Advances in flavonoid research since 1992.

The biochemistry and medical significance of the flavonoids.

Statistics and Data Analysis in Geology

Purpose To update the recommendations for the use of tumor marker tests in the prevention, screening, treatment, and surveillance of gastrointestinal cancers. Methods For the 2006 update, an update committee composed of members from the full Panel was formed to complete the review and analysis of data published since 1999. Computerized literature searches of Medline and the Cochrane Collaboration Library were performed. The Update Committee’s literature review focused attention on available systematic reviews and meta-analyses of published tumor marker studies.

https://ascopubs.org/doi/pdf/10.1200/JCO.2006.08.2644

ASCO 2006 Update of Recommendations for the Use of Tumor Markers in Gastrointestinal Cancer

A pivotal role for excitotoxicity in neurodegenerative diseases is gaining increasingly more acceptance, but the underlying mechanisms through which it participates in neurodegeneration still need further investigation. Excessive activation of glutamate receptors by excitatory amino acids leads to a number of deleterious consequences, including impairment of calcium buffering, generation of free radicals, activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition and secondary excitotoxicity. Recent studies implicate excitotoxicity in a variety of neuropathological conditions, suggesting that neurodegenerative diseases with distinct genetic etiologies may share excitotoxicity as a common pathogenic pathway. Thus, understanding the pathways involved in excitotoxicity is of critical importance for the future clinical treatment of many neurodegenerative diseases. This review discusses the current understanding of excitotoxic mechanisms and how they are involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.

/pdf/molecular-mechanisms-of-excitotoxicity-and-their-relevance-3arb3fsdy7.pdf

Molecular mechanisms of excitotoxicity and their relevance to pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Preoperative combined chemoradiotherapy is currently the main neoadjuvant therapy used to treat locally advanced middle and low rectal adenocarcinoma. A restaging work-up with magnetic resonance imaging was hoped to provide information about the effects related to combined chemoradiotherapy. The goal was to evaluate the correlation between pathologically verified tumor stages and clinical stages predicted by magnetic resonance imaging after combined chemoradiotherapy. Between August 2000 and June 2003, 50 patients with biopsy-proven middle and lower rectal adenocarcinoma, with initial stage T3–T4 or N+, M0, were recruited in this series. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging was used to stage the tumor before and after combined chemoradiotherapy. A protocol of the standard external radiation dose and oral combined uracil and 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin was used. The results of magnetic resonance imaging restaging after combined chemoradiotherapy were correlated with the pathologic staging. The overall predictive accuracy in T stage was 52 percent, whereas overstaging and understaging occurred in 38 percent and 10 percent of patients, respectively. Most of the inaccurate T staging was a result of the overstaging of superficial tumors (T0–T2). In N stage, accurate staging was noted in 68 percent of all patients, whereas 24 percent were overstaged and 8 percent were understaged. In restaging irradiated tumors, magnetic resonance imaging had the accuracy of 52 percent in T stage and 68 percent in N stage. Poor agreement between post–combined chemoradiotherapy magnetic resonance imaging and pathologic staging was observed in both T (k = 0.017) and N (k = 0.031) stages. Most of the inaccuracy in both T and N stages was caused by overstaging. The problem with magnetic resonance imaging was believed to be that it could not completely differentiate fibrosis from viable residual tumors.

How accurate is magnetic resonance imaging in restaging rectal cancer in patients receiving preoperative combined chemoradiotherapy

Magnolol and honokiol isolated from magnolia officinalis protect rat heart mitochondria against lipid peroxidation

Two antiplatelet agents from Magnolia officinalis.

Is it reasonable to add preoperative serum level of CEA and CA19-9 to staging for colorectal cancer?

The single-crystal elastic moduli of natural samples of both calcite (CaCO 3 ) and rhodochrosite (MnCO 3 ) have been measured by Brillouin spectroscopy under ambient condition. Based on the trigonal unit cell, the elastic constants C 11 , C 33 , C 44 , C 12 , C 13 , and C 14 are 149.4(7), 85.2(18), 34.1(5), 57.9(11), 53.5(9), −20.0(2), and 223.9(15), 132.6(41), 44.5(9), 93.4(21), 76.0(23), −17.3(6) GPa for CaCO 3 and MnCO 3 , respectively. Our data for calcite are in good agreement with earlier data obtained by ultrasonic experiments. The off-diagonal elastic constants ( C 12 , C 13 , and C 14 ) for rhodochrosite have systematically larger values than the trend defined by other isostructural carbonates, in all of which the divalent cations are alkaline-earth metals. This is a distinctive signature of transition–metal-bearing oxides, which is present in silicates and simple oxides as well.

Chien Chih Chen

Papers

How accurate is magnetic resonance imaging in restaging rectal cancer in patients receiving preoperative combined chemoradiotherapy

Magnolol and honokiol isolated from magnolia officinalis protect rat heart mitochondria against lipid peroxidation

Two antiplatelet agents from Magnolia officinalis.

Is it reasonable to add preoperative serum level of CEA and CA19-9 to staging for colorectal cancer?

Elasticity of single-crystal calcite and rhodochrosite by Brillouin spectroscopy