Objective To determine the relationship between polymorphism of apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) and electroencephlogram in patients with mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. Methods (1) Venous blood for 2 ml was collected from 81 patients with mild/moderate traumatic brain injury on admission. APOE genotype was identified by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism ( PCRRFLP). (2) All the patients were monitored by electroencephalogram for 2-3 times within a week after injury. X2 test and logistic regression analysis via SAS version 8.2 were performed to analyze the results of genotype and electroencephalogram and clinical data. Results The distributions of genetypes and alleles among 81 patients matched with Haldy-Weinberg Law. The findings of electroencephalogram were significantly different between patients with and without APOEε4 (P<0.05). Ten (63%) out of 16 patients with APOEε4 showed an aggravated electroencephalogram,while only 16 (25%) out of 65 patients without APOEε4 showed the same results of electroencephalogram. Logistic regression analyses showed that APOEε4 was a risk factor for electroencephalogram aggravation after traumatic brain injury. Conclusion APOEε4 is a risk factor for electroencephalogram aggravation during acute stage after mild/moderate traumatic brain injury.

Objective To investigate the influence of apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) polymorphism on the acute-phase brain electrical activity after mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. Methods The clinical data of 112 patients with mild/moderate traumatic brain injury were collected and the APOE genotypes were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The brain electrical activity in every patient was recorded twice by using electroencephalogram within one week after injury. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to determine the variations of brain electrical activity. Chi-square test, variance analysis and logistic regression analyses via SPSS version 11.5 were performed among APOE genotypes, electroencephalogram data and clinical data. Results The distributions of APOE genetypes and alleles matched Haldy-Weinberg Law in 112 patients. Of 22 patients with APOEε4, 12 patients (55%) presented with deteriorated electroencephalogram, which was significantly higher than those (16 of 90 patients, 18%) without APOEε4 (P ＜ 0. 01). Comparison of the first and second electroencephalograms demonstrated that the slow waves were increased significantly in patients with APOEε4 ( P ＜ 0. 01 ) but decreased in patients with APOEε2 and APOEε3 (P ＜0.05). The reduction of slow waves in APOEε2 carriers was more obvious than APOEε3 carriers (P ＜0.05). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that APOEε4 was a risk factor to electroencephalogram aggravation after traumatic brain injury. Conclusion APOEε4 is a risk factor to electroencephalogram aggravation during acute stage after mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. However,APOEε2 seems to be beneficial for recovery of brain electrical activity.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of YANG's pricking-cupping therapy for knee osteoar thritis (KOA). Methods This was a multi-center randomized parallel controlled trial. One hundred and seventy one patients with KOA were randomly allocated to a pricking-cupping group (89 cases) and a conventional acu puncture group (82 cases). Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35) and ashi points were selected in the two groups. Patients in the pricking-cupping group were treated with YANG's pricking-cupping therapy; the seven-star needles were used to perform pricking at acupoints, then cupping was used until slight bleeding was observed. Patients in the conventional acupuncture group were treated with semi-standardized filiform needle therapy. The treatment was given for 4 weeks (from a minimum of 5 times to a maximum of 10 times). The follow-up visit was 4 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were adopted for the efficacy assessments.

RESULTSThe pain score, stiffness score, physical function score and total score of WOMAC were all reduced after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit in the two groups (all P<0. 0001). Except that the difference of stiffness score between the two groups was not significant after 4-week treatment (P>0. 05), each score and total score of WOMAC in the pricking-cupping group were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit (P<0. 0001, P<0. 01). After 2-week treatment, 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit, the VAS was all reduced compared with that before treatment (all P<0. 0001) ; with the increase of the treatment, the reducing trend of VAS was more significant (P<0. 0001). The scores of VAS in the pricking-cupping group were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit (P < 0. 01, P <0. 0001). CONCLUSION The YANG's pricking-cupping and conventional acupuncture therapy can both significantly improve knee joint pain and function in patients with KOA, which are relatively safe. The pricking cupping therapy is superior to conventional acupuncture with the identical selection of acupoints.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthralgia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Cough is a common symptom of several respiratory diseases. However, frequent coughing from acute to chronic often causes great pain to patients. It may turn into cough variant asthma, which seriously affects people's quality of life. For cough treatment, it is dominated by over-the-counter antitussive drugs, such as asmeton, but most currently available antitussive drugs have serious side effects. Thus, there is a great need for the development of new drugs with potent cough suppressant. BALB/c mice were used to construct mice model with cough to investigate the pharmacological effects of pectolinarigenin (PEC). Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining were used to assess lung injury and airway remodeling, and ELISA was used to assess the level of inflammatory factor release. In addition, inflammatory cell counts were measured to assess airway inflammation. Airway hyperresponsiveness assay was used to assess respiratory resistance in mice. Finally, we used Western blotting to explore the potential mechanisms of PEC. We found that PEC could alleviate lung tissue injury and reduce the release of inflammatory factors, inhibit of cough frequency and airway wall collagen deposition in mice model with cough. Meanwhile, PEC inhibited the Ras/ERK/c-Fos pathway to exhibit antitussive effect. Therefore, PEC may be a potential drug for cough suppression.

【Objective】 To investigate the preparation quality and clinical application effect of pooled platelets with leukocytes reduced. 【Methods】 The quality and clinical effect of the buffy-coated method prepared pooled platelets leukocytes reduced (experimental group, n=40) and apheresis platelets leukocytes reduced (control group, n=40) were compared. 【Results】 The platelet volume (mL), platelet count (×10¹¹), red blood cell contamination (×10⁸) and residual white blood cell (×10⁶) of the experimental group and control group were 278.90±7.92 vs 276.52±8.01, 2.66±0.09 vs 2.66±0.83, 0.54±0.42 vs 0.83±0.84, 0.29±0.54 vs 0.27±0.51, respectively, with no significant difference. The results of bacterial culture were negative, all met the requirements of relevant national standards. In addition, the CCI (×10^3, 24 h) and PPR (%) were 15.11±9.86 vs 14.61±12.55 and 54.23±18.70 vs 61.41±19.09 respectively, with no significant difference, indicating a certain degree of therapeutic effect. 【Conclusion】 The quality and clinical therapeutic effect of pooled platelets leukocytes reduced were consistent with that of apheresis platelets leukocytes reduced.

The requirement for unconstrained monitoring of heartbeat during sleep is increasing, but the current detection devices can not meet the requirements of convenience and accuracy. This study designed an unconstrained ballistocardiogram (BCG) detection system using acceleration sensor and developed a heart rate extraction algorithm. BCG is a directional signal which is stronger and less affected by respiratory movements along spine direction than in other directions. In order to measure the BCG signal along spine direction during sleep, a 3-axis acceleration sensor was fixed on the bed to collect the vibration signals caused by heartbeat. An approximate frequency range was firstly assumed by frequency analysis to the BCG signals and segmental filtering was conducted to the original vibration signals within the frequency range. Secondly, to identify the true BCG waveform, the accurate frequency band was obtained by comparison with the theoretical waveform. The J waves were detected by BCG energy waveform and an adaptive threshold method was proposed to extract heart rates by using the information of both amplitude and period. The accuracy and robustness of the BCG detection system proposed and the algorithm developed in this study were confirmed by comparison with electrocardiogram (ECG). The test results of 30 subjects showed a high average accuracy of 99.21% to demonstrate the feasibility of the unconstrained BCG detection method based on vibration acceleration.
Acceleration ; Ballistocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Vibration