Objective To investigate the effect of calcium antagonist verapamil on the function of rat?- cells and tolbutamide (D860)-induced insulin release.Methods Insulin released from isolated islets were measured in control,verapamil,D860,and verapamil+D860 groups.Furthermore,intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was conducted in acute experiments treated with verapamil and D860 respectively to assess?-cell function in rats with the same allocation as in vitro.Another IVGTT was performed in the end of 4 weeks' treatment.The insulin contents in pancreas were assayed and pancreas islets morphology were observed with immunohistochemistry.Results Verapamil could inhibit insulin release from isolated islets.Verapamil group was [(1.244?0.082)ng?ml~(-1)?islet~(-1)]and control group (2.623?0.226) ng?ml~(-1)?islet~(-1)(P0.05).Also,similar results were obtained in normal rats during acute experiments and verapamil reduce the hypoglycemic effect promoted by D860. However,above results were not observed in the end of 4 weeks experiments,and no difference for insulin content and morphological change in islets was found among four groups.Conclusion Treatment of verapamil chronically does not impair islet function and interfere with the hypoglycemic effect of D860 in rats .

Objective To construct a recombinant plasmid encoding Tp0821,a membrane lipoprotein of T. pallidum,express and purify this protein,and to evaluate its immunocompetence.Methods The recombinant plasmid pQE32/Tp0821 was constructed and induced to express the corresponding protein.Then,New Zealand rabbits were immunized with purified recombinant protein to prepare polycional antibodies,and the titer of polyclonal antibody was determinated.Indirect ELISA was developed with the recombinant protein of T. pallidum as coating antigen to detect 80 control sera and 150 FTA-ABS-positive sera.Results The recombinant plasmid pQE32/Tp0821 was constructed and a fusion protein with expected molecular weight was expressed.Specific humoral response was elicited by the recombinant protein in New Zealand rabbits and the antibody titer reached 1:6400.Compared with FTA-ABS test,the indirect ELISA showed a sensitivity and specificity of 92.6%and 98.6%,respectively,in the detection of control and clinical sera.Conclusion The recombinant protein Tp0821 shows excellent immunocompetence,which can be applied to the serological diagnosis of syphilis.

Functional electrical stimulation(FES) offers a vast potential for partial restoration of parlayzed movements. This three part article will review the basic concepts,system design and applications of FES. In part I,concepts such as activation threshold, recruitment order are discussed. Part Ⅱ introduces stimulation waveforme,safe parameters and tissue damage,as well as the design principle of stimulators for use with percutaneous electrodes. Part Ⅲ outlines clinical applications of FES,in particular,for restoration of hand grasp function for C5/C6 patients.

Functional electrical stimulation(FES) offers a vast potential for partial restoration of parlayzed movements. In practice,understanding on the underlying mechanism and limitations of electrical activation of nerve is essential to guide a successful deployment of FES technology to clinical utilization. Thisthree part article will review the basic concepts,system design and applications of FES. In part I,conceptssuch as activation threshold,recruitment order are discussed. Part Ⅱ introduces stimulation waveforme,safeparameters and tissue damage,as well as the design principle of stimulators for use with percutaneous electrodes. Part Ⅲ outlines clinical applications of FES,in particular,for restoration of hand grasp function forC5/C6 patients.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of light irradiation intensity on bond durability of dual-cured resin luting agents to silanized ceramics.

METHODSLinkmax HV (LMHV), Nexus 2 (NX2), Variolink II HV (VL II HV) as dual-cured resin luting agents were bonded to silanized GN-I glass ceramics, and irradiated by 800, 310 and 80 mW x cm(-2) light intensity to form micro-shear test specimens. After 1, 90 d water storage, micro-shear bond strength of silanized resin/ceramic luting agent were measured. Data of each resin luting agent were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS90 d water storage decreased significantly the bond strength of all test groups, and the weak of irradiation intensity did not deteriorate this reduction of bond strength of luting resin/cermaic, oppositely in which LMHV irradiated by 310 mW x cm(-2) light intensity and NX2 irradiated by 80 mW x cm(-2) showed the higher bond strength than that irradiated by 800 mW x cm(-2).

