The finite element method (FEM) is a mathematical technique using modern computer technology for stress analysis, and has been gradually used in simulating human body structures in the biomechanical field, especially more widely used in the research of thoracolumbar spine traumatology. This paper reviews the establishment of the thoracolumbar spine FEM, the verification of the FEM, and the thoracolumbar spine FEM research status in different fields, and discusses its prospects and values in forensic thoracolumbar traumatology.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Computer Simulation ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries* ; Models, Theoretical ; Stress, Mechanical ; Thoracic Vertebrae/injuries* ; Traumatology

In order to obtain higher L-lactic acid yield industrial strain, the original strain Rhizopus oryzae PW352 was mutated by means of N+ ions implantation and a mutant strain Rhizopus oryzae RE3303 was obtained. Its lactic acid yield was increased by 75% than that of the original one. The acid producing condition was optimized by orthogonal design. The concentration of L-lactic acid reached to 131～136g/L and the conversion rate of glucose was as high as 86%～90% under the optimum condition.

The mesencephalic auditory nuclei,the nuc leus mesencephalicus lateralis,pars dorsalis (MLd) and nucleus intercollicularis (ICo),were investigated in the adult songbird (Lonchura striata) for met -e nkaphalin (ENK) immunoreactivity and neuronal connectivity. It was found that th e ENK labeled fibers and neurons were distributed in the MLd margin and ICo, but were nearly absent in the central MLd. After a neural tracer biotionylated dext ran amine (BDA) was injected into the MLd margin, the labeled fibers and neurons were found in the brain nuclei or areas from telencephalon to medulla. There we re five nuclei or areas project to MLd margin:the cup of n. robustus archistriat alis (RA) of telencephalon, the n. preopticus anterior (POA) of hypothalamus, th e n. parabrachialis ventrolateralis (PBv1) of pons ,the n. rostral ventrolatera l medulla (RVL) and the n.infraolivaris superior (IOS) of medulla. The MLd margi n projected to two diencephalic areas, the shell of n. ovoidalis (Ov shell) and the lateral hypothalamus (LHy). The projections from MLd margin to PBv1 and hypo thalamus suggest that the MLd margin in the songbird may play an important role in the integration of anditory-vocalization, endocrine and other physiological activities.

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and safety of zero-profile implant for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in treating single cervical disc herniation.

METHODSFrom August 2011 to June 2012,30 patients with single cervical disc herniation were treated with ACDF using zero-profile implant in one motion segment. There were 18 males and 12 females with a mean age of 55.3 years old (ranged, 36 to 68). Incidence of dysphagia, height of intervertebral space and condition of bone fusion were observed after operation. Spinal nerves function and clinical results were assessed according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Odom criteria.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of 15.9 months. The mean intraoperative blood loss was (85.3 +/- 14.2) ml (70 to 120 ml) and operative time was (90.0 +/- 12.8) min (70 to 120 ml). Preoperative, postoperative at 3 months and 1 year, JOA score was 8.72 +/- 2.36 (5.0 to 13.0), 14.72 +/- 1.66 (11.5 to 17.0) and 15.65 +/- 1.03 (13.5 to 17.0), respectively. One year after operation, according Odom criteria to assess, 22 cases got excellent results, 7 good, 1 fair. All dysphagiaes vanished completely at 3 months after operation. The lost height of intervertebral space was (0.34 +/- 0.13) mm (0.1 to 0.6 mm) and (0.39 +/- 0.15) mm (0.2 to 0.7 mm) at 3, 12 months after operation, respectively. All patients obtained bone fusion at 1 year after operation.

CONCLUSIONThe zero-profile implant is a valid alternative to anterior cervical plate in treating single cervical disc herniation with ACDF, it has advantages of convenient procedure, satisfactory effect, lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia, reliable stability and less implant-related complications.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; surgery ; Diskectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostheses and Implants ; Safety ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the technique and clinical effect of interlocked intramedullary nailing through a single incision on the treatment of floating knee injuries.

METHODSThirty-eight patients of floating knee injuries included 25 male and 13 female with an average age of 35.6 years ranging from 17 to 52 years. All patients were treated by interlocked intramedullary nailing through a single incision. The clinical effect was evaluated postoperatively.

RESULTSThirty-eight cases were followed-up for 8.6 to 15.4 months with an average of 12.0 months. Thirty-seven cases gained bone healing and the time of fracture healing was from 2.7 to 6.9 months, with an average of 4.8 months. The nonunion of the distal femoral fracture was observed in 1 case with retrograde nailing, the revision operation was performed by plate and bone graft, and bony union was obtained. The results were excellent in 22 cases, good in 13 cases, fair in 2 cases, and poor in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONThe treatment of floating knee injuries with interlocked intramedullary nailing through a single incision brings less damage, low infection rate, good fracture healing. It is an effective method for treating floating knee injuries.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Knee Injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged

