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We report a case of stress fracture of the clavicle associated with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. A 60-year-old man sustained a stress fracture of the right clavicle with no history of trauma. On radiography, hyperostosis of the anterior chest wall and ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint were evident in addition to the fracture. Fracture healing was uneventful after 2.5 months. Ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint may have caused increased stress at the midshaft of the clavicle by daily activity or minor trauma. Such a fracture is a rare complication of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. (orig.)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Purpose. To describe the characteristics of idiopathic macular holes (MH) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and correlate OCT with clinical assessment. Design....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Idiopathic achalasia is a primary esophageal motor disorder characterized by esophageal aperistalsis and abnormal lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation in response to deglutition. It is a rare...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

According to the International Headache Society, idiopathic stabbing headache (ISH), an indomethacin-responsive headache syndrome, is a paroxysmal disorder of short duration manifested as head pain...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

During the past decade idiopathic venous thromboembolism has become a separate entity, a chronic illness which has required prolonged anticoagulation and other prevention strategies to avoid recurrences....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The abnormal megakaryocytopoiesis associated with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM) plays a role in its pathogenesis. Because mice with defective expression of transcription factor GATA-1 (GATA-1^low...Full Text Available

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For a long time, the skeleton was seen as an amorphous tissue of little biological interest. But

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Idiopathic frozen shoulder is a common medical diagnosis for patients seeking physical therapy. Radiographic and surgical evidence exists that describes the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) as a major contributor...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Idiopathic or functional abdominal pain (FAP) is common in school-age children and typically reflects a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). FGIDs in adults have been distinguished by...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Skeletal muscle uses calcium as a second messenger to respond and adapt to environmental stimuli. Elevations in intracellular calcium levels activate calcineurin, a serine/threonine phosphatase, resulting...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

IntroductionIrradiation of normal, non-malignant bone during cancer therapy can lead to atrophy and increased risk of fracture at several skeletal sites, particularly...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is a key phenotype associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) for which the molecular mediators remain unclear. We therefore conducted an expression analysis of human...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Epifluorescence images of Ca2+ transients elicited by electrical stimulation of single skeletal muscle fibers were studied with fast imaging techniques that take advantage of the large fluorescence...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Oculo-skeletal dysplasia segregates in two canine breeds, the Labrador retriever and samoyed, in which the causative loci have been termed drd1 and drd2, respectively....Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Twenty-three patients with intracranial meningiomas were examined by means of magnetic resonance tomography (MRT). In 13 patients the paramagnetic contrast medium gadolinium DTPA was used. Meningiomas show only slight changes in signal intensity compared with brain in the spin-echo mode, the greatest contrast being found on photon density images (TR 1600 ms, TE 35 ms). In T1 images more than 50% of the patients showed a low signal margin between tumour and brain. Hyperostosis of the calvarium is easily recognised, but MRT is unreliable for showing tumour calcification. After intravenous injection of gadolinium DTPA, there was marked homogeneous uptake in the meningiomas. These signs are useful for the diagnosis of a meningioma by MRT. (orig.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Two cDNA libraries corresponding to polyA+ RNA from human adult skeletal muscle have been constructed by cloning in the PstI site of pBR322. Skeletal alpha actin cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Purpose:To report the preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and foveal thickness (FT) values that lead to a postoperative decimal BCVA of ≥1.0 after surgical removal...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The adverse effects of aging of other organs (ovaries at menopause) on the skeleton are well known, but ironically little is known of skeletal aging itself. Evidence indicates that age-related...Full Text Available

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... 16, 2001 0006-2979 BIORAK v. 40(2) APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES azido

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PMID:16504974

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Twenty-six patients with late complications following femoral neck fracture were examined with both skeletal and bone marrow radionuclide scintimetry. There was no correlation between the methods with respect to the quantitative assessment of femoral head vascularity based on different uptake ratios comparing the fractured and the intact side. Skeletal scintimetry always had good image quality and permitted reliable differentation between nonunion of the fracture and late segmental collapse, in contrast to bone marrow scintimetry which gave poor image quality. Skeletal scintimetry thus seems superior to bone marrow scintimetry for assessment and differential diagnosis of late complications following femoral neck fracture. It is emphasized that the physiological mechanisms for radionuclide uptake must be taken into account when comparing scintimetric studies using different tracers.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We report the isolation of adherent, clonogenic, fibroblast-like cells with osteogenic and adipogenic potential from the blood of four mammalian species. These cells phenotypically resemble but are...Full Text Available

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Bone radiotracer uptake in renal osteodystrophy was investigated in 35 dialysis patients by correlating the results of quantitative bone scintigraphy with those of biochemical and bone morphometric studies. There were highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) between the total skeletal activity and the biochemical (iPTH and alkaline phosphatase), and histologic parameters of hyperparathyroidism. These clinical results strongly suggest that increased bone turnover i.e. hyperparathyroidism, rather than osteomalacia is the major cause of increased skeletal uptake in renal osteodystrophy.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The bioenergetic capacity of skeletal muscle in a 17-year-old patient with a severe defect in complex III of the electron transport chain has been examined by 31P NMR measurements of the molar ratio...Full Text Available

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A 1.5-year-old male Belgian Malinosis Military Working Dog presented with a 1-month history of intermittent hematuria. Diagnostic ultrasound and contrast radiography demonstrated large blood clots in the urinary bladder and a filling defect in the right renal pelvis. At surgery, clotted blood was present in the right ureter and bladder. Following right nephrectomy, the dog returned to training. One month later, elevations in urea nitrogen and creatinine were noted. Hematuria recurred at 3 months and the dog was found dead in its kennel. Necropsy showed a blood-filled left renal pelvis and ureter. PMID:1454185

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Somite boundary formation is crucial for segmentation of vertebrate somites and vertebrae and skeletal muscle morphogenesis. Previously, we developed a Tol2 transposon-mediated...Full Text Available

