Development of Polymer Complexed Lamella That Retains α-gel Structure When Dried.

This paper reports a novel α-gel formulation technology referred to as polymer complexed lamella (PCL) that uses hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and glycerol. The PCL method suppressed lipid crystallization even after drying. This effect was maximized by the addition of HPMC and glycerol at high temperature.

Development of dark-field dynamic light scattering microscopy and its application: Tracking dynamics of particles in condensed slurries spreading on planar/nonplanar substrates.

Hypothesis: While dynamics of particles in slurries is usually evaluated by dynamic light scattering measurements, this technique had only been applicable to particles in the bulk slurries. Because this limitation is mainly owing to strong reflection of light, the dynamics of particles in slurries spreading/drying on solid substrates is to be obtained by spatially separating the reflection light from scattering (signal) light. This may allow us to track the particles in practical samples such as cosmetics or inks spreading on solid surfaces.

Pediatric isthmic spondylolisthesis showing radiologic evidence of slippage after physis injury.

The pathogenesis of slippage in pediatric spondylolisthesis is still unclear, although epiphyseal injury may account for many cases based on preclinical studies. However, no reports have described a pediatric case of isthmic spondylolisthesis showing radiologic evidence of epiphyseal injury. We report such evidence in a 13-year-old boy with low-back pain.

Foraminoplastic transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic discectomy at the lumbosacral junction under local anesthesia in an elite rugby player.

Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PED) is the least invasive disc surgery available at present. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia and requires only an 8 mm skin incision. Furthermore, damage to the back muscle is considered minimal, which is particularly important for disc surgery in athletes.

State-of-the-art ultrasonographic findings in lower extremity sports injuries.

Athletes sometimes experience overuse injuries. To diagnose these injuries, ultrasonography is often more useful than plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasonography can show both bone and soft tissue from various angles as needed, providing great detail in many cases.

State of the art: Intraoperative neuromonitoring in spinal deformity surgery.

Application of deformity correction spinal surgery has increased substantially over the past three decades in parallel with improvements in surgical techniques. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IOM) techniques,including somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), muscle evoked potentials (MEPs), and spontaneous electromyography (free-run EMG), have also improved surgical outcome by reducing the risk of iatrogenic neural injury. In this article, we review IOM techniques and their applications in spinal deformity surgery.

Microscopic structural analysis of fractured silk fibers from Bombyx mori and Samia cynthia ricini using 13C CP/MAS NMR with a 1mm microcoil MAS NMR probehead.

Conformational changes have been studied in silk fibers from the domestic silkworm Bombyx mori and a wild silkworm Samia cynthia ricini as a result of fractured by stretching. About 300 samples consisting of only the fractured regions of [1-13C]Ala or [1-13C]Gly labeled silk fibers were collected and observed by 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra. The total amount of these fractured fibers is only about 1mg and therefore we used a home-built 1mm microcoil MAS NMR probehead.

Development of Small-Diameter Vascular Grafts Based on Silk Fibroin Fibers from Bombyx mori for Vascular Regeneration.

In the field of surgical revascularization, the need for functional small-diameter (1.5-4.0 mm in diameter) vascular grafts is increasing.

Long-term patency of small-diameter vascular graft made from fibroin, a silk-based biodegradable material.

Objective: There is an increasing need for vascular grafts in the field of surgical revascularization. However, smaller vascular grafts made from synthetic biomaterials, particularly those <5 mm in diameter, are associated with a high incidence of thrombosis. Fibroin is a biodegradable protein derived from silk.

Intra- and intermolecular effects on 1H chemical shifts in a silk model Peptide determined by high-field solid state 1H NMR and empirical calculations.

A combination of solid state 1H NMR chemical shift measurements and empirical chemical shift calculations has been used to interpret 1H solid state chemical shifts of a model peptide (Ala-Gly)15 for the crystalline domain of Bombyx mori silk fibroin in silk I and silk II structures, including a treatment of both intra- and intermolecular arrangements. Silk I and silk II are the structures of silk fibroin before and after spinning, respectively. Two peaks with equal intensity were observed for the amide protons of (AG)15 in silk I, whereas only one broad peak was observed for silk II, reflecting a difference of 1.

Efficient and controlled gene expression in mouse pancreatic islets by arterial delivery of tetracycline-inducible adenoviral vectors.

Gene transfer with adenovirus vectors has been used extensively for pancreatic islet research. However, infection efficiency varies among reports. We reevaluated the infection efficiency, defined here as the percentage of islet cells expressing transgenes, in mouse islets.

WFS1-deficiency increases endoplasmic reticulum stress, impairs cell cycle progression and triggers the apoptotic pathway specifically in pancreatic beta-cells.

Wolfram syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder associated with diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy, is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene encoding an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein. Herein, we report that pancreatic islets of wfs1-deficient mice exhibit increases in phosphorylation of RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER kinase, chaperone gene expressions and active XBP1 protein levels, indicating an enhanced ER stress response. We established wfs1-deficient MIN6 clonal beta-cells by crossing wfs1-deficient mice with mice expressing simian virus 40 large T antigen in beta-cells.

Cell type-specific activation of metabolism reveals that beta-cell secretion suppresses glucagon release from alpha-cells in rat pancreatic islets.

Abnormal glucagon secretion is often associated with diabetes mellitus. However, the mechanisms by which nutrients modulate glucagon secretion remain poorly understood. Paracrine modulation by beta- or delta-cells is among the postulated mechanisms.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and N-glycosylation modulate expression of WFS1 protein.

Mutations of the WFS1 gene are responsible for two hereditary diseases, Wolfram syndrome and low frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The WFS1 protein is a glycoprotein located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane but its function is poorly understood. Herein we show WFS1 mRNA and protein levels in pancreatic islets to be increased with ER-stress inducers, thapsigargin and dithiothreitol.

Disruption of the WFS1 gene in mice causes progressive beta-cell loss and impaired stimulus-secretion coupling in insulin secretion.

Wolfram syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus and optic atrophy, is caused by mutations in the WFS1 gene. In order to gain insight into the pathophysiology of this disease, we disrupted the wfs1 gene in mice. The mutant mice developed glucose intolerance or overt diabetes due to insufficient insulin secretion in vivo.