Actins ; metabolism ; Female ; Glomus Tumor ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Skin Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Thigh ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Objective To seek more direct evidence of the role of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) in controlling visuospatial attention.Methods Forty healthy subjects took the Attention Network Test following continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) applied over the left or right PPC or sham stimulation.The Attention Network Test measures the alerting,orienting and executive control components of visual attention separately.Results Subjects responded to spatial cues significantly slower after cTBS.Alerting and orienting showed deficits after cTBS over the right PPC.cTBS over the left PPC resulted in significant improvements in alerting,but not in the orienting.Furthermore,there were significant differences in the alerting and orienting indices between cTBS over the left and right PPC,but not in the executive control index.Conclusions The results suggest that the right PPC is associated with spatial orienting and the alerting function.The findings supported the theory of inter-hemispheric competition for visuospatial attention.Visuospatial attention bias might be selectively modulated through cTBS.

OBJECTIVEThis research explores the regulatory role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in the expression of sclerostin in OCCM-30 cementoblast.

METHODSOCCM-30 cementoblasts were treated with 50 and 100 ng · mL⁻¹ BMP2 for 3, 5, and 7 days. SOST mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot analysis was employed to detect the sclerostin levels in the nucleus. Five groups were prepared for the experiments: control, BMP2, BMP2+dorsomorphin, BMP2+SB202190, and BMP2+PD98059. OCCM-30 was pretreated with BMP2 for 3 and 5 days, and then the sclerostin and SOST mRNA levels were measured.

RESULTSRT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that BMP2 upregulated the expression of SOST in a concentration-dependent manner. SOST expression increased with time (P < 0.05). Moreover, sclerostin levels of BMP2+dorsomorphin, BMP2+SB202190, and BMP2+PD98059 groups were lower than that of the BMP2 group, and the sclerostin level in BMP2+dorsomorphin group was lowest (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe upregulation of SOST by BMP2 in OCCM-30 is mainly mediated by the BMP2/Smad signal pathway.

Blotting, Western ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; metabolism ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; metabolism ; Dental Cementum ; metabolism ; Genetic Markers ; Signal Transduction ; Up-Regulation

Objective To explore the therapeutic effect and possible mechanisms of Xuebijing injection for treatment of acute pulmonary thromboembolism(APE)in rabbits. Methods Twenty-four New Zealand rabbits with big ears were randomly divided into control group,model group and Xuebijing group(each n=8). The model of APE was performed by re-infusing of autologous blood clots. After the model was established,in the rabbits of the Xuebijing group,Xuebijing injection 1 mL/kg was injected into the ear marginal vein,twice daily for consecutive 7 days. In the model and control groups,the same amount of normal saline was given via the same route. The changes in plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) at the time points of 8 hours and 1,3,5,7 days,and after 7 days the lungs of the rabbits were removed for the lung histopathological examination. Results The BNP levels of the model group and Xuebijing group were significantly higher compared with the level of control group at 8 hours after embolization,the model group being the most significant(all P<0.05). On day 3,the BNP levels of the model group and Xuebijing group reached their peaks,and then gradually decreased,but the level of model group was significantly higher than that of Xuebijing group(ng/L:581.1±144.6 vs. 251.5±22.5,P<0.05). On day 7,the BNP level of Xuebijing group fell to the level of the control group(ng/L:78.5±9.4 vs. 50.9±11.5),the level of the model group also decreased,but it was still much higher than that of the Xuebijing group(ng/L:214.1±47.6 vs. 78.5±9.4,P<0.05). Histopathological examination showed Xuebijing could significantly reduce the infarct size with mild inflammatory cell infiltration,but the infarct size of the model group was obviously bigger than that of the Xuebijing group and accompanied by relatively more inflammatory cell infiltration. Conclusion Xuebijing injection can significantly reduce the plasma BNP level of the rabbits with pulmonary embolism,and in the mean time ameliorate the degree of inflammatory infiltration in the lung tissue and infarct.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of HuaYu TongFu KaiQiaoFang on serum homocysteine (Hcy)in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods Sixty cases of acute cerebral infarction admitted into the comprehensive ward and intensive care unit(ICU)of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2010 to January 2012 were randomly divided into two groups,each group including 30 cases. The control group was given conventional treatment,and based on the conventional therapy,the treatment group was additionally given HuaYu TongFu KaiQiaoFang(a traditional Chinese medicine decoction including the following ingredients:Safflower 10 g,Chishao 10 g,Chuanxiong 10 g,Notoginseng 10 g,Angelica Sinensis 10 g, Shichangpu 10 g,Polygalae 10 g,Glauber's salt 5 g,Rhubarb 6 g),one dose a day by oral or nasal administration for consecutive 14 days. Before and after treatment in the two groups,the serum Hcy level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and the clinical efficacy was assessed by Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis to observe the correlation between neurological deficit score(NDS)and Hcy levels. Results Before treatment, the difference of serum Hcy(μmol/L)and NDS levels between the two groups was not statistically significant(both P>0.05),while after treatment,the levels in the two groups were significantly decreased in comparison with those before treatment(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the degree of descent in treatment group was more obvious compared with that in control group(Hcy:7.78±2.51 vs. 10.18±2.41,NDS:10.60±2.25 vs. 14.60±3.70,both P<0.05). After treatment,the total effective rate in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (90.0%vs. 76.7%,P<0.05). Before treatment,the NDS was positively correlated with Hcy(r=0.675,P<0.05). Conclusion HuaYu TongFu KaiQiaoFang can significantly reduce the level of serum Hcy and improve the nerve function,thus its clinical effect for treatment of acute cerebral infarction is remarkable.

