Influenza virus is a serious pathogen that burdens society with health care costs, and can lead to fatality. The virus is dealt with currently by vaccination and anti-influenza drugs. However, vaccines need to be improved towards safer and more efficient production formats, and drugs need to be constantly renewed to cope with resistances. That the neuraminidase inhibitors are only drugs currently available warrants urgent attention to an alternative anti-influenza target. In this paper we introduce studies on fusion activity of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA), and discuss how to best utilize the knowledge for an improved vaccine development and an anti-influenza drug search. Potential application of mutations resulting in changes in fusion activity to cell culture optimized vaccine virus development and strategies to develop broad spectrum anti-influenza drugs through targeting the conserved fusion domain of the HA are discussed.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Health Care Costs ; Hemagglutinins* ; Influenza, Human* ; Membrane Fusion* ; Membranes* ; Neuraminidase ; Orthomyxoviridae* ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Viruses

PURPOSE: We studied the short term results of the arthroscopic repair of 1B type triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tear using a knotless suture anchor. METHODS: We evaluated 23 patients who underwent all-inside arthroscopic TFCC repair using a knotless suture anchor. The average follow-up duration was 6.6 months (range, 3-10 months). Mean duration of symptom was 10.9 months (range, 1 week-7 years). The arthroscopic finding documented 15 type 1B, 2 1B with 1D, and 6 1B with 2C lesions. All showed the positive hook test. The concomitant pathologies were 16 scapholunate injuries and 10 lunotriquetral injuries. TFCC tears were repaired by the knotless suture anchor. The Wafer procedure was done for 2C lesions. RESULTS: According to Mayo modified wrist score, the result was excellent in 4, good in 14 and fair in 5. Nineteen patients (82.6%) could return to his job or hobby. CONCLUSION: The all-inside arthroscopic repair using knotless suture anchor for TFCC 1B tear can provide good results. The appropriate management should be done for the concomitant pathologies for the better results.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Suture Anchors ; Sutures ; Triangular Fibrocartilage ; Wrist

165Dy Hydroxide Macroaggregates(165Dy HMA) has a short half life(2.3 hours) and a size range of 3-5µm that give the advantage of reduced leakage and a shorter hospital stay. This report will show the results of a prospective open study on the efficacy and safety of 165Dy HMA in 178 knees of 141 patients with chronic synovitis refractory to conventional antirheumatic therapy. The final global assessment was classified as good, fair or poor. Extra-articular leakage of 165Dy HMA was determined by the scintigraphic evaluation of liver, groin and knee joints. The optimum radiation dose was 250 mCi. The mean follow up periods were 32.4(14-112) weeks. Thirty seven percent of the knees showed good results, 48% fair results and 15% poor results. In the knees with stage I radiographic changes, 82% showed improvement including 32% of the patients with good results. In the knees with stage II radiographic changes, 90% showed improvement including 42% of the patients with good results. The mean period of improvement for the 158 knees that responded to treatment was 41.4(24-106) weeks. Leakage of radioactivity from the injected joint was minimal. Adverse reactions were rare(radiation burn : 4 cases, transient postinjection swelling : 14 cases). In conclusion, 165Dy HMA radiation synovectomy is a safe and useful therapy for chromic synovitis of the rheumatoid knees.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Burns ; Follow-Up Studies ; Groin ; Humans ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Length of Stay ; Liver ; Prospective Studies ; Radioactivity ; Synovitis