OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the balance function of the patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) during standing. METHOD: In this study 41 patients with posterior semicircular canal BPPV (PC BPPV) and 11 patients with horizontal semicircular canal BPPV (HC BPPV) were recruited. Dynamic balance during standing was measured in Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Static balance during standing was measured in modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance (mCTSIB). Data of BPPV patients were compared to that from 44 normal controls. RESULT: Scores of the patients with PC BPPV were lower than that of the normal controls in the last three test conditions of SOT. Patients with PC BPPV demonstrated greater sway velocity in stance on foam with eyes open and eyes closed in mCTSIB. No postural deficit was observed in neither SOT nor mCTSIB when the patients with HC BPPV were compared to the normal controls. CONCLUSION Disorders of the horizontal semicircular canal do not influence postural control. Both dynamic and static posturography can detect the postural imbalance caused by posterior semicircular canal dysfunction.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Postural Balance ; Semicircular Canals ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo construct dengue virus-specific full-length fully human antibody libraries using mammalian cell surface display technique.

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from convalescent patients with dengue fever. The reservoirs of the light chain and heavy chain variable regions (LCκ and VH) of the antibody genes were amplified by RT-PCR and inserted into the vector pDGB-HC-TM separately to construct the light chain and heavy chain libraries. The library DNAs were transfected into CHO cells and the expression of full-length fully human antibodies on the surface of CHO cells was analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSUsing 1.2 µg of the total RNA isolated from the PBMCs as the template, the LCκ and VH were amplified and the full-length fully human antibody mammalian display libraries were constructed. The kappa light chain gene library had a size of 1.45×10(4) and the heavy chain gene library had a size of 1.8×10(5). Sequence analysis showed that 8 out of the 10 light chain clones and 7 out of the 10 heavy chain clones randomly picked up from the constructed libraries contained correct open reading frames. FACS analysis demonstrated that all the 15 clones with correct open reading frames expressed full-length antibodies, which could be detected on CHO cell surfaces. After co-transfection of the heavy chain and light chain gene libraries into CHO cells, the expression of full-length antibodies on CHO cell surfaces could be detected by FACS analysis with an expressible diversity of the antibody library reaching 1.46×10(9) [(1.45×10(4)×80%)×(1.8×10(5)×70%)].

CONCLUSIONUsing 1.2 µg of total RNA as template, the LCκ and VH full-length fully human antibody libraries against dengue virus have been successfully constructed with an expressible diversity of 10(9).

Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; CHO Cells ; Cell Surface Display Techniques ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Dengue Virus ; immunology ; Gene Library ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains ; immunology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVEOsseointegration of orthodontic microscrew implant is influenced by tooth extraction. This study aims to evaluate the safety margin of the osseointegration of orthodontic implants by investigating the healing process of the implant-bone interface through histopathological studies and quantitative determination.

METHODSTwelve male beagles were selected and randomly divided into four groups. An orthodontic microscrew was implanted beside the tooth extraction area. Animals were killed in 1, 3, 8, and, 12 weeks to investigate tissue response. Histomorphological observation and bone implant contact ratio (BIC) tests were performed at different healing time after implantation.

RESULTSA new bone was formed on the implant-bone interface of the control group. Bone resorptions were also detected in the experimental group 3 weeks after implantation. The BIC level of the control groups increased during the first 8 weeks; no change was observed anymore after the 8th week. On the other hand, the BIC value in the experimental group decreased in the first 3 weeks. It then increased rapidly and reached its peak of 80.08% in the 8th week. No significant difference wa s found between the experimental and control groups in the first 3 weeks. After the 3rd week, the BIC value of the experimental group (44.35%) was lower than that of the control group (55.46%) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe healing process after implantation was influenced by tooth extraction. Bone resorption was detected at an early stage. However, vigorous bone remodeling was observed subsequently.

Animals ; Bone Remodeling ; Bone and Bones ; Dental Implantation, Endosseous ; Dental Implants ; Dogs ; Male ; Mandible ; Osseointegration ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tooth Extraction ; Wound Healing

