Utilizing green financing in developing green HRM resources for carbon neutrality: presenting multidimensional perspectives of China.

This study examines how green finance may encourage the development of green human resource management (HRM) solutions to help China achieve carbon neutrality. For an empirical estimate, the Chinese data is subjected to DEA analysis, Tobit regression, and a sensitivity analysis model. The findings highlight the significance of green finance in the creation of green HRM solutions that aid firms in enhancing their environmental performance, boosting employee happiness, and getting them closer to their carbon neutrality goals. With the use of tools like green bonds and sustainable investment funds, businesses may raise capital for sustainability projects and encourage the adoption of environmentally responsible HRM practices. Moreover, the study results discussed the need to incorporate environmental sustainability considerations into HRM plans, enabling organizations to cultivate a sustainable culture and engage employees in supporting carbon neutrality through green practices in talent acquisition, training and development, performance management, and employee engagement. Incorporating environmental sustainability into HRM processes, boosting stakeholder involvement, and looking into new funding methods are all points emphasized in the study, which aims to enhance the uptake of green HRM initiatives.

Biodynamic responses of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis exposed to vibration.

Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis suffer severe health issues. The unclear dynamic biomechanical characteristics of scoliosis were needed to be explored to improve the prevention and treatment in clinics. Validated 3D finite element (FE) models of thoracolumbosacral spine (T1-S1) both with and without scoliosis were developed from computed tomography (CT) images. Modal and harmonic analyses were performed to investigate the biomechanical responses of the spinal models to vibration. Resonant frequencies of the scoliotic model were lower than those of the model without scoliosis. Peak amplitudes occurred at vibrational frequencies close to the modal resonant frequencies, which caused the deformed thoracic segment in scoliosis suffered the maximum amplitude. The stresses on vertebrae and intervertebral discs in the scoliotic model derived from vibrations were significantly larger than those in the non-scoliosis model, and heterogeneously concentrated on the scoliotic thoracic segment. In conclusion, the scoliotic spine in the patients with Lenke 1BN scoliosis is more prone to injuries than the non-scoliotic spine while vibrating. Scoliotic thoracic segments in patients with Lenke 1BN scoliosis were the more vulnerable and sensitive component of the T1-S1 spine to vibration than lumbar spines. This study suggested that vibration would impair the scoliotic spines, and patients with Lenke 1BN scoliosis should avoid exposure to vibration, especially the low-frequency vibration.

Effect of microtopography on osseointegration of implantable biomaterials and its modification strategies.

Orthopedic implants are widely used for the treatment of bone defects caused by injury, infection, tumor and congenital diseases. However, poor osseointegration and implant failures still occur frequently due to the lack of direct contact between the implant and the bone. In order to improve the biointegration of implants with the host bone, surface modification is of particular interest and requirement in the development of implant materials. Implant surfaces that mimic the inherent surface roughness and hydrophilicity of native bone have been shown to provide osteogenic cells with topographic cues to promote tissue regeneration and new bone formation. A growing number of studies have shown that cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation are sensitive to these implant surface microtopography. This review is to provide a summary of the latest science of surface modified bone implants, focusing on how surface microtopography modulates osteoblast differentiation in vitro and osseointegration in vivo, signaling pathways in the process and types of surface modifications. The aim is to systematically provide comprehensive reference information for better fabrication of orthopedic implants.

