Objective To observe the effect of mild hypothermia on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypox-ia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) in brain tissues in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Methods Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were ran-domly divided into sham group, model group and mild hypothermia group with ten rats in each group. The latter two groups were estab-lished middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for two hours and reperfusion model. The mild hypothermia group received mild hypother-mia treatment for 24 hours. The neurologic function was evaluated with Longa's score. The brain water content was measured by wet/dry method. The infarction area ratio was assessed by TTC staining. The protein levels of VEGF and HIF-1αwere determined by ELISA, while the mRNA level of VEGF was assessed by qPCR. Results Compared with the sham group, the score of neurologic score, the brain water content ratio and the infarction area ratio, the expression of VEGF protein and HIF-1αprotein, and the mRNA level of VEGF increased in the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the score of neurologic score significantly decreased (χ2=26.657, P<0.001), the brain water content ratio and the infarction area ratio decreased (P<0.05), and the expression of VEGF protein and HIF-1αprotein, and the mRNA level of VEGF further increased (P<0.05) in the mild hypothermia group. Conclusion Mild hypothermia may protect against isch-emic-induced neurologic injury by up-regulating the expression of VEGF and HIF-1α, and promote the angiogenesis in the rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective To assess the use of the Chinese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD).Methods A total of 62 patients with AD and 54 patients with VD were recruited for this study.All subjects were subject to examination using MoCA to collect information in terms of their visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction delayed recall and orientation.The demographic data of the subjects was also were collected and analyzed.Results It was shown that there were statistically significant differences between the AD and VD patients with regard to their scores of visuospatial / executive,attention,delayed recall (P ＜ 0.05).The rate of diagnostic coincidence was 100％ in AD patients using MoCA Chinese version,and 98.15％ in VD patients,with a statistically significant difference between the two groups.There was high correlation in all items of MoCA between the two evaluators (ICC:0.911 ～1.000).Conclusion Montreal Cognitive Assessment Chinese version can be used for the diagnosis of AD and VD,and the scale can help differentiate AD and VD.

Objective To test using musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) to observe uncovertebral joints (UJs) and to explain the ultrasound images of UJs and their adjacent tissues,especially the vertebral artery (VA).Methods MSUS was used first with human skeletons and cadavers to localize the UJs and VA on the MSUS images with the aid of implanted needles.MSUS was then used with a patient clinically diagnosed with cervical spondylosis of the vertebral artery type (CSA) to detail the image of a normal UJ and its relationship with the adjacent tissues,especially the VA.Whether there was a lateral spur from the uncinate process (UP) was assessed to try to establish a method for measuring osteophytes.Results During the examination the patient was in supine,the neck was elevated 15cm with a pillow and was at 45 degrees of rotation to the contralateral side.The probe was placed at the medial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.When the longitudinal section of the common carotid artery was shown,the probe was slowly moved laterally until the VA first appeared,and then was moved up along the VA.Once the VA entered the transverse foramen,moving the probe slightly allowed the UJ behind the VA to be seen between two transverse processes.The UJ thus lies between two transverse processes,that is,between the lateral margins of two vertebral bodies and outside the intervertebral disc.The echo of the lateral border of the UP is on a straight line with the echo of the lateral margin of the vertebral body,with the VA in front of the line.It was noticed that the image of a UP with lateral osteophyte formation crossed the line and reached closer to the VA.The transverse diameter of the UJ was measured as the distance from a line cutting the lateral cortical margin of the cervical vertebra to the outer cortical margin of the lateral UP.Conclusion MSUS can clearly show the UJ and its adjacent tissues,especially the VA.It can be used to assess and measure UJs with lateral osteophyte formation.

Objective To explore the efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in treating severe and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods Seventy-eight COPD patients were randomly divided into an NMES group of 38 and an exercise therapy group of 32.In addition to the routine drug therapy and basic rehabilitation training,the NMES group received 8 weeks of NMES of the lower limbs while the exercise group was provided with strength and endurance training of the lower limbs,also for 8 wceks.Before and after the 8 weeks of treatment,pulmonary function was tested along with isokinetic quadriceps strength,cardiopulnonary capacity,and lung capacity using Saint George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ).Results The two groups showed no significant difference in any of the measurements before the treatment.After the treatment,forced expiratory volume in 1 second of (FEV1),FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC),FEVI in percentage of the predicted value,medical research council dyspnea scale (MRC) score and the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) improved in both groups.However,the average body mass index and 6 minute walk distance differed significantly between the groups after the treatment.The quadriceps' peak torque increased after the treatment in both groups,but the average in the exercise group was significantly higher than that in the NMES group.VO2max and Wmax also increased significantly in both groups,and the average time to exhaustion increased significantly in the exercise group.Significant improvement was observed in the BODE assessment after the intervention for both groups.Conclusion Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is as effective as therapeutic exercise in promoting the rehabilitation of severe COPD patients.However,lower limbs exercise is still the first choice in managing such patients.

