Artificial bone replacement has made an important contribution to safeguard human health and improve the quality of life. The application requirements of rapid prototyping technology based on reverse engineering in individualized artificial bone with individual differences are particularly urgent. This paper reviewed the current research and applications of rapid prototyping and reverse engineering in artificial bone. The research developments and the outlook of bone kinematics and dynamics simulation are also introduced.
Biomedical Engineering ; Bone Substitutes ; Bone and Bones ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently applied operations in the ENT practice. This prospective study compared intraoperative records and postoperative clinical outcomes between adults and children patients following monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy. METHOD: Forty adult patients and Forty children patients with histories of recurrent tonsillitis or hypertrophic tonsillitis were enrolled. Intraoperative parameters and postoperative outcomes were compared. RESULT: Children tonsillectomy with monopolar electrocautery was significantly faster to perform (P < 0.05), and produced significantly less intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.05), and faster to return to commencement of a regular diet (P < 0.05) than adults. Children tonsillectomy endured less postopera- tive pain within a week (P > 0.05) than adults, but there was no significant difference in pain on the 14th postoperative day in two groups. There was no obvious postoperative hemorrhage in two groups. There was no significant difference in postoperative tonsillar fossa healing and postoperative temperature between the groups. CONCLUSION Children and adults tonsillectomy with monopolar electrocautery had clinical characteristics respectively. Monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy was safe and operated easily in both two groups.
Adult ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Child ; Electrocoagulation ; Humans ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Tonsillectomy ; methods ; Tonsillitis ; surgery ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study compared clinical manifestations of idiopathic sudden hearing loss between children and the elderly. METHOD: 44 pediatric patients and 76 elderly patients diagnosed with idiopathic sudden deafness in our clinic from December 2009 to September 2014 were enrolled. Different clinical parameters were compared. RESULT: The incidence of initially profound hearing loss was highest and mild hearing loss was lowest in both groups (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the proportion with initially mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss between both groups (P > 0.05). The number of patients was the most in initially profound type of audiogram pattern and the fewest in ascending type in both groups (P < 0.05). Hearing recovery rates in children (27/44, 61.4%) was higher than that in elderly patients (32/76, 42.1%) (P < 0.05). There were no differences in hearing recovery rates of the patients with initially level of hearing loss in both groups (P > 0.05). The highest recovery rate in children was in those with descending type and the lowest was in those with profound type (P < 0.05). There were no differences in hearing recovery rates in elderly patients with initially different types of audiogram pattern (P > 0.05). Hearing recovery rates of descending type in children were higher than that in elderly patients. Presence of tinnitus in pediatric patients was not relavent to the outcome (P > 0.05). Presence of tinnitus in elderly patients was associated with favorable outcomes. (P < 0.05). Presence of dizziness in pediatric patients was not relavent to the outcome (P > 0.05). Presence of dizziness in elderly patients was associated with poor outcomes (P < 0.05). Presence of initially different degrees of opposite side hearing loss in elderly patients was not relavent to the outcome (P > 0.05). Presence of chronic diseases in elderly patients was not associated with the outcome (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The clinical manifestion of idiopathic sudden deafness is respective in Children and in elderly patients.
Aged ; Child ; Dizziness ; complications ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; physiopathology ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Incidence ; Retrospective Studies ; Tinnitus ; complications ; Vertigo ; complications

Objective To evaluate the effect of pretreatment with nerve growth factor-beta (NGF-β) on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated rat hearts by comparing it with NGF-β preconditioning.Methods Pathogen-free male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 200-300 g,aged 8-10 weeks,were anesthetized with intraperitoneal 10％ chloral hydrate 300 mg/kg.Their hearts were excised and perfused in a Langendorff apparatus with KH solution aerated with 95％ O2 and 5％ CO2 at 37℃.Twenty-four isolated rat hearts were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =8 each) using a random number table:I/R group,NGF-β pretreatment group (group NGFPt) and NGF-β preconditioning group (group NGFPc).The hearts were perfused with K-H solution for 10 min (equilibration) in each group.In group I/R,the hearts were continuously perfused with K-H solution for 30 min.The hearts were continuously perfused with K-H solution containing NGF 0.1 μg/ml for 20 min before ischemia in group NGF-Pt.The hearts were continuously perfused with K-H solution containing NGF 0.1 μg/ml for 20 min followed by 10 min washout before ischemia in group NGFPc.The perfusion was suspended for 30 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion with K-H solution in each group.HR,left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP),left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and + dp/dtmax were measured at the end of 10 min equilibration (baseline,T1),immediately before suspension of perfusion (T2),and at 5,30,60 and 120 min of reperfusion (T3-6).The activities of creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in coronary effluent were measured at T1 and T3-6.Myocardial specimens were obtained at T6 for detection of myocardial apoptosis (by TUNEL) and for microscopic examination.Apoptotic index (AI) was calculated.Results Compared with the baseline value at T1,+ dp/dtmax was significantly decreased,and LVEDP and activities of CK-MB and LDH were increased at T3-6 in each group,LVDP and HR were decreased at T3-6 in group I/R,LVDP was decreased at T3,4 in group NGFPt and at T3-6 in group NGFPc,and HR was increased at T2-6 in NGFPt and NGF Pc groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group I/R,LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly increased and LVEDP and activities of CK-MB and LDH and AI were decreased in NGFPt and NGFPc groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group NGFPc,LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly increased,while the LDH activity and AI were decreased (P ＜ 0.05) and no significant changes were found in LVEDP and CK-MB activity in group NGFPt (P ＞ 0.05).The pathologic changes of myocardium were significantly reduced in NGFPt and NGFPc groups as compared with I/R group.Conclusion Pretreatment with 0.1 μg/ml NGF-β attenuates I/R injury in isloated rat hearts,and the efficacy is superior to that of NGF-β preconditioning.

