Objective To investigate visuospatial-visuoconstructional ability in patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods The subjects were divided into three groups:122(51 males and 71 females)in the normal control group; 205(95 males and 110 females)in the MCI group,including 133 amnestic MCI(aMCI)and 72 non-amnestic MCI(naMCI),and 75(36 males and 39 females)in the Alzheimer' s disease(AD)group.The subjects were assessed for visuospatial-visuoconstructional ability by three tests:Rey-Osterrieth Complement Fixation Test(CFT),Clock Drawing Task(CDT),and Stick Test.Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE)was also performed in all groups.SPSS 11.5 statistical software was used for statistic analysis; Chi-square test was used to analyze enumeration data; One-way analysis of variance was used in pairwise comparison between the groups,and Bonferroni and LSD methods were used for multiple comparison.Results(1)The average MMSE score in the normal control group,MCI group and AD group was 28.24 ± 1.74,27.39 ± 1.83 and 19.98 ±3.23,respectively.(2)In the normal control group,either CFT imitating score or total CDT score had no obvious correlation with age or education,while Stick Test-Rotating part(STR)was correlated with age(r =-0.179,P ＜ 0.05),but had no significant correlation with education.(3)There were correlations between CFT imitating score and total CDT score (r =0.337),CFT imitating score and STR(r =0.232),and total CDT score and STR(r =0.235).The correlations were statistically significant(P ＜ 0.01).(4)CFT imitating and total CDT showed the greatest correlation with Trail Making Test B and Stroop Color Word Test Card C time consumption,an indicator of executive function.STR had greatest correlation with Auditory Verbal Learning Test,an index of memory.There were significant differences in CFT imitating,total CDT score and STR among the normal,MCI and AD groups(P ＜ 0.01).(5)STR is a more informative test to be used in diagnosis of MCI than CFT imitating and total CDT score,as shown by comparison of these tests in three subjects groups.Conclusion Visuospatial-visuoconstructional ability impairment is one of the symptoms of MCI.In detection of MCI,the assessment of space rotating ability is better than CFT imitating and total CDT score.

Objecthe To equate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on serum albumin lewis and intestinal mucosal morphology in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods A rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage was induced by autologous blood injection. Fifty-six SD rats were divided into sham-operation group (n =8), rhGH group (n =24; intraperitoneal injection of rhGH, 1 U/kg, once a day), and saline control group (n =24; intraperitoneal injection of equivalent normal saline, once a day). The rhGH and saline control groups were redivided into 1-, 7- and 14-day groups (n =8 in each group) after the procedure. The serum albumin concentration was detected at different time points in all groups. The changes of intestinal mucosal morphology were observed with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE)staining and image analysis. Results Hie serum albumin lewis at all time points of intracerebral hemorrhage in the saline control group were all significantly lower than those in the sham-operation group (all P < 0. 01); The serum albumin level was increased gradually with the treatment process in the rhGH group, however, it was only significantly higher than the saline control group at day 14 (39.93 ±1.98 g/L νs. 37. 93 ±1.57 g/L) (P<0. 01). There were no significant differences between the rhGH group and the saline group in intestinal villus height and mucosal thickness at day 1 and 7 after intracerebral hemorrhage, however they were increased significantly at day 14 (P <0.01). The area of intestinal villi was reduced progressively at day 1, 7 and 14 after intracerebral hemorrhage, and with the treatment process the rhGH group was increased more progressively than the saline control group (P <0. 01). The depth of intestinal glands in the rhGH group was increased significantly than that in the saline control group (P <0. 01), but there was no significant difference at day 14; the density of glands in the rhGH group was significantly increased than that in the saline group at day 1 after intracerebral hemorrhage (P < 0. 01), and it was not increased significantly at day 7, however, it was not increased but decreased slightly at day 14. Conclusions The serum albumin level in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage was decreased significantly than that in the sham-operation group, and intracerebral hemorrhage could cause intestinal mucosal injury. rhGH increased the serum albumin level in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage. It might reduce intestinal mucosal injury to different degrees whether it was in the early or late intracerebral hemorrhage, and the late improvement was more significant. The improvement degree of rhGH on intestinal mucosal injury was positively correlated with the increased degrees of the serum albumin level.

