Assessment of outcome of distal radius inta-articular fractures using wrist-spanning mini-fixator in distraction

Background: The distal radius fractures are complex injuries. There are many treatment options for these fractures. The benefits of external fixation with mini fixator have been seen in many studies. In our study, the distal radius fracture belonging to type B and C of AO classification were treated with wrist spaning mini extrernal fixator with/without additional k wires. We wish to analyse the functional outcome and to determine any complications of this procedure.Methods: 20 patients were included in this study and were followed up for up to 6 months postoperatively. We assessed pain using VAS score at 6 weeks follow-up and the outcome of each patient was assessed using Mayo wrist score post-operatively on follow-up at 3 months and 6 months.Results: Predominance towards males and left upper limb was observed in our study. At the end of six months, the range of motion as assessed according to the criteria given by Mayo wrist score, excellent results (MWS>=90) were seen in 4 patients (20%), good results (MWS 80-89) were seen in 12 patients (60%),and fair (MWS 70-79) in 4 patient (20%). At the end of result, significant reduction in terms of pain, wellbeing, personal life, social life, lifting, travelling and sleeping was seen.Conclusions: Predominance towards males and left upper limb was observed in our study. At the end of six months, the range of motion as assessed according to the criteria given by Mayo Wrist Score, excellent results (MWS>=90) were seen in 4 patients (20%), good results (MWS 80-89) were seen in 12 patients (60%),and fair (MWS 70-79) in 4 patient (20%). At the end of result, significant reduction in terms of pain, wellbeing, personal life, social life, lifting, travelling and sleeping was seen.

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Myc interacts genetically with Tip48/Reptin and Tip49/Pontin to control growth and proliferation during Drosophila development

The transcription factor dMyc is the sole Drosophila ortholog of the vertebrate c-myc protooncogenes and a central regulator of growth and cell-cycle progression during normal development. We have investigated the molecular basis of dMyc function by analyzing its interaction with the putative transcriptional cofactors Tip48/Reptin (Rept) and Tip49/Pontin (Pont). We demonstrate that Rept and Pont have conserved their ability to bind to Myc during evolution. All three proteins are required for tissue growth in vivo, because mitotic clones mutant for either dmyc, pont,or rept suffer from cell competition. Most importantly, pont shows a strong dominant genetic interaction with dmyc that is manifested in the duration of development, rates of survival and size of the adult animal and, in particular, of the eye. The molecular basis for these effects may be found in the repression of certain target genes, such as mfas, by dMyc:Pont complexes. These findings indicate that dMyc:Pont complexes play an essential role in the control of cellular growth and proliferation during normal development

Ultrasensitive Detection of KRAS2 Mutations in Bile and Serum from Patients with Biliary Tract Carcinoma Using LigAmp Technology

Patients with biliary tract carcinoma have a poor prognosis. Early detection efforts are urgently needed to ameliorate the dismal prognosis for these patients. Mutations of the KRAS2 gene are one of the most common genetic aberrations in this cancer. In this study, we used LigAmp, an ultrasensitive technology for detecting point mutations, to analyze KRAS2 mutations in patients with a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic pancreatobiliary diseases. DNA was isolated from 64 samples, including 44 bile samples and 20 serum samples. Oligonucleotides specific for KRAS2 G35A (GAT, G12D), G35T (GTT, G12V), and G34A (AGT, G12S) mutations were used. KRAS2 mutations were detected in 14 of 16 (87.5%) neoplastic bile samples and in 9 of 28 (32.1%) non-neoplastic bile samples. However, the mutation levels were significantly lower in the non-neoplastic bile (median = 0.4%) compared with those in the neoplastic bile (median = 5.1%). KRAS2 mutations were also detected in 9 of 11 (81.8%) serum samples from patients with biliary tract carcinoma, which was further confirmed by cloning BstN1-refractory PCR products and DNA sequencing. However, KRAS2 mutations were not present in the sera from eight patients with benign pancreatobiliary diseases. These data demonstrate that KRAS2 mutations are detectable in both bile and serum using LigAmp. This technology has the potential for early biliary tract carcinoma detection and possibly for residual disease monitoring post-therapy