A morphometric study of the lumbar spinous process in the Chinese population

Our goal was to analyze the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spine spinous process for an interspinous stabilization device designed for the Chinese population and to offer an anatomical basis for its clinical application. The posterior lumbar spines (T12-S1) of 52 adult cadavers were used for measuring the following: distance between two adjacent spinous processes (DB), distance across two adjacent spinous processes (DA), thickness of the central spinous processes (TC), thickness of the superior margin of the spinous processes (TS), thickness of the inferior margin of the spinous processes (TI), and height of the spinous processes (H). Variance and correlation analyses were conducted for these data, and the data met the normal distribution and homogeneity of variance. DB decreased gradually from L1-2 to L5-S1. DA increased from T12-L1 to L2-3 and then decreased from L2-3 to L4-5. The largest H in males was noted at L3 (25.45±5.96 mm), whereas for females the largest H was noted at L4 (18.71±4.50 mm). Usually, TS of the adjacent spinous process was lower than TI. Based on the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spinous processes obtained in this study, an “H”-shaped coronal plane (posterior view) was proposed as an interspinous stabilization device for the Chinese population. This study reports morphometric data of the lumbar spinous processes in the Chinese population, which provides an anatomical basis for future clinical applications.

Political conditions for successful inflation stabilization: comparing Brazil and Argentina

This study tries to understand how Brazil and Argentina, two countries with chronically high inflation, achieved permanent stabilization by looking at political factors necessary for stabilization. It suggests that, although state autonomy or political unity may contribute to successful price stabilization, reconciling the interests of different stakeholders and thereby building a broad political support base is more essential for stabilization to succeed. Political skills of the leaders and compensatory policies may help raise such support and they are more crucial where other political conditions are less favorable. Also, rapid improvement in the economy is important for sustained political support, and thus, for successful stabilization.

Vascular lesions of the lumbar epidural space: magnetic resonance imaging features of epidural cavernous hemangioma and epidural hematoma

The authors report the magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic features in two cases with respectively lumbar epidural hematoma and cavernous hemangioma of the lumbar epidural space. Enhanced MRI T1-weighted scans show a hyperintense signal rim surrounding the vascular lesion. Non-enhanced T2-weighted scans showed hyperintense signal.

Omnivory and resource - sharing in nutrient - deficient Rio Negro waters: stabilization of biodiversity?

Amazonian biodiversity is notorious, this is also valid for the fauna of the mineral-deficient waters of the Rio Negro System. Some 25 years of research on the benthic fauna of Central Amazonian streams resulted in species-rich foodwebs with a high degree of omnivory within dense animal communities. To exemplify the taxonomic range of omnivorous consumers, the detailed resource spectra of 18 consumer species, including Protozoa (2 species), Platyhelminthes (1 species), insects (2 species), fish (6 species) and shrimps (Decapoda, 7 species), associated primarily with the benthic habitats of Rio Negro tributaries, are presented. Special features of omnivory are characterized, and the importance of litter-decomposing fungi as essential energy input into the foodwebs is documented. It is shown that general omnivory -diverse omnivore consumers sharing most of the resource types- is a prevalent feature. The relevance of this general omnivory for the maintenance of biodiversity is discussed.

Stabilization of soil hydraulic properties under a long term no-till system

The area under the no-tillage system (NT) has been increasing over the last few years. Some authors indicate that stabilization of soil physical properties is reached after some years under NT while other authors debate this. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the last crop in the rotation sequence (1st year: maize, 2nd year: soybean, 3rd year: wheat/soybean) on soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties in two different soils (site 1: loam, site 2: sandy loam) from the Argentinean Pampas region under long-term NT treatments in order to determine if stabilization of soil physical properties is reached apart from a specific time in the crop sequence. In addition, we compared two procedures for evaluating water-conducting macroporosities, and evaluated the efficiency of the pedotransfer function ROSETTA in estimating the parameters of the van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) model in these soils. Soil pore configuration and hydraulic properties were not stable and changed according to the crop sequence and the last crop grown in both sites. For both sites, saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, water-conducting macroporosity, εma, and flow-weighted mean pore radius, R0ma, increased from the 1st to the 2nd year of the crop sequence, and this was attributed to the creation of water-conducting macropores by the maize roots. The VGM model adequately described the water retention curve (WRC) for these soils, but not the hydraulic conductivity (K) vs tension (h) curve. The ROSETTA function failed in the estimation of these parameters. In summary, mean values of K0 ranged from 0.74 to 3.88 cm h-1. In studies on NT effects on soil physical properties, the crop effect must be considered.

Posterior migration of lumbar disc herniation - imaging dilemma due to contrast contraindication: a case report

Disc herniation with posterior epidural migration is a rare and often symptomatic entity. Multiple are the natural barriers that prevent this pattern of migration. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging is the diagnostic modality of choice in these cases. The diagnostic dilemma in this case was the contraindication to the use of contrast since the patient was known to have chronic renal failure.