AIDS caused by HIV-1, is a major threat to human being. An anti-HIV formulation from Chinese herbs, so called "Qu Du Zeng Ning", have been recently developed. In this work, the pharmacodynamics of the formulation in vitro was studied. The results showed that Qu Du Zeng Ning inhibit the replication of HIV-1 efficiently in all cell-based assay, with IC50 at 105.2, 70.7, 77.4 microg mL(-1), separately. A significant synergy between the formulation and zidovudine (AZT) was observed, and it also showed a potent activity against HIV-1 drug-resistant mutant.
Anti-HIV Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; virology ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HIV Protease Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Scutellaria ; chemistry ; Virus Replication ; drug effects ; Zidovudine ; pharmacology

Acetylcholine ; metabolism ; Animals ; Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Epinephrine ; metabolism ; Female ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Norepinephrine ; metabolism ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synaptic Transmission

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the availability of ballistic lithoclast in treatment of ureteral calculi.

METHODSTotally 625 patients with ureteral calculi were treated with ballistic lithoclast by rigid ureteroscopy.

RESULTSTotally 610 patients were treated successfully by ballistic lithoclast with a cure rate of 97.6% (90.3% in upper ureter, 96.8% in middle ureter, 100% in lower ureter). The average time of lithoclast was (5.0 +/- 2.8) minutes and the stone-free rate was 99.2%.

CONCLUSIONBallistic lithoclast combined with rigid ureteroscopy is safe and effective in treating ureteral calculi.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Ureteral Calculi ; therapy ; Ureteroscopes

AIMTo study the effect of aspirin on chronic hypoxia and hypercapnic pulmonary hypertension.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (A), hypoxic hypercapnic group (B), hypoxic hypercapnia + aspirin group (C). The concentration of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1alpha in plasma and in lung were detected by the technique of radioimmunology.

RESULTS(1) mPAP was significantly higher in B group than those of A and C group. Differences of mCAP were not significant in three groups. (2) Light microscopy showed that WA/TA (vessel wall area/total area) and PAMT (the thickness of medial smooth cell layer) were significantly higher in B group than those of A and C group. (3) The concentration of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1alpha in plasma and lung as well as the ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1alpha were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A and C group.

CONCLUSIONAspirin may inhibit hypoxic hypercapnia pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodeling.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aspirin ; pharmacology ; Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Epoprostenol ; metabolism ; Hypercapnia ; physiopathology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Pulmonary Artery ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thromboxane A2 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical technology of transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defects (ASD) with Amplatzer device in younger and lower body weight children.

METHODSThe transcatheter closure of ASD using Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) was performed in 165 children under 5 years of age (75 boys and 90 girls) with secundum ASD from Aug 1998 to May 2004. The age of the cases ranged from 2 to 5 (mean 3.7 +/- 1.1) years. The body weight ranged from 9 to 18 (mean 12.6 +/- 2.3) kg. The ratio of pulmonary circulation quantity to the systemic circulation quantity (Qp/Qs) was 3.2 +/- 1.9. All the patients underwent clinical examination, X-ray, electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (Echo) for diagnosis of secundum ASD. The transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was used to detect and measure the defect of the patients and even trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) had to be used when it was necessary. With Echo and X-ray guidance, the measuring balloon was used in the body and outside the body to determine the balloon-stretch diameters of ASD, and proper occluders were selected accordingly for the patients for interventional treatment of ASD.

RESULTSThe devices were implanted successfully in 163 (98.8%) cases. One failure occurred in a case in whom the device moved into the left atrium after release, and the other failure was that the position of the device was uncertain because of temporary unavailability of a special transducer for TEE. Surgical operations were performed for these two cases. The stretch diameter of ASD was from (8 - 30) mm, (mean 18.3 +/- 5.1) mm. The size of device was selected according to the stretch diameter of ASD. The diameter of the occluders selected was from (8 - 30), (mean 18.6 +/- 5) mm in this series. The occlusion procedure was monitored by fluoroscopy and TTE and in 5 cases (3%) by TEE. The diameter of right ventricle was improved within 2 days after occlusion from (mean 16.4 +/- 4.9) mm to (mean 12.6 +/- 3.8) mm, (p < 0.01). One hundred and forty seven cases belonged to the simple secundum ASD(89%). Thirteen cases who were complicated with other cardiac deformity were treated successfully with different interventional procedure. Six cases had multiple openings and three of these cases had tumour-like changes of the atrial septum which were closed completely just by one occluder. In only one case small quantity of residual shunt remains. No other severe complication was found in this group. About 100 cases (60%) had large ASD, so the procedure was more difficult in those cases.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical effectiveness of treatment of ASD in children under 5 years of age with Amplatzer occluders was satisfactory and therefore this therapeutic procedure is feasible for this age group of patients. Nevertheless, we do not recommend to use the technique for infants and children under 2 years of age. Strict selection of indications and proper size of occluder and good cardiologic and surgical settings are among the basic factors for successful interventional occlusion of ASD in young children.

Child, Preschool ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Septal Occluder Device ; adverse effects