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The choice of treatment in adult skeletal Class III occlusions often poses a particularly tricky problem for the orthodontist. Faced with the option of either orthodontic camouflage or orthognathic surgery, the clinician's clinical experience is of paramount importance, especially in borderline cases. The aim of our study was to uncover a guide model enabling the practitioner to distinguish between skeletal Class III cases which can be suitably treated with orthodontics and those requiring orthognathic surgery. The lateral headfilms of 47 adult patients exhibiting skeletal Class III occlusions were analyzed. The orthodontic group comprised 22 patients and the surgical group 25. Twenty-seven linear, proportional and angular measurements were scrutinized. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to identify the dentoskeletal and esthetic variables which most distinguished the two groups. The Holdaway angle was chosen to ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue development often has a reciprocal relationship in vivo, particularly in myodystrophic states. We have investigated whether determined myoblasts with no inherent adipogenic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SummaryThe structure and function of myosin crossbridges in asynchronous insect flight muscle (IFM) have been elucidated in situ using multiple approaches. These...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Calpains are Ca²⁺-dependent proteinases that mediate protein turnover in crustacean skeletal muscles. We used an antibody directed against lobster muscle-specific calpain (Ha-CalpM)...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There are many factors that can influence glucose uptake by contracting skeletal muscle during exercise and although one may be intramuscular glycogen content, this relationship is at present not fully...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Searching for the structural requirements improving the potency and the stereoselectivity of Na⁺ channel blockers as antimyotonic agents, new...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Natural accumulations of skeletal material (death assemblages) have the potential to provide historical data on species diversity and population structure for regions lacking decades of wildlife monitoring,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is involved in skeletal development of the vertebrate. Gain-of-function mutations of FGF receptors (FGFR) cause craniosynostosis, premature fusion of the skull,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos exposed to ethanol have developed craniofacial, cardiovascular and skeletal defects which can be compared with the phenotypic features...Full Text Available

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The repair process of damaged tissue involves the coordinated activities of several cell types in response to local and systemic signals. Following acute tissue injury, infiltrating inflammatory cells...Full Text Available

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The purpose of this paper is to describe a technique of forced surgical rotation of the mandible used in skeletal Class II patients with deep bite and prominent chin. Posterior occlusal composite onlays combined with preoperative orthodontic treatment without anterior intrusion increase the posterior rotational component of the surgical mandibular advancement, when removed during operation. This manoeuvre allows for the surgical closure of the posterior open bite, while anteriorly the deep bite is opened. This technique avoids bimaxillary rotation surgery with dorsal impaction in mild to moderate cases. In any case, a chin setback osteotomy with compromised aesthetics can be avoided.

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We report here the imaging findings of a rare case of a lethal form of Gorham disease in a young female patient. Multimodality imaging findings over 13 year-follow-up demonstrated progressive wide spread skeletal and soft tissue abnormalities with permeative osteolysis, pathological fractures and severe skeletal deformities. Unusual extensive osseous and soft tissue pneumatosis was illustrated on cross-sectional studies. The progressive nature of this form of Gorham disease and the subsequent complications eventually culminated in patient's death. (orig.)

Science.gov (United States)

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Rendu-Weber disease) is a genetic disorder with autosomal dominance, variable penetrance, and an estimated prevalence of 1/10,000 inhabitants in France. Diagnosis is based on clinical criteria including epistaxis, telangiectasia, visceral manifestations, and familial occurrence. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, present in 15-33% of patients, are its primary visceral complications. The disease may be revealed by infectious and ischemic neurological manifestations due to paradoxical embolism. The high frequency of neurologic complications even in asymptomatic patients justifies systematic screening for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. Treatment of these malformations is based on percutaneous transcatheter coil embolization of the feeding artery. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is rare in this disease. It may be due to systemic arteriovenous shunting in the liver, which increases cardiac output, or be similar to ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Introduction: Intractable ascites in neonates has a varied etiology; and often, the cause is idiopathic. The management usually consists of observation, diuretics, paracentesis, albumin replacements, and self correction. However, in some cases, the above treatment remains unsuccessful. Results: We present 2 cases of intractable ascites causing metabolic abnormalities, severe protein and immunoglobulin loss, and respiratory compromise. Although the use of peritoneovenous shunts for intractable ascites has been reported previously, our cases differ in both technique and patient size. Our first patient is an ex-28-week premature, 1.4-kg infant with intractable ascites for which a peritoneal drain was initially placed. After 3 weeks and putting out nearly 300 mL of ascitic fluid daily, we plac...

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Precocious puberty is a significant child health problem, especially in girls, because 95% of cases are idiopathic. Our earlier studies demonstrated that low-dose levels of manganese (Mn) caused precocious puberty via stimulating the secretion of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Because glial-neuronal communications are important for the activation of LHRH secretion at puberty, we investigated the effects of prepubertal Mn exposure on specific glial-derived puberty-related genes known to affect neuronal LHRH release. Animals were supplemented with MnCl2 (10 mg/kg) or saline by gastric gavage from day 12 until day 22 or day 29, then decapitated, and brains removed. The site of LHRH release is the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), and tissues from this area were analyzed by real-...

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Thirty-four patients with prostatic carcinoma were studied with quantitative bone scintigraphy and whole-body counting (WBC) 1 and 24 h after injection of [sup 99m]Tc-MDP before as well as two weeks and two months after orchiectomy. Thirteen of the patients had normal bone scintigrams and WBR at the three different investigations; 21 had skeletal metastases. The latter showed throughout the study higher local gamma camera count rates as well as WBR values than the patiens with normal scintigrams. In these patients a ''flare phenomenon'', with an increase in count rate two weeks after orchiectomy followed by a decrease two months post-operatively, was seen with quantitative bone scintigraphy but not with WBC. However, WBC may be a valuable method indicating the total extent of skeletal metastases in the body, while quantitative bone scintigraphy is more accurate in the interpretation of individual ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skeletal radiotracer (sup(99m)Tc-HEDP) uptake was quantitated with and without the aid of a computer in 30 chronic dialysis patients with histologic evidence of renal osteodystrophy. Before scintigraphy, elevated soft-tissue activity due to the absence of renal radiotracer excretion was reduced by hemodialysis. The results were compared with those of a normal group and with the results of the biochemical and the bone morphometric studies of these patients. In all patients the radiotracer uptake was elevated, often markedly. In several patients with minimal histologic bone disease, however, soft-tissue activity could not be normalized by hemodialysis although its influence on the quantitative data could be further reduced (but not excluded) by computer evaluation of skeletal radiotracer uptake. Since the latter technique clearly distinguished the majority of the patients from the normals, it appears that computerized quantitative ...

