OBJECTIVE

To construct and evaluate an ankle arthrometer that registers inversion joint deflection at standardized inversion loads and that, moreover, allows conclusions about the mechanical strain of intact ankle joint ligaments at these loads.

METHODS

Twelve healthy ankles and 12 lower limb cadaver specimens were tested in a self-developed measuring device monitoring passive ankle inversion movement (Inv-ROM) at standardized application of inversion loads of 5, 10 and 15 N. To adjust in vivo and in vitro conditions, the muscular inactivity of the evertor muscles was assured by EMG in vivo. Preliminary, test-retest and trial-to-trial reliabilities were tested in vivo. To detect lateral ligament strain, the cadaveric calcaneofibular ligament was instrumented with a buckle transducer. After post-test harvesting of the ligament with its bony attachments, previously obtained resistance strain gauge results were then transferred to tensile loads, mounting the specimens with their buckle transducers into a hydraulic material testing machine.

RESULTS

ICC reliability considering the Inv-ROM and torsional stiffness varied between 0.80 and 0.90. Inv-ROM ranged from 15.3° (±7.3°) at 5 N to 28.3° (±7.6) at 15 N. The different tests revealed a CFL tensile load of 31.9 (±14.0) N at 5 N, 51.0 (±15.8) at 10 N and 75.4 (±21.3) N at 15 N inversion load.

CONCLUSIONS

A highly reliable arthrometer was constructed allowing not only the accurate detection of passive joint deflections at standardized inversion loads but also reveals some objective conclusions of the intact CFL properties in correlation with the individual inversion deflections. The detection of individual joint deflections at predefined loads in correlation with the knowledge of tensile ligament loads in the future could enable more individual preventive measures, e.g., in high-level athletes.

OBJECTIVE

An anatomic study was performed to confirm whether the lateral malleolus could serve as a simple and reproducible anatomic reference for the distal insertion of the calcaneofibular ligament (CFL).

METHODS

Dissection was performed after placement of a Kirschner wire to simulate the calcaneal tunnel for the distal insertion of the CFL. The skin was penetrated 1 cm distal and posterior to the tip of the lateral malleolus. The main information recorded was the distance from the Kirschner wire to the centre of the distal insertion of the CFL. Other elements were noted (characteristics of the CFL, distance between the distal insertion of the CFL-peroneal tubercle, nerve or tendon injuries).

RESULTS

Thirty ankles were dissected. The mean distance from the Kirschner wire to the centre of the distal insertion of the CFL was 2.4 ± 1.8 mm. Only one case of peroneal injury was noted. The sural nerve was usually located a mean 1.8 ± 1.1 mm from the Kirschner wire. The posterior tibial vascular pedicle was a mean 27.8 ± 3.5 mm from the point of exit of the Kirschner wire.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the lateral malleolus as the cutaneous reference for the distal insertion of the CFL seems to be more reliable than the pure arthroscopic technique. This study describes a percutaneous technique to obtain a calcaneal tunnel for distal insertion of the CFL. The sural nerve is at the greatest risk of injury with this technique and requires careful subcutaneous incision to prevent injury. This new percutaneous technique is less invasive than a purely arthroscopic technique and more accurately identifies the location of the tunnel. It can be used to do calcaneal tunnel in clinical practice during anatomic ligament reconstruction for chronic ankle instability.

Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in sports. Recently, arthroscopic lateral ligament reconstruction has been recently advocated, however no biomechanical studies and clinical application of this technique are available. In this biomechanical study, eighteen fresh-frozen cadaveric ankles were randomized into three groups: (1) intact anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular ligament (CFL), (2) arthroscopic anatomic reconstruction of ATFL and CFL, and (3) all arthroscopic remnant-preserving reconstruction of ATFL and CFL. The specimens were then tested for stiffness and load to ultimate failure using a customized jig. In biomechanical test, the all arthroscopic remnant-preserving reconstruction of ATFL and CFL produced a reconstruction that could withstand loads to failure and stiffness similar to the arthroscopic anatomic reconstruction. However, both two reconstruction groups were much weaker than the intact, uninjured ATFL and CFL. Moreover, we used the technique of all arthroscopic remnant-preserving reconstruction of ATFL and CFL on 20 patients from September 2016 to September 2017. American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores and Anterior Talar Translation (ATT) were applied for statistical collection at preoperative and postoperative 12 months to evaluate clinical efficacy. The differences of the preoperative and postoperative 12 months AOFAS scores and ATT of patients were both statistical significant (P < 0.01). We confirmed that all arthroscopic remnant-preserving reconstruction of ATFL and CFL exhibited positive effect, thus promoting the recovery of ankle function and had good short-term clinical effect.

