OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effects of Dynesys system combined with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in treating multiple lumbar degenerative disease.

METHODSThe clinical data of 46 patients with multiple lumbar degenerative diseases treated by Dynesys system combined with PLIF from September 2010 to May 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 17 males and 29 females, aged from 38 to 68 years old with an average of (56.38±11.63) years. Operation section was in L2-L5 of 16 patients (6 with fusion of L4,5 and 10 with fusion of L4,5,L5S1) and in L3-S1 of 30 patients (11 with fusion of L5S1 and 19 with fusion of L4,5,L5S1). Patients were followed up for three times: postoperative 3 months, 1 year and final follow-up. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to assess clinical symptoms preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients underwent flexion/extension radiographs examinations before surgery and at final follow-up. Range of motion (ROM) and disc height index (DHI) were recorded.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 16 to 48 months with the mean of (23.23±7.34) months. At third follow-up after operation, ODI and VAS of lumbago and leg pain were significant improved than that of preoperative (P<0.01). DHI of fusion segment was significantly increased than that of preoperative (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adjacent non-fusion segment between preoperative and postoperative (P>0.05). Postoperative ROM of fusion and non-fusion segments were obviously decreased than that of preoperative. There was no significant difference in ROM of upper adjacent non-fusion segment between 3 months and 1 year after operation (P>0.05), but at final follow-up, the ROM was increased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary clinical results of the Dynesys system combined with PLIF in the treatment of multiple lumbar degenerative diseases are satisfactory. It can be determined in fusion or non-fusion according to the individual needs and can reserve the some intervertebral motion, prevent the early degeneration of adjacent segments. However, its long-term clinical efficacy should be verified with long time.

Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; methods ; Visual Analog Scale

Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy, Rolandic ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Steroids ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the difference of resting-state default-mode network functional connectivity in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and in healthy subjects. Methods Ten patients with TRD and 12 healthy control subjects underwent 440 s fMRI scans while resting quietly. Functional connectivity analysis was used to isolate the default mode network in each subject. Group maps of the default-mode network were generated and compared between the two groups. A within-group analysis was performed in the depressed group to explore effects of depression refractoriness on network functional connectivity. Results Functional connectivity of both side of middle temporal gyrus, rectal gyrus, precuneus gray matter, left orbital gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule, and post cingulate gyrus in TRD group weakened compared with that of the control subjects. Conclusion There are resting default network connection weakening in multiple brain areas in TRD patients, which may lead to self-control and emotional behavior abnormal in patients.

[Objective] To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of lower-extremity arterial disease in the patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). [Methods] One hundred fifty-one patients were investigated respectively. The patients were divided into two groups (NAFLD-Group and non-NAFLD group) by liver ultrasonography and disease history, then their clinical data were collected and compared in order to find the differences of biochemical indicators and the morbidity of lower-extremity arterial disease between two groups. [Results] Ninety-two cases (60.93%) were complicated with NAFLD. NAFLD group had higher levels of fast insulin and C peptide level, postprandial insulin and C peptide level, uric acid, body mass index (BMI), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and insulin sensitive index than those of without NAFLD (P<0.05). One hundred and one cases(66.89%) were complicated with lower-extremity arterial disease. The morbidity of lower-extremity arterial diseases was higher in NAFLD group than that of without NAFLD group (75% vs. 54.24%, P<0.01). [Conclusion] Both lower-extremity arterial disease and NAFLD are common complicated with type 2 diabetes. The morbidity of lower-extremity arterial diseases was higher in NAFLD group than that of without NAFLD group.

Objective To investigate the relationship between dyslipidemia,obesity,insulin resistance (IR)and various degrees of non.alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and the risk factors of NAFLD.Methods Two hundred and sixty-eight patients were divided into three groups(non-NAFLD group,mild NAFLD group,moderate and severe NAFLD group)by liver ultrasonography.Body height(H),weight(W),waist circumference(WC),hip circumference(H)were measured.The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG),glycosylated hemoglobin A_1c(GHbA_1C),serum total cholesterol(TC),serunl high density lipoprotein(HDL-C),serum low density lipoprotein(LDL-C),serum triglyceride (TG),alanine aminotransferase (ALT)and fasting serum insulin(FINS)were measured.Body mass index(BMI),the waist to hip ratio(WHR)and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)were calculated.Unconditional logistic regression model was used to test for the risk factors of NAFLD.Results BMI、WC、WHR、HNS、HOMA.IR、TC、LDL-C、TG and ALT in NAFLD group were significantly higher than those in non-NAFLD group (P<0.05).The levels of BMI、WC、WHR、HNS、HOMA-IR、 TG and ALT increased significantly in moderate and severe NAFLD group compared with mild NAFLD group(P<0.05).TG、WHR and HOMA.IR were the risk factors of NAFLD(P<0.05,OR=2.394,3.273,5.256).Conclusions NAFLD in patients with T2DM had remarkable dyslipidemia,overweight,central obesity and insulin resistance.TG、WHR and HOMA.IR were risk factors of NAFLD.

