Vascular stent as a treatment for refractory cervical stenosis

Cervical stenosis is a clinical condition involving partial or complete obstruction of the endocervical canal.In 1996,Bauldauf proposed that the definition of cervical stenosis is a cervical canal into which a 2.5# Hegar dilator cannot be inserted.1 Acquired cervical stenosis can be a complication of surgical procedures such as conization,trachelectomy,and curettage.It is a serious complication because of the clinical repercussions,which can include amenorrhea,hematometra,dysmenorrhea,infertility,infection,and endometriosis.Various surgical techniques are used in dilation and cervix reconstruction.However,in some cases,unsuccessful dilation with refractory recurrent stenosis may lead to hysterectomy.A successful case in which a self-expanding nitinol vascular stent was used to treat cervical stenosis was described by Grund et al.2 Here we report two additional cases in which vascular stents were used to treat patients with recurrent cervical stenosis after cervical surgeries.     

HPV16 E5 peptide vaccine in treatment of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo

Human papillomavirus （HPV）-induced cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. Despite the encouraging development of the preventive vaccine for HPV, a vaccine for both prevention and therapy or pre-cancerous lesions remains in high priority. Thus far, most of the HPV therapeutic vaccines are focused on HPV E6 and E7 oncogene. However these vaccines could not completely eradicate the lesions. Recently, HPV E5, which is considered as an oncogene, is getting more and more attention. In this study, we predicted the epitopes of HPV16 E5 by bioinformat- ics as candidate peptide, then, evaluated the efficacy and chose an effective one to do the further test. To evaluate the effect of vaccine, rTC-1 （TC-1 cells infected by rAAV-HPV16E5） served as cell tumor model and rTC-1 loading mice as an ectopic tumor model. We prepared vaccine by muscle injection. The vaccine effects were determined by evaluating the function of tumor-specific T cells by cell prolif- eration assay and ELISPOT, calculating the tumor volume in mice and estimating the survival time of mice. Our in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that injection of E5 peptide＋CpG resulted in strong cell-mediated immunity （CMI） and protected mice from tumor growth, meanwhile, prolonged the sur- vival time after tumor cell loading. This study provides new insights into HPV16 E5 as a possible target on the therapeutic strategies about cervical cancer.     

Correlation between magnetic resonance T2 image signal intensity ratio and cell apoptosis in a rabbit spinal cord cervical myelopathy model

Background Cervical spondylotic myelopathy （CSM） is a common cause of disability in elderly patients.Previous studies have shown that spinal cord cell apoptosis due to spinal cord compression plays an important role in the pathology of myelopathy.Although changes in magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） T2 signal intensity ratio （SIR） are considered to be an indicator of CSM,little information is published supporting the correlation between changes in MRI signal and pathological changes.This study aims to testify the correlation between MRI T2 SIR changes and cell apoptosis using a CSM animal model.Methods Forty-eight rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups：one control group and three experimental chronic compression groups,with each group containing 12 animals.Chronic compression of the cervical spinal cord was implemented in the experimental groups by implanting a screw in the C3 vertebra.The control group underwent sham surgery.Experimental groups were observed for 3,6,or 9 months after surgery.MRI T2-weighted SIR Tarlov motor scores and cortical somatosensory-evoked potentials （CSEPs） were periodically monitored.At each time point,rabbits from one group were sacrificed to determine the level of apoptosis by histology （n=6） and Western blotting （n=6）.Results Tarlov motor scores in the compression groups were lower at all time points than the control group scores,with the lowest score at 9 months （P ＜0.001）.Electrophysiological testing showed a significantly prolonged latency in CSEP in the compression groups compared with the control group.All rabbits in the compression groups showed higher MRI T2 SIR in the injury epicenter compared with controls,and higher SIR was also found at 9 months compared with 3 or 6 months.Histological analysis showed significant apoptosis in the spinal cord tissue in the compression groups,but not in the control group.There were significant differences in apoptosis degree over time （P ＜0.001）,with the 9-month group displaying the most severe spinal cord apoptosis.Spearman＇s rank correlation test showed that there was close relation between MRI SIR and degree of caspase-3 expression in Western blotting （r=0.824.P ＜0.001）.Conclusions Clear apoptosis of spinal cord tissue was observed during chronic focal spinal compression.Changes in MRI T2 SIR mav be related to the severity of the apoptosis in cervical spinal cord.     

