PURPOSE: This study examined the most effective exercise while performing shoulder abduction below ninety degrees. METHODS: Thirty two healthy individuals (17 males, 15 females) participated and performed four exercises, 1) Posterior fly, 2) Prone row, 3) Modified prone cobra, and 4) External rotation in the prone position. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure the electrical activities for the lower, middle and upper fiber of trapezius and serratus anterior. RESULTS: A significant difference in the muscle activities of the upper/middle/lower trapezius and serratus anterior was observed among the three different positions in terms of the PF (posterior fly), PR (prone row), and MPC (modified prone cobra) (p<0.05). In post-hoc analysis, the activities of the lower and upper trapezius were significantly higher than those of the upper trapezius and serratus anterior (p<0.05). In addition, in ERP (external rotation in prone), there was a significant difference in each activity of the muscles. Post-hoc results indicated that the upper trapezius showed greater EMG activity than the other three muscles. CONCLUSION: External rotation in the prone position revealed the highest activation of the lower trapezius compared to upper trapezius muscle activity. This may be particularly useful in isolating the lower trapezius in cases where excessive scapular elevation is noted. Therefore, the most effective lower trapezius exercise should be performed below ninety degrees of shoulder abduction.
Adult ; Diptera ; Elapidae ; Electromyography ; Exercise ; Humans ; Male ; Muscles ; Prone Position ; Shoulder ; Superficial Back Muscles

Neuro-osteological interactions have an important role in the regulation of bone metabolism and regeneration. Neuropeptides combined with porous biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP) using protein adsorption may contribute to the acceleration of bone formation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of BCP combined with nerve growth factor (NGF) on the growth of osteoblasts in vitro and the combinational therapeutic effect on the repair of calvarial defects in vivo. NGF was separated and purified from Chinese cobra venom using a simplified three-step chromatography method. BCP combined with NGF exerted a potent effect on osteoblast differentiation, as evidenced by enhanced cell proliferation, increased ALP activity and the up-regulated expression of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins. Further, combinational therapy with BCP and NGF improved calvarial regeneration, which was superior to treatment with therapy alone, as observed using imageological and morphological examination and histological and immunohistochemical staining. The results confirmed the effect of neuro-osteological interactions through combinatorial treatment with NGF and BCP to promote osteogenesis and bone formation, which may provide an effective and economical strategy for clinical application.
Acceleration ; Adsorption ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cell Proliferation ; Ceramics* ; Chromatography ; Cobra Venoms ; Elapidae* ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Metabolism ; Methods ; Nerve Growth Factor* ; Neuropeptides ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Regeneration ; Therapeutic Uses*

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a simple screening tool to assess hearing loss in newborns. A derived score was compared with the standard clinical practice tool. METHODS: This cohort study was designed to screen the hearing of newborns using transiently evoked otoacoustic emission and auditory brain stem response, and to determine the risk factors associated with hearing loss of newborns in 3 tertiary hospitals in Northern Thailand. Data were prospectively collected from November 1, 2010 to May 31, 2012. To develop the risk score, clinical-risk indicators were measured by Poisson risk regression. The regression coefficients were transformed into item scores dividing each regression-coefficient with the smallest coefficient in the model, rounding the number to its nearest integer, and adding up to a total score. RESULTS: Five clinical risk factors (Craniofacial anomaly, Ototoxicity, Birth weight, family history [Relative] of congenital sensorineural hearing loss, and Apgar score) were included in our COBRA score. The screening tool detected, by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, more than 80% of existing hearing loss. The positive-likelihood ratio of hearing loss in patients with scores of 4, 6, and 8 were 25.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.69–43.26), 58.52 (95% CI, 36.26–94.44), and 51.56 (95% CI, 33.74–78.82), respectively. This result was similar to the standard tool (The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing) of 26.72 (95% CI, 20.59–34.66). CONCLUSION: A simple screening tool of five predictors provides good prediction indices for newborn hearing loss, which may motivate parents to bring children for further appropriate testing and investigations.
Birth Weight ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Elapidae ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Joints ; Mass Screening* ; Parents ; Primary Health Care* ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thailand

