Search

BACKGROUND: The standard treatment for brain metastases is whole brain radiation, but the medium survival is about 3-10 months and hadn't be improved for years. AIM: This study was to evaluate the effect of antineoplastic therapy combined with whole brain radiation for brain metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Journal Full Text Database and references of the included studies up to May 2011. Randomized controlled trials involving antineoplastic combined with whole brain radiation compare with whole brain radiation alone for brain metastases were analysed. Study selection, data collection and quality assessment of studies were performed by two individual reviewers according to the Cochrane Handbook for systematic reviews of interventions 5.0.2. Statistic analyses were calculated using RevMan5.0.17 software. 9 randomized controlled trails, a total of 1582 patients were included. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in overall survival, six to twenty-four months survival rate and death from central nervous system (CNS) cause, only the objective response rate was statistically higher in the combined group. (RR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.97; p = 0.009) Subgroup analysis of lung cancer got the same result, except that death from central nervous system (CNS) cause was higher in the combined therapy group, it was statistical significant (RR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.93; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of antineoplastic combined with whole brain radiation for brain metastases was not concerned, either in the brain metastases from unselected primary tumors or lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow-assisted corrosion (FAC) often has caused serious damage to carbon steel piping in nuclear power plants. As a first stage of experiments to determine the effects of water chemistry parameters on FAG, corrosion rates of carbon steel were measured in 140°C pure water with an online corrosion rate monitor based on electrical resistance measurement as [O2] and flow velocity were changed. The data were compiled as a function of electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) and flow velocity. It was concluded that the FAC rate was below the detectable limit in highly oxygenated conditions, where (O2] was >50 ppb and ECP was above -0.2 VSHE; and the effects of preoxidation treatment disappeared rapidly under deaerated conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by stereotypic and repetitive behavior and interests, together with social and communicative deficiencies. The results of several genomic screens suggest the presence of an autism susceptibility locus on chromosome 19p13.2-q13.4. The apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene on chromosome 19 encodes for a protein, apoE, whose different isoforms (E2, E3, E4) influence neuronal growth. APOE participates in lipid transport and metabolism, repair, growth, and maintenance of axons and myelin during neuronal development. The APOE protein competes with the Reelin protein for VLDL/APOER2 receptor binding. Several studies have reported evidence for an association between autism and the Reelin gene. Based on these data we tested for association between APOE and autism using family-based association methods in a data set of 322 autism families. Three promoter, one intronic, and one 3' UTR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the APOE gene (-491a/t, -427c/t, -219g/t, 113c/g, and 5361c/t) as well as the APOE functional polymorphism (E2, E3, E4) were examined and failed to reveal significant evidence that autism is associated with APOE. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]