BOOK REVIEW: Data Book on Mechanical Properties of Living Cells, Tissues and Organs, edited by H. Abe, K. Hayashi, and M. Sato

PAC98: 0130Kj, 8722-q, 8745Bp     

Structural stiffness of the hoffmann simple anterior tibial external fixation frame

Tibial external fixation frames were constructed on aluminum tube simulating tibia bone. A 20-mm gap was left at the fracture site in order to measure the structural stiffness of the frame rather than the aluminum tube. The performance of the frames were experimentally evaluated and quantified using tests which simulated the loading conditions encountered in normal walking. These included axial compression, anteroposterior (AP) bending, lateral bending and torsional loading of the frame. The parameters studied were (a) number of fixation pins, (b) number of connecting rods and (c) location of clamps on the pins. Four constants were evaluated from these tests using various structural configurations of the frames; these resulted in four stiffness coefficients in compression, AP bending, lateral bending and torsion. Stiffnesses of various frames with different geometric configurations were compared by comparing their appropriate stiffness coefficients. Such comparison can set forth a quantitative guideline in selecting a suitable frame configuration for the type of injury and condition of fracture pattern. This type of quantitative analysis can also be useful in modifying the frame during the postoperative bone healing process. A talk based on this work was presented at the 5th Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference held at Shreveport, Louisiana, October 20 and 21, 1986.     

A 22-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind controlled trial of Crocus sativus in the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease

Rationale

There is increasing evidence to suggest the possible efficacy of Crocus sativus (saffron) in the management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the efficacy of C. sativus in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate AD.

Methods

Fifty-four Persian-speaking adults 55 years of age or older who were living in the community were eligible to participate in a 22-week, double-blind study of parallel groups of patients with AD. The main efficacy measures were the change in the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale—cognitive subscale and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale—Sums of Boxes scores compared with baseline. Adverse events (AEs) were systematically recorded. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a capsule saffron 30 mg/day (15 mg twice per day) or donepezil 10 mg/day (5 mg twice per day).

Results

Saffron at this dose was found to be effective similar to donepezil in the treatment of mild-to-moderate AD after 22 weeks. The frequency of AEs was similar between saffron extract and donepezil groups with the exception of vomiting, which occurred significantly more frequently in the donepezil group.

Conclusion

This phase II study provides preliminary evidence of a possible therapeutic effect of saffron extract in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This trial is registered with the Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (IRCT138711051556N1).     

Amazing results with hydroxyurea therapy in chronic hepatitis B: a preliminary report

Background and Aims

To introduce the possible role of hydroxyurea (HU), a well-characterized antineoplastic drug with established antiviral effects, in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Methods

Four antiretroviral-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in this limited pilot trial, and given 1000 mg/day of hydroxyurea for 4 weeks; then, the administration of the drug was suspended for 4 weeks. A clinical study and laboratory safety assessments and measurements of viral load were made at baseline, after drug therapy, and after one month suspension of the treatment

Results

All 4 patients showed a significant decrease in viral load after 4 weeks of hydroxyurea therapy and the viral load of 2 patients increased again after a 4-week suspension of hydroxyurea

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that the old low-cost antineoplastic drug, hydroxyurea, efficiently blocks hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. We suggest that HU will play an important role in the treatment of chronic hepatitis in the fore- seeable future. Further studies including those that evaluate optimal dosing in long-term use will continue to define the role of HU in the treatment of HBV infection alone or in combination with other antiviral drugs     

A Hybrid Algorithm for Prediction of Varying Heart Rate Motion in Computer-Assisted Beating Heart Surgery

An essential requirement for performing robotic assisted surgery on a freely beating heart is a prediction algorithm which can estimate the future trajectory of the heart in the varying heart rate (HR) conditions of real surgery with a high accuracy. In this study, a hybrid amplitude modulation- (AM) and autoregressive- (AR) based algorithm was developed to enable estimating the global and local oscillations of the beating heart, raised from its major and minor physiological activities. The AM model was equipped with an estimator of the heartbeat frequency to compensate for the HR variations. The RMS of the prediction errors of the hybrid algorithm was in the range of 165–361 μm for the varying HR motion, 21% less than that of the single AM model. With the capability of providing highly accurate predictions in a wide range of HR variation, the hybrid model is promising for practical use in robotic assisted beating heart surgery.     

Tierexperimentelle Untersuchungen zur Effektivitat der transarteriellen Chemoembolisation （TACE） unter Einsatz von Bletilla striata

Zusammenfassung Evaluierung der Effektivit?t von Bletilla striata bei transerteriellen Chemoembolisation (TACE) im Kleintiermodell. Nach subkapsul?rer Implantation (Tag 0) eines soliden Morris Hepatoms (2 mm³) bei ACI-Ratten (n=30) wurden am 13. Tag die Tumorvolumina (V1) magnettomographisch bestimmt. Im Anschlu erfolgten nach Laparatomie die retrograde Katheterisierung der Arteria gastroduodenalis und die Anwendung folgender Therapieprotokolle: (A) TACE (0.1 mg Mitomycin C+0,1 mL Lipiodol)+Bletilla striata (1,0 mg) (n=10); (B) TACE (Bletilla striata (1,0 mg)+Ligatur (n=10); (C) TACE allein (Kontrollgruppe,n=10). Zur Effektivit?tsbeurteilung der unterschiedlichen Therapieprotokolle erfolgte am 28. Tag eine erneute magnettomographische Bestimmung der Tumorvolumina (V2). Das durschschnittliche Tumorvolumen der Gruppen A, B und C vor und nach interventioneller Therapie betrug 0,0355 cm³ und 0, 2248 cm³, 0,0374 cm³ und 0,0573 cm³ sowie 0,0380 cm³ und 0,3674 cm³. Das errechnete durchschnittliche Verh?ltnis (V2/V1) betrug 6,28, 1,53 sowie 9,14. Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe C konnte somit für Therapiegruppe B eine signifikant (P<0,01) geringere Tumorvolumenzunahme im Beobachtungszeitraum ermittelt werden, w?hrend zwischen Gruppe A und Gruppe C keine statistisch signifikanten (P>0,05) Unterschiede im Tumorwachstum festgestellt werden konnten. Das Wachstum der induzierten Lebertumoren konnte unter Behandlung mittels TACE+Bletilla striata +Ligatur im Tiermodell statistisch signifikant im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe gehemmt werden.

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QIAN Jun, male, born in 1967, M. D., Associated Professor     

Hand injuries as an indicator of other associated severe injuries

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of disabling or life-threatening injuries in patients with hand injuries. Retrospective data were collected from a level 1 trauma center registry. A total of 472 patients with hand injuries were admitted to the trauma unit between January 2000 and March 2004. Forty-four per cent of patients with hand injuries had life-threatening injuries. Fifty-one per cent of them had motor vehicle crash-related injuries. Motorcycle crashes were the next most common cause followed by explosions, falls, gunshots, machinery, stabs, bites, crushes, and so on. Frequency of associated injuries was as follows: head injuries, 31 per cent, including skull fractures, 22 per cent; spine injuries, 18 per cent, including spine fractures 18 per cent; chest injuries, 36 per cent, including rib fractures, 15 per cent; and abdominal injuries, 13 per cent. The authors focused on the incidence of disabling or life-threatening injuries in patients with hand injuries. Motor vehicle crashes were most common cause of hand injuries. The most common organs to be injured were chest and head. The most common head injury was skull fracture. Other injuries in decreasing order were spine and rib fractures. These data may be helpful in assessing ambulatory patients in the emergency room, in those hand injuries maybe indicative of other simultaneous life-threatening or disabling injuries.