Effects of Cervical Rotatory Manipulation on Hemodynamics and Plaque Stability of Atherosclerotic Internal Carotid Artery in Rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cervical rotatory manipulation (CRM) on hemodynamics and plaque stability of atherosclerotic internal carotid artery (ICA) in rabbits. METHODS: Forty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: (1) internal carotid atherosclerosis (ICAS) rabbits treated with CRM (ICAS-CRM group); (2) ICAS rabbits treated without CRM (ICAS group), (3) Normal-CRM group (normal rabbits treated with CRM), and (4) blank control group. In the ICAS-CRM group and ICAS group, the ICAS model was induced by ICA balloon injury combined with a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. CRM was applied to rabbits in the ICAS-CRM and the Normal-CRM groups. During the study, an ultrasonography examination was performed for detecting plaque and hemodynamics on the ICAs. At the end of the study, all atherosclerotic ICAs were removed for histological and immunohistochemical detection. RESULTS: The hemodynamics (especially end-diastolic velocity, resistance index, and pulsatility index) through the ICAs were adversely affected by atherosclerosis while not adversely affected by CRM. Compared with the ICAS group, the micro-vessel density and average integrated optical densities of macrophages in the ICAS-CRM group were significantly increased. Compared to the ICAS group, in the ICAS-CRM group, the atherosclerosis was more serious, and the tunica intima was more unstable. CONCLUSIONS: Although CRM did not affect the hemodynamic index of ICA, it was observed to decrease the stability of severe ICAS plaques in rabbits, which may increase the plaque vulnerability.

Convenient and large-scale fabrication of cost-effective superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface with excellent reparability.

Superhydrophobic surfaces are widely used in industry and daily life, yet their practical application is limited by their complicated preparation process, high cost, and poor repairability. We propose a low-cost, facile process for preparing superhydrophobic surfaces to address this limitation. Through a simple three-step spraying process, the rough structure was first constructed on the aluminum alloy, and upon modification by modifier, the superhydrophobic aluminum alloy surface was successfully prepared. The effect of the process parameters on wettability was experimentally studied. The results showed that this method can obtain superhydrophobic surfaces with a contact angle of 156.2° and contact angle hysteresis of 7.4° by simply adjusting the etching time and modifier concentration. In addition, it was found that the prepared surface can keep the superhydrophobic property unchanged at 180 °C, showing good thermal stability. When immersed in acetic acid and sodium hydroxide solution, the prepared surface can maintain its superhydrophobicity for about 2 days, showing good chemical stability. Besides, the surface has excellent repairability and can compensate for the short-life defects caused by poor friction resistance. This superhydrophobic surface with a simple preparation process, low cost, and excellent repairable characteristics also has excellent self-cleaning, antifogging, and antifrosting applications.

Association between cytokines and exosomes in synovial fluid of individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Cytokines in synovial fluid (SF) play a crucial role in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Exosomes are nanovesicles that are abundant in SF and carry a large quantity of signaling molecules. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytokine profiles of SF-derived exosomes and try to explore its biological function.Methods: Twenty-four KOA patients who were scheduled for their first intra-articular injection or knee replacement surgery were enrolled and divided into the KL1-2 group and the KL3-4 group according to the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) classification. SF was collected from the patient's knee for the isolation of exosomes. A multiplex cytokine assay was performed to detect the 21 cytokines in the exosomes. The SF derived-exosomes were exposed to PBMCs and chondrocytes to assess their immunomodulatory potential.Results: Exosomes were successfully extracted from the SF, with an average diameter of 92 nm. Most cytokines were detectable in the SF-derived exosomes. Twelve inflammatory cytokines and eight chemokines were elevated in the exosomes of the KL3-4 group compared to that of the KL1-2 group (p < .05). A higher number of PBMCs were chemo attracted and the proliferation of chondrocytes was restrained by the SF-derived exosomes from the KL3-4 group in comparison with the KL1-2 group (p < .05).Conclusion: Our data indicated that most cytokines in SF are not only in a free form but also associated with and enriched in exosomes. Exosomes from end-stage KOA patients have a higher level of cytokines, especially chemokines, in comparison with the cytokine profiles of the soluble SF. SF-derived exosomes recruit inflammatory cells and inhibit cartilage proliferation, thus promoting joint degeneration. These data provide a new perspective for understanding the changes in the inner environment of KOA.

