This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of three doses of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A; Dysport) in 125 patients (mean age 5.2 years, SD 2; 54% male)with dynamic equinus spasticity during walking. Participants were randomized to receive Dysport (10, 20, or 30 units/kg) or placebo to the gastrocnemius muscle of both legs. Muscle length was calculated from electrogoniometric measurements and the change in the dynamic component of gastrocnemius shortening at four weeks was prospectively identified as the primary outcome measure. All treatment groups showed statistically significant decreases in dynamic component compared with placebo at 4 weeks. Mean improvement in dynamic component was most pronounced in the 20 units/kg group, being equivalent to an increase in dorsiflexion with the knee extended at 19 degrees, and was still present at 16 weeks. The safety profile of the toxin appears satisfactory.

The aquation of chromium(III)-isocinchomeronato and quinolinato complexes, mer-[Cr(icaH) 3 ] 0 and mer-[Cr(quinH) 3 ] 0 (where icaH -and quinH -are N,Obonded isocinchomeronic and quinolinic acid anion, respectively) was studied in NaOH solutions. The process leads to successive ligand liberation in the fully deprotonated species. The kinetics of the first ligand liberation were studied spectrophotometrically in the visible region. A mechanism is proposed in which the rate of the chelatering opening at the Cr-N bond is much faster than the rate of the Cr-O bond breaking. The rate-determining step is described by the rate law:where k OH(1) and k O are rate constants of the first ligand liberation from the hydroxo-and oxo-forms of the intermediate, respectively, and Q 2 is an equilibrium constant between these two protolytic forms. The first pseudo-firstorder rate constants (k obs1 ) were calculated using SPECFIT software for an A ? B ? C reaction pattern. The results are compared with those determined in acidic medium. Kinetics of the second and third ligand liberation were also studied and values of successive pseudo-first-order rate constants (k obs2 , k obs3 ) are [OH -] independent. Effect of chromium(III)-quinolinato and isocinchomeronato complexes on 3T3 fibroblast proliferation was evaluated. Cytotoxicity of these complexes is low, suggesting they may be promising candidates as novel dietary supplements.

The management of residuals after completion of chemotherapy in advanced seminoma is controversial. It has been proposed that fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can be used as a follow-up. In this study we investigated FDG-PET as a follow-up tool in advanced seminoma patients treated previously with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Thirty-seven patients assigned to an advanced seminoma group based on CT and/or FDG-PET/CT and then treated with chemotherapy were included in the study. All these patients underwent FDG-PET/CT examination as a part of the follow-up scheme. Patients underwent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), radiotherapy, or were followed clinically by CT and/or PET/CT every 6 months. In 8 cases FDG-PET was positive: 5 of them underwent RPLND and 3 radiotherapy. Two patients with negative FDG-PET but positive CT also underwent RPLND. The remaining patients with negative FDG-PET results were followed up. FDG-PET/CT was false positive in one case >3 cm and one <3 cm, in 6 cases >3 cm it was true negative. While FDG-PET can find a viable tumor, there also is an important question of false positive results. It was clinically proven that a negative FDG-PET was correlated with stable disease, but we were unable to examine specimens in these cases.

IntroductionResveratrol is a plant–derived polyphenol suggested to have many beneficial health effects, including antioxidant, anti–inflammatory, anti–proliferative, proapoptotic, and anti–angiogenic. It is even specu- lated that uptake of resveratrol by red wine consumption could be behind the so–called French paradox the lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the French population. These properties, together with good absorption and tolerance, would make it an attractive agent in prostatic diseases, especially in cancer prevention and treatment.Material and methodsMEDLINE search (keywords “prostate res- veratrol”) resulted in 39 research papers published since 2007. It has been shown that resveratol down–regulate androgen receptor expression, inhibit proliferation, and promote apop- tosis in prostate cancer cell lines and enhance their sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Several studies on animal prostate cancer development also suggest that resveratrol is able do delay or prevent carcino- genesis in prostate. Despite these promising results, there is no proof of any therapeutic properties of resveratrol in prostate diseases from human clinical trials nor any information about ongoing trials in this field.ConclusionsResveratrol is produced and sold as a nutritional supplement, there is not enough clinical evidence to justify a recommendation for the administration of resveratrol in humans at present.

BackgroundComplete resection is the only potential curative treatment of synchronous colorectal liver metastases. Although simultaneous liver and colon resections became an accepted procedure at specialized centres for selected patients, there is still little data about the long‐term results of simultaneous operative procedures compared with those of delayed operations. In this retrospective study, the long‐term survival rates of the patients who underwent simultaneous or delayed resections were presented.MethodsA retrospective analysis of liver resections in our institution between 1997 and 2012 was performed. Among 131 patients presented with synchronous colorectal liver metastases, 52 underwent simultaneous and 79 delayed resection. Patients with extrahepatic metastases were excluded, except for 10 patients with metastases limited to liver and lungs that were qualified as resectable.ResultsAge, sex and localization of the primary tumour were similar in the two groups. In the delayed resection group, the majority of colon resections were performed in different hospitals. The frequency of complications did not differ between the groups. The 1, 5 and 10 years survival rates were 77%, 43% and 20% in simultaneous and 86%, 37% and 19% in delayed resection group, respectively. No cancer related deaths occurred after more than 10 years of observation.ConclusionThe long‐term outcome of simultaneous resection of synchronous colorectal liver metastases is comparable to delayed resection.

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