Noninvasive Stereotactic Radiotherapy for PADN in an Acute Canine Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

This study assesses the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of noninvasive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as an approach for pulmonary artery denervation in canine models. SBRT with CyberKnife resulted in reduced mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance, and insignificantly increased cardiac output. In comparison to the control group, serum norepinephrine levels at 1 month and 6 months were significantly lower in the CyberKnife group. Computed tomography, pulmonary angiography, and histology analysis revealed that SBRT was associated with minimal collateral damage.

Block-based teaching method based on cybernetics: a trial with 115 Chinese undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: Class attendance is important for academic performance. Personal interactions between teachers and students are difficult in large classes; the number of medical undergraduate students in China ranges from dozens to over 100. It is important for teachers to control the teaching process to improve student attendance and participation. METHODS: Two classes of fourth-year undergraduate medical students, with each class comprising 115 students, participated in the study. One class, the trial group, was taught by the block-based teaching method based on cybernetics. This study was conducted with three of the courses in the Introduction to Oncology subject, and the trial group's courses included several blocks. Each block had a test paper that the students responded to immediately in class using the Internet. The teacher obtained feedback from the students when the rate of correct responses to block-test questions was less than 90%. The teacher adjusted the teaching in the following blocks according to the feedback information. The other class, the control group, was taught using the traditional lecture-based teaching method. RESULTS: The average attendance in the trial group was 104/115 (90.43%), and that in the control group was 83/115 (72.17%) (p = 0.0003). The teacher adjusted the teaching three times in the radiotherapy course owing to the complex ideas. After feedback, information on chemotherapy for the upper body was adjusted once, as was that on chemotherapy for the lower body, owing to students' attitudes. The average total score of the trial group was 86.06 ± 17.46 and that of the control group was 80.38 ± 6.97 (p = 0.041). Questionnaire I showed that the trial group students' attendance and participation were better than in the control group. Questionnaire II showed that the block-based teaching method based on cybernetics was approved by the students. CONCLUSIONS: The block-based teaching method based on cybernetics used in medical classes with large numbers of Chinese undergraduate students had positive effects.

Comparative analysis of tumor markers and evaluation of their predictive value in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the feasibility of CEA/CK20 mRNA and CEA/CA19-9 proteins as tumor markers for colorectal cancer by detecting tumor-specific mRNAs in circulating tumor cells and secreted tumor-specific proteins in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from 23 healthy volunteers and 46 colorectal cancer patients on the day of initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery (stages I-III, n = 27) or on the first day of chemotherapy after diagnosis (stage IV, n = 19). Levels of CEA/CK20 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were determined with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and serum CEA/CA19-9 protein levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The detection sensitivity of CK20 mRNA was approximately 1 tumor cell in 1 × 10(7) PBMCs, and that of CEA mRNA was approximately 1 tumor cell in 1 × 10(6) PBMCs. Patients with stage IV colorectal cancer had higher levels of CEA mRNA, CK20 mRNA, and serum CEA than patients at stages I-III. Peripheral blood CEA mRNA levels were predictive of overall survival, while serum protein levels of CEA and CA19-9 had no predictive value. CONCLUSION: Peripheral blood CEA mRNA is a useful marker of overall survival in colorectal cancer patients, that is sensitive and specific.