Objective To explore the correlation between the serum albumin level and the jejunal mucosal morphology in rats with cerebral hemorrhage and to find out the mechanism of the resulting hypoproteinemia.Methods A rat model of cerebral hemorrhage was used to detect the serum albumin level and the morphologic parameters of jejunal mucosa on day 1,7 and 14 after the hemorrhage.The results were compared to the normal control group and the sham-operated group. The correlation between the serum albumin level and the parameters of the jejunal mucosal morphology was explored.Results The serum albumin level was positively correlated with the small intestinal villous height(r =0.869,P＜0.01),villous area(r=0.659,P＜0.01),mucosal thickness (r=0.915,P＜0.01),depth of intestinal glands(r=0.545,P＜0.05)and density of intestinal glands(r=0.475,P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum albumin level is closely related to the morphologic changes of the jejunal mucosa.

A dynamics model of human lower extremity, which combines musculotendon dynamics and muscle excitation-contraction dynamics, is presented. With this model, a motion process of normal gait during swing phase is numerically analyzed by use of the optimal control theory. The model was verified using experimental kinematics, muscles activation, and electromyographic data. The result showed that the tri-phasic activation pattern and synergistic muscles displayed during a normal gait in swing phase. The pattern consists of three distinct phases, i. e., acceleration during moving initiation, braking the moving segment, and posture control at the final specified position.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Computer Simulation ; Electromyography ; Gait ; physiology ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Lower Extremity ; physiology ; Models, Biological ; Muscle, Skeletal ; physiology ; Tendons ; physiology

Ligaments are the main parts which stabilize the knee joint. How to analog the ligaments in biomechanical model will affect the characteristics of the human knee dynamics and in the computation of the stress in ligaments between two bones. This symposium is aimed at the survey of the simplified method of the ligaments via mechanical parameters, and providing an exact method of constructing model.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Ligaments, Articular ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Models, Anatomic ; Models, Biological

Evaluation of human gait function is of great significance in clinical medicine and rehabilitation engineering. A quantitative gait evaluation method using principal component analysis was proposed. The evaluation steps included that a series of characteristic index was performed by the gait parameters with a gait detection, and the index was normalized, quantified and summarized by principal component analysis. Then the evaluation results were shown in formulation, figures and tables. The examples showed that this system could evaluate the recovery of the gait by treatment.
Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Gait ; physiology ; Humans ; Principal Component Analysis

Objective: To explore the main characteristics of syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in post-stroke depression (PSD) and to provide basis for treatments with TCM herbs. Methods: According to diagnostic criteria of PSD, stroke patients and depression patients from Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were assigned into cerebral stroke group (150 cases), depression group (151 cases) and PSD group (123 cases). Neuropsychological assessments and imaging and biochemical analyses were conducted. TCM syndrome differentiation for these diseases was performed. We also determined the characteristics of TCM syndromes of PSD, relative risk of the syndromes and their correlations with ages as well. Results: Scores of qi stagnation and blood stasis, liver qi depression, and transformation of fire due to qi stagnation in PSD group were significant higher than those in cerebral stroke group (P<0.05, P<0.01). In cerebral stroke group, majority of the patients displayed one syndrome, while in PSD and depression groups, the patients had three or more syndromes. Of these syndromes, the incidence rate of syndrome of liver qi depression complicated with transformation of fire due to qi stagnation or flaring of fire due to yin deficiency was high. The syndrome of liver qi depression occurred much more frequently in PSD group and depression group than in cerebral stroke group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The logistic regression analysis showed that the syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis had high relative risk to PSD. The syndrome of deficiency of heart and spleen was positively correlated with age in cerebral stroke group. Conclusion: The main TCM syndromes of PSD and depression are qi stagnation and blood stasis, liver qi depression, and transformation of fire due to qi stagnation. The syndrome of deficiency of heart and spleen is closely related to age among the stroke patients. The syndrome of qi stagnation and blood stasis serves as an independent risk factor for PSD. The more complicated the syndromes are, the more serious depression becomes.

