Objective To study the effects of bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNCs) transplantation on left ventricular (LV) remodeling and its potential mechanism in swine myocardial infarction models. Methods The left anterior descending coronary arteries of swines were obstructed by balloon to create myocardial infarction models. Three weeks later, MNCs(n= 7)or PBS(n=5) were injected into the infarction related coronary arteries through balloon catheter. The cardiac function were measured by echocardiography and ventriculargraphy. Collagen amount was also assessed at 4 weeks after transplantation. Results At 4 weeks after transplantation, LV end-diastolic dimension decreased in the BM-MNC group than before (40.40?4.51 mm vs. 45.88?4.15 mm, P=0.026), but increased in the control group (48.50?9.31 mm vs. 42.40?7.29 mm, P=0.328). Left ventricular function was improved from 41.16%?9.83% to 47.50%?9.07% in the BM-MNC group (P=0.020) but there was no significant change in the control group. Significant differences existed between the 2 groups in their absolute change before and after the procedure in both LV dimension and LV function (P=0.046 and P=0.030 respectively). The results showed reduction of collagen content in the border and the remote infarct regions in the BM-MNC group compared with the control (P=0.047 and P=0.034 respectively). Conclusion BM-MNCs transplantation regulates collagen content in heart and attenuates the degree of post-MI LV dilation and the development of infarction area. This effect of BM-MNCs transplantation may be one of the mechanisms which intervene ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction.

Objective To study the effect of mecobalamine treatment on acute cerebral infarction combined with high homocysteine (Hcy) and post-stroke depression.Methods A total of 160 cerebral infarction patients with high Hcy were collected from January 2010 to December 2011 in our hospital.Patients were randomly divided into two groups:the control group (n=80,with routine therapy) and the treatment group (n=80,with routine therapy plus intramuscular injection with folic acid 500μg for 8 weeks).The plasma concentration of Hcy was determined by fluoresene polarization immunoassay.The improvement of depression,anxiety and life skills in patients were assessed by selfmade questionnaires and self-reporting inventory (SLC 90).Results There were no significant differences in plasma Hcy level in control group before versus after treatment [(21.86±4.76) μmol/L vs.(18.67±3.81) μmol/L,t=0.40,P＞0.05].Compared with before treatment,plasma Hcy level in treatment group was significantly reduced 4 weeks after treatment [(11.66 ± 3.28) μmol/L vs.(22.68±5.16) μmol/L,t=2.55,P＜0.01].There was a significant difference in plasma Hcy level between the treatment group and the control group after treatment [(11.66 ±3.28) μmol/L vs.(18.67±3.81) μmol/L,t=7.40,P＜0.01].TheSCL-90 total score,positive symptom items score,the total score and the average score of positive symptom items were significantly lower in treatment group after treatment than in treatment group before treatment (t=2.04,2.97,5.45,4.21,all P＜0.05) and in control group after treatment (t 7.40,7.58,12.78,4.15,all P＜0.05).The improvement on symptomatic patterns including somatization,obsessive-compulsive problems,interpersonal sensitivity,depression,anxiety and fear were better in treatment group after treatment than in treatment group before treatment (t 2.34,2.28,2.51,2.19,3.40,2.35,allP＜0.05) and in control group after treatment (t=4.10,5.04,5.12,4.18,5.48,5.20,all P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the improvement in paranoid ideation between the treatment group before and after treatment (t=1.40,P＞0.05),between the treatment group and the control group after treatment (t=1.48,P＞0.05),and between the control group before and after treatment (P＞0.05).Conclusions Mecobalamine can effectively reduce plasma Hcy level in cerebral infarction patients with high plasma Hcy,and alleviate the symptoms of anxiety,depression,nervousness and other emotions.

Nitrocellulose membrane based urinary protein preservation method is simple, fast and economic, but its advantage over the traditionally used acetone precipitation method is still unclear. In this work, we prepared urinary proteins by the two methods by LC-MS/MS. Then we used protein spectra counts to assess the reproducibility of the two methods. Proteins identified by the two methods were almost the same in number, spectral count distribution and distribution of coefficients of variation value. In conclusion, nitrocellulose membrane method is generally the same as acetone precipitation method. It can be used for large scale preservation of clinical urine samples.
Acetone ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Collodion ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Proteins ; isolation & purification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Urine ; chemistry

Objective:To investigate the effect of the ceramometal b ridge on the local gingival groove flora.Methods: Classi cal bacterial incubation and identification were used to study the changes of th e local gingival groove flora in 6 patients wearing ceramometal bridge for 1 wee k to 3 months. Results: 3 months after the prosthetic procedure the CFU o f P.melaninogenica, Gram-positive bacilli cmainly Actinomyces and the t otal bacteria were significantly increased (P

