Is poststroke complex regional pain syndrome the combination of shoulder pain and soft tissue injury of the wrist?: A prospective observational study STROBE of ultrasonographic findings in complex regional pain syndrome

Patients with poststroke complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) show different symptoms compared to other types of CRPS, as they usually complain of shoulder and wrist pain with the elbow relatively spared. It is thus also known by the term “shoulder-hand syndrome.” The aim of this study is to present a possible pathophysiology of poststroke CRPS through ultrasonographic observation of the affected wrist before and after steroid injection at the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) tendon in patients suspected with poststroke CRPS. Prospective evaluation and observation, the STROBE guideline checklist was used. Twenty-three patients diagnosed as poststroke CRPS in accordance to clinical criteria were enrolled. They had a Three Phase Bone Scan (TPBS) done and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of EDC tendon was measured by using ultrasonography. They were then injected with steroid at the EDC tendon. The CSA of EDC tendon, visual analogue scale (VAS), and degree of swelling of the wrist were followed up 1 week after the injection. TPBS was interpreted as normal for 4 patients, suspected CRPS for 10 patients, and CRPS for 9 patients. Ultrasonographic findings of the affected wrist included swelling of the EDC tendon. After the injection of steroid to the wrist, CSA and swelling of the affected wrist compared to that before the treatment was significantly decreased (P < 0.001). The VAS score declined significantly after the injection (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that the pathophysiology of poststroke CRPS might be the combination of frozen shoulder or rotator cuff tear of shoulder and soft tissue injury of the wrist caused by the hemiplegic nature of patients with stroke

Input of terrestrial organic matter linked to deglaciation increased mercury transport to the Svalbard fjords

Deglaciation has accelerated the transport of minerals as well as modern and ancient organic matter from land to fjord sediments in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the European Arctic Ocean. Consequently, such sediments may contain significant levels of total mercury (THg) bound to terrestrial organic matter. The present study compared THg contents in surface sediments from three fjord settings in Spitsbergen: Hornsund in the southern Spitsbergen, which has high annual volume of loss glacier and receives sediment from multiple tidewater glaciers, Dicksonfjorden in the central Spitsbergen, which receives sediment from glacifluvial rivers, and Wijdefjorden in the northern Spitsbergen, which receive sediments from a mixture of tidewater glaciers and glacifluvial rivers. Our results showed that the THg (52 +/- 15 ng g(-1)) bound to organic matter (OM) was the highest in the Hornsund surface sediments, where the glacier loss (0.44 km(3) yr(-1)) and organic carbon accumulation rates (9.3 similar to 49.4 g m(-2) yr(-1)) were elevated compared to other fjords. Furthermore, the delta C-13 (-27 similar to -24 parts per thousand) and delta S-34 values (-10 similar to 15 parts per thousand) of OM indicated that most of OM were originated from terrestrial sources. Thus, the temperature-driven glacial melting could release more OM originating from the meltwater or terrestrial materials, which are available for THg binding in the European Arctic fjord ecosystems.11Ysciescopu

Isolation and characterization of Streptococcus sp. from diseased flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in Jeju Island

Streptococcus sp. is gram-positive coccus that causes streptococcal infections in fish due to intensification of aquaculture and caused significant economic losses in fish farm industry. A streptococcal infection occurred from cultured diseased olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) in May, 2005 at a fish farm in Jeju Island, Korea. The diseased flounder exhibited bilateral exophthalmic eyes and rotten gills; water temperature was 16~18℃ when samples were collected. Of the 22 fish samples collected, 3 samples were identified as Lactococcus garvieae and 18 samples were identified as Streptococcus parauberis by culture-based, biochemical test. Serological methods such as slide agglutination, hemolysis and antimicrobial susceptibility test were also used as well as multiplex PCR-based method to simultaneously detect and confirm the pathogens involved in the infection. S. parauberis and L. garvieae have a target region of 700 and 1100 bp., respectively. One fish sample was not identified because of the difference in the different biochemical and serological tests and was negative in PCR assay. In the present study, it showed that S. parauberis was the dominant species that caused streptococcosis in the cultured diseased flounder

Neurologic Recovery According to Early Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Traumatic Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of early magnetic resonance imaging findings in predicting neurologic recovery at or below the injured level in traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries. Thirty patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries were included. All of the patients received a magnetic resonance imaging and a neurologic examination in the emergency room, within 7 days of injury and at 6 months following the injury. To quantify neurologic recovery below the injured level, we modified clinical scales, particularly the motor ratio and the sensory ratio. We used the neurologic level to quantify recovery around the injured level. We assessed neurologic recovery according to MRI patterns and lesion extents. The pure hemorrhagic MRI pattern was not observed. In edematous and mixed types, the improvement of neurologic levels was not significantly different. The motor ratio and sensory ratio improved significantly more in edematous type patients than in mixed type patients. Based on MRI lesion extent, the improvement of neurologic levels was not significantly different, and motor ratio and sensory ratio improved significantly more in those with one or two segments involved than in those with more than two segments involved. In conclusion, early MRI pattern and lesion extent after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury may provide important information to help predict neurologic recovery, especially below the injured level

COMPARISON OF VOLATILE COMPOSITION OF SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACT FROM RHIZOMES OF KOREAN MEDICINAL PLANT 'CHUN-KUNG' (CNIDIUM OFFICINALE MAKINO) BY DIRECT-AND SPME-GC/MS

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the volatile composition of supercritical fluid extract (SFE) obtained from Cnidium officinale Makino rhizomes. Methods: GC/MS analyses were carried out with the direct- and solid phase microextraction (SPME) of SFE obtained from rhizomes. In addition, GC/MS analysis was performed for the rhizomes of C. officinale using SPME. Results: SPME-GC/MS analysis of the rhizomes revealed the separation of 23 components. Among these, β-phellandrene (20.38%), dictyotene (12.98%), β-pinene (10.59%), β-selinene (9.45%), eugenol (7.71%) and β-farnesene (7.09%) were found to be major components. In the SFE analyzed by direct-GC/MS, linoleic acid (19.26%), 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (18.98%), hexadecanoic acid (12.15%), and β-selinene (9.44%) were identified as major components. Whereas, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (16.94%), shyobunone (14.07%), dictyotene (10.65%), p-cresol (10.17%), zierone (6.36%) and umbellulone (5.71%) were major components in the SFE analyzed by SPME-GC/MS. Conclusion: The present study clearly suggested that the SPME-GC/MS analysis of SFE provided the separation of more number with diverse groups of compounds than the direct-GC/MS