This was a study aimed to observe the proliferating ability inhibited by energy controllable steep pulse (ECSP) and to detect the expression of gene with relation to the proliferating ability of the tumor in breast cancer cell line; the possible mechanisms were also addressed. Human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 was treated with ECSP; the apoptosis and the expression of tumor suppressor gene--Rb genes and E2F1 genes in ECSP group and control group were detected by TUNEL staining and Reverse Transcripitional PCR respectively. ECSP was found to inhibit the proliferating ability of breast cancer cells markedly, the cell amount in ECSP group decreased and the TUNEL positive cells increased obviously, compared to control; 24 hours after treatment the expression of Rb genes mRNA increased, whereas the expression of E2F1 mRNA decreased. These findings indicate that the proliferating ability of breast cancer cells can be inhibited by ECSP markedly, the apoptosis of breast cancer cell can be induced by ECSP, and the Rb genes and E2F1 genes may be involved in the course.
Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; radiation effects ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; methods ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Electroporation ; methods ; Female ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of a nasogastric tube (NGT) on swallowing simulated saliva in stroke patients. METHODS: Three groups of participants were enrolled into the study: group A (20 stroke patients with a NGT), a control group B (25 stroke patients without a NGT), and group C (25 healthy adults with no brain lesions or dysphagia). Participants swallowed 1 mL of water to simulate saliva. Patients in group A were tested twice: once with a NGT (group A1) and once after the NGT was removed (group A2). The distance of hyoid bone movement was measured by subtracting the shortest distance between the mandible and hyoid bone (S) from the distance at resting state (R) measured with ultrasonography. The degree of the movement was calculated by (R–S)/R. The trajectory area of hyoid bone movement (Area) and the interval between the beginning of hyoid bone movement and the moment of the shortest hyoid−mandible approximation (Interval) was calculated by a computer program. RESULTS: From group A: R–S and (R–S)/R of group A2 at 1.14±0.36 cm and 0.30±0.09 cm and were significantly greater than those of group A1 at 0.81±0.36 cm and 0.22±0.08 cm (p=0.009 and p=0.005). After removing the NGT as seen in group A2, R–S and (R–S)/R were improved to the level of those of group B at 1.20±0.32 cm and 0.30±0.09 cm (p=0.909 and p=0.997). The Area of group A2 was larger and the Interval of group A2 was shorter than those of group A1 though a comparison of these factors between A2 and A1 did not show a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: A NGT interferes with the movement of the hyoid bone when swallowing 1 mL of water in stroke patients though the movement is restored to normal after removing the NGT.
Adult ; Brain ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone* ; Mandible ; Saliva ; Stroke* ; Ultrasonography* ; Water

Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has contributed to increase in the remission rate for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, current rTMS treatment is practically inconvenient because it requires daily treatment sessions for several weeks. Accelerated rTMS treatment is as efficient and safe for MDD patients as conventional rTMS. Methods: Fifty-one patients with MDD participated in this study; they were randomized into accelerated rTMS (n = 21), conventional rTMS (n = 22), and sham-treatment (n = 8) groups. The accelerated and conventional rTMS groups received 15 sessions for 3 days and 3 weeks, respectively. The sham-treatment group received 15 sham rTMS sessions for 3 days. Primary outcome was assessed using self-report and clinician-rated Korean Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (KQIDS-SR and KQIDS-C, respectively). Adverse effects were monitored using the Frequency, Intensity, and Burden of Side Effects Rating scale. Changes in depressive symptoms were compared among the three groups using mixed model analyses. Results: For the KQIDS-SR score, there was a significant main effect of “time” (F3,47 = 11.05, p < 0.001), but no effect of “group” (F2,47 = 2.04, p = 0.142), and a trend-level interaction effect of “group × time” (F6,47 = 2.26, p = 0.053). Improvement in depressive symptoms, based on the KQIDS-SR score 3 weeks after treatment, was more prominent in the accelerated rTMS group than in the sham-treatment group (p = 0.011). Tolerability was comparable among the three groups. Conclusion The accelerated rTMS treatment group showed rapid improvement of depressive symptoms compared with the sham-treatment and conventional rTMS treatment groups. Therefore, accelerated rTMS treatment could be a viable option for MDD, with improved accessibility.