Objective To investigate the treatment of inverted nipple by continual extension with S tractors made of Kirschner wires on the base of preliminary clinical obervation.Methods Under local anesthesia,with the inverted nipples being dragged out by a presutured thread or a pair of towel clips,a Kirschner wire of 10 cm long and 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter was transversly penetrated through the base of inverted nipple.Then the Kirschner wire was bended at both points of 1.5 cm distantly from the nipple center in clockwise cemicircularly.Two cemicircular Kirschner wires were folded downward hingelikely and the center axis was supported by two cemicircles.This folded S tractor pushed and supported the inverted nipple forwardly and constantly.The hinge angle was adjusted during the treatment according to the traction requirment.It was nessessary for wearing these S tractors for at least 6 months before the Kirschner wires were being taken out.During referrals,the hinge angle was revised for mentaining the extension efforts.Results We treated 32 cases of inverted nipple,total 58 moderate and severe lesions,with this method effectively.No infection was observed during the treatment.The nipple form was naturally and stably outstanding after Kirschner wires taken out.No relapses were observed during a mean 6 monthe following up.Conclusions This procedure is simple and convenient without the need of complicated surgical procedures or perplexed equipments.The nipple shaps are observed natural and stable after Kirschner wire is removed.No recurrences are observed.There are no damages to breastfeeding function.The obvious drawback of this method is its reqairing of long continuously wearing and its inconvenience.

Evoked potentials are widely used in clinical neurophysiology. The conventional analysis methods of evoked potentials are based on the waves in time domain. Analysis based on time-spatial domain will provide more information than simple time domain analysis. The existing temporal-spatial analysis methods, such as microstate, frequency domain analysis and event-related coherence, are introduced in this paper.
Evoked Potentials ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic ; methods ; Time Factors

It is estimated that epilepsy, a chronic disorder of the nervous system, affects about 0.5%-2% of the population and about 10%-50% do not respond well to current antiepileptic medications and may not be candidates for surgery. For these patients, the unpredictability of seizure onset is a major cause of disability and mortality. Therefore, anticipation of an imminent seizure would be beneficial to patients because it could provide time for the application of preventive measures to keep the risk of seizure to a minimum. This paper reviews the feasibilities, the progress, existing problems and possible applications in the field of epileptic seizure prediction.
Algorithms ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Electroencephalography ; methods ; Epilepsy ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Seizures ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

In order to deduce the sleep stages from heart rate, we analyze the heart rate variability (HRV) with hidden Markov model (HMM) for the identification of different characters of HRV within different sleep stages. Special technique is used to compensate the individual diversity. The relationship between the sleep stage and the ultra-low frequency components of HRV is also considered. Since the detection of heart rate hardly disturbs the sleep, the proposed method provides a simple approach to evaluating the sleep stage without disturbing the sleep. Our experiments have proved that this method meets the requirements of wide applications, especially the requirement of routine use in monitoring the normal subjects' sleep.
Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Markov Chains ; Middle Aged ; Models, Biological ; Sleep Stages ; physiology

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of squamous cell carcinoma on oral bacteria.

METHODSThis study investigated the microbial contents of the plaque on the surfaces of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Samples were obtained from the central surface of lesions, contiguous healthy mucosa and saliva of 42 patients with oral squamous carcinoma before and after operation.

RESULTSThe median of bacterial colony forming units per milliliter (CFUs/ml) of saliva before operation was 8.10 x 10(8) CFUs/ml. The median of CFUs per square centimeter of the tumor surface was 5.21 x 10(5) CFUs/cm2 which was significantly higher than that of the healthy (the control) mucosa (1.77 x 10(4) CFUs/cm2, P = 0.0001). The CFUs per square centimeter of mucosa surface at the operative zone was 4.34 x 10(5) CFUs/cm2 which was also significantly higher than that of the healthy (control) mucosa(7.24 x 10(4) CFUs/cm2, P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONOral carcinoma can break the balance of oral microflora, which may be one of the reasons leading to the high susceptivity of these compromised patients to systemic infection.

Adult ; Aged ; Bacteria, Aerobic ; isolation & purification ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; isolation & purification ; Bacterial Infections ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; microbiology ; Mouth Neoplasms ; microbiology ; Saliva ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; prevention & control ; Streptococcus ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVEThis study was designed to find out the changes in microflora on the stress-bearing areas after insertion of removable partial dentures, and in turn to explore the difference between such changes caused by metal bases and acrylic resin bases respectively.

METHODSSixteen patients who were ready to accept removable partial dentures were selected and divided into two groups. Eight patients used metal bases while the other eight patients used acrylic resin bases. Then at the following three points: before dentures were inserted, one month after wearing and three months after wearing, the total cultivable flora were counted and the proportions of bacteria detected on the stress-bearing areas were calculated.

RESULTSNo matter what type of bases was selected, the wearing of removable partial denture enhanced the accumulation of microflora on stress-bearing areas. The percentages of Candida albicans and Lactobacilli detected on stress-bearing areas also increased significantly (P < 0.05). When such changes were compared, the authors found that the increment of Candida albicans caused by acrylic resin bases was higher than that caused by metal bases (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe wearing of removable partial dentures forms new retention areas between the bases and the stress-bearing areas, as a result enhances the deposit of microbe and facilitate the growth of Candida albicans and Lactobacilli. Compared with increment of Candida albicans caused by metal bases, the increment relating to acrylic resin bases is more evident.

Aged ; Denture, Partial, Removable ; adverse effects ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Micrococcus ; isolation & purification ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Mucosa ; microbiology ; Random Allocation ; Staphylococcus ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus ; isolation & purification