Diagnosis and treatment of epistaxis caused by non-traumatic pseudoaneurysms of carotid artery

Epistaxis remains one of the most common otolaryngology emergencies. Severe epistaxis may be caused by internal carotid artery （ICA） pseudoaneurysm or cavernous fistula, which is clinically rare but life threatening if it is not diagnosed and treated timely. Most ICA pseudoaneurysms are mainly caused by trauma with few other causes. From January 1998 to December 2005, a total of 8 cases with non-traumatic carotid artery pseudoaneurysm were correctly diagnosed through digital subtraction angiography （DSA） in Ganzhou People＇s Hospital. The patients had suffered from serious nose bleeding repeatedly and had been resistant to routine treatments.     

Intraosseous lipoma of adjacent upper cervical vertebral bodies with significant paravertebral expansion

Intraosseous lipomas are rare, benign bone tumors,comprising less than 0. 1% of all primary bone tumors.Common sites of intraosseous lipomas include the os calcis and the metaphyses of the long bones of the lower limbs.2 Cases involving the spine are extremely rare; a meta-analysis of 206 cases reported that intraosseous lipomas involving the spine （including the sacrum）accounted for 6% of all cases.2 A review of the English literature reveals only 14 reported cases involving the spine （Table）.     

Anomalous vertebral artery not passing through the transverse foramen of the atlas

Ssually the vertebral artery （VA） arises from the first part of the subclavian artery and enters the transverse foramen of the C-6 vertebra （first segment） and then ascends through the transverse foramen from C-6 to the atlas （second segment）. In its third segment, the artery emerges on the superior surface of the atlas and curves horizontally over the lateral and posterior surfaces of the superior articular process of C-1 and then passes medially in front of the posterior atlanto-occipital membrane. In its fourth segment, the artery pierces the dura mater and arachnoid between the occipital bone and atlas then enters the cranial cavity through the foramen magnum. To identify and preserve the VA is vital in the surgery of the craniaocervical and cervical region. However, the variations of the VA complicate the procedures of VA identification. It is valuable to know the course of VA preoperatively. Some anatomical variations of the VA occur due to its abnormal development process.     

Comparison in vitro permeation of curcumin from topical gels by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

Objective： To fred a more effective method of topical transdermal delivery of curcumin. Methods： We prepared curcumin carbopol （CRB） 974P and hydroxypropylcellulose （HPC） gel formulations containing menthol or Azone as permeation enhancers In this study, negative mode electrospray ionization and a triple quadruple LC/MS/MS instrument operated in multiple reaction mode was used for curcumin detection. The assay was linear over a concentration range of 10 ng/mL to 400 ng/mL for curcumin （average R2 = 0.997 2）. Excised nude mouse dorsal side skin was used in an in vitro skirt permeation study performed using the method of Franz. Results： Our results showed that all of the topical gel formulations we developed were free from skin irritation. The percutaneous flux and enhancement ratio of curcumin across nude mouse epidermis were enhanced markedly by the addition of menthol or Azone to both types of gel formulations. We found that the HPC gels containing quantities of Azone showed an enhanced permeation effect as compared to gels containing menthol. In the case of HPC gels containing Azone, the increase in permeability was significant （P〈0.05） as compared to the gels containing menthol. Conclusion： Azone shows a significantly more remarkable permeation effect than menthol. As such, this novel delivery strategy offers significant promise and is worthy of further exploration in attempts to enhance the medicinal application of curcumin     

Effects of Iron on Growth and Intracellular Chemical Contents of Microcystis aeruginosa

