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Objective of this study was to determine the impact of differences observed in ambient temperature and relative humidity for peach boxes in cold storage. The study was implemented in an experimental cold store with a chiller unit. Cooling system was adjusted at +1 oC with 90% of relative humidity. Changes of ambient factors inside of the boxes and in the cold store for different levels were measured. Differences between ambient factors of the cold store and plastic storage boxes were compared. ‘Glohaven’ peaches (Prunus persicaL. Batch) were cold stored for 4 weeks. Quality parameters of the peaches were determined for different levels per week during storage period. According to the results, there was no important difference between ambient factors for the cold store and inside of the storage boxes. The cold store with chiller cooling system worked successfully and distribution of the storage temperature and the relative humidity in the cold store and inside the storage boxes was almost homogeny. Fruit firmness, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, pH values, respiration rate, changes on the starch and its impact on the flavour were found to be significantly meaningful. However, its effects on the quality criteria on top, medium and base levels inside the store were considered statistically insignificant. The measurement results showed that there were some differences among various levels with regards to storage conditions though they had no significant negative effect on quality criteria.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of short segment pedicle screw instrumentation and an intermediate screw (SSPI+IS) on the radiological outcome of type A thoracolumbar fractures, as judged by the load-sharing classification, percentage canal area reduction and remodelling. We retrospectively evaluated 39 patients who had undergone hyperlordotic SSPI+IS for an AO-Magerl Type-A thoracolumbar fracture. Their mean age was 35.1 (16 to 60) and the mean follow-up was 22.9 months (12 to 36). There were 26 men and 13 women in the study group. In total, 18 patients had a load-sharing classification score of seven and 21 a score of six. All radiographs and CT scans were evaluated for sagittal index, anterior body height compression (%ABC), spinal canal area and encroachment. There were no significant differences between the low and high score groups with respect to age, duration of follow-up, pre-operative sagittal index or pre-operative anterior body height compression (p = 0.217, 0.104, 0.104, and 0.109 respectively). The mean pre-operative sagittal index was 19.6° (12° to 28°) which was corrected to -1.8° (-5° to 3°) post-operatively and 2.4° (0° to 8°) at final follow-up (p = 0.835 for sagittal deformity). No patient needed revision for loss of correction or failure of instrumentation.Hyperlordotic reduction and short segment pedicle screw instrumentation and an intermediate screw is a safe and effective method of treating burst fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. It gives excellent radiological results with a very low rate of failure regardless of whether the fractures have a high or low load-sharing classification score.Cite this article: Bone Joint J2014;96-B:541–7.

We prospectively studied 26 consecutive patients with clinically documented sensory or motor deficiency of a peripheral nerve due to trauma or entrapment using ultrasound, and in 19 cases surgical exploration of the nerves was undertaken. The ultrasonographic diagnoses were correlated with neurological examination and the surgical findings. Reliable visualisation of injured nerves on ultrasonography was achieved in all patients. Axonal swelling and hypoechogenity of the nerve was diagnosed in 15 cases, loss of continuity of a nerve bundle in 17, the formation of a neuroma of a stump in six, and partial laceration of a nerve with loss of the normal fascicular pattern in five. The ultrasonographic findings were confirmed at operation in those who had surgery.Ultrasound may be used for the evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries in the upper limb. High-resolution ultrasound can show the exact location, extent and type of lesion, yielding important information that might not be obtainable by other diagnostic aids.

In the period 1980–1984 about 70000 selfed seeds of the petunia cultivar Blue Bedder were treated with the chemical mutagens ethidium bromide (EB) and ethylnitroso urea (ENU) with the intention to induce (new sources of) cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). This work resulted in 27 stable male sterile MS-plants, all derived from the ENU-treatments.

La perte de l’intégrité de la barrière épithéliale est connue pour intervenir dans la pathogénie des maladies inflammatoires, en particulier lorsque existent des manifestations allergiques. Les mécanismes d’interaction entre dysfonctionnement de la barrière épithéliale et dysrégulation immunologique restent néanmoins obscurs. Nous montrons, ici, le rôle central de la desmogléine-1 dans cette interaction.