Improved fatigue properties, bone microstructure and blood glucose in type 2 diabetic rats with verapamil treatment.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic disease, which leads to a severe complication named increased bone fracture risk. This study aimed to explore if verapamil treatment could improve bone quality of type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Rat models of control, diabetes and verapamil treatment with 4/12/24/48 mg/kg/d were established, respectively. Blood glucose was monitored during 12-week treatment, and bilateral tibiae were collected. Microstructural images of bilateral metaphyseal cancellous bone and high-resolution images of cortical bone of left tibial shafts were obtained by micro-computed tomography. Fatigue properties of bone were evaluated via cyclic compressive tests of right tibial shafts. FINDINGS: Verapamil treatment had no significant effect on blood glucose, but blood glucose tended to decline with the increase of verapamil-treated time and dose. Compared with controls, osteocyte lacunar and canal porosities in diabetes and verapamil-treated groups were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), trabecular separation and degree of anisotropy were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while trabecular tissue mineral density, trabecular bone volume fraction and trabecular number in verapamil-treated (48 mg/kg/d) group were significantly higher than those in diabetes (P < 0.05). Compared with diabetes, initial compressive elastic moduli in verapamil-treated (12/24/48 mg/kg/d) groups were significantly increased (P < 0.05), while secant modulus degradations in verapamil-treated (24/48 mg/kg/d) groups were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). INTERPRETATION: Verapamil could improve bone microstructure and fatigue properties in type 2 diabetic rats; and high-dose verapamil presented a significant effect on improving bone quality. These findings provided a new possibility for preventing the high bone fracture risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in clinics.

A Comparative Study on the Multiscale Mechanical Responses of Human Femoral Neck Between the Young and the Elderly Using Finite Element Method.

Background: Femoral neck fracture (FNF) is the most serious bone disease in the elderly population. The multiscale mechanical response is a key to predicting the strength of the femoral neck, assessing the risk of FNF, and exploring the role of mechanosensation and mechanotransmission in bone remodeling, especially in the context of aging bone. Methods: Multiscale finite element (FE) models of the proximal femur for both young and elderly people were developed. The models included organ scale (proximal femur), tissue scale (cortical bone), tissue element scale (osteon), and cell scale [osteocyte lacuna-canalicular network (LCN) and extracellular matrix (ECM), OLCEM]. The mechanical responses of cortical bone and osteocytes in the mid-femoral neck and the differences in mechanical responses between these two scales were investigated. Results: The mechanical responses of cortical bone and osteocyte showed significant differences between the elderly and the young. The minimum principal strains and mean SEDs of cortical bone in the elderly were 2.067-4.708 times and 3.093-14.385 times of the values in the young, respectively; the minimum principal strains and mean SEDs of osteocyte in the elderly were 1.497-3.246 times and 3.044-12 times of the values in the young, respectively; the amplification factors of minimum principal strain in the inferior (Inf), anterior (Ant), and posterior (Post) quadrants in the young were 1.241-1.804 times of the values in the elderly, but the amplification factor of minimum principal strain in the superior (Sup) quadrant was 87.4% of the value in the elderly; the amplification factors of mean SED in the young were 1.124-9.637 times of the values in the elderly. Conclusion: The mass and bone mineral density (BMD) of cortical bone in the femoral neck is closely related to the mechanical response of osteocytes, which provides a new idea for improving cortical bone quality. Perhaps cortical bone quality could be improved by stimulating osteocytes. Quadrantal differences of bone quality in the mid-femoral neck should be considered to improve fracture risk prediction in the future.

Evaluating image quality and optimal parameters for non-linear blending dual-energy computed tomography images of hepatic portal veins by blending-property-map.

BACKGROUND: Blending technology is usually used to improve quality of dual-energy computed (DECT) images. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the blended DECT image qualities by employing the Blending-Property-Map (BP-Map) and elucidating the optimal parameters with the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). METHODS: Sixty pairs of 80 kV and 140 kV CT images are blended non-linearly by four methods. Protocol A uses the fixed values of blending width (BW) and blending center (BC); Protocol B uses the values of BW =  (CThepatic portal vein - CThepatic parenchymal) / 2 and BC =  (CThepatic portal vein + CThepatic parenchymal) / 2; Protocol C uses a BW ranging from 10 to 100 HU at an interval of 10 HU and BC = (CThepatic portal vein + CThepatic parenchymal) / 2; Protocol D uses the BP-Map that covers all possible values of BW and BC. RESULTS: When using CT value of adipose tissue as noise, the calculated SNR and CNR of optimal blending width and blending center were 123.22±41.73 and 9.00±3.52, respectively, by the BP-Map in the protocol D. By employing the CT value of back muscle as noise, the SNR and CNR of the best-blended images were 75.90±14.52 and 6.39±2.37, respectively. The subjective score of protocol D was 4.88±0.12. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to traditional blending methods, the BP-Map technique can determine the optimal blending parameter and provide the best-blended images with the highest SNR and CNR.