Fluorine-modified sialyl-Tn-CRM197 vaccine elicits a robust immune response.

Even though a vaccine that targets tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens on epithelial carcinoma cells presents an attractive therapeutic approach, relatively poor immunogenicity limits its development. In this study, we investigated the immunological activity of a fluoro-substituted Sialyl-Tn (F-STn) analogue coupled to the non-toxic cross-reactive material of diphtheria toxin197 (CRM197). Our results indicate that F-STn-CRM197 promotes a greater immunogenicity than non-fluorinated STn-CRM197. In the presence or absence of adjuvant, F-STn-CRM197 remarkably enhances both cellular and humoral immunity against STn by increasing antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation and inducing a mixed Th1/Th2 response leading to production of IFN-γ and IL-4 cytokines, as well as STn-specific antibodies. Furthermore, antisera produced from F-STn-CRM197 immunization significantly recognizes STn-positive tumor cells and increases cancer cell lysis induced by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) or complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) pathways. Our data suggest that this F-STn vaccine may be useful for cancer immunotherapy and possibly for prophylactic prevention of cancer.

[Multifunctional Cervical Health Care Pillow].

Cervical spondylosis is due to degenerative cervical disc and its stimulation or oppression of the adjacent nerves, spinal cord, spinal artery and other tissue caused by clinical symptoms. The cervical spine is an anatomical structure with activity, while the pillow has a certain plastic fixation effect on the cervical spine anatomy. Therefore, the pillow not only plays a health role in the cervical spine, but also plays an important role in restoring the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine. Based on this, a multi-functional cervical vertebra treatment pillow is designed, which not only has the functions of traction, maintaining different positions of the cervical spine, correcting the cervical curvature and equipment exercises, but also has the functions of voice broadcast and network data terminal.

Generation of a square pulse with ultra-wide tuning range in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser.

We have experimentally demonstrated a square pulse in a passively mode-locked Yb-doped fiber ring laser operating in the dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) region based on the nonlinear polarization rotation technique. In our experiment, a 1.5-km long single-mode fiber (SMF) is inserted into the cavity to increase the cavity length. The total cavity is 1501.8 m. With increasing pump power, the pulse duration can be tuned from 209.8 ns to 812.4 ns without wave-breaking, and the maximum output single pulse energy is 42.34 nJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the widest pulse in any Yb-doped mode-locked fiber laser. Moreover, the relationship between pulse width and cavity length is investigated. When the total cavity length is decreased to 1001.8 m and 501.8 m, the tuning range of square pulse is 372.4 ns (from 58.6 ns to 431 ns) and 138 ns (from 26 ns to 164 ns), respectively, and the maximum output single pulse energy is 13.85 nJ and 8.75 nJ, respectively.

Towards Real-Time Detection of Gait Events on Different Terrains Using Time-Frequency Analysis and Peak Heuristics Algorithm.

Real-time detection of gait events can be applied as a reliable input to control drop foot correction devices and lower-limb prostheses. Among the different sensors used to acquire the signals associated with walking for gait event detection, the accelerometer is considered as a preferable sensor due to its convenience of use, small size, low cost, reliability, and low power consumption. Based on the acceleration signals, different algorithms have been proposed to detect toe off (TO) and heel strike (HS) gait events in previous studies. While these algorithms could achieve a relatively reasonable performance in gait event detection, they suffer from limitations such as poor real-time performance and are less reliable in the cases of up stair and down stair terrains. In this study, a new algorithm is proposed to detect the gait events on three walking terrains in real-time based on the analysis of acceleration jerk signals with a time-frequency method to obtain gait parameters, and then the determination of the peaks of jerk signals using peak heuristics. The performance of the newly proposed algorithm was evaluated with eight healthy subjects when they were walking on level ground, up stairs, and down stairs. Our experimental results showed that the mean F1 scores of the proposed algorithm were above 0.98 for HS event detection and 0.95 for TO event detection on the three terrains. This indicates that the current algorithm would be robust and accurate for gait event detection on different terrains. Findings from the current study suggest that the proposed method may be a preferable option in some applications such as drop foot correction devices and leg prostheses.

[Application of ICP-MS method in the determination of mineral elements in vitex honey for the classification of their geographical origins with chemometric approach].

