Objective To explore the effect of acupuncture on ankle varus after stroke. Methods 61 stroke patients with ankle varus were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n=30) was treated with exercise and function electrical stimulation (FES), while the observation group (n=31) was treated with acupuncture in addition. Clinical Spasticity Index (CSI), Simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), modified Barthel Index (MBI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Holden Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) were applied to assess ankle spasticity, lower limb motor function, the activities of daily living (ADL), balance function and walking ability respectively before and 8 weeks after treatment. Results Compared with pre-treatment, two groups improved in the ankle spasticity, lower limb motor function,ADL, balance function and walking ability 8 weeks after treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was better than the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture can facilitate to improve the ankle spasticity, lower limb motor function, ADL, balance function and walking ability for stroke patients ankle varus.

Objective:To investigate the craniofacial features in patients with cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD).Methods:The facial features,cervical vertebral bone age and skeletal abnormalities of 8 patients with CCD were studied by analyzing facial photos,cephalo-metric and panoramic radiographs.Results:4 patients were in the early growth stage and the other 4 in the late period of development. The bossing forehead and inclined eye fissure were observed in all patients,but underdevelopment of midfaces were not obviously pres-ented in younger patients.Morphological abnormalities of craniofacial bones,such as ascending ramus,coronoid process,nasal bones and disappearence of gonial angle were observed in all patients.Conclusion:Some craniofacial malformations in patients with CCD may be presented earlier than underdeveloped midface,which can be helpful for early diagnosis of CCD.

Objective To identify the disease locus in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (RP) families using genetic linkage analysis. Methods Five microsatellite markers were selected from the RP2, RP3, RP6, RP23 and RP24 gene loci, respectively. Haplotype analysis for two X-linked RP families was performed to determine the critical region. Two-point linkage analysis was performed using MLINK program. Results In FYJ and ZCF X-linked RP families, the LOD score was 1.18 and 1.03 at DXS 993, 0.58 and -2.69 at DXS 1068, -2.33 and -2.45 at DXS 1214, -2.34 and -2.51 at DXS 8051, -2.23 and -2.62 at DXS 8043. Conclusion The phenotype of ZCF family is not caused by mutation of RP3, RP6, RP23, RP24 gene, and FYJ family may be linked to RP2 or RP3 gene.

Medical education should combine clinical professional skills with humanities skills,integrate humanities knowledge into vocational education.Taking 2008 grade seven-year program clinical medicine students in the 2nd affiliated hospital of Harbin Medical University as fostering object,we made researches into students' understanding of doctor-patient relationship before practice and their mastering of skills.Through conducting questionnaire,we got to know the effect of humanities practice skill training for seven-year program clinical medicine students.Meanwhile,we compared students' self evaluation results before and after training,discussed on how to improve medical students' communication skills,cultural skills and the reform direction in an aim to guide students to transit from students to clinical doctor.

The field of gene therapy has been increasingly studied in the last four decades, and its clinical application has become a reality in the last 15 years. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important component of complementary and alternative medicine, has evolved over thousands of years with its own unique system of theories, diagnostics and therapies. TCM is well-known for its various roles in preventing and treating infectious and chronic diseases, and its usage in other modern clinical practice. However, whether TCM can be applied alongside gene therapy is a topic that has not been systematically examined. Here we provide an overview of TCM theories in relation to gene therapy. We believe that TCM theories are congruent with some principles of gene therapy. TCM-derived drugs may also act as gene therapy vehicles, therapeutic genes, synergistic therapeutic treatments, and as co-administrated drugs to reduce side effects. We also discuss in this review some possible approaches to combine TCM and gene therapy.

Objective To explore the correlation between plantar pressure and walking function in hemiplegic stroke patients.Methods Thirty hemiplegic patients with stroke (a hemiplegic group) and thirty age-matched healthy persons (a control group) were recruited.Gait and balance function training and assessment system (model:AL-600) were used to quantify the walking velocity,peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods and displacement of center of pressure (DCOP) of all subjects during walking.The asymmetry of gait was calculated.Two independent sample t-test were used to compare the walking velocity,peak plantar pressure and DCOP for the two groups.Pearson correlation coefficients were applied to analyze the correlation between the walking velocity and peak plantar pressure and DCOP.Results The walking velocity,the peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods and DCOP of the hemiplegic group were significantly lower than the control group.In the hemiplegic group,the asymmetry of peak plantar pressure and DCOPx significantly increased,while that of DCOPy became bigger without significant difference.Moreover,the walking capacity of the hemiplegic group was positively correlated with the peak plantar pressure and DCOP.Conclusion Among hemiplegic stroke patients,both the peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods lower in a way.Their capacity of weight transfer decreases,which is closely related to their walking velocity.

