World Forum for Spine Research: The intervertebral disc: First Japanese Meeting, Kyoto, Japan, 23–26 January 2008

No abstract

Structural properties of methoxy derivatives of benzyl bromide, determined from powder X-ray diffraction data

Structure determination of 3,5-dimethoxybenzyl bromide and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl bromide has been carried out from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data using the direct-space Genetic Algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. These two compounds are of interest for their potential use as building blocks for the synthesis of dendritic materials. Although the two molecules differ only in the presence/absence of the methoxy group at the 4-position of the aromatic ring, the structural properties of the two materials are significantly differen

Reproducibility of thoracic kyphosis measurements in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

BACKGROUND: Current surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) involves correction in both the coronal and sagittal plane, and thorough assessment of these parameters is essential for evaluation of surgical results. However, various definitions of thoracic kyphosis (TK) have been proposed, and the intra- and inter-rater reproducibility of these measures has not been determined. As such, the purpose of the current study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reproducibility of several TK measurements used in the assessment of AIS. METHODS: Twenty patients (90% females) surgically treated for AIS with alternate-level pedicle screw fixation were included in the study. Three raters independently evaluated pre- and postoperative standing lateral plain radiographs. For each radiograph, several definitions of TK were measured as well as L1–S1 and nonfixed lumbar lordosis. All variables were measured twice 14 days apart, and a mixed effects model was used to determine the repeatability coefficient (RC), which is a measure of the agreement between repeated measurements. Also, the intra- and inter-rater intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined as a measure of reliability. RESULTS: Preoperative median Cobb angle was 58° (range 41°–86°), and median surgical curve correction was 68% (range 49–87%). Overall intra-rater RC was highest for T2–T12 and nonfixed TK (11°) and lowest for T4–T12 and T5–T12 (8°). Inter-rater RC was highest for T1–T12, T1-nonfixed, and nonfixed TK (13°) and lowest for T5–T12 (9°). Agreement varied substantially between pre- and postoperative radiographs. Inter-rater ICC was highest for T4–T12 (0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.95) and T5–T12 (0.92; 95% CI 0.88–0.95) and lowest for T1-nonfixed (0.80; 95% CI 0.72–0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable variation for all TK measurements was noted. Intra- and inter-rater reproducibility was best for T4–T12 and T5–T12. Future studies should consider adopting a relevant minimum difference as a limit for true change in TK. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13013-017-0112-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Randomized Crossover Study Showing Nurse-Led Same Day Review Replacing Next Day Review in Uneventful Phacoemulsification to Be Safe and Efficacious

Purpose. To study whether nurse led same-day review (SDR) after uneventful phacoemulsification can replace next-day review (NDR) in terms of safety and efficacy. Setting. Patients are recruited from an ophthalmology outpatient clinic in Hong Kong. Design. A prospective, randomized crossover study conducted from November 2012 to 2014. Methods. Inclusion criteria include cataract surgery naïve patients undergoing phacoemulsification under local anaesthesia. All patients were seen by our ophthalmic nurse 2 hours after surgery. Before undergoing phacoemulsification of the first eye, patients were randomized to be reviewed on day 1 or 7 after surgery. Surgeons and reviewing doctors were blinded to patient allocation. For the patients’ second eye surgery, group allocation will cross over. Primary outcome measures include visual improvement and patient satisfaction questionnaire. Other measures include cataract characteristics, surgical details, and complications. Statistical tests include paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Chi-square test. Results. 164 eyes from 82 patients were available. Visual improvement, satisfaction, and complications were comparable between both groups. Conclusions. A nurse led SDR can replace NDR in uneventful phacoemulsification in terms of safety and efficacy. Patient satisfaction is also comparable in the setting of Asian culture and when transportation is not a major concern

Patient-Reported Outcomes After Complex Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: 5-Year Results of the Scoli-Risk-1 Study

