[Changes of brain pain center and default mode network an electro acupuncture in Weizhong and Dachangshu acupoints: a task-fMRI study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functional brain pain center and default mode network response to electro acupuncture stimulate in weizhong acupoints(BL40) and dachangshu acupoints(BL25). METHODS: During January to February 2015, volunteers were enrolled in this study from the staff and student interns of Gansu Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. A total of 20 healthy, right-handed subjects, male 9, female 11, age (23±3) years, participated in this study. Block design task functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) 3.0 T was performed in all subjects by electro acupuncture stimulating at BL40 and BL25 from the same experienced acupuncturist.The needle connected electric acupuncture apparatus through tow long coaxial-cable. A block design with five 120 s blocks of rest time (OFF block, electric acupuncture turn off ) interspersed between five 60 s blocks of stimulation (ON block, electric acupuncture turn on) fMRI scan. Magnetic resonance data of brain function was collected and FSL(fMRI Software Library) software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: All subjects' data were analyzed except 2 cases whose head movement were more than 2 mm. Activated brain function regions by electro acupuncture stimulate included temporal lobe lateral sulcus, lobus insularis, thalamus, supramarginal gyrus, prefrontal medial frontal gyrus. Negative activated brain regions included middle frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate cortex abdominal segment, parietal cortex.The functional pain central and default mode network were changed when electro acupuncture stimulate in(BL40) and(BL25). CONCLUSION: There are several brain activation regions and negative activated brain regions when administering electro acupuncture stimulation at BL40 and BL25.

Traumeel S in preventing and treating mucositis in young patients undergoing SCT: a report of the Children's Oncology Group.

Mucositis can be a serious complication of hematopoietic SCT (HSCT). A previous phase II trial in 32 children undergoing HSCT reported a beneficial effect of the homeopathic remedy Traumeel S. The Children's Oncology Group sought to replicate the results in a multi-institutional trial. The study was an international multi-center, double-blind, randomized trial comparing Traumeel with placebo in patients aged 3-25 years undergoing myeloablative HSCT. Traumeel/placebo was started on Day -1 as a five-time daily mouth rinse. Efficacy of the treatment was assessed using the modified Walsh scale for mucositis, scored daily from Day -1 to 20 days after HCST. The main outcome was the sum of Walsh scale scores (area-under-the-curve (AUC)) over this period. Other outcomes included narcotic use, days of total parenteral feeding, days of nasogastric feeding and adverse events. In 181 evaluable patients, there was no statistical difference in mucositis (AUC) in the Traumeel group (76.7) compared with placebo (67.3) (P=0.13). There was a trend towards less narcotic usage in the Traumeel patients. No statistically beneficial effect from Traumeel was demonstrated for mucositis. We could not confirm that Traumeel is an effective treatment for mucositis in children undergoing HSCT.

Use of health services by Chinese elderly in Beijing.

OBJECTIVES: This article provides an inquiry into use of health services by the elderly. METHODS: The authors operationalize models of use with a survey of 350 elderly Chinese. Because the survey involves native Chinese, the empirical test can isolate functional social support as well as "structural" social supports (marriage, living with children). RESULTS: The principal findings comport with prior work: the strongest determinants of the use of health services by the elderly are those that relate to need. In addition, structural social support impacts use but demonstrates complex patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of family support increases physician visits while diminishing the probability of a hospital stay. Increased Western physician use ties to increased use of Chinese physicians and increased hospitalization. Functional social support plays a role as well. Finally, income effects did not play a large role in determining the use of health services among this population.

Distribution of blood flow in the intestine with hypertonic glucose in the lumen.

The effects of luminal placement of 50 percent glucose solution on distribution of blood flow within the jejunal wall were studied with radioactive microspheres. Two types of spheres, 15 +/- 5 mu in diameter, were used. One was labeled with cerium- 141 (Ce- 141) and the other with strontium-85 (Sr-85). They were injected sequentially to test for reproducibility of the results. These two types of spheres gave similar results qualitatively and quantitatively. Luminal placement of 50 percent glucose increased total blood flow to the jejunal wall but the increase occurred mainly in the mucosal layer. The flow to the submucosa or muscularis-serosa was not altered. This increased mucosal flow was attenuated by prior exposure of the mucosa to a local anesthetic, dibucaine. It is suggested that the increased intestinal blood flow that occurs in the experimental dumping syndrome is confined to the mucosa of the intestine and is mediated by mechanisms that can be inhibited by exposing the mucosa to a local anesthetic.