Static versus Expandable Interbody Fusion Devices: A Comparison of 1-Year Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes in Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Ledesma Jonathan Andrew,Lambrechts Mark J.,Dees Azra,Thomas Terence,Hiranaka Cannon Greco,Kurd Mark Faisal,Radcliff Kris E.,Anderson David Greg 대한척추외과학회 2023 Asian Spine Journal Vol.17 No.1

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Purpose: To compare the radiographic and clinical outcomes of static versus expandable interbody cages in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion using minimally invasive surgery (MIS-TLIF). Overview of Literature: Expandable interbody cages may potentially improve radiographic and clinical outcomes following MIS-TLIF compared to static pages, but at a potentially higher cost and increased rates of subsidence. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 1- and 2-level MIS-TLIFs performed from 2014 to 2020 was reviewed. Radiographic measurements were obtained preoperatively, 6 weeks postoperatively, and at final follow-up. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) including the Oswestry Disability Index, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) back, and VAS leg were evaluated. Multivariate linear regression analysis determined the effect of cage type on the change in PROMs, controlling for demographic characteristics. Alpha was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 221 patients underwent MIS-TLIF including 136 static and 85 expandable cages. Expandable cages had significantly greater anterior (static: 11.41 mm vs. expandable: 13.11 mm, p<0.001) and posterior disk heights (static: 7.22 mm vs. expandable: 8.11 mm, p<0.001) at 1-year follow-up. Expandable cages offered similar improvements in segmental lordosis at 6 weeks (static: 1.69° vs. expandable: 2.81°, p=0.243), but segmental lordosis was better maintained with expandable cages leading to significant differences at 1-year follow-up (static: 0.86° vs. expandable: 2.45°, p=0.001). No significant differences were noted in total complication (static: 12.5% vs. expandable: 16.5%, p=0.191) or cage subsidence rates (static: 19.7% vs. expandable: 22.4%, p=0.502) groups at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Expandable devices provide greater improvements in radiographic measurements including anterior disk height, posterior disk height, and segmental lordosis, but this did not lead to significant improvements in PROMs, complication rates, subsidence rates, or subsidence distance.

Cryohemolysis, erythrocyte osmotic fragility, and supplementary hematimetric indices in the diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis

Ledesma Achem Miryam Emilse,Haro Cecilia,Terán Magdalena María,Mónaco María Eugenia,Issé Blanca Alicia,Sandra Stella Lazarte 대한혈액학회 2018 Blood Research Vol.53 No.1

Background Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a chronic hemolytic anemia characterized by microspherocytes in the peripheral blood and increased erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF). This study evaluated the cryohemolysis test (CHT); initial hemolysis (IH); immediate and incubated hemolysis percentage in 5.5 g/L NaCl (H5.5); mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC); red blood cell distribution width (RDW); and Hb/MCHC, Hb/RDW, and MCHC/RDW ratios for the diagnosis of HS. Methods Data from 13 patients with HS were evaluated at the Instituto de Bioquímica Aplicada and compared with data from 14 unaffected individuals and 11 patients with anemia due to another etiology. Total blood and reticulocyte counts, CHT, and immediate and incubated EOF were performed in all subjects; sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and Youden index (YI) were calculated. Results Eight patients with HS had MCHC ≥345 g/L, 10 had RDW ≥14.5%, 12 had IH >5.0 g/L, 11 had immediate H5.5 ≥5%, and 13 had incubated H5.5 ≥50% (the cut-off value to consider HS). The efficiency and YI were: immediate H5.5 (0.94‒0.85), incubated H5.5 (0.89‒0.82), IH (0.89‒0.78), MCHC (0.87‒0.62), CHT (0.84‒0.54), and Hb/MCHC (0.71‒ 0.56), respectively. The calculated ratios could distinguish subjects with HS from unaffected individuals (P<0.05), but not those with anemia of another etiology (P>0.05). Conclusion Although the CHT and supplementary hematimetric indexes were useful to differentiate individuals with SH from healthy controls, they cannot distinguish from anemias of other etiology. CHT and MCHC, in addition to EOF, are recommended for diagnosing HS patients because of their low cost and efficiency.