Adult spinal deformity; Patient reported outcomes; Spinal deformity surgeryDeformidad espinal en el adulto; Resultados informados por el paciente; Cirugía de deformidad espinalDeformitat espinal de l'adult; Resultats informats pel pacient; Cirurgia de deformitat espinalStudy Design: Prospective cohort. Objective: To prospectively evaluate PROs up to 5-years after complex ASD surgery. Methods: The Scoli-RISK-1 study enrolled 272 ASD patients undergoing surgery from 15 centers. Inclusion criteria was Cobb angle of >80°, corrective osteotomy for congenital or revision deformity, and/or 3-column osteotomy. The following PROs were measured prospectively at intervals up to 5-years postoperative: ODI, SF36-PCS/MCS, SRS-22, NRS back/leg. Among patients with 5-year follow-up, comparisons were made from both baseline and 2-years postoperative to 5-years postoperative. PROs were analyzed using mixed models for repeated measures. Results: Seventy-seven patients (28.3%) had 5-year follow-up data. Comparing baseline to 5-year data among these 77 patients, significant improvement was seen in all PROs: ODI (45.2 vs. 29.3, P 0.05) and proportion achieving MCID did not differ significantly in patients with major surgery-related complications compared to those without. Conclusions: After complex ASD surgery, significant improvement in PROs were seen at 5-years postoperative in ODI, SF36-PCS/MCS, SRS-22r, and NRS-back/leg pain. No significant changes in PROs occurred during the 2 to 5-year postoperative period. Those with major surgery-related complications had similar PROs and proportion of patients achieving MCID as those without these complications.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by AO Spine through the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Deformity, the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), and Norton Healthcare. AO Spine Knowledge Forum Deformity is a focused group of international deformity experts. AO Spine is a clinical division of the AO Foundation, which is an independent medically-guided not-for-profit organization. Study support was provided directly through the AO Spine Research Department and the AO Innovation Translation Center, Clinical Evidence

CD31 signals confer immune privilege to the vascular endothelium

This work was supported by British Heart Foundation Grant FS/11/64/ 2894

Combustion of LOX with H2(sub g) under subcritical, critical, and supercritical conditions and experimental observation of dense spray and mixing of impinging jets

Progress made during the period of February 1 to October 15, 1992 is reported. The overall objective of Task 1 of the investigation is to achieve a better understanding of the combustion processes of liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen under subcritical, critical, and supercritical conditions. Specific objectives of the research program are: (1) to determine the evaporation- and burning-rate characteristics of LOX in hydrogen/helium environments under broad ranges of operating conditions; (2) to measure species concentration profile and surface temperature of LOX employing the gas chromatography and fine-wire thermocouples under non-reacting flow situations; (3) to perform a fugacity-based multicomponent thermodynamic phase equilibrium analysis for examining the high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibrium behavior at the liquid surface of LOX; (4) to formulate and solve a theoretical model for simulating the evaporation and combustion processes in a LOX/H2/He system; and (5) to validate the theoretical model with the measured experimental data. Task 2 of the investigation is described. Observation of a like-on-like injector element in the near-injector region performed in the previous phase of this project has identified the existence of a high Reynolds number regime in which the pre-impingement jets are fully turbulent and undergoing surface breakup. The new spray regime, which has not been observed by previous investigators, is characterized by the presence of many fine droplets and the disappearance of the well-defined liquid breakup wave pattern in the post-impingement region. It is speculated that a cavitating region may be present within the orifice so that it could induce strong turbulence, leading to an onset of atomization of the jets prior to impingement. To further investigate the dense spray behavior of the impinging jets in the high Reynolds number region, experiments were conducted using Plexiglas injector components for direct internal flow observation. The main objective is to determine under what conditions a cavitating region would form and whether or not the cavitation is reponsible for the development of the high Reynolds number spray regime. The procedure and major findings of the injector cavitation study are described

Two inhibitors of yeast plasma membrane ATPase 1 (ScPma1p): toward the development of novel antifungal therapies

Given that many antifungal medications are susceptible to evolved resistance, there is a need for novel drugs with unique mechanisms of action. Inhibiting the essential proton pump Pma1p, a P-type ATPase, is a potentially effective therapeutic approach that is orthogonal to existing treatments. We identify NSC11668 and hitachimycin as structurally distinct antifungals that inhibit yeast ScPma1p. These compounds provide new opportunities for drug discovery aimed at this important target