BACKGROUND: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is the primary biochemical marker used to monitor patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) for residual or recurrent disease after total thyroidectomy, as only normal or well-differentiated malignant thyroid cells produce Tg. Here, we evaluated the precision and functional sensitivity (FS) of a recently developed highly sensitive Tg (hsTg) electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA) and compared it to that of the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method using pooled human serum with low levels of Tg. METHODS: For the ECLIA method, the Elecsys Tg II kit (Roche Diagnostics, Germany) was used with an E170 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics). For the RIA method, the Tg-plus-RIA kit (BRAHAMS, Germany) was used with a Cobra Quantum gamma counter (Packard Instrument Company, USA). The precision and limit of detection (LOD) were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. FS was determined using a modification of the CLSI guideline. RESULTS: The total precision of the hsTg ECLIA and RIA methods was 9.6% and 48.2%, respectively. The manufacturer-reported LOD was verified by the hsTg ECLIA (0.04 ng/mL), but not by the RIA method (>0.08 ng/mL). The hsTg ECLIA showed better FS (0.04 ng/mL at a coefficient of variation [CV] of 10%) than the RIA method (0.37 ng/mL at a CV of 20%). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the hsTg ECLIA performed better than the RIA method in terms of FS, which is extremely important for the early detection of residual or recurrent disease in DTC patients after total thyroidectomy. The excellent performance of the hsTg ECLIA could allow for clinical Tg measurement without thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation, in contrast to the insufficient performance of the RIA method.
Biomarkers ; Elapidae ; Humans ; Immunoassay* ; Limit of Detection ; Methods ; Radioimmunoassay* ; Thyroglobulin* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotropin

Hydrophidae, one of the precious traditional Chinese medicines, is generally drily preserved to prevent corruption, but it is hard to identify the species of Hydrophidae through the appearance because of the change due to the drying process. The identification through analysis on gene barcode, a new technique in species identification, can avoid the problem. The gene barcodes of the 6 species of Hydrophidae like Lapemis hardwickii were aquired through DNA extraction and gene sequencing. These barcodes were then in sequence alignment and test the identification efficency by BLAST. Our results revealed that the barcode sequences performed high identification efficiency, and had obvious difference between intra- and inter-species. These all indicated that Cyt b DNA barcoding can confirm the Hydrophidae identification.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; China ; Cytochromes b ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; Elapidae ; classification ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Reptilian Proteins ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