Objective To obtain imaging information of the cervical arteries and vertebral structure of rhesus ma -caques and provide useful reference data for medical research works using macaques as animal models .Methods Six a-dult macaques (3 males and 3 females) in age of 3-5 years, body weight from 3.5 to 5 kg, were used to examine the neck by 320 row spiral CT imaging under general anesthesia , and three-dimensional reconstruction was performed to observe the vertebral artery morphology , and to measure the diameter of vertebral artery and the size of transverse foramen of the ma -caques .Color Doppler ultrasound was combined with 320-CT imaging to assess the blood flow velocity in carotid arteries . After CT scan to make sure that the vertebral artery and cervical vertebra of macaques had no deformity , the size of trans-verse foramen and diameter of vertebral artery were measured in the cross-sectional images .Color Doppler ultrasound was used to analyze the peak systolic velocity ( PSV) , diastolic peak flow velocity ( EDV) and the diameter ( D) of common ca-rotid artery (CCA), internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA), and vertebral artery (VA) of the ma-caques .Results The 320-CT scan showed that in the monkeys , the vertebral artery enters the cervical spine through the intervertebral foramina at C6, and leaves the cervical spine at C 2 level, and the cervical spine has Luschka joint , which is similar to the anatomic structure in humans .The diameter of left and right vertebral arteries was 1.89 ±0.44 mm and 1.72 ±0.39 mm, respectively , with no significant difference between them in the same segment ( P>0.05 ) , and the size of transverse foramen also had no significant difference in the same segment ( P>0.05 ) .Color Doppler ultrasound showed that the left and right side systolic peak velocity (PSV) and diastolic peak velocity (EDV) of CCA and ICA, the left and right side systolic peak velocity (PSV) of ECA and VA had statistically significant difference (P<0.05), and the left ar-teries were predominant in the macaques .Conclusions In this study we obtained some imaging information of vertebral artery morphology and artery blood flow of macaques and these information may provide some useful basic data for further studies using rhesus macaques as animal models .

Objective To compare the effects of nonsurgical spinal decompression system (SDS) cervical traction and common cervical traction using surface electromyography (sEMG).Methods Twenty-two volunteers' sEMG signals were recorded before,during and after two modes of cervical traction:the conventional traction in sitting and SDS traction in supine.The interval between the two modes of traction was no shorter than 24 hours.The mean and peak amplitudes of their sEMG signals were observed before,during and after traction.The sEMG signals of the posterior cervical muscle while sitting or lying were compared at different stages of the traction.Results There was no statistically significant difference in sEMG signals between the subjects' right and left posterior cervical muscles.The sEMG signals decreased significantly during both traction trials.With common cervical traction the mean and peak amplitudes of the left posterior cervical muscle pre-and post-traction were higher than during traction,and the same as that of the right posterior cervical muscle.In the SDS trials the sEMG signals during traction and post-traction were significantly lower than those pre-traction.After traction the sEMG signals while sitting (common cervical traction) were significantly higher than those post-traction while lying (SDS cervical traction),and the sEMG signals post-traction while either lying or sitting were stronger than during traction while lying.The post-traction signals in sitting were stronger than those in lying.Conclusions Both nonsurgical SDS and common cervical traction can relax the posterior cervical muscles.The effect of nonsurgical SDS was better than that of common cervical traction.

Objective:To explore the effect of double supervisor teaching in practical teaching of rehabilitation technology specialty.Methods:Totally 45 students from rehabilitation technology specialty in our university were randomized into experimental group and control group. Experimental group (22 students) took double supervisor teaching method, which was jointly conducted by a doctor and a physiotherapist, while control group (23 students) adopted single physiotherapist teaching method. The practical effects were evaluated by theory test, clinical operation test, and questionnaire survey. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22.0.Results:The scores of tests in experimental group were significantly better than those in control group ( P<0.05). In addition, according to the questionnaire survey, the scores of indicators related to the teaching effectiveness in experimental group were significantly better than those in control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The application of double supervisor teaching in practical teaching of rehabilitation technology specialty can improve students' academic performance, improve students' learning ability and problem-solving ability, which is worthy of further exploration and promotion in rehabilitation medicine education.