Objective To investigate the natural history of mild adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in a period of 15 years and search for the risk factors of progress as well as to recommend the modification program of school screening for scoliosis. Methods From a group of 204 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were detected from school screening for scoliosis among 20 418 school children in Beijing from May 1985 to January 1986, 90 of the patients were reevaluated 15 years later. The follow-up items of the therapeutic history, physical examination and standing spinal X-ray films were carried out. The late data were compared statistically with the original data at the time of school screening. The final results were divided into four groups: 1)Resolved group with a current curve less than 10 degrees; 2)Reduced group with a current curve more than 10 degrees but reducing less than 5 degrees regarding to the original status; 3)Unchanged group with a current curve more than 10 degrees while progressing less than 5 degrees compared to the original data; 4)Progressed group with a current curve was more than 10 degrees and aggravating more than 5 degrees than the original curve. Results Of 204 patients, 111 patients were followed up, and X-ray films were taken in 90. The follow-up results suggested that 29 cases showed resolved(32.2%), 21 cases reduced (23.3%), 30 cases unchanged (33.3%) and 10 cases progressed (11.1%). In 10 cases of progressed group, there were 8 females and 2 males, furthermore, 6 patients were found with the cobbs angle of curve between 10 and 19 degrees and 4 patient with the cobbs angle of curve more than 20 degrees when school screening. The curve pattern of the 10 progressed patients consisted of double thoracic curves in 2, double thoracic and lumbar curves in 2, right thoracic curve in 3, thoraco-lumbar curve in 2 and lumbar curve in 1. Conclusion Most of cases with less than 20 degrees curve are of no progress. The high risks of progress are as followed: curve more than 20 degrees, female, double thoracic curve, double thoracolumbar curve, right thoracic scoliosis and top vertebral rotation more than grade Ⅱ. The school screening for scoliosis should be carried out by school medical team who were trained by orthopaedists. The specialists should reexamine the suspected children and monitor the patients with high risk of progress.

Brain diseases and brain activities are always accompanied by the conductivity changes of the head tissues.Electrical impedance imaging (EIT) is used in diagnosing brain diseases and monitoring brain functional activities.The basic concept of non-invasive electrical impedance imaging on human head and its aplication potential are introduced in this paper.Several EIT techniques based on magnetic field measurement are introduced.The existing problems and foreground of the related research are also discussed.

Objective To investigate the effect of fibrin sealant cefazoline sodium implant on prevention and treatment of orthopaedic infection. Methods The fibrin sealant antibiotic implant was made by 10 ml (100 mg/ml) profibrin (Human) mixed with 2.0 g cefazoline sodium, after which 5 ml (200 PE/ml) prothrombin complex concentrate (Human) was added. A total of 24 female New Zealand white rabbits were recruited in the study and divided into three groups, ie, Group A that was implanted with the fibrin sealant antibiotic implant, Group B that was implanted with antibiotic and Group C that was as control. The model of bone infection was made by injecting 0.2 ml(1?10~6 CFU/ml) staphylococcus aureus into the bone hole in tibia of two legs. The histologic and radiologic bone changes were evaluated 2, 4 and 8 weeks after therapy. And in vitro release test was performed. Results There was not evidence of osteomyelitis in Group A, but the osteomyelitis was observed in Groups B and C. Concentration of cefazoline sodium about (1 043.94?0.20) ?g per piece was released from fibrin sealant cefazoline sodium implant within the first 24 hours by in vitro diffusion test but felt to (7.21?0.02) ?g per piece at the 35th day. Conclusion The fibrin sealant cefazoline sodium implant is simple to make and effective in preventing and treating orthopaedic infection as well as in improving repair of the bone defects.

Meshless methods are recently developed numerical methods which require only node informa- tion. This paper introduces the basic principles and history of meshless methods, the principles and implementation of the moving least square method taking Galerkin method as an example. Finite points mixed method (FPMM) and its application in solving electrocardiogram(ECG) forward problem is also introduced. Foreground and problems need to be solved concerning the application of meshless methods in the study of ECG forward problem are discussed.

