As a novel research tool in the field of the spinal biomechanics, the finite element method (FEM) complements and verifies the traditional research methods, which has been attached increasingly greater importance. In this paper, we briefly introduce the achievement made in the field of spinal biomechanics by FEM in the past decade, summarize the physiological and pathological behaviors of various spinal anatomical parts described by FEM, and present the basic view of using FEM to optimize the surgery instrument design.

The role of bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis,which came into application in 1960's,has long been controversial.There are various brace instrument with different reported effectiveness.In this paper,we summarize the research findings and main views in the effectiveness of bracing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in the past ten years,and explore the possible causes leading to the different results.Besides,we are trying to point out the research trend,in hope of drawing a scientific conclusion on the effectiveness of bracing treatment in the near future.

Objective To evaluate the effect of health education in controlling the iodine deficiency diserders(IDD) in order to provide reference data for the further prevention and control. Methods Each village of 3 towns in Congjiang County was selected in 2007, where the health education lasting for 10 months had been implemented in the school students of 3-6 grade and the villagers. The school students of 3-6 grade and 30 housewives in the villagers were investigated for their IDD control knowledge, the salt consuming conditions as well as the sales of both rough and fine salt at a salt retail site in each village before and after the health education was implemented. Results The awareness rate of the knowledge of IDD control in the students and housewives was 91.4% (581/636) and 78.3% (282/360), respectively after intervention, which significantly increased (χ2= 532.044, 326.117, both P < 0.01) compared with the rate of 28.2% (184/652) and 11.4% (41/360) before intervention. The proportion of consuming fine salt was 91.8%(146/159) and 95.6%(86/90), significantly inereased(χ2= 236.623, 135.350, both P < 0.01) compared with 6.1%(10/163) and 7.8% (7/90) found before intervention. The selling proportion of fine salt at the salt retail site in the village was 60.0%(900/1500), significantly increased(χ2= 824.176, P < 0.01) compared with 10.0%(150/1500) before intervention. Conclusions Health education and promotion is solid foundation for effectively controlling IDD, through which the students and villagers are actively and voluntarily involved in the program and hence have formed good living and hygiene habits, thus expected effect has been obtained.

OBJECTIVETo study DNA damages of liver cells in rats exposed to vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and the expressions of DNA damage repair enzymes including O(6)-methyl guanine-DNA methyl transferase (MGMT), X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) and X-ray repair cross-complementing group 3 (XRCC3); and to explore the repair mechanism of DNA damage induced by VCM.

METHODSRats were exposed to VCM by intraperitoneal injection. DNA damages were detected by single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The expressions of DNA damage repair enzymes were measured by immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTSThe percentages of comet cells in low, moderate, and high dose groups (11.75%, 12.38%, and 17.63%, respectively) were greater than that of control (5.67%). The latter two groups were significantly different from that of control (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The expressions of MGMT and XRCC1 decreased, and XRCC3 increased with the dose of VCM increased. DNA damage was correlated with the expression of XRCC3 (r = 0.438, P = 0.067).

CONCLUSIONVCM can cause DNA damage of liver cells with dose-response relationship. DNA damage repair enzymes take part in the repairing of DNA damage induced by VCM.

Animals ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; DNA Repair ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Liver ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vinyl Chloride ; toxicity ; X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fibroma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Vimentin ; metabolism

·AIM:To investigate and analyse the prevalence and risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy severity in Qingdao. ·METHODS: This survey consisted of the 2 following parts: 2859 community residents aged >60 years old and 4275 patients with T2DM who were older than 30 years old in Qingdao. Ophthalmic examinations were performed on all patients. A questionnaire was used to obtain the patient's age and gender, the duration of diabetes mellitus(DM), glycaemic control and their knowledge of diabetic retinopathy ( DR ). Blood pressure and haemoglobin levels were recorded. All included patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination that included a fundus examination and retinal photographs and that assigned a grade for the severity of retinopathy according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) severity scale. Patients with severe non-proliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy and clinically significant macular edema ( CSME ) required ophthalmic therapy were assigned to the need-treatment group, while the remaining patients with DR were assigned to the need-observation group. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine the required-treatment rate and risk factors for DR. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) after adjustment for age, gender and the duration of diabetes. ·RESULTS: DR was present in 334 (11. 68% ) of the 2859 community residents aged > 60 years old and 1097 (25. 66% ) of the 4275 hospital patients with T2DM, and 48 (14. 81% ) of the residents and 172 ( 15. 68% ) of the hospital patients required ophthalmic therapy. In univariate and multivariate logistic analyses, factors including the age of the patients (51-60 years old: OR, 1. 68; 95% CI, 1. 21-1. 72; 61-70 years old: OR, 1. 55;95% CI, 1. 38-1. 76), the duration of diabetes (11-15 years:OR, 2. 61; 95% CI, 1. 51-4. 72; >15 years: OR, 4. 15; 95% CI, 2. 32-5. 77), glycaemic control (medium: OR, 2. 51;95%CI,1.98-3.92;poor:OR,4.69;95%CI,3.39-6.95), and knowledge of DR ( did not understand: OR, 1. 45;95%CI, 1. 21-1. 95) were significantly associated with the required-treatment rate in DR, while gender, low and advanced age ( 31-50 years old and >70 years old ), duration of disease (<10y), hypertension, and insulin treatment did not. ·CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate and the required-treatment rate in DR in Qingdao are relatively high. Being aged 51-70 years old and having a duration of diabetes>10y, poor glycaemic control and a lack of knowledge of DR were found to be potential risk factors that increased the rate of required ophthalmic therapy in patients with DR. In patients with T2DM who were aged 51-70 years old, we found that focusing on using science and education to strengthen the patients' knowledge of DR, establishing specifications for a community DR screening system, and effectively implementing early intervention in the community of DR - affected individuals were particularly important for preventing and controlling the high DR prevalence and the high rate of DR-associated blindness

