Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo test the changes of the stiffness of the intact, released, and instrumented spines in an in vitro porcine model.

METHODSTwelve porcine spines (12 segments each) were harvested for the biomechanical tests with Material Test System. Stiffness during flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were recorded; then the specimen was released with intervertebral discs and the facet joints removed, followed by repeating the biomechanical tests for stiffness; and finally, a double-rod titanium construct was applied for internal fixation to each released spine and stiffness tests were repeated again.

RESULTSCompared with the intact porcine spines [stiffness during flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation was 52.89 +/- 15.98, 105.43 +/- 56.38, 42.09 +/- 14.73, and (16.94 +/- 4.85) N x mm/degrees, respectively], the stiffness of the released porcine spines [stiffness during flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation was 44.04 +/- 13.73, 41.46 +/- 10.80, 31.75 +/- 7.23, and (9.10 +/- 2.07)N x mm/degrees, respectively] significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while significantly increased stiffness was found in the instrumented porcine spines [stiffness during flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation was 385.96 +/- 143.25, 138.96 +/- 59.41, 152.56 +/- 87.15, and (55.91 +/- 16.49) N x mm/degrees, respectively] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHigher instant stiffness was found in instrumented spine than the intact one during flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation.

Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Diskectomy ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Internal Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; physiology ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Spine ; surgery ; Stress, Mechanical ; Swine ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery

Objective To evaluate a fast-hardening strontium-calcium phosphate scaffold using a two-step reaction in room temperature.Methods The original powder phase consisted of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP),dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA) and strontium hydrogen phosphate (DSPA).The liquid phase consisted of 20wt％ citric acid and 12wt％ polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30.Groups were designed as Sr-0,Sr-5,Sr-10,and Sr-20,according to the molar ratios of Sr/(Sr + Ca) being 0,5％,10％,and 20％ in the powder phase,respectively.The ratio 0.5 mL/g in the liquid to solid phase was used for mixing.After the scaffold was prepared,its setting time,compression strength,phase composition and structural morphology,ions release and pH value of the substrates were analyzed.Results Addition of citric acid accelerated the setting reaction.Acceptable setting time was achieved by optimizing composition of the original powder and liquid phases.On the other hand,the compression strength,phase composition and structural morphology were not affected by addition of strontium.In addition,calcium and strontium ions were detected in the substrates,without any significant change in the pH value.Conclusion This two-step reaction can be used to prepare a fast hardening strontium-calcium phosphate scaffold in room temperature.

Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; adverse effects ; China ; epidemiology ; Demography ; Female ; Geography ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects

BACKGROUNDPercutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) using balloon expander has been proved to be effective in the treatment of painful vertebral compression fractures. Recently, Sky-bone expander, an alternative bone expander for PKP has been developed. The purpose of this study was to show our preliminary clinical outcomes of PKP with Sky-bone expander.

METHODSPKP with Sky-bone expander was performed in 25 patients (30 vertebrae). The operation time, bleeding volume, cement volume injected were recorded. The pain and functional activities of the patients before and after the operation were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The cement distribution in the vertebrae, vertebral height restoration, and kyphosis correction after the procedure were evaluated by radiography. The pre- and post-operative absolute values of the vertebral height and kyphotic angle were compared by paired-sample t test. All the patients were followed up by telephone or clinic consulting after being discharged from our hospital.

RESULTSThe procedure was performed successfully in all the patients. Bipedicular injection was used in 2 of the patients, and unipedicular injection was made in the others. The operation time ranged from 25 to 120 minutes (45 minutes per vertebra on average). The average bleeding volume was about 20 ml. Polymethylmethacrylate 1.5-5.0 ml (mean, (3.15+/-0.78) ml) was injected through each pedicle into all the patients except one, who received calcium sulphate 3.5 ml instead. The patients were followed up for 12-15 months (13.5 months on average). The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index, anterior, midline, and posterior vertebral height, and kyphotic angle of the patients were improved significantly at the end of the follow-up compared with those before the operation. (2.5+/-1.3, 35.1%, (20.94+/-6.15) mm, (20.26+/-4.59) mm, (26.72+/-3.49) mm, and 8.2 degrees vs. 8.5+/-1.9, 61.2%, (19.11+/-6.72) mm, (15.88+/-5.73) mm, (25.78+/-3.67) mm, and 17.3 degrees; all P<0.05). The cement distribution with unipedicular injection was mostly limited within the injection site in the vertebral body. Cement extravasation was seen at ten levels (33.3%).