Objective To investigate the effects of preconditioning with different concentrations of nerve growth factor (NGF)-β on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated rat hearts.Methods Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-300 g,aged 8-10 weeks,were anesthetized with intraperitoneal 10％ chloral hydrate 300 mg/kg and heparin 500 IU/kg.Their hearts were excised and perfused in a Langendorff apparatus with K-H solution oxygenated with 95％ O2-5％ CO2 at 37 ℃.After 10 min of stabilization,the isolated hearts were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=8 each): I/R group and different concentrations of NGF-β groups (groups N1-N3).In group I/R,the hearts were continuously perfused with K-H solution for 30 min,perfusion was suspended for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion.In groups N1-N3,the hearts were continuously perfused with K-H solution containing NGF-β0.1,0.2 and 0.4 ng/ml,respectively,for 20 min,followed by 10 min washout,and perfusion was suspended for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion.HR,Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LV-EDP),left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and + dp/dtmax were measured at the end of 10 min stabilization (baseline,T1),immediately before suspension of perfusion (T2),and at 5,30,60 and 120 min of reperfusion (T3-6).The activities of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the coronary effluent were measured at T1 and T3-T6.Myocardial tissues were obtained at T6 for detection of apoptosis (by TUNEL) and for microscopic examination.Apoptotic index (AI) was calculated.Results Compared with the baseline value at T1,LVDP and + dp/dtmax were significantly decreased,and LVEDP and activities of LDH and CK-MB were significantly increased at T3-T6 in each group,HR was significantly decreased in groups I/R,N2 and N3,while HR was significantly increased in group N1 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group I/R,LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly increased,LVEDP,activities of LDH and CK-MB and AI were significantly decreased in group N1,LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly decreased,and activities of LDH and CK-MB were significantly increased in group N2,and LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly decreased,and LVEDP,activities of LDH and CK-MB and Al were significantly increased in group N3 (P ＜ 0.05).LVDP,+ dp/dtmax and HR were significantly lower,and LVEDP,activities of LDH and CK-MB and AI were significantly higher in groups N2 and N3 than in group N1,and in group N3 than in group N2 (P ＜ 0.05).The pathologic changes were reduced in group N1 compared with I/R,N2 and N3 groups.Conclusion Preconditioning with the optimum concentration of NGF-β can at-tenuate I/R injury in isolated rat hearts,however,the injury can be aggravated when the concentration is too large,and inhibition of apoptosis in myocardial cells is involved in the mechanism of myocardial protection.

Objective·To investigate and compare the clinical characteristic of non-organic dyspnea and asthma both with complaint of dyspnea.Methods·Seventy-four consecutive patients with non-organic dyspnea,and 74 age-,height-,weight and sex-matched patients with asthma were recruited for investigation in the study.The self-assessment surveys were conducted for the two groups by means of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,Nijmegen Questionnaire and Athens Insomnia Scale.The words for describing dyspnea,clinical symptoms,effective sleep hours and items of pulmonary function test were collected and analyzed Results·Non-organic dyspnea patients tended to describe psychogenic aspects.Asthma patients tended to describe airflow limitation.Non-organic dyspnea group mainly performed psychogenic symptoms.The sleeping time in non-organic dyspnea group was significantly lower than that in asthma group(P＜0.05).The score of anxiety,depression,Nijmegen Questionnaire,Athens Insomnia Scale,FEV1,FEV1％Pred,FVC％Pred,FEV1/FVC in non-organic dyspnea group were significantly higher than those in asthma group (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in FVC between two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion·The non-organic group feel more anxiety,depressed and insomnic than the asthma group.Lung function test of asthma group is often abnormal.To discriminate non-organic dyspnea with asthma,clinicians should pay more attention to emotion,sleep,somatoform symptoms,medical history and so on,and do pulmonary function test,improve the understanding of the characteristics of the two diseases,decrease misdiagnosis and wrong diagnosis.

The changes of cytosolic free calcium in the peripheral neutro-phils after the rabbits were exposed to smoke inhalation were observed and the ptherapeutic effects of tetrandrine-a calcium antagonist?on the level of free calcium and on the injury also studied.It was found that the number of neu-trophils increased significantly in the peripheral blood after a transient drop and it also increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.The level of free calcium in the neutrophils were increased at the same time.Tetrandrine could reduce the number of neutrophils in the lungs,the calcium level in the neutrophils,and the severity of inhalation injury.The findings suggest that there is a close relationship between the activation of neutrophils and the pathophysiological manifestations of smoke inhalation injury,and tetrandrine can exert certain therapeutic effects on smoke inhalation injury through reducing the level of cytosolic free calcium in the neutrophlis to modulate their functions

The rabbit model of smoke inhalation injury was employed to study the relationship between the decreased activity of pulmonary surfactant and the development of pulmonary edema in inhalation injury and the therapeutic effects of tetrandrine on pulmonary damages.Aftersmoke inhalation injury,the decreased activity of pulmonary surfactant,hypoxemia.hypercapnia,pulmonary inflammation,and pulmonary edema were seen.Tetrandrine could alleviate the pathological manifestations of the lungs,improve hypoxemia and hypercapnia.and protect the surfactant from being destroyed.These findings imply that tetrandrine plays a protective role on the lungs partly due to its protection of pulmonary surfactant from being destroyed.It was suggested that the inhibition of phospholipase Az by tetrandrine might result in the protection of pulmonary surfactant.

Objective ① To investigate the level of the vitamin D endocrine system in peripheral relationships with bone mineral density (BMD) and the disease activity respectively. Methods The level of the 25-hydroxylate vitamin D3 (25OHD3) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)D3] in plasma from 43 SLE patients and 44 normal controls were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene expression was determinied by real-time PCR in peripheral blood. BMD measurements in the lumbar spine (L1-4) and left proximal femur (femoral neck) were performed using dual X-ray absorptiometry before treatment. The relationship between the vitamin D endocrine system and the bone mass were studied. We also discussed the relationship between the vitamin D endocrine system and the disease activity. Results The levels of 25OHD3 and 1,25 (OH)2D3 were lower in the initial SLE patients than normal controls (P<0.01, P<0.01). The expressions of VDR gene were significantly increased in initial SLE compared with normal controls (P<0.01). The initial SLE patients had significantly lower BMD values, and higher frequency of osteopenia (35%) at both sites of measurement compared with matched healthy controls (P<0.01). The initial SLE patients were divided into two groups by BMD, abnormal group and normal group. There were no differences in 25OHD3, 1,25 (OH)D3 and VDR gene expression (P0.05). There was no correlation between the vitamin D endocrine system and BMD in initial SLE patients. There was no correlation between the vitamin D endocrine system and the disease activity either. Conclusion Vitamin D endocrine system may play an important role in SLE, but the level of VDR gene is not correlated with BMD and disease activity.

Objective To study the incidence of osteopenia in patients with initial systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Investigate the levels of the vitamin D (VitD) endocrine system in peripheral blood of SLE patients and its relation to bone mineral density (BMD). Analyse the relationship between the estrogen receptor (ER) and BMD and evaluate the role of ER in the pathogenesis osteopenia. Methods Serum levels of 25-OH VitD_3 and 1,25-(OH)_2 VitD_3 were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The gene expression levels of VitD receptor (VDR) and ER were determined by real-time PCR. BMD measurements in the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and left proximal femur (femoral neck) were performed using dual X-ray absorptiometry before treatment. Results The initial SLE patients had significantly lower BMD values, and higher frequency of bone loss at both sites of measurement compared with normal controls (P < 0. 05). The levels of 25-OH VitD_3 and 1,25-(OH)_2 VitD3 were lower in the initial SLE patients than normal controls(P<0.01 both). There is no difference in the levels of 25-OH VitD_3 and 1,25-(OH)_2 VitD_3 between the osteopenia SLE group and the normal BMD SLE group (P > 0. 05, P > 0. 05). There are no correlations between the Vitd and BMD in initial SLE patients (P>0.05 both). The expressions of VDR gene were significantly increased in the initial SLE patients compared with the normal controls(P<0.01). There was no difference in VDR gene expression between osteopenia SLE group and normal BMD SLE group (P>0.05). The VDR gene expression does not correlate with the bone mass (P>0.05). The levels of ER-β gene expression are higher in the initial SLE group than the normal controls (P<0.01).Conclusions The incipient SLE patients may have lower BMD than expected. SLE patients present abnormal VitD endocrine system and higher ER-β mRNA expression than those in normal controls, but these weren't concerned with osteopenia.