Spinal stenosis due to lumbar ossified lesions is a rare pathological entity. The authors retrospectively evaluated the clinical features and surgical results associated with cases involving lumbar ...ossified lesion-induced stenosis.
Data obtained in 20 surgically treated patients with lumbar hyperostotic spinal stenosis were included. To evaluate the background of the disease, body mass index and general complications were assessed. Whole-spine radiological examination was conducted. The presence of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament or ossification of the ligamentum flavum was evaluated. Surgical results were classified according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale. In the patients in whom neurological deterioration was observed during follow up, the causes of deterioration were reviewed. Seven patients (35%) were obese and six patients (30%) suffered diabetes mellitus. Twelve patients harbored coexisting cervical and/or thoracic ossified lesions. The overall mean JOA score improved from 10.2 to a peak of 22.5; at last follow-up examination the mean JOA score was 20.9. In female and older patients with a long history of preoperative symptoms, a low preoperative JOA score, and other spinal lesions, recovery tended to be poorer. Recovery was poor in one patient, and neurological deterioration due to coexisting ossified spinal lesions occurred in another patient during the follow-up period.
Because coexisting ossified lesions were frequently seen, whole-spine analysis is recommended. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important to achieve a better surgical outcome.
Abstract
Background
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) currently accounts for up to half of heart failure cases. Although transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) can cause HFpEF, the ...contribution of ATTR to the burden of HFpEF is poorly defined.
Purpose
To clarify the characteristics of ATTR and determine the prevalence of cardiac ATTR in patients with HFpEF.
Methods
This is a multicentre, prospective, observational study in Japan. We enrolled 373 HFpEF (HF+LVEF ≥50%+ 65 < years old) patients who admitted to the Departments of Cardiology from September 2018 to January 2022. A 99mTc-PYP scintigraphy was performed during admission in all eligible patients. The patients divided into 2 groups according to 99mTc-PYP scintigraphy positive (Grade2–3: n=53) or negative (Grade 0–1: n=320). Medical history, laboratory data, echocardiogram, hemodynamic data, treatments compared.
Results
A total of 55 patients (14.2%) showed a moderate to severe up take on the 99mPYP scintigraphy. An endomyocardial biopsy was performed in 32 patients confirming amyloidosis in all cases. There were no differences in age, gender, diabetes, coronary artery disease between the two groups. Although patients with positive PYP group exhibited higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide 3.0 (1.7–4.6) vs 3.4 (2.4–4.2); P<0.001), high sensitive troponin T (0.035±0.038 vs 0.074±0.049; P<0.001), mean left ventricle maximal wall thickness (10.5±1.9 vs 12.5±2.2; P<0.001), clinical overlap between ATTR and other HFpEF forms was high.
Conclusion
ATTR is a disease with significant prevalence in Japanese patients with HFpEF
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: None.
The M13 phage display system is a powerful technology for engineering proteins such as functional mutant proteins and peptides. In this system, it is necessary that the protein is displayed on the ...phage surface. Therefore, its application is often limited when a protein is poorly displayed.
In this study, we attempted to understand the relationship between a protein's properties and its display efficiency using the well-known pIII and pVIII type phage display system. The display of positively charged SV40 NLS and HIV-1 Tat peptides on pIII was less efficient than that of
the neutrally charged RGDS peptide. When different molecular weight proteins (1.5-58 kDa) were displayed on pIII and pVIII, their display efficiencies were directly influenced by their molecular weights. These results indicate the usefulness in predicting a desired protein's compatibility
with protein and peptide engineering using the phage display system.
