[Efficacy difference between warming acupuncture and other acupuncture methods for primary obesity: a Meta-analysis].

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy difference between warming acupuncture and other acupuncture methods in the treatment of primary obesity.

Methods: A computer-based retrieval was conducted at PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Alt HealthWatch, CNKI, CBM, WANFANG database and VIP database. Retrieval time was from the establishment date of database to October 4, 2017.

Origami Lesion-Targeting Device for CT-Guided Interventions.

The objective of this study is to preliminarily evaluate a lesion-targeting device for CT-guided interventions. The device is created by laser cutting the structure from a sheet of medical grade paperboard, 3D printing two radiocontrast agent grids onto the surface and folding the structure into a rectangular prism with a viewing window. An abdominal imaging phantom was used to evaluate the device through CT imaging and the targeting of lesions for needle insertion.

Effects of the rare earth element lanthanum on the metal-ceramic bond strength of dental casting Co-Cr alloys.

Statement Of Problem: The metal-ceramic bond strength of dental casting Co-Cr alloys may be improved by the addition of the rare earth element lanthanum (La), but studies are lacking.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of the rare earth element La on the metal-ceramic bond strength of dental casting Co-Cr alloys.

Material And Methods: Four groups of specimens with different La content (0; 0.

4-Phenylbutyric Acid Attenuates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Intestinal Epithelial Cell Apoptosis in Rats with Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine whether intestinal epithelial cell (IECs) apoptosis could be induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and the role of chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) in SAP-associated intestinal barrier injury.

Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the sham operation group, the SAP group, and the SAP model plus 4-PBA treatment group (4-PBA group). A rat model of SAP was induced by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate (STC) into the biliopancreatic duct; in the 4-PBA group, 4-PBA was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight for 3 days before modeling.

Genetically engineered bi-functional silk material with improved cell proliferation and anti-inflammatory activity for medical application.

Functional silk is a promising material for future medical applications. These include fabrication of diverse silk fiber and silk protein-regenerated biomaterials such as silk sutures, hydrogel, films, and 3D scaffolds for wound healing and tissue regeneration and reconstruction. Here, a novel bi-functional silk with improved cell proliferation and anti-inflammatory activities was created by co-expressing the human basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF_β1) genes in silkworm.

High Speed Pneumatic Stepper Motor for MRI Applications.

Presented in this paper is an exploration into the efficacy of a plastic, four-cylinder piston pneumatic motor designed for driving medical instruments inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Because of the increasing use of MRI for diagnostic and interventional purposes and the benefits that could be realized by operating with real-time MR image guidance, there exists a significant need for MRI compliant surgical devices. Some type of actuation mechanism is necessary to drive such devices.

Improving the Electrochemical Properties of the Manganese-Based P3 Phase by Multiphasic Intergrowth.

Layered transition-metal oxides are one kind of the most promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. In this study, we propose a strategy to enhance the electrochemical properties of P3-type manganese-based layered oxide cathode by introducing a small amount of layered P2 and Li-O'3 phases. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) structural refinement and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) are performed to confirm the microstructures of different samples.

Glycolipid iGb3 feedback amplifies innate immune responses via CD1d reverse signaling.

The cross-talk between cellular lipid metabolism and the innate immune responses remains obscure. In addition to presenting lipid antigens to Natural Killer T-cells (NKT cells), the Cluster of Differentiation 1D Glycoprotein (CD1d) might mediate reverse signaling in antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Here we found CD1d deficiency attenuated Toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered inflammatory innate responses in macrophages and dendritic cells, protecting mice from endotoxin shock.

De Novo Biosynthesis of -Coumaric Acid in with a -Cinnamic Acid 4-Hydroxylase from the Amaryllidaceae Plant .

-Coumaric acid is a commercially available phenolcarboxylic acid with a great number of important applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, material and chemical industries. -Coumaric acid has been biosynthesized in some engineered microbes, but the potential of the plant CYP450-involved biosynthetic route has not investigated in . In the present study, a novel -cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H) encoding the C4H gene was isolated from (L' Hér.

The neurotoxicity induced by PM might be strongly related to changes of the hippocampal tissue structure and neurotransmitter levels.

: The complex components of PM including metal elements transported through the blood brain barrier could induce nervous system damage. This study discusses the relationship between rats' learning and memory and changes in the hippocampal neuron histomorphology and neurotransmitter levels induced by PM exposure. : Male rats were treated with different concentrations of PM by tracheal perfusion once per week for up to 12 weeks.

Characterising risk of in-hospital mortality following cardiac arrest using machine learning: A retrospective international registry study.

Background: Resuscitated cardiac arrest is associated with high mortality; however, the ability to estimate risk of adverse outcomes using existing illness severity scores is limited. Using in-hospital data available within the first 24 hours of admission, we aimed to develop more accurate models of risk prediction using both logistic regression (LR) and machine learning (ML) techniques, with a combination of demographic, physiologic, and biochemical information.

Methods And Findings: Patient-level data were extracted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Adult Patient Database for patients who had experienced a cardiac arrest within 24 hours prior to admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) during the period January 2006 to December 2016.

Template for MR Visualization and Needle Targeting.

To improve the targeting accuracy and reduce procedure time in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided procedures, a 3D-printed flexible template was developed. The template was printed using flexible photopolymer resin FLFLGR02 in Form 2 printer (Formlabs, Inc., Somerville, MA).

