Objective Aiming at the problem of significant anisotropy in the three-dimensional ( 3D) printed polyether-ether-ketone ( PEEK) bone substitutes manufactured by material extrusion technology, taking the femur, the main load-bearing long bone of the lower limb, as an example, the biomechanical properties of the femoral model under different direction in the build chamber were evaluated by the combination of finite element analysis and in-vitro mechanical experiment. Methods A left femoral model was obtained by reconstruction from CT data. The stress and displacement of the 3D printed PEEK femur with different directions in the build chamber under five physiological postures in the human gait cycle were simulated by varying the orthogonal anisotropy mechanical properties. An in-vitro mechanical experiment was conducted to investigate the safety and stability of the femur through a 3D printed PEEK femur. Results When the long axis of the femur model was perpendicular to the building platform of the 3D printer, a better mechanical property was obtained, and the maximum von Mises stress was 46. 56 MPa, which was lower than the yield stress of PEEK, while the maximum displacement was larger than that of the natural femur under same loading condition. Therefore, the 3D printed PEEK femur met the strength requirement, but the stability needs to be improved. Conclusions The long axis is recommended to be perpendicular to the building platform when the material extrusion technology was used for the substitute of the load-bearing long bone, and the effect of its anisotropy on service performance of the substitute should be carefully considered when the 3D printing technology is used for load-bearing bone substitute.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and CT imaging features of patients with different clinical types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so as to provide a reference for the treatment and evaluation of COVID-19.Methods:The clinical data of 278 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital from January 20th to February 10th in 2020 were collected. The patients were divided into mild, ordinary, severe and critical types. The differences of clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory examination indexes and CT image features of lung in different clinical types were analyzed and compared, and the relationship between clinical and imaging features and clinical types of diseases were analyzed.Results:Among the 278 patients with COVID-19, 130 were male (46.8%) and 148 were female (53.2%), of whom 88.8% (247/278) were 20 to 69 years old. 238 (85.6%) patients combined one or more basic diseases. The source of cases was mainly imported cases ( n = 201, 72.3%), of whom 89 cases were imported from Wuhan, accounting for 44.3% of all imported cases. With the aggravation of the disease, the male composition ratio, age and the number of basic diseases of patients gradually increased, and the incidences of fever, dry cough, chilly or chills, and fatigue in severe and critical patients were significantly higher than those in the mild and ordinary ones. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil counts (NEU) and proportions (NEU%) of the severe and critical patients were higher than those of the mild and ordinary patients [WBC (×10 9/L): 5.7±3.1, 6.5±2.4 vs. 5.4±1.7, 4.9±1.6; NEU (×10 9/L): 4.4±3.1, 4.9±2.5 vs. 2.8±1.2, 2.9±1.3; NEU%: 0.72±0.13, 0.73±0.14 vs. 0.51±0.12, 0.59±0.11; all P < 0.01], while the lymphocyte count (LYM) and ratio (LYM%), platelet count (PLT) were lower than those in the mild and ordinary patients [LYM (×10 9/L): 1.0±0.4, 1.2±0.8 vs. 2.1±0.9, 1.5±0.6; LYM%: 0.21±0.11, 0.20±0.12 vs. 0.40±0.11, 0.32±0.11; PLT (×10 9/L): 177.1±47.8, 157.7±51.6 vs. 215.3±59.7, 191.8±64.3; all P < 0.05]. The level of albumin (Alb) was the lowest in the critical patients and the level of total bilirubin (TBil) was the highest, which was statistically significant as compared with the mild, ordinary and severe patients [Alb (g/L): 33.0±5.8 vs. 42.8±4.4, 39.6±5.1, 34.4±4.2; TBil (μmol/L): 20.1±12.8 vs. 12.0±8.7, 10.9±6.3, 12.2±8.3; both P < 0.01]. Lactate dehydration (LDH) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in the severe and critical patients were significantly higher than those in the mild and ordinary patients [LDH (μmol·s -1·L -1): 5.6±2.2, 5.0±2.9 vs. 2.8±0.9, 3.3±1.2; cTnI (μg/L): 0.010 (0.006, 0.012), 0.010 (0.006, 0.012) vs. 0.005 (0.003, 0.006), 0.005 (0.001, 0.008); both P < 0.05]. C-reactive protein (CRP) level of severe patients were higher than that in the mild, ordinary and critical patients [mg/L: 43.3 (33.2, 72.1) vs. 22.1 (16.2, 25.7), 29.7 (19.8, 43.1), 25.8 (23.0, 36.7), P < 0.01]. The level of procalcitonin (PCT) in the severe and critical patients was higher than that in the mild and ordinary patients [μg/L: 0.17 (0.12, 0.26), 0.13 (0.09, 0.24) vs. 0.06 (0.05, 0.08), 0.05 (0.04, 0.09), P < 0.01]. The typical CT imaging features were as follows: the ordinary type mainly showed the single or multiple ground glass shadows on the chest image; the severe type mainly showed the multiple ground glass shadows, infiltration shadows or solid transformation shadows. Compared with the ordinary patients, the lesions increase, and the scope of the lesion expanded to show double lungs. Critical type was mainly manifested as diffuse consolidation of both lungs with multiple patchy density increase shadows, multiple leafy patchy density increase shadows were seen on each leaf, most of them were ground glass-like density, and some were shown separately lung consolidation. Conclusions:Men, advanced aged, and combining multiple underlying diseases are high-risk populations of COVID-19, and they should pay close attention to the risk of progressing to severe or critical type. CT imaging features could be used as an important supplement when diagnosing severe and critical COVID-19.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of asiatic acid (AA) on malignant biological behaviors of human liver cancer cells and to explore the mechanism. Methods: Human liver cancer cell line (Huh7) was used as research subject, and treated with different concentrations of AA (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 μmol/L) in vitro. The effect of AA on cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 and EdU assay; the apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometry, while the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins (AKT, P-ERK 1/2 , p38, cleaved-caspase3, cleaved-caspase9, BAX, Bcl-2, AKT, ERK, p38, pro-caspase 3 and pro-caspase 9) were examined by WB. Results: AA could inhibit the proliferation of Huh7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (all P<0.05). After being incubated with 10 μmol/L AA for 24 h, the proliferation of Huh7 cells was significantly inhibited (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate was significantly increased (P<0.05), and cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase (P<0.05).AAinduced p-p38 expression, but inhibited the expression of p-AKT and p-ERK in a dose-dependent manner (all P<0.05). In addition, as the concentration of AA increased, the levels of cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9 and BAX increased, while the level of Bcl-2 decreased (all P<0.05). Conclusion:AAinhibits the proliferation of human liver cancer cells and promotes its apoptosis, which is associated with the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways.

