Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Upper Esophageal Sphincter for Dysphagia During the Acute Postoperative Phase of Anterior Cervical Surgery.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Objective: To verify the pathophysiology of dysphagia during the acute postoperative phase of anterior cervical surgery and to identify its predictive features, using ultrasonographic (US) examination for upper esophageal sphincter (UES).

Summary Of Background Data: There are no clinical studies investigating dysphagia after anterior cervical surgery, using US examination for UES.

Clinical outcome of surgical management of mild cervical compressive myelopathy based on minimum clinically important difference.

Background Context: Cervical compressive myelopathy (CCM), caused by cervical spondylosis (cervical spondylotic myelopathy [CSM]) or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), is a common neurological disorder in the elderly. For moderate/severe CCM, surgical management has been the first-line therapeutic option. Recently, surgical management is also recommended for mild CCM, and a few studies have reported the surgical outcome for this clinical population.

Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma Presenting with Respiratory Failure: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Case: A 62-year-old woman who had an unremarkable medical history presented with sudden headache and neck pain. After the presentation, complete quadriplegia and respiratory arrest developed, and the patient was urgently intubated. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an extensive epidural hematoma (EH), and emergency hematoma evacuation was performed.

Studies in the Falls Efficacy Scale-International for patients with cervical compressive myelopathy: Reliability, validity, and minimum clinically important difference.

Context: Patients with cervical compressive myelopathy (CCM) often complain of body balance problems, such as fear of falling and bodily unsteadiness. However, no accepted patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for this symptomatology exist. The Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) is one of the most widely used PROMs for evaluating impaired body balance in various clinical fields.

Segmental cervical instability does not drive the loss of cervical lordosis after laminoplasty in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Background/context: Kyphotic deformity after cervical laminoplasty (CLP) often leads to unfavorable neurological recovery due to insufficient indirect decompression of the spinal cord. Existing literature has described that segmental cervical instability is a contraindication for CLP because it is a potential risk factor for kyphotic changes after surgery; however, this has never been confirmed in any clinical studies.

Purpose: To confirm whether segmental cervical instability was an independent risk factor for postoperative kyphotic change and to examine whether segmental cervical instability led to poor neurological outcomes after CLP for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Impact of morphological restoration of the spinal cord from the preoperative to early postoperative periods on C5 palsy development.

Objective: C5 palsy (C5P) is a known complication of cervical decompression surgery. The tethering effect of the C5 nerve root following the posterior shift of the spinal cord is the most accepted pathologic mechanism for C5P development; however, this mechanism cannot fully explain C5P by itself in clinical practice. Separately, some studies have suggested that preoperative severe spinal cord compression and postoperative morphological changes in the spinal cord affect C5P development; however, no previous study has quantitatively addressed these possibilities.

Decompression status of the spinal cord after cervical laminoplasty in various body positions and neck postures observed using percutaneous ultrasonography: Relationship with neurological recovery.

Background: Percutaneous ultrasonography (PUS) is used to evaluate the status of the spinal cord after cervical laminoplasty (CLP). This technique helps assess real-time movements of the spinal cord and provides immediate information regarding the decompression status. Additionally, it can also be utilized to evaluate the status of the spinal cord in various body positions and neck postures.

Usefulness of Percutaneous Ultrasonography for Deciding the Need of Surgical Evacuation of Epidural Hematoma After Cervical Double-door Laminoplasty.

Study Design: This was a retrospective study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnostic utility of percutaneous ultrasonography (PUS) for postoperative epidural hematoma (EH) as a postoperative complication.

Summary Of Background Data: We investigated the usefulness of PUS for determining the need of surgical evacuation of postoperative EH by comparing the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PUS of the spinal cord.

The Effect of Military Load Carriage on Postural Sway, Forward Trunk Lean, and Pelvic Girdle Motion.

Musculoskeletal injuries are a common occurrence in military service members. It is believed that the load carried by the service member impedes stability and alters back and pelvis kinematics, increasing their susceptibility to musculoskeletal injuries, specifically in the lower extremities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two different loads on postural sway, forward trunk lean, and pelvic girdle motion in United States Army Cadets.

Novel endoscope system with plasma flushing for off-pump cardiac surgery.

The purpose of this study is to develop a new endoscope for performing simple surgical tasks inside a cardiac atrium/chamber filled with blood, i.e., for performing "off-pump" cardiac surgeries.

Aquaporin NIP2;1 is mainly localized to the ER membrane and shows root-specific accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

We investigated a nodulin 26-like protein NIP2;1, which belongs to the third subgroup of Arabidopsis aquaporins. Histochemical analysis of a promoter-beta-glucuronidase fusion revealed the root-specific expression of NIP2;1. The NIP2;1 protein was detected in young roots, but not in leaves, stems, flowers or siliques.

Immunochemical analysis of aquaporin isoforms in Arabidopsis suspension-cultured cells.

Aquaporins mediate the movement of water across biomembranes. Arabidopsis thaliana contains 35 aquaporins that belong to four subfamilies (PIP, TIP, SIP, and NIP). We investigated their expression profiles immunochemically in suspension-cultured Arabidopsis thaliana cells during growth and in response to salt and osmotic stresses.

Effects of Antimutagens on the Teratogenicity of N-Methyl-N'-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine in Mice.

We examined whether vanillin (VA) and CoCl ∙6H O(CoCl ), antimutagens, which have mutation suppressing effect, i.e., promotion of cellular repair function in vitro, can modify the teratogenicity in mice caused by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a direct-acting monofunctional alkylating agent.