Effects of Rehabilitation Training Combined with Acupuncture on Upper Limb Function of Stroke Patients Based on Kinect / 医用生物力学

Objective To investigate the effect of rehabilitation training combined with acupuncture ( RTA) on upper limb function of stroke patients by Kinect. Methods Stroke patients with upper limb dysfunction werrandomly divided into control group (rehabilitation training) and treatment group ( RTA), with 15 cases in each group. The modified Barthel Index ( MBI), Fugl Meyer assessment ( FMA), and Wolf motor function test (WMFT) were compared between two groups before and after treatment. The changes in motor time ( MT), motor unit number (MUN), index of curvature (IC), elbow flexion angle (EFA), shoulder flexion angle (SFA),and shoulder adduction angle ( SAA) during three actions, namely, placing forearm on the table, extending elbow and drinking water, were evaluated by Kinect and then compared between two groups before and after treatment. Results After 6 weeks of intervention, the scores of MBI, FMA, WMFT and elbow extension in treatment group were higher than those in control group (P<0. 05). The scores of MBI, FMA, WMFT and three actions after treatment were higher than those before treatment (P<0. 05). For three actions, the improvement of MT, MUN, IC, EFA, SFA, and SAA in treatment group were better than those in control group ( P< 0. 05). Compared with pre-treatment, for the action of forearm placement on the table and elbow extension, both treatment group and control group showed an increase in EFA (P<0. 05), and a decrease in MT, MUN, IC, SFA and SA (P<0. 05). For the action of drinking water, both treatment group and control group showed an increase in EFA and SAA (P< 0. 05), and a decrease in MT, MUN, IC and SAA ( P< 0. 05). Conclusions RTA can improve the upper limb function of stroke patients. Kinect can accurately reflect the changes in upper limb function of stroke patients, and it is suitable for clinical work.

A prophylactic effect of aluminium-based adjuvants against respiratory viruses via priming local innate immunity.

Infection caused by respiratory viruses can lead to a severe respiratory disease and even death. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease, but it cannot be quickly applied when facing an emerging infectious disease. Here, we demonstrated that immunization with an aluminium-zinc hybrid particulate adjuvant (FH-001) alone, bearing great resemblance in morphology with commonly used aluminium-based adjuvants in vaccines, could quickly induce mice to generate a broadly protective immune response to resist the lethal challenge of influenza B viruses. Furthermore, a multi-omics-based analysis revealed that the alveolar macrophage and type I interferon pathway, rather than adaptive immunity and type II interferon pathway, were essential for the observed prophylactic effect of FH-001. More importantly, a similar protective effect was observed against influenza A virus strain A/Shanghai/02/2013(H7N9), A/California/04/2009(H1N1) and respiratory syncytial virus. Therefore, we introduced here a new and promising strategy that can be quickly applied during the outbreak of emerging respiratory viruses.