BACKGROUND: The study of isolation, purification, culture, cell labeling, inducing factors, effects of gene transfection on cytobiology, cell carrier construction, and time window for back transplantation of cell compound pertaining to marrow stromal cells (MSCs) is still in its infancy. OBJECTIVE: To search for an in vitro culture method that can be simply and effectively obtained. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The present cytological in vitro experiment was performed at the Beijing Institute of Genome, Chinese Academy of Sciences between June 2006 and July 2007. MATERIALS: Eight specific pathogen-free New Zealand rabbits, aged 6 weeks, were provided by the Laboratory Animal Center, Institute of Genetics and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences. METHODS: Under sterile condition, 1 mL rabbit bone marrow was taken and diluted with D-Hanks solution. Following centrifugation and subsequent supernatant removal, bone marrow was re-suspended using dulbecco's modified eagle's medium (DMEM) for single cell suspension. Next, single cell suspension was dropped onto the liquid surface of equal-volume lymphocyte separation medium (density: 1.077). Subsequent to centrifugation, cloudlike mononuclear cell layer was collected and re-suspended with DMEM containing 20% fetal bovine serum. The cells were inoculated at lxl0/cm2 and purified by adherent method. When 70%-80% of flask bottom was covered, cell digestion and passage was performed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell growth was observed with an operating microscope. Surviving cells were counted by Trypan blue viability test. Cell identification was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Through the use of 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, cell viability was detected to observe the cellular resuscitation of the cultured cells following cryopreservation. RESULTS: Twenty-four hours after inoculation, cells began to adhere to the wall, exhibiting short shuttle- or triangle-shaped appearance with different sizes of cellular processes. Three days later, adherent cells began to divide, and cell clusters could be found in some areas; One week later, most of cells exhibited scattered fibroblast-like growth; After passage, cells were evenly distributed with long shuttle-shaped appearance and arranged orderly. Following 3 passages, there wound be 5×106-1×107 adherent cells in 1 mL MSC suspension. Approximately 90% of MSCs survived and identified as mononuclear cells. Cells vigorously grew at days 1-6 after inoculation and reached a peak level at day 8, followed by a viability decline. After 56 days of resuscitation, frozen cells displayed a good and rapid growth. CONCLUSION: Highly purified MSCs can be acquired by gradient centrifugation of lymphocyte separation medium. Enough seeded cells can be obtained by in vitro culture and the cellular viability does not change after frozen preservation and resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: SOX-9 plays an important role in occurrence and development of cartilaginous tissues,enhances agglutination of mesenchymal cells,has structural domains of transcriptional activation,and can directly regulate the transcription,OBJECTIVE: To construct pDC316-SOX-9 plasmid for transfection of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) using SOX-9 gene,and to investigate the effects of SOX-9 gene on growth characteristics of BMSCs and product expression. DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING: The cell gene engineering in vitro experiment was performe,d at the Beijing Institute of Genome, Chinese Academy of Scienees from June 2006 to January 2007.MATERIALS: Eight SPF New Zealand rabbits aged 6 weeks were used for culture of BMSCs.METHODS: pDC316-SOX-9 plasmid was used for transfection of rabbit BMSCs by liposome mediated method,Cell transfection included a SOX-9 plasmid transfection group,a blank plasmid group and a blank control group (only treatment of liposome). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cell morphology; growth activity; The SOX-9 protein expression in rabbit BMSCs were detected by immunohistochemistry,hematoxylin-eosin staining,reserve transcriptase-polymcrase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Some cell colonies were detected at 4 days after pDC316-SOX-9 plasmid transfection.Spindle-shaped cells were collected after clone amplification.Cells in the blank control group gradually died over time.Cell activities in the SOX-9 plasmid transfeetion group and the blank plasmid group significantly prolonged,reached a peak at 2 weeks of transfection,and then gradually decreased.At 6 days,BMSCs were yellow in the SOX-9 plasmid transfection group following immunohistochemistry,expressing SOX-9 protein.Hematoxyliu-eosin staining showed many dikaryocytes,rich cell proliferation,similar to chondroblasts.No SOX-9 protein expression and unproductive cell proliferation in the blank plasmid group.SOX-9 mRNA was detected in the SOX-9 plasmid transfection group,but SOX-9 mRNA was not detected in the blank plasmid group and blank control group.SOX-9 levels were significantly higher in the SOX-9 plasmid transfection group than in the blank plasmid group and blank control group at 24,48 and 72 hours,1,2 weeks (P＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Rabbit BMSCs were successfully transfected with pDC316-SOX-9 plasmid to enhance cell growth activity and to persistently stably secrete SOX-9 protein,resulting in the differentiation of BMSCs into cartilages.