Prediction of Femoral Strength Based on Bone Density and Biochemical Markers in Elderly Men With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: Effects of bone density, bone turnover and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on femoral strength (FS) are still unclear in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aims to assess and predict femoral strength and its influencing factors in elderly men with T2DM. Methods: T2DM patients (n = 10, mean age, 66.98 years) and age-matched controls (n = 8, mean age, 60.38 years) were recruited. Femoral bone mineral density (BMD) and serum biochemical indices of all subjects were measured. FS was evaluated through finite element analysis based on quantitative computed tomography. Multiple linear regression was performed to obtain the best predictive models of FS and to analyze the ability of predictors of FS in both groups. Results: FS (p = 0.034), HbA1c (p = 0.000) and fasting blood glucose (p = 0.000) levels of T2DM group were significantly higher than those of control group; however, the P1NP level (p = 0.034) was significantly lower. FS was positively correlated with femoral neck T score (FNTS) (r = 0.794, p < 0.01; r = 0.881, p < 0.01) in both groups. FS was correlated with age (r = -0.750, p < 0.05) and pentosidine (r = -0.673, p < 0.05) in T2DM group. According to multiple linear regression, FNTS and P1NP both contributed to FS in two groups. P1NP significantly improved the prediction of FS in both groups, but significant effect of FNTS on predicting FS was only presented in control group. Furthermore, pentosidine, age and HbA1c all played significant roles in predicting FS of T2DM. Conclusion: Femoral strength was higher in elderly men with T2DM, which might be caused by higher BMD and lower bone turnover rate. Moreover, besides BMD and bone formation level, AGEs, blood glucose and age might significantly impact the prediction of femoral strength in T2DM.

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion ameliorates bone structures and mechanical properties in type 2 diabetic rats by regulating bone remodeling.

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) is an intensive insulin therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have poor glycemic control, but its effect on T2DM-related bone disorder is unclear. This study described the possible mechanisms by which CSII affects bone remodeling, structures, and mechanical properties in T2DM rats. Herein, male rats (6-week-old) were assigned randomly to 4-week and 8-week administration groups, each of which included healthy control, T2DM, CSII, and Placebo groups. Then, metabolic markers, bone formation and resorption markers in serum and protein expressions of osteoclastogenesis regulators in tibias were detected. Meanwhile, microstructures, nanostructures, macro-mechanical properties, nano-mechanical properties, and mineral compositions in femurs were evaluated. 4-week later, CSII treatment restored circulatory metabolites, bone formation and resorption markers, and osteoclastogenesis regulators, improved certain bone microstructures, decreased matrix mineralization, and increased fracture toughness in T2DM rats. For 8-week group, CSII treatment restored bone formation and resorption markers, osteoclastogenesis regulators, and bone microstructures, besides improved bone mineral compositions and nanostructures, enhanced bone mechanical properties such as fracture toughness, maximum load, elastic modulus, indentation modulus and hardness. Collectively, 8-week CSII treatment is more conducive to ameliorating bone structures and mechanical properties in T2DM rats by regulating bone remodeling compared with 4-week CSII treatment, thus improving whole bone quality and providing valuable information for clinical prevention and treatment of T2DM-related bone disorders.

Multiscale mechanical responses of young and elderly human femurs: A finite element investigation.

