Distal radius fracture after proximal row carpectomy

AbstractIntroductionWe encountered a patient with distal radius fracture (DRF) after proximal row carpectomy (PRC). The mechanism of the DRF after PRC is discussed in this report.Presentation of caseThe patient was a 73-year-old female who had undergone PRC due to Kienböck disease before. The wrist range of motion was: 45° on dorsiflexion and 20° on flexion. DRF has occurred at 3 years after PRC. The fracture type was extra-articular fracture. Osteosynthesis was performed using a volar locking plate. No postoperative complication developed, the Mayo score was excellent at 6 months after surgery, and the daily living activity level recovered to that before injury.DiscussionSince the wrist range of motion decreased and the lunate fitted into the joint surface after PRC, making the forearm join with the hand like a single structure, pressure may have been loaded on the weak distal end of the radius from the dorsal side, causing volar displacement and fracture.ConclusionThe pressure distribution and range of motion of the radiocarpal joint after PRC are different from those of a normal joint, and the mechanism of fracture also changes due to PRC

NBRP databases: databases of biological resources in Japan

The National BioResource Project (NBRP) is a Japanese project that aims to establish a system for collecting, preserving and providing bioresources for use as experimental materials for life science research. It is promoted by 27 core resource facilities, each concerned with a particular group of organisms, and by one information center. The NBRP database is a product of this project. Thirty databases and an integrated database-retrieval system (BioResource World: BRW) have been created and made available through the NBRP home page (http://www.nbrp.jp). The 30 independent databases have individual features which directly reflect the data maintained by each resource facility. The BRW is designed for users who need to search across several resources without moving from one database to another. BRW provides access to a collection of 4.5-million records on bioresources including wild species, inbred lines, mutants, genetically engineered lines, DNA clones and so on. BRW supports summary browsing, keyword searching, and searching by DNA sequences or gene ontology. The results of searches provide links to online requests for distribution of research materials. A circulation system allows users to submit details of papers published on research conducted using NBRP resources

A Robin sequence patient treated by the tongue-lip adhesion technique of modified Argamaso method

われわれは八戸赤十字病院小児科から, Robin sequenceの生後12週男児の呼吸障害の改善のための対診を依頼された。患者は下顎後退,上気道閉塞,軟口蓋裂,舌小帯強直症がみられた。当科を受診前に,何度か重度の呼吸障害がみられ,2か月以上気管内挿管による呼吸管理か行われていた。患者の咽頭部の閉塞は,内規鏡検査によるSheyの分類のType 1であったため,われわれは生後15週でArgamaso変法による舌固定術を行った。術後2年5か月経過するが,以来患者にチアノーセは見られず,舌固定術は同患者に有効な治療法と思われた。A 12-week-old boy with Robin sequence was referred to us for respiratory improvement by a pediatrician in Hachmohe Red Cross Hospital The patient had micrognathia, upper airway obstruction, incomplete cleft palate and ankyloglossia The patient had a history of repeated cyanotic episodes and had been under respiratory care with endotracheal intubation for more than 2 months Using flexible fiber optic nasopharyngoscopy, his pharyngeal obstruction was classified as Type 1 of Sher\u27s classification Thus, we performed glossopexy of modified Argamaso method at 15 weeks after birth The patient has had no cyanotic episodes at 2 years and 5 months postoperatively We conclude that the glossopexy was effective for this patien

Dissecting the genetic control of natural variation in salt tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions

Many accessions (ecotypes) of Arabidopsis have been collected. Although few differences exist among their nucleotide sequences, these subtle differences induce large genetic variation in phenotypic traits such as stress tolerance and flowering time. To understand the natural variability in salt tolerance, large-scale soil pot experiments were performed to evaluate salt tolerance among 350 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. The evaluation revealed a wide variation in the salt tolerance among accessions. Several accessions, including Bu-5, Bur-0, Ll-1, Wl-0, and Zu-0, exhibited marked stress tolerance compared with a salt-sensitive experimental accession, Col-0. The salt-tolerant accessions were also evaluated by agar plate assays. The data obtained by the large-scale assay correlated well with the results of a salt acclimation (SA) assay, in which plants were transferred to high-salinity medium following placement on moderate-salinity medium for 7 d. Genetic analyses indicated that the salt tolerance without SA is a quantitative trait under polygenic control, whereas salt tolerance with SA is regulated by a single gene located on chromosome 5 that is common among the markedly salt-tolerant accessions. These results provide important information for understanding the mechanisms underlying natural variation of salt tolerance in Arabidopsis

Dietary Lactoferrin Alleviates Age-Related Lacrimal Gland Dysfunction in Mice

BACKGROUND: Decrease in lacrimal gland secretory function is related to age-induced dry eye disease. Lactoferrin, the main glycoprotein component of tears, has multiple functions, including anti-inflammatory effects and the promotion of cell growth. We investigated how oral administration of lactoferrin affects age-related lacrimal dysfunction. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Twelve-month-old male C57BL/6Cr Slc mice were randomly divided into a control fed group and an oral lactoferrin treatment group. Tear function was measured at a 6-month time-point. After euthanasia, the lacrimal glands were subjected to histological examination with 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) antibodies, and serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and hexanoyl-lysine adduct (HEL) were evaluated. Additionally, monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression levels were determined by real-time PCR. The volume of tear secretion was significantly larger in the treated group than in the control. Lactoferrin administration reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and the MCP-1 and TNF-α expression levels. Serum concentrations of 8-OHdG and HEL in the lactoferrin group were lower than those in the control group and were associated with attenuated 8-OHdG immunostaining of the lacrimal glands. CONCLUSION: Oral lactoferrin administration preserves lacrimal gland function in aged mice by attenuating oxidative damage and suppressing subsequent gland inflammation

