Objective To establish a neural probe-brain tissue numerical model and investigate tissue injuries induced by probe during its insertion into brain tissues. Methods The material of brain tissue was described by a hyper-viscoelastic constitutive equation. Tissue failure and separation were simulated by the element deletion method based on a maximum principle strain failure criteria, and tissue injuries were quantified by the mean effective strain. Then effects of probe wedge angle, inserting speed and probe stiffness on the acute injury were investigated. Results Tissue strain generated by probe with wedge angle of 150° was increased by 37.1% compared with the strain induced with wedge angle of 90°. Along the insertion path, probe with a slow speed of 100 μm/s induced much higher strain value (>57%) compared to that with relatively faster speed of 500 μm/s, which generated the strain value below 25%. The probe stiffness, however, had a negligible effect on tissue injury. The strain within the tissue was only increased by 1%-2% while the stiffness decreased from 165 GPa to 5 kPa. Conclusions The established numerical model can provide references for the design of neural probe and probe inserting parameters, which will be helpful to reduce tissue injuries induced by probe insertion and thus improve the working life of neural probe to meet the long-term clinical application.

AIM To investigate the efficacy and safety of Chinese Jing Liqueur (Curculiginis Rhizoma,Angelicae sinensis Radix,Cistanches Herba,etc.) in relieving main symptoms of patients with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome.METHODS Within eight-week trial,one hundred and twenty patients randomly and equally assigned to control group and experimental group took 50 mL Chinese Jing Liqueur and 50 mL 10％ diluted Chinese Jing Liqueur,respectively.The grading scale for Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome and change curve for body surface temperature after drinking were established on day 0,the 4th week day and the 8th week day.The blood samples were collected for blood hemorheologies detection as well.An array of measurements before and after drinking,the Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome scores,single symptom scores,body surface temperature and hemorheologies between the two groups were thus compared.RESULTS The experimental group displayed a significantly higher clinical cure rate (31.034％) than the control group (5.172％) (P =0.000),total effective rate (69.966％)than the control group (34.483％) (P =0.000).The experimental group didn't compromise its superiority to the control group if evaluated by improvement in chilly sensation and the cold limbs (35.593％ to 6.667％,P =0.000);and by the fibrinogen level [(2.845 ± 0.724) g/L to (2.500 ± 0.395) g/L,P =0.004)].No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups was observed (P =0.619).Meanwhile,Chinese Jing Liqueur's power in improving the patients' fatigue and weakness of waist and knees,hyposexuality,listlessness,nocturia and lower extremity edema was noticed as well.CONCLUSION For patients with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome,Chinese Jing Liqueur proves its efficacy in improving their main symptoms through enhancing the basic skin temperature and prolonging the duration of skin temperature rise.

Objective To accurately measure the motion angels of hand-related joints during manipulations of acupuncture needle thrusting-pulling and twirling, so as to provide quantitative references for acupuncture manipulation. Methods Six acupuncturists with over 3-year acupuncture experience and one volunteer were enrolled in this study. The angles of the forearm, wrist, metacarpophalangeal & interphalangeal joints of the thumb and index finger in each acupuncturist when performing thrusting-pulling and twirling manipulation were measured by the video motion capture (VMC) system, and the different ranges of above-mentioned angles among the 6 acupuncturists when performing 10 trails of thrusting-pulling and twirling manipulations on the volunteer’s thigh were compared. Results There was no significant difference in the ranges of relevant hand-related angles in the acupuncturist (P>0.05). The manipulation of thrusting-pulling was mainly managed by the wrist joint, with the range of (7.23±1.87)°, while the manipulation of twirling was mainly managed by the interphalangeal joints of the index finger, and the range of the first and second interphalangeal joints of the index finger was (28.33±2.18)°and (10.43±1.69)°, respectively. Conclusions The VMC can be a reliable method to quantify the parameters of acupuncture manipulation. Different acupuncture manipulation shows particular variation of the joint angles, which can be used as a reference to quantify the acupuncture manipulation.

Objective To propose a method for analyzing the hip joint signals during human walking based on Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) method and verify its feasibility. Methods First, the hip joint angles of one healthy subject were measured by using the hip joint measuring platform composed of acceleration sensors and gyroscopes. Second, all intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) at different scales, which could be further analyzed and combined, were obtained by applying the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) to original signals. Finally, the Hilbert spectrum of original signals were plotted and analyzed. Results The signals representing different motion modes as well as gait characteristics indicated by rotating track of the hip joint were obtained. The Hilbert spectrum could show the intra-wave frequency modulation in the main motion mode and the characteristics of walking frequencies. Conclusions This method can be used in rehabilitation and treatment of patients with gait diseases. By using this method, the characteristic signals of the hip joints at different frequency scales can be effectively decomposed, and the post-processing signals can be filtered and centrally corrected, so as to adaptively analyze gait signals of the patients.

OBJECTIVESThe National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) was used to determine the chronic prostatitis syndrome in young men (from 20 to 48 years old) of clinical validity.

METHODS227 patients with chronic prostatitis syndrome (CPS)/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and 32 patients with BPH were randomized to study using NIH-CPSI.

RESULTS1. The main manifestations of CPS patients were pain or uncomfort. Those were more common in CPS than BPH. 2. 79.30% CPS patients had a sensation of not emptying bladder completely after finished urinating, 44.93% patients had to urinate again less than two hours after finished urinating. 3. 51.51% patients with CPS have more effect on work, 90.31% patients on free life, and 68.72% patients on quality of life than BPH.

CONCLUSIONSAccording NIH-CPSI, the main manifestations of CPS are pain or uncomfort. CPS patients have more effect on work and quality of life.

Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Pain ; etiology ; Prostatitis ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United States

AIM:To investigate the effect of urantide on the liver function and histomorphology in the rats with atherosclerosis (AS).METHODS:The AS Wistar rat model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D3 (VD3) and feeding with high-fat diet.The rats were randomly divided into normal control group, AS model group, positive medicine group and urantide group.The liver function indexes of the rats were measured by biochemical test, and the pathological changes of the aorta and liver of the rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.The mRNA expression of urotensinⅡ (UII) and GPR14 at mRNA and protein levels in rat livers was determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS:The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) , aspartate aminotransferase (AST) , γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) , total bilirubin (TBIL) , indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in AS model group were significantly increased compared with normal control group (P<0.05).The above indexes in urantide group were remarkably decreased compared with AS model group (P<0.05).No change of the levels of direct bilirubin (DBIL) , total protein (TP) , globulin (GLB) and albumin (ALB) in each group was observed.Urantide postponed hepatocyte fatty degeneration and repaired hepatocyte injury in the AS rats.Compared with normal control group, the mRNA and protein levels of UII and GPR14 in the liver were significantly increased in AS model group (P<0.05).With the prolongation of dosing time, the mRNA and protein levels of UII and GPR14 in the liver were significantly decreased in urantide group compared with AS model group (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Urantide significantly attenuates the liver damage caused by liver fatty degeneration in AS rats.

OBJECTIVEThe primary aim of the study was to compare two nutritional status evaluation tools: the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002). Using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the second aim was to provide constructive advice regarding the quality of life of patients with malignancy.

METHODSThis study enrolled 312 oncology patients and assessed their nutritional status and quality of life using the PG-SGA, NRS-2002, and EORTC QLQ-C30.

RESULTSThe data indicate that 6% of the cancer patients were well nourished. The SGA-A had a higher sensitivity (93.73%) but a poorer specificity (2.30%) than the NRS-2002 (69.30% and 25.00%, respectively) after comparison with albumin. There was a low negative correlation and a high similarity between the PG-SGA and NRS-2002 for evaluating nutritional status, and there was a significant difference in the median PG-SGA scores for each of the SGA classifications (P < 0.001). The SGA-C group showed the highest PG-SGA scores and lowest body mass index. The majority of the target population received 2 points for each item in our 11-item questionnaire from the EORTC QLQ-C30.

CONCLUSIONThe data indicate that the PG-SGA is more useful and suitable for evaluating nutritional status than the NRS-2002. Additionally, early nutrition monitoring can prevent malnutrition and improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects between electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron and intravenous drip of Granisetron only for treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the malignant tumor.

METHODSThe methods of multicentral, randomized controlled trial were used, the observation group (127 cases) was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) combined with intravenous drip of Granisetron, and the control group (119 cases) was treated with intravenous drip of Granisetron only.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of 90.5% in observation group was superior to that of 84.0% in control group (P < 0.01); the nausea and vomiting scores of two groups were obviously decreased after treatment (both P < 0.001), and the decreased degree of the observation group was superior to that of control group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) can significantly alleviate the symptoms such as nausea and vomiting caused by the chemotherapy of the patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; etiology ; therapy ; Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vomiting ; etiology ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid in the treatment of bone pain in patients with bone metastasis from solid tumor or multiple myeloma.

METHODSA randomized, double-blind, double-simulated and multi-center phase III clinical trail with pamidronate as control was conducted. Patients with moderate to severe bone pain (VAS > 50 mm) induced by solid tumor or multiple myeloma were randomized to receive intravenous zoledronic acid 4 mg or pamidronate 90 mg. Then the change of VAS and urinary NTX/Cr and CTX/Cr were observed in two groups.

RESULTSFrom July 2005 to September 2006, 228 patients with bone pain induced by bone metastasis from 15 cancer centers were randomize into two groups: 116 patients in zoledronic acid group and 112 patients in pamidronate group. The VAS value was decreased gradually after treatment in these two groups. Significant improvement in bone pain after treatment were observed both in zoledronic acid group and the control group when compared with baseline VAS on D8 (-11.77% vs. -10.87%), D15 (-24.60% vs. -21.06%) and D28 (-32.37% vs. -31.26%) (P< or =0.0001), but no significant difference existed between two groups (P =0.6587). Compared with baseline, urine NTX/Cr and CTX/Cr level were decreased rapidly after treatment in both groups, the nadir was on D8, the median decreased on D28, which was -36.9% vs. -32.1% for NTX/Cr (P = 0.7922) and -63.2% vs. -47.9% for CTX/Cr (P =0.834). The frequently observed adverse events were pyrexia (19.0% vs. 31.3%), vomiting (6.0% vs. 8.9%), nausea (4.3% vs. 4.5%), fatigue (3.4% vs. 2.7%) and constipation (2.6% vs. 1.8%) in the two groups. Compared with baseline, the serum creatinine level was not significantly increased throughout the study.

CONCLUSIONIntravenous injection of 4 mg zoledronic acid can significantly reduce bone pain and bone resorption marker in urine in the Chinese patients with bone metastasis from solid tumor or multiple myeloma, which is tolerable and also comparable to pamidronate in the efficacy and safety.

Adult ; Aged ; Analgesics ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; complications ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Collagen Type I ; urine ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Creatinine ; urine ; Diphosphonates ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Fever ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; complications ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Intractable ; drug therapy ; etiology ; urine ; Peptides ; urine ; Prospective Studies ; Vomiting ; chemically induced

Humans ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; Skin Diseases, Genetic ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic