Shape and Size of the Annulus Fibrosus Excision Alters the Biomechanics of the Intervertebral Disc.

Study Design: Biomechanical testings and finite element analysis.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate how annulus fibrosus (AF) incision size (RIS, Ratio of incision width to AF height) and shape affect intervertebral disc (IVD) biomechanics.

Methods: A validated finite element model of lumbar spines simulated various incisions in the middle-right posterior region of the AF, with different sizes and shapes.

The effect of illness perception on psychosocial adjustment of patients with breast cancer and their spouses: actor-partner independence model.

Objective: With the increase in the prevalence rate and improvements in the survival of breast cancer patients, there is a growing interest in understanding the level of psychosocial adjustment in these patients. The study aimed to describe the illness perception and psychosocial adjustment levels of both breast cancer patients and their spouses, to use the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to clarify the actor-partner relationships between spouses, and to explore the impact of illness perception on psychosocial adjustment to the disease within the joint actions of both spouses.

Methods: A total of 216 female patients with breast cancer and their spouses participated in the study.

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations for liver cancer.

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations were developed to improve the therapeutic effect on liver cancer by means of the tumor-targeting ability of macrophages . and cellular uptake assays demonstrated that arsenic/AB, with negatively charged particles of around 100-200 nm size, could hitchhike to macrophages. Dissolution experiments of arsenic/AB showed that arsenic/AB could delay the release of arsenic and ensure the safety of macrophages during its transport.

Modulatory effect of International Standard Scalp Acupuncture on brain activation in the elderly as revealed by resting-state fMRI.

The specific mechanisms by which acupuncture affects the central nervous system are unclear. In the International Standard Scalp Acupuncture system, acupuncture needles are applied at the middle line of the vertex, anterior parietal-temporal oblique line, and the posterior parietal-temporal oblique line. We conducted a single-arm prospective clinical trial in which seven healthy elderly volunteers (three men and four women; 50-70 years old) received International Standard Scalp Acupuncture at MS5 (the mid-sagittal line between Baihui (DU20) and Qianding (DU21)), the left MS6 (line joining Sishencong (EX-HN1) and Xuanli (GB6)), and the left MS7 (line joining DU20 and Qubin (GB7)).

Acupuncture for ischemic stroke: cerebellar activation may be a central mechanism following Deqi.

The needling sensation of Deqi during acupuncture is a key factor of influencing acupuncture outcome. Recent studies have mainly focused on the brain function effects of Deqi in a physiological state. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on the effects of acupuncture at Waiguan (SJ5) in pathological and physiological states is controversial.

Rapid Onset of the Effects of Combined Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Electroacupuncture on Primary Depression: A Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and electroacupuncture therapies for the early treatment of primary depression.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed to compare therapy combining SSRIs and electroacupuncture to SSRI therapy alone. The RCTs were identified by searching, among others, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, WANFANG DATA, and the Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database.

Brain activation and inhibition after acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi: resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Acupuncture can induce changes in the brain. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on a single acupoint at a time. In the present study, we observed activity changes in the brains of healthy volunteers before and after acupuncture at Taichong (LR3) and Taixi (KI3) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Clinical effectiveness analysis of dextran 40 plus dexamethasone on the prevention of fat embolism syndrome.

This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of Dextran 40 plus dexamethasone on the prevention of fat embolism syndrome (FES) in high-risk patients with long bone shaft fractures. According to the different preventive medication, a total of 1837 cases of long bone shaft fracture patients with injury severity score (ISS) > 16 were divided into four groups: dextran plus dexamethasone group, dextran group, dexamethasone group and control group. The morbidity and mortality of FES in each group were analyzed with pairwise comparison analysis.

The effectiveness of acupuncture in postoperative gastroparesis syndrome--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Postoperative gastroparesis syndrome (PGS) which is mainly manifested as delayed gastric emptying is often caused by upper abdominal and sometimes lower abdominal surgery. In view of the side effects of drugs therapy, the search of supplementary and alternative has been of increasing interest.

Objective: This paper included a systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of acupuncture and acupoints selection in PGS.

Predictive factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus remission following bariatric surgery: a meta-analysis.

Background: Although a few studies have been reported on predictive factors of postoperative diabetes remission, the conclusions remain inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the preoperative clinical factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remission after bariatric surgery.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched.

The effectiveness of acupuncture in prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Acupuncture therapy for preventive and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV), a condition which commonly present after anaesthesia and surgery is a subject of growing interest.

Objective: This paper included a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of different type of acupuncture and acupoint selection in PONV prevention and treatment.

Methods: Randomised controlled trials(RCTs) comparing acupuncture with non-acupuncture treatment were identified from databases PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO, Ovid, CNKI and Wanfangdata.

Recombinant hemangiopoietin promotes cell adhesion and binds heparin in its multimeric form.

