Idiopathic Osteonecrosis and Atypical Femoral Fracture in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Osteonecrosis and osteoporosis are frequent adverse effects of glucocorticoid therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Idiopathic osteonecrosis (ION) of the femoral head occurs in 3–40% of patients receiving glucocorticoid, and can also develop in other bones. Higher doses of glucocorticoid and steroid pulse therapy are considered to be risk factors for ION of the femoral head. To analyze these risk factors, it seems important to detect early changes in the femoral head by magnetic resonance imaging and to monitor early clinical events attributable to steroid therapy. Prophylaxis with statins and warfarin remains debatable. The use of glucocorticoid is increase the risk of bone fractures. Bisphosphonate (BP) is used for its prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Atypical femoral fracture (AFF) has been recently recognized as a complication associated with BP use. AFF is considered to be a form of stress fracture; localized periosteal thickening of the lateral cortex is often present at the fracture site. The thickening has been recently recognized as a complication associated with the use of antiresorptive agents such as BP and denosumab. As long-term BP/glucocorticoid use is a risk factor for beaking in patients with SLE , temporary withdrawal of BP administration should be considered

High-altitude gravity waves in the Martian thermosphere observed by MAVEN/NGIMS and modeled by a gravity wave scheme

First high-altitude observations of gravity wave (GW)-induced CO$_2$ density perturbations in the Martian thermosphere retrieved from NASA's NGIMS instrument on board the MAVEN satellite are presented and interpreted using the extended GW parameterization of Yi\u{g}it et al. [2008] and the Mars Climate Database as an input. Observed relative density perturbations between 180-220 km of 20-40 % demonstrate appreciable local time, latitude, and altitude variations. Modeling for the spatiotemporal conditions of the MAVEN observations suggests that GWs can directly propagate from the lower atmosphere to the thermosphere, produce appreciable dynamical effects, and likely contribute to the observed fluctuations. Modeled effects are somewhat smaller than the observed but their highly variable nature is in qualitative agreement with observations. Possible reasons for discrepancies between modeling and measurements are discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL). Special section: First Results from the MAVEN Mission to Mar

Combined Gastrectomy with Adjacent Organs in T4 Gastric Cancer : Therapeutic Results and Indication

The postoperative morbidity, mortality and survival of 244 T4 gastric cancer patients were examined to assess the therapeutic results and to clarify the indication for combined gastrectomy with adjacent (T4) organs. A total of 190 combined and 54 simple gastrectomies were performed during the 25-year period between 1969 and 1994. Fourteen (7.4%) and 7 (13.0%) patients died of the complications after combined and simple gastrectomies respectively. No statistical significant difference was found in the mortality rates between the gastrectomies. The histological examination of 190 resected specimens by the combined gastrectomy with T4 organs revealed that gastric resections with conclusive curability A, B and C were performed in 33 (17.4%), 84 (44.2%) and 73 (38.4%) cases respectively. Significant differences (P < 0.01) among 3 survival curves of the patients with curability A, B and C were found, and the 5-year survival rates were 65.5%, 35.4% and 9.2% respectively. The survival curve of 176 patients with combined gastrectomy was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that of 47 patients with simple gastrectomy, and the 5-year survival rates were 31.3% and 4.3%. However, the survival curve and the 5-year survival rate of the patients with simple gastrectomy were not statistically different from those of the patients with curability C. These results suggest that combined gastrectomy with T4 organs in T4 gastric cancer may be indicated for the patients with surgical curability B, but not surgical curability C

Effects of a novel elastase inhibitor, ONO-5046, on nephrotoxic serum nephritis in rats

Effects of a novel elastase inhibitor, ONO-5046, on nephrotoxic serum nephritis in rats. ONO-5046 is a potent, specific and intravenously active inhibitor of neutrophil elastase. To examine the role of elastase in glomerulonephritis, we tested the effects of ONO-5046 on nephrotoxic serum (NTS) nephritis in a rat model of the disease in humans. Rats were administered ONO-5046 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) intraperitoneally 24hours prior to injection of NTS, and they were then given equal doses of ONO-5046 or PBS three hours and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6days later. Compared with the control groups, ONO-5046 significantly reduced proteinuria and hematuria, and suppressed the formation of crescentic glomeruli in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that neutrophil elastase participates in NTS nephritis by degrading glomerular basement membrane proteins, and that the elastase inhibitor, ONO-5046, suppresses crescentic formation and glomerular injury caused by elastase

Order/disorder phase composite Fe-Pt exchange-spring film magnets

Nagasaki Symposium on Nano-Dynamics 2008 (NSND2008) 平成20年1月29日(火)於長崎大学 Poster Presentatio