The moderating effect of intergenerational relationships on the association between Internet engagement and mental well-being.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the moderating effect of intergenerational relationships on the association between Internet engagement and older Chinese adults' mental well-being and whether this relationship and the moderating role of intergenerational relationships differs by age. METHODS: We collected survey data from 1,162 participants aged 60 and older. Using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) to measure life satisfaction, the Chinese version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale to evaluate loneliness, and the Intergenerational Relationship Quality Scale for Aging Chinese Parents (IRQS-AP) to assess intergenerational relationship quality. Two-stage least squares regression with interaction terms was used to examine the moderating effect of intergenerational relationships on the association between Internet engagement and mental well-being in different age groups. RESULTS: Higher levels of Internet engagement were significantly associated with better life satisfaction and lower loneliness in older adults, particularly for the young-old. Furthermore, the positive association between Internet engagement and mental well-being was stronger for older adults with conflicted or detached intergenerational relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Encouraging and training older adults to use the Internet to shrink the digital divide, developing a sound Internet infrastructure, providing low-cost Internet services, particularly for the young-old with conflicted or detached intergenerational relationships, and the old-old.

Adversarial learning for semi-supervised pediatric sleep staging with single-EEG channel.

Despite the progress recently made towards automatic sleep staging for adults, children have complicated sleep structures that require attention to the pediatric sleep staging. Semi-supervised learning, i.e., training networks with both labeled and unlabeled data, greatly reduces the burden of epoch-by-epoch annotation for physicians. However, the inherent class-imbalance problem in sleep staging task undermines the effectiveness of semi-supervised methods such as pseudo-labeling. In this paper, we propose a Bi-Stream Adversarial Learning network (BiSALnet) to generate pseudo-labels with higher confidence for network optimization. Adversarial learning strategy is adopted in Student and Teacher branches of the two-stream networks. The similarity measurement function minimizes the divergence between the outputs of the Student and Teacher branches, and the discriminator continuously enhances its discriminative ability. In addition, we employ a powerful symmetric positive definite (SPD) manifold structure in the Student branch to capture the desired feature distribution properties. The joint discriminative power of convolutional features and nonlinear complex information aggregated by SPD matrices is combined by the attention feature fusion module to improve the sleep stage classification performance. The BiSALnet is tested on pediatric dataset collected from local hospital. Experimental results show that our method yields the overall classification accuracy of 0.80, kappa of 0.73 and F1-score of 0.76. We also examine the generality of our method on a well-known public dataset Sleep-EDF. Our BiSALnet exhibits noticeable performance with accuracy of 0.91, kappa of 0.85 and F1-score of 0.77. Remarkably, we have obtained comparable performance with state-of-the-art supervised approaches with fairly limited labeled data.

GSTM1 null polymorphisms and oral cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

Many studies have examined the association between the GSTM1 null gene polymorphism and oral cancer risk in various populations, but their results have been inconsistent. To assess this relationship more precisely, a meta-analysis was performed. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for case-control studies published up to May 2013. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Ultimately, 39 studies, comprising of 4,704 oral cancer cases and 7,090 controls, were included. Overall, for null versus present, the pooled OR was 1.29 (95% CI = 1.20-1.40), and the heterogeneity was found in all studies. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant risks were found among Asians (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.27-1.53; P = 0.000 for heterogeneity), but not in Caucasians (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.83-1.18; P = 0.677 for heterogeneity). In conclusion, this meta-analysis demonstrates that the GSTM1 null gene polymorphism may be an increased risk of oral cancer in Asians but not in Caucasians.

The Effect of Post-Activation Potentiation Enhancement Alone or in Combination with Caffeine on Anaerobic Performance in Boxers: A Double-Blind, Randomized Crossover Study.

