Incidence and Risk Factors of Hypomagnesemia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Cetuximab

Background Hypomagnesemia is a common adverse event during cetuximab (Cmab) treatment. However, few reports have investigated the incidence and risk factors of hypomagnesemia in head and neck cancer patients treated with Cmab. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 131 head and neck cancer patients who received Cmab-containing therapy. Main eligibility criteria were ≥3 Cmab administrations, no prior EGFR-directed therapy, and no prophylactic Mg supplementation.Results Median baseline serum Mg level and number of Cmab administrations were 2.2 mg/dl and eight, respectively. Overall incidence of hypomagnesemia was 50.4% (grade 1, 46.6%; grade 2, 3.1%; grade 3, 0%; grade 4, 0.8%) and differed between patients treated with palliative chemotherapy and bioradiation (Cmab and radiation) (63% vs. 24%; p<0.01). Independent risk factors were low baseline serum Mg [Odds ratio (OR) 161.988, 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.436-2780.895], ≥7 Cmab administrations (OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.16-13.98), and concurrent administration of platinum (cisplatin; OR 23.695, 95% CI 5.219-107.574, carboplatin; OR 5.487, 95% CI 1.831-16.439). Respective incidence of hypomagnesemia in patients in high- (concurrent platinum and ≥7 Cmab administrations) and low-risk (no concurrent platinum and <7 Cmab administrations) groups was 66.0% and 6.6% (P<0.001, OR 28.0). Conclusion Cmab is associated with a significant risk of hypomagnesemia in patients with head and neck cancer with longer term administration and concurrent platinum therapy. High-risk patients should be treated with particular care

The Proteins PDIP3 and ZC11A Associate with the Human TREX Complex in an ATP-Dependent Manner and Function in mRNA Export

The conserved TREX complex, which contains UAP56, Aly, CIP29, and the multi-subunit THO complex, functions in mRNA export. Recently, several putative new components of the human TREX complex were identified by mass spectrometry. Here, we investigated the function of two of these, PDIP3 and ZC11A. Our data indicate that both of these proteins are components of a common TREX complex and function in mRNA export. Recently, we found that both CIP29 and Aly associate with the DEAD box helicase UAP56 and with the TREX complex in an ATP-dependent manner. We now show that this is also the case for PDIP3 and ZC11A. Thus, together with previous work, our data indicate that the TREX complex participates in multiple ATP-dependent interactions

Effect of a combination of whole body vibration exercise and squat training on body balance, muscle power, and walking ability in the elderly

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to clarify the beneficial effect of whole body vibration (WBV) exercise plus squat training on body balance, muscle power, and walking ability in the elderly with knee osteoarthritis and/or spondylosis. Of 35 ambulatory patients (14 men and 21 women) who were recruited at our outpatient clinic, 28 (80.0%, 12 men and 16 women) participated in the trial. The subjects (mean age 72.4 years) were randomly divided into two groups (n=14 in each group), ie, a WBV exercise alone group and a WBV exercise plus squat training group. A 4-minute WBV exercise (frequency 20 Hz) was performed 2 days per week in both groups; squat training (20 times per minute) was added during the 4-minute WBV training session in the WBV exercise plus squat training group. The duration of the trial was 6 months. The exercise and training program was safe and well tolerated. WBV exercise alone improved indices of body balance and walking velocity from baseline values. However, WBV exercise plus squat training was more effective for improving tandem gait step number and chair-rising time compared with WBV exercise alone. These results suggest the benefit and safety of WBV exercise plus squat training for improving physical function in terms of body balance and muscle power in the elderly

Analysis of tangential contact damping mechanism by direct observation using X-ray computed tomography

The damping of metal contact surfaces considerably influences the dynamic characteristics of machines. However, the contact damping mechanism has not yet been sufficiently clarified because it is difficult to directly observe metal–metal contact surfaces. In this study, the deformation of the metal surface asperity caused by a tangential load was analyzed using a combination of X-ray computed tomography and finite element method (FEM) simulations. The FEM simulation considering the elastic–plastic deformation and slip reproduced the experimental results well. The contribution of the elastic–plastic deformation and slip of asperities to contact damping was discussed using the developed simulation

Polydactyly of the Foot Diagnosed from a Minor Nail Problem

Polydactyly is one of the most common foot congenital anomalies. It is often detected immediately after birth, but the diagnosis can sometimes be delayed if the symptoms are less evident. A 2-year-old girl with a complaint of recurrent bleeding from the right toenail was diagnosed with foot polydactyly. She underwent corrective surgery, and her family was satisfied with the outcome. Although the diagnosis of polydactyly may be difficult in cases with minor nail problems, further radiographic evaluation will be needed for the improvement of the patient’s quality of life

Linear optical quantum computation with frequency-comb qubits and passive devices

We propose a linear optical quantum computation scheme using time-frequency degree of freedom. In this scheme, a qubit is encoded in single-photon frequency combs, and manipulation of the qubits is performed using time-resolving detectors, beam splitters, and optical interleavers. This scheme does not require active devices such as high-speed switches and electro-optic modulators and is robust against temporal and spectral errors, which are mainly caused by the detectors' finite resolution. We show that current technologies almost meet the requirements for fault-tolerant quantum computation.Comment: 6+3 pages, 3 figure

Surgical results of atypical femoral fractures in long-term bisphosphonate and glucocorticoid users – Relationship between fracture reduction and bone union

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Ten-year results of 55 dysplasia hips of hip offset and leg length reconstruction in total hip arthroplasty with cementless tapered stems having a high offset option designed for dysplastic femur

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