OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effects of Mobi-C cervical artificial disc replacement (CADR) and anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) in treating single cervical disc herniation.

METHODSFrom June 2009 to June 2012, the clinical data of 27 patients with single cervical disc herniation were retrospectively analyzed. There were 18 males and 9 females, aged from 30 to 62 years old with an average of 46.7 years. Of them, 12 patients were treated with CADR (CADR group) and 15 patients with ACDF (ACDF group). All patients had pain and numbness in neck, shoulder and upper limbs, and courses of disease was from 1 to 13 months with an average of 2.4 months. The data of clinical evaluation and questionnaire survey about quality of life were collected before operation, postoperative at 1 week and final follow-up. Odom criterion was used to evaluate postoperative effect. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to record pain levels. Neck disability index (NDI) and health questionnaire SF-36 were used to assess the quality of life.

RESULTSNo complications about nerve and blood vessel were found and the patients were followed up from 6 to 30 months, with an average of 16 months. One week after operation, 10 cases got excellent results and 2 good in CADR group; 5 cases got excellent results and 10 good in ACDF group; there was significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). At final follow-up, 10 cases got excellent results and 2 good in CADR group; 12 cases got excellent results and 3 good in ACDF group; there was no significant difference between two groups (P> 0.05). Pain of upper limbs had obviously relieved between two groups at 1 week after operation and final follow-up (P<0.05). VAS of neck and NDI in CADR group had decreased respectively from preoperative 3.58±0.79, 23.42±6.36 to 0.58±0.51, 5.42±1.68 at 1 week after operation (P<0.05); but the index in ACDF group was no obvious at 1 week after operation. At final follow-up, VAS of neck and NDI and SF-36 score were obviously improved than preoperation (P<0.05) between two groups.

CONCLUSIONMobi-C CADR retains the movement unit in the decompression segment and can quickly recover normal action for patients. Using CADR method has a good curative effect in the early phase, and the clinical effect is reliable, may improve the quality of life.

Adult ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Total Disc Replacement ; methods ; Visual Analog Scale

PurposeHeroin addiction is a chronic and recurrent functional brain disease, there are some functional changes in specific brain regions, but the network character remains unclear. The aim of this paper is to explore the network character of brain resting-state functional network in heroin addicts, to identify the potential neuromechanism of heroin addiction from the perspective of brain network.Materials and Methods Thirty heroin addicts (HA group) and twenty-nine healthy controls (control group) underwent resting-state functional MRI scanning using GE 3.0T MRI scanner. The brain functional networks were constructed based on graph theory, the small-world properties and node properties were calculated and compared between the two groups, the correlation between the total dosage of heroin and node degree was analyzed.Results Compared with control group, the small world characteristics of HA group was altered with statistically significant difference (P<0.05, corrected by false discovery rate); the node degrees in orbit frontal regions increased, while those in occipital brain regions decreased (P<0.05, corrected by false discovery rate). No correlation was found in HA group between node degree and the total dosage of heroin.Conclusion These results suggest that topology of functional brain networks were altered in heroin addicts which tends to random networks; increased motivational driving to the salience of drug and decreased visuospatial attention in heroin addicts may provide a strategy for identifying the neuromechanism of heroin addiction.

