BACKGROUND: The morbidity of cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis is rather high in senile patients, which affects the life quality.OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of gushukang, the Chinese herbal patent for kidney tonification on senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis.DESIGN: Random control study based on patients.SETTING: Orthopedics department in a provincial hospital of traditional Chinese medicine.PARTICIPANTS: Fifty cases of senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis collected from the inpatients and outpatients in Henan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from .June 2002 to December 2003.METHODS: Fifty cases of senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis were randomized into experimental group(30 cases) and the control(20 cases) . In experimental group, gushukang was prescribed, 10 g/time and twice a day. In the control, jingfukang was prescribed, 6 g/time,twice per day. The course of treatment was 6 months.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To observe the improvement of therapeutic effects, X-ray manifestation, bone density, serum calcium and phosphorus before and after treatment in two groups.RESULTS: The therapeutic effects were obtained in both groups. The effective rate was 93％ in treatment group, better than the control (75％) ( P ＜ 0.05). Concerning to remote ultrasonic conductive speed in radius(SOS), it was(3 934 ± 125) and(3 990 ± 105) m/s before and after treatment respectively in experimental group; and was(3 935 ± 110) and(3 940 ± 123) m/s in the control, indicating significant difference( P ＜ 0. 05) . The difference in SOS before and after treatment in the control was not significant ( P ＞ 0.05).There was no remarkable difference in serum calcium and phosphorus before and after treatment in two groups( P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Gushukang, Chinese herbal patent for kidney tonification,provides better therapeutic effects on senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis.

Objective To compare the differences between the schizophrenics with negative and positive symptoms on prefrontal lobe and thalamus by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). Methods 58 negative subtype and 51 positive subtype schizophrenics were examined at prefrontal lobe and thalamus by multivoxel 1H-MRS before antipsychotic treatment The N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds ( Cho), and creatine compounds (Cr) were measured and the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr were determined. Results On right thalamus,the NAA/Cr ratio in negative subtype patients ( 1.40 ± 0.29 ) demonstrated lower than that in positive subtype ( 1.62 ± 0.33 ), the same phenomenon were appeared on male, female, non-first-episode, with-medicine and without-medicine patients (P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ). The Cho/Cr ratio on right thalamus in negative subtype of female,non-first-episode,without-medicine schizophrenics were lower than those in positive subtype (P ＜ 0.05 ).On left prefrontal lobe,left thalamus and right thalamus, the NAA/Cr ratios both in negative subtype and positive subtype schizophrenics were significantly negatively related with age of onset(P＜0. 05 or 0.01 ). In negative subtype schizophrenics,the Cho/Cr ratio on right thalamus was positively related with age of onset ( r = 0. 25, P ＜0.05 ). In negative subtype schizophrenics of non-first-episode, without-medicine, the correlation was negative between the NAA/Cr ratio and the course of disease( r= -0.48, -0.46, P＜0.05 ) ,and was positive between Cho/Cr ratio and the course of disease on right thalamus( r= 0.58,0.56, P＜ 0.01 ). Conlusion Compared with positive subtype schizophrenics,negative subtype schizophrenics have greater impairments on 1 H-MRS on right thalamus. The course of disease has greater effects on 1 H-MRS in negative subtype schizophrenics.

Biometric recognition methods for human identification have received researchers' attention. Seeing that the prominent characteristics of skull biometrics are not affected by facial expression and illumination, we present a new approach compounded of several features. Firstly, comparing the crania included angle; secondly, sampling the edge as the skull feature and analyzing the skull feature in multi-resolution; lastly, calculating the crania cavity area and regularizing the recognition rules. This method supports human identification in cases not only ante mortem but also postmortem.
Algorithms ; Cephalometry ; methods ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiography ; Skull ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging

Skull recognition is a new method of biometrics recognition. A skull recognition algorithm is presented in this paper by Quadratic rational Bezier curve fitting which accurately describes the feature of skull edge; the experiment results based on skull x-ray image show the correctness of this method.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Humans ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Skull ; diagnostic imaging