The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between aperitif and gastric emptying. Ten healthy male volunteers participated in this randomized, two-way crossover study. ...Under two conditions (after drinking an aperitif versus not), the ¹³C breath test was performed for 4 h with a liquid meal (200 kcal/200 ml) containing 100 mg ¹³C acetate. We used 50 ml of umeshu as the aperitif. This is a traditional Japanese plum liqueur, and contains 7 ml alcohol (14%). In the aperitif group, T ₁/₂, T lag, and T peak were significantly delayed T ₁/₂ (132: 113-174) versus (112: 92-134) (P = 0.0069); T lag (80: 63-94) versus (55: 47-85) (P = 0.0069); and T peak (81: 62-96) versus (54: 34-84) (P = 0.0069), (median: range, aperitif versus control, min). Gastric emptying was significantly delayed in the aperitif group as compared with the control group. This study revealed that even a small amount of alcohol such as an aperitif may contribute to delayed gastric emptying.
The causal gene of a novel small and round seed mutant phenotype (srs3) in rice was identified by map-based cloning and named the SRS3 gene. The SRS3 gene was grouped as a member of the kinesin 13 ...subfamily. The SRS3 gene codes for a protein of 819 amino acids that contains a kinesin motor domain and a coiled-coil structure. Using scanning electron microscopy, we determined that the cell length of seeds in the longitudinal direction in srs3 is shorter than that in the wild type. The number of cells of seeds in the longitudinal direction in srs3 was not very different from that in the wild type. The result suggests that the small and round seed phenotype of srs3 is due to a reduction in cell length of seeds in the longitudinal direction. The SRS3 protein, which is found in the crude microsomal fraction, is highly expressed in developing organs.
The present study demonstrated the measurement of Na e / Na i in sciatic nerves by 23 Na-MRS using 23 Na frequency shift agent Na 4 HTmDOTP. Sciatic nerves from bull frogs were submerged into the 5 ...mM TmDOTP solution for 12 h before acquisition. MRS was performed on a Varian 4.7-T magnetic resonance spectrometer. To obtain the shift of Na e / Na i resonance, 23 Na spectra were acquired from the whole sample with TR 50 ms and 800 averages. Na e and Na i signals were detected clearly in the spectra of TmDOTP solution-immerged nerve. Then, for evaluation of nerves viability, action potential of TmDOTP solution-immerged nerve was examined. TmDOTP had no effects on the generation of action potential. An increase of Na e signal/Na i signal was observed during the electrical stimulation, suggesting that this result reflected the direct changes in sodium ions permeability during the nerves excitation.
Dielectric relaxation in Yb-doped SrZrO3 Kamishima, O; Abe, Y; Ishii, T ...
Journal of physics. Condensed matter,
07/2004, Letnik:
16, Številka:
28
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The dielectric constant of the proton conductor SrZr1-xYbxO3 (x = 0-0.1) was measured as a function of temperature and frequency. Two well-defined relaxation peaks were observed in SrZrO3 doped with ...more than 1 mol% of Yb. The assignment of the two dielectric relaxations is discussed in terms of IR spectra and by free energy calculation for a miscibility of dopant Yb ions. The Yb concentration dependence of the relaxation strength of the two dielectric relaxations is in agreement with the results calculated from the free energy. The two relaxations can be assigned to a reorientation of a single Yb-OH dipole and of Yb-OH dipoles associated with Yb-clusters. The attractive energy for Yb-clustering in SrZrO3 is evaluated at about -85 meV.
We investigated electron transport kinetics in terms of electron diffusion coefficient (D) and electron lifetime (τ) in coumarin-dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 electrodes by intensity-modulated ...photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS). We found that the values of τ for coumarin-dye-sensitized TiO2 electrodes were much shorter than that for an electrode coated with a Ru complex (N719 dye), suggesting that the back-electron-transfer process corresponding to recombination between conduction-band electrons in the TiO2 and I3 - ions in the electrolyte occurs more easily in coumarin-dye-sensitized solar cells. In addition, the values of τ depended on the kind of coumarin dye, each of which has a different number of thiophene moieties, suggesting that the molecular structure of the adsorbed dyes also affects the kinetics of electron transport in the TiO2 electrodes.
PDF
