Unintentional ingestion of a high dose of acenocoumarol in a young child

Acute intoxication with a vitamin K antagonist may cause serious coagulopathy. We report the accidental ingestion of a high dose of acenocoumarol in a young child. Two intravenous administrations of 5mg of vitamin K, in combination with fast and repeated administration of activated charcoal and sodium sulfate, were sufficient to prevent coagulopathy and related symptoms, despite a confirmed elevated blood acenocoumarol concentration (260 mu g/L)

The possible role of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in cancer, e.g. acute leukemia

In the past decades, a lot of effort has been put in identifying the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cancer. The main role of MMPs in angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis is degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and release and/or activation of growth factors through their degradative activity. The degradative activity finally results in cancer progression. MMP-inhibitors (MMPIs) have already been designed and tested, based on the degradative role of MMPs in cancer progression. First clinical trials with MMPIs have been performed with disappointing results, showing that in order to use MMP-inhibition the mechanisms underlying MMP-expression in cancer have to be further elucidated. This paper reviews the mechanisms of MMPs on molecular and cellular level and discusses the role for MMPs and MMP-inhibition in cancer with special focus on acute leukemia

The treatment of primary tumors of the femur with chemotherapy (if indicated), resection and reconstruction with an endoprosthesis

The treatment protocol of 15 patients with a primary tumor of the femur, including osteosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and chondrosar-coma is presented. All patients had been selected for resection and reconstruction with an endoprosthesis. An endoprothesis was implanted in 12 patients. \ud The results of this type of treatment appear to be satisfactory. In eight osteosarcoma cases resection and reconstruction with an endoprosthesis combined with preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy, according to Rosen, were performed. Follow-up in all 15 patients, varying from 1.4 to 6.0 years, showed no evidence of disease in 12 patients. Three patients had died. Function of the involved leg was satisfactory in most cases. \ud The advantage and disadvantages of the use of an endoprosthesis are discussed as well as complications in this series of patients

RF Measurements of the 1.6 cell Lead Niobium Photoinjector in HoBiCat

The development of a simple and robust SRF photoinjector capable of delivering 1 mA average current in c.w. operation continues to advance with the horizontal RF testing of the 1.6 cell Pb Nb hybrid photoinjector. This injector utilizes a sputtered lead coating on a removable Nb cathode plug as the photoelectron source and has recently been tested in the horizontal test cryostat facility, HoBiCaT, at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. In this paper we will report on the status of these RF measurements and compare the performance to previous vertical RF tests performed at Jefferson Laboratory. We will also provide a summary of the cavity tuning range and microphonics measurements now that it has been installed into a helium vessel equipped with a Saclay style tuner

BERLinPro A Compact Demonstrator ERL for High Current and Low Emittance Beams

The HZB previously BESSY was the first institution in Germany to build and operate a dedicated synchrotron light source BESSY I . About 10 years ago BESSY II, a third generation synchrotron light source, was commissioned and is very successfully running since that time. Due to its expertise in development and operation of accelerator facilities HZB is ideally suited to realize new accelerator concepts. Therefore HZB is proposing to build a demonstrator ERL facility BERLinPro that will realize high current and low emittance operation at 100 MeV. BERLinPro is intented to bring ERL technology to maturity. This paper presents an overview of the project and the key components of the facilit

Overweight after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) survivors and to assess the relation between overweight and age at diagnosis, gender or treatment with cranial irradiation (CI) and/or corticosteroids. Patients and methods: Body mass index (BMI) was assessed in patients in continuous complete remission of ALL who were diagnosed between 1972 and 1993 and who were treated according to the DCLSG protocols ALL 2, 3A, 5-8 or the local ALL high-risk (GronHR) protocol. Patients were divided into three treatment groups, based on treatment with or without CI and duration of corticosteroids; group I: CI and intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 77); group 2: intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 24); group 3: two courses of corticosteroids for four weeks each (n = 47). Prevalences of overweight were compared between groups, related to gender and age at diagnosis and were compared to the growth diagrams from the Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey 1997. Results: Until five years post-diagnosis more overweight was demonstrated in group 2 survivors; afterwards we found no differences between groups. The prevalence of overweight in boys surviving more than five yeas after diagnosis was 17.1% at age 10 and 16.7% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 7.8%; chi square p = 0.01 and 7.7%; p = 0.07), in girls 24.4% at age 10 and 28.0% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 11.8%; p = 0.03 and 9.4%; p &lt; 0.01). Overweight correlated with age at diagnosis younger than four years but not with gender. Conclusion: Childhood ALL survivors are at high risk for overweight, irrespective of CI and duration of corticosteroid treatment.</p