BACKGROUND: Bone remodeling in the elderly is no longer balanced. As a result, the morphologies and mechanical properties of bone at different scales will change. These changes would affect the mechanical responses of bone, which might exacerbate the imbalance of bone remodeling and even cause age-related bone diseases. METHODS: Considering those changes, multiscale finite element (FE) models of bone in the young and the elderly were developed that included macroscale (proximal femur), mesoscale (cortical bone), microscale (Haversian system) and sub-microscale (osteocyte-lacuna-canaliculus-extracellular matrix system, OLCES). The stress and strain distributions at different scales and transmissions among different scales were investigated. RESULTS: The stresses of the elderly at macroscale, mesoscale and microscale were higher than those in the young by 23.7%, 62.5% and 8.0%, respectively, and the stresses of the elderly and the young at sub-microscale were almost the same. The strain of the elderly at macroscale, mesoscale, microscale and sub-microscale were higher than those in the young by 48.6%, 56.8%, 11.9% and 25.1%, respectively. The stress and strain transmission rates (ησand ηε) from mesoscale to microscale were decreased by 1.8%, and 2.5% than those from macroscale to mesoscale in the elderly, respectively; but increased by 13.8%, and 4.7% in the young, respectively. ηε from microscale to sub-microscale in the elderly was higher than that in the young by 21.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Degeneration of cortical bone mechanical property in the elderly causes increases in stress and strain at macroscale and mesoscale. The reduction of lacunar number in the elderly is not conducive to the mechanical transmission from mesoscale to microscale. The differences in stress and strain at microscale between the young and the elderly are smaller than those at macroscale or mesoscale. The strain stimulus sensed by osteocyte in the elderly is not weakened compared with that in the young.

Influence of non-enzymatic glycation on the mechanical properties of cortical bone.

Poor bone quality induced by non-enzymatic glycation (NEG) of bone tissue in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is regarded as the major factor of bone fragility and affecting bone mechanical properties. A comprehensive and systemic mechanical investigation for evaluating the effect of NEG on bone was still lacking. In order to provide additional information for the bone quality of T2DM, the effects of NEG on mechanical properties of cortical bone were investigated in terms of elastoplasticity, fracture toughness and viscoelasticity. All samples of cortical bone, including the samples of strength test (n = 20), fracture toughness test (n = 40, quasi-static and fall-like conditions with displacement rates of 10-3 mm/s and 10 mm/s, respectively) and stress relaxation test (n = 20), were harvested from bovine tibiae. The samples of each test were equally divided into incubated-control group and ribose-incubated group. All mechanical tests were performed after incubating all samples for 15 days. Post-yield strain (p = 0.014), post-yield energy (p < 0.0001) and damage fraction (p = 0.040) of ribose-incubated group were significantly lower than those of incubated-control group, but secant modulus (p = 0.029) of ribose-incubated group was significantly higher than that of incubated-control group. In quasi-static condition, the plastic contribution Jpl of fracture toughness (p = 0.043) of ribose-incubated group was significantly lower than that of incubated-control group. In fall-like condition, there were no differences in Jpl, elastic contribution Jel and J-integral in both two groups. The quasi-static Jel (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001) of incubated-control and ribose-incubated groups and J-integral (p = 0.007) of incubated-control group were all significantly higher than those of fall-like condition. In stress relaxation test, initial modulus E0 (p = 0.040) and equilibrium modulus (p = 0.029) of ribose-incubated group were significantly higher than those of incubated-control group. Reductions of relaxation modulus, which were the differences between two adjacent time points within 700 s-3000 s for ribose-incubated group, were significantly lower than those of incubated-control group. NEG could decrease the post-yield properties and quasi-static facture toughness of cortical bone, especially the plastic contribution of quasi-static fracture toughness. It could also decrease the viscoelasticity of cortical bone. The present study confirmed the negative effects of NEG on the mechanical properties of cortical bone in terms of elastoplasticity, fracture toughness and viscoelasticity, but NEG had no significant effect on the fracture toughness of cortical bone at fall-like loading. These results provided more evidence for increased fragility of cortical bone in patients with T2DM.