Lacrimal Hypofunction as a New Mechanism of Dry Eye in Visual Display Terminal Users

BACKGROUND: Dry eye has shown a marked increase due to visual display terminal (VDT) use. It remains unclear whether reduced blinking while focusing can have a direct deleterious impact on the lacrimal gland function. To address this issue that potentially affects the life quality, we conducted a large-scale epidemiological study of VDT users and an animal study. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cross sectional survey carried out in Japan. A total of 1025 office workers who use VDT were enrolled. The association between VDT work duration and changes in tear film status, precorneal tear stability, lipid layer status and tear secretion were analyzed. For the animal model study, the rat VDT user model, placing rats onto a balance swing in combination with exposure to an evaporative environment was used to analyze lacrimal gland function. There was no positive relationship between VDT working duration and change in tear film stability and lipid layer status. The odds ratio for decrease in Schirmer score, index of tear secretion, were significantly increased with VDT working year (P = 0.012) and time (P = 0.005). The rat VDT user model, showed chronic reduction of tear secretion and was accompanied by an impairment of the lacrimal gland function and morphology. This dysfunction was recovered when rats were moved to resting conditions without the swing. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that lacrimal gland hypofunction is associated with VDT use and may be a critical mechanism for VDT-associated dry eye. We believe this to be the first mechanistic link to the pathogenesis of dry eye in office workers

ブラダー・ウイリー ショウコウグン ニオケル セイチョウ ホルモン リョウホウ ト ソクワンショウ トノ カンケイ

成長ホルモン(GH)療法がプラダー・ウイリー症候群(PWS)の低身長に対して適応され5年が経過し,様々な効果が報告されてきている.しかし一方で, GH治療が側弯症を誘発または増悪させる可能性が問題になってきている.今回我々は,獨協医科大学越谷病院小児科でフォロー中のPWS患者72名(男性46名,女性26名,年齢1歳から49歳)を対象にGH治療と側弯症の関係を検討した.対象の72名中, GH療法を受けた者は41名,受けなかった者は31名であった. 72名中33名(45.8%)にコブ角10度以上の側弯症を認めた.側弯症は, GH療法を受けた41名中20名(48.8%)に, GH療法を受けなかった31名中13名(41.9%)に認められ,両群間に統計学的有意差は認められなかった. GH療法を受けた患者中,側弯症あり群となし群間でのGH療法開始後1年目の身長増加の比較では,それぞれ8.59±1.92cmと10.70±2.54cmであった.側弯なし群のGH療法開始後1年目の身長は側弯あり群より有意に増加していた.したがって,統計学上では身長の加速は側弯症を悪化させていなかった. GH開始年齢と側弯症発症との関係では,側弯症なし群でGH療法開始年齢が有意に低かった(p=0.029). GH療法を受けている群で,側弯症を認めた20名のコブ角の経過は,変動なし10名,増悪6名,増悪軽快1名,軽快3名であった. PWS患者においてGH療法は身長増加をもたらすが側弯症増悪因子になっていないと考えられた.Growth hormone (GH) therapy for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) has started worldwide and various favorable effects have been reported. But the possibility of progression of scoliosis is being new problems for GH treatment. In this study we analyzed 72 patients who are followed at our hospital (46 males and 26 females, aged from 1 year old to 49 years old, 41 patients with GH use and 31 without GH). We studied 1. The overall frequency of scoliosis in PWS, 2. The frequency of scoliosis with and without GH therapy, 3. The two factors (i.e. height velocity of the first year of GH therapy and the starting age of GH) which may be related to the progression of scoliosis, and 4. The prognosis of the scoliosis. The results are ; 1. Out of 72 patients, 33 patients (45.8%) showed scoliosis more than 10 degree of Cobb angle. 2. Out of 41 patients with GH therapy 20 patients (48.8 %) had scoliosis and out of 31 patients without GH therapy 13 patients (41.9 %) showed scoliosis. No statistical difference was detected between two groups. 3. Height velocities of the first year of treatment were 8.59±1.92 cm and 10.70±2.54 cm with and without scoliosis, respectively (p<0.001). GH therapy was started earlier in patients without scoliosis than with scoliosis (p<0.0001). 4. Out of 20 patients with scoliosis and GH use, the degree of scoliosis progressed in six patients, improved in three, and fluctuated in one during the GH treatment. Our results show that there is a high frequency of scoliosis in PWS with and without GH treatment, Increased height velocity by GH does not develop scoliosis, and early start of GH is not an exacerbating factor of scoliosis. Many patients showed progression of scoliosis with age irrespective of the use of GH and at least some patients improved their scoliosis in degree by GH