Chronic instability is a common complication of lateral ankle sprains. If nonoperative treatment fails, a surgical repair or reconstruction may be indicated. Today, endoscopic techniques to treat ankle instability are becoming more popular. This article describes an endoscopic technique, using a step-by-step approach, to reconstruct the ATFL and CFL with a gracilis graft. The endoscopic technique is reproducible and safe with regard to the surrounding anatomic structures. Short and midterm results confirm the benefits of this technique.

A permeability- and surface-energy-controllable polyurethane acrylate (PUA) mold, a "capillary-force material (CFM)" mold, is introduced for capillary-force lithography (CFL). In CFL, the surface energy and gas permeability of the mold are crucial. However, the modulation of these two main factors at a time is difficult. Here, we introduce new CFM molds in which the surface energy and permeability can be modified by controlling the degree of cross-linking of the CFM. As the degree of cross-linking of the CFM mold increases, the surface energy and air permeability decrease. The high average functionality of the mold material makes it possible to produce patterns relatively finely and rapidly due to the high rate of capillary rise and stiffness, and the low functionality allows for patterns to form on a curved surface with conformal contact. CFMs with different functionality and controllable-interfacial properties will extend the capabilities of capillary force lithography to overcome the geometric limitations of patterning on a scale below 100 nm and micro- and nanopatterning on the curved region.

BACKGROUND

Patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) are often abnormally photosensitive. Ultraviolet (UV) exposure can not only induce cutaneous lesions but may also contribute to systemic flares and disease progression. Various forms of energy-efficient lighting have been shown to emit UV radiation.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of these emissions on individuals with LE.

METHODS

This assessment investigated cutaneous responses to repeated exposures from three types of lighting: compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), light-emitting diode (LED) and energy-efficient halogen (EEH). The subjects were 15 patients with LE and a control group of five healthy volunteers.

RESULTS

No cutaneous LE lesions were induced by any of the light sources. Delayed skin erythema was induced at the site of CFL irradiation in six of the 15 patients with LE and two of the five healthy subjects. Erythema was increased in severity and more persistent in patients with LE. One patient with LE produced a positive delayed erythema to the EEH. A single patient with LE produced immediate abnormal erythemal responses to the CFL, LED and EEH. Further investigation revealed that this patient also had solar urticaria. All other subjects had negative responses to LED exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Compact fluorescent lamps emit UV that can induce skin erythema in both individuals with LE and healthy individuals when situated in close proximity. However, this occurs to a greater extent and is more persistent in patients with LE. EEHs emit UVA that can induce erythema in patients with LE. LEDs provide a safer alternative light source without risk of UV exposure.

Biophysical mechanisms underlying collective cell migration of eukaryotic cells have been studied extensively in recent years. One mechanism that induces cells to correlate their motions is contact inhibition of locomotion, by which cells migrating away from the contact site. Here, we report that tail-following behavior at the contact site, termed contact following locomotion (CFL), can induce a non-trivial collective behavior in migrating cells. We show the emergence of a traveling band showing polar order in a mutant Dictyostelium cell that lacks chemotactic activity. We find that CFL is the cell-cell interaction underlying this phenomenon, enabling a theoretical description of how this traveling band forms. We further show that the polar order phase consists of subpopulations that exhibit characteristic transversal motions with respect to the direction of band propagation. These findings describe a novel mechanism of collective cell migration involving cell-cell interactions capable of inducing traveling band with polar order.

