Objective:To study the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE),extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),and the changes of atrial fibrosis in patients with rheumatic heart disease(RHD) and atrial fibrillation(AF) treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI).Methods:Atrial tissues were obtained from the right appendage during open surgery in 35 patients with RHD.The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 were semi-qualified by reverse transcription-ploymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and normalized to the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH).Western blotting analysis was employed to examine the expressions of ACE and phosphorylated ERK(pERK).Atrial collagen volume fraction(CVF) was detected by Masson's stain.Results:The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 or the protein of ACE and pERK were significantly increased,and CVF was significantly increased in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation(CAF) compared with sinus rhythm group(SR)( P 0.05).Conclusion:The expressions of ACE,ERK2 and pERK increase,and fibrosis is more severe in RHD patients with CAF as compared with those with SR.Compared with CAF patients treated without ACEI,the expressions of ERK2 and pERK significantly decrease( P 0.05)in CAF patients treated with ACEI.This suggests that the increasing expression of ERK2 and pERK resulting from local renal angiotensin-converting enzyme system activation mediates the development of atrial fibrosis,and ACEI may contribute to lesser atrial fibrosis in RHD patients with AF.

According to the sera aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) can be classified into two types as AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4+) and negative (AQP4-). However, the NMO patients with AQP4- are prone to delayed treatment, and may have a different pathogenesis compared to that in patients with AQP4+. Scientific researches and the clinical trials on NMO with AQP4- will deepen the understanding of NMO pathogenesis and help to make an early accurate diagnosis and rational therapy for NMO with AQP4-. This review aims to summarize the progress in clinic diagnosis for NMO patients with AQP4-.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disorder characterized by abnormally elevated blood pressure of the pulmonary circulation. PH progresses rapidly to right ventricular (RV) failure and even death without treatment. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is an accurate and reproducible tool for the assessment of RV morphology and function, which plays an important role in the prognosis of patients with PH. The aim of this study is to review the clinical application and research progress of CMR in evaluation of PH.

The acupuncture medical literature during the Republic of China is divided into four categories, including theoretical literature, acupuncture channels and acupoints drawing literature, translations, and teaching materials and medical cases. It is found that the theoretical literature focuses on inheriting the traditional theories as well as combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The drawings are becoming more and more precise, and in these drawing works anatomy begins to appear at that time. Translations are the achievements of communication between TCM and Western medicine, which promote the scientization of acupuncture greatly. Teaching materials are also influenced by Western medicine, presenting a rough frame of modern acupuncture disciplinary system. As important clinic data, medical cases have great clinical value. Overall, acupuncture medical literature during the Republic of China is widely published, which is influenced greatly by the Western medicine and presents a significant tendency of scientization.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; Books ; history ; China ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Translations

Acupuncture Therapy ; adverse effects ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Eye ; blood supply ; Eye Diseases ; therapy ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Humans ; Male

Objective To explore the characteristics,application and significance of electrocardiogragh (ECG)in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pulmonary embolism(PE)by contrasting the ECG of PE and several diseases with similiar clinical features.Methods A total of 364 cases were enrolled in this study,including 197 cases of PE,70 cares of coronary artery disease(CAD)with congestive heart failure(CHF),47 cases of essential hypertension(EH)with CHF,and 50 cases of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome(ALI/ARDS).The ECG of these 364 PE cases were analyzed.Results The rates of axle right drift,lockward rotation,right bundle branch block and pulmonary P wave,V1 lead s-wave were higher than control groups,with significant difference.Bates of S1Q3T3,disposition of T wave in chest lead were the highest in PE group,with significant difference.Conclusion The main appearances of ECG in PE patients hint the heavy load of right ventricular and coronary ischemia.Perhaps S1Q3T3 is the appearance of axle right drift.The sensitivity and speciality of every feature is not good enough to diagnosis or differential diagnosis;dynamic observation of ECG is of great significance to the diagnosis of PE.

This article expounds the indication,preoperative ischemic tolerance test,evaluation of collateral circulation,different surgical modes,complications and their prevention in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms during extracranial-intracranial(EC/IC)graft bypass.It is considered that EC/IC bypass graft is an effective therapeutic mode in preventing the occurrence of cerebral ischemia in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The coating induced by conventional simulated body fluid (SBF) and 1.5-folds SBF as biomimetic method has the shortcomings of slowly growth with weeks or months growth cycle. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface deposition of hydroxyapatite coating induced by 3-folds SBF. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro biological analysis. The experiment was performed at the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences from November 2008 to March 2009. MATERIALS: Ti-6A1-4V alloy was supported by Boda Metel Materials Co., Ltd. METHODS: The pretreated Ti-6Al-4V alloy was immersed in 37 'C 3-folds SBF. The SBF was replaced every 24 hours for 3 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The morphology, phase and elemental composition of calcium phosphate coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analysis. RESULTS: The scanning electron microscopy exhibited that the surface of Ti-6A1 -4V alloy was covered with deposited film with granular crystal on local areas at day 1 after immersion. The deposited film covered surface of Ti-6A1-4V alloy at day 3 after immersion, and granular or scale-shaped crystal could be seen. The crystal deposition displayed sustained growth with certain area as center. The product comprised Ca, P, O, C elements without Al, V. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that the main component of the coating was hydroxyapatite. CONCLUSION: The 3-folds SBF can accelerate the deposition as well as shorten formation duration of hydroxyapatite coating on Ti-6A1-4V alloy.

Lupeol,a triterpene,is found in various edible and medicinal plants.Lupeol has been shown to exhibit strong anti-inflammatory,anti-arthritic,gene mutation prevention and anti-malarial effect.Recently,it is found that lupeol is the main active ingredients of inhibiting the growth of a several kinds of cancers and carcinomas in some antineoplastic plants.Lupeol has antineoplastic effect.

Wavelet entropy,as a powerful quantitative parameter to measure the ordering/disordering level of multi-scale dynamical behavior for nonlinear signals,provides information of complex degree in nonlinear dynamical process.Recently,the wavelet entropy is attracting more and more attention in electroencephalogram (EEG) signal analysis,which is employed by domestic and overseas scholars to investigate the complex degree of EEG,evoked potential and event-related potential,and to profoundly reveal the dynamic mechanism of physiological electrical activity in the brain.It is mainly used in the research of perception,cognitive activity,dynamic observation of epileptic EEG signals,sleeping,internet addiction and rehabilitation of brain after injury.Not only can the wavelet entropy represent the dynamic evolution process of the frequency synchronization for stimulated EEG signals,but also distinguish the states before and after epileptic seizure,as well as to deepen the understanding of brain dynamics mechanism.The wavelet entropy is becoming a new tool for investigating cognition and exhibits a good application prospect in EEG signal analysis.