We report a systematic study by 75 As nuclear-quadrupole resonance in LaFeAsO1−xFx. The antiferromagnetic spin fluctuation (AFSF) found above the magnetic ordering temperature TN = 58 K for x = 0.03 persists in the regime 0.04 ≤ x ≤ 0.08 where superconductivity sets in. A domeshaped x-dependence of the superconducting transition temperature Tc is found, with the highest Tc = 27 K at x = 0.06 which is realized under significant AFSF. With increasing x further, the AFSF decreases, and so does Tc. These features resemble closely the cuprates La2−xSrxCuO4. In x = 0.06, the spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1) below Tc decreases exponentially down to 0.13 Tc, which unambiguously indicates that the energy gaps are fully-opened. The temperature variation of 1/T1 below Tc is rendered nonexponential for other x by impurity scattering.

Neuromedin B and neuromedin C are novel decapeptides that have recently been isolated from porcine spinal cord and canine intestinal mucosa and show striking sequence homology with bombesin and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP-27) at the carboxyl-terminal region. The effects of synthetic neuromedin B and C on exocrine pancreatic function and insulin release have been compared with bombesin and GRP-27 in isolated pancreatic acini and isolated perfused pancreas in rat. Neuromedin B and C as well as bombesin and GRP-27 were able to cause stimulation of amylase release. The relative efficacy of neuromedin B, C, bombesin, and GRP-27 was the same as that of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). Bombesin and GRP-27 were equipotent, and both were approximately 15-fold less potent than CCK-8. Neuromedin C was approximately 2-fold more potent, whereas neuromedin B as approximately 10-fold less potent than bombesin and GRP-27. All of these peptides stimulated insulin release that was limited to the first 3 min of a 20-min perfusion. However, GRP-27 and its related peptides were weak stimulants of insulin release compared with their abilities to stimulate exocrine pancreatic secretion. Bombesin and neuromedin B id not stimulate insulin release at doses stimulating pancreatic exocrine secretion. Neuromedin B was also approximately 10-fold less potent than neuromedin C, bombesin, and GRP-27 in eliciting insulin secretion. Because bombesin-like immunoreactivity is found to be present in nerves in the pancreas, neuromedin B and C may be neurotransmitters or neuromodulators and exert a direct local neurocrine action on enzyme secretion by acinar cells and insulin secretion by the islets.

We report systematic 75 As-NQR and 139 La-NMR studies on nickel-pnictide superconductors LaNiAsO1−xFx (x=0, 0.06, 0.10 and 0.12). The spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 decreases below Tc with a well-defined coherence peak and follows an exponential decay at low temperatures. This result indicates that the superconducting gap is fully opened, and is strikingly different from that observed in iron-pnictide analogs. In the normal state, 1/T1T is constant in the temperature range Tc ∼4 K≤ T ≤10 K for all compounds and up to T =250 K for x=0 and 0.06, which indicates weak electron correlations and is also different from the iron analog. We argue that the differences between the iron and nickel pnictides arise from the different electronic band structure. Our results highlight the importance of the peculiar Fermi-surface topology in iron-pnictides. 74.25.Nf, 74.90.+n

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Background: We investigate the association with knee flexion range of motion (ROM) during the acute phases and that at 12 months after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We also clarified the cutoff ROM during the acute phases in predicting the goal of knee flexion ROM at 12 months. Methods: In this retrospective study, 193 patients with knee osteoarthritis (female:144 patients, age:73.2 ± 7.7 years) who underwent unilateral TKA at an orthopedic clinic were recruited. They underwent assessments of knee flexion ROM at 5 days, 1 month, and 12 months after TKA. The goal of knee flexion ROM at 12 months after TKA was set at 120°. Single and logistic-regression analyses were performed with the dependent variables including the outcome of the goal of knee flexion ROM at 12 months, and the independent variables included knee flexion ROM at 5 days and 1 month, separately. We calculated the cutoff ROM at 5 days and 1 month for predicting the goal of knee flexion ROM at 12 months with receiver operating curve analysis. Results: Knee flexion ROM at 5 days and 1 month were significantly associated with the goal of that at 12 months (p < 0.01). The cutoff ROM were 85°at 5 days and 105°at 1 month separately. Conclusions: Our results suggest the importance of early improvement in knee flexion ROM after TKA, and that at 1 month postoperatively indicates the likelihood of achievement of the goal of knee flexion ROM at 12 months after TKA.

Knee OA adults with FoF decreased trunk oscillation during walking than those without FoF.

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