Early onset scoliosis and current treatment methods

ObjectiveProvide an update of the management options for early onset scoliosis patients, including general assessment, conservative and surgical options.MethodsWe included the updated information about the assessment and management options of Early Onset Scoliosis, taking into consideration the non-fusion methods, including the burden on the patient and their family.ResultsWith the heterogeneity of this population, it is difficult to get a consensus about a unified protocol for management. Accordingly, the surgeon dealing with these cases needs to be aware of the broad range of surgical and non-surgical methods when treating these patients.ConclusionThe main aim of early onset scoliosis treatment is to gain a flexible spine associated with normal lung development and thoracic growth. Management needs to be individualized between the surgeon and patient in relation to the etiology and patient conditions.     

应用可吸收钉棒治疗关节内骨折

目的探讨可吸收钉、棒治疗关节内骨折的效果。方法1998年6月～2004年8月，应用自身增强一聚乙酯（self-reinforced polyglycolic acid，SR—PGA）、自身增强一聚丙酯（self—reinforced poly—L—Lacticacid，SR—PLLA）可吸收螺钉、棒，手术治疗关节内骨折35例，其中男30例，女5例。年龄4～62岁。均为关节内或关节周围松质骨骨折。手术时间为伤后3h～29d。应用SR—PGA全螺纹钉9枚，SR—PLLA拉力螺钉26枚，SR—PLLA固定棒15枚。术后行骨牵引或石膏外固定。结果患者术后获随访3～60个月，平均28个月，伤口均Ⅰ期愈合；骨折于1～3个月内达临床愈合，无再移位、感染及局部积液。患者关节功能恢复满意。根据美国骨科协会（AASO）关节功能评价：优26例，良7例，可1例，差1例，优良率94．3％。结论可吸收内固定钉、棒治疗关节内及关节周围骨折，免除了患者二次手术取出内固定物的痛苦，是一种有效和较为理想的方法。     

Comparison of near heterophoria tests under varying conditions on an adult sample

PURPOSE: This study compared the near phoria measurement using the Bernell muscle balance card with and without prism neutralization, using both trial frame and phoropter correction, and compared with the conventional Maddox rod method. METHODS: Forty young normal Chinese adults had their near phoria measured with trial frame correction using the conventional muscle balance card method (method 1). Any deviation was compensated with a prism bar as an alternative approach (method 2). The conventional Maddox rod method (method 3) was also carried out for comparison. These three methods were repeated with phoropter correction and considered as methods 4, 5 and 6. RESULTS: The phorias obtained from these six methods were not significantly different from each other (repeated measures anova, p > 0.05). More than half of the subjects were exophoric. Although the difference in phoria was not significant, phoria measurement using phoropter correction yielded a greater coefficient of variation. CONCLUSIONS: Near phoria measurement using the muscle balance card conducted with trial frame correction was less variable, and was also more natural and similar to a real reading situation. The use of prism for compensation did not affect the phoria results. Exophoria seems to be more common than esophoria in young Chinese adults.     

1株诱变枯草杆菌溶栓酶性质研究的初探

目的 对从1株诱变的枯草杆菌的发酵液中，通过分离纯化得到的一种活性较高的纤溶酶进行性质研究。方法 按胰酶活性测定法测其水解酪蛋白活性，用SDS-PAGE测定分子量，等电聚焦测定其等电点。采用硫酸酚法测定糖含量，并对其药理性质进行研究。结果 其水解酪蛋白活性为2.1U/mg，分子量为62kDa。等电点为8.5。含糖量为32%，并且发现该酶具有直接降解纤维蛋白的活性。结论 此纤溶酶具有较高的活性及药理价值。     

视蛋白基因启动子的克隆和鉴定

目的 克隆出视蛋白基因启动子。方法 以小鼠全基因组为模板，用PCR法克隆出目的大小的片断。然后连接到T-载体上作酶切鉴定，最后测序。结果 酶切结果与预期相符，测序结果与公布序列完全一致。结论 视蛋白基因启动子克隆成功。     

Retinal growth and cell addition during embryogenesis in the teleost, Haplochromis burtoni.

