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Prospective Research (prospective + research)
Selected AbstractsPost-surgical irradiation causes cellular immune suppression in patients with breast cancerEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 3 2009G.V. KOUKOURAKIS md According to several studies, even the locoregional irradiation of patients with carcinoma can cause a severe and rather alarming cellular immune defect. We thus designed a prospective research in order to study the effect of post-operative irradiation on cellular immunity in patients suffering from breast cancer. In 35 patients with breast cancer who required post-operative irradiation, four blood samples were taken at indicated point times. Nineteen out of 35 patients received post-surgical chemotherapy before irradiation. The total lymphocytes as well as CD4 and CD8 subpopulations were measured by using flow cytometry analysis. The mean T-lymphocyte (Tol) count dropped from 1487.77 to 1227.91 (P = 0.0013) and the CD4+ count from 674.17 to 580.91 (P = 0.0189). The mean value of CD8+ dropped from 421.31 to 314.00 (P = 0.0003). Moreover, a statistically significant difference regarding the pattern of temporal change was observed between a group of patients that received irradiation only and a group that received radiation therapy (RT) with chemotherapy (P -values 0.0015, 0.01 and 0.092 for Tol, CD4+ and CD8+ respectively). The group of patients that received RT only presented a more rapid decrease of Tol concerning the decrease observed in the group that underwent chemotherapy and RT. [source] Utilisation of corn (Zea mays) bran and corn fiber in the production of food components,JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 6 2010Devin J Rose Abstract The milling of corn for the production of food constituents results in a number of low-value co-products. Two of the major co-products produced by this operation are corn bran and corn fiber, which currently have low commercial value. This review focuses on current and prospective research surrounding the utilization of corn fiber and corn bran in the production of potentially higher-value food components. Corn bran and corn fiber contain potentially useful components that may be harvested through physical, chemical or enzymatic means for the production of food ingredients or additives, including corn fiber oil, corn fiber gum, cellulosic fiber gels, xylo-oligosaccharides and ferulic acid. Components of corn bran and corn fiber may also be converted to food chemicals such as vanillin and xylitol. Commercialization of processes for the isolation or production of food products from corn bran or corn fiber has been met with numerous technical challenges, therefore further research that improves the production of these components from corn bran or corn fiber is needed. Published 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Psycho-social issues in long-term survivors of testicular cancer: Directions for future researchASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Tim LUCKETT Abstract Testicular cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in young men and among the most curable of all neoplasms, making patients' long-term physical, psychological and social well-being of major concern. To date, research on outcomes has been restricted almost entirely to survivors in Europe and the USA. The current article reviews the international literature with a view to developing directions for future research in the Asia,Pacific region. We conclude that planning interventions to improve outcomes awaits further, prospective, controlled studies aimed at establishing the predictive value not only of socio-demographic, disease and treatment variables but also of psycho-social variables underlying adjustment and recovery. Ideally, research of this kind would: (i) highlight aspects of the experience of testicular cancer and its treatment that might be targeted by changes to patterns of care, and (ii) identify groups at risk of poor outcomes who could be identified for early intervention through screening. Planning of prospective research would itself benefit from further, large-scale, cross-sectional research aimed at identifying those variables that would prove most informative when tracked over time. Exploratory research of this kind should be aimed at providing a snapshot of men's well-being in the context of a comprehensive range of variables that include patterns of care, unmet needs, satisfaction with treatment and social support as well as disease and treatment variables. Outcome variables should include disease-specific concerns such as psycho-sexual problems as well as general physical, psychological and social well-being. [source] Prognosis for the co-twin following single-twin death: a systematic reviewBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 9 2006SSC Ong Background, Following single-twin death, the perinatal mortality and morbidity for the surviving co-twin is increased but difficult to quantify. We present data on prognosis from a systematic review. Objectives, We aimed to determine the incidence of a) co-twin death, b) neurological abnormality and c) preterm delivery for the surviving co-twin following single-twin death after 14 weeks of gestation. Search strategy, Literature was identified by searching two bibliographical databases and specialist journals between 1990 and 2005. Selection criteria, The selected studies of ,5 cases reported on perinatal death and/or neurodevelopmental delay of the surviving co-twin. Data collection and analysis, Studies were assessed for quality and data extracted to allow computation of rates. The data were inspected for heterogeneity using a Forrest plot and examined statistically using the chi-square test. Data from individual studies were pooled within subgroups defined by prognosis. Main results, The search strategy yielded 632 potentially relevant citations. Full manuscripts were retrieved for 54 citations and 28 studies were finally included in the review. Following the death of one twin, the risk of monochorionic and dichorionic co-twin demise was 12% (95% CI 7,11) and 4% (95% CI 2,7), respectively. The risk of neurological abnormality in the surviving monochorionic and dichorionic co-twin was 18% (95% CI 11,26) and 1% (95% CI 0,7), respectively. The risk of preterm delivery was 68% (95% CI 56,78) and 57% (95% CI 34,77), respectively. Where there was comparative data within studies, the odds of monochorionic co-twin intrauterine death was six times that of dichorionic twins (OR 6.04 [95% CI 1.84,19.87]). Neurological abnormality was also higher in monochorionic compared with dichorionic pregnancies (OR 4.07 [95% CI 1.32,12.51]). Author's conclusions, More prospective research is required to inform decision making on this subject, especially with data that allow stratification based upon chorionicity. [source] | ||||||||||