Objective To investigate the effect of seafood intake on the urinary iodine level in women for exploring an alternative to iodine supplementation.Methods Healthy pregnant women and non-pregnant women, aged 20～40 years,were selected during their health examination in local women'S health care in 2006.The types of seafood and its intake frequency were recorded from these women.and urine and kitchen salt samples were collected for iodine determination.Results A total of 198 women including 148 pregnant and 50 non-pregnant women were recmitod for this study;they had a median level of urine iodine of 87.51 mg/L.The median levels of urine iodine of83.49,91.52,166.45μg/L in three group women classified as hardly,seldom and often intake of see food showed significant difference(X2=6.202,P<0.05).Urine iodine level in non-pregnant women taking seafood (90.94μg/L)was higher than that in pregnant women(84.79μg/L),the difference being statistically significant (U=3318.00,P<0.05).The urine iodine in pregnant women with seldom intake of seafood(94.46 μg/L)was significantly higher than that in the hardly intake women(83.28 μg/L),the difference being statistically significant (U=1257.5,P<0.05).During late period of gestation,the urinary iodine in the women ofthree statUS of hardly. Seldom and often intake of seafood were 81.93,97.97 and 140.18 μg/L,respective,with significant differences among them.Conclusions A certain amount of seafood taken every week Can increase urine iodine levels,and a direct relationship Was observed.Therefore,we suggest that it is necessary to advocate taking seafood to pregnant women for prevention of cretinism,particularly in the air.as where iodized salt was difficult to implement.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the rib cage on the vertebral axial rotation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis under axial load condition.

METHODSThree dimensional finite element model of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis included and excluded thoracic cage was built based on the data of computer tomography. The model was imported into the preprocessor of the ANSYS 8.0 software for assigning boundary and loading conditions. Then the axial loading condition was simulated after entering the solution modular. The magnitude and direction of each vertebral axial rotation of the scoliotic spine were read and analyzed in the postprocessor of the ANSYS software.

RESULTSThe rib cage had a significant influence on the axial rotation of the vertebra above the structural curve and had no influence on the axial rotation of the lumbar and sacral vertebra. The effect of the thoracic cage on the axial rotation of the apical vertebra was limited. Under different loading conditions, the apical vertebra of both models rotated in the same direction. The magnitude of the vertebral rotation of both models has no statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONSAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis can lead to the anatomical changes of the vertebra and the thoracic cage. The corresponding changes of biomechanical features of the scoliotic spine and rib cage would occur. The deformed thoracic cage could not maintain the rotation stability as the normal one.

Adolescent ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Ribs ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Rotation ; Scoliosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Thoracic Wall ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of docetaxel combined with carboplatin (TP) and epirubicin combined with cyclophosphamide sequential docetaxel (EC-T) adjuvant in the treatment of three negative breast cancer in phase III . Methods 62 cases of three negative breast cancer patients in phase III from May 2012 to October 2016 were selected and randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group, with 31 patients in each group. The control group was treated with epirubicin combined with cyclophosphamide and sequential docetaxel, and the experimental group was treated with docetaxel and carboplatin. The clinical indicators were compared and analyzed. Results There was no significant difference in the recent remission rate (77.42%) between the experimental group and the control group (74.19%). Two groups of patients with adverse reactions were restored within one month. There were 10 cases of WBC decrease in the experimental group, with the incidence rate of 32.25%. There were 18 cases of WBC decrease in the control group, the incidence rate was 58.06%, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Docetaxel combined with carboplatin and epirubicin adjuvant combined with cyclophosphamide than star sequential docetaxel in the treatment of three patients with negative breast cancer stage III were tolerated, TP occurred leukopenia and alopecia with low probability.

Objective To understand the correlation and clinical significance between cystatin C and atherogenic index of plasma change in hypertensive patients. Methods At the Quzhou City central hospital between 2014 and 2015, 526 cases of hypertensive patients as hypertensive group and 546 cases of people with normal blood pressure in the healthy check-up as normal blood pressure group were investigated with physical examination, blood biochemical index detection and the serum cystatin C level detection. The analysis of the relationship between the serum cystatin C level and atherogenic index of plasma among two groups was done. Results The evidence that the serum cystatin C level between hypertensive group and normal blood pressure group shows respectively as: 1.12±0.44 (mg/L) and 0.81±0.22 (mg/L), atherogenic index of plasma shows respectively as:0.68±0.03 and -0.22±0.02, both differences were statistically significant (P<0.01) . As the serum cystatin C level increased, the risk of hypertension increased (OR=20.06, 95％CI: 12.67-31.76) . Plasma arteriosclerosis index in hypertensive group was correlated with systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, LDL cholesterol, and uric acid level respectively, all differences were statistically significant. In addition to the above indicators, the serum cystatin C level in hypertensive group was correlated with serum creatinine level (all P<0.05) . Conclusion The serum cystatin C level and plasma arteriosclerosis index in patients with hypertension both were higher than those with normal blood pressure. These two indicators were correlated with systolic blood pressure and multiple blood lipid indicators. They could be used to monitor arteriosclerosis and target organ damage in patients with hypertension.