Overweight after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) survivors and to assess the relation between overweight and age at diagnosis, gender or treatment with cranial irradiation (CI) and/or corticosteroids. Patients and methods: Body mass index (BMI) was assessed in patients in continuous complete remission of ALL who were diagnosed between 1972 and 1993 and who were treated according to the DCLSG protocols ALL 2, 3A, 5-8 or the local ALL high-risk (GronHR) protocol. Patients were divided into three treatment groups, based on treatment with or without CI and duration of corticosteroids; group I: CI and intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 77); group 2: intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 24); group 3: two courses of corticosteroids for four weeks each (n = 47). Prevalences of overweight were compared between groups, related to gender and age at diagnosis and were compared to the growth diagrams from the Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey 1997. Results: Until five years post-diagnosis more overweight was demonstrated in group 2 survivors; afterwards we found no differences between groups. The prevalence of overweight in boys surviving more than five yeas after diagnosis was 17.1% at age 10 and 16.7% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 7.8%; chi square p = 0.01 and 7.7%; p = 0.07), in girls 24.4% at age 10 and 28.0% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 11.8%; p = 0.03 and 9.4%; p &lt; 0.01). Overweight correlated with age at diagnosis younger than four years but not with gender. Conclusion: Childhood ALL survivors are at high risk for overweight, irrespective of CI and duration of corticosteroid treatment.</p

The dilemma of open or double-blind food challenges in diagnosing food allergy in children:Design of the ALDORADO trial

BACKGROUND: It is of major importance to diagnose food allergy accurately. Current guidelines support the use of oral food challenges to do so. The double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) has been regarded as the 'gold standard' for decades. However, DBPCFCs are costly, and time- and resource-intensive procedures. Structural implementation of less demanding open food challenges will only find support if research demonstrates that their outcome is comparable to DBPCFC, yet this has been proven difficult to investigate. METHODS: We performed a literature review to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of oral food challenges and interviewed 19 parents of children with proven or suspected food allergy about the design of a trial to study this. RESULTS: An overview of the dilemma of diagnosing food allergy using oral food challenges, and the methodological issues and parents' opinions to study this. No comparative studies have been performed using the latest guidelines on oral food challenges. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of different oral food challenge protocols. We present the rationale and design of the ALDORADO trial (ALlergy Diagnosed by Open oR DOuble-blind food challenge) that has been set up to investigate whether the outcome of the open food challenge is comparable to DBPCFC

Overweight after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

Objective: To determine the prevalence of overweight in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) survivors and to assess the relation between overweight and age at diagnosis, gender or treatment with cranial irradiation (CI) and/or corticosteroids. Patients and methods: Body mass index (BMI) was assessed in patients in continuous complete remission of ALL who were diagnosed between 1972 and 1993 and who were treated according to the DCLSG protocols ALL 2, 3A, 5-8 or the local ALL high-risk (GronHR) protocol. Patients were divided into three treatment groups, based on treatment with or without CI and duration of corticosteroids; group I: CI and intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 77); group 2: intermittent corticosteroids for two years (n = 24); group 3: two courses of corticosteroids for four weeks each (n = 47). Prevalences of overweight were compared between groups, related to gender and age at diagnosis and were compared to the growth diagrams from the Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey 1997. Results: Until five years post-diagnosis more overweight was demonstrated in group 2 survivors; afterwards we found no differences between groups. The prevalence of overweight in boys surviving more than five yeas after diagnosis was 17.1% at age 10 and 16.7% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 7.8%; chi square p = 0.01 and 7.7%; p = 0.07), in girls 24.4% at age 10 and 28.0% at age 15 (Fourth Dutch Nationwide Survey respectively 11.8%; p = 0.03 and 9.4%; p &lt; 0.01). Overweight correlated with age at diagnosis younger than four years but not with gender. Conclusion: Childhood ALL survivors are at high risk for overweight, irrespective of CI and duration of corticosteroid treatment.</p