Neurogenesis of the developing embryonic retina is described for the African cichlid fish, Haplochromis burtoni, from 4 days post fertilization until all cell phenotypes are generated (day 7). Cell addition and differentiation both begin at the same absolute location which later becomes the central retina. As observed in most other vertebrates, cones and ganglion cells differentiate first, followed by amacrine and bipolar cells. Rod photoreceptors, which are added late, differentiate last. Changes in retinal thickness, retinal stretching, cell size, and cell density were measured during development. From day 4 through 7, there is an increase in retinal thickness largely due to the expansion of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL). The inner nuclear layer (INL) decreases in thickness and there is a transient decrease in the density of cells in the scleral portion of the INL. Cells increase in size in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and the vitread INL, decrease in size in the sclerad INL, and remain the same in the ONL. Changes in the density of the cell layers were observed: the density of ONL cells increased, the density of GCL cells decreased, and INL cells increased then decreased. From day 4 to day 6, eye growth is entirely due to cell addition because no retinal stretching was observed in the ONL or the horizontal layer. During this same developmental period, the pattern and rate of neurogenesis were measured in the differentiated portion of the retina by means of 3H-thymidine labeling. A small number of cell divisions within the differentiated INL precede the onset of cell divisions in the ONL. The number of 3H-thymidine labeled cells within the INL increases at a low rate consistent with an asymmetric pattern of cell division characteristic of stem cells. In contrast, cell divisions in the ONL increase exponentially, consistent with a symmetric pattern of cell division characteristic of progenitor cells. Double-label experiments (3H-thymidine and a rod specific opsin antibody) show that some of the symmetrically dividing cells in the ONL express the rod specific opsin within 2 days, suggesting that these dividing cells are rod progenitors. Although we do not hae conclusive evidence, these developmental processes support the hypothesis that stem cells within the INL could be the source of rod precursors in the embryonic teleost retina.     

Adult-onset rod disease with abundant intranuclear rods

Summary The third case of adult-onset rod disease (nemaline myopathy) with abundant myofibrillar as well as intranuclear rods is described. The 61-year-old woman suffered from progressive weakness of proximal extremities and of the neck, mimicking polymyositis. Muscle biopsy revealed a striking myopathic pattern, with intranuclear rods occurring in 31% of the fibres. On light and electron microscopy and by immunohistochemical study, the rods differed from myofibrillar rods. The absence of -actinin in intranuclear rods suggests an enhanced readiness of actin filaments to bind to diverse proteins, instead of overproduction of -actinin as the pathogenetic basis of the rod formation.     

Large rod-like photopic signals in a possible new form of congenital night blindness

A 10-year-old Persian girl has symptoms of congenital stationary night blindness and some drusen-like lesions in the region of the vascular arcades. Her electroretinogram shows no rod response to a weak stimulus, but a large (475 V) slow scotopic response to a strong stimulus that is unchanged by photopic conditions (15 F1 background illumination). However, the response to flicker had the typical (smaller) amplitude of a cone signal. This may represent a new form of night blindness in which rod sensitivity is reduced so that there is no vision under dim conditions but rod function still persists under photopic conditions.     

Analysis of ABCA4 in mixed Spanish families segregating different retinal dystrophies

Genotype-phenotype correlations highlighted the function of ABCA4 in retinitis pigmentosa (RP),cone-rod dystrophy (CRD) and Stargardt/Fundus Flavimaculatus disease (STGD/FFM). Initial screening of ABCA4 variants showed a correlation between the type of mutation and the severity of the disease. In the present study we have undertaken mutational and haplotype analysis of ABCA4 in three mixed pedigrees segregating different retinal dystrophies. In family I, we have shown cosegregation of different ABCA4 alleles with CRD (homozygosity for L1940P) and three subtypes of STGD/FFM. The first, a mild form, consisting on fundus flavimaculatus-like distribution of flecks, but good visual acuity and absence of dark choroid, was found to cosegregate with alleles R1097C and F553L; the second, a conventional Stargardt phenotype was associated to alleles L1940P/R1097C and the third, displaying severely reduced visual acuity and dark choroid (named FFM), was associated to L1940P/F553L. In family II, segregating STGD and RP phenotypes, while the involvement of ABCA4 in STGD seems clear this is not the case for RP. Finally, in family III, also segregating STGD and RP, ABCA4 fails to explain either phenotype. Our data highlight the wide allelic heterogeneity involving this gene and support the genetic variability (beyond ABCA4) of mixed STGD/RP pedigrees.