Identification of deposits from modern and ancient large tsunamis by means of environmental DNA.

We examined the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) for identifying tsunami deposits in the geological record using lake-bottom sediments in the Tohoku region, Japan. The presence of eDNA from marine organisms in a lacustrine event deposit provides very strong evidence that the deposit was formed by an influx of water from the ocean. The diverse DNA assemblage in the deposit formed by the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami included DNA of marine origin indicating that eDNA has potential as an identifying proxy for tsunami deposits.

Erosion and sedimentation during the September 2015 flooding of the Kinu River, central Japan.

Erosional and sedimentary features associated with flooding have been documented in both modern and past cases. However, only a few studies have demonstrated the relationship between these features and the corresponding hydraulic conditions that produced them, making it difficult to evaluate the magnitude of paleo-flooding. This study describes the characteristics associated with inundation depth and flow direction, as well as the erosional and sedimentary features resulting from the disastrous flooding of the Kinu River, central Japan, in September 2015.

Immunolocalization of water channel aquaporins in human knee articular cartilage with intact and early degenerative regions.

Aquaporins (AQPs), a family of water channel proteins expressed in various cells and tissues, serve as physiological pathways of water and small solute transport. Articular cartilage is avascular tissue with unique biomechanical structure, a major component of which is "water". Our objective is to investigate the immunolocalization and expression pattern changes of AQPs in articular cartilage with normal and early degenerative regions in the human knee joint, which is the joint most commonly involved in osteoarthritis (OA).

Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase 5b is a Useful Serum Marker for Diagnosis and Recurrence Detection of Giant Cell Tumor of Bone.

Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) 5b was investigated for use as a marker for diagnosis of giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone and for detection of its recurrence.Four patients with GCT of bone who were initially referred to our hospital were classified as a primary group. Three patients who had local recurrence following curettage were classified as a local recurrence group.

Solid variant of aneurysmal bone cyst in the tibia treated with simple curettage without bone graft: a case report.

The solid variant of aneurysmal bone cyst (solid ABC) is rarely encountered in long bones and appropriate treatment for this disease remains unclear. We experienced a 13-year-old boy suffering from pain in his left knee caused by solid ABC. Simple curettage of the bone lesion without any adjuvant therapy and a bone graft gave immediate pain relief.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-D is a key molecule that enhances lymphatic metastasis of soft tissue sarcomas.

Studies on lymph node metastasis of soft tissue sarcomas are insufficient because of its rarity. In this study, we examined the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF-D in soft tissue sarcomas metastasized to lymph nodes. In addition, the effects of the two molecules on the barrier function of a lymphatic endothelial cell monolayer against sarcoma cells were analyzed.

CT fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteoma with double nidi.

Osteoid osteoma (OO) is a common benign bone tumor, usually found in children and young adults. Fewer than 30 cases of multicentric OO in a single bone have been reported in the world literature. We present the case of a 17-year-old boy with OO in the left tibia, containing double nidi.

Characteristics of neck and shoulder pain (called katakori in Japanese) among members of the nursing staff.

Background: The characteristics of neck and shoulder pain (NSP), called katakori in Japanese, have not been well documented to date. The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of NSP through a questionnaire survey of members of the nursing staff.

Methods: The study population consisted of 484 nursing staff members of Gunma University Hospital in Japan.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteoma using cool-tip electrodes without the cooling system.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for osteoid osteoma (OO) using cool-tip electrodes without the cooling system.

Materials And Methods: A total of 17 patients (13 males, 4 females; mean age 19.1 years; range 7-49 years) with OO (tibia, n = 7; femur, n = 5; acetabulum, n = 2; radius, n = 1; talus, n = 1; lumbar spine, n = 1) underwent RFA.

Solitary osteochondroma of the trapezium: case report.

Osteochondroma of the carpal is rare. We found only 1 case of osteochondroma of the trapezium in the literature. We present a case of a 52-year-old woman with an osteochondroma of the left trapezium and trapeziometacarpal arthritis.

Clinical and biochemical characteristics after intra-articular injection for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: prospective randomized study of sodium hyaluronate and corticosteroid.