Worldwide bans on incandescent light bulbs (ILBs) drive the use of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, which emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Potential health issues of these light sources have already been discussed, including speculation about the putative biological effects on light exposed tissues, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized photoisomerization of all-trans retinoic acid (at-RA), a highly light sensitive morphogen, into biologically less active isomers, as a mechanism mediating biological effects of CFLs. Local at-RA is anti-carcinogenic, entrains molecular rhythms and is crucial for skin homeostasis. Therefore, we quantified the impact of CFL irradiation on extra- and intracellular levels of RA isomers using an epidermal cell culture model. Moreover, a biologically relevant impact of CFL irradiation was assessed using highly at-RA-sensitive human neuroblastoma cells. Dose-dependent conversion of extra- and intracellular at-RA into the biologically less active 13-cis-isomer was significantly higher in CFL vs. ILB exposure and completely preventable by employing a UV-filter. Moreover, pre-irradiation of culture media by CFL attenuated at-RA-specific effects on cell viability in human at-RA-sensitive cells in a dose-dependent manner. These findings point towards a biological relevance of CFL-induced at-RA decomposition, providing a mechanism for CFL-mediated effects on environmental health.

OBJECTIVE

The classification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) continues to be debated though it has recently been subtyped into late (LMCI) versus early (EMCI) stages. Older adults presenting with both a depressive disorder (DEP) and cognitive impairment (CI) represent a unique, understudied population. Our aim was to examine baseline characteristics of DEP-CI patients in the DOTCODE trial, a randomized controlled trial of open antidepressant treatment for 16 weeks followed by add-on donepezil or placebo for 62 weeks.

METHODS

Key inclusion criteria were diagnosis of major depression or dysthymic disorder with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) score >14, and cognitive impairment defined by MMSE score ≥21 and impaired performance on the WMS-R Logical Memory II test. Patients were classified as EMCI or LMCI based on the 1.5 SD cutoff on tests of verbal memory, and compared on baseline clinical, neuropsychological, and anatomical characteristics.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine DEP-CI patients were recruited of whom 39 met criteria for EMCI and 40 for LMCI. The mean age was 68.9, and mean HAM-D was 23.0. Late mild cognitive impairment patients had significantly worse ADAS-Cog (P < .001), MMSE (P = .004), Block Design (P = .024), Visual Rep II (P = .006), CFL Animal (P = .006), UPSIT (P = .051), as well as smaller right hippocampal volume (P = .037) compared to EMCI patients. MRI indices of cerebrovascular disease did not differ between EMCI and LMCI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Cognitive and neuronal loss markers differed between EMCI and LMCI among patients with DEP-CI, with LMCI being more likely to have the clinical and neuronal loss markers known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Autologous fat grafts have been used in a number of surgical procedures, yet properties of fat as a transplant material have remained unclear. This study was designed to compare experimental observations of subcutaneous fat grafts in mice with clinical observations of autologous fat grafts placed over the dura following laminectomy in humans. Subcutaneous fat grafts were observed daily in 75 CFl mice with the use of modified Algire back chambers. Grafts were examined histologically and histochemically at intervals up to 60 days after transplantation. Gross and microscopic observations suggest that fat grafts went through a period of initial breakdown of fat cells which was followed by revascularization. This resulted in normal appearing fat, although a smaller volume than the original graft. Three samples of autologous fat grafts from humans were removed during reoperation in the lumbar region up to 22 months after the original procedure. Histological examination revealed revascularized grafts reduced in size: the fat was normal and never replaced by scar tissue.

We report here a visible light driven selective nitro-reduction and oxidation of saturated sp(3) C-H bonds using ultrathin (0.8 nm) sheet mediated uniform CdS flowers as catalyst under a household 40 W CFL lamp and molecular oxygen as oxidant. The CdS flowers were synthesized using a simple surfactant assisted hydrothermal method.

