1,720,962 research outputs found
Portable equipment comprising generator circuit and provider for therapeutic transfer of molecules by electroporation
Biphasic pulses enhance bleomycin efficacy in a spontaneous canine perianal tumors model
Perianal tumors (adenoma and carcinoma of the hepatoid glands) are frequently reported in veterinary literature. They are locally aggressive tumors with a low tendency to metastatic spread. An hormonal ethiology has been identified for the development of perianal adenomas in male dogs, while the carcinomas are free from hormonal influence. Standard treatments include surgery, cryotherapy or, in selected cases, radiation therapy. In this article we describe the outcome of a small cohort of canine patients with perianal tumors treated with bleomycin selectively driven by trains of biphasic pulses (electrochemotherapy). Twelve canine patients, eight with adenoma and four with carcinoma of the perianal glands, entered the study and received two sessions of ECT under sedation. The pets had local injection of bleomycin at the concentration of 1.5 mg/mg and five minutes after the chemotherapy, trains of 8 biphasic electric pulses lasting 50 + 50 μs each, with 1 ms interpulse intervals, were delivered by means of modified caliper and needle array electrodes or, for difficult districts, through paired needle electrode. The overall response rate was 91% with a 83% of complete response (10/12); one dog had a PR that lasted 12 months and another had progressive disease. Electrochemotherapy appears as a safe and efficacious modality for the treatment of perianal tumors and warrants further investigations
Increased VEGF165 expression in HCT116 colon cancer cells after transient transfection with a GFP vector encoding HIF-1 gene
Hypoxia occurs in most solid tumors as a result of inefficient vascular development and/or abnormal vascular architecture. During hypoxia, HIF-1 α acts as the primary transcription factor functioning to activate multiple target genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Several studies have demonstrated that in tumors HIF-1 α mediates VEGF protein expression at the transcription level. We aimed to establish whether HCT116 colon cancer cell VEGF expression is regulated by HIF-1 levels after transient transfection with a GFP vector encoding the HIF-1α gene. HCT116 cell VEGF expression were therefore assayed by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. After transfection with phMGFP-HIF-1 α, VEGF immunostaining was significantly increased in transfected cells as compared with untransfected HCT116 cells (p=0.024, Student's t test); culture media VEGF levels assayed by ELISA were also significantly increased in transfected cells (p=0.008, Student's t-test). These data suggest that HIF-1 α may play an important role in colon cancer angiogenesis, both as a biomarker of metastatic potential and as a novel target for gene therapy
Electrochemotherapy-induced radiation recall in a cat
Electrochemotherapy is gaining popularity for the treatment of malignancies of companion animals due to its efficacy and low cost. In this paper, we describe the successful treatment of a recurring fibrosarcoma in a cat by using cisplatin selectively driven within the tumor cells by trains of biphasic pulses. The cat's tumor did not recur over the following five months, however the cat did experience severe erythema at the site of previous irradiation, followed by moist desquamation and ulcer that required debridement and prolonged therapy with steroids and antihistaminic drugs. The symptoms and the response to symptomatic therapy were strongly suggestive of radiation recall. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) should be used with caution in previously irradiated areas. Further studies are warranted in this field due to its potential as a rescue for relapsing tumors
Electrochemotherapy treatment for bilateral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in a cat
A 13-year-old male neutered cat was presented for the sudden growth of two nodular lesions close to the upper eyelid of both eyes. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was suggestive of mesenchymal neoplasia. The cat had conservative surgical excision in order to preserve the eyelids' functionality; however, the histopathological report came with a diagnosis of incompletely excised bilateral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. Due to the local aggressiveness of this neoplasm, the cat was treated with two sessions of cisplatin-based electrochemotherapy, delivered 14 days apart. Systemic or local toxicities were not detected during the whole course of therapy. The cat is still in complete remission after 12 months. Electrochemotherapy is a safe and efficacious adjuvant therapy for aggressive sarcomas and warrants further investigations in order to standardise its protocols. © 2010 British Small Animal Veterinary Association
Adjuvant electrochemotherapy for incompletely excised anal sac carcinoma in a dog
Canine and sac gland carcinoma (ASGC) is a frequently described neoplasm that is highly aggressive and can frequently lead to metastatic spread. In this paper, we describe the successful treatment of an incompletely excised ASGC by using cisplatin selectively driven within the tumor cells by trains of biphasic pulses. The dog received two courses of electrochemotherapy 14 days apart. Neither systemic nor local toxicities were detected during the whole course of therapy. The dog is still in complete remission after 18 months. Electrochemotherapy is a safe and efficacious adjuvant therapy for ASGC and warrants further investigation in order to standardize its protocols
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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