Objective To observe the role of rosiglitazone in unclipped kidneys of two-kidney- one-clip hypertensive rats and examine its relationship to angiotensinⅡreceptors.Methods Two- kidney-one-clip hypertensive rats were divided randomly into 4 groups as follows:positive control group (CONT),traditional antihypertensive drugs group (TAHD,reserpine 50?g?kg~(-1)?d~(-1), dihydralazine 6.25 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1) and hydrochlorothiazide 6.25 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1),regular-dose rosiglitazone group (RRGL,rosiglitazone 5 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)),and high-dose rosiglitazone group (HRGL, rosiglitazone 20 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1)).Sham operation rats were as negative controls.Each group had 8 rats. Animals were monitored and sacrificed at 10th week.Results Blood systolic pressure in TAHD group and HRGL group was significantly lower than that in CONT group [TAHD(137?27 ) mm Hg and HRGL (143?16) mm Hg vs CONT (191?25 ) mm Hg,P＜0.05],but no significant difference between the former two groups was found.Nor did the blood systolic pressure between RRGL group [(176?18) mm Hg] and CONT group.At 10th week,rats in SHAM group and treated groups had lower urinary urinary protein excretion rate,glomerular injury score and wall-to-lumen ratio of arteriole than those in CONT group [vs CONT urinary protein excretion rate (44.60?17.40) mg/24 h,P＜0.05; vs CONT glomerular injury score 60.85?33.05,P＜0.05;vs CONT wall-to-lumen ratio of arteriole 2.33?1.01,P＜0.01,except TAHD group].Though with the similar level of blood pressure,blood glucose and lipid,HRGL,compared with TAHD group showed lower urinary protein excretion rate [HRGL (16.78?3.50) mg/24 h vs TAHD (27.94?12.79) mg/24 h,P＜0.05],decreased glomerular injury score (HRGL 18.04?7.76 vs TAHD 27.92?6.39,P＜0.05) and wall-to-lumen ratio of arteriole (HRGL 1.75?0.38 vs TAHD 2.16?0.90,P＜0.05) in the cortexes of unclipped right kidneys.The expression of type 1 angiotensinⅡreceptor (AT1R) mRNA was no difference in HRGL group and TAHD group,but the expression of type 2 angiotensinⅡreceptor (AT2R) mRNA was more intensive in HRGL group.Conclusion Rosiglitazone can protect the kidneys from hypertensive injury,especially in high dose.The beneficial effects seem incompletely dependent on the metabolism modulating and reduction of blood pressure,but in relationship to the upregulation of AT2R mRNA.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects of the circumcision stapler, circumcision cerclage, and traditional circumcision in the treatment of phimosis and redundant prepuce.

METHODSUsing the circumcision stapler (group A), foreskin cerclage (group B), and traditional circumcision (group C), we treated 276 patients with phimosis or redundant prepuce. We made comparisons among the three groups in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative and 24-hour postoperative pain scores, and incidence of postoperative complications. Results: The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative pain score were (6.52 ± 2.45) min, (1.93 ± 0.82) ml, and 1.37 ± 0.68 in group A and (7.24 ± 1.86) min, (1.51 ± 0.72) ml, and 1.20 ± 0.79 in group B, all significantly lower than (28. 36 ± 4.22) min, (9.52 ± 3.29) ml, and 3.06 ± 0.75 in group C (P <0.05). The 24-hour postoperative pain score was remarkably higher in group B than in A and C (3. 18 ± 0. 82 vs 1. 85 ± 0. 63 and 1. 82 ± 0. 75, P <0. 05). The incidence rate of postoperative complications was markedly lower in group A than in B (5. 43% vs 14. 13%, P < 0.05), but with no significant differences between either A and C or B and C (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe circumcision stapler, with its advantages of simple operation, minimal invasiveness, fewer complications, and better cosmetic result, deserves a wider clinical application.

Blood Loss, Surgical ; Circumcision, Male ; adverse effects ; instrumentation ; methods ; Foreskin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; diagnosis ; Penis ; abnormalities ; Phimosis ; therapy ; Postoperative Complications ; Postoperative Period