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestations and electroencephalogram (EEG)characteristics of agyria-pachygyria for its early diagnosis,treatment and prognosis judgment in clinical practice.Methods The clinical manifestations and EEG features of twenty-four patients with agyria-pachygyria who were diagnosed by CT or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) at Pediatric Neurology of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from July 2004 to July 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.Results Of twenty-four patients,eighteen cases were diagnosed as diffuse agyria-pachygyria and six cases were diagnosed as partial agyria-pachygyria.The clinical features were mainly manifested as mental retardation (twenty-four patients),and motor retardation (twenty-four patients),and epilepsy (eighteen patients).All of the twenty-four patients had abnormal EEG pattern which were mainly three tapes.Type Ⅰ had diffused high amplitude alpha and beta activity in all cortical regions,frontal-central,or parietal-occipital region (fourteen patients).Type Ⅱ showed alternating high amplitude bursts with sharp and slow waves (seven patients).Type Ⅲ was characterized by high amplitude spike or sharp wave activity generalized or multifocal distribution and δ,θ wave mixing graphics (twelve patients).Nine of twenty-four patients showed two or three EEG characteristic patterns in an awake-asleep EEG recording.During the follow-up of 1-8 years old,twelve of the thirteen patients who were diagnosed as epilepsy in diffuse agyria-pachygyria had refractory epilepsy,mainly with infantile spasms or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.One of the five patients who was diagnosed as epilepsy in focal agyria-pachygyria had refractory epilepsy,mainly for partial epilepsy secondary generalized seizures.There was a significant difference between them (P =0.008).Eighteen of twenty patients who had moderate-severe mental retardation or dyskinesia were diagnosed as diffuse a gyria-pachygyria,while two were focal agyria-pachygyria.Both of them had a significant difference (P =0.005).Conclusions Agyria-pachygyria is a brain malformation caused by neuronal migration abnormality.Diffuse agyria-pachygyria is presented with serious clinical manifestations and poor outcome while the clinical manifestation of focal agyria-pachygyria is relatively mild and epilepsy could be controlled by antiepileptic drugs or epilepsy surgery.These characteristics of EEG patterns along with clinical findings could provide important evidence for early diagnosis,timely treatment and prognosis judgment of agyria-pachygyria.

Objective To examine the inter- rater reliablity of Myoton-3 Myometer in assessment of muscle tone in healthy subjects.Methods 20 healthy volunteers were assessed their muscle tone of biceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis muscles in relaxed state with Myoton-3 by 2 testers within 24 h. The frequency of damping oscillations (F value) measured by Myoton-3 was as the characteristic of the muscletone. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were performed. Results The ICC was 0.72~0.88 and 0.79~0.89 in triple scan and ten-time scan pattern, respectively. The Bland-Altman analysis revealed no systematic errors between testers. ConclusionThe Myoton-3 Myometer is reliable between testers for measuring the muscle tone in healthy adults.

Objective To identify the differences in the status of rehabilitation demands of adults with different disability grades so as to seek out the beneficial strategies of rehabilitation for them.Methods The data on the rehabilitation demands of persons with different disability grades in every category of disabilities had been collected from the province of Guangdong in the Second National Sampling Survey of People with Disability.Results There were significant differences in the rehabilitation needs among persons with different disabilities grade in visual, hearing, physical, intelligence disabilities. There were no significant differences in the rehabilitation needs among persons with different disabilities grade in speech, mental disabilities.Conclusion The more severe disability the persons have the more medicine services they need，however，they little asked for other rehabilitation demands such as rehabilitation services, assistive device and so on.

Objective To probe deficits in visuospatial attention using an attention network test (ANT) in patients with frontoparietal network lesions. Methods The ANT was used to measure the alertness, orienting and executive control abilities of 25 patients with local brain lesions, including 13 with frontal and 12 with parietal damage. Their results were compared with those of health adults. Results During ANT tasks, the patients' responses were significantly slower on each cue and target condition than controls', and showed deficits in their alerting and orienting networks. The efficiency of executive control was impaired in patients with frontal lesions, but increased with parietal lesions. Conclusions These findings suggest that the frontoparietal network is involved in alerting and orienting, but the executive control function may be selectively associated with the frontal lobe. ANT is an efficienttool for studying visual attention and cognition.

Objective To investigate the effects of virtual reality prism adaptation on visuospatial neglect in stroke patients.Methods Thirty stroke patients with visuospatial neglect were studied.The subjects were divided into atreatment group and a control group.The subjects in the treatment group were treated with virtual reality prism adaptation and routine rehabilitation interventions for 2 weeks,while those in the control group were treated with routine rehabilitation interventions only.All the patients performed a battery of spatial attention tests including line bisection,letter cancellation,clock drawing and the Attention Network Test at the beginning and after 2 weeks of treatment.Results The virtual reality prism adaptation training had significant positive effects on all the measures of visuospatial neglect.Pair-wise comparisons confirmed significant differences between the treatment and control groups after 2 weeks of treatment with regard to all of the measures.Conclusions Virtual reality prism adaptation treatzment combined with routine rehabilitation can be more effective than conventional measures alone in improving the visuospatial performance of stroke survivors.