Simultaneous Sinus Lifting and Alveolar Distraction of a Severely Atrophic Posterior Maxilla for Oral Rehabilitation with Dental Implants

We retrospectively reviewed a new preimplantation regenerative augmentation technique for a severely atrophic posterior maxilla using sinus lifting with simultaneous alveolar distraction, together with long-term oral rehabilitation with implants. We also analyzed the regenerated bone histomorphologically. This study included 25 maxillary sinus sites in 17 patients. The technique consisted of alveolar osteotomy combined with simultaneous sinus lifting. After sufficient sinus lifting, a track-type vertical alveolar distractor was placed. Following a latent period, patient self-distraction was started. After the required augmentation was achieved, the distractor was left in place to allow consolidation. The distractor was then removed, and osseointegrated implants (average of 3.2 implants per sinus site, 80 implants) were placed. Bone for histomorphometric analysis was sampled from six patients and compared with samples collected after sinus lifting alone as controls (n=4). A sufficient alveolus was regenerated, and all patients achieved stable oral rehabilitation. The implant survival rate was 96.3% (77/80) after an average postloading followup of 47.5 months. Good bone regeneration was observed in a morphological study, with no significant difference in the rate of bone formation compared with control samples. This new regenerative technique could be a useful option for a severely atrophic maxilla requiring implant rehabilitation

Subcortically and Callosally Projecting Neurons are Distinct Neuronal Pools in the Motor Cortex of the Reeler Mouse

Subcortically projecting neurons and callosally projecting ones are distinct neuronal pools in the cerebral cortex of the rodents. However, cortical efferent neurons are known to project multiple targets transiently by plural collateral axons. These plural axons are eliminated during prenatal and postnatal development. In the cerebral cortex of the Reelin-deficient mouse, reeler, which is caused by mutation of the reelin gene, cortical efferent neurons are ectopically distributed. However, it is still unknown whether cortical efferent neurons in the reeler mouse lose surplus collateral axons or maintain them during developmental periods. If surplus collaterals of malpositioned cortical neurons are not eliminated, neurons projecting subcortically may project their axons to the contralateral hemisphere. To test this plausible hypothesis, we made double injections of two fluorescent dyes, Fast Blue and Diamidino yellow dihydrochloride into two of three regions, i.e., upper cervical cord, ventral lateral thalamic nucleus, and contralateral motor cortex of the normal and reeler mice, to label corticospinal, corticothalamic and callosal commissure neurons in the motor cortex, retrogradely. No double labeled neurons were identified in the motor cortex of the normal and reeler mice, although the distribution patterns of these cortical efferent neurons were completely different between normal and reeler mice. These findings strongly suggest that collateral elimination of cortical efferent neurons during developing periods are not affected in this mutant mouse

Polymorphism in the KCNA3 Gene Is Associated with Susceptibility to Autoimmune Pancreatitis in the Japanese Population

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), characterized by irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct, swelling of the pancreas, and histological evidence of lymphoplasmacytic inflammation by high serum immunoglobulin G4, is distinct from ordinary pancreatitis. However, genetic factors involved in the etiology and pathophysiology of AIP remain unclear. Sixty-four patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (53 men, 11 women; mean age, 62.4 years) and 104 healthy Japanese controls were enrolled in this study. We performed an association analysis using 400 microsatellite markers with an average spacing of 10.8 cM in the genome. We also evaluated the association of AIP with seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 20-kb region around the potassium voltage-gated channel, shaker-related subfamily, member 3 gene (KCNA3). We identified six statistically significant markers (D1S2726, D5S410, D6S460, D10S548, D15S128, and D20S186; P < 0.05) related to susceptibility. The surrounding region showing the strong association (P = 7.4 × 10−7, Pc = 0.0015) contained the KCNA3 gene. Further analysis by SNP genotyping in KCNA3 gene revealed that four SNPs (rs2840381, rs1058184, rs2640480, rs1319782) were significantly associated with the AIP susceptibility (P < 0.007). KCNA3 is known to be involved in immunomodulation of autoreactive effector and memory T cell–mediated autoimmune diseases. Our findings provide the first evidence that KCNA3 is associated with AIP and suggest that KCNA3 may influence the risk for AIP

Synthesis of Symmetric/Unsymmetric DPPE Derivatives via the Radical Difunctionalization of Ethylene: A Theory-Driven Approach

1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DPPE) and its synthetic analogues are important structural motifs in organic synthesis, particularly as novel diphosphine ligands with a C2-alkyl-linker chain. Since DPPE is known to bind to many metal centers in a bidentate fashion to stabilize the corresponding metal complex via the chelation effect originating from its entropic advantage over monodentate ligands, it is often used in transition-metal-catalyzed transformations, and many unique reactions have been developed using this bidentate ligand. Symmetric DPPE derivatives (Ar12P−CH2−CH2−PAr12) are well-known and readily prepared, but electronically and sterically unsymmetric DPPE (Ar12P−CH2−CH2−PAr22; Ar1 ≠ Ar2) ligands have been less explored, mostly due to the difficulties associated with their preparation. In this study, we disclose a novel synthetic method for not only symmetric but also unsymmetric DPPE derivatives using two phosphine-centered radicals and gaseous ethylene, the latter of which is a useful and fundamental C2 unit that is ubiquitous in industrial processes. The thus obtained unsymmetric DPPE ligands can coordinate to several transition-metal salts in a bidentate fashion to form the corresponding complexes, one of which exhibits distinctly different characteristics than the corresponding symmetric DPPE–metal complex. A feasible radical reaction pathway toward DPPE was successfully designed using the artificial force induced method (AFIR) method, a DFT-based automated reaction path search tool

A theory-driven synthesis of symmetric and unsymmetric 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane analogues via radical difunctionalization of ethylene

1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DPPE) and its synthetic analogues are important structural motifs in organic synthesis, particularly as diphosphine ligands with a C-2-alkyl-linker chain. Since DPPE is known to bind to many metal centers in a bidentate fashion to stabilize the corresponding metal complex via the chelation effect originating from its entropic advantage over monodentate ligands, it is often used in transition-metal-catalyzed transformations. Symmetric DPPE derivatives ((Ar2P)-P-1-CH2-CH2-PAr21) are well-known and readily prepared, but electronically and sterically unsymmetric DPPE ((Ar2P)-P-1-CH2-CH2-PAr22; Ar-1 not equal Ar-2) ligands have been less explored, mostly due to the difficulties associated with their preparation. Here we report a synthetic method for both symmetric and unsymmetric DPPEs via radical difunctionalization of ethylene, a fundamental C-2 unit, with two phosphine-centered radicals, which is guided by the computational analysis with the artificial force induced reaction (AFIR) method, a quantum chemical calculation-based automated reaction path search tool. The obtained unsymmetric DPPE ligands can coordinate to several transition-metal salts to form the corresponding complexes, one of which exhibits distinctly different characteristics than the corresponding symmetric DPPE-metal complex. DPPEs are fundamental bidentate ligands with a C2-alkyl-linker chain for many transition-metal-catalyzed reactions. Here, authors utilize the AFIR method to develop a practical synthetic method for both symmetric and unsymmetric DPPEs with ethylene