在用血液灌流离体大鼠心脏模型上，ＩＰ对心肌的保护作用与用生理溶液灌流的模型基本相同。     

Comparison of energy expenditure estimated in healthy infants using the doubly labelled water and energy balance methods

The doubly labelled water method was used to estimate energy expenditure in 20 formula-fed infants (10 aged 1 month and 10 aged 4 months). We then compared the energy expenditure values with energy balance values calculated from energy intake and energy cost of growth. Our purpose was to compare various published equations for calculating CO2 expiration rates (and thus energy expenditure values) from the isotopic data. Those equations in which we used measured values for 18O and 2H isotope dilution spaces and estimated or measured values for insensible water losses yielded energy expenditure values (69.7 +/- 8.4 kcal/kg/d) that agreed most closely with energy balance data (70.3 +/- 11.9 kcal/kg/d). Equations in which we used a constant ratio of 1.03 between the 2H and 18O isotope dilution spaces resulted in energy expenditure values (66.3 +/- 10.2 kcal/kg/d) lower than those predicted by the energy balance data. Data analysis by nonlinear curve fitting compared to logarithmic transformation did not alter the estimates of energy expenditure obtained in these infants.     

Historical perspective of optometrists' and other health professionals' involvement in hospitals

For a number of years, optometrists have had informal working and referral relationships with many hospitals. Many hospitals were requesting diagnostic and treatment services from community optometrists while many optometrists were also requesting official recognition. With changes in the medical staff standard of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH)a that allowed independently licensed practitioners to be on staff, a number of optometrists have been requesting clinical privileges and to be on the Medical Staff. Practicing in a hospital can augment one's practice and can allow the optometrist greater opportunities to interact with other professionals and utilize the hospital's diagnostic facilities.     

Isolation of isoguanosine fromCroton tiglium and its antitumor activity

This paper describes the isolation of isoguanosine from Croton tiglium L. and its cytotoxic effect against several tumor cell lines in culture and newly reports that isoguanosine has an antitumor activity against implanted S-180 ascitic tumor mice. Isoguanosine is effective at the dose of 24 mg/kg/day x 5, with T/C value of 168%. Isoguanosine inhibits the growth of S-180 and Ehrlich solid tumor in mice at the optimal doses of 96 mg/kg/day x 12 and 48 mg/kg/day x 12, with 1-T/C values of 65% and 60%, respectively.