Stabilization of fluoroindate glasses by magnesium fluoride and other heavy metal fluorides

Their extended transparency in the IR makes them attractive for use as optical fibers for CO laser power delivery and optical amplification. This paper firstly describes the spectacular stabilizing effect of MgF2 on the binary system InF3-BaF2. The investigation of the InF3-BaF2-MgF2 system led to samples up to 5mm in thickness. Further optimization of this system was achieved by incorporation of limited amounts of other fluorides and resulted in increased resistence to devitrification. The second approach of this work was concerned to the investigation of the pseudo-ternary system InF3-GdF3-GaF3 at constant concentrations of ZnF2-SrF2-BaF2-NaF. Several compositions were studied in this system. The samples presented a better thermal stability when compared to other families of fluoride glasses. Therefore, these glasses seem to be very promising for the fabrication of special optical fibers. Thermal data are reported.

Transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder with metastasis in lumbar vertebrae and spinal cord compression in an ocelot(Leopardus pardalis)

This paper reports a case of nonpapillary and infiltrative transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder with metastasis of lumbar vertebrae and spinal cord compression in an adult female ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), from the Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The ocelot had pelvic limb paralysis and skin ulcers in the posterior region of the body and was submitted to euthanasia procedure. At necropsy was observed a multilobulated and irregular shaped, yellowish to white nodule in the urinary bladder. The nodule had a soft consistency and arised from the mucosa of the urinary bladder extending throughout the muscular layers and the serosa. Nodules of similar appearance infiltrating the vertebral column the at L6 and L7 vertebrae with corresponding spinal canal invasion were also observed. The histological evaluation showed epithelial neoplastic proliferation in the urinary bladder with characteristics of nonpapillary and infiltrative TCC, with positive immunohistochemical staining for pancytokeratin, and strong immunostaining for cytokeratin of low molecular weight, and weak or absent labeling for high molecular weight cytokeratin. This is the first report of TCC of urinary bladder in ocelot in Brazil.

Axotomy increases NADPH-diaphorase activity in the dorsal root ganglia and lumbar spinal cord of the turtle Trachemys dorbigni

Seven days after transection of the sciatic nerve NADPH-diaphorase activity increased in the small and medium neurons of the dorsal root ganglia of the turtle. However, this increase was observed only in medium neurons for up to 90 days. At this time a bilateral increase of NADPH-diaphorase staining was observed in all areas and neuronal types of the dorsal horn, and in positive motoneurons in the lumbar spinal cord, ipsilateral to the lesion. A similar increase was also demonstrable in spinal glial and endothelial cells. These findings are discussed in relation to the role of nitric oxide in hyperalgesia and neuronal regeneration or degeneration.

Stabilization of serum antibody responses triggered by initial mucosal contact with the antigen independently of oral tolerance induction

Initial contacts with a T-dependent antigen by mucosal routes may result in oral tolerance, defined as the inhibition of specific antibody formation after subsequent parenteral immunizations with the same antigen. We describe here an additional and permanent consequence of these initial contacts, namely, the blockade of secondary-type responsiveness to subsequent parenteral contacts with the antigen. When repeatedly boosted ip with small doses (3 µg) of ovalbumin (OVA) (or lysozyme), primed B6D2F1 mice showed progressively higher antibody responses. In contrast, mice primed after a single oral exposure to the antigen, although repeatedly boosted, maintained their secondary antibody titers on a level which was inversely proportional to the dose of antigen in the oral pretreatment. This phenomenon also occurred in situations in which oral tolerance was not induced. For example, senile 70-week-old B6D2F1 mice pretreated with a single gavage of 20 mg OVA did not become tolerant, i.e., they formed the same secondary levels of anti-OVA antibodies as non-pretreated mice. However, after 4 weekly challenges with 3 µg OVA ip, orally pretreated mice maintained the same anti-OVA serum levels, whereas the levels of control mice increased sequentially. This "stabilizing" effect of mucosal exposure was dose dependent, occurred with different proteins and was triggered by single or multiple oral or nasal exposures to the antigen.

Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine of Brazilian children and adolescents aged 6 to 14 years

The authors performed a study of bone mass in eutrophic Brazilian children and adolescents using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in order to obtain curves for bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) by chronological age and correlate these values with weight and height. Healthy Caucasian children and adolescents, 120 boys and 135 girls, 6 to 14 years of age, residents of São Paulo, Brazil, were selected from the Pediatric Department outpatient clinic of Hospital São Paulo (Universidade Federal de São Paulo). BMC, BMD and the area of the vertebral body of the L2-L4 segment were obtained by DXA. BMC and BMD for the lumbar spine (L2-L4) presented a progressive increase between 6 and 14 years of age in both sexes, with a distribution that fitted an exponential curve. We identified an increase of mineral content in female patients older than 11 years which was maintained until 13 years of age, when a new decrease in the velocity of bone mineralization occurred. Male patients presented a period of accelerated bone mass gain after 11 years of age that was maintained until 14 years of age. At 14 years of age the mean BMD values for boys and girls were 0.984 and 1.017 g/cm², respectively. A stepwise multiple regression analysis of paired variables showed that the "vertebral area-age" pair was the most significant in the determination of BMD values and the introduction of a third variable (weight or height) did not significantly increase the correlation coefficient.

