JOURNAL OF THE KYORIN MEDICAL SOCIETY

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The postures of healthy adult subjects and patients with low back pain and back pain were compared using the Spinal Mouse^® (Index Ltd.). Sagittal posture assessment data obtained using this technique were similar to the information obtained from X-ray images. The reproducibility of measurement values was also confirmed.
In healthy adult subjects, the angle of thoracic kyphosis was significantly larger in the standing position than in the sitting position for both male and female subjects. The change in posture from the standing to sitting position resulted in a change in lumbar posture from lordosis to kyphosis for both male and female subjects. Patients with low back pain (the LP group) showed a reduced degree of lumbar lordosis compared to the control group. Those with back pain following fusion of an osteoporotic compression fracture showed increased lumbar kyphosis. The spinal range of motion with extension was lower in the LP group than in the control group for both male and female patients. Male patients also showed a decreased spinal range of motion with flexion. Patients with back pain (the BP group) showed a significant decrease in the range of motion with extension. Female patients in the BP group showed a smaller spinal range of motion with extension than female patients in the LP group.
Sagittal posture assessment using the Spinal Mouse was non-invasive without concern for radiation exposure and was effective for posture analysis of healthy adult subjects and patients with low back pain or back pain.

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Bacterial small RNAs are encoded in conventional intergenic regions and act as regulatory molecules. In 2001-2005, the systematic search for novel small RNAs in Escherichia coli was performed using genome informatics, genome arrays and shotgun cloning techniques. The approximately 80 small RNAs of 50-400 nucleotides have been identified so far. These small RNAs can be grouped into three classes based on their target molecules and functions. The first group includes small RNAs function by interacting with specific proteins. The second group includes antisense RNAs that are encoded on the opposite strands to toxin genes and inactivate toxin mRNAs. The small RNAs in the third group bind to target mRNAs encoded on different locus via base-pairing with approximately 20 nucleotides. They are expressed mainly under various environmental stresses and control the stability or translation of target mRNAs. In this review, I will describe regulatory function of the trans-acting base-paring small RNAs in stress responses and quorum sensing.

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