Retro-Odontoid Pseudotumor in a Patient with Atlanto-Occipital Assimilation

A retro-odontoid pseudotumor is an uncommon non-neoplastic mass. They are mostly associated with rheumatoid arthritis and atlanto-axial subluxation. The pathogenesis is degeneration of the transverse ligament due to chronic mechanical stress. In this case report, an atlanto-occipital assimilation altered the biomechanics of the cervical spine, causing chronic mechanical stress on the transverse ligament and subsequently the development of a retro-odontoid pseudotumor. This is in accordance with previous studies that have attributed the development of retro-odontoid pseudotumor to a loss of mobility of the cervical spine, in cases without associated rheumatoid arthritis or atlanto-axial subluxation

Ainu Prayer Text Asahikawa Ainu\u27s prayer (published in the KAMIKAWA Ainu Kumamatsuri )

欧文抄録:p.256These texts were told by Tuakanno SUNAZAWA,Nankeainu MONNO,Hautomtei MONNO, Atsumiyashikuru ISHIYAMA, and recoded by Hideaki KURAMITSU in city MONBETSU in Hokkaido on October.25, 1953. 30 prayers texts upon Bear ceremony(iomante) in Ainu northern diaIect (Ishikari dialect). Roman transcription.1. Prayer to the fire goddess 2.Prayer to the fire goddess 3.Tapkar dance 4.Prayer to the fire goddess 5.Prayer to the fire goddess 6.Prayer to the guardian of village 7.Prayer to the guardian of village 8.Prayer to the god of forest 9.Prayer to the god of wolf 10.Prayer to the god of fox 11.Prayer to the god of owl 12.Prayer to the god of bear 13.Prayer to the god of cliff 14. Prayer to the god of altar 15.Prayer to the god of altar 16.Prayer to the god of wren 17.Prayer to the god of waesel 18.Prayer to the Siberian black bellied dipper 19.Prayer to the water goddess 20.Prayer to the god of pile 21.Prayer to the god of pile 22.Prayer to the cubs 23.Prayer to the cubs 24.Prayer to the cubs 25.Prayer to the god of heaven 26.Prayer to the god of bear 27.Prayer to the cubs 28.Prayer to the god of bear 29. Prayer to the god of bear 30.Tapkar dance 31. Tapkar dance 32.Prayer to the fire goddess 33.Prayer to the cub

Opal-CT precipitation in a clayey soil explained by geochemical transport model of dissolved Si (Blégny, Belgium)

Opal-CT precipitation controlling dissolved Si export Dissolved Si (DSi) exported by rivers are controlled by geological, hydrological and biological cycle processes [1]. The DSi concentrations measured in a river of an upstream catchment in eastern Belgium (Blégny, Land of Herve) don’t vary seasonally (6.91±0.94mgL-1; n=363). Si concentrations in pore water are often higher and vary more (8.65±3.65mgL-1; n=128). The decrease of DSi along the flowpath of water is due to sink processes, i.e. precipitation, adsorption or uptake by vegetation. As the DSi in the river does not show any seasonal variation, uptake by vegetation can be ruled out [1] whereas precipitation or adsorption can control the DSi drained by the stream water. This hypothesis is confirmed by XRD and DeMaster analysis. At 0.1m depth the soil is constituted of 62% quartz, 7% K-feldspar, 6% plagioclase, 3.2% carbonates, 18.9% Al-clay, 1.47% Kaolinite, 0.63% Chlorite and 0.2% amorphous Si, probably of biogenic origin. At 1.5m depth, the amounts of several minerals (35.8% quartz, 0.6% K-feldspars, 0.9% plagioclase, Al-clay 14.7%) drop drastically. Carbonates, chlorite and kaolinite are absent whereas 40.4% opal-CT appears. The precipitation of opal-CT controls the DSi export of this catchment. Development of geochemical transport model To descripe DSi export from a catchment a geochemical transport model is developped in HP1 which couples the water flux model Hydrus with the geochemical model PHREEQC [2]. Our model is based on the conceptual model developped in [3]. First results show different DSi export dynamics in the unsaturated zone than in the aquifer due to different pCO2 values and varying soil moisture conditions. Further development of the model will help to find out the reason of opal-CT precipitation in this setting. [1]Fulweiler, Nixon (2005) Biogeochemistry 74:115–130. [2] Simunek, Jacques, van Genuchten, Mallants (2006) JAWRA 42:1537-1547. [3] Ronchi et al. (2013). Silicon, 5(1), 115–133

Efficacy of customized corneal crosslinking versus standard corneal crosslinking in patients with progressive keratoconus (C-CROSS study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Keratoconus is a degenerative disorder of the cornea leading to a protrusion and thinning with loss of visual acuity. The only treatment to halt the progression is corneal crosslinking (CXL), which uses riboflavin and UV-A light to stiffen the cornea. Recent ultra-structural examinations show that the disease is regional and does not affect the entire cornea. Treating only the affected zone with CXL could be as good as the standard CXL, that treats the entire cornea. METHODS: We set up a multicentre non-inferiority randomized controlled clinical trial comparing standard CXL (sCXL) and customized CXL (cCXL). Patients between 16 and 45 years old with progressive keratoconus were included. Progression is based on one or more of the following changes within 12 months: 1 dioptre (D) increase in keratometry (Kmax, K1, K2); or 10% decrease of corneal thickness; or 1 D increase in myopia or refractive astigmatism, requiring corneal crosslinking. DISCUSSION: The goal of this study is to evaluate whether the effectiveness of cCXL is non-inferior to sCXL in terms of flattening of the cornea and halting keratoconus progression. Treating only the affected zone could be beneficial for minimalizing the risk of damaging surrounding tissues and faster wound healing. Recent non-randomized studies suggest that a customized crosslinking protocol based on the tomography of the patient's cornea may stop the progression of keratoconus and result in flattening of the cornea. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on August 31 st, 2020, the identifier of the study is NCT04532788