Does Preservation of Metacarpophalangeal Joint Vascularity Protect Against Physeal Arrest in Index Finger Pollicization?

Purpose: To determine whether preservation of blood supply to the index metacarpophalangeal joint decreases the rate of physeal arrest.

Methods: A retrospective review of 41 pollicized digits in 35 patients with 2-year minimum radiographic follow-up was conducted at a single institution. Other complications evaluated included nonunion at the pollicized digit base and clinical instability at the new carpometacarpal joint.

Low pre-infection levels of neutralizing antibody in breakthrough infections after bivalent BA.4-5 vaccine and practical application of dried blood spots.

The level of neutralizing antibodies required to confer protection against COVID-19 breakthrough infections (BIs) is unclear, and the ability to know the immune status of individuals against the rapidly changing endemic variants is limited. We assessed longitudinal serum anti-RBD antibody levels and neutralizing activities (NTs) against Omicron BA.5 and XBB.

Super Formula for Soluble C-Type Lectin-Like Receptor 2 × D-Dimer in Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction.

Acute cerebral infarction (ACI) includes atherosclerotic and cardiogenic ACI and involves a thrombotic state, requiring antithrombotic treatment. However, the thrombotic state in ACI cannot be evaluated using routine hemostatic examinations. Plasma soluble C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (sCLEC-2) and D-dimer levels were measured in patients with ACI.

High Incidence of Metastatic Infections in Panton-Valentine Leucocidin-Negative, Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Bacteremia: An 11-Year Retrospective Study in Japan.

Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-negative community-associated methicillin-resistant (CA-MRSA) was originally disseminated in Japan and has since replaced healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). However, the clinical characteristics of CA-MRSA bacteremia (CA-MRSAB) compared with those of HA-MRSA bacteremia (HA-MRSAB) are unknown. We aim to clarify differences and investigate associations between the clinical manifestations and virulence genes associated with plasma-biofilm formation in PVL-negative CA-MRSA.

Effect of the combination of cationic lipid and phospholipid on gene-knockdown using siRNA lipoplexes in breast tumor cells and mouse lungs.

Previously, using three types of cationic lipids, the effect of phospholipids in liposomal formulations on gene-knockdown efficacy was determined after and transfection with small interfering RNA (siRNA)/cationic liposome complexes (siRNA lipoplexes) containing various cationic lipids and phospholipids. In the present study, six other types of cationic lipids, namely -dimethyl--tetradecyltetradecan-1-aminium bromide, -hexadecyl--dimethylhexadecan-1-aminium bromide (DC-1-16), 2-[bis{2-(tetradecanoyloxy)ethyl}amino]--trimethyl-2-oxoethan-1-aminium chloride (DC-6-14), 1,2-di--octadecenyl-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride (DOTMA), 1,2-distearoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane chloride (DSTAP) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-dimethylammonium-propane were selected, and the effect of phospholipids in liposomal formulations containing each cationic lipid on gene-knockdown was evaluated. A total of 30 types of cationic liposomes composed of each cationic lipid with phosphatidylethanolamine containing unsaturated or saturated diacyl chains (C14, C16 or C18) were prepared.