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is a physiological phenomenon that refers to an acute excitation of the neuromuscular system following intense exercise that ends in enhanced physical performance in a subsequent bout of exercise. The scientific literature has primarily examined the effectiveness of PAPE alone or combined with caffeine (CAF) intake in all-out tests lasting ≤10 s, as the effect of PAPE is transitory. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a protocol to induce PAPE alone or in combination with caffeine intake on the 30 s Wingate Anaerobic Test in highly trained boxers. Twenty-five male and highly trained boxers (mean age: 20 ± 1 years) participated in a double-blind, randomized crossover study consisting of three different experimental conditions: (i) control (CON), with no substance intake and no PAPE protocol before the Wingate Anaerobic Test; (ii) PAPE + PLA, involving the intake of a placebo 60 min before and a PAPE protocol comprising a 10 s cycling sprint overloaded with 8.5% of the participants' body weight 10 min before the Wingate Anaerobic Test; and (iii) PAPE + CAF, involving the intake of 3 mg/kg of caffeine 60 min before and the same PAPE protocol used in the (ii) protocol before the Wingate Anaerobic Test. In all conditions, the participants performed the 30 s version of the Wingate Anaerobic Test with a load equivalent to 7.5% of their body weight, while the cycle ergometer setting was replicated. Immediately following the Wingate test, heart rate (HR), the rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and blood lactate concentration (Bla) were measured. In comparison to CON, PAPE + PLA enhanced mean power (p = 0.024; Effect size [ES] = 0.37) and total work (p = 0.022; ES = 0.38) during the Wingate test, accompanied by an increase in post-test blood lactate concentration (p < 0.01; ES = 0.83). In comparison to CON, PAPE + CAF enhanced mean power (p = 0.001; ES = 0.57), peak power (p = 0.013; ES = 0.57), total work (p = 0.001; ES = 0.53), post-test blood lactate concentration (p < 0.001; ES = 1.43) and participants' subjective perception of power (p = 0.041). There were no differences in any variable between PAPE + PLA and PAPE + CAF. In summary, a PAPE protocol that involves a 10 s all-out sprint 10 min before the Wingate Anaerobic Test was effective in enhancing Wingate mean power in highly trained boxers. The addition of 3 mg/kg of caffeine to the PAPE protocol produced an effect on mean power of a higher magnitude than PAPE alone, and it enhanced peak power along with participants' subjective perception of power. From a practical point of view, PAPE before exercise seems to be an effective approach for increasing Wingate performance in highly trained boxers, while the addition of caffeine can increase some benefits, especially peak power.

Prognostic significance of VEGF immunohistochemical expression in oral cancer: a meta-analysis of the literature.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered as a prime mediator of angiogenesis and has been implicated in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Various studies examined the relationship between VEGF protein overexpression with the clinical outcome in patients with oral cancer, but yielded conflicting results. Electronic databases updated to March 2013 were searched to find relevant studies. A meta-analysis was conducted with eligible studies which quantitatively evaluated the relationship between VEGF overexpression and survival of patients with oral cancer. Survival data were aggregated and quantitatively analyzed. We performed a meta-analysis of 17 studies (n = 1,207 patients) that evaluated the correlation between VEGF overexpression detected by immunohistochemistry and survival in patients with oral cancer. Combined hazard ratios suggested that VEGF overexpression had an unfavorable impact on overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.89; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.24-2.55) and disease-free survival (HR = 2.08; 95 % CI, 1.14-3.02) in patients with oral cancer: 1.77 (1.09-1.44) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients and 4.28 (1.35-7.21) in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the salivary glands. No significant heterogeneity was observed among all studies. VEGF overexpression indicates a poor prognosis for patients with oral SCC, ACC, and MEC of the salivary glands.

VEGF +936C/T and +460C/T gene polymorphisms and oral cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

Many studies have examined the association between the VEGF +936C/T (rs833061) and +460C/T (rs3025039) gene polymorphisms and oral cancer risk in various populations, but their results have been inconsistent. To assess this relationship more precisely, we performed a meta-analysis. The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for case-control studies that were published up to January 2013. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Ultimately, six studies were included, comprising 1006 oral cancer cases and 1016 controls. Overall, the pooled OR for VEGF +936 T allele carriers (TC + TT) versus the wild-type homozygotes (CC) was 1.28 (95 % CI 1.04-1.58; P = 0.228 for heterogeneity), the pooled OR for TT versus CC was 1.64 (95 % CI 1.34-1.98; P = 0.315 for heterogeneity), and the pooled OR for the T allele versus the C allele was 1.42 (95 % CI 1.22-1.76; P = 0.286 for heterogeneity). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significant risks were found among Caucasians but not Asians. However, there were no associations between VEGF +460C/T and oral cancer risk in only two of the included studies. In conclusion, this meta-analysis demonstrates that the VEGF +936 T allele may be associated with an increased risk of oral cancer, especially among Caucasian populations.

