Posterior surgical approach procedures for cervical myelopathy

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: The main objective of this review is to assess the effects of laminectomy and fusion versus laminoplasty for multilevel cervical stenosis with myelopathy, on treatment outcomes such as pain, quality of life, functional and neurological improvement, and complication rates. © 2015 The Cochrane Collaboration

Search for sterile neutrino oscillation using RENO and NEOS data

We present a reactor model independent search for sterile neutrino oscillation using 2\,509\,days of RENO near detector data and 180 days of NEOS data. The reactor related systematic uncertainties are significantly suppressed as both detectors are located at the same reactor complex of Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant. The search is performed by electron antineutrino\,($\overline{\nu}_e$) disappearance between six reactors and two detectors with baselines of 294\,m\,(RENO) and 24\,m\,(NEOS). A spectral comparison of the NEOS prompt-energy spectrum with a no-oscillation prediction from the RENO measurement can explore reactor $\overline{\nu}_e$ oscillations to sterile neutrino. Based on the comparison, we obtain a 95\% C.L. excluded region of $0.1<|\Delta m_{41}^2|<7$\,eV$^2$. We also obtain a 68\% C.L. allowed region with the best fit of $|\Delta m_{41}^2|=2.41\,\pm\,0.03\,$\,eV$^2$ and $\sin^2 2\theta_{14}$=0.08$\,\pm\,$0.03 with a p-value of 8.2\%. Comparisons of obtained reactor antineutrino spectra at reactor sources are made among RENO, NEOS, and Daya Bay to find a possible spectral variation.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures: This manuscript has been significantly revised by the joint reanalysis by RENO and NEOS Collaborations. (In the previous edition, the RENO collaboration used publicly available NEOS data to evaluate the expected neutrino spectrum at NEOS.

An experimental DUAL model of advanced liver damage

Individuals exhibiting an intermediate alcohol drinking pattern in conjunction with signs of metabolic risk present clinical features of both alcohol-associated and metabolic-associated fatty liver diseases. However, such combination remains an unexplored area of great interest, given the increasing number of patients affected. In the present study, we aimed to develop a preclinical DUAL (alcohol-associated liver disease plus metabolic-associated fatty liver disease) model in mice. C57BL/6 mice received 10% vol/vol alcohol in sweetened drinking water in combination with a Western diet for 10, 23, and 52 weeks (DUAL model). Animals fed with DUAL diet elicited a significant increase in body mass index accompanied by a pronounced hypertrophy of adipocytes, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia. Significant liver damage was characterized by elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, extensive hepatomegaly, hepatocyte enlargement, ballooning, steatosis, hepatic cell death, and compensatory proliferation. Notably, DUAL animals developed lobular inflammation and advanced hepatic fibrosis. Sequentially, bridging cirrhotic changes were frequently observed after 12 months. Bulk RNA-sequencing analysis indicated that dysregulated molecular pathways in DUAL mice were similar to those of patients with steatohepatitis. Conclusion: Our DUAL model is characterized by obesity, glucose intolerance, liver damage, prominent steatohepatitis and fibrosis, as well as inflammation and fibrosis in white adipose tissue. Altogether, the DUAL model mimics all histological, metabolic, and transcriptomic gene signatures of human advanced steatohepatitis, and therefore serves as a preclinical tool for the development of therapeutic targets

Morphology of strobili at different development positions and cone and seed characteristics of Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis

Pinus densiflora f. multicaulis is a rare and unusual form of genus Pinus. It has excellent ornamen- tal values due to many trunks from its root collar, and produces female, male, and bisexual strobili on the same tree. However, there is limited study whether the bisexual strobili are functional, mature lateral cones produce filled seeds, and the seeds from the mature lateral cones germinate and grow as well as those from mature apical cones. The structure of apical female, and lateral male and bisexual strobili were analyzed in an open-pollination-progeny population. The strobili were photographed to obtain external, cross-section, and radial-section images using a 45× stereoscopic microscope. Radial sections of strobili were imaged using scanning electron microscopy. Characteristics of apical and lateral cones and seeds were surveyed by cone analysis and germination test. P. densiflora f. multicaulis developed typical female strobili apically, and ordinary male and bisexual strobili laterally. Additionally, female strobili developed laterally whereas the male strobili were normally located. The mature lateral female strobili had the same structure as the apical female. In the mature bisexual strobili, the proportion of male and female tissue was unequal. The cones developed from lateral female strobili showed highly significant differences in the length, width, and weight, being shorter (32.7%), narrower (26.9%), and lighter (59.8%) than those from apical female strobili. Both types produced filled seeds and seedlings, and well significant positive correlations were found among characteristics of seeds from apical and lateral female strobili. The initial seed germination rate of the seeds from apical female strobili was higher than that of seeds from lateral female strobili, but the difference decreased over time. The viability and spatial distribution of the female and male tissue of bisporangiate cones, and their frequent occurrence suggests a common mechanism for the production of bisporangiate structures in seed plants

Potential role of Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS), a role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested because; (a) EBV is present in salivary gland epithelial cells of healthy individuals, and exaggerated immune responses against EBV could play a role in the destruction of salivary glands in SS; (b) SS salivary gland biopsies contain increased levels of EBV DNA compared to normal salivary glands, indicating viral reactivation and inability of lymphoid infiltrates to control EBV replication in patients with SS; and (c) salivary gland epithelial cells in patients with SS express high levels of HLA-DR antigens and may present EBV associated antigens to immune T cells in patients with SS. Therefore, SS may represent a situation where genetically predisposed individuals (i.e., HLA-DR3-DQA4-DQB2) have a persistent but ineffectual T cell immune response against EBV at its site of latency. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), evidence for a potential role of EBV includes the following: (a) EBV encoded proteins share antigenic and sequence similarity to proteins found in the synovial tissues. These crossreactive proteins include EBV protein gp110 (BALF-4) and the beta chain of HLA-DR4. Also, the human and mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock proteins have a sequence similar to that of EBV encoded proteins; (b) patients with RA have increased frequency and levels of antibodies against specific epitopes on EBV encoded EBNA-1 (BKRF-1) and EBNA-3 (BERF-1) antigens; and (c) lymphocytes from patients with RA have decreased ability to limit outgrowth of autologous EBV infected lymphocytes, probably due to defects in release of interferon gamma

Similarity of chromosome structure among Populus tremula var. davidiana, Populus alba and their hybrids revealed by FISH karyotype analysis

The genus Populus is one of the important tree species in Korean peninsula and many other coun- tries in the world. It represents the model species of forest genomics because it grows fast and reproduces rapidly. In this reason, their genetic characteristics have been well studied and the whole genome has been sequenced completely in some species. However, cytogenetic study of the genus Populus has been limited. In the present study, karyotypes of Korean aspen (P. tremula var. davidiana), Silver poplar (P. alba) and their two hybrids, Suwon aspen (P. tremula var. glandulosa) and Hyun aspen (P. alba × P. tremula var. glandulsa) were analyzed by means of the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Root samples were collected from mature trees in the demonstration forest, located at Suwon, Kyonggi province in South Korea. The fresh root cells were examined by DAPI (4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining and FISH using 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA probes. As the results, the chromosome compositions of all species were the same as 2n = 38. The karyotype formulas of Korean aspen, Silver poplar, Suwon aspen and Hyun aspen were 28m + 6sm + 4st (2sat), 26m + 10sm (2sat) + 2st, 26m + 12sm (2sat) and 28m + 10sm (2sat), respectively. The four species had one pair of 45S rDNA site and one pair of 5S rDNA site in common with FISH karyotypes. The similarity of FISH karyotypes among four species indicated close genetic relationship and coexistence of their interspecific hybrids. This research will provide genetic information on cytogenetic research of Populus and genetic mapping that can be applied to the breeding program of Populus in the near future