Current and future uses of skeletal stem cells for bone regeneration.

The postnatal skeleton undergoes growth, modeling, and remodeling. The human skeleton is a composite of diverse tissue types, including bone, cartilage, fat, fibroblasts, nerves, blood vessels, and hematopoietic cells. Fracture nonunion and bone defects are among the most challenging clinical problems in orthopedic trauma.

[Evaluation of the changes of alveolar bone around the upper incisors after retraction with mini implant anchorage using cone-beam CT].

Purpose: The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the changes of alveolar bone morphology before and after upper incisors retraction with mini implant anchorage using cone-beam CT (CBCT).

Methods: Twenty-two young patients with dentoalveolar maxillary protrusion and extraction of 2 maxillary first premolars were evaluated with CBCT. CBCT scans were obtained before treatment and 3 months after retraction of the incisors.

Therapeutic Outcomes of Kalix II in Treating Juvenile Flexible Flatfoot.

Objectives: To evaluate the therapeutic outcomes with Kalix II subtalar arthroereisis in sinus tarsi for juvenile flexible flatfoot.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the data of 20 juveniles with symptomatic flexible flatfoot (27 feet) who underwent the Kalix II implant procedure from January 2008 to September 2012 was performed. The pain during daily activities was assessed and followed up by use of a standard 10-point visual analog scale (VAS), and function was evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot scoring system, and anteroposterior talar-first metatarsal angle, lateral talar-first metatarsal angle, calcaneal pitch angle, and talar declination angle at X-ray film were measured to assess the therapeutic outcomes.

Eriodictyol, a plant flavonoid, attenuates LPS-induced acute lung injury through its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by excessive inflammatory responses and oxidative injury in the lung tissue. It has been suggested that anti-inflammatory or antioxidative agents could have therapeutic effects in ALI, and eriodictyol has been reported to exhibit antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity . The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of eriodictyol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in a mouse model.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome as a Reason for Active Management of Pulmonary Embolism.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) constitutes an independent factor for high warfarin dose for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the 6-month anticoagulation treatment by warfarin is enough for patients with PE complicated by OSAHS.

Methods: We investigated 97 PE patients, 32 of them had OSAHS and 65 non-OSAHS.

[Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism: clinical features and management].

Objective: To describe the clinical features of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in hospitalized pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) patients, and to explore its impact on the severity of disease and management among patients with PTE.

Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics of 28 PTE patients complicated with OSAHS admitted to this hospital from January 2002 to December 2010 were analyzed. A total of 30 PTE patients without OSAHS served as a control group.

[Effect of retroviral vector mediating RNA interference on the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in lipopolysaccharide-stimulating macrophage].

Objective: To explore the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting NF-kappaB signal pathway on the expression level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) released by lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulating-macrophages.

Methods: Human monocytic THP-1 cell was induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and transformed into macrophage. Two groups of macrophage were infected by siRNA retroviral expression vector specific to NF-kappaB functional subunit P65 (siRNA group) and Scramble control vector (Scramble control group) constructed by molecular cloning technology.

Osteopontin protects against hyperoxia-induced lung injury by inhibiting nitric oxide synthases.

Background: Exposure of adult mice to more than 95% O(2) produces a lethal injury by 72 hours. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of murine hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated glycoprotein produced principally by macrophages.

[Clinical analysis of 62 cases of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension treated with pulmonary thromboendarterectomy without early and late deaths].

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the effects of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Methods: Sixty-two cases of CTEPH operated with PTE from October 2002 to September 2008 at Anzhen Hospital were retrospectively reviewed and were assigned into either proximal CTEPH group (n = 46) or distal CTEPH group (n = 16).

Result: No early death was reported.

[Prognosis of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension receiving conservative or operative treatments according to a new clinical classification scheme].

Objective: To compare the efficacy of conservative or pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients according to a new clinical classification scheme.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 63 cases of CTEPH admitted to our hospital from February 1995 to October 2007 and 45 cases were treated surgically (Group A) and 18 cases received conservative therapy (Group B). Results were analyzed using Fisher exact test and t test according to San Diego medical center quartering classification scheme and Anzhen Hospital modified bifurcate classification scheme.

