Fracture of the Capitellum of the Humerus in Adults

In 2 cases of fracture of the capitellum of the humerus with avascular fragment the writer has made a cast of the capitellar fragment and manufactured a chrom-cobolt-molybdenum prosthesis, which has then been inserted in the joint. The result has been a painless, stable joint with a range of movement of 155°-35° and 150°-60° respectively. A third case is mentioned, which was treated with open reduction of the fracture where examination 20 months after the operation revealed a partial necrosis of the capitellar fragment; the functional result however was good.     

Prognostische Scores bei Wirbelsäulenmetastasen

Advances in early detection and therapy of spinal metastasis have improved life expectancy of patients with various tumor entities. However, this and the demographic development have led to an increased risk for developing spinal metastases. Numerous prognostic factors have been determined to allow an assessment of outcome and survival time of patients with metastatic spinal tumors. The implementation of these factors into different scoring systems has been encouraging in the decision making process of spinal surgery. This overview highlights some of the most important prognostic factors and scores which may facilitate surgical considerations.     

Measurement of salivary cortisol – effects of replacing polyester with cotton and switching antibody

Stable performance between‐runs are essential in longitudinal studies and when different studies are being compared. However, changes in analytical kits and laboratory material occur and have the potential to threaten analytical stability. In the present case, we examined how salivary cortisol measurements in our laboratory were affected by: 1) changes in the tampon material and 2) changes in the antibody of the analytical kit. In study 1, saliva from healthy subjects (n = 19) was split and spiked to Salivette^® polyester and cotton tampons, respectively, and treated as ordinary samples before being analysed for cortisol using a Spectria RIA kit for cortisol. In study 2, 68 anonymous saliva samples were analysed with the Spectria Cortisol RIA kit both before and after the manufacturer changed the antibody. The change from polyester to cotton tampons reduced the measured concentration of salivary cortisol by 62?%. A difference of 12?% between the two runs with different antibodies could not be attributed to differences in storage or in thawing and freezing of samples. To conclude, both a change in the material of the Salivette used for collecting saliva samples as well as a change of antibody in a kit can have a major impact on measurements, as illustrated here for concentrations of cortisol in saliva. It is therefore recommended always to check that the analysis stays in statistical control in one's own laboratory when changes are made, even if the manufacturer reports that the changes should have no effects.     

Do self‐efficacy and depression predict oral impacts on daily performances across time? A 2‐yr follow‐up of students in Tanzania

This study aimed to assess the longitudinal validity of the oral impacts on daily performance (OIDP) and to identify psychosocial determinants, in terms of self‐efficacy and depressive symptoms, of the OIDP across time. Following conceptual frameworks of oral health, it was hypothesized that sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors predict oral impacts across time at both population‐ averaged and person‐specific levels. Whether the effects of sociodemographic and clinical factors were accounted for, totally or in part, by psychosocial factors were also investigated. Self administered questionnaires and oral clinical examinations at baseline (2009) and follow‐up (2011) were completed by 1,714 and 727 secondary school students, respectively. Generalized equalized equations and a random intercept model were used to account for the dependency in repeated observations. Mean OIDP change scores were negative (worsened) among those who reported worsened self‐reported oral health. Psychosocial, clinical, and sociodemographic factors were independently associated with oral impacts at the population‐averaged and person‐specific levels. Mediation of sociodemographic and clinical variables according to psychosocial variables was not observed. Satisfactory longitudinal evaluative properties of the OIDP, and independent effects of psychosocial factors on oral impacts across time, were confirmed among secondary school students in Tanzania.     

Vitellogenin, steroid plasma levels and spawning performance of cultured female Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis)

The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a high value market flatfish, which aquaculture is compromised by severe reproductive problems; these are mostly found in soles hatched and raised in captivity (F1 generation). To gain knowledge on the reproductive dysfunctions observed in cultured (F1) Senegalese sole, this work aimed at developing a specific vitellogenin (VTG) ELISA, for the measurement of plasma VTG levels in this species. Profiles of VTG were correlated with those of sexual steroids and spawning performance of an F1 broodstock, during three consecutive years. The Senegalese sole VTG (ssVTG) was purified by precipitation with MgCl(2)-EDTA and anion-exchange chromatography and showed a molecular mass of 172 kDa, by SDS-PAGE. Specific antibodies were obtained and used to develop a competitive ELISA, which had a sensitivity of 3.6 ng ml(-1), and inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation of 9.5% (n=29) and 6.7% (n=12), respectively. Annual profiles of plasma VTG showed a major peak at pre-spawning, and a second minor rise around autumn, which mirrored plasma profiles of both estradiol (E(2)) and testosterone (T) levels. Spontaneous spawning occurred every year in the spring season, but no fertilized eggs were obtained. In conclusion, this study described, for the first time, the purification and development of a sensitive and specific ELISA for Senegalese sole VTG. The endocrine and spawning data suggested that F1 female broodstock showed normal VTG and steroid releasing profiles in captivity with occurrence of spontaneous spawning, but no fertilization of the eggs was recorded.     

Transcriptional corepression by SHP: molecular mechanisms and physiological consequences

Small heterodimer partner (SHP; NR0B2), an exceptional member of the mammalian nuclear receptor family, directly modulates the activities of conventional nuclear receptors by acting as an inducible and tissue-specific corepressor. Recent progress in dissecting underlying molecular mechanisms, identifying target factors and target genes, and uncovering physiological functions points to the regulatory involvement of SHP in diverse metabolic and intracellular pathways that awaits future clarification. In this review, we carry out a comprehensive survey of all published data and discuss our current understanding of molecular mechanisms and physiological consequences governing SHP action.     

Social exploitation of vitellogenin

Vitellogenin is a female-specific glucolipoprotein yolk precursor produced by all oviparous animals. Vitellogenin expression is under hormonal control, and the protein is generally synthesized directly before yolk deposition. In the honeybee (Apis mellifera), vitellogenin is not only synthesized by the reproductive queen, but also by the functionally sterile workers. In summer, the worker population consists of a hive bee group performing a multitude of tasks including nursing inside the nest, and a forager group specialized in collecting nectar, pollen, water, and propolis. Vitellogenin is synthesized in large quantities by hive bees. When hive bees develop into foragers, their juvenile hormone titers increase, and this causes cessation of their vitellogenin production. This inverse relationship between vitellogenin synthesis and juvenile hormone is opposite to the norm in insects, and the underlying proximate processes and life-history reasons are still not understood. Here we document an alternative use of vitellogenin by showing that it is a source for the proteinaceous royal jelly that is produced by the hive bees. Hive bees use the jelly to feed larvae, queen, workers, and drones. This finding suggests that the evolution of a brood-rearing worker class and a specialized forager class in an advanced eusocial insect society has been directed by an alternative utilization of yolk protein.