Hemangiopoietin (HAPO) is a novel growth factor stimulating the proliferation of hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo. The native protein is a 294‑amino acid multimodular protein. The N‑terminus constitutes of two somatomedin B (SMB) homology domains that contain 14 cysteines.

Inactivation kinetics of β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from green crab (Scylla serrata) by guanidinium chloride.

β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) is a major member in chitinolytic enzymes system, which plays an important role in the hatching and molting processes of marine organism. The effects of guanidinium chloride (GuHCl) on the activity of NAGase from green crab (Scylla serrata) were investigated in this study. In results, GuHCl causes reversible inactivation of the enzyme at below 0.

Association of ghrelin Leu72Met polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese population.

Background: Ghrelin, a novel endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, is considered to implicate the development of the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Leu72Met (+408C>A) polymorphism of the preproghrelin, has been linked to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of ghrelin gene Leu72Met polymorphism and its association with the type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese population.

Inhibitory kinetics of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from green crab (Scylla serrata) by zinc ion.

Heavy metal pollution such as chromium and zinc in the seawater has been increasing in recent years in the China Sea. Marine shellfish such as prawn and crab are sensitive to this pollution. Beta-N-acetyl-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC 3.

Inactivation kinetics of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from green crab (Scylla serrata) in dioxane solution.

Beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC.3.2.

Evaluation of the association between retinal binding protein 4 polymorphisms and type 2 diabetes in Chinese by DHPLC.

Serum retinal binding protein 4 (RBP4) was recently described as a new liver- and adipocyte-derived signal that may contribute to Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to test whether the RBP4 gene could be used as a genetic marker to predict the development of T2DM amongst the Chinese population of Han. For this study, a normal control group of 115 healthy subjects and an experimental group of 107 patients with T2DM were examined.

Association of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c gene polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance and blood lipid levels in Chinese population.

Aims: The sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c gene has been identified as a susceptibility gene in metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Previous studies suggest that SNP17 (rs2297508, exon18c and G952G) of SREBP-1c gene and a common SREBP-1c SNP6 (rs11868035) are associated with an increased risk of T2DM. The present study aimed to confirm the previously reported association in a Chinese population and to examine the two SREBP-1c SNPs for their associations with insulin resistance and blood lipid.

[Regional difference of land use/cover change in farming-pasturing zone of Naiman Banner in Inner Mongolia].

Based on the four TM images of Naiman Banner in Inner Mongolia in 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005, the extent and relative rate of land use change were used as the indices to analyze the regional difference of land use/cover change in the farming-pasturing zone of Naiman Banner, and the indices abundance and importance value were adopted to analyze the spatial distribution features of land use/cover change in the study area. The results showed that from 1975 to 2005, the types of land use/cover became diversified. The annual change rate was high, and the regional difference was significant.

Studies on the chemical modification of the essential groups of N-Acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase from viscera of green crab (Scylla Serrata).

The chemical modification of N-acetyl-beta-D: -glucosaminidase (EC3.2.1.

Modulation of frequency receptive field plasticity in rat auditory cortical neurons by electrical stimulation of medial prefrontal cortex.

Using conventional electrophysiological technique, we investigated the effects of stimulating the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) on plasticity of frequency receptive field (RF) in auditory cortical (AC) neurons in rats. When the mPFC was electrically stimulated, the RF plasticity of 51 (27.2%) neurons was not affected and that of 137 neurons (72.

Clinical evaluation of the recombinant 38 kDa protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The diagnosis of tuberculosis remains among public health concerns due to shortcomings of the purified protein derivative (PPD). Recombinant truncated 38 kDa protein (rTPA38) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was evaluated to screen new tuberculosis-specific tuberculin. 539 patients, 1133 healthy controls, and 55 guinea pigs were recruited to assess their sensitivity and specificity to rTPA38; 221 healthy controls, with negative responses to rTPA38 and PPD, were vaccinated with M.

Crystal structures and site-directed mutagenesis of a mycothiol-dependent enzyme reveal a novel folding and molecular basis for mycothiol-mediated maleylpyruvate isomerization.

Mycothiol (MSH) is the major low molecular mass thiols in many Gram-positive bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum. The physiological roles of MSH are believed to be equivalent to those of GSH in Gram-negative bacteria, but current knowledge of MSH is limited to detoxification of alkalating chemicals and protection from host cell defense/killing systems. Recently, an MSH-dependent maleylpyruvate isomerase (MDMPI) was discovered from C.

Inhibitory kinetics of phenol on the enzyme activity of beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from green crab (Scylla serrata).

Chemical pollution such as chromium and phenol in the sea water has been increasing in recent years in China sea. At the same time, marine shellfish such as prawn and crab are sensitive to this pollution. beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC.