Sex estimation using computed tomography of the mandible

International Journal of Legal Medicine - Sex estimation of skeletal parts is of great value even in the DNA era. When computed tomography (CT) facilities were introduced to forensic institutes,...     

Pleuritis caused by Acremonium strictum in a patient with colon adenocarcinoma

Although Acremonium strictum is environmentally widespread as opportunistic mold, it may cause infection in patients who have immunodeficiency problems. In this study, Staphylococcus aureus and A. strictum were isolated from the pleural fluid of a patient with colon adenocarcinoma. The patient did not receive antifungal therapy because the patient died after the isolation of mold. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole for the A. strictum strain isolated from pleural fluid were 0.125, 256, 2 and 1.5, 0.25 mug ml(-1) respectively. In conclusion, bacteria and fungus, especially opportunistic mold, should be taken into consideration in developing pleuritis in the patients with immune-deficiency.     

Regeneration and transdifferentiation potential of muscle-derived stem cells propagated as myospheres

We have isolated from mouse skeletal muscle a subpopulation of slow adherent myogenic cells that can proliferate for at least several months as suspended clusters of cells (myospheres). In the appropriate conditions, the myospheres adhere to the plate, spread out, and form a monolayer of MyoD(+) cells. Unlike previously described myogenic cell lines, most of the myosphere cells differentiate, without cell fusion, into thin mononucleated contractile fibers, which express myogenin and skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain. The presence of Pax-7 in a significant proportion of these cells suggests that they originate from satellite cells. The addition of leukemia inhibitory factor to the growth medium of the myospheres enhances proliferation and dramatically increases the proportion of cells expressing Sca-1, which is expressed by several types of stem cells. The capacity of myosphere cells to transdifferentiate to other mesodermal cell lineages was examined. Exposure of cloned myosphere cells to bone morphogenetic protein resulted in suppression of myogenic differentiation and induction of osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. These cells also sporadically differentiated to adipocytes. Myosphere cells could not, so far, be induced to transdifferentiate to hematopoietic cells. When inoculated into injured muscle, myosphere-derived cells participated in regeneration, forming multinucleated cross-striated mature fibers. This suggests a potential medical application.     

Neck motion kinematics: an inter-tester reliability study using an interactive neck VR assessment in asymptomatic individuals

Background and Purpose

The use of virtual reality (VR) for assessment and intervention of neck pain has previously been used and shown reliable for cervical range of motion measures. Neck VR enables analysis of task-oriented neck movement by stimulating responsive movements to external stimuli. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish inter-tester reliability of neck kinematic measures so that it can be used as a reliable assessment and treatment tool between clinicians.

Methods

This reliability study included 46 asymptomatic participants, who were assessed using the neck VR system which displayed an interactive VR scenario via a head-mounted device, controlled by neck movements. The objective of the interactive assessment was to hit 16 targets, randomly appearing in four directions, as fast as possible. Each participant was tested twice by two different testers.

Results

Good reliability was found of neck motion kinematic measures in flexion, extension, and rotation (0.64–0.93 inter-class correlation). High reliability was shown for peak velocity globally (0.93), in left rotation (0.9), right rotation and extension (0.88), and flexion (0.86). Mean velocity had a good global reliability (0.84), except for left rotation directed movement with moderate reliability (0.68). Minimal detectable change for peak velocity ranged from 41 to 53 °/s, while mean velocity ranged from 20 to 25 °/s.

Conclusions

The results suggest high reliability for peak and mean velocity as measured by the interactive Neck VR assessment of neck motion kinematics. VR appears to provide a reliable and more ecologically valid method of cervical motion evaluation than previous conventional methodologies.

     

Examination of the urinary potential of hyperuricosuric patients to retard calcium oxalate precipitation

In the present study it has been found that hyperuricosuric calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone formers do not differ from idiopathic CaOx stone formers in their urines' potential to retard in vitro precipitation of CaOx. On the other hand, urines of hyperuricosuric patients with no history of CaOx stone formation have the same potential to inhibit CaOx precipitation as those of normal controls. Reduction of urinary uric acid concentrations by either incubation of specimens with sodium urate or by treatment of hyperuricosuric patients with allopurinol had no effect on the urines' potential to retard CaOx precipitation.