A splint for controlled active motion after flexor tendon repair. Design, mechanical testing, and preliminary clinical results

A splint for controlled active motion after flexor tendon repair is described. It incorporates a single core-coated elastic band passing around a palmar pulley and attached proximally to a spring wire. Its mechanical properties were tested against six other systems. The tension in various systems all rose near full extension. However, the palmar pulley, the spring wire, and the elastic band each could lower the tension significantly. When the bending moments at the interphalangeal joints were measured, all systems produced a peak during the latter part of extension. With the palmar pulley, spring wire, and elastic band, the rise was minimal and in fact, the bending moments diminished near full extension. Initial results in 28 flexor tendon repairs using this splint showed less flexion contracture when compared with 78 flexor tendon repairs using a standard rubber band anchored at the wrist.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Anti-dsDNA Antibodies Bind to Ku70 Leading to Increased MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 Expression in Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells

Poster Session: Renal Pathology, Experimental Pathology, incl. Immune and Inflammatory Mechanisms - Presentation no. MON-263Introduction: Lupus nephritis is characterized by anti-dsDNA antibody production and their deposition in the kidney parenchyma resulting in immune-mediated tissue injury. Immune deposition along the tubular basement membrane is commonly observed but its pathogenic significance remains to be determined. We investigated the binding of anti-dsDNA antibodies to proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) and its impact on inflammatory and fibrotic processes. Methods: Anti-dsDNA antibodies with high binding activity to PTEC were isolated from the sera of lupus nephritis patients using affinity chromatography. Cultured PTEC were incubated with serum free medium (SFM), control IgG, or anti-dsDNA antibodies in the presence or absence of DNase I, trypsin, exogenous dsDNA, histones and nucleosomes. PTEC plasma membrane proteins were isolated and immunoprecipitated with anti-dsDNA antibodies to identify cross-reactive antigens using LC-MS/MS. Results: DNase I, dsDNA, histones and nucleosomes had no effect on anti-dsDNA antibody binding to PTEC. Limited trypsin treatment of PTEC, which removed cell surface proteins without affecting cell attachment, resulted in a significant reduction in anti-dsDNA antibody binding (P<0.01). Anti-dsDNA antibodies bound to a 70 kDa protein identified as Ku70 by LC-MS/MS. Incubation of PTEC with anti-dsDNA antibodies increased Ku70 expression in a time-dependent manner, accompanied by increased MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 expression. Gene silencing with Ku70 specific RNAi suppressed Ku70 mRNA by approximately 85.0%, accompanied by 79.4% and 33.9% reduction in MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 gene expression respectively (P<0.05, for both). Kidney biopsies from lupus nephritis patients showed a marked increase in Ku70 expression, predominantly in proximal tubular epithelial cells. Conclusions: Our data showed that anti-dsDNA antibodies bound directly to PTEC through Ku70, and this binding was accompanied by downstream pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic processes. These findings could have important implications on tubulo-interstitial disease in lupus nephritis

Bureaucratic corruption and profit tax evasion

Corruption, Firms, Tax evasion, D 73, H 25, H 26,

Escalating penalties for repeat offenders: a note on the role of information

Optimal law enforcement, Escalating sanctions, Repeat offender, Imperfect information, K42, H23,