In the present work, the contents of 38 elements of 65 vitex (Vitex negundo var. heterophylla Rehd. ) honey samples from Shunyi of Beijing, Fuping and Pingshan of Hebei province were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Among them, B, Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Fe and Zn were the most abundant elements with mean contents more than 1 mg kg-1. It can be found that there were relationships between the contents of elements and the geographical origin of vitex honey samples. Taking the contents of 29 out of 38 mineral elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, As, Sr, Y, Mo, Cd, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, T1, Pb and U) as variables, the chemometric methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN), were applied to classify vitex honey samples according to their geographical origins. PCA reduced all of the variables to four principal components and could explain 81. 6% of the total variances. The results indicated that PCA could mainly classify the vitex honey samples into three groups. BP-ANN was explored to construct classification model of vitex honeys according to their geographical origin. For the whole data set, the overall correct classification rate and cross-validation (leave one out method) rate of proposed BP-ANN model was 100% and 95. 4%, respectively. To further test the stability of the model developed for prediction, 75% of honey samples of each geographical origin were randomly selected for the model training set, and the remaining samples were classified with the use of the constructed model. Both the overall correct classification rate and prediction rate of proposed BP-ANN model were 100%. It is concluded that the profiles of multi-element by ICP-MS with chemometric methods could be a potential and powerful tool for the classification of vitex honey samples from different geographical origins.

Clinical features and GCDH gene variants in three Chinese families with glutaric aciduria type 1: A case series and literature review.

Aim: To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic etiology of three cases of glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1) in Chinese children. Methods: We performed genetic and metabolic testing using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), followed by trio whole-exome sequencing (trio-WES) and Sanger sequencing. A literature review on glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1) in Chinese patients was also conducted. Results: Sequencing results showed each case had compound heterozygous variants in GCDH(NM_000159.4): c.214C > G (p.Arg72Gly) and c.411C > G (p.Tyr137Term) (Case 1), c.214C > G (p.Arg72Gly) and c.1204C > T (p.Arg402Trp) (Case 2), and c.1228G > T (p.Val410Leu) and c.395G > A (p.Arg132Gln) (Case 3). These variants were inherited from their respective parents. Notably, the c.214C > G variant found in two children was a novel variant not previously reported. A review of the literature revealed that, clinically, the majority of patients experienced onset in infancy and early childhood (82%). Additionally, 38.36% were diagnosed through newborn screening, with the primary reasons for the initial visit being delayed development (32.43%) and infections (21.61%). The most common clinical manifestations included increased head circumference (77.19%) and motor developmental delay (65.15%). Biochemically, patients exhibited significant elevations in C5DC (98.51%) and C5DC/C8 (94.87%) in blood, as well as GA (94.37%) and 3OHGA (69.39%) in urine. Radiographically, patients showed a high prevalence of abnormalities in cranial MRI (86.15%) and EEG (73.33%). Genetically, 67 distinct GCDH gene variants were identified among 73 patients, with missense variants being the most prevalent type (73.97%). The most frequent variant was c.1244-2 A > C, observed in 17.12% of cases. Additionally, the majority of variant sites were located in exons 11 (25.37%) and 6 (22.39%). Conclusion: GCDH variants were identified as the causative factors in the three children. The discovery of the novel variant (c.214C > G) expands the spectrum of pathogenic GCDH variants. These findings facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of affected children and provide a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for their families.

A portable, integrated microfluidics for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of Streptococcus agalactiae in resource-limited environments.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) has been the leading cause of infections in newborns. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of GBS in pregnant women is a deterministic strategy to prevent newborn infection. Conventional detection methods based on nucleic acid amplification assay have been applied in GBS diagnosis in central laboratories, with demonstrated high sensitivity. However, their heavy dependence on instrumentation and trained technicians forms remarkable obstacles to GBS detection in wide scenarios, including self-testing, and bedside-/community-screening. Furthermore, the structures of GBS bring about extra challenges to the nucleic acid extraction and purification. Novel GBS diagnosis platforms integrating sample processing, amplification, and read-out, are highly desired in clinical. Here, we report a portable, integrated microfluidics that enables rapid extraction of DNA from sampling swabs (<10 min), power-free DNA amplification (<30 min), and simple read-out in GBS detection. The platform works without an external pump, achieving rapid and highly efficient DNA extraction from clinical samples, with a significantly reduced time from 6 h to less than 50 min. Systematic clinical tests based on 47 patient samples validated the high performance of the platform, highlighted with a low limit of detection (LOD, 103 copies/ml), high sensitivity (100%), and specificity (100%). Head-to-head comparisons showed that the device improved the LOD by an order of magnitude than the traditional PCR method, showing a simple yet powerful POCT platform for home-/community-based testing towards GBS (and other pathogens) prevention in remote areas.

