Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-Ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon.

To test bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BSQED) in the strong-field regime, we have performed high precision x-ray spectroscopy of the 5g-4f and 5f- 4d transitions (BSQED contribution of 2.4 and 5.2 eV, respectively) of muonic neon atoms in the low-pressure gas phase without bound electrons. Muonic atoms have been recently proposed as an alternative to few-electron high-Z ions for BSQED tests by focusing on circular Rydberg states where nuclear contributions are negligibly small. We determined the 5g_{9/2}- 4f_{7/2} transition energy to be 6297.08±0.04(stat)±0.13(syst) eV using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters (5.2-5.5 eV FWHM resolution), which agrees well with the most advanced BSQED theoretical prediction of 6297.26 eV.

Deexcitation Dynamics of Muonic Atoms Revealed by High-Precision Spectroscopy of Electronic K X Rays.

We observed electronic K x rays emitted from muonic iron atoms using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters. The energy resolution of 5.2 eV in FWHM allowed us to observe the asymmetric broad profile of the electronic characteristic Kα and Kß x rays together with the hypersatellite K^{h}α x rays around 6 keV. This signature reflects the time-dependent screening of the nuclear charge by the negative muon and the L-shell electrons, accompanied by electron side feeding. Assisted by a simulation, these data clearly reveal the electronic K- and L-shell hole production and their temporal evolution on the 10-20 fs scale during the muon cascade process.

Gasless laparoscopically assisted myomectomy using a wound retraction system.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the feasibility of gasless laparoscopically assisted myomectomy (LAM) using a wound retraction system. This method treats symptomatic uterine myomas by combining laparoscopy with a mini-laparotomy to enucleate myoma nodules and to close the uterine myometrium. METHODS: This study includes 275 patients who underwent gasless LAM. For patients with fewer than three myoma nodules, the location of the largest nodule was classified as anterior, fundal, or posterior. The operative outcomes, intraoperative and postoperative courses, and complications were examined. RESULTS: All operations were performed satisfactorily, and no conversions to laparotomy were required. None of the patients developed serious complications. The mean blood loss and operating time were 190.3 mL and 152.2 minutes, respectively. The mean myoma size was 8.9 cm, and the mean number of myomas per patient was 2.8. The average postoperative hospital stay was 5.7 days. There were no significant differences in resected myoma size, blood loss, and surgical duration with respect to the location of the largest nodule. CONCLUSION: Gasless LAM with a wound retractor is feasible and allows surgeons to perform myomectomy safely and cost-effectively, without requiring advanced laparoscopic surgical skills and while maintaining minimum invasiveness.

Successful long-term management of adenomyosis associated with deep thrombosis by low-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy.

We report the case of a patient with adenomyosis complicated by deep vein thrombosis in whom low-dose gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) therapy was useful as a uterus-conserving therapeutic option. The patient was a 34-year-old nulliparous woman who presented with edema and pain in the left lower leg. The patient had been treated with four cycles of GnRHa therapy for adenomyosis and repeatedly experienced chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and anemia due to hypermenorrhea. Leg venography confirmed deep vein thrombosis, and thrombolytic therapy was performed to eliminate symptoms. Because the patient strongly wanted to conserve the uterus, low-dose GnRHa therapy was initiated. The patient is currently taking 450 microg/day buserelin acetate nasally (regular dose: 900 microg/day), and estradiol levels have been maintained at 24-50 pg/ml. Anemia, leg numbness and chronic pelvic pain have dissipated, and the patient has not experienced estrogen deficiency symptoms for more than two years.

Microbiological risk for periodontitis of abutment teeth in patients with removable partial dentures.

Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola are identified as the red complex which exists in high proportions in periodontally diseased patients. The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological risk for periodontitis of abutment teeth in subjects wearing removable partial dentures (RPDs) by measuring the red complex using BANA-ZymeTM test. Thirty-eight subjects (mean age: 62.2 years) with Kennedy Class II partially edentulous arch participated in this study. The red complex and clinical parameters, such as plaque index, gingival index, probing depth and tooth mobility were recorded at abutment teeth in contact with the direct retainer of unilaterally designed RPDs and the corresponding non-abutment teeth on the opposite side. Mean scores for the red complex, plaque index, gingival index and tooth mobility of the abutment teeth were significantly greater than those of the non-abutment teeth (P < 0.01). No significant mean difference in pocket depth was found between the abutment and non-abutment teeth. Logistic regression analysis revealed that abutment teeth, high scores of plaque index and a maintenance interval longer than 6 months were significant predictors for positive red complex scores (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the microbiological risk for periodontitis of abutment teeth is greater than that for non-abutment teeth in RPD wearers.

Subcutaneous administration of lactone form of simvastatin stimulates ectopic osteoinduction by rhBMP-2.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of various 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) on ectopic osteoinduction by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) using different administration methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disks containing 5 mug of rhBMP-2 and type I collagen were implanted into the calf muscles of 6-week-old male rats (n = 64). Either the lactone form of simvastatin (SV), open hydroxy-acid form of simvastatin (SVA), cerivastatin (CVA), or vehicle (control) was then administered per orally (PO group) or subcutaneously (SC group) for 20 days. The disks were removed on day 21 after implantation, and ectopic induced bone formation was evaluated by radiographic, histologic, and biochemical analysis. RESULTS: Both the projected and radiopaque area on X-ray film, and the calcium content of the SV group in the SC group (SV-SC group) were significantly greater than those in the other SC and PO groups. Alkaline phosphatase activity and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in the SV-SC group were significantly lower than those in the other SC and PO groups. Histologic examination revealed an increase of ectopic induced bone volume in the SV-SC group. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous administration of SV stimulates ectopic osteoinduction by rhBMP-2 through reduction of bone turnover.

Proteome analysis of human placentae: pre-eclampsia versus normal pregnancy.

Although placental proteins play multiple roles in fetal and placental development and in the maintenance of pregnancy, many remain inadequately characterized. In the present study, we comprehensively analyzed these proteins by using a proteomic approach. Samples were denatured with guanidine hydrochloride, which was found to be superior to the commonly used urea for the present purpose, and subjected to 2-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis (2-DE) to obtain placental proteome maps. The identified protein spots (ca. 60% of the total) on the proteome maps included several pregnancy-related proteins (PRPs). Furthermore, a novel 2D immunoblotting (2-DI) analysis of molecules related to pre-eclampsia revealed three immunopositive spots that appeared to correspond to dynactin p-50, a protein related to cell turn-over. The rate of positivity for dynactin p-50-reactive antibodies was significantly (P=0.0024) higher in 26 pre-eclamptic women than in 58 normally pregnant women. These results indicate that dynactin p-50 may be involved in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia.

Characterization of CD28, CTLA4, and ICOS polymorphisms in three Brazilian ethnic groups.

Costimulatory molecules CD28, CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4), and ICOS (inducible costimulator) genes lie within the 300-kb chromosome region 2q33. CD28, CTLA-4, and ICOS have been described to be important regulators of T-cell activation. With the objective to study ethnic variations in allelic frequencies and linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns, we genotyped CD28 intron 3 (+17 T>C), CTLA4 promoter (-319 C>T), CTLA4 exon 1 (+49 A>G), and ICOS 3' UTR (1564 T>C) polymorphisms in white (n = 103), mulatto (n = 97), and black (n = 79) Brazilian healthy individuals. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were found in any of the population samples. A higher frequency of CD28 +17 C allele was detected in white (27%) in comparison with mulatto (15%) and black (13%) (p = 0.005) populations. LD between CD28 +17 C and CTLA4 -319 T alleles was observed in whites (p < 0.0001), mulattos (p = 0.0001), and blacks (p = 0.0002).

A case of Kawasaki disease associated with syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone.

UNLABELLED: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute vasculitis of unknown aetiology with varied clinical manifestations. Although coronary arteritis is common in the course of KD, central nervous system involvement is rare. We report a case of KD in an infant who developed convulsions and apnoea during his illness associated with syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). CONCLUSION: The possibility of severe hyponatraemia should be anticipated in children with KD. Infants with KD are at risk of SIADH and should be monitored closely for its development.