Long-term Care Insurance and Health and Perceived Satisfaction of Older Chinese: Comparisons Between Urban/Rural Areas, Chronic Conditions, and Their Intersectionality.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the impact of long-term care insurance (LTCI) on health and well-being has predominantly come from developed countries. China officially launched its city-level LTCI policy in 2016. Recent evidence in China has shown that having an LTCI program contributes to positive health. However, it is unclear whether such positive policy effects were attributed to policy announcement or implementation effects, and whether the policy effects vary by locality, chronic conditions, and their intersectionality. This study examines whether there are longitudinal health benefits for older Chinese who are participating in LTCI, particularly considering their city location (urban/rural), whether they have chronic conditions, and the intersectionality. METHODS: Following the Andersen Behavioral Model, health and satisfaction outcomes of 9253 adults aged 60+ years were extracted from the 2015 and 2018 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Individual data were linked to census socioeconomic data with city-level characteristics and LTCI policy variable. Multilevel lagged regression models investigated the impact of LTCI policy on health and satisfaction with health services, after controlling for baseline individual- and city-level covariates. RESULTS: Of 125 cities in the dataset, 21 (16.8%) had adopted LTCI. These city inhabitants had significantly better self-rated health and higher satisfaction relative to cities without LTCI policies when environmental- and personal-level characteristics were modeled. Health benefits of LTCI were stronger after policy announcement and were particularly observed among rural older adults and those with chronic conditions. Results also suggest that LTCI's positive effects on satisfaction spill over to middle-aged adults. CONCLUSION: Expanding coverage and eligibility to LTCI for all older Chinese could improve health and well-being.

MtCLSS: Multi-Task Contrastive Learning for Semi-Supervised Pediatric Sleep Staging.

The continuing increase in the incidence and recognition of children's sleep disorders has heightened the demand for automatic pediatric sleep staging. Supervised sleep stage recognition algorithms, however, are often faced with challenges such as limited availability of pediatric sleep physicians and data heterogeneity. Drawing upon two quickly advancing fields, i.e., semi-supervised learning and self-supervised contrastive learning, we propose a multi-task contrastive learning strategy for semi-supervised pediatric sleep stage recognition, abbreviated as MtCLSS. Specifically, signal-adapted transformations are applied to electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of the full night polysomnogram, which facilitates the network to improve its representation ability through identifying the transformations. We also introduce an extension of contrastive loss function, thus adapting contrastive learning to the semi-supervised setting. In this way, the proposed framework learns not only task-specific features from a small amount of supervised data, but also extracts general features from signal transformations, improving the model robustness. MtCLSS is evaluated on a real-world pediatric sleep dataset with promising performance (0.80 accuracy, 0.78 F1-score and 0.74 kappa). We also examine its generality on a well-known public dataset. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the MtCLSS framework for EEG based automatic pediatric sleep staging in very limited labeled data scenarios.

Effects of core resistance training on pugilism in boxers / Efeitos do treinamento de força do centro abdominal sobre o pugilismo em boxeadores / Efectos del entrenamiento de fuerza del centro abdominal sobre el pugilismo en boxeadores

