Anaplastic glioma T9 cells were treated with either nerve growth factor (NGF) or glia maturation factor (GMF) or both. It was found that, when T9 cells were treated with these factors in a chemically defined medium, both NGF and GMF induced characteristic changes of cell morphology and growth pattern. Several differences in the effects of NGF and GMF were noted. NGF retarded growth rate, wherea...

While the biomechanical properties of pedicle screws have proven to be superior in the lumbar spine, little is known concerning pullout strength of pedicle screws in comparison to hooks in the thoracic spine. In vitro biomechanical pullout testing was performed to evaluate the axial pullout strength of pedicle screws versus pedicle and laminar hooks in the thoracic spine with regard to surgical...

BACKGROUND Severe chest wall injuries are potentially life-threatening injuries which require a standardized multidisciplinary management strategy for prevention of posttraumatic complications and adverse outcome. CASE PRESENTATION We report the successful management of a 55-year old man who sustained a complete "bony disruption" of the thoracic cage secondary to an "all-terrain vehicle" roll...

Mullite is an aluminosilicate of the composition Al2(Al212xSi222x)O102x with x generally ranging between 0.2 and 0.5. XRD and 29Si and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been used to investigate the structure of various mullite compositions (x 5 0.26, 0.36, 0.42, and 0.69) as well as sillimanite (x 5 0) and g-Al2O3 (x 5 1). 27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR of the central and satellit...

Thoracic splanchnic nerves conduct pain sensation from the abdominal organs around the celiac ganglion. Splanchnicectomy is the procedure used mainly for the control of intractable visceral pain. Forty-six human posterior thoracic walls were dissected. The formation pattern, course, and incidence of communication of the thoracic splanchnic nerves were investigated. The greater splanchnic nerves...

This study was aimed at identifying, in 203 patients with Alzheimer's disease followed during long-term treatment with Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), the predictive factors of the clinical response among cognition (MMSE), functioning (BADL and IADL) measures and age and gender at the baseline (T0). The ANCOVA test showed a significant association between MMSE scores at time T0 and T3,...

PURPOSE To present and assess a procedure for measurement of spinal cord total cross-sectional areas (TCA) and gray matter (GM) areas based on phase-sensitive inversion recovery imaging (PSIR). In vivo assessment of spinal cord GM and white matter (WM) could become pivotal to study various neurological diseases, but it is challenging because of insufficient GM/WM contrast provided by convention...

INTRODUCTION Although Brucella spondylitis and Brucella discitis have been frequently reported, Brucella infection of the vertebral arch is rare and has not been previously described. We present the first case of Brucella infection of the thoracic vertebral arch with epidural abscess formation and discuss the clinical key points. CASE PRESENTATION A 57-year-old man of Han nationality with a h...

In order to assess the response of four popularly grown black gram (Vigna mungo L.) genotypes (T9, PU 19, USJD 113, KU 301) under osmotic stress, the present study was carried out by monitoring the changes in relative leaf water content (RLWC), carotenoid, total soluble protein (TSP), membrane lipid peroxidation (MDA), H2O2 scavenging capacity, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) a...

Front load carriage is a common occupational task in some industries (e.g. agriculture, construction), but, as compared to lifting tasks, relatively little research has been conducted on the biomechanical loading during these activities. The focus of this study was to explore the low back biomechanics during these activities and, specifically, to examine the effects of load height and walking s...