Aged patients with cervical spinal injury may be more likely to have pulmonary side effects (P = 0.029) after high-dose therapy with MPSS and thus deserve special care.

This study reveals that in spinal surgery, wound closure using 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate was associated with a lower rate of SSI than wound closure with staples. Moreover, the use of 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate has a more time saving effect and cost-effectiveness than the use of staples in wound closure of 10 cm in length.

Mechanical stress on nucleus pulposus cells promotes the proliferation of cells and alters the properties of intervertebral disc cells. This study may reflect the adaptation of the intervertebral disc to increased motion and stress.

OP-1 injection into degenerative intervertebral disc resulted in the enhancement of the extracellular matrix and the inhibition of pain-related behavior.

Experimental animal models of disc degeneration have been used to assess the biomechanical behavior, biochemical composition, and biological changes in the intervertebral discs. The objective of our study was to evaluate the anabolic and anti-catabolic effects of intradiscal injection of Osteogenic Protein-1 (OP-1) by histology and immunohistochemistry in disc degeneration model. Thirty-four rats were divided into five groups: intact control; sham control; compressed nucleus pulposus (NP) injected with saline; and two OP-1 groups: COP-1 group (compression was continued after intradiscal OP-1 injection) and ROP-1 group (compression was released at the time of OP-1 injection). Anabolic and anti-catabolic effects of OP-1 were evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry with the following antibodies: anti-pro-and anti-mature OP-1, anti-MMP-13, anti-aggrecanase, anti-substance P, anti-tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and anti-interleukin-1b (IL-1b). The OP-1 injection to the degenerative disc stimulated an anabolic response characterized by the restoration of the normal morphology of the disc, increased Safranin O staining in the NP, extention of the extracellular matrix, and stimulation of endogenous OP-1 synthesis in the NP, annulus fibrosis (AF), and end-plate. The anti-catabolic effect of OP-1 was documented by reduced immunostaining for aggrecanase, MMP-13, substance P, TNF-a, and IL-1b. This study confirmed the anti-catabolic activity of OP-1 as demonstrated previously in human articular cartilage and provided critical evidence for the potential of OP-1 therapy in the treatment of disc degeneration. Because substance P is a neuropeptide linked with inflammation and pain, a reduction in the level of this protein may support our previously reported results on the effect of OP-1 on pain-related behavior.

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The surface tension of molten copper was measured by the oscillating drop method using a falling droplet. The surface oscillation of the droplet was quite simplified during the falling, and consequently, the surface tension was calculated using Rayleigh's equation. The measurements were carried out in a wide temperature range including the undercooling state. The obtained surface tension of copper is expressed as follows: