The treatment of older adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia by triple infusion chemotherapy

This retrospective study analyzed 202 toe-to-hand transplants performed over the last 20 years at the Davies Medical Center, San Francisco (USA). The overall success rate was 97%. Toe transplants for finger reconstruction yielded optimal functional and cosmetic results due to their anatomical similarity to fingers. The great toe was preferably used for thumb reconstruction, whereas the other toes were used for reconstruction of the long fingers. Early reconstructions, multiple simultaneous toe transplants, and interventions combining toe transplantation with free flaps seemed to be advantageous because of shorter rehabilitation and comparable results.     

The perception of social-environmental characteristics in kibbutz families with family-based and communal sleeping arrangements.

Compared the perception of social-environmental characteristics in 38 families from kibbutzim with family-based sleeping arrangements (FBA) with those of 47 families from kibbutzim with communal sleeping arrangements (CA), using the Family Environment Scale—Form R. In the FBA families, the mean age of fathers was 42.2 yrs and of mothers, 37.9 yrs. The 38 children of these families were primarily in Grades 5 and 6. In the CA families, the mean age of fathers was 42.1 yrs and of mothers 38.6 yrs. Their 47 children were also primarily in Grades 5 and 6. Significant differences were obtained between the family profiles of the 2 groups. FBA families were higher in cohesion and expressiveness than were CA families. FBA families were also lower in active-recreational orientation and organization. In both groups of families, there were no differences in the perception of family climate between the husbands and wives, whereas children's perceptions differed significantly from those of their parents. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

4-O-Substituted Glucuronic Cyclophellitols are Selective Mechanism-Based Heparanase Inhibitors

Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) supports tissue integrity and homeostasis, but is also a key factor in cancer metastasis. Heparanase (HPSE) is a mammalian ECM-remodeling enzyme with β-D-endo-glucuronidase activity overexpressed in several malignancies, and is thought to facilitate tumor growth and metastasis. By this virtue, HPSE is considered an attractive target for the development of cancer therapies, yet to date no HPSE inhibitors have progressed to the clinic. Here we report on the discovery of glucurono-configured cyclitol derivatives featuring simple substituents at the 4-O-position as irreversible HPSE inhibitors. We show that these compounds, unlike glucurono-cyclophellitol, are selective for HPSE over β-D-exo-glucuronidase (GUSB), also in platelet lysate. The observed selectivity is induced by steric and electrostatic interactions of the substituents at the 4-O-position. Crystallographic analysis supports this rationale for HPSE selectivity, and computer simulations provide insights in the conformational preferences and binding poses of the inhibitors, which we believe are good starting points for the future development of HPSE-targeting antimetastatic cancer drugs.