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Summary Despite the great interest of red porgy as a new species for Mediterranean aquaculture, its commercial production is constrained by the high incidence of skeletal deformities occurring in this species under culture conditions. Several studies have been conducted to better understand the origin of these anomalies in this species, using different system intensiveness, rotifers enrichment products or rotifers docosahexaenoic acid content. The first study showed that culture intensification increased the number of fish with an extra vertebrae, what was probably related to the different nutritional quality of live preys employed in each treatment, since water temperature, salinity and genetic background were identical for the different batches of fish studied. Total incidence of skeleta...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Subjects maintained an isometric contraction of the quadriceps femoris muscle at two-thirds maximal voluntary contraction (m.v.c.) force for 5 s (5.0 +/- 0.3 s; mean +/- S.E. of mean; n = 6) or until...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

OBJECTIVE: To present recent evidence on the use of ovarian hormone therapy (OHT) for osteoporosis and outline safe and effective regimens. OPTIONS: Estrogen alone, estrogen and progestins, progestins...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Little is known about how diet and energy metabolism interact in determination of lifespan under ad libitum feeding. From 12 weeks of age until death, male and female wild-type (WT) and transgenic (TG)...Full Text Available

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Investigations of radionuclide metabolism and effects in various mammalian species revealed important similarities between animals and humans and between some animal species. These include skeletal deposition of radium and radiostrontium in bone volume; deposition on bone surfaces of plutonium and other actinides; liver deposition of actinides; induction of skeletal or liver malignancies by these radionuclides; induction of tooth and jaw abnormalities; mammary cancer induction by radium in humans and in the beagle; depression of circulating cells in blood; and induction of bone fractures. There are also inter-species differences that may not have been noted if multiple species (including humans) had not been studied. Some of these are more rapid excretion of radium in humans compared with most other mammals; induction by radium of eye melanomas in animals but not humans; rapid loss of deposited plutonium from liver in many species of mice and ...

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english We hypothesized that chronic oral administration of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil could improve the exercise capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on the basis of previous short-term studies. We tested this hypothesis in 14 subjects with PAH, including seven patients with the idiopathic form and seven patients with atrial septal defects, but no other congenital heart abnormalities. Patients were subjected (more) to a 6-min walk test and dyspnea was graded according to the Borg scale. Pulmonary flow and pressures were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Patients were given sildenafil, 75 mg orally three times a day, and followed up for 1 year. Sildenafil therapy resulted in the following changes: increase in the 6-min walk distance from a median value of 387 m (range 0 to 484 m) to 462 m (range 408 to 588 m; P

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Compact bone makes up approximately 80% of the human skeletal mass. This study examines the effect of estrogen deficiency on compact bone turnover and associated geometrical structural adaptation over a 31-month period in a large animal model. Twenty-seven skeletally mature sheep were divided into control (n = 16) and ovariectomy group (OVX, n = 11). Animals were administered five different fluorochrome dyes to label intracortical bone turnover, and sacrificed at 31 months. Compact bone samples were analyzed for cortical geometry, intracortical turnover at five time points, resorption cavities, porosity, and compressive strength. Intracortical bone turnover was significantly increased in OVX, which demonstrated seasonal variation. Cross-sectional area in OVX was significantly greater than control and was associated with an increased section modulus. Intracortical porosity was significantly increased in OVX, however, there was no significant ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The need for noninvasive sensitive techniques for the diagnosis and follow-up of metabolic bone disease in dialysis patients has stimulated the author's interest in the efficacy of more detailed quantitative bone scintigraphy. Using hemodialysis to reduce elevated soft-tissue activity at scintigraphy, an attempt was made to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of quantitative bone scintigraphy as compared to qualitative bone scintigraphic, biochemical, radiographic and bone histologic studies. The second aim of these studies was to determine if one of the two major components of renal osteodystrophy is a major determinant for skeletal radiotracer uptake. The clinical observations on the efficacy and possible specificity of quantitative bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis and follow-up during treatment of renal osteodystrophy are presented briefly in this chapter. Thus, the use of scintigraphy for the routine detection and follow-up of renal osteodystrophy in dialysis ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dynamic quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed on 31 men with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as 2 weeks, 2 and 6 months postoperatively. After injection of technetium methylene diphosphonate Tc 99m ("9"9"mTc-MDP) the count rate was recorded as serial images over the lower thoracic and all the lumbar vertebrae from 1 to 240 min post-injection. Thirteen men had normal bone scintigrams with no changes in "9"9"mTc-MDP content at the four different investigation times. Eighteen men had skeletal metastases. Throughout the study half of the abnormal vertebrae in these patients showed an abnormal count rate after only 6 min post-injection. After 1 h it was possible in almost all abnormal vertebrae to predict abnormal bone uptake. In response to therapy a 'flare phenomenon' with an increase in count rate was seen 2 weeks after orchiectomy followed by a decrease 2 months postoperatively in most of the abnormal vertebrae. The count rate decreased even ...