Biochemical and Morphological Abnormalities of Subchondral Bone and Their Association with Cartilage Degeneration in Spontaneous Osteoarthritis.

This study aims to investigate how biochemical composition in subchondral bone (SB) relates to the sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content of articular cartilage (AC) in the knee joint of guinea pigs from the early to moderate osteoarthritis (OA). Male Dunkin Hartley strain guinea pigs were grouped according to age (1, 3, 6, and 9 months, with 10 guinea pigs in each group). The biochemical properties of the AC and SB in the tibial plateau of the guinea pigs were determined through histology and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Furthermore, the microstructures of the SB were investigated using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Increased thickness and bone mineral density (BMD) and decreased porosity were observed in the subchondral plate (SP) with the progression of spontaneous OA, accompanied by a decreasing trend in sGAG integrated optical density (IOD) of AC. Compared with the changes in the microstructure of subchondral bone, the content of sGAG was more correlated to the changes in the mineral/matrix ratio of subchondral bone. The mineralization of the matrix was significantly correlated to the content of sGAG compared with crystallinity/maturity and Type B carbonate substitution. PO43- ν1/Amide III was more correlated to the content of sGAG than PO43- ν1/Amide I, PO43- ν1/CH2 wag during the progression of spontaneous osteoarthritis. This study demonstrated that the mineralization of subchondral bone plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of OA. Future studies may access to the mineralization of subchondral bone in addition to its microstructure in the study for pathogenesis and early diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

MRI-derived porosity index is associated with whole-bone stiffness and mineral density in human cadaveric femora.

Ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures proton signals in cortical bone from two distinct water pools, bound water, or water that is tightly bound to bone matrix, and pore water, or water that is freely moving in the pore spaces in bone. By isolating the signal contribution from the pore water pool, UTE biomarkers can directly quantify cortical bone porosity in vivo. The Porosity Index (PI) is one non-invasive, clinically viable UTE-derived technique that has shown strong associations in the tibia with µCT porosity and other UTE measures of bone water. However, the efficacy of the PI biomarker has never been examined in the proximal femur, which is the site of the most catastrophic osteoporotic fractures. Additionally, the loads experienced during a sideways fall are complex and the femoral neck is difficult to image with UTE, so the usefulness of the PI in the femur was unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationships between the PI measure in the proximal cortical shaft of human cadaveric femora specimens compared to (1) QCT-derived bone mineral density (BMD) and (2) whole bone stiffness obtained from mechanical testing mimicking a sideways fall. Fifteen fresh, frozen whole cadaveric femora specimens (age 72.1 ± 15.0 years old, 10 male, 5 female) were scanned on a clinical 3-T MRI using a dual-echo UTE sequence. Specimens were then scanned on a clinical CT scanner to measure volumetric BMD (vBMD) and then non-destructively mechanically tested in a sideways fall configuration. The PI in the cortical shaft demonstrated strong correlations with bone stiffness (r = -0.82, P = 0.0014), CT-derived vBMD (r = -0.64, P = 0.0149), and with average cortical thickness (r = -0.60, P = 0.0180). Furthermore, a hierarchical regression showed that PI was a strong predictor of bone stiffness which was independent of the other parameters. The findings from this study validate the MRI-derived porosity index as a useful measure of whole-bone mechanical integrity and stiffness.

