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Facet Joint Morphology and Tropism in Adolescents : Association with Lumbar Disc Herniation and Spondylolysis
Get PDFStudy Design: Cross-sectional, observational.
Objective: To investigate the incidence of bidirectional lumbar facet tropism and its relationship with lumbar spine disease in adolescents.
Summary of Background Data: There is limited information on facet joint asymmetry in the sagittal plane in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: The orientation of all lumbar facet joints was measured in the bidirectional planes on computed tomographic images for 191 patients with low back pain. The patients were divided into four groups according to age (10° in the axial plane and >5° in the sagittal plane. The association of facet tropism with disease was investigated further by analyzing facet joint orientation and the incidence of facet tropism in 116 patients with single-level lumbar disease.
Results: Facet tropism was observed in 8.7% of axial views and 7.5% of sagittal views. The incidence of axial facet tropism was significantly higher in male patients aged ≥15 years, especially at L4/5. Facet joint morphology in the axial plane was more coronal at L3/4 and L4/5 in male patients ≥15 years than in those <15 years. Facet joint morphology in the sagittal plane was unchanged at around 15 years of age in both sexes. Axial facet tropism was found at L4/5 in 55.6% of patients with herniated nucleus pulposus. There was a significant difference in sagittal facet orientation in patients with spondylolysis at L5. The facet angle was significant larger in patients with L5 spondylolysis at L3/4 and L4/5.
Conclusion: The facet tropism rate in adolescents is similar in the axial and sagittal planes. Facet tropism and specific morphology may be related to lumbar disc herniation and spondylolysis in this age group.There is limited information on the incidence of facet tropism in adolescents. Our findings suggest that facet tropism occurs at a similar rate in the axial and sagittal planes in adolescents. Facet tropism and distinctive facet orientation could be involved in lumbar disc herniation and spondylolysis in adolescents.doctoral thesi
Pancreatic GHRHomas in Patients with or without Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN 1) : An Analysis of 36 Reported Cases
Get PDFPancreatic GHRHomas (pGHRHomas) with acromegaly have unique conditions, harboring the existence of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1). Moreover, pituitary lesions are affected by both protracted ectopic GHRH and loss of menin function. Of significance is the clarification of clinicopathological aspects of pGHRHomas in patients with or without MEN 1. From 1977-2016, thirty-six patients with pGHRHomas were reported. Twenty-two out of 36 patients (61%) had pGHRHomas with MEN 1 and 14 patients did not. The former had a tendency of male predominance, benign tumor behavior and fewer metastasis rather than the latter. The latter is a single pGHRHoma accompanied by pituitary enlargement with somatotroph hyperplasia (hyperplasia) caused by protracted ectopic GHRH. Nine patients with MEN 1 underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). The hyperplasia associated with various pituitary adenomas (PAs) including three GH-related adenomas was observed in seven subjects (32%). In these patients, the resection of their pGHRHomas was feasible. Furthermore, all patients with acromegaly due to pGHRHomas without MEN 1 had non-TSS, whereas approximately 70% of those with MEN 1 had unnecessary TSS. The association with hyperplasia and various PAs suggested that formation of the three GH-related adenomas may be induced by the foundations of MEN 1 gene mutations.journal articl
尼崎運河直立護岸での二枚貝の付着を活用した新たな魚礁の開発
Get PDF付着性二枚貝コウロエンカワヒバリガイが優占する濁度が高い汽水性運河において，生物の生息場としての機能を長期間維持できる魚礁の開発を行った．本魚礁は外枠にロープを張るだけの単純な構造である点に特徴があり，実験では「魚礁のロープに二枚貝が付着することでハゼ科チチブの生息場が創出される」という仮説を現場実験と水槽実験で検証した．その結果，①二枚貝がロープに付着，成長することで魚礁内に凹凸や陰影が形成され，チチブの未成魚が蝟集すること，②チチブの未成魚は魚礁の内部の空間に侵入し，居つくこと，また二枚貝の付着によって魚礁が閉塞された場合にも，チチブは魚礁外側の凹凸を利用することを明らかにした．さらにそのコウロエンカワヒバリガイが脱落することで，再び魚礁内部にチチブが侵入できる空間が形成されることも確認できた．We developed a fish reef capable of effectively sustaining the function of creating biological habitats over extended periods, even in high-turbidity brackish water dominated by sessile bivalves. These fish reefs were characterized by their simple structure, consisting only of ropes attached to plastic frames. We tested the hypothesis that “the attachment of bivalves to the ropes creates habitats for gobies” in on-side aquarium experiments. We found that (1) the attachment and growth of bivalves on the ropes created rough surfaces and shadows within the fish reef, attracting juvenile Dusky Triple-tooth Gobies Tridentiger obscrus, and (2) the juvenile gobies entered and settled in the internal spaces of the fish reefs. The gobies utilized the rough outer surfaves of the fish reefs, even when the sessile bivalves entirely covered the fish reefs. Furthermore, as the bivalves were detached, the spaces within the fish reef for the gobies to enter were restored.journal articl