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Inhibition efficiency of some water-soluble hydrazones for C-steel corrosion in hydrochloric acid has been tested by weight loss, polarisation measurements and open circuit technique. The inhibition effect was attributed to the adsorption of the additives on the C-steel surface as supported by adsorption measurements at Pt electrode using cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical measurements indicated that all the additives behave as cathodic-type inhibitors. The data obtained fit well to both the Temkin adsorption isotherm and the kinetic-thermodynamic model. The inhibition behaviour and its order were explained with the help of the proposed skeletal representation.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The oral administration of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) to rats injected intravenously 1 hr previously with "2"3"9Pu citrate caused an increase in urinary excretion of Pu about 8 times that of animals treated with 0.9% NaCl (controls). Liver retention of Pu was decreased from 18% at 2 days in the control animals to 11% in DHB-treated rats. The skeletal retention was similarly reduced from 56% in the control group to 40% in the DHB-treated animals.

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To assess the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the study of pediatric patients with clinical suspicion of pituitary disease. We studied 18 patients aged 7 to 18 years.Fifteen had hormonal disturbances, two presented amenorrhea and 1 complained of headache, fever and symptoms of polyuria and polydipsia. All the patients were examined using a Siemens SP 42 1-Tesla MRI scanner. Sagittal and coronal T1-weighted spin-echo images were obtained; in addition T2-weighted spin-echo or fast spin-echo imaging was performed in ten cases and intravenous gadolinium was administered in nine. We found 9 patients with hypothalamic-pituitary dysgenesis, 2 with germinoma, 2 cases of pituitary hemosiderosis in patients with thalassemia, 2 cases of microadenoma, one abscess, one case of idiopathic central diabetes insipidus and one of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. MR enabled us to assess pituitary structural alterations in children with hypothalamic-pituitary hormone ...

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Bone formation and resorption have been measured in patients with idiopathic osteoporosis by histomorphometry of 7.5-mm trephine biopsies and in the whole body by 85Sr radiotracer methodology and calcium balances. The studies were synchronized and most were preceded by double in vivo tetracycline labeling. Correlations between histological and kinetic bone formation indices were better when better when based on the extent of double tetracycline labels than on measurements of osteoid by visible light microscopy. Correction of the kinetic data for long-term exchange, using 5 months' serial whole body counting of retained 85Sr, improved the fit of the kinetic to the histological data. A statistical analysis of the measurement uncertainties showed that the residual scatter in the best correlations (between exchange-corrected bone formation rates and double-labeled osteoid surface indices) could be attributed to measurement imprecision alone. The ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Hsp20, referred to as HspB6, is constitutively expressed in various tissues. Specifically, HspB6 is most highly expressed in different types of muscle including vascular, airway, colonic, bladder, and uterine smooth muscle; cardiac muscle; and skeletal muscle. It can be phosphorylated at Ser-16 by both cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA/PKG). Recently, Hsp20 and its phosphorylation have been implicated in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes including smooth muscle relaxation, platelet aggregation, exercise training, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease. In the heart, key advances have been made in elucidating the significance of Hsp20 in contractile function and cardioprotection over the last decade. This mini-rev...

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Purpose: To evaluate a simple method for quantification of focal activity in bone scintigraphy (BS). Material and methods: The gamma camera was calibrated using a phantom. Quantitative bone scintigraphy (QBS) was performed on 11 men recently diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), for whom routine BS showed involvement of the skeleton. Following endocrine therapy for 4 to 8 months, a second QBS was performed. Changes in QBS values were then compared to changes in serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Results: PSA response indicating regression of PCa was accompanied by a decrease in the QBS value in 8 of the 11 patients. The overall mean error of the QBS values was 15%. conclusion: QBS according to this method is a relatively simple procedure that might contribute to objective evaluation of therapeutic effects in skeletal metastases, although its validity must be tested in a larger clinical material.

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Premnalatifolin A (1), a unique icetexane diterpene dimer was isolated from the stem-bark of Indian medicinal plant, Premna latifolia. Its structure and relative stereochemistry were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, including HRESIMS and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) spectra. The compound has dimeric carbon skeleton composed of two icetexane skeletal diterpenes linked via ether bond. Further, premnalatifolin A (1) was also evaluated for its cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (HT-29, A-431, MCF-7, Hep-G2, PC-3, A-549, B-16 F10, and ACHN), which displayed potent activity against HT-29 and MCF-7 cell lines with the IC50 values of 12.15 and 1.11mg/mL, respectively.

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Abstract The heterotetrameric K++-channel KCNQ1/KCNE1 is expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, liver and several epithelia including the renal proximal tubule. In the heart, it contributes to the repolarization of cardiomyocytes. The repolarization is impaired in ischemia. Ischemia stimulates the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine kinase, sensing energy depletion and stimulating several cellular mechanisms to enhance energy production and to limit energy utilization. AMPK has previously been shown to downregulate the epithelial Na++ channel ENaC, an effect mediated by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2. The present study explored whether AMPK regulates KCNQ1/KCNE1. To this end, cRNA encoding KCNQ1/KCNE1 was injected into Xenopus oocytes with and without additional injection o...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Mechanomyography (MMG) is the muscle surface oscillations that are generated by the dimensional change of the contracting muscle fibers. Because MMG reflects the number of recruited motor units and their firing rates, just as electromyography (EMG) is influenced by these two factors, it can be used to estimate the force exerted by skeletal muscles. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of MMG for estimating the elbow flexion force at the wrist under an isometric contraction by using an artificial neural network in comparison with EMG. We performed experiments with five subjects, and the force at the wrist and the MMG from the contributing muscles were recorded. It was found that MMG could be utilized to accurately estimate the isometric elbow flexion force based on the v...

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The case is presented of a 64-year-old man who complained on admission of discomfort in the right shoulder at the time of excision of a large section of the axillary skin which contained extra-mammary Paget disease. Shortly thereafter, radiological studies of the humerus and scapula showed obvious malignant disease which proved to be metastatic upon biopsy of the humerus and pathological studies of the excised area of extra-mammary Paget disease in the axillary skin. The patient died twelve months after the diagnosis was established with widespread metastatic disease. The literature on the subject was reviewed and it was demonstrated that metastases to the skeleton from lesions of the skin are relatively rare. This case is exceptional because of the rapid fatal course and the extent of metastatic disease originating in extra-mammary Paget disease of the axillary skin.