[The role of disequilibrium of expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 and their tissue inhibitors in pathogenesis of hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury in mice].

Objective: To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 (MMP-2/9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1/2) in pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by hyperoxia.

Methods: Seventy-two C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group, hyperoxia for 24 hours group, hyperoxia for 48 hours group, and hyperoxia for 72 hours group, with 18 mice in each group. The mice in hyperoxia groups were exposed to >98% oxygen in sealed cages, and the normal control group were placed outside of the cage to breathe room air.

[The clinical analysis of 54 cases for the surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism].

Objective: To evaluate the results of surgical procedures for pulmonary embolism.

Methods: Fifty-four patients of pulmonary embolism received surgical treatment from October 1994 to June 2007, of which 9 were acute pulmonary embolism underwent pulmonary embolectomy and 45 patients were chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Results: The mortality rate was 44.

Multi-agent-based bio-network for systems biology: protein-protein interaction network as an example.

Recently, a collective effort from multiple research areas has been made to understand biological systems at the system level. This research requires the ability to simulate particular biological systems as cells, organs, organisms, and communities. In this paper, a novel bio-network simulation platform is proposed for system biology studies by combining agent approaches.

[Treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension through pulmonary thromboendarterectomy and the effect of deep hypothermia circulation arrest thereon].

Objective: To evaluate the role of the pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) in the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and the effect of the deep hypothermia circulation arrest (DHCA) thereon.

Methods: The clinical data of 40 cases of CTEPH, 25 cases of central type and 15 cases of peripheral type, 29 males and 11 females, aged 46 +/- 12 (20 - 70), underwent PTH, 17 under deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA, Group A) and 23 not under DHCA (Group B), from February 1995 to October 2006. Follow-up was conducted for 41.

[Study on the function of osteopontin in hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury and its mechanism].

Objective: To examine the role of osteopontin (OPN) in hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and its relationships with matrix metalloproteinases (MMP).

Methods: Seventy-two OPN gene wild type (OPN(+/+)) mice were divided into normal control group (WN group), hyperoxia for 24 hours group (WO(1) group), hyperoxia for 48 hours group (WO(2) group) and hyperoxia for 72 hours group (WO(3) group) randomly, 18 mice in each group; another seventy-two OPN gene knock-out (OPN(-/-)) mice were also divided into normal control group (DN group), hyperoxia for 24 hours group (DO(1) group), hyperoxia for 48 hours group (DO(2) group) and hyperoxia for 72 hours group (DO(3) group) randomly. The hyperoxia group mice were exposed in sealed cages > 95% oxygen, and their matched background control were put outside of sealed cages and breath room air.

[Expression of various matrix metalloproteinases in mice with hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury].

Objective: To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury induced by hyperoxia.

Methods: Fifty four mice were exposed in sealed cages to >98% oxygen (for 24-72 hours), and another 18 mice to room air. The severity of lung injury was assessed, and the expression of mRNA and protein of MMP-2, MMP-9 and EMMPRIN in lung tissue, after exposure for 24, 48 and 72 hours of hyperoxia were studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.

[Effect of temperature control on vegetable waste and flower straw co-composting].

The effect of temperature control on vegetable waste and flower straw co-composting was investigated in pilot scale. The mixture of shredded vegetable waste and flower straw was composting in 2 m3 static aerobic bed on the controls of three different temperature level (55 degrees C, 60 degrees C, 65 degrees C). Of these trials, temperature, organic matter, moisture content were measured in order to research effect of temperature control on wastes reduction, biodegradation and moisture removal.

[Pulmonary apoptosis and necrosis in hyperoxia-induced acute mouse lung injury].

Objective: To investigate the pathways to cell death in hyperoxia-induced lung injury and the functional significance of apoptosis in vivo in response to hyperoxia.

Methods: Seventy-two mice were exposed in sealed cages > 98% oxygen (for 24 - 72 h) or room air, and the severity of lung injury and epithelium sloughing was evaluated. The extent and location of apoptosis in injured lung tissues were studied by terminal transferase dUTP end labeling assay (TUNEL), reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.