Objective:To construct the Escherichia coli (E. coli)expression system for preparation of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2)with collagen-binding domain (CBD),and to study the methods and conditions for expression, purification and renaturation of CBD-BMP2.Methods:CBD sequence was cloned into the N-terminal of BMP2 sequence, the recombinant vector pet21b/CBD-BMP2 was constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21.The expression of recombinant protein was induced using isopropylβ-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at 37 ℃.Ni-NTA chelate chromatography was used to purify CBD-BMP-2.Denaturing CBD-BMP2 was refolded by dilution method using ultrapure water.The refolding CBD-BMP2 was filtered through a 0.22μm microfiltration membrane for degermation.The recovery rate was calculated by the ratio of the protein concentration before and after degermation. The expression, purification, and renaturation of recombinant protein were detected by SDS-PAGE method.The concentration of CBD-BMP2 was detected by BCA assay.Results:The recombinant vector pet21b/CBD-BMP2 was successfully transformed into E.coli BL21,and the recombinant protein was expressed as inclusion bodies in E.coli.The SDS-PAGE results showed denaturing protein was dissolved in supernatant of lysis buffer with 8 mol·L-1 urea and the purified recombinant protein existed in elution buffer B with relative molecular mass about 14 000.Two bands (14 000 and 28 000)were seen in the SDS-PAGE picture,which indicated that the monomer was successfully refolded into dimer by dilution method.The concentrations of recombinant protein before and after degermation were 110 and 80 mg · L-1 , respectively, and the recovery rate was about 73%. Conclusion:The recombinant vector pet21b/CBD-BMP2 is transformed into E.coli BL21 successfully,and the recombinant CBD-BMP2 is expressed and refolded efficiently. The methods of prokaryotic expression system for preparing recombinant CBD-BMP2 protein are established.

The quality markers (Q-markers) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have become a topic of interest in TCM research in recent years. Nonetheless, there is still no consensus on how to scientifically characterize TCM Q-markers. Our study establishes an identification method for TCM Q-markers based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy weight comprehensive method. By constructing an evaluation system encompassing the target layer, the factor layer and the control layer, AHP can be used to analyze the weight of three core TCM quality attributes, including effectiveness, testability and specificity. Following that, the entropy weight method is employed to analyze the specific indicators for each attribute based on the literature and experimental data. Finally, the comprehensive weight of each index is obtained by combining the two weights, and the comprehensive weight and the specific value of each component is multiplied and summed to obtain the integrated score ranking, and thereby identify the TCM Q-markers. Taking Shaoyao Gancao decoction as an example, the analysis revealed that the top 8 components are as follows: paeoniflorin > quercetin > albiflorin > glycyrrhizic acid > naringenin > liquiritin > oxypaeoniflorin > benzoylpaeoniflorin, and can be identified as Q-markers of Shaoyao Gancao decoction. This study not only provides support for the establishment of quality standards and process quality control of TCM formulae, but also provides innovative ideas and methods for quantitative evaluation and accurate identification of TCM Q-markers.

Objective To explore the effect of quality control circle (QCC) on health education in stroke rehabilitation nursing. Methods Such activities were conducted in the VIP ward of neurological rehabilitation in our hospital as: theme selecting, activity planning, status mastering, cause analyzing, countermeasures formulating and implementing, etc., in accordance with QCC theory from January to April, 2014. Results The satisfaction of stroke patients to health education rose from 80.1% to 91.1% (P<0.001), and the dissatisfaction to guidance of activities of daily living and prevention of complications decreased significantly (P<0.05) after the implementation of QCC program. All the circle members benefited from the improvement of QCC technique, team work, professional knowledge, communication and coordination, activity confidence, duty and honor. Conclusion Carrying out the QCC activities can play a positive role on health education in stroke rehabilitation nursing.

Objective To estimate the intangible cost and associated factors on patients with hepatitis B-related diseases, so as to explore the differences of the three elicitation techniques on the health economics-related information by trained investigators, using a structured questionnaire. WTP was employed to estimate the intangible cost while an open-ended question format, together with iterative bidding game and payment card were respectively used to elicit WTP for the hypothetical cure of hepatitis B-related diseases. A Multiple linear stepwise regression model was determined to identify those factors potentially affecting the intangible cost. Results A total of 564 subjects from 641 patients with hepatitis B-related diseases were identified for the inclusion of this study. The average annual intangible cost of patient with hepatitis B-related diseases was 54 320.4 Yuan (Ren Minbi).The intangible cost accounted for 53.0% of the total cost, which was much more than the proportions of the direct and indirect costs (38.5% and 8.5%, respectively). Among annual personal and the household income of the patient, proportions of intangible cost were 262.6% and 67.6% respectively,suggesting that the patients were under huge spiritual and psychological pressure. Response rate of the approach, combined open-ended questions with iterative bidding game, was the highest (76.6%) among the three elicitation formats. Considered the characteristics of data being gathered, the approach seemed to be more reasonable. Further studies were needed to examine the results yielded from other WTP elicitation formats. We also noticed that the progression of disease was associated with the increase of direct and indirect costs, but not with the intangible cost. Data from the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis indicated that the types of hospital and commercial medical insurance were significantly different in explaining the variation of the intangible cost. Conclusion Measures should be taken to reduce the intangible cost of hepatitis B-related diseases. The approach regarding the combination of open-ended questions with iterative bidding game should be recommended when carrying our further WTP studies of this kind.