CONCLUSIONThe weak of irradiation intensity does not affect the bond durability of dual-cured resin luting agents to silanized ceramics.

Ceramics ; Composite Resins ; Dental Cements ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Resin Cements

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effect of different silane coupling agents on the resin bond durability of glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic. Methods A glass-infiltrated alumina ceramic was silanized or not by three silane coupling agents. The treated ceramic surfaces were bonded with two resin cements. Their micro-bond strength were measured after 0, 30,000 thermal cycles.

RESULTSBefore thermal cycling, resin cement A had lowest bond strength to ceramic, and ceramic treated by silane coupling agent A with two cements had lower bond strength than those treated by silane coupling agent B and C. After thermal cycling, cement A had no bond strength with no treated ceramic, only ceramic treated by silane coupling agent A with two cements had more than 5 MPa bond strength.

CONCLUSIONThe glass-infiltrated alumina cermaic treated by the silane coupling agent activated by 10-methacryloyloxydecyl-dihydrogen phosphate could obtain better bond durability with different type of resin cements.

Aluminum Oxide ; chemistry ; Ceramics ; chemistry ; Dental Bonding ; Glass ; chemistry ; Resin Cements ; chemistry

Taking Duke University as an example, this article makes a comparison between the major of biomedical engineering in the Southeast University and that in American universities in term of subject direction, faculty, teaching principle and status of publishing academic papers. Through the comparison and analysis, the problems we face were explored. From the comparison and summary the future improvements in four aspects, such as strengthening the interdisciplinary among different majors, etc. so as to provide an inspiration on the future perspectives of research and teaching in biomedical engineering in China.
Biomedical Engineering ; education ; China ; Curriculum ; Education, Medical, Continuing ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; United States ; Universities

Objective To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of a case with non-classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency(210HD).Methods Clinical features and laboratory data were obtained from a patient with non-c]assical 21OHD,and the promoter and coding areas of CYP21 gene were sequenced.Results The old female patient presented with hypertension.The laboratory examinations showed that plasma androstenedione, testosterone,progesterone and 17-hydroxy progesterone(17OHP)were increased.CT scan revealed bilateral adrenal nodular enlargement.Furthermore,rapid ACTH stimulation test showed that the plasma 17OHP concentration was further increased up to 68.3?g/L.Sequencing analysis showed a C1187T(R356W) substitution at exon 8 and the C-125T,G-112A,T-109C variations in the promoter of CYP21 gene,which was not previous reported.Conclusion The combined heterozygous mutations,Cl187T at exon 8 and C-125T,G -112A,T-109C in promoter,seem to be associated with non-classical 21OHD phenotype.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of parecoxib on morphine dosage in patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following thoracoscope-assisted thoracotomy.

METHODSA consecutive series of 100 patients undergoing thoracoscope-assisted thoracotomy were randomized into 5 groups and received PCA with morphine doses at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg given in 200 ml saline (groups P(1), P(2), P(3), P(4), and P(5), respectively). Parecoxib (40 mg) was given in all the patients immediately before the operation, and the mixture (4-5 ml) of lidocaine and ropivacaine was administered into the 3 intercostal spaces upper and lower to the incision before chest closure. PCA was administered for each patient. The visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest and coughing and the respiratory functional parameters were recorded at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h after the start of PCA, and the actual and effective button-pressing times (D(1)/D(2)) in PCA were also recorded.

RESULTSNo patients showed signs of respiratory inhibition within 24 h after the operation, and the resting VAS was comparable between the groups within the initial 6 postoperative hours. At 8 to 24 h postoperatively, the VAS scores at rest and coughing were significantly higher in P(1) group than in the other groups (P<0.05), and no significant differences were found between the groups at 36 to 48 h. D(1)/D(2) in groups P(1) and P(2) were significantly different from those in the other 3 groups at 4-24 h, but no such difference was found between groups P(3), P(4), and P(5).

CONCLUSIONThe application of parecoxib may reduce the dosage of morphine in PCA following thoracoscope-assisted thoracotomy and results in good analgesic effect without affecting the patients respiratory function and sputum elimination.

Adult ; Aged ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Isoxazoles ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morphine ; administration & dosage ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; Thoracoscopy ; Thoracotomy ; methods ; Young Adult