In order to discuss the evaluation method of human upper limb movements, the patterns of movement coordination during healthy people prehension have been researched. Eight subjects were asked to perform different reaching-grasping and drinking water from the cup tasks with different indices of difficulty, and the arm movement trajectories and the main muscles group electromyography (EMG) data were collected. To explore the prehension control mechanism, a comparison has been made between the solution of the theoretic calculation and the experimental data. The results show that the topological invariance was observed in the trajectories of different task performance, and the linear relationships between joints covariation were exhibited. Moreover, the different muscles were controlled and combined into units of synergistic muscular group necessary to reach and grasp the goal.
Adult ; Electromyography ; Hand ; physiology ; Hand Strength ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Range of Motion, Articular ; physiology ; Upper Extremity ; physiology

Background: Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy to cure diseases by fumigating meridians or affected parts via burning of moxa floss.Moxa smoke(MS)is one of the key factors in moxibustion.In this study,we adopted digital gene expression profiling,a next-generation gene sequencing technology,to investigate the effect of MS,inhalable particulate matter(PM10),on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells.Methods: The effects of MS PM10 on A549 cells,over different treatment durations were investigated in different groups: the 4-h group(4-h MS group and 4-h control group)and the 20-h group(20-h MS group and 20-h control group).Samples collected from the four groups were stored at-80.C for sub-sequent digital gene expression analysis.The differentially expressed genes(DEGs),identified after PM10 treatment,were screened,and their expression patterns analyzed by cluster analysis,Gene Ontology term enrichment,and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis.Results: Compared with two control groups,1109 DEGs were identified after 4 h of MS intervention and 3565 DEGs were found after 20 h of MS intervention,respectively.Compared with that after 4-h intervention,2149 DEGs were identified after 20-h intervention.Cluster analysis demonstrated that PM10 can significantly inhibit cell cycle process with the prolongation of intervention time.Significant pathway enrichment analysis showed that MS PM10 can inhibit A549 cell cycle process at all phases.When MS PM10 exposure time prolongs,the inhibitory effect on cell cycle process becomes more obvious.Conclusion: MS PM10 has many biological activities,and may cause differential expression of genes involved in various biological processes.Nevertheless,further research on MS is warranted for better understanding of the mechanistic details.

The in vivo assembly of ribosomal subunits is a highly complex process, with a tight coordination between protein assembly and rRNA maturation events, such as folding and processing of rRNA precursors, as well as modifications of selected bases. In the cell, a large number of factors are required to ensure the efficiency and fidelity of subunit production. Here we characterize the immature 30S subunits accumulated in a factor-null Escherichia coli strain (∆rsgA∆rbfA). The immature 30S subunits isolated with varying salt concentrations in the buffer system show interesting differences on both protein composition and structure. Specifically, intermediates derived under the two contrasting salt conditions (high and low) likely reflect two distinctive assembly stages, the relatively early and late stages of the 3' domain assembly, respectively. Detailed structural analysis demonstrates a mechanistic coupling between the maturation of the 5' end of the 17S rRNA and the assembly of the 30S head domain, and attributes a unique role of S5 in coordinating these two events. Furthermore, our structural results likely reveal the location of the unprocessed terminal sequences of the 17S rRNA, and suggest that the maturation events of the 17S rRNA could be employed as quality control mechanisms on subunit production and protein translation.
Cryoelectron Microscopy ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; GTP Phosphohydrolases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mass Spectrometry ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; RNA, Ribosomal ; analysis ; metabolism ; Ribosomal Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ribosome Subunits, Small, Bacterial ; chemistry ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Salts ; chemistry