Identifying risk factors for allogenic blood transfusion in oral and oropharyngeal cancer surgery with free flap reconstruction.

Purpose: Several observational studies in head and neck cancer have reported that allogenic blood transfusion is associated with increased postoperative complications, increased risk of tumor recurrence, and worse prognosis. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative and intraoperative factors predicting blood transfusion in patients undergoing surgery for oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing tumor resection and free flap reconstruction for locally advanced oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma between 2000 and 2008.

Postoperative failure of platelet recovery is an independent risk factor for poor survival in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative platelet count changes in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy in order to test the hypothesis that the failure of platelets to recover to normal range within 7 days after surgery represents a significant risk factor for poor survival.

Materials And Methods: A cohort of 102 patients with primary locally advanced oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery was retrospectively analyzed. For each patient, platelet counts were evaluated prior to neoadjuvant treatment, prior to surgery and throughout postoperative days 1 to 7.

Human homologue for Caenorhabditis elegans CUL-4 protein overexpression is associated with malignant potential of epithelial ovarian tumours and poor outcome in carcinoma.

Background: CUL-4 plays a critical role in DNA replication in Caenorhabditis elegans, and interacts with p53 and p21 proteins in cell cycle regulation and response to genomic instability. However, the role of CUL-4 in human carcinomas is widely unknown.

Aims: To investigate the expression of CUL-4 protein and its association with p53 and p21, and to determine its prognostic relevance in invasive ovarian carcinoma.

Comparison of lymphangiogenesis between primary colorectal cancer and corresponding liver metastases.

Background: Liver metastasis (LM) is the determining factor of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Peripheral lymphatico-venous communications have been discussed as a potential pathway of tumor cell dissemination for the development of LMs. In the current study, we investigated the clinical impact of the lymphangiogenic activity in CRCs and their corresponding LMs.

Transfusion of allogenic leukocyte-depleted packed red blood cells is associated with postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing oral and oropharyngeal cancer surgery.

Evidence indicates that allogenic packed red blood cell transfusion results in the host's immunomodulation, and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes after surgery. The aim of this study was to test whether allogenic leukocyte-depleted blood transfusion represents a significant risk factor for postoperative morbidity after oral and oropharyngeal cancer surgery. A total of 142 patients, diagnosed for the first time with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery between 2000 and 2008 were retrospectively included in this study.

HER2/neu expression correlates with vascular endothelial growth factor-C and lymphangiogenesis in lymph node-positive breast cancer.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) is the main inducer of lymphangiogenesis. VEGF-C overexpression is associated with lymphovascular tumor cell invasion, an increased rate of lymph node metastasis and adverse prognosis in various human cancers. However, little is known about the upstream inducers of VEGF-C expression.

Stability of lyophilized and reconstituted plasma/albumin-free recombinant human factor VIII (ADVATE rAHF-PFM).

Traditionally the serum protein albumin has been used to stabilize lyophilized recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products. Advanced rFVIII products have now been developed that employ other stabilizers. ADVATE antihaemophilic factor (recombinant), plasma/albumin-free method (rAHF-PFM) utilizes trehalose and mannitol as stabilizers in the lyophilized preparation.

Continuous infusion of FVIII and FIX concentrates: in vitro analysis of clinically relevant parameters.

A high purity factor VIII/von Willebrand Factor (FVIII/vWF) concentrate (IMMUNATE [STIM plus]) (n = 6 batches), and a high purity factor IX (FIX) concentrate (IMMUNINE [STIM plus]) (n = 7 batches), were assessed in vitro for their applicability to continuous infusion. Parameters pertinent to continuous infusion were investigated and included stability, sterility and, in the case of FIX, the generation of potentially thrombogenic components. Four stationary or transportable mini infusion pumps, equipped with polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinylchloride plastic components were used.

Production and quality assurance of Lys-plasminogen steam treated.

A highly purified plasminogen concentrate, LYS-PLASMINOGEN Steam Treated, has been developed for thrombolytic therapy of arterial and venous occlusions in combination with fibrinolytic agents. In search of a highly efficient drug covering this indication, we decided to select the lys-form of plasminogen because of its higher affinity to fibrin in contrast to the glu-form. This property of lys-plasminogen also led us to expect an improved thrombolytic activity as opposed to other forms of the proenzyme.

Limitations of paternity testing calculations.

A total of 252 black and white trios (mother, child, and putative father) in which the alleged father was known not to be the biological father (BF) were generated from paternity studies. The likelihood of paternity (W) and the paternity index (P) were calculated on the basis of ABO, Rh, MNS, and HLA phenotyping. The results were then reviewed to evaluate the arbitrary limits proposed by a number of states in recent paternity legislation.