Treatment of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) separated by density sedimentation (DS) from normal donors (PMNL-NL-DS) with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) lessens the damage caused by isolation and irradiation. We have studied granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in this system, as well as the behaviour of PMNL collected by continuous flow leucapheresis (CFL) from donors treated with G-CSF (PMNL-GCSF-CFL). After isolation, PMNLs were treated with IFN-gamma + G-CSF, GM-CSF or IFN-gamma + G-CSF + GM-CSF, irradiated with 0 or 30 Gy and studied after 0 and 20 h in cell culture. All regimens reduced apoptosis of PMNL-NL-DS. Killing of Candida albicans by 20-h-old PMNL-NL-DS was best preserved by IFN-gamma + G-CSF treatment. A similar pattern of results was obtained for assays of PMNL-NL-DS chemotaxis and superoxide production. There was a consistent trend toward reduced function after irradiation in all assays. PMNL-GCSF-CFL less often demonstrated the morphological features of apoptosis, and this was further reduced by cytokine regimens containing IFN-gamma + G-CSF. In assays of C. albicans killing and chemotaxis, 20-h-old untreated PMNL-GCSF-CFL performed as well as freshly isolated PMNL-GCSF-CFL. PMNL-GCSF-CFL showed decay in CD11b (CR3), CD16 (Fc gamma III) and CD64 (Fc gamma R1) expression after 20 h in cell culture, but treatment with IFN-gamma + G-CSF preserved expression. There was a trend toward reduced function after radiation. Comparison of PMNL-GCSF separated by CFL and DS demonstrated that CFL itself is a strong inducer of the morphological features of apoptosis. This study shows that while separation by CFL, and irradiation are damaging to PMNLs, damage may be reduced by use of cytokines.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand fly. Susceptibility and refractoriness to Leishmania depend on the outcome of multiple interactions that take place within the sand fly gut. Promastigote attachment to sand fly midgut epithelium is essential to avoid being excreted together with the digested blood meal. Promastigote and gut sand fly surface glycans are important ligands in this attachment. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the interaction of three lectins isolated from leguminous seeds (Diocleinae subtribe), D-glucose and D-mannose-binding, with glycans on Lutzomyia migonei midgut. To study this interaction the lectins were labeled with FITC and a fluorescence assay was performed. The results showed that only Dioclea violacea lectin (DVL) was able to interact with midgut glycans, unlike Cratylia floribunda lectin (CFL) and Canavalia gladiata lectin (CGL). Furthermore, when DVL was blocked with D-mannose the interaction was inhibited. Differences of spatial arrangement of residues and volume of carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) may be the cause of the fine specificity of DVL for glycans in the surface on Lu. migonei midgut. The findings in this study showed the presence of glycans in the midgut with glucose/mannose residues in its composition and these residues may be important in interaction between Lu. migonei midgut and Leishmania.

The carcinogenic effects of limited and repeated skin applications of propane sultone were investigated in three strains of mice, CF1, C3H and CBah (a hairless strain). Propane sultone was shown to be carcinogenic when given as a single application of a 25% w/v solution in toluene and also following twice weekly application of a 2.5% w/v solution for up to 58 weeks. More limited exposure to 2.5% w/v solutions of propane sultone resulted in a few skin tumours, although the incidences were not statistically significant. Most neoplasms were papillomas or carcinomas, although a small number of mesenchymal tumours of dermal origin also developed. No skin neoplasms were found in any control mice. The skin application of propane sultone was associated with a statistically significant increase in the incidence of systematic neoplasia in CFl and C3H mice. The exposed CFl mice had a higher incidence of neoplasms of lymphoreticular and lung origin, while female C3H mice showed a higher incidence of mammary gland and uterine tumours. In mice exposed to beta-propiolactone as a positive control, neoplasms developed at the site of application but, there was no evidence of increased systemic neoplasis in contrast to the findings with ptopane sultone.

People with central field loss (CFL) use peripheral vision to identify words. Eccentric vision provides ambiguous visual inputs to the processes leading to lexical access. Our purpose was to explore the hypothesis that this ambiguity leads to strong influences of inferential processes, our prediction being that increasing word frequency would decrease word reading time. Individuals with bilateral CFL induced by macular diseases read French sentences displayed with a self-paced reading method. Reading time of the last word of each sentence (target word) was recorded. Each target word (in sentence n) was matched with a synonym word (in sentence n+1) of the same length. When using absolute frequency value (Analysis 1), we found that reading time of target words decreased when word frequency increases, even when controlling for word length. The amplitude of this effect is larger than reported in previous investigations of reading with normal subjects. When comparing the effect of relative frequency (low vs. high) within each pair of synonyms (Analysis 2), results show the same pattern as the one observed in Analysis 1. Our results demonstrate clear-cut frequency effects on word reading time and suggest that inferential processes are stronger in CFL readers than in normally sighted observers. These results might also help design text simplification tools tailored for low-vision patients.