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Aim: To determine whether experience improves the consistency of visual search behaviour in fracture identification in plain radiographs, and the effect of specialization. Material and methods: Twenty-five observers consisting of consultant radiologists, consultant orthopaedic surgeons, orthopaedic specialist registrars, orthopaedic senior house officers, and accident and emergency senior house officers examined 33 skeletal radiographs (shoulder, hand, and knee). Eye movement data were collected using a Tobii 1750 eye tracker with levels of diagnostic confidence collected simultaneously. Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence and Gaussian mixture model fitting of fixation distance-to-fracture were used to calculate the consistency and the relationship between discovery and reflective visual search phases among different observer groups. Results: Total time spent studying the radiograph was not significantly different between the groups. However, the expert groups had a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper deals with an analysis of a single specimen of Tentaculites crotalinus SALTER emend. CIGUEL et al. (1984) that present a possible partial preservation of the shell. It comes from an outcrop of the Grossa Formation (Devonian) near Jaguariaiva, State of Parana. The skeletal microstructure of the Tentaculitoidea shell rather poorly Known. Thus, the phylogenetic relationships of these invertebrates still uncertain. Tentaculitids are very common fossils in Devonian Ponta Grossa Formation (Parana Basin) but so far Known only from external and internal moulds. The objective of this study is to demonstrate wheter the layer found in between the internal and external mould is or not a case shell preservation. The chemical composition of this layer and of the external mould was analysed by X rays. X rays difratometry was applied only to the matrix (at the external mould). The structure of the supposed shell remain was studied by binocular stereomicroscope and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors assess the role of Computed Topography in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma (MM) and investigate if Computed Tomography findings can influence the clinical approach, prognosis and treatment. 273 multiple myeloma patients submitted to Computed Tomography June 1994, to December, 1996. The patients were 143 men and 130 women (mean age: 65 years): 143 were stage I, 38 stage II and 92 stage III according to Durie and Salomon's clinical classification. All patients were submitted to blood tests, spinal radiography and Computed Tomography, the latter with serial 5-mm scans on several vertebral bodies. Computed Tomography despicted vertebral arch and process involvement in 3 cases with the vertebral pedicle sign. Moreover, Computed Tomography proved superior to radiography in showing the spread of myelomatous masses into the soft tissues in a case with solitary permeative lesion in the left public bone, which facilitated subsequent biopsy. As for extraosseous ...

Science.gov (United States)

We examined the subcellular localization of ryanodine receptors (RyR) in the cardiac muscle of carp using biochemical, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic methods and compared it with those of rats and guinea pigs. To achieve this goal, an anti-RyR antibody was newly raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence that was conserved among all sequenced RyRs. Western blot analysis using this antibody detected a single RyR band following the SDS-PAGE of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes from carp atrium and ventricle as well as from mammalian hearts and skeletal muscles. The carp heart band had slightly greater mobility than those of mammalian hearts. Although immunohistochemical staining showed evident striations corresponding to the Z lines in longitudinal sections of mammalian hearts, clusters of punctate staining, in contrast, were distributed ubiquitously throughout carp atrium and ventricle. Electron microscopic images ...

Science.gov (United States)

1,2,3-Trisilacyclopenta-1,4-diene 2, featuring three skeletal Si atoms in the five-membered ring, was synthesized by the thermolysis of the 1,2,3-trisilabicyclo[1.1.0]butane derivative 1 at 130 degrees C in the presence of hex-3-yne. Possessing the properties of nonconjugated cyclopentadiene, 2 readily underwent reduction with KC(8), which was followed by treatment with LiBr to form the lithium salt of 1,2,3-trisilacyclopentadienide 3(-)*[Li(+)(thf)], from which the ketone-coordinated derivative 3(-)*[Li(+)(O=C(t)Bu(2))] was prepared. Both 3(-)*[Li(+)(L)] (L = thf, O=C(t)Bu(2)) are classified as novel 6pi-electron aromatic systems based on their characteristic X-ray crystal and NMR spectral data. Addition of 12-crown-4 to 3(-)*[Li(+)(thf)] resulted in the unexpected formation of 4(-)*[Li(+)(12-crown-4)(2)], featuring the unprecedented cyclic disilenide ion 4(-). PMID:19378994

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A scintimetric study using Tc-99m MDP was made of 54 patients with delayed union, nonunion, or late segmental collapse of the femoral head, 4-92 months after femoral neck fracture. In radiographically verified collapse, the radionuclide uptake ratio between the femoral head on the fractured and on the intact side (HHR) was significantly higher than in fractures resulting in delayed union or nonunion. On the basis of scintimetric and radiographic findings, the patients with healing disturbances could be divided into three groups, characterized by the following features: (1) Satisfactory post-reduction position of the fracture without subsequent redisplacement and a high HHR, which as a rule turned out to be delayed union; (2) The same radiographic pattern but with a lower HHR, which in most cases resulted in nonunion; (3) Inadequate reduction or early redisplacement of the fracture with a high HHR, which resulted in nonunion. The fractional precision in discriminating between different ...

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Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed in 24 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy and up to one to four years after operation. The gamma camera count rate was recorded over the lower thoracic and all lumbar vertebrae 4 h after injection of [sup 99m]Tc-MDP. Twelve patients has normal bone scintigrams throughout the study. They showed from two years after operation a slight increase in count rate values compared with the preoperative values, probability due to hormonal changes after orchiectomy and to age-related alterations in skeletal metabolism. Twelve patients had abnormal bone scintigrams. They showed as a response to treatment the flare phenomenon with an increase in count rate over the abnormal vertebrae when measured two weeks after operation followed by a decrease after two months. The lowest count rate values were obtained between six months and one year after operation. Thereafter the count rate seemed to remain on the same level. An ...