Influence of Rib Cage on Static Characteristics of Scoliotic Spine.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis is a three-dimensional (3D) deformity of the spine, which affects the patient's appearance and may lead to abnormal heart and lung function. The rib cage is a structure composed of ribs, sternum, and costal cartilage, which plays a vital role in stabilising the thoracolumbar spine. This study investigates the influence of the rib cage on the static characteristics of the scoliotic spine. METHODS: Two types of 3D finite element (FE) models with or without rib cage (from T1 to S) were established and analysed based on computed tomography (CT) images, to determine the effects of the rib cage on the static characteristics of the scoliotic spine. The FE software, ABAQUS, was used to analyse the static behaviours of scoliotic spine models under a range of loading conditions, including left side bending, right side bending, front tilt, rear supine, and vertical compression. The changes in the von Mises stress (VMS) within the intervertebral discs of spine models with or without rib cage were studied and compared. RESULTS: After including the rib cage, the maximum VMS at the stress concentrations of the normal and scoliotic spine effectively reduced. The VMS in normal intervertebral discs was gentler than that of scoliotic ones. However, the scoliotic spine was more likely to produce large stress concentration in the intervertebral discs of scoliotic segments. CONCLUSIONS: Under the common postures, intervertebral discs of scoliotic segments are more susceptible to generate stress concentrations compared with the normal spine. The rib cage could effectively keep the intervertebral discs of scoliotic segments from further injuries. These results are of great significance for the prevention and treatment of the scoliotic spine.

The influence of the rib cage on the static and dynamic stability responses of the scoliotic spine.

The thoracic cage plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the thoracolumbar spine. In this study, the influence of a rib cage on static and dynamic responses in normal and scoliotic spines was investigated. Four spinal finite element (FE) models (T1-S), representing a normal spine with rib cage (N1), normal spine without rib cage (N2), a scoliotic spine with rib cage (S1) and a scoliotic spine without rib cage (S2), were established based on computed tomography (CT) images, and static, modal, and steady-state analyses were conducted. In S2, the Von Mises stress (VMS) was clearly decreased compared to S1 for four bending loadings. N2 and N1 showed a similar VMS to each other, and there was a significant increase in axial compression in N2 and S2 compared to N1 and S1, respectively. The U magnitude values of N2 and S2 were higher than in N1 and S1 for five loadings, respectively. The resonant frequencies of N2 and S2 were lower than those in N1 and S1, respectively. In steady-state analysis, maximum amplitudes of vibration for N2 and S2 were significantly larger than N1 and S1, respectively. This study has revealed that the rib cage improves spinal stability in vibrating environments and contributes to stability in scoliotic spines under static and dynamic loadings.

Differential response to vibration of three forms of scoliosis during axial cyclic loading: a finite element study.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis is a serious disease that can affect all segments of society. Few studies have investigated the response to vibration of differing sinusoidal axial cyclic loading frequencies for different forms of scoliosis in the lumbar spine. METHODS: In this study, four finite element models, comprising a healthy spine, Lenke-A, Lenke-B and Lenke-C scoliosis of the lumbar S1-L1 region were developed. Modal analysis extracted resonant frequencies of the FE models with an upper body mass of 40 kg and 400 N preload. A transient dynamic analysis was performed to obtain the response to vibration of models under a sinusoidal axial loading of ± 40N at frequencies of 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 Hz using an upper body mass of 40 kg and 400 N preload. RESULTS: The first-order resonant frequencies of healthy, Lenke-A, Lenke-B and Lenke-C spines were 9.2, 3.9, 4.6 and 5.7 Hz, respectively. A Lenke-A lumbar spine was more likely to deform at a lower vibration frequency and Lenke-C deformed more easily at a higher vibration frequency. Furthermore, the vibration amplitude in the Y-direction (left-right) was greatest and least in the Z-direction (top-bottom). The frequency of cyclic loading closest to the resonant frequency resulted in a maximum value of peak-to-peak vibrational displacement. Furthermore, the vibrational amplitudes in patients with scoliosis were larger than they were in healthy subjects. In addition, axial displacement of the vertebrae in the healthy spine changed steadily whereas fluctuations in the scoliotic vertebrae in scoliosis patients were greater than that of other vertebrae. CONCLUSIONS: Different forms of scoliosis may have different vibrational characteristics, the scoliotic vertebrae being the weak link in scoliosis under loading condition of whole body vibration. Scoliosis was more sensitive to this form of vibration. Where the frequency of axial cyclic vibrational loading of the lumbar spine was closer to its resonant frequency, the vibrational amplitude was larger. These results suggest that vibration will exacerbate the degree of scoliosis and so such patients should reduce their exposure to vibration. Clinical treatment should pay attention to the scoliotic vertebrae and reduce their vibration. These findings may assist in the clinical prevention and treatment of scoliosis.