Causal Fungus of Side Rot on ‘Zesy002’ Kiwifruit in Jeju Island, South Korea

Magda Ledesma,Yong Ho Shin,Sonia Whiteman,Joy Tyson,Gyoung Hee Kim,Jeum Kyu Hong,Birgit Zange,Yong Chull Jeun 한국식물병리학회 2021 식물병연구 Vol.27 No.1

Since the past few years, dimple rot has become one of the most serious diseases affecting Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis ‘Zesy002’ kiwifruit in Korea, leading to a low quality and subsequent losses of income. In the current study, the causal pathogen of side rot on ‘Zesy002’ kiwifruit was identified to be Botryosphaeria dothi- dea, a widespread pathogen that could penetrate the fruit directly without wounding. Diaporthe sp., another pathogen causing dimple rot, was isolated from infected kiwifruit. It was not able to infect fruits without wounding. Dimple-rot symptoms are known to be associated with other pathogens from the Pseudocerco- spora genus. In this study, B. dothidea was ratified as the causal disease agent in Jeju Island. To illustrate the pathogenicity of this fungus on ‘Zesy002’, further studies such as observation of infection structures of fun- gus may be needed.

Prediction of tenderness in bovine longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles using Raman spectroscopy

Coria Maria Sumampa,Castaño Ledesma María Sofía,Gómez Rojas Jorge Raúl,Grigioni Gabriela,Palma Gustavo Adolfo,Borsarelli Claudio Darío 아세아·태평양축산학회 2023 Animal Bioscience Vol.36 No.9

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate Raman spectroscopy technique as a noninvasive tool to predict meat quality traits on Braford longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. Methods: Thirty samples of muscle from Braford steers were analyzed by classical meat quality techniques and by Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm laser excitation. Water holding capacity (WHC), intramuscular fat content (IMF), cooking loss (CL), and texture profile analysis recording hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness were determined, along with fiber diameter and sarcomere length by scanning electron microscopy. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis was used to differentiate tender and tough meat groups. Results: Higher values of cohesiveness and CL, together with lower values of WHC, IMF, and shorter sarcomere were obtained for tender meat samples than for the tougher ones. Raman spectra analysis allows tender and tough sample differentiation. The correlation between the quality attributes predicted by Raman and the physical measurements resulted in values of R2 = 0.69 for hardness and 0,58 for WBSF. Pearson's correlation coefficient of hardness (r = 0.84) and WBSF (r = 0.79) parameters with the phenylalanine Raman signal at 1,003 cm–1, suggests that the content of this amino acid could explain the differences between samples. Conclusion: Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm laser excitation is a suitable and accurate technique to identify beef with different quality attributes.

Suppression of Ripe Rot on ‘Zesy002’ Kiwifruit with Commercial Agrochemicals

Yong Ho Shin,Magda Ledesma,Sonia Whitman,Joy Tyson,Birgit Zange,Ki Deok Kim,Yong Chull Jeun 한국식물병리학회 2021 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.37 No.4

Ripe rot caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea is one of the serious diseases of postharvest kiwifruit. In or- der to control ripe rot on Actinidia chinensis cultivar ‘Zesy002’, several commercial agrofungicides were selected by an antifungal test on an artificial medium. Furthermore, disease suppression by the selected fungi- cides was evaluated on the kiwifruit by inoculation with a conidial suspension of B. dothidea. On the artificial media containing boscalid + fludioxonil was shown to be the most effective antifungal activity. However, in the bio-test pyraclostrobin + boscalid and iminoctadine- tris were the most effective agrochemicals on the fruit. On the other hand, the infection structures of B. dothi- dea on kiwifruit treated with pyraclostrobin + boscalid were observed with a fluorescent microscope. Most of the fungal conidia had not germinated on the kiwifruit treated with the agrochemicals whereas on the untreated fruit the fungal conidia had mostly germinated. Electron microscopy of the fine structures showed morphological changes to the conidia and branch of hyphae on the kiwifruit pre-treated with pyraclostrobin + boscalid, indicating its suppression effect on fungal growth. Based on this observation, it is suggested that ripe rot by B. dothidea may be suppressed through the inhibition of conidial germination on the kiwifruit treated with the agrochemicals.

Sustainable Development of Palm Oil: Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Corrosion Inhibitors

Porcayo-Calderon, J.,Rivera-Munoz, E.M.,Peza-Ledesma, C.,Casales-Diaz, M.,de la Escalera, L.M. Martinez,Canto, J.,Martinez-Gomez, L. The Korean Electrochemical Society 2017 Journal of electrochemical science and technology Vol.8 No.2