Substance P immunoreactivity in the lumbar spinal cord of the turtle Trachemys dorbigni following peripheral nerve injury

Immunoreactive substance P was investigated in turtle lumbar spinal cord after sciatic nerve transection. In control animals immunoreactive fibers were densest in synaptic field Ia, where the longest axons invaded synaptic field III. Positive neuronal bodies were identified in the lateral column of the dorsal horn and substance P immunoreactive varicosities were observed in the ventral horn, in close relationship with presumed motoneurons. Other varicosities appeared in the lateral and anterior funiculi. After axotomy, substance P immunoreactive fibers were reduced slightly on the side of the lesion, which was located in long fibers that invaded synaptic field III and in the varicosities of the lateral and anterior funiculus. The changes were observed at 7 days after axonal injury and persisted at 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after the lesion. These findings show that turtles should be considered as a model to study the role of substance P in peripheral axonal injury, since the distribution and temporal changes of substance P were similar to those found in mammals.

Stabilization of partially folded states in protein folding/misfolding transitions by hydrostatic pressure

In the last few years, hydrostatic pressure has been extensively used in the study of both protein folding and misfolding/aggregation. Compared to other chemical or physical denaturing agents, a unique feature of pressure is its ability to induce subtle changes in protein conformation, which allow the stabilization of partially folded intermediate states that are usually not significantly populated under more drastic conditions (e.g., in the presence of chemical denaturants or at high temperatures). Much of the recent research in the field of protein folding has focused on the characterization of folding intermediates since these species appear to be involved in a variety of disease-causing protein misfolding and aggregation events. The exact mechanisms of these biologicalphenomena, however, are still poorly understood. Here, we review recent examples of the use of hydrostatic pressure as a tool to obtain insight into the forces and energetics governing the productive folding or the misfolding and aggregation of proteins.

Effects of systemic administration of ciliary neurotrophic factor on Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in the lumbar spinal cord of neonatal rats after sciatic nerve transection

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a cytokine that plays a neuroprotective role in relation to axotomized motoneurons. We determined the effect of daily subcutaneous doses of CNTF (1.2 µg/g for 5 days; N = 13) or PBS (N = 13) on the levels of mRNA for Bcl-2 and Bax, as well as the expression and inter-association of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins, and the survival of motoneurons in the spinal cord lumbar enlargement of 2-day-old Wistar rats after sciatic nerve transection. Five days after transection, the effects were evaluated on histological and molecular levels using Nissl staining, immunoprecipitation, Western blot analysis, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The motoneuron survival ratio, defined as the ratio between the number of motoneurons counted on the lesioned side vs those on the unlesioned side, was calculated. This ratio was 0.77 ± 0.02 for CNTF-treated rats vs 0.53 ± 0.02 for the PBS-treated controls (P < 0.001). Treatment with CNTF modified the level of mRNA, with the expression of Bax RNA decreasing 18% (with a consequent decrease in the level of Bax protein), while the expression of Bcl-2 RNA was increased 87%, although the level of Bcl-2 protein was unchanged. The amount of Bcl-2/Bax heterodimer increased 91% over that found in the PBS-treated controls. These data show, for the first time, that the neuroprotective effect of CNTF on neonatal rat axotomized motoneurons is associated with a reduction in free Bax, due to the inhibition of Bax expression, as well as increased Bcl-2/Bax heterodimerization. Thus, the neuroprotective action of the CNTF on axotomized motoneurons can be related to the inhibition of this apoptotic pathway.

Yield and nutrition of sunflower fertilized with sewage sludge stabilized by different processes

The different methods of sewage sludge stabilization modify their physical chemical and biological properties, altering its efficiency when applied in agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient levels in soil and the yield of sunflower fertilized with sewage sludge stabilized by different processes. The experiment was conducted in Cambisol, with the treatments: control (without fertilization), fertilization with sewage sludge solarized, composted, vermicomposted, limed and chemical fertilizer recommended for sunflower crop. The experimental design a randomized block with four replications. The different methods of sewage sludge treatment did not affect the yield; however, the application of sewage sludge, regardless the stabilization process adopted, was more effective than chemical fertilizer and the control treatment. Overall, fertilization with limed sewage sludge provided higher soil nutrients concentrations, while treatments with composted and vermicomposted sewage sludge showed higher levels of nutrients in the plant.