Objective To investigate the effect of iron on the growth, physiology and photosynthesis of cyanobacteria. Methods A gradient of iron concentrations was employed to investigate the growth, photo-pigments （chlorophyll A and phycocyanin）, and cell chemical contents （C, N, P） of Microcystis aeruginosa in response to different iron additions. Results The specific growth rate during the exponential growth phase, as well as the cell chlorophyll A and the phycocyanin content, was limited by iron below 12.3μmol Fe.L^-1. The growth was inhibited when the iron concentration was at 24.6 μmol Fe.L^-1. The cell chlorophyll A and the phycocyanin content were saturated when the iron concentration was above 12.3μmol Fe.L^-1 and declined slightly at 24.6 μmol Fe.L^-1. At a low iron concentration （about 6.15 μmol Fe-L^-1 and less）, the cell nitrogen and carbohydrate content were iron limited, and the variation of the cell phosphorus content was similar to that of the nitrogen and carbohydrate, with a transition point of 12.3 μmol Fe.L^-1. Conclusion The variation ofcynobacteria growth is synchronous with that of the photo-pigments or the cell chemical content, and there exist relationships among photosynthesis, growth and internal chemical content, which could be useful for the growth estimation from the cell characteristics.     

Association between intervertebral disc degeneration and disturbances of blood supply to the vertebrae

Low back pain is a common public health problem in western industrialized societies and the world as well.Studies indicate that the prevalence rate ranges to 35%, with around 10% of patients from 12% becoming chronically disabled. It also places an enormous economic burden on society. Although the exact cause of low back pain has yet to be defined, intervertebral disc degeneration is considered a major source of it. Since patients with degenerative discs are often asymptomatic, the mechanisms of it are still unclear.     

WHO西太区与世界中医药学会联合会中医名词术语国际标准比较研究:津液辨证(英文)

Intraditional Chinese medicine (TCM),the so-called津液refers to all the fluid and liquid flowingand maintaining inside the human body.In Chineselanguage,津液is a phrase composed of twoChinese characters which describes two differentkinds of fluid or liquid in the human body .According to the theory of TCM,津refers to thepart of fluid that is thin in texture and flowss moothly inside the body while液refers to thepart of fluid that is thick in texture and mainlymaintains in the joints of the body to nourish andlubr...     

Chinese herbal medicine Xinfeng Capsule in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis： study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND： Rheumatoid arthritis （RA）, as a common systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease, affects approximately 1 in 100 individuals. Effective treatment for RA is not yet available because current research does not have a clear understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of RA. Xinfeng Capsule, a patent Chinese herbal medicine, has been used in the treatment of RA in recent years. Despite its reported clinical efficacy, there are no large-sample, multicenter, randomized trials that support the use of Xinfeng Capsule for RA. Therefore, we designed a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of Xinfeng Capsule in the treatment of RA. METHODS AND DESIGN： This is a 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial on the treatment of RA. The participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group at a ratio of 1：1. Participants in the experimental group will receive Xinfeng Capsule and a pharmaceutical placebo （imitation leflunomide）. The control group will receive leflunomide and an herbal placebo （imitation Xinfeng Capsule）. The American College of Rheumatology （ACR） Criteria for RA will be used to measure the efficacy of the Xinfeng Capsule. The primary outcome measure will be the percentage of study participants who achieve an ACR 20% response rate （ACR20）, which will be measured every 4 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes will include the ACR50 and ACR70 responses, the side effects of the medications, the Disease Activity Score 28, RA biomarkers, quality of life, and X-rays of the hands and wrists. The first four of the secondary outcomes will be measured every 4 weeks and the others will be measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. DISCUSSION： The result of this trial will help to evaluate whether Xinfeng Capsule is effective and safe in the treatment of RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION： This trial has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. The identifier is N CT01774877.     