To improve the preparation speed and quality of moxa cone, a mould for preparation of moxa cone was designed and applied in moxibustion. It consists three parts: a foundation (a flat-bottomed circular cylinder hollow in center), a moxa cone forming tube (a hollow column encircled by two semi-cylinders with symmetrical shape and size, and was inserted in the internal cavity of the foundation); and a compression rod (a solid cylinder used for compressing moxa placed in moxa cone forming tube). The mould is practical, simple, and convenient and can effectively speed up the preparation of moxa cone, and it is safe in application. Moreover, the obtained moxa cones are regular in shape, uniform in dosage and size, dense in texture, and convenient to pack, store and carry.

The field of gene therapy has been increasingly studied in the last four decades, and its clinical application has become a reality in the last 15 years. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important component of complementary and alternative medicine, has evolved over thousands of years with its own unique system of theories, diagnostics and therapies. TCM is well-known for its various roles in preventing and treating infectious and chronic diseases, and its usage in other modern clinical practice. However, whether TCM can be applied alongside gene therapy is a topic that has not been systematically examined. Here we provide an overview of TCM theories in relation to gene therapy. We believe that TCM theories are congruent with some principles of gene therapy. TCM-derived drugs may also act as gene therapy vehicles, therapeutic genes, synergistic therapeutic treatments, and as co-administrated drugs to reduce side effects. We also discuss in this review some possible approaches to combine TCM and gene therapy.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important component of complementary and alternative medicine, has evolved over thousands of years with its own unique system of theories, diagnostics and therapies. TCM has been increasingly used in the last decades and become well known for its significant role in preventing and treating cancer. We believe that TCM possesses advantages over Western medicine in specific aspects at a certain stage of cancer treatment. Here we summarize the advantages of TCM from three aspects: preventing tumorigenesis; attenuating toxicity and enhancing the treatment effect; and reducing tumor recurrence and metastasis.

The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients' life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness.

Objective As the only institution developing traditional Chinese medical talents in PLA , in view of the need of in-terdisciplinary traditional Chinese medical talents and preparation of military medical fighting , education of military characteristics was integrated into Chinese materia medica curriculum , in order to train interdisciplinary talents that had an extensive theoretical and practi-cal expertise in military by strengthening student′s clinical basic of traditional Chinese medicine , mastering military emergency skills of traditional Chinese medicine and taking part in military research .

Disease recurrence is a main challenge in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). There is no generally accepted method for preventing recurrence of HCC after resection.

Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) was developed. The aim of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the SpNQ (SpNQ-Ch) and thus to measure psychosocial and spiritual needs of Chinese patients.