Brain dopaminergic system changes in drug addiction: a review of positron emission tomography findings.

Dopamine (DA) is considered crucial for the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, but its role in addiction remains unclear. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the first technology used for in vivo measurement of components of the dopaminergic system in the human brain. In this article, we review the major findings from PET imaging studies on the involvement of DA in drug addiction, including presynaptic DA synthesis, vesicular monoamine transporter 2, the DA transporter, and postsynaptic DA receptors. These results have corroborated the role of DA in addiction and increased the understanding of its underlying mechanisms.

Evaluating the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture as a treatment for childhood autism using single photon emission computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture (EA) in the treatment of childhood autism (CA) and evaluate its effectiveness using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS: A total of 55 CA patients (4.52±2.73 years) were enrolled in this study. All patients received EA treatments and were examined by SPECT before and after treatments. RESULTS: Following treatment, the intracerebral multiple focal radioactivity distribution defect areas of CA patients were observed to be partially filled. Specifically, significant differences in the ratios of regional cerebral blood flow and global cerebral blood flow before (Fb) and after (Fe) EA treatment in different lesions were observed (in the left prefrontal cortex, t=5.01, P<0.01; in the right prefrontal cortex, t=2.32, P<0.05; in the left temporal lobe, t=4.54, P<0.01; in the right temporal lobe, t=2.90, P<0.05; in the left Broca's area, t=5.82, P<0.01). After EA treatment, the patients exhibited symptomatic relief. CONCLUSION: EA is useful to treat CA and SPECT can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment.

[The basic structure of heavy-ion tumor therapy facility].

Heavy-ions have the similar characteristic of depth-dose distribution with protons, but exhibit enhanced physical and radiobiological benefits. With increasing development in technical and clinical research, more facilities are being installed in the world. At the same time, many critical techniques of heavy-ion therapy facility were optimized and completed. This paper classified and reviewed the basic structure of heavy-ion system equipments, especially the accelerator, gantry, nozzle , TPS.

[Treating coronary heart disease by acupuncture at neiguan (PC6) and xinahu (BL15): an efficacy assessment by SPECT].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in treating coronary heart disease (CHD) and its effect on the myocardial ischemia/perfusion and the recovery of heart functions. METHODS: Totally fifty-nine patients with confirmed CHD were randomly assigned to two groups, the acupuncture group (32 cases) and the nitroglycerine group (27 cases). Patients in the acupuncture group were electro-acupunctured at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Xinshu (BL15) for 30 min with the frequency of 2/15 Hz and the current strength 9 - 18 mA after myocardial imaging induced by routine exercises or drug load. 99mTc-MIBI 370 MBq was injected 15 min after needling. The myocardial perfusion imaging was performed immediately after needling. 99mTc-MIBI740 MBq was injected to those in the nitroglycerine group during routine exercises or drug load. The myocardial perfusion imaging was performed 5 min after injection. Patients were asked to sublingual administration of nitroglycerine 1 mg after the myocardial perfusion imaging was completed. 99mTc-MIBI 370 MBq was intravenously injected 5 min later, and myocardial perfusion imaging was performed 5 min after injection. RESULTS: There was statistical difference in changes of radioactive uptake between before and after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Both acupuncture and buccal administration of nitroglycerine could increase the blood perfusion of ischemic myocardium. But there was no statistical difference in the improvement of ischemic myocardial cells (t = 1.57, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Using SPECT could clearly display therapeutic effects of acupuncture on CHD, thus providing a new visible research method for CHD studies.