Background: Intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate (Na-HA) and corticosteroid (CS) are often used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), and the clinical usefulness of such treatment has been reported. Some studies have discussed the effectiveness of intra-articular drug injection therapy in terms of the clinical results, but no cohort studies have performed evaluations of effectiveness based on changes in joint biomarkers. This prospective randomized study compared the efficacy of Na-HA and CS injections based on clinical scores and levels of biochemical markers for osteoarthritis.

Fibroma of tendon sheath of the infrapatellar fat pad in the knee.

A 69-year-old patient with unexplained pain of the right knee reported no prior trauma. A soft tissue tumor was identified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tumor showed low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, high signal intensity on T2, and peripheral enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced MRI.

Konjac glucomannan-based hydrogel with hyaluronic acid as a candidate for a novel scaffold for chondrocyte culture.

Chondrocytes were cultured using konjac glucomannan (KGM) and hyaluronic acid (HA) as a scaffold for cartilage regeneration. They were subsequently compared with scaffolds produced using agarose hydrogels. Chondrocytes derived from Japanese white rabbits were cultured: 2.

Involvement of the proximal tibial epiphysis by monostotic fibrous dysplasia.

We report a case of monostotic fibrous dysplasia (FD) solely demonstrating epiphyseal lesion. A 13-year-old boy was referred to our hospital complaining of pain in his left knee joint. Plain radiographs showed an osteolytic lesion with slightly sclerotic margin at the proximal epiphysis of the left tibia.

Curettage of benign bone tumors without grafts gives sufficient bone strength.

Background And Purpose: The defect that results after curettage of a bone tumor is usually filled in the same way. We report the outcome in patients with benign bone tumors that were treated with curettage but no filling.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively studied 78 patients (mean age at the time of operation was 27 (6-73) years, 44 men) who had had a benign bone tumor curetted with no filling of the defect.

Stimulatory role of lysophosphatidic acid in cyclooxygenase-2 induction by synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in fibroblast-like synovial cells.

While inflammatory cytokines are well-recognized critical factors for the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in activated fibroblast-like synovial cells, the roles of biologically active components other than inflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid remain unknown. Herein, we assessed the role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a pleiotropic lipid mediator, in COX-2 induction using synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in fibroblast-like RA synovial cells. Synovial fluid from RA patients stimulated COX-2 induction, which was associated with prostaglandin E(2) production, in RA synovial cells.

Pre- and postoperative evaluation of the metabolic activity in muscles associated with ruptured rotator cuffs by F-FDG PET imaging.

We examined uptake of 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) using positron emission tomography (PET) into the bilateral shoulder muscles of four patients before and after unilateral rotator cuff repair. The relative ratio of the subtracted standardized uptake value on the supraspinatus with a torn supraspinatus tendon to that of the subscapularis on the ipsilateral side was significantly lower than that on the normal side (0.69 +/- 0.

Clinical background and its relation to results of percutaneous needle biopsy of suspected bone metastasis under guidance with CT fluoroscopy.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical background of needle biopsy of suspected bone metastasis under guidance with CT fluoroscopy.

Patients And Methods: During a 3-year period (from April 2000 to March 2003), 103 needle biopsies on 101 lesions of 90 patients were performed for pathological evaluation of suspected bone metastasis. The clinical course of these patients prior to biopsy and its relation to the biopsy results were retrospectively reviewed.

PET evaluation of fatty tumors in the extremity: possibility of using the standardized uptake value (SUV) to differentiate benign tumors from liposarcoma.

Objective: The relative utility of various preoperative diagnostic imaging modalities, including PET (utilizing FDG and FMT), CT, and MR imaging, for evaluation of lipoma and liposarcoma, especially well-differentiated liposarcoma, was investigated.

Methods: Imaging findings in 32 patients with histopathologically documented lipoma, including one with fibrolipoma and one with angiolipoma, and 25 patients with liposarcomas whose subtypes included 10 well-differentiated, 10 myxoid, and 5 other types were reviewed retrospectively. Pre-operative imaging included FDG-PET (n = 44), FMT-PET (n = 21), CT (n = 25), and MR imaging (n = 53).

Positron emission tomography imaging of musculoskeletal tumors in the shoulder girdle.

The shoulder girdle presents unique features for the preoperative planning of musculoskeletal tumors. This is the first trial to evaluate positron emission tomography (PET) analysis for preoperative planning in shoulder girdle tumors. Fifty-two patients were examined with fluorine 18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-PET and/or alpha-methyltyrosine (FMT)-PET.