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The effect of various forms of treatment of renal osteodystrophy was evaluated in 25 dialysis patients by quantitative bone scintigraphy, using 99m-Tc-HEDP. The results were compared with those of biochemical and bone morphometric studies. The total skeletal activity (TSA) decreased in 5 patients after transplantation, in 11 after parathyroidectomy and in 6 out of 9 treated conservatively, but did not normalize in any of the patients. Bone morphometric evaluation of treatment, which could be performed in 19 of the 20 patients who did not receive a transplant, demonstrated a reduction in the degree of hyperparathyroidism in 17 patients (89 percent). Osteoid excess was reduced in 13 patients (68 percent) but an evident reduction of osteomalacic osteoid, i.e. improvement of osteomalacia, occurred in only 4 patients (21 percent). Changes in the TSA correlated significantly with the changes in the biochemical and histological parameters of hyperparathyroidism, but not ...

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A multifunctional protein kinase, purified from rat liver as ATP-citrate lyase kinase, has been identified as a glycogen synthase kinase. This kinase catalyzed incorporation of up to 1.5 mol of and)2numberSPO4/mol of synthase subunit associated with a decrease in the glycogen synthase activity ratio from 0.85 to a value of 0.15. Approximately 65-70% of the TUPO4 was incorporated into site 3 and 30-35% into site 2 as determined by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. This multifunctional kinase was distinguished from glycogen synthase kinase-3 on the basis of nucleotide and protein substrate specificities. Since the phosphate contents in glycogen synthase of sites 3 and 2 are altered in diabetes and by insulin administration, the possible involvement of the multifunctional kinase was explored. Glycogen synthase purified from diabetic rabbits was phosphorylated in vitro by this multifunctional kinase at only 10% of the rate compared to synthase purified from control ...

Science.gov (United States)

The present case report documents the hitherto unusual application of camouflage orthodontics in one of our patients. Our female patient had previously been treated orthodontically alio loco and had also undergone bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. She presented with TMJ complaints, with associated pains. Despite a dental Class I and centrally seated condyles, her discs had prolapsed anteriorly without reduction and she had developed a massive degenerative-inflammatory TMJ disease. Skeletally, she was a Class II case despite previous orthognathic surgery. In addition, there was also an initial suspicion of rheumatic involvement that could not be confirmed. We distalized the entire lower dental arch without bicuspid extraction. Then we advanced the mandible with the Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Appliance (MARA).We discuss exactly how the modified camouflage therapy was structured and how the individual treatment steps took place. PMID:20354841

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The chicken extracellular matrix glycoprotein ES/130 is necessary for epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in the developing hear and is also expressed in noncardiac chicken tissues such as limb and notochord. We have identified hES, the human homology of chicken ES/130. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) localizes hES to human chromosome 20p11.2-p12. FISH analyses of individuals with 20p12 deletions and affected by Alagille syndrome exclude hES as a candidate gene for this disorder. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction studies reveal that hES is expressed in both fetal and adult human tissues and that hES expression in the left ventricle is increased in the failing adult heart. Further studies will evaluate how hES mutations may relate to congenital human cardiac and skeletal anomalies as well as cardiac remodeling in the adult. 16 refs., 2 figs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

These summary descriptive data of ethnically similar cohorts of indigenous and migrant Japanese males have shown similarities or slight differences in characteristics wholly or largely genetically determined, such as blood groups, stature, and skeletal size. Differences have been noted in characteristics largely environmental or behavioral, such as diet and cigarette smoking habit, as well as in characteristics determined by a varying mixture of genetic and environmental influences, such as weight, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and serum lipid and uric acid levels. Detailed analyses of the distributions of laboratory variables, of dietary data obtained by different methods, and of correlations among laboratory, dietary, physical, and demographic variables are currently in progress. Also part of the study plan are determinations of disease prevalence from evaluation of examination, laboratory, and electrocardiographic findings, of disease incidence from repeat ...

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The heavy chains of Acanthamoeba myosins, IA, IB and II, turkey gizzard myosin, and rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1 were specifically labeled by radioactive ATP, ADP, and UTP, each of which is a substrate or product of myosin ATPase activity, when irradiated with uv light at 0"0C. With UTP, as much as 0.45 mol/mol of Acanthamoeba myosin IA heavy chain and 1 mol/mol of turkey gizzard myosin heavy chain was incorporated. Evidence that the ligands were associated with the catalytic site included the observations that reaction occurred only with nucleotides that are substrates or products of the ATPase activity; that the reaction was blocked by pyrophosphate which is an inhibitor of the ATPase activity; that ATP was bound as ADP; and that label was probably restricted to a single peptide following limited subtilisin proteolysis of labeled Acanthamoeba myosin IA heavy chain and extensive cleavage with CNBr and trypsin of labeled turkey gizzard myosin heavy ...

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AIM: To define the value of digital radiography with a clinical flat panel detector system for evaluation of wrist fractures in comparison with state of the art storage phosphor radiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Hard copy images of 26 fractured wrist specimens were acquired with the same exposure dose on a state of the art storage phosphor radiography system and a clinical flat panel detector. Image features like cortical bone surface, trabecular bone, soft tissues and fracture delineation were independently analysed by 4 observers using a standardised protocol. Image quality ratings were evaluated with an analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Flat panel detector radiographs were rated superior with respect to cortical and trabecular bone representation as well as fracture evaluation, while storage phosphor radiographs produced better soft tissue detail. CONCLUSION: In some of the observed image quality aspects, the performance of caesium iodide/amorphous silicon flat panel detector ...

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Ewing's sarcoma classically presents as a hot spot on bone scan as a result of increased vascularity of the tumor and new bone formation. Purpose We report and analyze an uncommon pattern of a 'cold' lesion in Ewing's sarcoma on bone scan and its pathophysiologic significance. Case report A 15-year-old boy complaining of thigh pain. CT scan evoked Ewing's sarcoma or osteitis. MRI evoked chronic osteitis. Scintigraphy showed a fairly intense and heterogeneous uptake on the femoral lesion and no abnormal uptake elsewhere. Biopsy showed none pathologic pattern. Three months later, a second biopsy concluded to Ewing's sarcoma. Bone scan showed a larger lesion with peripheral intense uptake centered by enlarged 'cold' area in the left femoral diaphysis and no evident bone metastasis. The patient underwent chemotherapy and surgery. Three months later, bone scan showed extensive skeletal metastasis. Conclusion Ewing's sarcoma appears usually as an intense lesion on bone ...