Objective To observe the recurrent febrile seizures(FS)influence on adrenocorticotropic hormone(ATCH)and glucose-regulated proein 78(Grp78)and explore the association between recurrent FS and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the brain of developing rats.Methods Forty specefic pathogen free(SPF)Sprague-Dawley rats aged 21 days were randomly divided into control group(immersed in 37.0 ℃ water,n=12)and hyperthermia treated group(immersed in 44.8 ℃ water,n=28),which was subdivided into hyperthermia group(n=12)and recurrent FS group(n=16)according to whether seizures occurred or not.Seizures were induced 10 times in a bath of warm water,once every 2 days.The plasma content of ACTH was detected by radioimmunoassay.The protein level of Grp78 was examined by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot.Results After recurrent FS,the plasma content of ACTH increased significantly in FS group compared with control group(Pa

Objective To set up an onsite protocol for abrupt emergencies of public health e-vents, with both the sensitivity and accuracy of the lab-on-chip(microfluidic chip), for the detection of food borne pathogenic bacterium including Vibrio cholera , Salmonella , Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Shigellaare exanimated . [ Methods] By comparison of the results from the chips and fluorescence quantitative PCR were analyzed the specificity , sensitivity, accuracy and repeatability of the Lab-on-chip. [ Results] Acceptable specificity , accuracy and repeatability of the chips had been well achieved , the detection limit of the chips for the Vibrio cholera , Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Shigella was 5 ×103 ~103 DNA Copies/mL. [ Conclusion] Lab-on-chip is believed to be a fast , convenient , efficient tool with accept-able accuracy for public health emergencies .

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the characteristic morphology of heel spur, and to investigate the relationship of heel spur and plantar heel pain.

METHODSFrom June 2005 to April 2009, 210 cases (254 feet) with heel spur (according to Denis Pain Scale) were divided into cases group 1 (P2, n = 46), 2 (P3, n = 44), 3 (P4, n = 42), 4 (P5, n = 36) and controls group (P1, n = 42). Three-dimensional reconstruction of heel spur was performed in all groups using volume rendering based on multi-slice CT data by Super Image orthopedics edition 1.0. The characteristic morphology of heel spur was observed and the data were measured and analyzed, involving the width of basilar part, the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur.

RESULTSParts of cases groups displayed coarse arcuate edge and undersurface with one or more little heel spurs adhere to heel spur, of which the numbers were greater than controls group, especially in cases group 4. No significant difference of the width of basilar part of heel spur was found among 5 groups (F = 2.32, P > 0.05). However, obvious difference was found in the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur (F = 8.23, 6.82, 5.87, P < 0.05). Compared with the controls group, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis of cases groups had higher degrees, but the difference of the other data presented irregular.

CONCLUSIONSThe characteristic morphology of heel spur varies in patients associated with plantar heel pain. No correlation is found between the severity and the morphological data, including the width of basilar part, the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur.

Aged ; Calcaneus ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Heel Spur ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of methylation on E-cadherin inactivation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line HNE1 and CNE2, as well as evaluate the inhibitory effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) on cell abilities of proliferation and invasion.

METHODSThe expression level of E-cadherin was measured by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry (polymer method), the methyaltion status was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and cell proliferation and invasion were examined by MTT and invasion assay, separately before and after treatment with demethylating agent 5-Aza-dC.

RESULTSThe expression level of E-cadherin was down-regulated compared with the normal tissue, simultaneously partially methylated in gene promoter. Treatment with 20 µmol/L 5-Aza-dC increased the expression of E-cadherin and reduced the methylation degree. Moreover, it also significantly suppressed cell growth (27.6% for HNE1 cells and 34.3% for CNE2 cells, P < 0.05) and invasiveness (37.2% for HNE1 cells and 29.7% for CNE2 cells, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAberrant methylation around gene promoter region may play an important part in down regulation of E-cadherin in NPC, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for demethylating agents such as 5-Aza-dC.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Methylation ; Down-Regulation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

BACKGROUNDSubtalar joint (STJ) neutral position is the position typically used by clinicians to obtain a cast representation of a patient's foot before fabrication of biomechanical functional orthosis. But no method for measuring STJ neutral position has been proven accurate and reproducible by different testers. This study was conducted to investigate the STJ neutral position in normal feet in cadavers.

METHODSTwelve fresh-frozen specimens of amputated lower legs were used. Pressure-sensitive films were inserted into the anterior and posterior articulation of STJ. The contact areas for various foot positions and under axial loads of 600 N were determined based on the gray level of the digitized film. The STJ neutral positions were determined as the ankle-foot position where the maximum contact area was achieved, because the neutral position of a joint was defined as the position where the concave and convex surfaces were completely congruous.

RESULTSIn ankle-foot neutral position, the contact area of STJ was (2.79 +/- 0.24) cm(2). In the range of motion of adduction-abduction (ADD-ABD), the maximum contact area was (3.00 +/- 0.26) cm(2) when the foot was positioned 10 degrees of ABD (F = 221.361, P < 0.05). In the range of motion of dorsiflexion-plantarflexion (DF-PF), the maximum contact area was (3.61 +/- 0.25) cm(2) when the foot was positioned 20 degrees of DF (F = 121.067, P < 0.05). In the range of motion of inversion-eversion (INV-EV), the maximum contact area was (3.14 +/- 0.26) cm(2) when the foot was positioned 10 degrees of EV (F = 256.252, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSJoints, such as STJ, therefore, are not necessarily in neutral position when the ankle-foot is placed in the traditional concept of neutral position. The results demonstrate that the most approximate STJ neutral position was in the foot position of 10 degrees of abduction, 20 degrees of dorsiflexion and 10 degrees of eversion.

Cadaver ; Humans ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Subtalar Joint ; anatomy & histology