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Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs decrease morbidity and mortality rates in patients with coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death in Latin America. This study was carried out to assess the characteristics and current level of CR program implementation in South America.

The emerging technology of microarray analysis allows the establishment of molecular portraits of prostate cancer and the discovery of novel genes involved in the carcinogenesis process. Many novel genes have already been identified using this technique, and functional analyses of these genes are currently being tested. The combination of microarray analysis with other recently developed high-throughput techniques, such as proteomics, tissue arrays, and gene promoter-methylation, especially using tissue microdissection methods, will provide us with more comprehensive insights into how prostate cancer develops and responds to gene-targeted therapies. Animal models of prostate cancer are being characterized by high throughput techniques to better define the similarities and differences between those models and the human disease, and to determine whether particular models may be useful for specific targeted therapies in pre-clinical studies. Although profiling of mRNA expression provides important information of gene expression, the development of proteomic technologies will allow for an even more precise global insight into cellular signaling and structural alterations during prostate carcinogenesis. Not only will the “omic” revolution change basic science, but it will lead to a new era of molecular medicine.

We report the UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence and transient absorption spectra of selected methylalloxazines adsorbed on cellulose from a polar solvent. The ground-state properties of these probe molecules in the cellulose matrix are similar to those in polar protic solvents. Fluorescence decay data allowed identification of three emitting species for every molecule studied, excluding 1-methyllumichrome which lacks the capacity to rearrange into an isoalloxazinic form. The short-lived emission component was attributed to the neutral form of the molecule, and the two longer-lived components were assigned to the two distinct deprotonated monoanionic forms resulting from dissociation at the respective N(3) and N(1) nitrogen atoms. The two monoanions coexist due to their very similar pK_a values. Transient absorption experiments detected two species created by the laser pulse in these systems. The short-lived species was identified as the triplet excited state, and the long-lived species as the semireduced radical, formed by hydrogen atom or proton transfer from the glycosidic unit to the alloxazine carbonyl group.

Despite new developments in multi-modality treatments, complete resection remains as an absolute requirement for cure of gastrointestinal cancer. We have reported benefits from combined treatment with complete cytoreduction and intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This has been achieved with low morbidity and mortality. Success in the surgical management of peritoneal surface malignancy depends on the surgeon's ability to complete complex cytoreductive procedures so that only microscopic residual disease remains. This paper describes the current strategy that the surgical oncologist should pursue in the treatment of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, sarcomatosis and mesothelioma. Technical details required for this surgery include patient position, incision and exposure, complete lysis of adhesion, electroevaporative dissection with irrigation and suction to preserve the translucent quality of tissues, peritonectomy procedures, proper positioning of tubes and drains for intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and reconstructive surgery. Understanding the treatment and mastery of surgical skills to manage the peritoneal surface spread of cancer has led to long-term survival of selected patients. Combination of this treatment strategy with proper patient selection has reduced the mortality and morbidity. The success of cytoreductive surgery and perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy depends on a long-term dedication to achieve the full potential of a curative outcome. Our unit has continued to achieve good results over two decades as improved results of treatment have evolved.

Diffuse reflectance, emission and transient diffuse reflectance measurements of the spectra and decay kinetics of several aromatic thioketones supported on cellulose have provided information concerning the second excited singlet state, S2, the lowest triplet state, T1, and transient chemical intermediates formed when these materials are excited in the near UV. Thermally activated delayed fluorescence from the lowest excited singlet state, S1, is a minor component of the emission at room temperature, but not at 77 K because back-intersystem crossing is eliminated, resulting in a substantial lengthening of the triplet lifetime. At room temperature, the triplet states have lifetimes of the order of microseconds and the chemical intermediates have lifetimes of hundreds of microseconds. Comparisons of the triplet spectra in polar and non-polar media with those on cellulose show that T1 is of π,π* configuration on the solid support, as expected if the thione is adsorbed in a polar microenvironment. The triplet decay times, but not the spectra, indicate that the thiones are in different microenvironments when they are adsorbed from acetonitrile compared with methanol. The latter have decay times characteristic of single molecules; the former may indicate the thiones are adsorbed as aggregates. Singlet molecular oxygen, O2(1Δg), observed directly by transient emission at 1270 nm, is formed with near unit efficiency from the thione triplets in fluid acetonitrile solution, but oxygen has no measurable effect on the triplet spectra and decay times when the thione is supported on cellulose.