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Quantitative bone scintigraphy was performed at 4 and 24 h after injection of "9"9"mTc-MDP. The lower thoracic and all the lumbar vertebrae were recorded in 37 patients with prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as two weeks, two and six months postoperatively. Fourteen patients had normal bone scintigrams. By means of the measured variation in the count rate between normal vertebrae, the criterion for a vertebra to be considered as abnormal was determined using the 4 h-uptake values. For patients with normal scintigrams the count rate at 24 h was below the 4 h level and the mean 24 h/4 h ratio was determined to be 0.85 #+-# 0.09 (1 SD). Normal vertebrae in patients with skeletal metastases had only slightly lower count rate values at 24 h than at 4 h. Abnormal vertebrae showed a higher count rate at 24 h, especially two weeks postoperatively, while a tendency towards lower values than at 4 h was seen after 6 months. If the 24 h/4 h ratio is used as an ...

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of this study was to use high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging combined with image analysis to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) trabecular structure, anisotropy, and connectivity of human vertebral, femoral, and calcaneal specimens. The goal was to determine whether: (a) MR-derived measures depict known skeletal-site-specific differences in architecture and orientation of trabeculae; (b) 3D architectural parameters combined with bone mineral density (BMD) improve the prediction of the elastic modulus using a fabric tensor formulation; (c) MR-derived 3D architectural parameters combined with BMD improve the prediction of strength using a multiple regression model, and whether these results corresponded to the results obtained using higher resolution depictions of trabecular architecture. A total of 94 specimens (12 x 12 x 12 mm cubes) consisting of trabecular bone only were obtained, of which there were 7 from the calcaneus, 15 from ...

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"2"0"3Pb(NO_3)_2 was administered i.v. to pregnant C57BL mice at different stages, from day 8 to day 18 of gestation. The whole animals or excised uteri were subjected to autoradiography or were autopsied for scintillation counting of excised organs. Lead appeared in embryonic and fetal tissues at all stages of gestation. Early (approx. day 8-11) lead was restricted mainly to the embryonic blood, suggesting that free lead was essentially not transferred to the embryo but may have been incorporated in the embryonic hemoglobin when the erythrocytes were formed in the yolk sac placenta (an extraembryonic membrane). From day 12 and later, an uptake was seen in the liver and the cartilaginous skeleton, and from day 14, a strong accumulation was found in calcified bone. This means that the overall fetal concentration increases successively with gestational age of the conceptus. The uptake in fetal liver may be related to the erythropoiesis taking place in the liver in later gestation. While ...

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Beagle dogs were given single, whole-body "6"0Co gamma-radiation exposures at one of three prenatal (8, 28, or 55 days postcoitus) or three postnatal (2, 70, or 365 days postpartum) ages to evaluate the relative radiosensitivity of various stages of brain development. A total of 387 dogs received mean doses ranging from 0.16 to 3.83 Gy, and 120 dogs were sham-irradiated. Groups of dogs were sacrificed at preselected times from 70 days to 11 years of age. Brain weight decreased significantly with increasing dose in dogs irradiated at 28 or 55 days postcoitus or at 2 days postpartum. Irradiations at 28 days postcoitus were dramatically more effective in causing a reduction in brain weight than those at 55 days postcoitus or 2 days postpartum. Among dogs given 1.0 Gy or more and followed for up to 4 years, there was a radiation effect evident at all three sensitive exposure ages. Among dogs given lower doses and followed for up to 11 years, there was a significant decrease in brain weight ...

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DBA/2J (DBA) mice are susceptible to audiogenic seizures (ASs) in an age-dependent manner. Anion transport as measured by radioiodide uptake was determined in thyroid gland, salivary gland, skeletal muscle, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brainstem, and CSF from these mice at various ages. Anion transport was also determined in C57BL/6J(C57) mice, an AS-resistant strain. In thyroid, DBA mice had an enhanced ability to concentrate iodide at 21 days of age when they have maximal AS susceptibility, as compared with the same-aged C57 mice. This difference in thyroid function was less marked at 40 days of age, when DBA mice are less AS susceptible, and was absent at 110 days of age, when DBA mice are AS resistant. In brain, differences in iodide uptake were also noted between these two strains of mice at 21 days of age. DBA mice had an increased concentration of iodide in CSF, an indication that they have a defect in the transport of iodide out of the CSF across the ...

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It has been five years since the last in-depth American College of Nuclear Physicians/Society of Nuclear Medicine Symposium on the subject of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was held. Because this subject was nominated as the single most desired topic we have selected SPECT imaging as the basis for this year's program. The objectives of this symposium are to survey the progress of SPECT clinical applications that have taken place over the last five years and to provide practical and timely guidelines to users of SPECT so that this exciting imaging modality can be fully integrated into the evaluation of pathologic processes. The first half was devoted to a consideration of technical factors important in SPECT acquisition and the second half was devoted to those organ systems about which sufficient clinical SPECT imaging data are available. With respect to the technical aspect of the program we have selected the key areas which demand awareness and attention in order ...

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The distribution of i.v. administered lead (/sup 203/Pb-acetate; 50 nmol/kg b.w.) was studied by means of autoradiography and impulse counting in pregnant C57BL mice (day 18) treated orally with dithiocarbamates. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), disulfuram or thiram (2 X 1) mmol/kg b.w.) or vehicle (gelatine) alone, was given by gavage 2 h before and immediately after the injection of lead. All three dithiocarbamates, especially thiram, changed the distribution pattern of lead. Thiram and DEDTC had the greatest effect at 4 h after lead administration, disulfiram at 24 h. In the mother, most notably the brain concentration increased (70-fold for thiram at 4 h) while that of erythrocytes and skeleton decreased (50- and 4-fold, respectively). The total fetal concentration unexpectedly showed only a moderate increase (proportional 2-fold for thiram), which may be due partly to the low maternal plasma lead concentration. The partition within the fetal tissues was, however, changed by the ...