徳大病院ニュース
Get PDF・ホスピタルギャラリーbe「和紙を装う」展を開催しています
・予約の変更はインターネットから！「やくばと病院予約」がはじまります
・令和６年「看護の日・看護週間」の取り組みとしてイベントを開催しましたarticl
Associations between dietary diversity and high sensitive C-reactive protein among Japanese workers : findings of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study
Get PDFPurpose: To clarify the association between dietary diversity and inflammatory status in Japanese workers.
Methods: Of 1,460 men and women aged 20–64 years in 2010 (baseline), those who were followed-up at least once between 2011 and 2018 were included in this study; 1,433 participants and 745 participants were included in the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, respectively. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline, and the dietary diversity score was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity (QUANTIDD). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was taken to indicate inflammatory status at the baseline and follow-up surveys. In the cross-sectional analysis using baseline data, a generalized linear model was used to calculate adjusted means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hs-CRP according to the QUANTIDD score. In the longitudinal analysis, generalized estimating equations were used to calculate the adjusted mean (95% CI) for hs-CRP in follow-up according to the QUANTIDD score at baseline.
Results: In the cross-sectional analysis, the hs-CRP concentration in male participants was significantly lower in those who had a high QUANTIDD score (adjusted mean [95% CI]: 0.074 [0.009—0.140] mg/dL in the lower group vs. 0.038 [-0.029—0.105] mg/dL in the higher group, p-value=0.034). In the longitudinal analysis, the hs-CRP concentration of male participants also tended to be lower in those with higher QUANTIDD scores (p-value=0.103). In both the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in women, there was no significant difference between the lower and higher QUANTIDD score groups.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that, in male Japanese workers, higher dietary diversity might be important for maintaining a low inflammatory status.journal articl
Noncorrosive Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives of Acryl Polymers by Sulfur-Free Addition–Fragmentation Chain Transfer Agents
Get PDFA series of sulfur-free chain transfer agents (CTAs) for radical polymerization were synthesized to control the molecular weight of acrylic polymers for pressure-sensitive adhesion (PSA). PSAs are commonly used in daily life and industrial manufacturing, and their mechanical properties can be tuned by balancing adhesion and cohesion, depending on the molecular weight of the polymer. The molecular weight is typically controlled by adding CTAs, such as n-dodecyl mercaptan (NDM), to the radical polymerization system, although sulfur compounds often cause problems, such as bad smell and metal corrosion. Therefore, sulfur-free CTAs were designed by substituting methacrylates and methacrylonitrile with phenyl groups and malonate skeletons. Among them, CTA containing a methacrylonitrile skeleton functioned efficiently in the solution and suspension polymerizations of (meth)acrylates.The resulting polymers did not lead to copper corrosion, while the PSAs prepared with these polymers exhibited mechanical properties comparable to those of conventional PSA in peel, creep, and probe-tack tests.Therefore, the developed CTAs can be used as alternatives to NDM, although somewhat larger amounts are required for polymerization control owing to their lower chain transfer and reinitiation efficiencies. PSAs that realize sufficient strength and no metal corrosion are particularly effective in applications involving LED elements and electronic circuit boards, where silver electrodes and wires are in direct contact with PSAs.journal articl
Vitrimer-like elastomers with rapid stress-relaxation by high-speed carboxy exchange through conjugate substitution reaction
