Byrdberg8540

There were significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative ODI and VAS scores. There was a statistically significant difference in all subscales of the SF-36 test with the exception of general health scores. Three patients who had dural damage during the operation were treated with bio glue. Also, no patients were recorded to have any neurological deficits and root injuries postoperatively.

Minimally invasive decompression surgery, without instrumentation, for lumbar spinal stenosis in geriatric patients significantly improves the patients' quality of life.

Minimally invasive decompression surgery, without instrumentation, for lumbar spinal stenosis in geriatric patients significantly improves the patients' quality of life.

Patients with lumbar stenosis profit substantially from decompressive surgery. The change of body position and walking behaviour after successful surgery might lead to changed force effects on the entire spine and on the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). We analyzed the incidence of postoperative SIJ-related pain.

The authors analyzed the records of 100 consecutive patients from three institutions, who underwent decompressive surgery without instrumentation. The diagnosis of SIJ-related pain was confirmed by periarticular infiltration. The radiological changes of the sacroiliac joint were assessed in plain radiographs in both groups patients with SIJ pain (group 1) and patients without SIJ pain (group 2) after surgery.

22 patients required medical attention due to SIJ-related pain after surgery. While the walking distance increased substantially in both groups without difference (p=0.150), the analysis of overall satisfaction favoured group 2 (p=0.047). Female patients suffered more from SIJ pain after surgery (p=0.036). Age, severity of radiological changes or number of operated segments appeared not to trigger SIJ-related pain.

The adaptation of a changed body posture and gait could lead to transient overload of the SIJ and surrounding myofascial structures. The patients should be informed about this possible condition to avoid uncertainty, discontent, unnecessary diagnostics and to induce a quick, specific treatment. Non-diagnosed sacroiliac joint-related pain could be a possible, but reversible reason for the diagnosis of a "failed-back-surgery".

The adaptation of a changed body posture and gait could lead to transient overload of the SIJ and surrounding myofascial structures. The patients should be informed about this possible condition to avoid uncertainty, discontent, unnecessary diagnostics and to induce a quick, specific treatment. Non-diagnosed sacroiliac joint-related pain could be a possible, but reversible reason for the diagnosis of a "failed-back-surgery".Homeobox genes encode transcription factors that are essential for embryonic morphogenesis and differentiation. Transcription factors containing the highly conserved homeobox motif show considerable promise as potential regulators of hematopoietic maturation events. Previous studies have suggested that the increased expression levels of homeobox (HOX)A genes was correlated with the cytogenetic findings associated with poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia and mixed lineage leukemia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of HOXA5 in leukemia. The U937 human leukemia cell line was transfected with a HOXA5‑targeted short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to determine the effects of downregulation of the HOXA5 on proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution and chemoresistance in leukemia cells. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of HOXA5 were markedly suppressed following transfection with an shRNA‑containing vector. Knockdown of HOXA5 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, as determined by Cell Counting kit‑8 assay. Flow cytometry revealed that reduced HOXA5 expression levels resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, and induced apoptosis. In addition, western blot analysis demonstrated that HOXA5 knockdown increased the expression levels of caspase‑3, and reduced the expression levels of survivin in the U937 cells. Furthermore, knockdown of HOXA5 in the U937 cells enhanced their chemosensitivity to cytarabine. The results of the present study suggested that downregulation of HOXA5 by shRNA may trigger apoptosis and overcome drug resistance in leukemia cells. Therefore, HOXA5 may serve as a potential target for developing novel therapeutic strategies for leukemia.

Purpose was to compare the oncologic outcome of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCXRT) versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy (pCXRT) for locally advanced mucinous rectal carcinoma (MRC) having curative total mesorectal excision (TME).

One hundred and two patients with MRC (T3-4 and/or N1-2) of middle and lower third rectum were included. Patients were non-randomly divided into 2 groups Group A (N = 61) had nCXRT followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) after 8-11 weeks and Group B (N = 41) had TME followed by pCXRT. Primary end points were disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were tumor regression grade (TRG) and morbidity.

In group A, 29 patients had partial response after nCXRT, 26 patients showed no change and 6 patients had progression. TME was done in 55 patients in group A and 41 patients in group B. Six patients in group A turned to be unresectable after nCXRT due to progressive disease. Mean follow-up was 53 months. In patients received TME, Four-year DFSthere was no statistical difference in outcome (DFS and OS) between patients receiving pre- or post-operative chemo-radiotherapy. In most MRC patients, tumor regression is not significant after nCXRT and there is considerable possibility of tumor progression during nCXRT treatment. So, nCXRT should be used with close follow-up in MRC for early detection of possible tumor progression. If the patient cannot tolerate nCXRT, it is possibly safe to do surgery followed by pCXRT. Prospective study is needed to study the value of nCXRT in MRC.Studies of the phase transitions in an active substance contained in a solid dosage form are very complicated but essential, especially if an active substance is classified as a BCS Class IV drug. The purpose of this work was the development of sensitive methods for the detection of the phase transitions in the aripiprazole tablets containing initially its form III. Aripiprazole exhibits polymorphism and pseudopolymorphism. Powder diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry methods were developed for the detection of the polymorphic transition between forms III and I as well as the phase transition of form III into aripiprazole monohydrate in tablets. The study involved the initial 10 mg and 30 mg tablets, as well as those stored in Al/Al blisters, a triplex blister pack and HDPE bottles (with and without desiccant) under accelerated and long term conditions. The polymorphic transition was not observed in the initial and stored tablets but it was visible on the DSC curve of the Abilify(®) 10 mg reference tablets. The formation of the monohydrate was observed in the diffractograms and Raman spectra in the tablets stored under accelerated conditions. The monohydrate phase was not detected in the tablets stored in the Al/Al blisters under long term conditions. The results showed that the Al/Al blisters can be recommended as the packaging of the aripiprazole tablets containing form III.During fundamental research, it is recommended to evaluate the test compound identity and purity in order to obtain reliable study outcomes. For peptides, quality control (QC) analyses are routinely performed using reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to an ultraviolet (UV) detector system. These traditional QC methods, using a C18 column and a linear gradient with formic acid (FA) as acidic modifier in the mobile phase, might not result in optimal chromatographic performance for basic peptides due to their cationic nature and hence may lead to erroneous results. Therefore, the influence of the used chromatographic system on the final QC results of basic peptides was evaluated using five cationic cell-penetrating peptides and five C18-chromatographic systems, differing in the column particle size (high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) versus ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)), the acidic modifier (FA versus trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)), and the column temperature (30 °C versus 60 °C). Our results indicate that a UHPLC system with the C18 column thermostated at 30 °C and a mobile phase containing TFA, provides the most suitable routine QC analysis method for cationic peptides, outperforming in sensitivity and resolution compared to the other systems. We also demonstrate the use of a single quad mass spectrometry (MS) detector system during QC analysis of (cationic) peptides, allowing identification of the peptide and its impurities, as well as the evaluation of the peak purity.Niemann-Pick type C1 (NP-C1) disease is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease for which the only approved therapy is miglustat (MGS). In this study we explored the applications and value of both one- and two-dimensional high-resolution NMR analysis strategies to the detection and quantification of MGS and its potential metabolites in urine samples collected from NP-C1 disease patients (n=47), and also applied these techniques to the analysis of the anticonvulsant drug valproate and one of its major metabolites in ca. 30% of these samples (i.e. from those who were also receiving this agent for the control of epileptic seizures). A combination of high-resolution 1D and 2D TOCSY/NOESY techniques confirmed the identity of MGS in the urinary (1)H NMR profiles of NP-C1 patients treated with this agent (n=25), and its quantification was readily achievable via electronic integration of selected 1D resonance intensities. However, this analysis provided little or no evidence for its metabolism in vivo, observations consistent with those acquired in corresponding experiments performed involving an in vitro microsomal system. Contrastingly, the major valproate metabolite 1-O-valproyl-β-glucuronide was readily detectable and quantifiable in 14/47 of the urine samples investigated, despite some resonance overlap problems (identification of this agent was confirmed by experiments involving equilibration of these samples with β-glucuronidase, a process liberating free valproate). In order to facilitate and validate the detection of MGS in urine specimens, full assignments of the (1)H NMR spectra of MGS in both buffered aqueous (pH 7.10) and deuterated methanol solvent systems were also made. The pharmacological and bioanalytical significance of data acquired are discussed, with special reference to the advantages offered by high-resolution NMR analysis.A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for determining protostemonine, a new anti-tussive agent isolated from Radix Stemonae. MAPK inhibitor Separation was performed on a C18 column with mass detection in positive selected reaction monitoring mode at the transitions of m/z 418.2→m/z 320.2 and m/z 416.2→m/z 342.2 for protostemonine and internal standard, respectively. The assay showed good linearity (r>0.998) over the tested concentration range with the lowest limit of quantification of 1.0 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD, %) were 2.21-9.89% and 3.99-13.19%, respectively; whereas accuracy (RR, %) ranged from 90.35% to 108.32%. The extraction recovery, stability, and matrix effect were demonstrated to be within the acceptable limits. The validated assay was further successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of protostemonine in rat. Protostemonine was rapidly eliminated from plasma following single intravenous administration (2 mg/kg) with a t(1/2) of 3.