Effects of volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus for treatment of mice with myocardial injury caused by viral myocarditis / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus on myocardial injury caused by viral myocarditis in mice and explore its possible mechanism.Methods Totally 160 adult male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal control group (10) and viral myocarditis group (150).Viral myocarditis mice models were reproduced by intraperitoneal inoculation with a solution of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3),a viral strain with affinity to myocardium,and then randomly divided into model,astragalus group,and low-,medium-,and high-dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups.After 1 hour of viral infection,normal control group and model group mice were given normal saline by intragastric administration,astragalus group mice were injected with astragalus 0.1 mL in each mouse by intraperitoneal injection,and the mice in other three groups were given low,medium and high dose (2％,5％,10％) 0.3 mL volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus in each mouse by intragastric administration,respectively,once a day for one week consecutively.The mortality,heart/body weight ratio,the activity of natural killer cells (NK cell),virus titer in myocardial homogenate,serum cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI) level and myocardial pathological changes were observed.Results ① Mortality:the mortality of model group was higher than that of the normal control group,astragalus group,low and medium dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups (60.0％ vs.0％,23.3％,20.0％,28.7％),and the difference in the mortality being of no statistical significance between model group and that of high-dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus group (60.0％ vs.47.6％,P ＞ 0.05);the mortality of astragalus group was obviously lower than that of high-dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus group (P ＜ 0.01),and the differences in comparisons between the mortalities of astragalus intervention group,and medium-and low-dose volatile oil groups were not statistically significant (all P ＞ 0.05),and the comparison of mortality between low-and medium-dose volatile oil groups were also not statistically significant (P ＞ 0.05).② Immunization parameters:on the 8th day after modeling,the activity of NK cells in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal control group [(15.91 ± 3.87)％ vs.(38.50 ± 2.32)％],the activities of NK cells in astragalus group,medium-and low-dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups were significantly higher than that in model group [(19.38 ± 3.27)％,(18.54 ± 3.09)％,(18.36 ± 2.64)％ vs.(15.91 ± 3.87)％,all P ＜ 0.05].None of virus was detected in the myocardial homogenate in the normal control group,and the virus titers in astragalus group,low and medium dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups were significantly lower than the titer of the model group (10-9/mL:1.96 ± 0.44,1.95 ± 0.46,1.95 ± 0.48 vs.2.41 ± 0.51,all P ＜0.01).③ Myocardial injury parameters:the level of cTnI in the normal control group was less than 0.1 μg/L,obviously lower than that in the model group [(15.84 ± 3.89) μg/L],as well as the ratio of heart/body weight in model group was also significantly higher than that in normal control group (× 10-4:8.3 ± 1.3 vs.4.6 ± 0.1),and the cTnI and the ratio of heart/body weight of astragalus intervention group,low and medium dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups were markedly lower than those of model group [cTnI (mg/L):10.03 ± 2.35,10.81 ± 2.56,11.10 ± 1.89 vs.15.84 ± 3.89,ratio of heart/body weight (× 10-4):7.2 ± 0.8,7.3 ± 1.0,7.3 ± 0.6 vs.8.3 ± 1.3].In the normal control group,there were no inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis in myocardial tissue,the scores of myocardial pathological changes were 0.In the model group,the scores of inflammatory cell infiltration (3.25 ± 0.45) and of necrosis (2.91 ± 0.51) were markedly higher than those in the normal control group.And the above scores in astragalus group,low and medium dose volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus groups were significantly lower than those of the model group (infiltration score:2.92 ± 0.39,2.95 ± 0.35,2.95 ± 0.37 vs.3.25 ± 0.45,necrosis score:2.46 ± 0.50,2.50 ± 0.51,2.54 ± 0.50 vs.2.91 ± 0.51,all P ＜0.05).Conclusions Volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus can protect cardiomyocytes by removing the virus and regulating the immune function in the body.But the protective effects of volatile oil from artemisia dracunculus is related to the dosage,and the effects of low and medium dose are better.

Screening and identification of natural antisense transcripts in Helicobacter pylori by a novel approach based on RNase I protection assay.

Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are endogenous RNA molecules that exhibit partial or complete complementarity to other RNAs. Studies have shown that NATs may participate in a broad range of gene regulatory events. The identification of NATs in human, mouse and Escherichia coli has revealed their widespread occurrence in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic life. However, little is known about NATs in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a human pathogen which is associated with gastric diseases. Here we systematically screened NATs in H. pylori by a novel experimental strategy based on RNase I protection assay. We successfully constructed a cDNA library of NATs and developed a novel poly(A)-tailed RT-PCR method to monitor the expression of NATs. After sequencing, bioinformatic analysis and expression detection, two novel NATs (NAT-39 and NAT-67) were confirmed. They were, respectively, complementary to the following genes: iron-regulated outer membrane protein (frpB) and periplasmic iron-binding protein (ceuE). Taken together, the results suggest that NAT-39 and NAT-67 may participate in the regulation of iron homeostasis in H. Pylori in a sequence complementary manner with target mRNAs.

[Clinical study on Fufang Sishen Decoction in treating arrhythmia after virus myocarditis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Fufang Sishen Decoction (FFSSD) on arrhythmia after virus myocarditis. METHODS: One hundred and two cases of arrhythmia after virus myocarditis were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group was treated with FFSSD, 6 g, b.i.d.; and the control group with propafenone, 150 mg, q 8 h. The therapeutic effects were observed in 4 weeks. RESULTS: The total anti-arrhythmia effects of FFSSD and propafenone were 71.9% and 78.9% respectively (P>0.05). FFSSD took effects relatively slowly with mild and lasting effect. CONCLUSION: The curative effect of FFSSD in treating arrhythmia after virus myocarditis is confirmed. FFSSD has no obvious side effects.