An ultraviolet absorbing pigment causes a narrow-band violet receptor and a single-peaked green receptor in the eye of the butterfly Papilio

The distal photoreceptors in the tiered retina of Papilio exhibit different spectral sensitivities. There are at least two types of short-wavelength sensitive receptors: an ultraviolet receptor with a normal spectral shape and a violet receptor with a very narrow spectral bandwidth. Furthermore, a blue receptor, a double-peaked green receptor and a single-peaked green receptor exist. The violet receptor and single-peaked green receptor are only found in ommatidia that fluoresce under ultraviolet illumination. About 28% of the ommatidia in the ventral half of the retina exhibit the UV-induced fluorescence. The fluorescence originates from an ultraviolet-absorbing pigment, located in the most distal 70 microns of the ommatidium, that acts as an absorption filter, both for a UV visual pigment, causing the narrow spectral sensitivity of the violet receptor, and for a green visual pigment, causing a single-peaked green receptor.     

Increased levels of urinary interleukin-6 in Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) often presents with abnormal urinary findings, such as aseptic pyuria, mild proteinuria and microscopic haematuria. In this study, we measured urinary interleukin-6 (IL-6) by a sensitive sandwich ELISA assay using mouse monoclonal antibodies against recombinant IL-6 to elucidate the role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of renal lesions in KD. Serum IL-6 levels were increased in acute KD as well as in febrile controls. Importantly, urinary IL-6 levels were consistently elevated in patients with acute KD, but much lower in febrile controls. Urinary IL-6 levels returned steadily to normal during the convalescent phase. In addition to IL-6, urinary levels ofN-acetyl--d-glucosaminidase (NAG) and ₂-microglobulin (₂-mg) were also elevated during the acute phase of this disease. Eosinophils and macrophages were identifiable in urinary sediments from these patients. The increased levels of urinary IL-6 in combination with increased NAG and ₂-mg seemed to suggest the presence of certain renal parenchymal lesions with cellular infiltration during the acute phase of the disease. IL-6 may serve as clinically useful parameter for the detection and monitoring of the renal involvement in KD.     

Restoration of hearing with an auditory brainstem implant in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 2--case report

A 25-year-old male with neurofibromatosis type 2 had hearing restored with an auditory brainstem implant (ABI) after removal of an acoustic schwannoma. The ABI allows the patient to discern many different environment sounds and is a significant adjunct to lip-reading, enabling conversation with people who have clear pronunciation without the necessity for writing.     

An experimental study of the effects of nerve root retraction on the posterior ramus

STUDY DESIGN: The histologic and ultrastructural changes in the posterior ramus after posterior lumbar surgery were studied in rabbits. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the structural changes in the posterior ramus after posterior lumbar surgery that may cause injury to the posterior ramus after the procedure. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Investigators in previous studies have pointed out that low back discomfort after lumbar discectomy relates to neurogenic changes and/or myogenic changes of paravertebral muscle. However, no previous study has demonstrated the effects of excessive nerve root retraction on spinal posterior rami. METHODS: Eighteen male Japanese White rabbits were used. The posterior ramus arising from the S1 nerve root was examined after exposure of the lamina only, fenestration, or retraction of the S1 nerve root, with light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after the procedure. Results were compared with a those in control specimens that did not undergo the procedure. RESULTS: In the exposed group, no distinct difference was found compared with the control specimen. In the fenestration group, especially at 6 weeks, some attenuation and splitting of myelin sheaths was observed. In the retraction group, the structural alteration was most severe. Even at 2 weeks, fragmentation of many myelin sheaths was detected. Examination of specimens by electron microscopy indicated phagocytosis of myelinated fibers at 4 and 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Findings showed that posterior lumbar procedures, including retraction of paravertebral muscle, fenestration of the lamina, and retraction of the nerve root affect the posterior ramus. Excessive retraction of the nerve root has an especially disastrous effect on the posterior ramus. Such a violent maneuver within the spinal canal must be avoided.     

Significance of percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass support for volume reduction surgery with severe hypercapnia

In patients with reduced respiratory function, lung resection is associated with high risk because separate ventilation is generally needed for safe management. For patients with end-stage emphysema, intraoperative respiratory management is important and particularly difficult because neither incomplete oxygenation nor selective ventilation can be performed, so the operation may be interrupted. In this study, we assess the effectiveness of the percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) system for lung volume reduction surgery in patients with severe hypercapnia (arterial carbon dioxide tension >50 mm Hg) and discuss the significance of PCPS for patients who are beyond the standard criteria for lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). We studied 3 patients with severe hypercapnia due to emphysema who underwent volume reduction surgery. One patient was previously treated surgically for contralateral pneumothorax. All patients had a severe smoking history and were suspected to have fragile lungs. During the operation. PCPS provided sufficient support flow. Intraoperative management using PCPS was easy, and no severe complications were observed. One patient exhibited severe hemodynamic deterioration on postoperative Day 15. Other patients' PaCO2 improved postoperatively. One had a calcification of a femoral artery, but there was no trouble inserting a cannula. Bilateral or unilateral volume reduction surgery was performed under PCPS in patients with end-stage emphysema. We conclude that PCPS is an adjunct to LVRS, useful for intraoperative management of some patients with severe hypercapnea, and the LVRS indications can be extended.     

Facilitation of ipsilateral motor pathways during recovery from hemiplegia in two adolescent patients.

In two hemiplegic patients with acquired cerebral lesions, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was carried out to examine the contribution of the ipsilateral motor pathways to recovery from hemiplegia. A 13-year-old girl (patient 1) had acute hemiplegia due to a rupture of an arteriovenous malformation, and a 13-year-old boy (patient 2) had subacute hemiplegia due to a brain tumour. They showed complete upper limb palsy but recovered after therapy; patient 1 had slightly disabled motor function of the arm, and patient 2 recovered completely. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the biceps brachii muscles on both sides. The MEPs of the paretic biceps were only elicited by TMS of the intact hemisphere at the beginning of recovery from hemiplegia, but not by TMS of the affected hemisphere. The MEP amplitudes increased and cortical representation areas for the paretic biceps by TMS were enlarged temporarily during recovery. They regressed in patient 1 and MEPs were not evoked at all in patient 2 after recovery. Conversely, MEPs were obtained by TMS of the affected hemisphere after recovery in both patients. These data indicate that ipsilateral motor pathways play a role in recovery from hemiplegia, especially at the beginning, and become inactivated when the contralateral motor pathways recover.