Masseter muscle sonographic features as indices for evaluating efficacy of massage treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to clarify the sonographic features of the masseter muscle as indices for judging the efficacy of massage treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Fifteen patients with temporomandibular disorder (10 with unilateral and 5 with bilateral muscle pain) underwent massage treatment alternately on the bilateral masseter and temporal muscles with an oral rehabilitation robot. Sonography was performed before and after treatment, and the masseter thickness and existence of anechoic areas were evaluated. RESULTS: The thickness on the symptomatic side in the unilateral group significantly decreased after treatment. Anechoic areas were shown in 20 muscles (66.7%) before treatment, and disappeared or were reduced in size in 17 muscles (85.0%) after treatment. The pretreatment thickness was significantly related to visual analog scale (VAS) scores regarding posttreatment muscle pain and massage impression. The existence of anechoic areas was relevant to VAS scores regarding muscle pain. CONCLUSION: Masseter thickness and existence of anechoic areas might be related to the therapeutic efficacy regarding muscle pain.

Microbial methane production in deep aquifer associated with the accretionary prism in Japan.

To identify the methanogenic pathways present in a deep aquifer associated with an accretionary prism in Southwest Japan, a series of geochemical and microbiological studies of natural gas and groundwater derived from a deep aquifer were performed. Stable carbon isotopic analysis of methane in the natural gas and dissolved inorganic carbon (mainly bicarbonate) in groundwater suggested that the methane was derived from both thermogenic and biogenic processes. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed the dominance of H(2)-using methanogens in the groundwater. Furthermore, the high potential of methane production by H(2)-using methanogens was shown in enrichments using groundwater amended with H(2) and CO(2). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that fermentative bacteria inhabited the deep aquifer. Anaerobic incubations using groundwater amended with organic substrates and bromoethanesulfonate (a methanogen inhibitor) suggested a high potential of H(2) and CO(2) generation by fermentative bacteria. To confirm whether or not methane is produced by a syntrophic consortium of H(2)-producing fermentative bacteria and H(2)-using methanogens, anaerobic incubations using the groundwater amended with organic substrates were performed. Consequently, H(2) accumulation and rapid methane production were observed in these enrichments incubated at 55 and 65 degrees C. Thus, our results suggested that past and ongoing syntrophic biodegradation of organic compounds by H(2)-producing fermentative bacteria and H(2)-using methanogens, as well as a thermogenic reaction, contributes to the significant methane reserves in the deep aquifer associated with the accretionary prism in Southwest Japan.

Prebiotic origin of glycolytic metabolism: histidine and cysteine can produce acetyl CoA from glucose via reactions homologous to non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff pathway.

Conversion of glucose to pyruvate via reactions homologous to the non-phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff (non-P ED) pathway could be achieved in the presence of two amino acid catalysts, cysteine and histidine: cystine oxidizes glucose to gluconic acid by the reaction homologous to glucose dehydrogenase and histidine changes gluconic acid to 2-keto-3-deoxy gluconic acid, then to pyruvate by the reaction homologous to gluconic acid dehydratase and 2-keto-3-deoxy gluconate aldolase, respectively. Pyruvate can be converted to acetyl CoA by the reaction with CoA, TPP and FAD in the presence of cysteine and histidine, which resembles pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction. It was found that gluconic acid dehydration alone is non-specific, in contrast to other reactions. The non-P ED pathway is used by some extreme thermophiles in bacteria and archaea, usually thought as the oldest among the contemporary organisms. This study suggests the possible contribution of amino acid to the origin of the glycolytic pathway.

Development of robot hand with pneumatic actuator and construct of master-slave system.

Recently, research has concentrated on robots that can coexist with people and be of use to them. Such a robot needs to be both safe and flexible. Here, we use a pneumatic actuator as the driving source of a robot hand. We develop a pneumatic actuator driven by low pressure because we consider that the conventional pneumatic actuator is inadequate for the driving source of a robot hand. First, we examine the characteristics of our new pneumatic actuator. Next, we develop a five-fingered robot hand using this pneumatic actuator. The robot hand produced is both safe and flexible. We construct a master-slave system to enable the robot hand to perform the same operations as a human hand. Next, we make a joint model that has one degree of freedom using a pneumatic actuator. We construct a control system for the joint model and verify its control performance.

Acute physiology, age, and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III score is an alternative efficient predictor of mortality in burn patients.

The present study was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the acute physiology, age, chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III score in burn patients. We hypothesised that APACHE III score efficiently predicts mortality of burn patients as it reflects the physiological changes in the acute phase and the severity of the underlying illness. Data such as age, gender, inhalation injury, total burn surface area (TBSA), burn index (BI), prognostic burn index (PBI), APACHE III score and outcome of 105 hospitalised patients were analysed retrospectively. TBSA, BI, PBI, and APACHE III score in the mortality group were significantly higher than those of surviving group. The mean scores of surviving versus mortality groups were as follows: TBSA, 19.2+/-17.8% versus 69.1+/-28.4%, p<0.0001; BI, 12.8+/-13.1% versus 66.8+/-28.6%, p<0.0001; PBI, 68.8+/-26.0% versus 124.4+/-33.6%, p<0.0001; APACHE III score, 28.4+/-22.2% versus 71.3+/-32.1%, p<0.0001. PBI and APACHE III score showed marked associations between higher scores and higher mortality. APACHE III score showed a significant correlation with PBI (p<0.0001). The present study suggested that APACHE III score could be used as an alternative efficient predictor of mortality in burn patients.

Inverted papilloma of the nasal cavity presenting with massive amounts of squamous metaplastic cells in sputum. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Squamous metaplasic cells are rarely seen in sputum of female nonsmokers. CASE: A 47-year-old female nonsmoker presented with massive amounts of squamous metaplasic cells in sputum and an elevated level of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in serum present for months, while no causative lesion was detected either by lung computed tomography or bronchoscopy. The patient was eventually diagnosed as having inverted papilloma in the right nasal cavity. Resection of the tumor brought about disappearance of squamous metaplastic cells in sputum and return of serum SCC antigen to the normal range. CONCLUSION: This case clearly demonstrates that squamous metaplastic cells in sputum can originate in lesions in the nasal cavity, although they are rare. It should be kept in mind that the nasal cavity is a potential site producing squamous metaplastic cells in sputum.