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy （DPN） is characterized by insidious onset， easy misdiagnosis， and progression to severe consequences such as diabetic foot ulcers， gangrene， and amputation. The main pathological features of DPN are nerve cell injuries， such as axonal degeneration and necrosis， segmental demyelination of nerve fibers， and apoptosis of Schwann cells. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway is a classical pathway that communicates intracellular and extracellular information and regulates biological activities such as cell proliferation， differentiation， apoptosis， autophagy， and migration. It widely affects various cells related to DPN. In recent years， numerous studies have found that the sustained high glucose environment causes abnormalities in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. This， in turn， accelerates the occurrence and development of DPN by participating in the pathogenesis of DPN， such as glucose and lipid metabolism， oxidative stress， inflammation， autophagy， apoptosis， and angiogenesis. Therefore， regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is crucial for the treatment of DPN. Currently， there is a lack of effective measures to slow down or reverse DPN in clinical practice. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has unique advantages in preventing and treating DPN with multiple targets， effects， and components. A large number of animal and clinical studies of TCM treatment of DPN have shown that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is an important target for TCM treatment of DPN. Regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway can promote myelin sheath repair and regeneration， delay the process of nerve cell death， and play a role in preventing and treating DPN. However， there is currently no systematic review and summary of this field in China and abroad. Therefore， this article summarized the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and its role in the pathogenesis of DPN， as well as the intervention of effective components of single Chinese medicine or compounds on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. This study is expected to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of DPN with TCM， basic research， and drug development.

BACKGROUNDA large amount of biomechanical and clinical evidence from previous studies suggest the efficiency of the two different posterior lumber non-fusion methods, interspinous distraction device (ISDD) and facet screw fixation system (FSS), but the biomechanical comparison of ISDD and FSS has not been thoroughly clarified.

METHODSIn the current study, finite element methods were used to investigate the biomechanical comparison of ISDD and FSS. The range of motion (ROM), intradiscal pressure (IDP) and the protective effects gained by maintaining disc heights were evaluated.

RESULTSThe ROM was similar between the two non-fusion methods under static standing, flexion and lateral bending. The FSS appeared to be more effective in resisting extension. At the implanted level L3/4, FSS displayed better results for maintaining and increasing posterior disc heights. At the L4/5 level in extension and lateral bending, FSS was better than ISDD, with comparable results observed in other motions. Comparing the posterior and lateral disc heights, FSS appeared to be more effective than ISDD. FSS also had a minor effect on the inferior adjacent segment than ISDD. FSS was more effective in reducing IDP than ISDD in extension.

CONCLUSIONThrough the finite element analysis study, it can be seen that FSS demonstrates more beneficial biomechanical outcomes than does ISDD, such as being more effective in resisting extension, maintaining and increasing lumbar disc heights and reducing the inferior adjacent IDP in extension.

Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery

Hepatic cholesterol accumulation is an important contributor to hypercholesterolemia, which results in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) is a key lipogenic enzyme that converts cytosolic citrate derived from tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) to acetyl-CoA in the cytoplasm. Therefore, ACLY represents a link between mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation and cytosolic de novo lipogenesis. In this study, we developed the small molecule 326E with an enedioic acid structural moiety as a novel ACLY inhibitor, and its CoA-conjugated form 326E-CoA inhibited ACLY activity with an IC₅₀ = 5.31 ± 1.2 μmol/L in vitro. 326E treatment reduced de novo lipogenesis, and increased cholesterol efflux in vitro and in vivo. 326E was rapidly absorbed after oral administration, exhibited a higher blood exposure than that of the approved ACLY inhibitor bempedoic acid (BA) used for hypercholesterolemia. Chronic 326E treatment in hamsters and rhesus monkeys resulted in remarkable improvement of hyperlipidemia. Once daily oral administration of 326E for 24 weeks prevented the occurrence of atherosclerosis in ApoE^-/- mice to a greater extent than that of BA treatment. Taken together, our data suggest that inhibition of ACLY by 326E represents a promising strategy for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

The protection of language function is one of the major challenges of brain surgery. Over the past century, neurosurgeons have attempted to seek the optimal strategy for the preoperative and intraoperative identification of language-related brain regions. Neurosurgeons have investigated the neural mechanism of language, developed neurolinguistics theory, and provided unique evidence to further understand the neural basis of language functions by using intraoperative cortical and subcortical electrical stimulation. With the emergence of modern neuroscience techniques and dramatic advances in language models over the last 25 years, novel language mapping methods have been applied in the neurosurgical practice to help neurosurgeons protect the brain and reduce morbidity. The rapid advancements in brain-computer interface have provided the perfect platform for the combination of neurosurgery and neurolinguistics. In this review, the history of neurolinguistics models, advancements in modern technology, role of neurosurgery in language mapping, and modern language mapping methods (including noninvasive neuroimaging techniques and invasive cortical electroencephalogram) are presented.
Brain Mapping ; Brain Neoplasms ; Humans ; Language ; Neurosurgery ; Neurosurgical Procedures