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Objective: To evaluate the relationship between two year PSA nadir (PSAn) after brachytherapy and biochemical recurrence rates in prostate cancer patients., Materials and Methods: In the period from January 1998 to August 2007, 120 patients were treated with iodine-125 brachytherapy alone. The results analysis was based on the definition of biochemical recurrence according to the Phoenix Consensus., Results: Biochemical control was observed in 86 patients (71.7%), and biochemical recurrence, in 34 (28.3%). Mean PSAn was 0.53 ng/ml. The mean follow-up was 98 months. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1, with two year PSAn < 0.5 ng/ml after brachytherapy (74 patients; 61.7%), and group 2, with two year PSAn ≥ 0.5 ng/ml after brachytherapy (46 patients; 38.3%). Group 1 presented biochemical recurrence in 15 patients (20.3%), and group 2, in 19 patients (43.2%) (p < 0.02). The analysis of biochemical disease-free survival at seven years, stratified by the two groups, showed values of 80% and 64% (p < 0.02), respectively., Conclusion: Levels of two year PSAn ≥ 0.5 ng/ml after brachytherapy are strongly correlated with a poor prognosis. This fact may help to identify patients at risk for disease recurrence.

Purpose: To assess the risk of damage to the popliteal neurovascular structures when inserting the needle through the posterior aspect of the knee during inside-out suture of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus., Methods: The first stage of our study consisted of simulating a virtual meniscal suture during magnetic resonance imaging by tracing a line from 3 different points (located medially [MP], centrally [CP], and laterally [LP] to the patellar tendon) to the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. This procedure was undertaken both at rest and with valgus stress. The next phase involved the suture of the posterior horns of medial menisci taken from cadaveric specimens, the needle being inserted through 3 separate locations (again located medially [MP], centrally [CP], and laterally [LP] to the patellar tendon). Finally, the distance from each suture thread to the aforementioned neurovascular bundle was measured., Results: During the magnetic resonance imaging study, the measured distances at rest were 26.4 mm for MP, 28.8 mm for CP, and 31 mm for LP, whereas those recorded with valgus stress were 21.7 mm for MP, 23.6 mm for CP, and 26 mm for LP. In the second phase of the study (cadaveric specimen suture), the distances obtained were 22.6 mm for MP, 27.6 mm for CP, and 33 mm for LP., Conclusions: Our results indicate that when the needle is inserted through the 3 points investigated into the posteromedial region of the knee (10 mm from the posterior horn of the internal meniscus) during inside-out suture, it is far enough from the popliteal neurovascular bundle for the maneuver to be performed with a reasonable safety margin. However, this margin can be increased further still if the needle is inserted into the joint through a point located laterally to the patellar tendon., Clinical Relevance: Inside-out suture performed 10 mm from the posterior horn of the internal meniscus through the portals studied offers a sufficient margin of safety to avoid damage to the popliteal neurovascular bundle., (Copyright © 2011 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that are capable of degrading different substrates within the extracellular matrix, and which are believed to be crucial for tumor invasion and metastasis. Tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) can inhibit the action of MMPs but also can show a paradoxical poor prognostic effect. In order to evaluate the prognostic significance of TIMPs, we studied the expression of TIMP-1 and -2 in series of 68 oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) by immunohistochemistry. Expression of TIMP-1 was detected in 45 cases (66.2%). In all of these TIMP-1 was expressed in tumoral tissue, and in 19 of them also in the surrounding stroma. In cancer tissue, TIMP-1 was observed in three patterns: homogeneous, central and irregular. Immunoreactivity for TIMP-2 was detected in 38 cases (56%) in tumoral tissue and 9 (13.2%) in the stroma. The expression pattern of TIMP-2 was the same three as TIMP-1 and one more: invasive front of tumoral nests. TIMP-1 expression was not correlated with clinical or pathological parameters. However, TIMP-2 was significantly correlated with T stage (p=0.03), TNM stage (p=0.01), local recurrence (p=0.04), and poor survival (p=0.03, odds ratio=2.75). TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were significantly correlated with cyclin D1 (p=0.04; p=0.015, respectively) and p53 expressions (p=0.02; p=0.04, respectively). Finally, TIMP-1 but no TIMP-2 was associated with the nuclear antigen Ki-67 (p=0.001). These results suggest that TIMP-1 and -2 are expressed in tumoral and stromal tissue in OSCC. TIMP-2 is related to advanced disease, recurrence and poor prognosis.

The chemical burns in the oral mucosa as consequence of accident of suicide attempt are relatively frequent. The evolution of the repairing process is conditioned by the quality and concentration of the caustic as by the location and time exposure of the affected region. At this report, we document a form of conservative treatment for the limitation of mouth opening, which the patient presented after swallowing a detergent acid. In order to obtain a minimal oral opening, a screwed cone, whose action mechanism was acting as a cradle between both jaws, was used. Once achieved a 10 mm opening, it was possible to use an external distractor to accomplish a continuous traction.

Animal and plant ecologists generally follow separate paths. This often leads to disjointed approaches to solving similar ecological problems. In the past 20 years, two related, but unconnected, research fields have undergone rapid development: modular demography, with its morphological and functional analysis of resource capture, until now basically the domain of plant ecology; and foraging theory, traditionally applied and developed in animal ecology. The results of recent research on the foraging strategies of ants and clonal plants, however, outline a general framework of functional parallels between both types of organisms that could link important aspects of animal and plant foraging ecology., (Copyright © 1994. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)