Ld and its EPS have the potential to be used for the development of anti-inflammatory functional foods to prevent intestinal diseases in both humans and animals.

Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive inherited lipid storage disease characterized by ichthyosis, leukocyte lipid vacuoles, and involvement of several internal organs. Recently, CGI-58 mutations were identified as the cause of Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome. The physiologic roles of the CGI-58 protein and the pathomechanisms of Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome still remain to be clarified, however. The patient, a 16-y-old male, demonstrated ichthyosis, small ears, lipid vacuoles in his leukocytes, liver dysfunction, and mental retardation. Sequencing of CGI-58 revealed that the patient was homozygous for a novel nonsense mutation R184X, in exon 4. The putative truncated protein was 52.4% of the length of the normal CGI-58 polypeptide and lacked approximately 60% of the lipid binding region, 66.4% of the alpha/beta hydrolase folding segment of the polypeptide, and two of the CGI-58 catalytic triads, resulting in a significant loss of lipase/esterase/thioesterase activity. Electron microscopy revealed a large number of abnormal lamellar granules, a disturbed intercellular lamellar structure, and lipid vacuoles in the epidermis. These results suggested that CGI-58 protein is involved in the lipid metabolism of lamellar granules and that defective lipid production in lamellar granules caused by a CGI-58 protein deficiency is involved in the pathogenesis of ichthyosis in Dorfman-Chanarin syndrome.

The discovery of small and potent peptide antagonists of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor is described. Through the structure-activity relationship studies of 12-amino acid peptide corresponding to the C-terminal residues of astressin, we assumed that a particular surface of the alpha-helix was important for binding to the receptor. The small peptide containing d-Ala31 and cyclohexylalanine38 on that surface was as potent as astressin in binding to the CRF receptor and showed significant ACTH suppression when administered to rats.

Background: First-rib stress fracture is considered a potential cause of nonspecific atraumatic chronic shoulder pain in adolescent athletes. However, the etiology in throwing athletes with first-rib fracture is still unknown. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the characteristic clinical features and radiographic findings of overhead throwing athletes with first-rib fracture. Methods: Twenty-four first-rib stress fractures in 23 players were studied retrospectively. Clinical features, including age, initial symptom, sports, pain-related activity, diagnostic method, treatment method, and final follow-up, were reviewed. Results: The following characteristic clinical features were identified: mean age of 16.8 years (range, 13 to 25 years), 19 dominant arm injuries and 5 non-dominant arm injuries, and an acute increase in pain while swinging the bat or pitching the ball. Sixteen fractures presented with posterior shoulder or upper thoracic back pain. At a mean time of 7.5 months after the initiation of conservative treatment, 17 healing fractures (71%) and 7 nonunion fractures (29%) among throwing athletes with first-rib stress fracture were identified. On image analysis, first-rib stress fractures were classified into 3 types depending on the direction and location of fracture lines: groove, intrascalene, and posterior types. Three symptomatic patients underwent first-rib resection due to thoracic outlet syndrome. On average, 46% of the first rib was visible on the shoulder radiographs and 97% was visible on the cervical spine radiographs. The Cohen kappa coefficient for the above percentages was 0.87 and the percent agreement was 89.4% for the shoulder, and the Cohen kappa coefficient was 0.80 and the percent agreement was 99.0% for the cervical spine. Conclusions: First-rib stress fracture should be considered when adolescent overhead throwing athletes have acute-onset posterior shoulder pain while swinging the bat or pitching the ball. Anteroposterior radiography of the cervical spine is available for initial diagnosis. Although 71% of the patients healed at a mean follow-up of 7.5 months with conservative treatment, some patients may have symptoms consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

ture, and fertilizer application) during the early phase of grain filling (Tanaka and Matsushima, 1963; Yoshida, Shortage of C assimilate supply to rice grain during approximately Tashiro and Wardlaw, 1990;Sumi et al., 1996; the first 10 days after heading (DAY 10 ) has been believed to reduce potentiality of grain dry matter increase (G P ) and decrease the final Egli, 1998). grain weight (G F ). However, we suspect that assimilate shortage duringIt has been shown that shortage of available assimilate DAY 10 does not determine G F , if assimilate supply during the rest of caused by shading during the early grain filling period the grain filling period (G PERIOD ) meets subsequent requirements for (approximately the first 10 d after heading) restricts realizing G P . Our objective was to determine if G P is in fact affected final grain weight at the fully ripe stage, even if the by shortage of assimilate supply caused by shading during DAY 10 . shading is removed during the remainder of the grain Plots of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown under paddy field conditions filling period (Tanaka and Matsushima, 1963; Nagato were subjected to three strengths of shading for DAY 10 . After the and Chaudhry, 1970; Nagato et al., 1971). Assimilate shades were removed, the plots were divided into two groups. Plants supply during the first 10 d after heading, coupled with in the first group were thinned to half the plant population density, varied planting dates or fertilizer conditions, also affects while the second group was left at normal spacing. G F in the unthinned group was reduced depending on the strength of the shade, but weights