Cervical cord compression with lower limb sensory disturbance: three case reports and a literature review.

Lower limb sensory disturbance can be a false localizing sign of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. It may lead to delayed or missed diagnosis, resulting in an inappropriate management plan, especially in the presence of concurrent lumbar lesions. Three Asian patients with lower limb sensory disturbance were ineffectively treated in the lumbar region. Magnetic resonance imaging showed cervical disc herniation and cervical spinal cord compression. The patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion using a stand-alone cervical interbody fusion cage. Postoperative imaging showed that the spinal cord compression was relieved. On the first postoperative day, the lower limb sensory disturbance was also relieved. The patients showed good recovery at the 3-month postoperative follow-up. These three cases of cervical cord compression with lower limb sensory disturbance were easily misdiagnosed as lumbar spondylosis. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion had a good therapeutic effect. Therefore, the presence of lower limb sensory disturbance in a non-radicular classic pattern should always raise suspicion of a possible cord compression at a higher level.

Quantitative study on the biomechanical mechanism of sacroiliac joint subluxation: A finite element study.

The biomechanical mechanism of sacroiliac joint pain caused by sacroiliac joint subluxation is still unclear. And the purpose of this study is to elucidate the mechanism. In the present study, a finite element model of female lumbar spine-pelvis-femur was established. To simulate the sacroiliac joint subluxation quantitatively, the left ilium was shifted ±1, ±2, and ±3 mm along each axis, respectively. The stress and strain of articular surfaces and ligaments between the sacroiliac joint subluxation model and the normal model were compared. When the left ilium shifted along the positive direction of the X/Y/Z axis, the stress on most articular surfaces of the sacroiliac joint increased, of which the stress on the iliac surface of the right sacroiliac joint increased most obviously. The stress and strain of the ligaments increased most obviously when the left ilium shifted along the Y-axis, of which the left sacrospinous ligament increased the most, followed by the right sacrospinous ligament and right long posterior sacroiliac ligament. While the left long posterior sacroiliac ligament decreased the most, followed by the left short posterior sacroiliac ligament. The present study suggests that when the sacroiliac joint subluxation happens, even a slight shift, different biomechanical changes of different ligaments around the sacroiliac joint will happen. This may lead to an abnormal proprioceptive sensation of the ligaments, resulting in stress imbalance of the sacroiliac joint, and finally resulting in sacroiliac joint pain.

Anterior cervical surgery to treat diffuse idiopathic skeletal hypertrophic combined with cervical disc herniation: A case report.

RATIONALE: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a skeletal disease characterized by calcification of anterolateral ligaments of the spine and the rest of the body. DISH combined with disc herniation induces complex symptoms and is more difficult to treat. Here, we describe a complicated case of a patient diagnosed with DISH as well as cervical disc herniation that was successfully treated using anterior cervical surgery. PATIENTS CONCERN: A 69-year-old Asian male experienced dysphagia and weakness in his left limbs. He also experienced a stiff neck and right slant over a 6-month period. DIAGNOSIS: An X-ray revealed calcification of the C4-7 vertebral front edge and a narrowed intervertebral space between C5/6. Coronal and sagittal computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) both showed compression of the spinal cord at the cervical 5/6. Esophagography revealed that osteophytes in the anterior margin of vertebral body (C4-C7) oppressed the esophagus. INTERVENTIONS: An operation focused on anterior cervical C5/6 disc fusion and anterior vertebral C4-7 osteophyte removal was performed. OUTCOMES: After the operation, X-ray and CT showed that most osteophytes were removed and spinal cord compression was relieved. One day following the operation, both dysphagia and numbness in limbs were improved. Strong recovery was observed at the three-month follow-up exam. LESSONS: This complex DISH combined with disc herniation case is rarely observed in patients. Anterior cervical disc fusion and anterior vertebral osteophyte removal were effective treatment measures. This case study provides insight into treating cases presented with cervical spine complications associated with DISH combined with other ailments.

Visible-light-promoted 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl glycoside activation and glycosylation.

