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This study assessed total and segmental distribution of fat mass (FM) in athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) and examined the relationships between segmental distribution of fat mass and age, injury level, athletic history, and training load in order to provide useful information for improvements in their physical strength and training. Twenty-five male athletes with SCI participated in the study. The whole bone composition was measured by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method for the calculation of bone minerals, FM, and fat-free mass. The percent fat of the trunk, arms, and legs was also calculated. The percent fat in the legs was highest in comparison with that in the trunk and arms (p < 0.001), and the percent fat in the trunk was higher than that in the arms (p < 0.001). The body fat (p < 0.01), waist circumference (p < 0.01), and waist-to-hip ratio (p < 0.0001) were higher in the group aged 40 or older in comparison with that aged 39 or younger. Path analysis revealed that training load was a factor decreasing the percent fat on the arms and trunk (p < 0.01), and athletic history was a factor reducing the percent fat on the arms (p < 0.05). Our study suggests that exercise is effective in reducing the waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and percent body fat of SCI individuals, and that such effects can help to enhance athletic performance and likely to protect against development of metabolic syndromes resulting from a sedentary lifestyle.

This study included 45 patients with intentional insecticide intoxication and 21 with accidental intoxication who were treated at the First-Aid and Emergency Department of Balcali Hospital at the Faculty of Medicine in the Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey, while the control group consisted of 25 people selected from university personnel known to be healthy. Patients with a history of X-ray exposure in the last 6 months or of any virus disease as well as continuous drug users and smokers were excluded, leaving a total of 49 patients. Acetylcholine esterase (Pseudocholinesterase) enzyme (AchE), sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), the mitotic index (MI), and the replication index (RI) were evaluated. Blood samples were cultured for SCE evaluation and sera separated for AchE levels. Insecticide exposure was generally intentional for suicide in adolescents and at older ages, but accidental for children. AchE levels were found to be significantly lower in organophosphorus (OP) and carbamated (CB) insecticide poisoning groups in comparison with the control group (p<0.001), while the pyrethroid (PY) group was not statistically different for the AchE effect (p>0.05). SCE was found to be significantly higher in OP and CB groups (p<0.001), while the PY and control groups were statistically similar for SCE levels (p>0.05). This study showed an increase in SCE in response to orally ingested insecticides. These findings indicate that insecticide exposure results in cell abnormalities, with resulting impediments to the division and replication of cells, as suggested by MI decreases and RI increases, while the speed of the division cycles of stimulated cells increases.

The LigaSure TM vessel-sealing system (VSS) represents a new approach to intraoperative ligation. This clinical study retrospectively examined the utility of the VSS in thyroid surgery. In this study, we analyzed 56 consecutive patients who underwent thyroid surgery. Characteristics such as operative duration, the volume of intraoperative hemorrhage, and postoperative course were analyzed and compared between thyroid surgery using the VSS or conventional handtie methods. The present results indicate no significant differences in operative duration, volume of intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative course, or duration of postoperative drainage between surgeries using the VSS or conventional methods. However, the postoperative hospital stay was found to be significantly shorter (p<0.05) with the VSS. No serious postoperative complications were encountered, and no significant differences were observed in the frequency of postoperative complications between methods. The VSS may simplify procedures for thyroid surgery, and hemostasis is effective for both thyroid vessels and thyroid parenchyma. However, further evaluation is warranted to adequately determine the relative merits of the VSS compared to conventional handtie methods.

Deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) causes acute hemolytic anemia triggered by oxidative drugs such as primaquine. It is therefore essential in malaria-endemic areas for malaria patients to be confirmed for their G6PD activity before taking primaquine. The WST-8 method, a newly established screening method for G6PD deficiency, has been demonstrated to be suitable for field conditions, particularly for on-site malaria surveys. Here we report a laboratory evaluation by this method of the reactivity of blood-spotted filters. A time-course experiment was conducted to evaluate the reactivity of blood samples spotted onto 4 types of filter paper, Whatman 31ET Chr (ET), 3MM Chr (3MM), P81, and Advantec No. 2 (AD2). The rank of the relative reaction intensity was ET > 3MM = AD2 > P81. Blood-spotted filters stored at 4 degrees centigrade gradually decreased G6PD reactivity with the passage of storage time, whereas those stored at room temperature rapidly reduced their reactivity. Unexpectedly, saponin supplementation reduced the reactivity of blood-spotted filters. In conclusion, 1) ET is the most suitable filter for the WST-8 method ; 2) blood-spotted filters stored in cold condition can be assayed within 14 days, or those stored at room temperature should be tested within 3 days ; and 3) reaction mixtures should not contain saponin.

