Fracture-Suspending Effect of the Patellar-Tendon-Bearing Cast

In order to evaluate the fracture-suspending effect of the patellar-tendon-bearing cast, experiments using a load cell under the heel were carried out on four subjects. Measurements were made using a conventional below-knee cast, the PTB cast, and an above-knee cast. There were no differences between the forces transmitted by the same subject wearing the three types of casts in turn and consequently the choice of cast must be based on other factors.     

Multiple myeloma-associated cast nephropathy with crystal structure: case report and review of the literature

The causes of renal failure are diverse. Among them, monoclonal gammopathy is one important but easily-missed cause in aged people. Monoclonal gammopathy may produce a large number of abnormal immunoglobulins and/or fragments and produce different kinds of deposition in tissues, including cast, crystal, fibril and granules. Cast nephropathy is considered the hallmark of the renal disease in patients with multiple myeloma. Crystaglobulinemia syndrome and crystal nephropathy, on the other hand, have been rarely reported. Herein, we report a case of multiple myeloma presented with irreversible renal failure. The biopsy showed massive crystal deposition in bone marrow and kidneys.     

A novel solution for the notorious long-leg cylinder cast

Although the long-leg cylinder cast is an effective means of immobilization, it is prone to distal migration which commonly results in skin compromise. Described here is a simple technique that involves using adhesive tape as a suspension mechanism. This technique is clinically effective, has a low complication rate and requires only a small diversion from standard practice.     

Plastic bronchitis: a case report

We report a case of perioperative management of a toddler with plastic bronchitis complicated by tracheal obstruction. We discuss our management of this case as well as the diverse group of patients who may present with this disease. We also reviewed the literature regarding medical management of cast bronchitis.     

A category-specific advantage for numbers in verbal short-term memory: evidence from semantic dementia

This study explored possible reasons for the striking difference between digit span and word span in patients with semantic dementia. Immediate serial recall (ISR) of number and non-number words was examined in four patients. For every case, the recall of single-digit numbers was normal whereas the recall of non-number words was impaired relative to controls. This difference extended to multi-digit numbers, and remained even when frequency, imageability, word length, set size and size of semantic category were matched for the numbers and words. The advantage for number words also applied to the patients' reading performance. Previous studies have suggested that semantic memory plays a critical role in verbal short-term memory (STM) and reading: patients with semantic dementia show superior recall and reading of words that are still relatively well known compared to previously known but now semantically degraded words. Additional assessments suggested that this semantic locus was the basis of the patients' category-specific advantage for numbers. Comprehension was considerably better for number than non-number words. Number knowledge may be relatively preserved in semantic dementia because the cortical atrophy underlying the condition typically spares the areas of the parietal lobes thought to be crucial in numerical cognition but involves the inferolateral temporal-lobes known to support general conceptual knowledge.     

Skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap

BACKGROUND: It is important for breast reconstruction after mastectomy to recreate immediately good breast symmetry with an adequate amount of soft tissue. METHODS: Eight patients with breast cancer underwent skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap. This operative technique, and the results, advantages, and disadvantages of the technique were assessed. RESULTS: Seven patients had stage IIA disease, and one patient had stage I disease. An arc-shaped incision was made just at the lateral border of the breast in all patients. Three patients had a separate periareolar incision, and one had a circumferential nipple incision. There was 100% flap survival, and good breast symmetry was achieved in all patients. No major perioperative complications occurred in this series. A small amount of fat necrosis occurred in one flap. One patient had slight abdominal bulging. Minor wound-healing problems at the lateral breast skin envelope occurred in two patients. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with a DIEP flap is a reliable and safe technique. This method is a potentially useful surgical technique, which has achieved very promising results.     

Involvement of NMDA receptors in Zif/268 expression in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis following formalin injection into the rat whisker pad

We investigated the involvement of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor in the expression of the proteins Zif/268 and c-Fos elicited by painful stimuli. To this purpose, the effect of the administration of MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, on Zif/268 and c-Fos expression following a noxious stimulus, represented by formalin injection into the whisker pad of rats, was examined in neurons of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Furthermore, the co-localization of formalin injection-evoked Zif/268 and c-Fos expression and subunit 1 of the NMDA receptor (NR1) was studied in this nucleus. Zif/268 or c-Fos immunoreactivity elicited by formalin injection was significantly reduced by pretreatment with MK-801 in the superficial layer of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis; more than 40% of the neurons expressing Zif/268 and c-Fos in this layer were also immunolabeled by NR1. On the other hand, there was little effect of MK-801 administration on Zif/268 and c-Fos immunoreactivity in the nucleus proprius and deep lamina V of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis, while most neurons expressing Zif/268 or c-Fos in these two regions were labeled by NR1. These results point out differences between the superficial and deeper layers of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis in the involvement of NMDA receptor in the mechanisms underlying the expression of protein products of immediate early genes induced by painful stimuli.     

Stimulus frequency affects c-fos expression in the rat visual system

We have characterised the c-fos expression patterns in various centers of the visual pathway of adult rats monocularly stimulated either by continuous or flickering light at different frequencies. Results show different immunocytochemical patterns in all centers studied, the geniculate lateral complex (LGC), superior colliculus (SC) and primary visual cortex (Oc1), depending on the physical characteristics of the stimulus (blinking frequency and light wavelength). After stimulation of the left eye, the ipsilateral pathway presents a substantial density of immunoresponsive cells, which is greater than expected with respect to the number of fibers that project ipsilaterally from the retina to the LGC and the superficial layers of the SC. A surprisingly high positive immunoresponsiveness is obtained in all cases with coherent light stimulation in the red spectrum (634 nm).     

即刻种植早期修复的临床研究

目的探讨即刻种植早期修复的临床应用原则和疗效。方法8例患者共11颗患牙在拔牙同时植入Xive种植体,立即取印模制作临时牙冠,7d后拆线并戴临时塑料牙冠。根据骨质情况4~6个月后行永久修复。追踪12~24个月,观察临床效果。结果11颗种植体修复成功。结论适当的病例选择,规范化的手术操作,掌握早期修复的临床要点,即刻种植早期修复可以获得较高的成功率。