Objective To establish a normal lumbar spine 3-dimensional(3D) finite element model(FEM) and discuss the biomechanics of the lumbar motions. Methods A geometrical model was constructed on the basis of a healthy adult male's lumbar CT image.The lumbar spine FEM was established by finite element analysis software.After setting the boundary and loading the burden,the lumbar spine's range of motion and stress distribution in different institutions such as anterior flexion,posterior extension,left or right bending and axial rotating were recorded. Results The lumbar spine FEM included 114 953 tetrahedron units.The results of the FEM matched the results of the in vitro experiment of biomechanics. Conclusion The lumbar spine FEM can imitate the motions of the lumbar spine.

AIMTo investigate the relative bioavailability of pulmonary-delivered insulin lipid suspension (INS-LIP-SP) in normal Wistar rats.

METHODSINS-LIP-SP were prepared by two different methods and then delivered to the rat lung using an intratracheal instillation method. Blood glucose levels and INS concentrations in serum were determined by glucose oxidase method and radioimmunoassay method, respectively. The relative pharmacological bioavailability (f%) and relative bioavailability (F%) of INS-LIP-SP were calculated from the area above the curve (AAC) and the area under the curve (AUC) compared with subcutaneous injection of INS solution.

RESULTSThe mean particle diameter, span of dispersity and entrapment efficiency of INS-LIP-SP prepared by a membrane-formed with sonication method and a reversed phase evaporation method were 1.91 microns, 0.94 and 16.45% and 2.08 microns, 1.28 and 39.51%, respectively. The values of f% and F% of both INS-LIP-SP were up to 37% and 32%, separately, and there was a statistically significant difference between INS-LIP-SP and INS solution. However, there was no significant difference between the two INS-LIP-SP and the physical mixture of INS solution and blank liposomes.

CONCLUSIONThe results showed that INS-LIP-SP could achieve higher bioavailability following pulmonary delivery to rats.

Administration, Inhalation ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Liposomes ; Male ; Particle Size ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Suspensions ; Trachea ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of weather conditions and occupational hygiene on SARS outbreak.

METHOD(1) Meteorological parameters around SARS outbreaks in 2003 in 9 cities (Guangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Toronto and Hanoi) were analyzed; (2) Causes of hospital infection were also analyzed from an occupational hygiene point of view.

RESULTS(1) The amplitude of air temperature, air pressure and diurnal temperature difference were greater around SARS outbreaks in most of the cities. Higher airborne particles concentration and lower wind speed were measured prior to SARS outbreaks in the cities with the most serious epidemic situation. The ten-day mean value of air temperature before SARS outbreaks in 9 cities was 16.6 degrees C +/- 7.6 degrees C, suggesting that coronary virus infection, which has been considered to cause SARS by now, may be most active at 9 degrees C - 24 degrees C. (2) Occupational hygiene in hospital proved to be an important socio-behavior factor for SARS outbreak. All hospital infection could be attributed to defects in the key links of occupational hygiene.

CONCLUSIONSGreater fluctuations of air temperature and higher airborne particles concentration in winter and spring, as well as poor occupational hygiene conditions are significant promoters of SARS outbreak. Warning of atmospheric conditions favorable to SARS, and improvement in occupational hygiene management is the key to prevention from SARS outbreak.

Attitude to Health ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Disease Outbreaks ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Meteorological Concepts ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; transmission

Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney ; chemistry ; pathology ; surgery ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Kidney Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Nephrectomy

Biometry ; Clinical Protocols ; Cryoultramicrotomy ; methods ; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures ; Frozen Sections ; utilization ; Humans ; Orthopedics ; methods

Antigens, Surface ; blood ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Racemases and Epimerases ; analysis

ObjectiveTo investigate whether the eight- year program students retain the skills from the endoscopy simulator gastroscopy training.Methods4 trainees accepted virtual reality simulator gastroscopy training and performed a standardized VR gastroscopy scenario at the end of training,and after a median 12 months without practice ( retention ).The intensified training was done by trainees based on the differences between the training end and the retention for a median 12 months and the number of intensified training times was found.ResultsThe significant differences existed in the overinsufflation and opeirational force and time.The score at the training end was better than after retention.Through the average 5.5 times intensified trainings the original levels could be reached.ConclusionThrough Endoscopy Simulator the key skills could be retained well and through a litde training the original levels could also be reached.

Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Skin Neoplasms ; pathology ; secondary

A new thermophilic fungus J18 isolated from the soil samples was identified as Paecilomyces thermophila. This strain produced effectively xylanase utilizing several lignocellulosic materials in the solid-state fermentation (SSF) , and wheat straw was the best carbon source. The results of single-factor-experiment showed that the wheat straw of particle size 0. 3 mm ~ 0.45 mm, initial moisture content of 83% , initial pH of 7. 0 and cultivation temperature of 50℃were the optimal conditions for xylanase production. Under the optimized conditions, it produced 18 580 U/g dry substrate after 8 days of cultivation. Therefore, xylanase production by Paecilomyces thermophila in SSF possess great potential for commercial applications.

The skin ulceration syndrome of sea cucumber is a kind of desease induced by bacterium.In order to investigate the bacterium of infected sea cucumber and detect the N-acyl-homoserine lactones(AHLs) se-cretion of the bacterium,7 bacterial strains were isolated from the infected sea cucumber.These strains were identified by physiological-biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence.Results show that strain C6 belongs to Tenacibaculum,strain 4 belongs to Shewanella putrefaciens group,strain TB belongs to Vibrio,strain BP2,BP3,BP4 and BP6 belong to Pseudoalteromonas,respectively.AHLs were detected with strain Agrobacterium tumefaciens KYC55.Among these bacterial strains,strain C6,4,TB,BP3 and BP4 can se-cret AHLs,while strain BP2 and BP6 can’t.And the AHLs activity differs,from the highest to the lowest are 4,TB,BP4,BP3 and C6.