OBJECTIVESTo measure continuously the urine beta-FSH excretion in the patients with male hypogonadism, and to evaluate the significance of urine beta-FSH when used in the clinical practice and pathophysiological study on male hypogonadism.

METHODSFour health male volunteers (aged 19, 22, 27 and 33 years), four patients with the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (aged 17, 17, 19 and 24 years) and five patients with idiopathy hypogonadism (hypergonadotropic, aged 16, 16, 17, 20 and 22 years) were asked to collect their morning-first urine samples for 30 to 32 days. One normal men collected his urine samples for 63 days. The urine beta-FSH was assayed with the method of EIA, then corrected by creatinine (Cr) concentration.

RESULTSThe urine beta-FSH level of normal men was (1.16 +/- 0.20) micrograms/mg Cr, with the peak variation in their curves, peak level at 2.76 micrograms/mg Cr. The levels of urine beta-FSH of 4 patients with the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism were lower significantly than those of normal men [(0.58 +/- 0.31) (0.93 +/- 0.47) (0.47 +/- 0.33) and (0.60 +/- 0.40) micrograms/mg Cr], without fluctuation in their curves. beta-FSH levels of 5 patients with idiopathy hypogonadism were higher significantly [(3.02 +/- 0.93), (4.36 +/- 1.12), (4.79 +/- 0.78), (4.64 +/- 1.42) and (3.88 +/- 1.42) micrograms/mg Cr], with irregular fluctuation, the highest peak level at 6.83 micrograms/mg Cr. The second sexual characteristics of hypogonadal patients were poor and serum testosterone levels low.

CONCLUSIONSThe urine beta-FSH level raised with irregular fluctuation in patients with idiopathy hypogonadism, while lowed without any fluctuation in patients with the hypogonadism. These findings suggested that the urine beta-FSH excretion was useful for the clinically classified diagnoses and pathophysiological study on male hypogonadism, and for observing the treatment reaction of androgen replacement.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit ; urine ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; metabolism ; urine ; Luteinizing Hormone ; urine ; Male ; Testosterone ; urine

The paper is to report the study of pharmacokinetics of transdermal administered nicotine in the brain of freely moving rat by using microdialysis with stable labeled isotope as internal standard. The pharmacokinetic behavior of nicotine in Sprague Dawley rat brain was investigated after intranasal administration (3.75 mg). Brain fluid samples were collected by intracerebral microdialysis with DL-nicotine as internal standard. Concentrations of nicotine and DL-nicotine in the sample were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. Main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and analyzed by Das 2.0 pharmacokinetic software. The recovery of nicotine and the delivery of DL-nicotine were the same. The fate of absorption and distribution was two compartment model and the values of t1/2alpha was 170.31 min, t1/2beta was 263.30 min and the AUC(0-infinity) was 2.75 x 10(5) microg x L(-1) min separately. DL-nicotine can be used to calibrate the recovery of nicotine, and the new method of stable isotope microdialysis can be used to study the pharmacokinetics of freely moving rat. It will make sense for the treatment of addiction of tobacco and provide a new thought for the research of pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamic combination.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Administration, Intranasal ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Brain ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Deuterium ; Female ; Isotope Labeling ; methods ; Male ; Microdialysis ; methods ; Nicotine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry