Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of mallet needle plus acupuncture in treating stiff neck. Method Eighty patients with stiff neck were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 40 cases each. The treatment group received mallet needle therapy plus acupuncture and the control group, acupuncture alone, for three consecutive days. In the two groups, the Pain Rating Index (PRI) score and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score were recorded before and after treatment and the clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated after treatment. Result The PRI score and the VAS score decreased in both groups after treatment compared with before (P<0.05) and decreased more in the treatment group than in the control group at the end of treatment (P<0.05). The total efficacy rate was 95.0% in the treatment group and 87.5% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Mallet needle therapy plus acupuncture is more effective than acupuncture alone in treating stiff neck.

AIM: To investigate the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), benazepril(B), on cardiac function, free oxygen radicals, sarcoplasmic reticulum(SR) Ca~(2+)-ATPase following ischemia-reper-fusion in sportaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). METHODS: Thirty 10-week-old female SHRs were randomly assigned into two groups: group SHR was control; The animal in group SHR+B was given with 10 mg/kg of benazepril perday. Another 15 Wistar rats with the same age and sex were normal control (group Wistar). After 12 weeks of pretreatment, all rats in each group were subjected to 30 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 30 min of reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters, left heart-to-body weight ratio(LVW/BW), myocardial malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and SR Ca~(2+)-ATPase activity were measured. RESULTS: Compared to group Wistar, the rats in group SHR had higher blood pressure, LVW/BW and myocardial MDA concentration, more serious left cardiac function injury and lower myocardial SOD activity and SR Ca~(2+)-ATPase activity; group SHR+B had lower myocardial MDA concentration, higher myocardial SOD activity, but no difference in blood pressure, LVW/BW, the degree of left cardiac function injury and myocardial SR Ca~(2+)-ATPase activity. CONCLUSION: Benazepril can attenuate ischemia-reperfusion-induced cardiac function injury by regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), improving SR Ca~(2+)-ATPase activity and decreasing oxygen free radicals injury in SHRs.

Objective To investigate the effect of local injection of Botulinum toxin type A(BTXA) on spasticity and function of the affected upper limb in stroke patients.Methods A total of 32 stroke patients were re- cruited and randomly divided into two groups:a BTXA group and a control group.All the patients had spasticity of upper limb muscles,which scored grade 2 to 3 with the Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS) ,and decreased elbow joint range of motion.The 16 patients in the BTXA group received BTXA injection in the biceps brachii muscles and flexor muscles of forearm on 10～15 points,while those in the control group did not.All the patients in both groups were treated with rehabilitation training techniques.The MAS,Fugl-Meyer upper limb function assessment and Barthel In- dex were employed to evaluate the changes of muscle tone,upper limb function and activity of living (ADL)perform- ance of the patients before injection and at 1st,2nd,6th 12th weeks after injection.Results The therapeutic effect between the BTXA group anti control group was significantly different in terms of biceps muscle tone,the scores of Fugl-Meyer upper limb function assessment and Barthel Index.Compared with preinjection,muscle tone was de- creased significantly and ADL performance was improved after injection in BTXA group.The effects of BTXA lasted more than 12 weeks.Conclusion Intramuscular muhipoint injection of BTXA was useful in reducing muscle spas- ticity,and was helpful for increasing motor ability of the affected upper limb and ADL performance of the stroke pa- tients.

Objective　To evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of reversed lamellar keratoplasty for bullous keratopathy, Terrien's marginal degeneration and ocular chemical burns.Methods　Twenty eyes of patients with bullous keratopathy, twelve eyes with Terrien's marginal degeneration, ten eyes with chemical burns were recruited in this study.Diseased tissues were removed by means of dissection.Reversed lamellae corneal tissues which had been prepared by cryopreservation were thawed and rinsed. Then the prepared posterior corneal lamellae was turned over, endothelium facing upwards. The diameter of the graft should be 0.5～1.0mm larger than that of the recipient bed. The reversed donor posterior lamellae was sutured into the host keratectomy bed with 10-0 nylon sutures continuously or interruptedly.Results　Allograft reaction episode occurred only one (chemical burn) of the total 42 eyes enrolled.The grafts of the rest 41 eyes maintained clear or semitransparent for 1～5 years. Graft edema could be observed within 2～4 weeks postoperatively. Postoperative interface separation was not found. For all 20 patients with bullous keratopathy, the symptoms of pain disappeared. The visual acuity improved 2～3 lines of Snellen among eleven of twelve patients with Terrien's marginal degeneration. The visual acuity improved 2～3 lines of Snellen with four patients with chemical burns.Conclusion　The technique of reversed lamellar keratoplasty can be applied successfully for tectonic reconstruction of corneal surface such as bullous keratopathy, Terrien' s marginal degeneration and also chemical burns.The effects of therapy was satisfactory.

Objective. To study the effects of XW630 on bone formation in overiectomized(OVX) rats and in human osteoblast-like cell line TE85.Method. Bone histomorphometric analysis was performed with undecalcified bone sections and tetracycline intraperitoneally labeling.Results. Compared with that of OVX rats, the static data of trabecular bone volume(TBV)/ total tissue volume(TTV), TBV/sponge bone volume(SBV) and mean trabecular plate density (MTPD) were enhanced while mean trabecular plate spacing(MTPS) decreased after treated with XW630 for 13w. The dynamic data of single-labeled surface [Sfract(s)], double-labeled surface[Sfract(d)],Sfract(d+1/2s),trabecular osteoid surface(TOS), and bone formation rate in tissue level (Svf) were increased and osteoid maturation period (OMP) shortened in XW630 group. In osteoblast-like cells, both 3H-thymidine incorporation and cell count increased after treated with XW630 for 48. Treated with XW630 for 12～18h,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) activity and cGMP content increased in time-dependent manners.Conclusions. XW630 enhanced bone activation frequency and increased trabecular connectivity, stability, and strength. The cellular mechanism related to effects of XW630 on bone formation in ovariectomized rats.

Objective To examine how stroke affects muscle coordination and whether muscle function will be improved after rehabilitation.Methods Ten stroke patients with mild hemiparesis and six age-and sex-matched controls were investigated at baseline.Velocity-encoded phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (VE-PC MRI) and surface eleetromyography (sEMG) were performed to evaluate muscle coordination of thigh muscles during knee extension and flexion and the effect of rehabilitation. Results Using VE-PC MRI,we found that the peak velocity of rectus femoris was lower in the affected limb (P

OBJECTIVETo study the ultrastructure changes of PDLLA as GTR membrane of soft tissue defects in the palates of goats.

METHODSTo establish penetrating rectangle palate defects in 8 goats. PDLLA membranes were implanted into the defect areas to guide the regeneration of the soft tissue defects. In 1, 2, 4, 6 months after the operation, the membranes were observed with scanning electron microscope.

RESULTSThe surface of PDLLA membrane was regular network before implantation. 1 month after the implantation, the edge of network became blunt. 2 months after the implantation, the surface of PDLLA membrane became coarse and irregular. 4 months after the implantation, PDLLA membrane network collapsed. 6 months after the implantation, PDLLA degraded into scraggly accumulation.

CONCLUSIONPDLLA membrane supplies good supporting function during concrescence of the soft tissue defects. PDLLA gradually loses mechanic intensity and is absorbed.

Animals ; Goats ; Lactic Acid ; Palate ; Polyesters ; Polymers

Objective To explore the temporal trend of cancer death rates in different age and the influencing factors in Kunshan,Jiangsu province,1981 to 2015.Methods Data were derived from cancer rcgistry and vital registration system.The Chinese age structure in 2000 was used to calculate age-standardized death rates (ASR),and annual percentage changes (APC) and 95％ confidence interval (Cl) were used to estimate the temporal trend of cancer death rates.Difference decomposition method was applied to analyze the contribution of demographic and non-demographic factors for the change of cancer mortality.Results Between 1981 and 2015,the age standardized all cancers death rate decreased from 162.49 to 93.74 per 100,000 (APC=-l.6％,95％ CI:-1.8％--1.5％).However,the ASR for those aged 70 years or above was stable over time (APC=0.2％,95％ CI:-0.2％-0.5％),whereas aged 30-69 years was decreased from 240.01 in 1981 to 93.28 in 2015 (APC=-2.8％,95％ CI:-3.0％--2.6％).In addition,the proportion of leading cancers were changed obviously.The proportion of lung cancer increased from 1981 to 2015,while gastric cancer,liver cancer,esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer decreased.Compared with the crude cancer mortality in 1993,the effect of the demographic and non-demographic factors to the increased death rate in 2015 were 308.93％ and-208.93％,respectively.Conclusion The ASR death rate of all cancers was decreasing,and the rate in those aged 30 to 69 years decreased significantly,whereas stable in those aged 70 years or above.The effect of demographic characteristics on cancer mortality was significantly greater than that of non-demographic characteristics.

0.05). The RBC folate level of birth defect group except the urinary defect was significantly lower compared with the control group(233-547 vs 689 nmol/L,P

OBJECTIVETo study apoptosis-related gene expression of human villous trophoblasts exposed to 50 Hz magnetic field and to investigate the possible mechanism of human reproductive health effects caused by 50 Hz magnetic field.

METHODSCultured human villous trophoblasts were exposed to 50 Hz magnetic field at 0.4 mT for 6, 48, 72 hours. Gene expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase-3, p53 and Fas were analyzed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.

RESULTSWithin 72 hours, the average fold change for each gene was near 1.00, and there was no significant difference on expression pattern in each gene between exposure and control groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION0.4 mT 50 Hz magnetic field does not affect the apoptosis-related gene expression of human villous trophoblasts in vitro.

Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Magnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Trophoblasts ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism ; fas Receptor ; metabolism