ABSTRACT Introduction: Resistance training aims to improve the physical fitness of an athlete by improving their balance, movement, and agility skills. Boxers should have complementary attention to the strength of the core, a key area for boxing skills. Objective: Examine the effects of core strength training on pugilism in boxers. Methods: Ten volunteer professional boxers were selected. All undergo three months of core strength training under the described protocol. The athletes' sport quality index was studied using mathematical statistics. Results: After 3 months of core strength training, the physical test result was significantly higher (P<0.01). Although in 400-meter runs, sandbag training and interval running scores were higher than before training, the difference was insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The core strength exercises improve the body mass of a boxing athlete and the level of their boxing. Supplementing athletes with core resistance training during regular exercise is indicated. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: O treinamento de força visa a melhorar a aptidão física de um atleta melhorando suas habilidades de equilíbrio, movimento e agilidade. Os boxeadores devem ter uma atenção complementar na força do centro abdominal, área fundamental para as habilidades pugilistas. Objetivo: Examinar os efeitos do treinamento de força do centro abdominal sobre o pugilismo em boxeadores. Métodos: Foram selecionados dez boxeadores profissionais voluntários. Todos passam por três meses de treinamento de força do centro abdominal sob protocolo descrito. O índice de qualidade esportiva dos atletas foi estudado com a utilização de estatísticas matemáticas. Resultados: Após 3 meses de treinamento de força do centro abdominal, o resultado de teste físico foi significativamente superior (P<0,01). Embora nos 400 metros de corrida, treinamento com saco de areia e pontuação de corrida em intervalos fossem mais altos do que aqueles antes do treinamento, a diferença não foi significativa (P>0,05). Conclusão: Exercícios de força do centro abdominal melhoram a massa corporal de um atleta do boxe e o nível de seu pugilismo. É indicado aos atletas um complemento com fortalecimento do centro abdominal durante o exercício regular. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: El entrenamiento de fuerza tiene como objetivo mejorar la condición física de un deportista mediante la mejora de sus habilidades de equilibrio, movimiento y agilidad. Los boxeadores deben prestar una atención complementaria a la fuerza del núcleo abdominal, una zona fundamental para las habilidades pugilísticas. Objetivo: Examinar los efectos del entrenamiento de la fuerza del núcleo abdominal en el pugilismo de los boxeadores. Métodos: Se seleccionaron diez boxeadores profesionales voluntarios. Todos se someten a tres meses de entrenamiento de fuerza en el centro abdominal según el protocolo descrito. El índice de calidad deportiva de los atletas se estudió mediante estadísticas matemáticas. Resultados: Después de 3 meses de entrenamiento de fuerza en el núcleo abdominal, el resultado de la prueba física fue significativamente mayor (P<0,01). Aunque en la carrera de 400 metros, el entrenamiento con saco de arena y la puntuación de la carrera a intervalos fueron superiores a los de antes del entrenamiento, la diferencia no fue significativa (P>0,05). Conclusión: Los ejercicios de fuerza del núcleo abdominal mejoran la masa corporal de un atleta de boxeo y el nivel de su boxeo. Para los deportistas está indicado un complemento con el entrenamiento de fuerza del núcleo abdominal durante el ejercicio regular. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

An animal model for inducing anterior disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint.

AIMS: To develop an animal model of anterior disc displacement (ADD) without the need for opening the temporomandibular joint (TMI) capsule. METHODS: Thirty-two healthy adult Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. Four rabbits were dissected to familiarize the investigators with the anatomy of the TMJ. Sixteen animals were subjected to surgical ADD in the right TMJ, 8 animals had a sham operation, and 4 animals were not operated (normal controls). Four rabbits from the experimental ADD group and 2 from the sham group were sacrificed 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively. The rabbits in normal control group were sacrificed at the beginning of the experiment. Animal behaviors as well as macro- and microchanges in the TMJs were investigated. RESULTS: Fifteen right TMJ discs in the 16 experimental rabbits were successfully displaced anteriorly, and the degree of ADD in the experimental group was similar. The mandible of each ADD rabbit deviated to the left side with inclined attrition of the incisors. Some histologic changes appeared in the experimental TMJs. CONCLUSION: This ADD technique without the need for opening the TMJ capsule is effective, and the model is suitable for studying ADD of the TMJ.

Gene expression of fibrinolytic factors urokinase plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in rabbit temporo-mandibular joint cartilage with disc displacement.

