Objective To investigate the effect of active muscle response on mechanical responses and injuries of human neck under high Gx loading.Methods A refined finite element model of the head and neck with active muscle response was established and validated based on the existing post-crash volunteer experiments.The effects of active muscle action on the kinematic and biomechanical responses of the neck were investigated under different G-value loads and at each tilting angle using this model.Results The stress distribution of vertebrae under high Gx load was dispersed from C4-7 to the whole vertebrae,and the active muscle action reduced the stress change,and the effect was significant under 8 G acceleration,which reduced the peak vertebral bone stress by 23.6％and 11.6％,and the peak intervertebral disc stress by 42.3％and 63.4％under 8 G and 10 G conditions,respectively.The maximum stress difference of 34.3 MPa was achieved by the active muscle action at 15° backward tilting.Conclusions The neck showed better stability by the active muscle action under the impact of high Gx loading.At different tilting angles,the active muscle action was more obvious in the backward tilting posture compared with the forward tilting and upright seated postures,and the backward tilting posture was safer to meet the impact when the same active muscle action was applied.The results can provide a reference for the subsequent studies related to the neck injury.

Objective:To establish a method for evaluating the material attributes and skeletal performance of 2208 hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC),to clarify the influence of different material attributes on the skeletal per-formance of HPMC,to compare the differences between the products of different manufacturers,and to analyze the factors affecting the process.Methods:In this study,the material attributes such as powder chemical properties,viscosity,gelation temperature,thermodynamic properties,weight-average molecular weight,methoxy and hydroxypropoxy contents of different manufacturers were firstly investigated.Then,the water absorption,swelling,and dissolution properties of HPMC blank skeleton tablets were determined using the weighing method.Finally,Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and Orthogonal Partial Least-Squares Discrimination Analysis(OPLS-DA)were used to systematically evaluate the material attributes and skeleton performance of HPMC.The systematic evaluation of each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC was carried out to elucidate the intrinsic relationship between each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC.Results:The results showed that there were obvious differences in the material attributes of HPMC from different manufacturers,such as the proper-ties of powder,viscosity,and weight-average molecular weight,and that there were differences in the corrosion performance,water absorption,and swelling performance of the skeleton tablets prepared from different manufactur-ers,with the most obvious differences between K4Mand K100M.The results of the PCA and OPLS-DA analyses indicated that these 19 variables showed some correlation with each other.Both mathematical models showed better differentiation and classification effects on HPMC samples,and the OPLS-DA model had better classification effects than the PCA model.Conclusion:Based on the PCA and OPLS-DA models,this study conducted systematical research on HPMC,clarified the degree of influence of different material attributes on the skeletal performance of HPMC,and suggested the addition of HPMC particle size and size distribution,and weight-average molecular weight as the quality standards,which provide a basis for the quality control of the related excipients,the screening of formulation prescriptions,and the improvement of performance.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in the regulation of neuronal activity and expression of synapse-related proteins in the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) of insomnia rats treated by acupuncture. METHODS: A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of clean grade were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, an acupuncture group, and an acupuncture+antagonist group, with 9 rats in each group. The model group, the acupuncture group, and the acupuncture+antagonist group were treated with intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) to establish insomnia model. After successful modeling, the acupuncture group and the acupuncture+antagonist group received acupuncture at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) once daily for 5 consecutive days. Thirty min before each acupuncture session, the acupuncture+antagonist group was intraperitoneally injected with methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA), an α7-nAChR antagonist, at a dosage of 5 mg/kg while the acupuncture group received the same volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The rats' daytime spontaneous activity was observed. Neuronal discharge in the TRN was detected using neuroelectrophysiological methods. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect parvalbumin-positive (PV⁺) neurons and co-expression of PV⁺ and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) in the TRN. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the model group showed increased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); decreased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.01), prolonged inter-discharge intervals (P<0.01) in the TRN; reduced number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the acupuncture group showed decreased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); increased average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); increased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.01), shortened inter-discharge intervals (P<0.01) in the TRN; increased number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.05). Compared with the acupuncture group, the acupuncture+antagonist group exhibited increased daytime spontaneous activity (P<0.01); reduced average fluorescence intensity and positive number of PV⁺ neurons in the TRN (P<0.01); decreased neuronal discharge frequency (P<0.05), prolonged inter-discharge intervals (P<0.05) in the TRN; reduced number of PV⁺/PSD-95 double-positive cells in the TRN (P<0.01). CONCLUSION α7-nAChR are involved in mediating the regulatory effect of acupuncture on circadian rhythm disturbances in PCPA-induced insomnia rats. Blocking α7-nAChR attenuates the activating effect of acupuncture on TRN neurons, and reduces the expression of PSD-95 protein on GABAergic neurons.
Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Humans ; Thalamic Nuclei/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein

Objective:To establish a method for evaluating the material attributes and skeletal performance of 2208 hydroxypropyl methylcellulose(HPMC),to clarify the influence of different material attributes on the skeletal per-formance of HPMC,to compare the differences between the products of different manufacturers,and to analyze the factors affecting the process.Methods:In this study,the material attributes such as powder chemical properties,viscosity,gelation temperature,thermodynamic properties,weight-average molecular weight,methoxy and hydroxypropoxy contents of different manufacturers were firstly investigated.Then,the water absorption,swelling,and dissolution properties of HPMC blank skeleton tablets were determined using the weighing method.Finally,Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and Orthogonal Partial Least-Squares Discrimination Analysis(OPLS-DA)were used to systematically evaluate the material attributes and skeleton performance of HPMC.The systematic evaluation of each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC was carried out to elucidate the intrinsic relationship between each material attribute and skeleton performance of HPMC.Results:The results showed that there were obvious differences in the material attributes of HPMC from different manufacturers,such as the proper-ties of powder,viscosity,and weight-average molecular weight,and that there were differences in the corrosion performance,water absorption,and swelling performance of the skeleton tablets prepared from different manufactur-ers,with the most obvious differences between K4Mand K100M.The results of the PCA and OPLS-DA analyses indicated that these 19 variables showed some correlation with each other.Both mathematical models showed better differentiation and classification effects on HPMC samples,and the OPLS-DA model had better classification effects than the PCA model.Conclusion:Based on the PCA and OPLS-DA models,this study conducted systematical research on HPMC,clarified the degree of influence of different material attributes on the skeletal performance of HPMC,and suggested the addition of HPMC particle size and size distribution,and weight-average molecular weight as the quality standards,which provide a basis for the quality control of the related excipients,the screening of formulation prescriptions,and the improvement of performance.

Objective To investigate the effect of active muscle response on mechanical responses and injuries of human neck under high Gx loading.Methods A refined finite element model of the head and neck with active muscle response was established and validated based on the existing post-crash volunteer experiments.The effects of active muscle action on the kinematic and biomechanical responses of the neck were investigated under different G-value loads and at each tilting angle using this model.Results The stress distribution of vertebrae under high Gx load was dispersed from C4-7 to the whole vertebrae,and the active muscle action reduced the stress change,and the effect was significant under 8 G acceleration,which reduced the peak vertebral bone stress by 23.6％and 11.6％,and the peak intervertebral disc stress by 42.3％and 63.4％under 8 G and 10 G conditions,respectively.The maximum stress difference of 34.3 MPa was achieved by the active muscle action at 15° backward tilting.Conclusions The neck showed better stability by the active muscle action under the impact of high Gx loading.At different tilting angles,the active muscle action was more obvious in the backward tilting posture compared with the forward tilting and upright seated postures,and the backward tilting posture was safer to meet the impact when the same active muscle action was applied.The results can provide a reference for the subsequent studies related to the neck injury.

Objective Due to the increasing number but unknown quality of the existing systematic reviews meta-analyses(SRs/MAs)of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue(CRF),this overview aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize these SRs/MAs.Methods SRs/MAs were searched via 8 databases from inception to February 22,2022.AMSTAR 2,PRISMA and GRADE evaluation tools were used to evaluate the quality of reports,methodologies and evidence included in MAs/SRs.All analyses were performed with radar plots.Results 16 SRs/MAs were included.The main outcome index was the degree of fatigue.The results of 12 articles showed that acupuncture could effectively alleviate CRF.According to AMSTAR-2,4 SRs/MAs were considered being of high quality,10 medium quality and 2 low quality.There are 12 articles with PRISMA score of 16-24 and 4 articles with PRISMA score of 15-20.5,which mainly have defects in protocol registration and inter study bias.Amstar 2 evaluation includes 4 high-quality studies,studies.Grade rating shows that the evidence quality of acupuncture treatment of CRF is mostly medium,and the main factor of degradation is inaccuracy.Conclusions At present,the SRS/MAS report of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of CRF is complete,and the quality of methodology and evidence is medium.It is suggested that SRS/MAS improve the program registration and funding source description in the future to enhance the assessment of the risk of inter study bias.

