ABSTRACT
The quantitative and reproducible analysis of the standard body movement in Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) was performed in this study. We aimed to provide a reference of the upper extremities for standardizing TCC practice. Microsoft Kinect was used to record the motion during the practice of TCC. The preparation form and eight essential forms of TCC performed by an instructor and 101 practitioners were analyzed in this study. The instructor completed an entire TCC practice cycle and performed the cycle 12 times. An entire cycle of TCC was performed by practitioners and images were recorded for statistics analysis. The performance of the instructor showed high similarity (Pearson correlation coefficient (r) = 0.71 ~ 0.84) to the first practice cycle. Among the 9 forms, lay form had the highest similarity (rmean = 0.90) and push form had the lowest similarity (rmean = 0.52). For the practitioners, ward off form (rmean = 0.51) and roll back form (rmean = 0.45) had the highest similarity with moderate correlation. We used Microsoft Kinect to record the spatial coordinates of the upper extremity joints during the practice of TCC and the data to perform quantitative and qualitative analysis of the joint positions and elbow joint angle.
Subject(s)
Models, Statistical , Movement/physiology , Tai Ji , Upper Extremity/physiology , Cohort Studies , Humans , Time and Motion StudiesABSTRACT
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accounts for over a half of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent malignant tumor of the liver. HBV-encoded X (HBx) plays critical roles in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. However, it is unclear whether and how HBx regulates the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), an important gene for cell growth. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the association between HBx and EGFR expression. In this study, we found that HBx upregulates miR-7 expression to target 3'UTR of EGFR mRNA, which in turn results in the reduction of EGFR protein expression in HCC cells. HBx-mediated EGFR suppression renders HCC cells a slow-growth behavior. Deprivation of HBx or miR-7 expression or restoration of EGFR expression can increase the growth rate of HCC cells. Our data showed the miR-7-dependent EGFR suppression by HBx, supporting an inhibitory role of HBx in the cell growth of HCC. These findings not only identify miR-7 as a novel regulatory target of HBx, but also suggest HBx-miR-7-EGFR as a critical signaling in controlling the growth rate of HCC cells.
ABSTRACT
Previous studies have shown the electromagnetic stimulation improves bone remodeling and bone healing. However, the effect of percutaneous electrical stimulation (ES) was not directly explored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effect of ES on improvement of bone repair. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for cranial implantation. We used a composite comprising genipin cross-linked gelatin mixed with tricalcium phosphate (GGT). Bone defects of all rats were filled with the GGT composites, and the rats were assigned into six groups after operation. The first three groups underwent 4, 8, and 12 weeks of ES, and the anode was connected to the backward of the defect on the neck; the cathode was connected to the front of the defect on the head. Rats were under inhalation anesthesia during the stimulation. The other three groups only received inhalation anesthesia without ES, as control groups. All the rats were examined afterward at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Radiographic examinations including X-ray and micro-CT showed the progressive bone regeneration in the both ES and non-ES groups. The amount of the newly formed bone increased with the time between implantation and examination in the ES and non-ES groups and was higher in the ES groups. Besides, the new bone growth trended on bilateral sides in ES groups and accumulated in U-shape in non-ES groups. The results indicated that ES could improve bone repair, and the effect is higher around the cathode.