Objective To investigate the effects of alpha lipoic acid on patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR),explore the possible mechanisms,and provide experimental evidence for the treatment of DR with lipoic acid.Methods Totally 75 DR patients were randomly divided into control group and treatment group.Patients in control group received the standard hypoglycemic treatment,antihypertensive therapy,and other comprehensive treatment.Patients from the treatment group were treated with alpha lipoic acid 600 mg + 250 ml 0.9％ sodium chloride injection additionally,avoiding light intravenous therapy,for a total of 4 weeks.Before and after treatment,fundus fluorescein angiography and visual inspection were detected in two groups.In addition,serum level of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) were detected with high performance liquid chromatography,serum lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were detected to reflect the in vivo oxidative stress before and after treatment in two groups.Results Compared to the control group,visual acuity was improved significantly (P ＜ 0.05),and total efficiency of ocular lesions-improved was increased significantly (84.21％ vs 40.54％,x2 =15.28,P ＜ 0.01).Serum levels of endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase ADMA [(0.32 ±0.13) μmol/L vs (0.51 ± 0.26) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] and MDA [(3.22 ± 0.90) nmol/L vs (5.13 ± 0.42) nmol/ml,P ＜ 0.05] were significantly decreased,while SOD levels [(72.68 ± 1.31) U/ml vs (53.16 ± 1.54) U/ml,P ＜0.05] were significantly increased in DR patients after alpha lipoic acid treatment.Conclusions Alpha lipoic acid had some therapeutic effects for DR patients,which mainly lied in the improvement of visual acuity and eye disease,might be related to the decrease of oxidative stress and serum level of endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor ADMA.

Objective To explore any correlation between gait asymmetry and the balance of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods Thirty patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke but who could walk more than 10 metres independently were recruited as the experimental group; 30 age-matched healthy elderly people served as the control group.An AL-600 gait analyzer was used to quantify the spatial and temporal gait parameters of all subjects.Gait asymmetry ratios were calculated.The 30 stroke patients were also assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS).Two independent sample t-tests were used to compare the step length asymmetry (SLA),swing time asymmetry (SWTA) and STA (stance time asymmetry) ratios for the two groups and their average step widths.Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated relating the SLA,SWTA,STA,step width and BBS results.Results Among the experimental group,swing time and step length on the affected side were significantly different from the unaffected side,and stance time on the affected side was significantly shorter.The control group showed no such significant differences.All of the experimental group's average asymmetry ratios were significantly greater than those of the control group,as was their step width.Step width and BBS score were negative correlated,but step width was positively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.BBS scores were negatively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.Stance time asymmetry and step width showed no significant correlation with the BBS scores.Conclusion The gait of hemiplegic stroke patients is both spatially and temporally asymmetric,and a certain correlation exists between the degree of asymmetry and balance function.

Objective: To explore clinical characteristics and severity of coronary lesions in young and aged patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods: A total of 60 young AMI patients and 60 aged AMI patients hospitalized in our hospital from Oct 2014 to Apr 2016 were randomly selected as youth group and aged group respectively.General data, clinical characteristics, coronary lesion severity and incidence of adverse events during hospitalization were analyzed and compared between two groups.Results: Compared with aged group, there were significant rise in percentages of male (75.0% vs.100.0%), smoking (43.33% vs.76.67%), family history of CHD (18.33% vs.46.67%) and obesity (30.00% vs.53.33%);and significant reductions in percentages of hypertension (63.33% vs.33.33%) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (50.00% vs.13.33%), P<0.05 or <0.01;significant rise in percentages of clear causes (30.0% vs.60.0%), typical chest pain (58.33% vs.86.67%) and STEMI (43.33% vs.76.67%), significant reductions in percentages of old myocardial infarction history (13.33% vs.0), atypical chest pain and NSTEMI, P<0.01 all;significant rise in percentages of single-vessel disease (18.33% vs.63.33%),medium stenosis (16.67% vs.40.00%), and significant reductions in percentages of multi-vessel disease (61.67% vs.20.00%) and severe stenosis (45.00% vs.20.00%) in youth group, P<0.01 all.Compared with aged group, there was significant reduction in incidence rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (88.33% vs.13.33%) in youth group during hospitalization, P=0.001.Conclusion: Compared with aged patients,the symptoms and ECG manifestations are more typical, vascular lesion range is limited, and complications are few in young AMI patients.

High level of glucose could induce apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. C peptide and insulin had different effects on high glucose induced endothelial cells apoptosis. The reasonable application of C peptide may be helpful in preventing and treating diabetic macrovascular diseases.