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Objectives: The current study sought to investigate whether physical function and activity were associated with hip structural analysis (HSA) parameters on the non-fracture side of patients with hip fractures. Methods: Participants were patients with unilateral hip fracture treated by surgery. HSA of the proximal femur was conducted based on dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry data. HSA parameters in the narrow neck region included cross-sectional area (CSA), cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI), section modulus (SM), and buckling ratio (BR). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of HSA. Results: Except for the adjustment variables, age, gender and BMI, other variables were extracted. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (standardised partial regression coefficients) identified movement control during one-leg standing on the non-fractured side (0.15) as factors associated with CSA. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (standardised partial regression coefficients) identified hand grip (0.12, 0.23) as factors associated with CSMI and SM, respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis (standardised partial regression coefficients) identified presence of steroid (0.23) and cerebrovascular disease (0.19) as factors associated with BR. The coefficients of determination adjusted for degrees of freedom (R 2) were 0.545, 0.331, 0.401, and 0.148 for CSA, CSMI, SM, and BR, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that movement control during 1-leg standing and muscle strength may be important for maintaining and improving bone strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bicyclic dioxetanes bearing 5-( t-butyldimethylsiloxy)inden-2-yl, 3, or 5-( t-butyldimethylsiloxy)benzo( b)thiazol-2-yl, 4, were synthesized. On treatment with large excess of tetrabutylammonium fluoride in DMSO, dioxetane, 3, decomposed rapidly with accompanying emission of red (vermilion) light ( λmaxCL = 637 nm). Comparing the chemiluminescent properties for 3 with those for related dioxetane, 1, in which π-conjugation system is not fixed in plane, both CIEEL-decay rate and chemiluminescent efficiency were found to be improved for 3. Chemiluminescent decomposition of dioxetane, 4, was similarly induced to emit crimson light ( λmaxCL = 725 nm), though the chemiluminescent efficiency was low. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermally stable dioxetane bearing a 3-(1-cyanoethenyl)phenyl group (1) was synthesized. Michael addition of an anion of malonate (3a,b) to a dioxetane (1) substituted with a 3-(1-cyanoethenyl)phenyl moiety took place to give an intermediary dioxetane bearing a benzylic anion, which decomposes rapidly with accompanying emission of crimson light. When an anion of chloromalonate (3c) was used as a base, intramolecular cyclopropanation of 3c occurred concurrently with the Michael-addition-induced chemiluminescent decomposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aspergillus oryzae tannase (AoTanA), which contains two Kex2 recognition sites at positions Arg311 and Arg316, consists of two subunits that are generated by the cleavage of tannase gene product by the Kex2 protease. Based on the crystal structure of feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus oryzae (AoFaeB), which has been classified as a member of the fungal tannase family, the catalytic triad residues of AoTanA are predicted to be Ser195, Asp455, and His501, with the serine and histidine residues brought together by a disulfide bond of the neighboring cysteines, Cys194 and Cys502. In this study, we investigated the functional role of the Kex2 recognition sites and disulfide bond between the neighboring cysteines in AoTanA. We constructed a double variant (R311A/R316A), a seven amino-acid deletion variant of region Lys310–Arg316 (ΔKR), and two single variants (C194A and C502A). While the R311A/R316A variant exhibited the two bands similar to wild type by SDS-PAGE after treatment with endoglycosidase H, the ΔKR variant exhibited only one band. R311A/R316A variation had no effect on tannase activity and stability. Meanwhile, the ΔKR variant exhibited higher activity compared to the wild-type. The activities of the C194A and C502A variants decreased considerably (<0.24% of the wild-type) toward methyl gallate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Idiopathic necrosis of the second metatarsal head is quite unusual in adults. We present a rare case of idiopathic osteonecrosis of the second metatarsal head in an adult via magnetic resonance imaging, which enabled an early diagnosis of the necrosis before osteochondral deformity could develop. This case is noteworthy due to its rarity and its successful nonoperative treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]