12 cases of severe pulmonary infection were treated with ceftizoxime, one of cepha-losporins of the third generation. Clinical observation and pharmacokinetics were carried out. The result showed that intravenous infusion was the best route of drug administration. It had the advantages of high serum concentration and prolonged maintenance of serum level. 1 gram of ceftizoxi-me, two times a day, was enough for most pathogens except Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteocalcin (OC) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) are involved in bone metabolism, which is correlative with osteoporosis.OBJECTIVE: To observe expression properties of IL-6, OC and BALP in rats with osteoporosis.DESIGN: Control experiment with observation of randomized group division was designed.SETTING: Orthopedics Department of Shenzhen People's Hospital (2nd Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jinan University)MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Animal Laboratory Room and Center Laboratory Room of Shenzhen People's Hospital from January 2002 to January 2003, in which, 60 SD female rats of 6 months were employed, averagely weighted 250 g. They were randomized into 3 groups, named ovariectomized (OVT) group, control and blank group, 20 rats in each.METHODS: In OVT group, the ovaries of rat were removed bilaterally to establish osteoporosis model. In the control, after the ovary was lifted out of abdominal cavity when the abdomen was opened, it was returned back and the abdomen was closed. In blank group, no any management was performed. In 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months after surgery, 4 rats were randomized from each group for assays of bone density, OC, IL-6 and BALP.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes of bone density, OC, IL-6 and BALP of whole body of rat.assay in rats: In 4, 5 and 6 months, in OVT group, bone density was reduced remarkably compared with the control and blank group [in 4 months:(0.139 5±0.007 8), (0.147 0±0.000 8), (0.145 9±0.002 9) g/cm2; in 5 months: (0.137 9±0.000 9), (0.145 6±0.000 8), (0.144 7±0.000 5) g/cm2; in 6 months: (0.122 6±0.000 4), (0.145 0±0.002 1), (0.144 0±0.000 9) g/cm2, P sults of IL-6 assay in rats: At every time spots, IL-6 in OVT group was sults of BALP in serum of rats: In 4, 5 and 6 months, BALP in OVT group was higher significantly than the control and blank group [(2 026±4) vs (1 247±12), (1 291±7) nkat/L, (2 342±9) vs (1 273±18), (1 342±12) nkat/L,(2 633±15) vs (1 340±9), (1 357±8) nkat/L, P ＜ 0.05].CONCLUSION: In the rats with osteoporosis, bone density is decreased significantly and IL-6, OC and BALP are significantly expressed, which can be taken as the indexes for diagnosis and screen of osteoporosis.Zhang XM, Xu ZS, Xiao DM, Li R.Expression properties of interteukin-6, osteocalcin and bone alkaline phosphatase in osteoporosis rats Zhongguo Linchuang Kangfu 2005;9(43):190-2(China) [www.zglckf.com]INTRODUCTIONOsteoporosis induces complications, like bone fracture, which is associated with various factors, such as estrogen level. Osteocalcin (OC) is a kind of active multi-peptide secreted from osteoblasts,which plays the importance in regulating calcium metabolism and is a new biochemical mark in study on bone metabolism. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) provides powerful bone absorption and stimulation,which plays the important role in coupled information exchange ofbone absorption and formation. In this experiment, ovarietomy was done bilaterally in SD female rats to establish osteoporosis, afterwards, bone density, serum OC, IL-6 and bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) were determined to probe into their relationship with the incidence of osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the conditions of the extraction technique for compound Liuyuexue gran?ules.METHODS:The herbs in formulation were first extracted by ethanol percolating,then the dregs were decocted with water to be extracted once more.Taking oleanolic acid and total flavones as evaluation markers,the extraction technique in two-step process was evaluated by orthogonal design.RESULTS:The optimum condition of ethanol percolating process was that the crude herb powder was soaked by8-fold80%ethanol for24hours and the optimum condition of water decocting process was that the dregs were decocted for3times with12-fold water,1.5hour each time.CONCLUSION:The repeated experimental results are stable,and the contents of components for markers are high.The optimum conditions can be used for enlarged pro?duction.

Objective To explore labeling efficiency and appropriate conditions of Superpara magnetic iron exide nanopaticles (SPIO) nanoparticles for Bone marrow stromal cells(BMSCs). Methods BMSCs were aquired from skeletally mature dogs via iliac crest aspiration and separated by adherent cell cytopheresis.BMSCs were cultured and incubated with SPIO at different concentrations in vitro. The labeling efficiency of BMSCs with different labeling concentrations SPIO nanoparticles as well as detection of characteristics and signal attenuation rules were evaluated by MRI at 1.5T in vitro. Results BMSCs were efficiently labeled by SPIOin vitro and has no alterations to viability and proliferation profiles at this labeling concentration. BMSCs loaded with SPIO can be detected by MRI at certainly cell quantity in vitro(5 × 104). The quantity of SPIO in cells gradually reduced as cell culture time prolonged, with no statistically significant changes in cell death(P＞ 0.05). Conclusion The results demonstrated the potential application of SPIO as a wonderful cell tracer in vitro.