Inhibitory effect of ribbon-type NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides on osteoclast induction and activity in vitro and in vivo

In this study we examined the effect of ribbon-type (circular-type) NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (RNODN) on osteoclast induction and activity. We extracted bone marrow cells from the femurs of rats and incubated non-adherent cells with receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). First, transfer efficiency into osteoclasts and their precursors, resistance to exonuclease, and binding activity of decoy to NF-κB were examined. Next, to examine the effect of RNODN on osteoclast induction and activity, osteoclast differentiation and pit formation assays were performed. RNODN were injected into the ankle joints of rats with collagen-induced arthritis. Joint destruction and osteoclast activity were examined by histological study. The resistance of RNODN to exonuclease and their binding activity on NF-κB were both greater than those of phosphorothionated NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides. The absolute number of multinucleate cells scoring positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase was significantly decreased in the RNODN-treated group. The average calcified matrix resorbed area was significantly decreased in the RNODN-treated group. Histological study showed marked suppression of joint destruction and osteoclast activity by intra-articular injection of RNODN. These results suggest the inhibitory effect of RNODN on the induction and activity of osteoclasts. Direct intra-articular injection of RNODN into the joints may be an effective strategy for the treatment of arthritis

Pressure Study of BiS2-Based Superconductors Bi4O4S3 and La(O,F)BiS2

We report the electrical resistivity measurements under pressure for the recently discovered BiS2-based layered superconductors Bi4O4S3 and La(O,F)BiS2. In Bi4O4S3, the transition temperature Tc decreases monotonically without a distinct change in the metallic behavior in the normal state. In La(O,F)BiS2, on the other hand, Tc initially increases with increasing pressure and then decreases above ? 1 GPa. The semiconducting behavior in the normal state is suppressed markedly and monotonically, whereas the evolution of Tc is nonlinear. The strong suppression of the semiconducting behavior without doping in La(O,F)BiS2 suggests that the Fermi surface is located in the vicinity of some instability. In the present study, we elucidate that the superconductivity in the BiS2 layer favors the Fermi surface at the boundary between the semiconducting and metallic behaviors.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Comparisons of kinematics during stair motion in total knee arthroplasty: Single-radius versus J-curved designs

Background: Patients who undergo TKA continue to report difficulty in ascending and descending stairs. However, it is unknown how kinematic pattern TKA knees demonstrate during stair ascending and descending. The purpose of the present study was (1) to determine how kinematics TKA knees demonstrate during stair ascending and descending; (2) to investigate whether TKA kinematics during stair ambulation are different among designs of implants as well as during squatting.Methods: We analyzed twenty two knees (19 patients, all female) that implanted with single-radius PS TKA which was the Triathlon posterior stabilized knee prosthesis or the J-curved PS TKA which was the Legacy flex posterior stabilized knee prosthesis. Each patient performed stair ascending and descending at patient’s comfortable pace. We evaluated the kinematics of stair ascending and descending using 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional registration technique.Results: Anteroposterior translation was significantly less in single-radius PS TKA compared to J-curved PS TKA during stair ascending and descending. At foot strike, post-cam engagement was observed in all 11 knees implanted with single-radius PS TKA and in three of 11 knees with J-curved PS TKA during stair ascending.Conclusions: Single-radius design of the femoral component, constrained articulation and less posterior slope might lead to less anteroposterior translation of the femur during stair ascending and descending. Additionally, it is also associated with the stability that the post cam contact prevented the femur from moving anteroposterior before and after foot strike during stair ascending and escending. It should be necessary that the post cam mechanism is designed not only for inducing rollback motion, but also for controlling anteroposterior translation in mid-flexion range

Lumbar Artery Injury Related to Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Insertion

A 75-year-old woman underwent L4-L5 lateral interbody fusion for L4-5 foraminal stenosis with the use of percutaneous pedicle screws. On the day after the surgery, she was in shock. Emergency contrast-enhanced CT showed active extravasation from the 4th lumbar artery with a transverse process fracture. A radiologist performed a successful transarterial embolization, and the patient then began walking training on the 4th day post-surgery. Close attention should be paid to the insertion of a percutaneous pedicle screw, as it may cause a lumbar artery injury; in such a case, transarterial embolization is the preferred treatment

Lagrangian description of the fluid flow with vorticity in the relativistic cosmology

We develop the Lagrangian perturbation theory in the general relativistic cosmology, which enables us to take into account the vortical effect of the dust matter. Under the Lagrangian representation of the fluid flow, the propagation equation for the vorticity as well as the density is exactly solved. Based on this, the coupling between the density and vorticity is clarified in a non-perturbative way. The relativistic correspondence to the Lagrangian perturbation theory in the Newtonian cosmology is also emphasized.Comment: 14 pages (RevTeX); accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Inhomogeneity of Spatial Curvature for Inflation

We study how the initial inhomogeneities of the spatial curvature affect the onset of inflation in the closed universe. We consider a cosmological model which contains a radiation and a cosmological constant. In order to treat the inhomogeneities in the closed universe, we improve the long wavelength approximation such that the non-small spatial curvature is tractable in the lowest order. Using the improved scheme, we show how large inhomogeneities of the spatial curvature prevent the occurrence of inflation.Comment: 17 pages, revtex, 6 figures included using eps