Palm oil production is among the highest worldwide, and it has been mainly used in the food industry and other commodities. Currently, a lot of palm oil production has been destined for the synthesis of biodiesel; however, its use in applications other than the food industry has been questioned. Thereby for a sustainable development, in this paper the use of palm oil of low quality for corrosion inhibitors synthesis is proposed. The performance of the synthesized inhibitors was evaluated by using electrochemical techniques such as open circuit potential measurements, linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that the fatty amides from palm oil are excellent corrosion inhibitors with protection efficiencies greater than 98%. Fatty amides molecules act as cathodic inhibitors decreasing the anodic dissolution of iron. When fatty amides are added, a rapid decrease in the corrosion rate occurs due to the rapid formation of a molecular film onto carbon steel surface. During the adsorption process of the inhibitor a self-organization of the hydrocarbon chains takes place forming a tightly packed hydrophobic film. These results demonstrate that the use of palm oil for the production of green inhibitors promises to be an excellent alternative for a sustainable use of the palm oil production.

Treatment of Anterior Vaginal Wall Prolapse Using Transvaginal Anterior Mesh With Apical Fixation: A Prospective Multicenter Study With up to 2 Years of Follow-up

Paulo César Rodrigues Palma,Marilene Vale de Castro Monteiro,Marta Alicia Ledesma,Sebastián Altuna,Juan José Luis Sardi,Cássio Luís Zanettini Riccetto 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2018 International Neurourology Journal Vol.22 No.3

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a surgical polypropylene mesh for correction of anterior vaginal prolapse, with or without apical defects, by providing simultaneous reinforcement at the anterior and apical aspects of the vagina with a single- incision approach. Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study involving women with baseline stage ≥2 anterior and/or apical vaginal wall prolapse according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system. The primary endpoint was defined as achievement of POP-Q stage ≤1 status. Additionally, patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Vaginal Symptoms (ICIQ-VS). The device under evaluation was Calistar A, which is fixed posteriorly to the sacrospinous ligaments with a novel tissue-anchoring system (TAS) and anteriorly to the obturator internus muscles. Postoperative follow-ups were scheduled at 7 days and at 6, 12, and 24 months. Results: Ninety-seven women were treated and assessed for the primary outcome. They were followed for up to 2 years (n=43), with a median of 12 months. Objective cure was achieved in 86 of the 97 patients (88.7%) (P<0.0005). The mean reduction in the ICIQ-VS scores was in the range of 70%–90% for every time point (P<0.05). No bleeding or surgical revision was reported. Mesh exposure occurred in 7 patients (7.2%), urinary retention in 5 (5.2%), de novo dyspareunia in 3 (3.1%), and urinary tract infections in 7 (7.2%). Conclusions: This midterm follow-up showed that apical and anterior vaginal reinforcement with a polypropylene implant fixed with a TAS provided good anatomical correction, with no major complications.

Lunasin is prevalent in barley and is bioavailable and bioactive in in vivo and in vitro studies.

Jeong, Hyung Jin,Jeong, Jin Boo,Hsieh, Chia Chien,Hernandez-Ledesma, Blanca,de Lumen, Ben O Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers [etc.] 2010 Nutrition and cancer Vol.62 No.8

<P>Lunasin, a unique 43-amino acid peptide found in a number of seeds, has been shown to be chemopreventive in mammalian cells and in a skin cancer mouse model. To elucidate the role of cereals in cancer prevention, we report here the prevalence, bioavailability, and bioactivity of lunasin from barley. Lunasin is present in all cultivars of barley analyzed. The liver and kidney of rats fed with lunasin-enriched barley (LEB) show the presence of lunasin in Western blot. Lunasin extracted from the kidney and liver inhibits the activities of HATs (histone acetyl transferases), yGCN5 by 20% and 18% at 100 nM, and PCAF activity by 25% and 24% at 100 nM, confirming that the peptide is intact and bioactive. Purified barley lunasin localizes in the nuclei of NIH 3T3 cells. Barley lunasin added to NIH 3T3 cells in the presence of the chemical carcinogen MCA activates the expression of tumor suppressors p21 and p15 by 45% and 47%, decreases cyclin D1 by 98%, and inhibits Rb hyperphosphorylation by 45% compared with the MCA treatment alone. We conclude that lunasin is prevalent in barley, bioavailable, and bioactive and that consumption of barley could play an important role of cancer prevention in barley-consuming populations.</P>

Plant Vigor and Yields of Organically and Conventionally Grown Tomato Crops in Taiwan

Peter Juroszek,Heidi M. Lumpkin,Chia-chien Lin,Deng-lin Wu,Chin-hua Ma,Dolores Ledesma,Ray-yu Yang,Peter M. Hanson,Manuel C. Palada 한국원예학회 2006 한국원예학회 기타간행물 Vol.- No.-