This study was conducted to develop a simple surrogate index comprised of routinely available laboratory tests to reflect the histological fibrosis stage. Clinical characteristics and laboratory data from 368 and 249 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C, a training cohort and a validation cohort, respectively, were retrospectively evaluated. Platelet (Plt) count and albumin (Alb) level contributed to the discrimination of the respective fibrosis stages. We derived the fi brosis index (FI), FI = 8.0-0.01 x Plt (10 multiply 3/microliter) - Alb (g/dl), from a multiple regression model. FI significantly correlated with the histological fibrosis stage in both the initial and validation cohort at p=0.691 and p=0.661, respectively (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, p<0.0001). The sensitivity and positive predictive value of FI at a cutoff value < 2.10 for predicting fibrosis stage F0-1 were 66.8% and 78.8% in the initial cohort and 68.5% and 63.6% in the validation cohort, respectively. Corresponding values of FI at a cutoff value >- 3.30 for the prediction of F4 were 67.7% and 75.0% in the initial cohort and 70.8% and 81.0% in the validation cohort. The fibrosis index comprised of platelet count and albumin level reflected the histological fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Response rates and survival times were studied in 47 patients who had multiple myeloma and who were being treated with Prednisolone and sequential Melphalan and Ifosfamide (MIP therapy). The clinical response was determined by objective parameters such as the reduction of M-protein level, tumor volume and healing of bone destruction. Twenty-eight of the patients (59.6%) responded to the MIP therapy. The 50% survival time as followed from the initiation of treatment to death was 19 months. Of the prognostic factors, the age (greater than or equal to 70 years), clinical stage III of Durie and Salmon, hypercalcemia, extensive bone lesions, and the patho-morphological type IV of Brucher were associated with a decreased life-span. Therefore, MIP therapy was more effective in poor risk (high tumor mass group) than in good risk (low or intermediate tumor mass group) patients, but the survival of patients on MIP therapy was shorter in the poor risk group than in the good risk one. In addition, the group which responded rapidly (i.e. within 2-5 weeks) had longer remission and longer survival than the group which improved slowly (i.e. after 6-16 weeks).

A total of 19 cases with bone tumors, including six osteosarcomas. three giant cell tumors of bone, one malignant fibrous histiocytoma, four nonossifying fibromas, four chondromas and one chondrosarcoma, were examined as to enzyme histochemistry; the enzymes consisted of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase), acid phosphatase (ACPase), nonspecific esterase (NSE), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), 5'-nucleotidase (5'-Nucl) and beta-glucuronidase (beta-Gl). Osteosarcoma was strongly positive for ALPase followed by 5'-Nucl. Giant cell tumor, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and nonossifying fibroma showed enzyme histochemistry similar to each other: multinucleated giant cells and round cells in these tumors were strongly positive for ACPase, NSE, ATPase and 5'-Nucl simulating osteoclasts and histiocytes, whereas spindle cells were positive for ATPase and 5'-Nucl in their cytoplasm and weakly positive for ACPase. Chondroma and chondrosarcoma were focally positive for ACPase and NSE; the ACPase was sensitive to tartaric acid treatment. These observations showed that ALPase activity is very characteristic to osteosarcoma, and is useful for its diagnosis. From enzyme histochemistry, giant cell tumor, malignant fibrous histiocytoma and nonossifying fibroma can be regarded as a histiocyte-derived tumor of bone in contrast to osteosarcoma and cartilaginous tumors.