Variability in hand surface representations in areas 3b and 1 in adult owl and squirrel monkeys.

Detailed microelectrode maps of the hand representation were derived in cortical areas 3b and 1 from a series of normal adult owl and squirrel monkeys. While overlap relationships were maintained, and all maps were internally topographic, many map features varied significantly when examined in detail. Variable features of the hand representations among different monkeys included a) the overall shapes and sizes of hand surface representations; b) the actual and proportional areas of representations of different skin surfaces and the cortical magnifications of representations of specific skin surfaces, which commonly varied severalfold in area 3b and manyfold in area 1; c) the topographic relationships among skin surface representations, with skin surfaces that were represented adjacently in some monkeys represented in locations many hundreds of microns apart in others; d) the internal orderliness of representations; e) the completeness of representations of the dorsal hand surfaces; and f) the skin surfaces represented along the borders of the hand representation.

The development of eye alignment in normal and naturally microstrabismic kittens.

The development of interocular alignment was pupillographically measured from eye opening throughout the first half year of life in normal kittens and in kittens deriving from a naturally strabismic cat colony. Whereas the cyclorotatory component of age dependent changes did not differ between the two groups, the horizontal divergence of the optical axes was increased in the future esotropes during the whole observation period. Surprisingly the divergence angle of the optical axes was correlated with the convergence angle of the visual axes as determined during cortical receptive field analysis at 7-9 months of age.

Functional and developmental analysis of a visual corticopretectal pathway in the cat: a neuroanatomical and electrophysiological study.

The sensory corticopretectal projection in the cat and in its postnatal development were investigated combining neuroanatomical and electrophysiological techniques. The anatomical pattern of fiber termination was studied in relation to age using the anterograde HRP tracing method. Large injections were made in areas 17 and 18 of one or both hemispheres in 1-13 week old kittens and cats.

A developmental study of retinal afferents and visual responses in the cat pretectum.

Neuronal responses in the pretectum (PT) were analyzed in 4-16 week old kittens after visual and electrical stimulation and compared with adult responses from a previous study. All three retinal fiber types projecting to the adult PT could be electrically activated in kittens from 4 weeks on. There was a dramatic reduction of response latencies to electric shocks to retinal afferents applied at the optic chiasm (OX) and optic tract (OT) in postsynaptic cells as a function of age, involving X-, Y-, and W-fibers.

Somatosensory cortical map changes following digit amputation in adult monkeys.

The cortical representations of the hand in area 3b in adult owl monkeys were defined with use of microelectrode mapping techniques 2-8 months after surgical amputation of digit 3, or of both digits 2 and 3. Digital nerves were tied to prevent their regeneration within the amputation stump. Successive maps were derived in several monkeys to determine the nature of changes in map organization in the same individuals over time.

Shortage of binocular cells in area 17 of visual cortex in cats with congenital strabismus.

Twenty-nine pigmented offspring of an innately esotropic female cat exhibited varying deficits in the number of binocular cells recorded in area 17 of the visual cortex as compared to 12 normal cats. Misalignment of the two eyes in these cats was found in the awake as well as in the paralysed state. Pupillography combined with measurements of visual disparity yielded abnormal esotropia of up to 8.

Projections from areas 17 and 18 of the visual cortex to the nucleus of the optic tract.

The corticofugal pathway to the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) in the cat was studied with visual and electrical stimulation in two experimental series. In 10 experiments cells in the NOT were identified, and orthodromic responses evoked by single electric shocks applied through microelectrodes situated at different loci in areas 17 and 18. All but 2 units gave clear responses to shocks applied to either cortical electrode.

A quantitative analysis of the direction-specific response of Neurons in the cat's nucleus of the optic tract.

All cells in the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) of the cat, that could be activated antidromically from the inferior olive, were shown to be direction-specific, as influenced by horizontal movements of an extensive visual stimulus. Cells in the left NOT were activated by leftward and inhibited by rightward movement, while those in the right NOT were activated by rightward and inhibited by leftward movement. Vertical movements did not modulate the spontaneous activity of the cells.

A comparison of visual responses in two pretectal nuclei and in the superior colliculus of the cat.

Single unit recordings from 220 units were obtained from the nuclei praetectalis anterior (NPA) and posterior (NPP) of 30 immobilized, anesthetized cats. Quantitative analysis of pretectal (PT) visual activity was mainly based on recordings from the NPP. For comparison, 160 collicular (CS) neurons were studied.