Esophageal motility and psychiatric factors in functional dyspepsia patients with or without pain.

Subtypes of functional dyspepsia (FD), including refluxlike dyspepsia, ulcerlike dyspepsia, dysmotility-like dyspepsia, and nonspecific dyspepsia, have been described and are widely used clinically. However, these symptom patterns often overlap, and the terms are insufficient for indicating all FD symptoms. In this study, we divided 71 FD patients into two groups: patients with or without pain. Group I, the pain dyspepsia group, included patients in whom the main symptoms were epigastralgia and/or chest pain. Group II, the painless dyspepsia group, included patients without pain, in whom the symptoms were nausea, vomiting, and heartburn. We examined the relationship between esophageal function and psychiatric factors in the test groups and compared them with a control group. Of the FD patients, 19.7% [8 (25%) of 32 group I patients, 6 (15.4%) of 39 group II patients] had esophageal motility disorders, such as nutcracker esophagus and diffuse esophageal spasm. The LES pressure of group I was higher than that of group II by esophageal manometry (P < 0.05). In 17 (53.1%) of 32 group I patients and 31 (79.5%) of 39 group II patients, psychiatric disorders (38.0% had depressive disorder and 21.1% had an anxiety disorder) were diagnosed following DSM III-R criteria. Group II tended to be more depressive than group I (P = 0.0508). Psychological assessment scores, STAI-I and STAI-II, were higher in groups I and II than in the control group (P < 0.001). Long-term distress, anxiety, and depression seem to influence the symptoms of FD patients. Esophageal dysmotility may be an important functional abnormality of FD.

Prostaglandin E(2) has antinociceptive effect through EP(1) receptor in the ventromedial hypothalamus in rats.

The effects of microinjection of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) (50 fg-50 ng/0.2 microl) into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) on nociception were studied using a hot-plate test in rats. Microinjection of PGE(2) (5-500 pg and 50 ng/0.2 microl) into the VMH significantly prolonged the paw-withdrawal latency on a hot plate 5 and 10 min after injection, respectively. Maximal prolongation was obtained 5 min after the injection of PGE(2) at 5 pg. Subsequently, to determine whether the PGE(2) receptor subtype EP(1) is involved in the PGE(2)-induced antinociceptive effect in the VMH, we observed the changes in nociception after intraVMH microinjection of SC19220, an EP(1) receptor antagonist, and 17-phenyl-omega-trinor PGE(2), an EP(1) receptor agonist. Simultaneous injection of SC19220 (150 ng) with PGE(2) (500 pg) into the VMH blocked the PGE(2)-induced prolongation of the paw-withdrawal latency. Moreover, an intraVMH microinjection of 17-phenyl-omega-trinor PGE(2) (500 pg) prolonged it. These results indicate that PGE(2) in the VMH has antinociceptive effect through its actions on EP(1) receptors in rats.

Prenatal diagnosis of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. A case report.

We present a case of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease diagnosed at 28 weeks' gestation by ultrasonographic examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The fetal kidneys were symmetrically enlarged and highly echogenic by ultrasonographic examination and showed high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images by MRI. Cystic lesions were recognized by neither examination. In addition, the pulsatility index of the fetal renal artery was normal. These findings suggest a high water content in the renal parenchyma with tiny cysts and normal blood flow in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.

Morphological study of deformed crania from the Yean-ri site, Korea.

Crania showing extraordinary shape from the Yean-ri site, South Korea, were analyzed to qualify and quantify the changes resulted from deformation practice. The incidence of deformed crania is 19.2% and all of them are derived from tombs in the 4th century A.D. The contours and craniometric data of the deformed individuals (DY) were compared with those of two control groups, the undeformed samples from Yean-ri (UY) and modern Koreans (MK). The deformation in Yean-ri is judged to be an intentional frontal flattening. The frontal bone of DY is remarkably flattened by a primary deforming force. The parietal bone expands laterally and superoposteriorly as a major compensatory growth. The lambdoid or occipital flattening induced by the counterforce is light and unstable. In the facial skeleton, the maxilla shifts downward as a minor compensatory growth. These morphological findings are consistent with the description in the Chinese chronological record, San-guo-zhi.