CONCLUSIONSPKP with Sky-bone expander is an effective and relatively safe alternative to the PKP using balloon expander. It can relieve pain, improve physical function, and restore the height of the collapsed vertebrae, but the cement extravasation is unsolved.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Cements ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Spine ; surgery ; Tissue Expansion Devices ; Treatment Outcome

The precise relationship between the degree of pain and the degree of inflammation in the individual remains debated. A quantitative analysis simultaneously applied to the immediate and prolonged painful consequences of inflammation has not yet been done. Thus, the correlations between edema, nociception and hypersensitivity following an inflammatory insult were assessed in rodents. To better understand the therapeutic value of modifying specific aspects of inflammation, the effects of an anti-inflammatory drug were compared to the results. Inbred strains of mice and outbred rats received an intraplantar injection of honeybee venom and the between-group and within-group correlations were calculated for spontaneous nociceptive measures, thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity, and edema and temperature. The effect of indomethacin on the pain and inflammation measures was examined. Edema correlated with spontaneous flinching, licking and lifting of the injected paw (P< or =0.003), and not with thermal or mechanical hypersensitivity. Indomethacin affected edema and spontaneous nociception dose-dependently, and affected hypersensitivity only at the highest dose tested (P< 0.05). These results suggest that edema may contribute only to immediate spontaneous nociceptive responses to an inflammatory insult, and not to the more clinically relevant prolonged hypersensitivity. This analysis represents a method for determining which inflammatory processes are the most promising therapeutic targets against the multiple painful consequences of inflammation.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Bee Venoms ; Edema ; chemically induced ; complications ; Indomethacin ; pharmacology ; Inflammation ; chemically induced ; complications ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nociceptors ; physiology ; Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Pain Measurement ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BAome III criteria. METHODS: After EAR3Q was developed by Asian experts by cCKGROUND/AIMS: The development-processes by regional socio-cultural adaptation of an Enhanced Asian Rome III questionnaire (EAR3Q), a cultural adaptation of the Rome III diagnostic questionnaire (R3DQ), and its translation-validation in Asian languages are presented. As English is not the first language for most Asians, translation-validation of EAR3Q is essential. Hence, we aimed to culturally adapt the R3DQ to develop EAR3Q and linguistically validate it to show that the EAR3Q is able to allocate diagnosis according to Ronsensus, it was translated into Chinese, Hindi-Telugu, Indonesian, Korean, and Thai, following Rome Foundation guidelines; these were then validated on native subjects (healthy [n = 60], and patients with irritable bowel syndrome [n = 59], functional dyspepsia [n = 53] and functional constipation [n = 61]) diagnosed by clinicians using Rome III criteria, negative alarm features and investigations. RESULTS: Experts noted words for constipation, bloating, fullness and heartburn, posed difficulty. The English back-translated questionnaires demonstrated concordance with the original EAR3Q. Sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires were high enough to diagnose respective functional gastrointestinal disorders (gold standard: clinical diagnoses) in most except Korean and Indonesian languages. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping functional gastrointestinal disorders. Test-retest agreement (kappa) values of the translated questionnaires were high (0.700-1.000) except in Korean (0.300-0.500) and Indonesian (0.100-0.400) languages at the initial and 2-week follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: Though Chinese, Hindi and Telugu translations were performed well, Korean and Indonesian versions were not. Questionnaires often uncovered overlapping FGIDs, which were quite common.
Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Constipation ; Diagnosis* ; Dyspepsia ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Heartburn ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Translations

Peptide inhibition of the interactions of the tumor suppressor protein P53 with its negative regulators MDM2 and MDMX activates P53