A new glycosylation method promoted by visible light with 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl glycoside as the donor was developed. This protocol delivers both O-glycosides and N-glycosides in moderate to excellent yields using a wide range of O-nucleophiles and nucleobases as the glycosyl acceptors.

Novel inflammatory markers in the blood of patients with knee synovitis.

OBJECTIVE: Synovitis is a joint disease that seriously affects patient quality of life, but there are currently no diagnostic markers. The albumin to fibrinogen ratio (AFR) and monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are non-invasive and cost-effective markers for various systemic inflammatory diseases. However, these markers have not yet been investigated for synovitis. This cross-sectional study evaluated the predictive ability of AFR and MLR in patients with non-specific knee synovitis. METHODS: One hundred fifty-five patients with knee synovitis and 108 healthy control patients were enrolled. Patient characteristics, blood parameters, AFRs, and MLRs were assessed, and the diagnostic value of these factors was determined. RESULTS: Among 125 patients included, patients with synovitis had a lower AFR and higher MLR than control subjects. The diagnostic values of AFR and MLR were 0.86 and 0.84, respectively, and higher compared with other parameters by receiver operating characteristic curve assessments. Additionally, MLR was negatively correlated with AFR. Late-stage patients showed significantly lower AFRs and significantly higher MLRs than early-stage patients. Binary logistic regression analyses indicated that AFR was an independent predictor for synovitis severity. CONCLUSIONS: The AFR and MLR had high diagnostic value for knee synovitis. The AFR was an independent predictor for synovitis severity.

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn Stems (Hegeng) Improved Depression Behavior in CUMS Mice by Regulating NCAM and GAP-43 Expression.

BACKGROUND: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn stem (Hegeng [HG]) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to treat mental symptoms in East Asia. However, scientific evidence is generally lacking to support this traditional claim. Aim of the Study. This study's aim is to investigate the antidepression effect of HG and to further explore the possible molecular mechanisms that are involved in its actions. Materials and Methods. HG aqueous extract was administered intragastrically for 21 days after the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) procedure, and its effect on memory, learning, and emotion was assessed using animal behavioral tests. HG aqueous extract was characterized using HPLC. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the neural cell-adhesion molecule (NCAM) and growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) expression. RESULTS: Depression-like behaviors increased in the CUMS group compared with the control (CON) group, while they were reduced in the high-dose HG (H-HG) and fluoxetine (FLU) groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, NCAM and GAP-43 expression was reduced in the CUMS group compared with the CON group, but it increased in the H-HG and FLU groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings show the potential antidepressant effects of HG through mechanisms involving regulation of NCAM and GAP-43. This provides a new theoretical basis for its potential application as an antidepressant-like agent.

Five years of follow-up of immediate quadriparesis caused by a large calcified mass in the ligamentum flavum: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Calcification of ligamentum flavum (CLF) is an important cause of spinal stenosis and spinal cord compression. CLF does not usually induce immediate quadriparesis. Here we describe a rare case of immediate quadriparesis due to a large calcified mass containing liquids in the ligamentum flavum, which was easily confused with gout crystals. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 74-year-old Asian male felt progressive bilateral arm and leg weakness. On the fourth day, acute quadriparesis occurred. DIAGNOSIS: Coronal and sagittal computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large circular mass in the left posterior part of the cervical 3/4 spinal canal, protruding into the canal, and occupying one-half of the spinal canal. INTERVENTIONS: Emergency laminectomy was performed at C3/4 level. The huge cyst was excised and 1 ml of white viscous liquid flowed out. OUTCOMES: After operation, CT and MRI showed a full laminectomy of C3/4 and complete decompression of the cervical spinal cord. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining showed that large amounts of calcium was deposited around cystic tissues. Five-year follow-up after laminectomy showed good recovery. CONCLUSION: This case of immediate quadriparesis, caused by a large calcified mass containing fluid, is very rare. It should be at the earliest stage of calcification. Laminectomy is an effective treatment. This calcification was deceptive and was easily confused with gout crystals. It can help to understand the exact pathophysiology of CLF.

Boosting the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of g-C3N4 nanosheets by Cu2(OH)2CO3-modification and dye-sensitization.