PURPOSE: Ocular manifestations in snake-bite injuries are quite rare. However, the unusual presentations, diagnosis and their management can pose challenges when they present to the ophthalmologist. Early detection of these treatable conditions can prevent visual loss in these patients who are systemically unstable and are unaware of their ocular condition. To address this, a study was conducted with the aim of identifying the various ocular manifestations of snake bite in a tertiary care center. METHODS: This is a one-year institute-based prospective study report of 12 snake bite victims admitted to a tertiary hospital with ocular manifestations between June 2013 to June 2014, which provides data about the demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, ocular manifestations, and their outcomes. RESULTS: Twelve cases of snake bite with ocular manifestations were included of which six were viper bites, three were cobra bites and three were unknown bites. Six patients presented with bilateral acute angle closure glaucoma (50%), two patients had anterior uveitis (16.6%) of which one patient had concomitant optic neuritis. One patient had exudative retinal detachment (8.3%), one patient had thrombocytopenia with subconjunctival hemorrhage (8.3%) and two patients had external ophthalmoplegia (16.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral angle closure glaucoma was the most common ocular manifestation followed by anterior uveitis and external ophthalmoplegia. Snake bite can result in significant ocular morbidity in a majority of patients but spontaneous recovery with anti-snake venom, steroids and conservative management results in good visual prognosis.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Antivenins/therapeutic use ; *Elapidae ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure/diagnosis/*etiology/therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoplegia/diagnosis/*etiology/therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Snake Bites/*complications/diagnosis/therapy ; Snake Venoms/*poisoning ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Time Factors ; Uveitis, Anterior/diagnosis/*etiology/therapy ; *Viperidae ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is a significant health problem worldwide, accounting for a quarter of all cancer diagnoses in women. Current strategies for breast cancer treatment are not fully effective, and there is substantial interest in the identification of novel anticancer agents especially from natural products including toxins. Cytotoxins are polypeptides found in the venom of cobras and have various physiological effects. In the present study, the anticancer potential of cytotoxin-II against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) was investigated. METHODS: The cytotoxic effects of cytotoxin-II were determined by morphological analysis and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The mode and mechanism of cell death were investigated via acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) double staining, flow cytometric analysis of cell death, detection of mitochondrial membrane potential, measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), annexin V/propidium iodide staining, and caspase-9 activity assays. RESULTS: The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of cytotoxin-II in MCF-7 cells was 4.18+/-1.23 microg/mL, while the value for cisplatin was approximately 28.02+/-1.87 microg/mL. Morphological analysis and AO/EtBr double staining showed typical manifestations of apoptotic cell death (in doses lower than 8 microg/mL). Dose- and time-dependent ROS generation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-9 activation, and cell cycle arrest were observed in their respective tests. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, cytotoxin-II has potent anticancer effects in the MCF-7 cell line, which are induced via the intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Based on these findings, cytotoxin-II is a suitable choice for breast cancer treatment.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Apoptosis* ; Biological Products ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Caspase 9 ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Death ; Cell Line* ; Cisplatin ; Cobra Venoms* ; Cytotoxins ; Diagnosis ; Elapidae ; Female ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Peptides ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Snakes ; Venoms

This study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of the Naja Naja Actra Venom Component (NNAVC) combined with activated immune cells on human acute myeloblastic leukemia line KG1a cells. The cytotoxic effects of NNAVC at different concentrations on KG1a cells were measured by CCK-8 method. LDH releasing assay was used to detect the cytotoxic effects of activated immune cells, NNAVC combined with activated immune cells on KG1a cells and the sensitivity of KG1a treated with NNAVC to activated immune cells. The results showed that the inhibitory rate of NNAVC on KG1a cells increased with the concentration enhancement, the cytotoxicity of activated immune cells at the different effector to target (E:T) ratios(6.25:1, 12.5:1, 25:1) on KG1a cells were 12.30%, 24.85% and 52.26%. The cytotoxicity of NNAVC combined with activated immune cells at the different E:T cell ratios (10:1, 20: 1) on KG1a cells were 56.21% and 85.59%, which were higher than that of NNAVC or activated immune cells alone. The cytotoxicity of activated immune cells at the E: T cell ratio of 10:1 on KG1a cells treated with NNAVC at different concentrations were 25.65%, 31.33%, 28.63% and 16.78%, respectively, and that at the E:T cell ratio of 20: 1 were 40.62%, 44.70%, 44.62% and 40.72%. It is concluded that:both of NNAVC and activated immune cells have lethal effect on KG1a cells, and the combination of NNAVC and activated immune cells can strengthen their effect on KG1a.
Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Elapidae ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; immunology ; pathology ; Venoms ; pharmacology

Animals ; China ; Elapidae ; Humans ; Male ; Snake Bites ; Snake Venoms ; poisoning ; Young Adult

Some species of venomous snakes spit venom in human eyes as a defence mechanism when threatened. If not detected and treated appropriately early, this can result in severe toxic ocular injury leading to potential blindness (snake venom ophthalmia). Not much is known of the clinical course and treatment guidelines due to the rarity of such occurrences. We present a case of isolated severe toxic ocular injury in one eye who reported to us with very poor vision following venom spit, which was promptly treated leading to a successful visual recovery. This is the first documented case of snake venom ophthalmia from Kuala Belait, Brunei Darussalam.
Elapidae ; Snake Venoms ; Corneal Opacity ; Blindness