Get PDFWe report vitrimer-like elastomers that exhibit significantly fast stress relaxation using carboxy exchange via the conjugate substitution reaction of α-(acyloxymethyl) acrylate skeletons. This network design is inspired by a small-molecule model that shows the carboxy exchange reaction even at ambient temperature in the presence of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO). The acrylate and acrylic acid copolymers are cross-linked using bis[α-(bromomethyl)acrylates] and doped with 10 wt% DABCO, exhibiting processability to obtain a transparent film by hot pressing. The high-speed bond exchange in the network, validated by stress-relaxation tests, allows quick molding with household iron. In addition, the material is applied as an adhesion sheet for plastic and metal substrates. Because dynamic cross-linking with the proposed bond exchange mechanism can be implemented for any polymer bearing carboxyl pendants, our approach can be applied to versatile backbones, which must thus be meaningful in the practical sense.journal articl
Synthesis of polycrystalline Ta₂O₅ inverse opal photonic crystal powders and their optical characterization
Get PDFPolycrystalline Ta2O5 inverse opal (IO) photonic crystal powders were synthesized using PMMA colloidal crystals as sacrificial templates. We prepared Ta2O5 IO powders with vibrant structural colors at UV–vis wavelengths. The photonic bandgaps (PBGs) in the Ta2O5 IO powders red-shifted as a function of both the macropore diameter and the refractive index of the medium filling the macropores. Owing to their polycrystalline structure, the Ta2O5 IO powders exposed PBGs for various FCC facets, making investigation of their optical properties significantly more complex than Ta2O5 IO thin films that preferentially expose only (111) planes as studied previously. Due to the overlap of the PBGs from different FCC facets and the defects that cause light scattering, much of the typical angle-dependent structural color observed in IO thin films was lost in the Ta2O5 IO powders. This study offers new insights into the optical properties of IO powders.journal articl
Improvement of Asymmetric Reactions via Remote Electronic Tuning of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts
Get PDFAminoindanol-derived N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts have been widely used to achieve highly enantioselective reactions. Recently, substitution at the indane moiety of the catalysts has been found to have a great impact on the outcome of some reactions, even though the substituted position is distant from the carbene catalytic center. Especially, the introduction of an electron-withdrawing group improves the yield and enantioselectivity. This review provides an overview of recent reports on the improvement of N-heterocyclic-carbene-catalyzed asymmetric reactions by introducing electron-withdrawing remote substituents.journal articl
Intradermal delivery of a liposomal formulation encapsulating amphiphilic ascorbic acid by iontophoresis for promotion of collagen synthesis
Get PDFCollagen is a structural protein in skin that is an important component for maintaining skin functions, such as elasticity. As the amount and functional capacity of collagen in the skin decreases with age, wrinkles and skin sagging are induced. Treatment of the skin with vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AsA) is attracting attention as a means of inducing collagen production. However, penetration of AsA into the skin is difficult due to its hydrophilicity. To overcome this limitation, we focused on a combination of iontophoresis (ItP), which is a non-invasive intradermal drug delivery technology, and use of a liposome formulation, to improve skin penetration of AsA. In this study, palmitoylated AsA was used to increase the encapsulation efficiency into liposomes. We prepared liposomes encapsulating palmitoylated AsA (AsA-lipo) and performed ItP of fluorescently-labeled AsA-lipo on the shaved dorsal skin of rats. Fluorescence of the liposomes was observed in skin sections following ItP, indicating that AsA-lipo was delivered into the skin. The amount of collagen in the skin after ItP of AsA-lipo increased with the number of doses, and the amount of collagen mRNA also showed an increasing trend. Furthermore, the amount of hydroxyproline, which is a major component of collagen, was significantly increased in skin treated with AsA-lipo via ItP. In conclusion, results of this study demonstrate the successful promotion of skin collagen synthesis by non-invasive iontophoretic intradermal delivery of AsA-lipo.journal articl