Considering the cleanness and renewability of the solar H2-production system, photocatalytic H2-production from water splitting with the assistance of nonprecious and Earth-abundant cocatalysts has become a research hotspot. Herein, robust Cu2(OH)2CO3 nanoparticles were successfully anchored onto the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets through a mild precipitation route in which Cu2(OH)2CO3 serves as an effectively nonprecious metal-based cocatalyst for boosting hydrogen generation. The results demonstrated that the as-prepared hybrid Cu2(OH)2CO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite photocatalyst with an optimum 3 wt% loading amount of Cu2(OH)2CO3 exhibited a noticeable improvement of photocatalytic H2-evolution performance under visible light illumination. The boosted H2-evolution activity was associated with the formation of active Cu species during the photocatalytic process, which could promote the interfacial charge separation and simultaneously reduce the overpotential of hydrogen generation, thus boosting the H2-evolution activity over the hybrid photocatalyst. More importantly, by introducing an optimum amount of fluorescein dye molecules into the photocatalytic system, the maximum photocatalytic H2-production rate over the binary Cu2(OH)2CO3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst could be further improved to be 22.6 µmol h-1, 19.3 and 3.8 times higher than those of pristine g-C3N4 and the corresponding binary catalyst without the assistance of fluorescein. These results could be ascribed to the positively cooperative effects of Cu2(OH)2CO3, fluorescein dye molecules and g-C3N4, which lead to the increasing light absorption ability, fast charge mobility and efficient charge separation of the fluorescein-sensitized Cu2(OH)2CO3/g-C3N4 hybrid photocatalyst, thus ultimately boosting the photocatalytic H2-production activity. This study may pave a new way for engineering a low-cost, high-efficiency, noble-metal-free and dye-sensitized cocatalyst/semiconductor system for solar-to-fuel conversion.

Correlation between cervical lordosis and cervical disc herniation in young patients with neck pain.

Abnormal cervical curvature and cervical disc herniation are closely related to neck pain and should be taken into account before any treatment. However, studies have rarely reported on the correlation between cervical lordosis and cervical disc herniation in patients with neck pain. Therefore, in this study, we collect young neck pain patients with abnormal cervical curvature to evaluate the relationship between cervical lordosis and cervical disc herniation.Three hundred patients below 40 years old with neck pain were enrolled. Patient sex, age, apical vertebra, segment of intervertebral disc protrusionl, sagittal diameter of spinal duramater, saggital diameter of spinal canal, height of disc space were recorded, and the cervical curvature, and degree of cervical spinal cord compression (G/F ratio) were calculated. The change of degree of disc herniation and degree of cervical spinal cord compression were analyzed in different cervical curvature groups. Further more, collected these patients who had improved cervical curvature over a period of time, to compare the changes of degree of disc herniation, G/F ratio, and height of disc space.The median age of patients with kyphosis was lower than those with lordosis and straight cervical spine. The degree of disc herniation was higher in the straight and kyphosis groups compared to the lordosis group. Cervical lordosis was inversely correlated with the degree of disc herniation and positively with G/F ratio. Cervical curvature was significantly affected by sex, age, and the degree of disc herniation. With the improvement of cervical lordotic curvature, the degree of disc herniation decreased and height of disc space increased.The degree of disc herniation and cervical spinal cord compression are inversely correlated to cervical lordosis in young neck pain patients, and the degree of disc herniation and height of disc space can recover with the recovery of cervical lordotic curvature. These findings may indicating a link between cervical curvature and degenerative changes which have important clinical implications.

The predictive role of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio in osteoporosis patient.

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive disease in which early diagnosis is very important. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been reported as new predictors in inflammatory and immune diseases including osteoporosis. No studies have reported the relationship between monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and osteoporosis patients.To investigated the ability of MLR to predict osteoporosis.Three hundred sixteen osteoporosis patients and 111 healthy control subjects were enrolled. Patients' laboratory and clinical characteristics were recorded. MLR, NLR, and PLR levels were calculated. The differences were compared and the diagnostic values of MLR were analyzed.There were 76 male and 105 female patients included, with a mean age of 56.57 ±â€Š9.95 years. The levels of MLR, NLR, and PLR in osteoporosis patients were all higher than those in healthy control subjects. The area under the curve of MLR was higher than those of NLR and PLR. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that T-score was affected by age and MLR. MLR was positively correlated with C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, red blood cell distribution width, age, sex, and inversely with hemoglobin. MLR and PLR levels were significantly higher in osteoporosis patients than in osteopenia patients (P < .05).The present study shows that MLR had a higher diagnostic value for osteoporosis. MLR may be a reliable, inexpensive, and novel potential predictor of osteoporosis.