Objective To establish a valid human head-neck model and ballistic helmet model, and analyze biomechanical responses of the cervical spine under bullet impacts on ballistic helmet with different weights. Methods A uniformly distributed weight of 2 kg was applied on the helmet (1.24 kg), and bullet impacts from frontal, lateral and crown directions at the speed of 450 m/s were considered to obtain the mechanical response of human vertebrae. Results The stress of the cervical spine was significantly higher than that of the skull under bullet impacts, and the stress of C3 segment was the largest, indicating that the cervical spine was more vulnerable than the head during bullet impacts under the protection of ballistic helmet. When the weight of helmet attachment was not considered, the maximum stress of the cervical spine under lateral impact was 2.58% higher than that under frontal and crown impacts. The frontal impact led to the greatest damage to the head, with an increase of 59.4% in head stress. When the weight of helmet attachment was considered, a lager helmet weight would cause a more serious spine injure. When the helmet weight was increased from 1.24 kg to 3.24 kg, the crown impact led to the greatest damage to the cervical spine, with an increase of 12.98% in cervical stress compared with impacts from other directions. Conclusions Lightweight should be considered in the design of ballistic helmet, and the research findings provide scientific references for the design of ballistic helmet.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of portal venous thrombolysis by way of TIPS.Methods The clinical data of 40 patients with portal venous system thrombosis treated by TIPS at our department from May 2012 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 34 cases of via catheterdirected thrombolysis(7 cases by catheter-directed thrombolysis alone and 27 cases by way of TIPS before catheter-directed thrombolysis),and 6 cases via pharmaco mechanical thrombectomy (AngioJet);the postoperative complications of the two methods were followed up.Results The portal vein was opened in all 40 patients,and there were no major complications during the operation.One patient in the catheter-directed thrombolysis group developed acute liver failure after surgery.In the mechanical thrombolysis group,1 patient was discharged after small intestinal necrosis resection and intestinal fistula reconstruction.After 6-24 months of postoperative follow-up,6 patients in the group of thrombolysis suffered from shunt canal stricture.Conclusions It is a safe and minimally invasive method to treat portal venous system thrombosis through TIPS.Mechanical thrombolysis is more direct and rapid than catheter thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for content determination of schizantherin E,gomisin J,angeloylgomisin H,schisantherin A,schisantherin B,schisanhenol,anwuligan,schizandrin A,schizandrin B and schizandrin C in Wuzhi tablets.METHODS:RP-HPLC method was adopted.The determination was performed on Symmetry C18 column with acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid solution (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelength was set 225 rm,and the column temperature was 30 ℃.The sample size was 10 μL.RESULTS:The linear ranges of schizantherin E,gomisin J,angeloylgomisin H,schisantherin A,schisantherin B,schisanhenol,anwuligan,schizandrin A,schizandrin B and schizandrin C were 2.25-67.5ng(r=0.999 6),2.1-63 ng(r=0.999 8),28-840 ng(r=0.999 9),124.6-3 738 ng(r=0.999 9),22.7-681 ng(r=0.999 9),32.7-981 ng(r=0.999 9),47-1 410 ng(r=0.999 9),208-6 240 ng(r=0.999 9),5.36-160.8 rig(r=0.999 9),4.48-134.4 ng(r=0.999 8).The limits of quantitation were 14.17,13.32,9.33,11.37,14.62,19.88,14.66,12.50,16.40,13.55 rg.The limits of detection were 4.62,4.60,3.08,3.76,4.81,6.74,4.93,4.16,5.86,5.03 ng.RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were less than 3.0％;the recoveries were 96.36％-100.00％(RSD=1.83％,n=6),95.00％-100.00％(RSD=2.07％,n=6),95.00％-98.00％(RSD=1.22％,n=6),95.37％-98.91％ (RSD=1.29％,n=6),95.62 ％-103.71％ (RSD=2.85％,n=6),97.33％-102.67％ (RSD=2.00％,n=6),95.00％-99.33％ (RSD=1.75％,n=6),97.24％-104.93％ (RSD=2.63％,n=6),95.00％-97.50％ (RSD=1.42％,n=6),96.00％-102.00％ (RSD=2.45％,n=6),respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The developed method is accurate,sensitive and reproducible,and it can be used for content determination of 10 lignanoids in Wuzhi tablets.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the advantage of Gukangling Decoction (GKLD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, combined with technetium [(99)Tc] methylene diphosphonate injection ((99)Tc-MDP) in treating osteoporosis in rabbits. METHODS: A rabbit model of osteoporosis was established by intramuscular injection of dexamethasone (DX). Fifty-six rabbits were divided into 8 groups: Group A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. Rabbits in groups A and B were intramuscularly injected normal saline as normal control, groups C and D were untreated groups, rabbits in group E were treated by (99)-MDP, rabbits in group F were treated by aminodiphosphate, rabbits in group G were treated by GKLD, and rabbits in group H were treated by (99)-MDP and GKLD. Rabbits in groups A and C were executed to demonstrate the establishment of the rabbit model of osteoporosis at the 8th week of experiment. Rabbits in the other six groups were executed after 16-week experiment (8-week treatment), and then bone structure and cell shape were observed by electron microscope, X-ray, CT and emission computed tomography (ECT). Bone density, biomechanical parameters, the levels of bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) and bone Gla protein (BGP) were measured too. RESULTS: After 8-week of intramuscular injection of DX, the bone trabecula in group A were regular and showed normal configuration, while the bone trabecula in group C were sparse, ruptured and showed damaged form. The bone density and biomechanical parameters in group A were higher than those in group C, indicating that the rabbit model of osteoporosis was established successfully. At the 9th week of experiment, the results of cell pathology in group D showed that the bone trabeculas were sparse, ruptured, defected or had hollow section, but the bone trabeculas in group B were regular and dense. The bone trabeculas in groups H and E were restored, and were thicker than those in group D. The bone quality in groups H and E was better than group D significantly, the bone quality in group F was better than group G, and the bone quality in group G was better than group D slightly. CONCLUSION: GKLD combined with (99)-MDP had superiority in treating osteoporosis of rabbits as compared with the respective single therapy.