The effects of toxoplasma infection on rodent behavior are dependent on dose of the stimulus

Parasite Toxoplasma gondii blocks the innate aversion of rats for cat urine, putatively increasing the likelihood of a cat predating a rat. This is thought to reflect an adaptive behavioral manipulation, because toxoplasma can reproduce only in cat intestines. While it will be adaptive for the parasite to cause an absolute behavioral change, fitness costs associated with the manipulation itself suggest that the change is optimized and not maximized. We investigate these conflicting suggestions in the present report. Furthermore, exposure to cat odor causes long-lasting acquisition of learnt fear in the rodents. If toxoplasma manipulates emotional valence of cat odor rather than just sensory response, infection should affect learning driven by the aversive properties of the odor. As a second aim of the present study, we investigate this assertion. We demonstrate that behavioral changes in rodents induced by toxoplasma infection do not represent absolute all-or-none effects. Rather, these effects follow a non-monotonous function dependent on strength of stimulus, roughly resembling an inverted-U curve. Furthermore, infection affects conditioning to cat odor in a manner dependent upon strength of unconditioned stimulus employed. Non-monotonous relationship between behavioral manipulation and strength of cat odor agrees with the suggestion that a dynamic balance exists between benefit obtained and costs incurred by the parasite during the manipulation. This report also demonstrates that toxoplasma affects emotional valence of the cat odor as indicated by altered learned fear induced by cat odor.     

关刺配合手法治疗对老年膝骨性关节炎疼痛程度和运动功能的影响

目的 观察经筋关刺法配合郑氏手法治疗老年膝骨性关节炎疼痛程度和运动功能的影响.方法 将68例老年膝骨性关节炎患者随机分为实验组(经筋关刺及郑氏手法组)与对照组(普通电针组).以临床疗效、Lysholm评分、膝HSS评分为观察指标,比较两组治疗方法对膝关节疼痛程度和运动功能的影响.结果 疗效评估:实验组有效率94.1%,优于对照组.Ly-sholm评分项目:闭锁感、肿胀度、楼梯攀爬得分均得到较大程度的改善,且实验组优于对照组(P<0.05).膝HSS评分项目:疼痛、功能、活动度得到较大程度的改善,且实验组优于对照组(P<0.05).结论 经筋关刺法配合郑氏手法发挥了良好的协同效应,恢复膝关节周围力学的平衡,能更有效的改善老年患者的膝关节疼痛程度及运动功能,适合老年患者,对老年膝骨性关节炎有显著疗效.     

激光光镊对生物细胞操纵的研究

目的：利用光镊实现对生物微粒的操作。方法：利用激光陷阱技术，用激光器、生物显微镜、CCD传感器和计算机图像处理系统构成一套光镊来进行操纵，结果：利用制作的装置成功地对多种细胞进行了捕获和操纵，结论：激光束陷阱能够方便地捕获和操纵生物微粒。     

中医按摩手法结合50%红花酒精预防老年卧床患者压疮护理研究

目的:观察中医按摩手法结合50%红花酒精对老年卧床患者预防压疮的护理效果。方法:从2016年12月—2018年12月期间收治的老年卧床患者中抽取86例为研究对象,按照随机数字表法平均分为普通组和联合护理组2组,普通组(43例)采用常规方法护理,联合护理组(43例)在常规护理的基础上采用中医按摩手法结合50%红花酒精进行护理。分析2组患者压疮发生概率、住院时间、生活质量。结果:联合护理组压疮发生率为6.98%,低于普通组的25.58%(P<0.05)。联合护理组住院时间短于普通组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。护理后,联合护理组生活质量SF-36总体健康、生理功能、生理职能、躯体疼痛、生命活力、社会功能、情感职能、心理健康各项评分值,均高于普通组(P<0.05)。结论:中医按摩手法结合50%红花酒精对老年卧床患者预防压疮的护理,能够明显缩短患者住院时间,提高生活质量。     

推拿结合腋部勾拨松解手法治疗冻结期和康复期肩周炎临床观察

目的:观察推拿结合腋部勾拨松解手法治疗冻结期和康复期肩周炎的临床效果。方法:136例按数字随机表法分为观察组和对照组各68例,观察组用常规推拿加腋部勾拨松解手法治疗,对照组单用常规推拿治疗。结果:总有效率观察组98.5%、对照组82.4%,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。肩关节活动度改善观察组明显优于对照组(P<0.01)。两组治疗后肩关节VAS评分均改善(P<0.01),试验组较对照组改善更明显(P<0.05)。结论:推拿结合腋部勾拨松解手法治疗冻结期和康复期肩周炎可以有效缓解其肩部疼痛症状,增加肩关节活动范围,提高患者生活质量。     

郑氏“颈四步”手法治疗神经根型颈椎病疗效研究

目的:探究郑氏“颈四步”手法治疗神经根型颈椎病(CSR)的临床疗效,以及对患者临床症状、颈部生物学相关参数的影响。方法:选取60例CSR患者,按照随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组,每组各30例。观察组予郑氏“颈四步”手法治疗,对照组予一般推拿治疗,比较两组治疗总有效率、疼痛改善情况、颈功能活动度和椎间孔内臂丛神经根内径。结果:观察组治疗总有效率为86.67%,高于对照组的63.33%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,两组颈痛量表(NPQ)、视觉模拟评分(VAS)均降低,左旋转、右旋转、左侧屈和右侧屈等颈功能活动度明显改善,C_5～7神经根内径明显减小,且观察组的NPQ、VAS评分低于对照组(均P<0.05),各方向颈功能活动度大于对照组(均P<0.05),C_5～7神经根内径小于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:郑氏“颈四步”手法治疗CSR疗效较好,可有效缓解患者颈肩疼痛,改善颈椎活动度,缓解神经根水肿。     