BACKGROUND: The urokinase plasminogen activator system is believed to play an important role in degradation of the extracellular matrix associated with cartilage and bone destruction; however its precise roles in temporomandibular disorders have not yet been clarified. The aims of this study were to investigate the gene expression of fibrinolytic factors urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the articular cartilage of rabbit temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with disc displacement (DD) and to probe the relationship between fibrinolytic activity and cartilage remodeling. METHODS: Disc displacement of right joints was performed in 36 of 78 rabbits under investigation. The animals were sacrificed at 4 days and 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, respectively. The right joints of these animals were harvested and processed for the examination of mRNA expression of uPA and PAI-1 in articular cartilage using in situ hybridization techniques. RESULTS: The expression of uPA and PAI-1 was co-expressed weakly in the chondrocytes from transitive zone to hypertrophic zone and mineralized zone, while no hybridizing signals were shown in proliferative zone and superficial zone in control rabbits. The most striking was the up-regulation of uPA and PAI-1 mRNA in 4-day rabbits postoperatively at the onset of cartilage degeneration. The strongest hybridizing signals for uPA and PAI-1 were seen in 2-week rabbits postoperatively. After 2 weeks, the expression of uPA and PAI-1 began to decrease and reached nearly normal level at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of the uPA/PAI-1 system coincides with the pathological changes in condylar cartilage after DD. The uPA/PAI-1 system may be one of the essential mediators in articular cartilage remodeling.

Adaptive alterations of elastic fibers in the bilaminar zone of rabbit temporomandibular joint following disc displacement.

OBJECTIVE: To study the adaptive alterations of elastic fibers in the bilaminar zone (BZ) of rabbit temporomandibular joint (TMJ) following disc displacement. METHODS: Twenty-eight Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. The right temporomandibular joints of 20 of 28 rabbits were subjected to the surgical procedure of anterior disc displacement (ADD). Four rabbits in the surgical group were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after operation. Their temporomandibular joints were studied histochemically. RESULTS: Elastic fibers were reduced in number and ran irregularly in the superior lamina of BZ from ADD rabbits. The jungly elastic fibers (EFs) could still be seen at 2 weeks after operation. At 4 weeks, the number of EFs decreased significantly; EFs lost their jungly arrangement and were shaped like rough dots, of which the arrangement and the lengths were different. Six weeks after operation, many EFs were replaced by distorted, uneven, non-oriented fine EFs, distributed unevenly and some thick or fine EFs that ran irregularly. The number of EFs decreased further and their arrangement was more deranged at 8 weeks. At 10 and 12 weeks, EFs in the superior lamina of BZ were similar to those at 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: Our results show that EFs lost their function as well as their distribution and arrangement after disc displacement.

[Experimental study of the mechanism of chondroid metaplasia of the bilaminar zone following anterior disc displacement of temporomandibular joint].

PURPOSE: To investigate the source of the metaplasia chondrocytes in the bilaminar zone following anterior disc displacement (ADD) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). METHODS: 12 Japanese adult rabbits were randomly divided into A and B groups. Each group contained 4 experimental and 2 control rabbits. The disc of the experimental rabbits was induced forward and fixed into the holes made in the zygomatic arch. Group A was stained by HE and examined for the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) by immunohistochemical methods. Group B was observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Chondrocytes appeared in the bilaminar zone of each experimental rabbit. Both PCNA and FGFR3 were positive in part of them. Under TEM, some cells took on the double characters of chondrocyte and fibroblast and some others appeared the characters of naive cells. CONCLUSIONS: Following ADD of TMJ, some metaplasia chondrocytes might be proliferated and differentiated from mesenchymal stem cells.

[Effect of disc displacement on mRNA expression of urokinase plasminogen activator and its inhibitor-1 in synovial tissues].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of anterior disc displacement on the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator and its inhibitor-1 (uPA/PAI-1) in synovial tissues. METHODS: Forty Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. The animals were killed at 4 days, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks postoperatively, respectively. In situ hybridization technology was applied to detect the expression of uPA/PAI-1 mRNA in synovial membrane. RESULTS: In normal synovial tissues, synovial lining cells and a few fibrosblasts with mild positive staining were occasionally seen. More synovial lining cells and fibrosblasts with moderate postive signals were found 1 week after operation. Since then, the degree of staining for uPA/PAI-1 increased gradually. By the end of 12 weeks postoperatively, strong signals of uPA/PAI-1 mRNA were detected. CONCLUSION: There is a harmonized uPA/PAI-1 system existing in synovial tissues. The high expression of uPA and PAI-1 mRNA in synovial tissues indicates that the uPA/PAI-1 system may play an important role in the process of synovitis resulted from anterior disc displacement.

[The morphology of the cells in the cartilage of rabbit mandibular condyle].

PURPOSE: To study the tissue layers and their function of the cartilage in mandibular condyle in rabbits. METHODS: Six adult Japanese white rabbits were subjected. Their temporomandibular joints were studied by immunohistochemistry for FGFR3 and PCNA, and in situ hybridization for aggrecan and collagen II mRNA expression, as well as ultrastructure. RESULTS: The upper proliferative cells did not express FGFR3, but the lower proliferative cells expressed FGFR3. Only few cells in the upper proliferative layer were PCNA positive, but all cells in the lower proliferative layer were positive for PCNA. No collagen II mRNA expression was found in the upper proliferative cell, but aggrecan and collagen II mRNA coexpressed in the lower proliferative layer. The cells in both layers were different in ultrastructure. CONCLUSION: The cartilage in mandibular condyle should have the 5 following tissue layer: fibrous layer, proliferative layer, transitional layer, cartilaginous layer and calcified cartilaginous layer. The cells in the proliferative layer are undifferentiated and the cells in the differentiated layer are prechondrocytes.

[The relationship between lymphangiogenesis and cervical lymph node micrometastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To probe the relationship between lymphangiogenesis and cervical lymph node micrometastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: The microlymphatic vessel density was detected with enzyme histo-chemical method in 47 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of normal oral mucosa; 355 lymphnodes were detected with immunohistochemically using monoantibody AE3. RESULTS: The mean MLVD was 14.04 +/- 6.92 in tumor group, or 5.48 +/- 2.62 in normal group. The difference was (P < 0.001). The percentage of tumor with expression CK was 48.9%. The mean MLVD was 16.94 +/- 5.43 in CK positive group, or 11.26 +/- 5.00 in CK negative group, There was difference significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lymphangiogenesis plays a key role in cervical lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

[Disc-like changes and type II collagen mRNA expression in the bilaminar zone of rabbit temporomandibular joint following disc displacement].

OBJECTIVE: To study the adaptive alteration in bilaminar zone of rabbits' temporomandibular joint following disc displacement. METHODS: Twenty-six Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. Among these rabbits,6 were used as controls. The right discs of other 20 rabbits were displaced anteriorly by operation. Four of these rabbits were killedatn 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively after surgery. The TMJS were studied by HE staining, Alcin bluen staining and in situ detection of type II collagen mRNA expression. RESULTS: There appeared cartilage metaplasia after one week following disc displacement. Typical chondrocytes could be found in the bilaminar zone. The new chondrocytes expressed type II collagen. CONCLUSIONS: The bilaminar zone of TMJ will be remodeled following disc displacement and become a disc-like tissue to function as a disc.

[Expression related to vascular endothelial growth factor C and induced nitride oxide synthesizase in lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and induced nitride oxide synthesizase (iNOS) expression in lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: Samples were obtained from 47 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 15 cases with normal oral mucosa, VEGF-C and iNOS mRNA expression were detected by RT-PCR method. Lymph node micrometastasis of 10 normal lymph nodes and 355 lymph nodes from 47 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma was detected with immunohistochemical reaction in cytokeratin antibody. RESULTS: The percentages in tumors with higher expression were 57.4% for VEGF-C, 68.1% for iNOS (P < 0.05). They were significantly higher than that of normal groups. Significant positive relationship was found between VEGF-C and iNOS (P < 0.01). The positive rate of cytokeratin (CK) was 48.9%. Significant positive relationship was found between VEGF-C and CK, iNOS and CK (P < 0.01). The expression rates of CK in positive group of VEGF-C and iNOS were 63.0%, 65.6% respectively, and were significant higher than negative groups. CONCLUSION: Expression of VEGF-C and iNOS in lymph node micrometastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma is significant related.