An analytical platform with an ultratrace detection limit in the atto-molar (aM) concentration range is vital for forensic, industrial and environmental sectors that handle scarce/highly toxic samples. Superhydrophobic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms serve as ideal platforms to enhance detection sensitivity by reducing the random spreading of aqueous solution. However, the fabrication of superhydrophobic SERS platforms is generally limited due to the use of sophisticated and expensive protocols and/or suffers structural and signal inconsistency. Herein, we demonstrate a high-throughput fabrication of a stable and uniform superhydrophobic SERS platform for ultratrace molecular sensing. Large-area box-like micropatterns of the polymeric surface are first fabricated using capillary force lithography (CFL). Subsequently, plasmonic properties are incorporated into the patterned surfaces by decorating with Ag nanocubes using the Langmuir-Schaefer technique. To create a stable superhydrophobic SERS platform, an additional 25 nm Ag film is coated over the Ag nanocube-decorated patterned template followed by chemical functionalization with perfluorodecanethiol. Our resulting superhydrophobic SERS platform demonstrates excellent water-repellency with a static contact angle of 165° ± 9° and a consequent analyte concentration factor of 59-fold, as compared to its hydrophilic counterpart. By combining the analyte concentration effect of superhydrophobic surfaces with the intense electromagnetic "hot spots" of Ag nanocubes, our superhydrophobic SERS platform achieves an ultra-low detection limit of 10(-17) M (10 aM) for rhodamine 6G using just 4 μL of analyte solutions, corresponding to an analytical SERS enhancement factor of 10(13). Our fabrication protocol demonstrates a simple, cost- and time-effective approach for the large-scale fabrication of a superhydrophobic SERS platform for ultratrace molecular detection.

A photoredox reaction for cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) was developed to Cα-arylate amides (α to nitrogen) and ethers using a variety of five- and six-membered electron-deficient heteroarenes. A unique decomposition mechanism of ammonium persulfate enhanced by photoexcited benzaldehydes was revealed. This benzaldehyde-mediated photoredox reaction proceeded smoothly with household 23 W CFL bulbs as the energy source under metal-free conditions, allowing the construction of new Csp2 -Csp2 and Csp3 -Csp2 bonds and access to important pharmacophores of broad utility using commercially available reagents.

Various supramolecular nanotubes have recently been built up by lipids, peptides, and other organic molecules. Major light-harvesting (LH) antenna systems in a filamentous anoxygenic phototroph, Chloroflexus (Cfl.) aurantiacus, are called chlorosomes and contain photofunctional single-wall supramolecular nanotubes with approximately 5 nm in their diameter. Chlorosomal supramolecular nanotubes of Cfl. aurantiacus are constructed by a large amount of bacteriochlorophyll(BChl)-c molecules. Such a pigment self-assembles in a chlorosome without any assistance from the peptides, which is in sharp contrast to the other natural photosynthetic LH antennas. To mimic chlorosomal supramolecular nanotubes, synthetic models were prepared by the modification of naturally occurring chlorophyll(Chl)-a molecule. Metal complexes (magnesium, zinc, and cadmium) of the Chl derivative were synthesized as models of natural chlorosomal BChls. These metal Chl derivatives self-assembled in hydrophobic environments, and their supramolecules were analyzed by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Cryo-transmission electron microscopic images showed that the zinc and cadmium Chl derivatives could form single-wall supramolecular nanotubes and their outer and inner diameters were approximately 5 and 3 nm, respectively. Atomic force microscopic images suggested that the magnesium Chl derivative formed similar nanotubes to those of the corresponding zinc and cadmium complexes. Three chlorosomal single-wall supramolecular nanotubes of the metal Chl derivatives were prepared in the solid state and would be useful as photofunctional materials.