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The Fredericksberg of South Florida may have a great oil potential that has been overlooked as a primary target in past decades. Previous exploration in the area has targeted the Lower Cretaceous oil-producing Sunniland Formation lower in the stratigraphic section. The Fredericksberg Dollar Bay Formation has hydrocarbon shows in many wells occurring in limestone biohermal deposits as well as in an upper dolomitic section. The Dollar Bay Formation is part of the Big Cypress Group of the Comanchean Series of the Lower Cretaceous. The Lower Cretaceous lithology is composed of evaporitic-carbonate cycles consisting of anhydrites, dolomites, and limestones. There are also present some calcareous shales, mudstones, salt, lignitic material, and carbonaceous material, especially in the anhydrite and limestone intervals. The limestones are usually micritic, chalky, calcarenitic, sometimes argillaceous, containing skeletal particles of gastropods, pelecypods, ostracods, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Abstract High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules, favors tissue regeneration via recruitment and activation of leukocytes and stem cells. Here we demonstrate, in a model of acute sterile muscle injury, that regeneration is accompanied by active reactive oxygen species (ROS) production counterbalanced and overcome by the generation of antioxidant moieties. Mitochondria are initially responsible for ROS formation. However, they undergo rapid disruption with almost complete disappearance. Twenty-four hours after injury, we observed a strong induction of MURF1 and atrogin-1 ubiquitin ligases, key signals in activation of the proteasome system and induction of muscle atrophy. At later time points, ROS generation is maintained by nonmitochondrial sources. The antioxidant response occurs in both regenerating fibers and leukocytes that express high levels of free thiols and antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Throughout much of the 1980s, deforestation in Brazil eliminated more than 15,000 square kilometers (9000 square miles) per year. That pace has only increased through the 90s and into the 21st century. Brazil is also home to more than a quarter of Earths tropical forests. Considering that the band of lush green that circles the globe through many equatorial nations is fundamental to the overall health of the whole planets environment, careful monitoring of forest health in the tropics is essential. Tropical forests act as major carbon sinks, places where ambient carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be absorbed by growing things and sequestered for years. Definitive evidence shows that excess carbon dioxide can contribute to the greenhouse effect and speed global warming. Similarly, tropical forests also act as a primary producer of oxygen. In the respiration process that absorbs gaseous carbon dioxide, trees and other plants give off oxygen. It is for these and a host of other reasons ...

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Thalassaemic patients are in need of frequent assessment of bone age because of growth failure and pubertal disorders. To compare the ''rapid'' Greulich and Pyle (G and P) method with the third edition of the Tanner and Whitehouse (TW3) method for determining skeletal maturity and predicting final height in thalassaemic patients. A total of 191 radiographs from 58 patients (28 male, 30 female) were retrospectively evaluated by two investigators, one for each method. In 47 radiographs from 15 patients having attained their adult height, predicted final height was calculated according to each method. The mean bone ages determined by both the G and P and TW3 methods were lower than mean chronological age, although the differences were not statistically significant (10.04 {+-} 3.69 years and 9.98 {+-} 3.39 years vs. 10.78 {+-} 3.96 years, respectively). Both methods had a tendency to over-estimate final height. Overall, the TW3 ...

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A cross sectional study on the mineral density of the 3rd lumbar vertebral trabecular bone was carried out in 123 children less than 15 years old, comprising 44 controls, and 79 patients affected with conditions which are at risk for developing metabolic derangement of skeletal bone (34 patients taking antiepileptic drugs (AED), 29 undergoing glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and 16 bedridden patients), by using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) with a CaCO{sub 3} phantom. Serum Ca and alkaline-phosphatase (Alp) levels were measured at the time of QCT examinations in all. The results obtained were as follows: The QCT values in the control children showed neither age dependency nor a sexual difference before puberty. The QCT values in each group showed significant difference with one another; the control group>the AED group>the GC group>the bedridden group (p<0.05{approx}0.005). The serum Ca levels in each pathology group were significantly lower than ...

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A study was made investigate a relationship existing in the dentoskeletal framework and the soft tissue profile around the face, and compared the sexual differences between boys and girls having the normal occlusion in the mixed dentition. The lateral cephalograms were composed of 67 boys aged 10.3 years and 68 girls aged 10.4 years, respectively. By means of the lateral cephalograms, both the hard-and soft tissue structures were simultaneously analyzed, measured and evaluated by introducing the several reference items: S-N plane, palatal plane, mandibular plane, N-A line and A-P line for the dentoskeletal structures and N'-P' line for the soft tissue, and the 21 measuring points for the both structures. The significant findings were as follows: 1. In general the boys showed the larger nasal component dimension than did the girls, but the length and height of nose(N'-Prn and NA-Prn) showed the significant sexual difference among those when evaluated statistically. 2. The lip-thickness ...

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Energy from biomass is a CO{sub 2} neutral, sustainable form of energy. Anaerobic digestion is an established technology for converting biomass to biogas, which contains around 60% methane, besides CO{sub 2} and various contaminants. Most types of biomass contain material that cannot be digested; in woody biomass, this portion is particularly high. Therefore, conventional anaerobic digestion is not suited for the production of biogas from woody biomass. While wood is already being converted to energy by conventional thermal methods (gasification with subsequent methanation), dung, manure, and sewage sludge represent types of biomass whose energy potential remains largely untapped (present energetic use of manure in Switzerland: 0.4%). Conventional gas phase processes suffer from a low efficiency due to the high water content of the feed (enthalpy of vaporization). An alternative technology is the hydrothermal gasification: the water contained within the biomass serves as reaction ...