Saffron （Crocus sativus L.） and major depressive disorder： a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Due to safety concerns and side effects of many antidepressant medications, herbal psychopharmacology research has increased, and herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular as alternatives to prescribed medications for the treatment of major depressive disorder （MDD）. Of these, accumulating trials reveal positive effects of the spice saffron （Crocus sativus L.） for the treatment of depression. A comprehensive and statistical review of the clinical trials examining the effects of saffron for treatment of MDD is warranted. OBJECTIVE： The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials examining the effects of saffron supplementation on symptoms of depression among participants with MDD. SEARCH STRATEGY： We conducted electronic and non-electronic searches to identify all relevant randomized, double-blind controlled trials. Reference lists of all retrieved articles were searched for relevant studies. INCLUSION CRITERIA： The criteria for study selection included the following： （1） adults （aged 18 and older） with symptoms of depression, （2） randomized controlled trial, （3） effects of saffron supplementation on depressive symptoms examined, and （4） study had either a placebo control or antidepressant comparison group. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS： Using random effects modeling procedures, we calculated weighted mean effect sizes separately for the saffron supplementation vs placebo control groups, and for the saffron supplementation vs antidepressant groups. The methodological quality of all studies was assessed using the Jadad score. The computer software Comprehensive Meta- analysis 2 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS： Based on our pre-specified criteria, five randomized controlled trials （n = 2 placebo controlled trials, n = 3 antidepressant controlled trials） were included in our review. A large effect size was found for saffron supplementation vs placebo control in treating depressive symptoms （M ES = 1.62, P 〈 0.001）, revealing that saffron supplementation significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to the placebo control. A null effect size was evidenced between saffron supplementation and the antidepressant groups （M ES = -0.15） indicating that both treatments were similarly effective in reducing depression symptoms. The mean Jadad score was 5 indicating high quality of trials. CONCLUSION： Findings from clinical trials conducted to date indicate that saffron supplementation can improve symptoms of depression in adults with MDD. Larger clinical trials, conducted by research teams outside of Iran, with long-term follow-ups are needed before firm conclusions can be made regarding saffron＇s efficacy and safety for treating depressive symptoms.     

高维列联表资料的统计分析与SAS软件实现（六）

非条件logistic回归分析方法的主要算法是采用最大似然法对参数进行估计。最大似然法在大样本前提下进行参数估计是非常有效的,但当处理样本量小的数据,特别是按多个定性变量进行分层且每一层中样本量很小时,     

痘苗病毒天坛株的减毒与其作为疫苗载体研究进展

1痘苗病毒天坛株的历史天花是人类历史上最可怕的传染病之一。天花由天花病毒（variola virus）引起,人是该病毒的惟一宿主。人感染天花病毒后的死亡率达到30%~40%[1]。世界上公认的对天花最早的准确记录来自中国,晋代药学家葛洪于公元430年左右,在《肘后备急方》中对天花有清楚的描述[1]。     

Relevance of muscle biopsy for diagnosing multifocal motor neuropathy

Multifocal motor neuropathy （MMN） is a rare,.focal,inflammatory,demyelinating disease of the peripheral nerves with pure motor involvementJ MMN is clinically characterized by slowly progressive,asymmetric,distal,upper limb predominant weakness,in the absence of sensory disturbances） Weakness is usually multifocal and connected to a distinct motor nerve,such as the musculocutaneous nerve resulting in biceps weakness,the posterior interosseus nerve resulting in finger drop,the median,ulnar,or radial nerve resulting in dexterity problems or grip weakness,or the peroneal nerve resulting in a foot drop.Onset of clinical manifestations is between 20 and 50 years of age.The prevalence of MMN is reported as 1-2 per 100 000.2 MMN is three times more frequent in men as compared to women.     

WHO西太区与世界中医药学会联合会中医名词术语国际标准比较研究：八纲辨证（三）

The Chinese characters 寒 and 热, 虚, and 实 are quite common concepts in Chinese language. However in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）, they are used as four principles in syndrome differentiation. In terms of translation, 寒 and 热 are very easy to understand and can be simply translated as ＂cold＂ and ＂heat＂. But the transla- tion of 虚 and 实 used to be a problem. For a quite long time in translation practice,