The Effect of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus on Empathy in Healthy Individuals.

Empathy, including cognitive and emotional empathy, refers to the ability to infer the mental states of others and to the capacity to share emotions. The neural mechanisms involved in empathy are complex and not yet fully understood, and previous studies have shown that both cognitive and emotional empathy are closely associated with the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). In this study, we examined whether empathy can be modulated by high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) of the right IFG.

Determination of Threshold Scores for Treatment Success After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Using Oxford, Constant, and University of California, Los Angeles Shoulder Scores.

Purpose: To determine the threshold scores for the Constant-Murley score (CMS); University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score; and Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) that determine treatment success after arthroscopic rotator cuff (RC) repair.

Methods: Patients who underwent unilateral arthroscopic double-row RC repair by a single surgeon between 2010 and 2015 were prospectively followed up and assessed preoperatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Perceived pain was measured with a visual analog scale, and functional outcome was assessed by the CMS, UCLA score, and OSS.

Learning deep similarity metric for 3D MR-TRUS image registration.

Purpose: The fusion of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and magnetic resonance (MR) images for guiding targeted prostate biopsy has significantly improved the biopsy yield of aggressive cancers. A key component of MR-TRUS fusion is image registration. However, it is very challenging to obtain a robust automatic MR-TRUS registration due to the large appearance difference between the two imaging modalities.

Enhancing the Structural Stability of Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathodes with a Preformed Zr-Concentrated Defective Nanolayer.

Nickel-rich layered oxides (NLOs) exhibit great potential to meet the ever-growing demand for further increases in the energy density of Li-ion batteries because of their high specific capacities. However, NLOs usually suffer from severe structural degradation and undesired side reactions when cycled above 4.3 V.

The circular RNA ACR attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by suppressing autophagy via modulation of the Pink1/ FAM65B pathway.

Dysregulated autophagy is associated with many pathological disorders such as cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence has suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have important roles in some biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether circRNAs participate in the regulation of autophagy.

Adult Connective Tissue-Resident Mast Cells Originate from Late Erythro-Myeloid Progenitors.

Tissue-resident mast cells are associated with many inflammatory and physiological processes. Although mast cells arise from the yolk sac, the exact ontogeny of adult mast cells remains unclear. Here we have investigated the hematopoietic origin of mast cells using fate-mapping systems.

Applications of Wireless Power Transfer in Medicine: State-of-the-Art Reviews.

Magnetic resonance within the field of wireless power transfer has seen an increase in popularity over the past decades. This rise can be attributed to the technological advances of electronics and the increased efficiency of popular battery technologies. The same principles of electromagnetic theory can be applied to the medical field.

Methyltransferase Dot1l preferentially promotes innate IL-6 and IFN-β production by mediating H3K79me2/3 methylation in macrophages.

Epigenetic modification, including histone modification, precisely controls target gene expression. The posttranscriptional regulation of the innate signaling-triggered production of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferons has been fully elucidated, whereas the roles of histone modification alteration and epigenetic modifiers in regulating inflammatory responses need to be further explored. Di/tri-methylation modifications of histone 3 lysine 79 (H3K79me2/3) have been shown to be associated with gene transcriptional activation.

Facile Hydrothermal Preparation of Carboxymethyl Chitosan Functionalized Hydrotalcite Composite with Enhanced Adsorption Capacity for Cu(II) Ions.

In order to enhance the adsorption capacity of hydrotalcite material for heavy metal ions, the LDH/CMC composite was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The XRD pattern showed that the presence of CMC has no obvious influence on the crystal structure of hydrotalcites. The FT-IR and UV-vis DRS analyses showed that the CMC functionalized surface has been obtained.

A comprehensive review of circRNA: from purification and identification to disease marker potential.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is an endogenous noncoding RNA with a covalently closed cyclic structure. Based on their components, circRNAs are divided into exonic circRNAs, intronic circRNAs, and exon-intron circRNAs. CircRNAs have well-conserved sequences and often have high stability due to their resistance to exonucleases.

Transgenic Silkworm-Based Silk Gland Bioreactor for Large Scale Production of Bioactive Human Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF-BB) in Silk Cocoons.

Human platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) is a major therapeutic protein with great demand in the clinical setting; however, its rate of supply is far from meeting needs. Here, we provide an effective strategy to produce PDGF-BB in large quantities using a transgenic silkworm. The codon-optimized gene regulated by the highly efficient expression system was integrated into the genome of a silkworm.

Fabrication of the FGF1-functionalized sericin hydrogels with cell proliferation activity for biomedical application using genetically engineered Bombyx mori (B. mori) silk.

Unlabelled: Sericin, as the major component of Bombyx mori silk, is a useful biomaterial for tissue engineering due to its hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Here, we report the fabrication of a human acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF1)-functionalized sericin hydrogel using a transgenic silkworm spun silk with FGF1 incorporated in its sericin layer. Sericin, together with FGF1, were simultaneously extracted from the silk fiber and then exposed to cold-induced hydrogel formation without additional crosslinking.

Materials and Structures toward Soft Electronics.

Soft electronics are intensively studied as the integration of electronics with dynamic nonplanar surfaces has become necessary. Here, a discussion of the strategies in materials innovation and structural design to build soft electronic devices and systems is provided. For each strategy, the presentation focuses on the fundamental materials science and mechanics, and example device applications are highlighted where possible.