[Long Backbone Fracture Caused by Blunt Force: 99 Cases Analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the main point of long backbone fracture caused by blunt force in forensic clinical identification and to provide a reference for the inspection and appraisal practices of such injury. METHODS: Ninety-nine cases of adult long backbone fractures were collected from January 2006 to December 2013 in Gutian County of Fujian Province. According to the terms of fracture location, mode of injury, type, the data were summarized. RESULTS: In the 99 cases, there were 36 cases caused by hitting, kicking, and falling and 63 cases caused by vehicle collision. The majority of the former was ulna, and those of the latter were tibia and fibula. The types of fracture were transverse one, short oblique one, long oblique one, and spiral one. CONCLUSION: Different types of long backbone fracture, not only causing stress load of fractures as well as structural differences related to each segment.

Soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 levels in synovial fluid are correlated with disease severity of knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed to measure soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1) levels in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and to investigate the correlation between sLOX-1 levels and the disease severity. DESIGN AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen OA patients and 83 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All OA patients were scored for Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade (0-4). The sLOX-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: In OA patients, the mean sLOX-1 levels in SF were markedly lower than those in paired serum samples (P<0.01). The SF sLOX-1 levels increased with higher KL grade (P<0.01) and were significantly correlated with disease severity (r = 0.324, P<0.01). SF sLOX-1 level was the independent factor for predicting the disease severity of OA (ß: 0.281, 95%CI: 0.145-0.396). CONCLUSIONS: SF sLOX-1 levels were independently and positively associated with disease severity in knee OA.

Effects of some dietary phytoestrogens in animal studies: review of a confusing landscape.

A variety of effects have been attributed to phytoestrogens, which are present in variable concentrations in soy-based laboratory animal diets. The authors review the inherent complexities in evaluating the effects of soy and dietary phytoestrogens on various in vitro and in vivo systems.