三维平衡正脊手法配合针刺治疗神经根型颈椎病临床研究

目的:观察三维平衡正脊手法配合针刺治疗神经根型颈椎病(CSR)的临床疗效。方法:将90例CSR患者运用随机数字表法分观察组、对照1组、对照2组,每组各30例。由于治疗过程中三组均有病例脱落,最终观察组、对照1组、对照2组参与疗效评价者分别为28例、29例、28例。三组患者均口服双氯芬酸钠缓释片,在此基础上,观察组采用三维平衡正脊手法配合针刺治疗,针刺穴位选取颈夹脊、天柱、后溪、申脉、悬钟、手三里、少海;对照1组采用常规推拿手法配合针刺治疗,针刺选穴与操作手法同观察组;对照2组单纯采用针刺治疗,针刺选穴与操作手法同以上两组。三组患者均每日治疗1次,10次为1个疗程,共治疗3个疗程。比较三组患者颈肩部视觉模拟评分法(VAS)评分、颈椎功能障碍指数(NDI)、颈椎病治疗成绩评分,评价临床疗效。结果:三组患者治疗后的VAS评分、NDI评分、颈椎病治疗成绩评分较治疗前均改善,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。三组患者治疗后的颈肩部VAS评分比较,差异有统计学意义(P=0.001);观察组治疗后的颈肩部VAS评分低于对照1组(P<0.001)和对照2组(P=0.042)。三组患者治疗后的NDI评分比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.001);观察组治疗后的NDI评分低于对照1组和对照2组(P=0.036,P<0.001);对照1组治疗后的NDI评分低于对照2组(P=0.010)。三组患者治疗后的颈椎病治疗成绩评分比较,差异有统计学意义(P=0.002);观察组治疗后的颈椎病治疗成绩评分高于对照1组和对照2组(P=0.047,P<0.001)。观察组痊愈率、显效率均明显高于对照1组和对照2组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:三维平衡正脊手法配合针刺治疗CSR能有效缓解患者疼痛症状,改善患者NDI,临床疗效优于常规推拿手法结合针刺治疗及单纯针刺治疗。     

Thrust joint manipulation utilization by U.S. physical therapists*

Study Design: Online survey study.

Objective: To determine physical therapists’ utilization of thrust joint manipulation (TJM) and their comfort level in using TJM between the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine. We hypothesized that physical therapists who use TJM would report regular use and comfort providing it to the thoracic and lumbar spines, but not so much for the cervical spine.

Background: Recent surveys of first professional physical therapy degree programs have found that TJM to the cervical spine is not taught to the same degree as to the thoracic and lumbar spines.

Methods: We developed a survey to capture the required information and had a Delphi panel of 15 expert orthopedic physical therapists review it and provide constructive feedback. A revised version of the survey was sent to the same Delphi panel and consensus was obtained on the final survey instrument. The revised survey was made available to any licensed physical therapists in the U.S.A. using an online survey system, from October 2014 through June 2015.

Results: Of 1014 responses collected, 1000 completed surveys were included for analysis. There were 478 (48%) males; the mean age of respondents was 39.7 ± 10.81 years (range 24–92); and mean years of clinical experience was 13.6 ± 10.62. A majority of respondents felt that TJM was safe and effective when applied to lumbar (90.5%) and thoracic (91.1%) spines; however, a smaller percentage (68.9%) felt that about the cervical spine. More therapists reported they would perform additional screening prior to providing TJM to the cervical spine than they would for the lumbar and thoracic spines. Therapists agreed they were less likely to provide and feel comfortable with TJM in the cervical spine compared to the thoracic and lumbar spines. Finally, therapists who are male; practice in orthopedic spine setting; are aware of manipulation clinical prediction rules; and have manual therapy certification, are more likely to use TJM and be comfortable with it in all three regions.

Conclusion: Results indicate that respondents do not believe TJM for the cervical spine to be as safe and efficacious as that for the lumbar and thoracic spines. Further, they are more likely to perform additional screening, abstain from and do not feel comfortable performing TJM for the cervical spine.

Clinical Relevance: Our research reveals there is a discrepancy between utilization of TJM at different spinal levels. This research provides an opportunity to address variability in clinical practice among physical therapists utilizing TJM.     

Risk Factors for Manipulation After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Pooled Electronic Health Record Database Study

A commercially available software platform, Explorys (Explorys, Inc., Cleveland, OH), was used to mine a pooled electronic healthcare database consisting of the medical records of more than 27 million patients. A total of 229,420 patients had undergone a total knee arthroplasty; 3470 (1.51%) patients were identified to have undergone manipulation under anesthesia. Individual risk factors of being female, African American race, age less than 60, BMI > 30 and nicotine dependence were determined to have relative risk of 1.25, 2.20, 3.46, 1.33 and 1.32 respectively. Depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, opioid abuse/dependence and rheumatoid arthritis were not significant risk factors. African Americans under the age of 60 at time of TKA had the greatest incidence of MUA (5.17%) and relative risk of 3.73 (CI: 3.36, 4.13).