Accuracy and safety of percutaneous pedicle screw placement using the K-wireless minimally invasive spine percutaneous pedicle screw system in Japan: A randomized active controlled study.

Background: Minimally invasive lumbar fusion has recently become a widely used technique worldwide. This randomized active controlled study was conducted to demonstrate the non-inferiority of the K-wireless Minimally Invasive Spine (MIS) Percutaneous Pedicle Screw (PPS) system compared with use of the six pedicle screw systems currently used in our practices with respect to the accuracy of pedicle screw placement.Also to compare the screw-insertion time and number of fluoroscopic observations during screw insertion between the groups.

Oxidative addition of an aromatic ortho C-H bond of tetraphosphine to asymmetric diiridium(i) centres.

Reactions of a tetraphosphine, meso-bis{[(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenyl]phosphino}propane (dpmppp), with [IrCl(cod)]2 and CO (1 atm) or isocyanide (RNC) in the presence of NH4PF6 at 80-100 °C in dichloromethane/acetonitrile/acetone and/or methanol mixed solvents afforded asymmetric diiridium(ii) complexes, [Ir2(H)(Cl)(μ-(dpmppp-H)-κP(4)C)(CO)3]PF6 (1) and [Ir2(H)(μ-(dpmppp-H)-κP(4)C)(RNC)4)]-(PF6)2 (R = 2,6-xylyl (2), 2,4,6-mesityl (3); dpmppp-H = {PPh(o-C6H4)CH2P(Ph)(CH2)3P(Ph)CH2PPh2}(-)). A similar reaction with (t)BuNC resulted in the formation of a mononuclear Ir(III) complex of [Ir(H)(dpmppp-κP(3))((t)BuNC)2](PF6)2 (4). Complexes 1-3 were characterized by ESI mass spectrometry, (1)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses.

Reversible dioxygen binding on asymmetric dinuclear rhodium centres.

Electron-deficient dinuclear rhodium complexes [Rh2Cl2(μ-dpmppp)(RNC)] (1), with the linear tetraphosphine ligand dpmppp, showed reversible binding of molecular oxygen to form asymmetric dirhodium η(2)-peroxo complexes [Rh2Cl2(O2)(μ-dpmppp)(RNC)] (2) stabilized by a Rh→Rh dative bond.

Development of a method for oral administration of hydrophobic substances to Caenorhabditis elegans: pro-longevity effects of oral supplementation with lipid-soluble antioxidants.

Methods for quantitative oral administration of various substances to Caenorhabditis elegans are needed. Previously, we succeeded in oral administration of hydrophilic substances using liposomes. However, an adequate system for delivery of hydrophobic chemicals was not available.

Aspirin and NS-398 inhibit hepatocyte growth factor-induced invasiveness of human hepatoma cells.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and are considered to exert antitumor actions in a variety of cancer cells, although the effects are unlikely entirely due to COX inhibition. Because clinical observations suggest that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can promote metastasis of hepatoma cells while stimulating tumor invasiveness, we investigated the effect of aspirin and NS-398, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on HGF-mediated invasiveness of HepG2 human hepatoma cells. HGF stimulated the invasiveness of HepG2 cells in Matrigel cell invasion assay, together with increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9.