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Introduction: This research aimed to demonstrate the correlation of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) count and serum cytokine levels with side effects and prognosis in rectal cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemoradiation. Methods: Eleven patients received proctectomy, chemoradiotherapy and follow-up for 4 years. Fifty-five blood samples were taken before radiation and during the course. The quantities of CECs were estimated by flow cytometry, and serological factors were measured by ELISA. Results: The CEC level in patients without tumor recurrence was significantly lower than in patients with tumor recurrence ( p < 0.01). The IL-6 and TGF-β1 levels exhibited a similar profile ( p < 0.01). For morbidity, the mean CEC level in patients with grade 3 diarrhea was significantly greater than patients with grades 1 ( p < 0.001) and 2 diarrhea ( p < 0.005). Conclusions: Levels of CECs, serum IL-6, TGF-β1 and TNF-α during post-operative chemoradiation in rectal cancer patients might be candidate biomarkers for prognosis and morbidity (NCT00325871). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer patients with terminal stage peritoneal carcinomatosis are often unable to eat, rendering total parenteral nutrition ( TPN) as the only option to avoid starvation. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of 46 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and compared them to the records of 51 patients who had gastrointestinal malignancy without evidence of peritoneal carcinomatosis. The factors evaluated include demographic data, cause of primary malignancy, ascites formation, anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, and outcome measurements as well as factors associated with greater than 90-day survival. In-hospital mortality was observed in 31 of the 46 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, with a median survival time of 40 days (4-148 days) for all 46 patients. The median duration of TPN administration in the peritoneal carcinomatosis group was 24.1 ± 27.4 days (3-68 days). Severe infection related to TPN application was seen in 5/46 (10.7%) patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and 6/51 (9.8%) patients without peritoneal carcinomatosis. The length of survival varied widely among terminal patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. The average survival time in peritoneal carcinomatosis patients receiving TPN was short, indicating that the nutrition support of TPN was relatively suboptimal. Ascites was not a prognostic factor for peritoneal carcinomatosis, while body mass index was a predictor for 90-day survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a flexible 32 × 32 temperature and tactile sensing array, which will serve as the artificial skin for robot applications, is presented in this work. Pressure conductive rubber is employed as the tactile sensing material, and discrete temperature sensor chips are employed as the temperature sensing cells. Small disks of pressure conductive rubber are bonded on predefined interdigital copper electrode pairs which are patterned on a flexible copper–polyimide substrate which is fabricated by micromachining techniques. This approach can effectively reduce the crosstalk between each tactile sensing element. The mechanical and electrical properties of tactile sensing elements are measured. Also, the corresponding scanning circuits are designed and implemented. The temperature and tactile sensing elements are heterogeneously integrated on the flexible substrate. By using the integrated 32 × 32 sensing arrays, temperature and tactile images induced by the heaters/stamps of different shapes have been successfully measured. The flexible sensor arrays are bendable down to a 4-mm radius without any degradation in functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations in the tumour suppressor p53 have been reported in tumour-associated stromal cells; however, the consequence of these alterations has not been elucidated. We investigated p53 status and responses to p53-activating drugs using tumour-associated stromal cells from A375 melanoma and PC3 prostate carcinoma xenografts, and a spontaneous prostate tumour model (TRAMP). p53 accumulation after treatment with different p53-activating drugs was diminished in tumour-associated stromal cells compared to normal stromal cells. Tumour-associated stromal cells were also less sensitive to p53-activating drugs - this effect could be reproduced in normal stromal cells by p53 knockdown. Unlike normal stromal cells, tumour stromal cells failed to arrest in G(2) after etoposide treatment, failed to upregulate p53-inducible genes, and failed to undergo apoptosis after treatment with vincristine. The lower levels of p53 in tumour stromal cells accompanied abnormal karyotypes and multiple centrosomes. Impaired p53 function in tumour stroma might be related to genomic instability and could enable stromal cell survival in the destabilising tumour microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses techniques in endoscopy, with a focus on the use of artificial tissue in practice endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedures. Topics include silicone sheet cut-outs simulating early stage cancer in mucosa, a dual knife which placed lesion marks at the periphery, and incisions via insulated-tip knife.

The article presents a study on the feasibility of using a simulated target lesion in the stomach of live pig, in relation to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) training. The authors develop a pseudopolyp in the upper corpus of a pig stomach with the help of a pneumatically activated esophageal variceal ligation device. They state that the model is good for full ESD training.

The article describes the case of a 47-year-old woman presented with intermittent, colicky abdominal pain. Topics discussed include the discovery of lobulated colonic lipoma that mimicked carcinoma with intermittent intussusception, the results of physical and laboratory examinations, and observations of irregular lobulated mass in the hepatic flexure using double contrast colon series.

The article describes a case of acute widening of the mediastinum in a 59-year-old patient who had oesophageal cancer surgically removed followed by gastric tube reconstruction.