Randomised controlled study in the primary healthcare sector to investigate the effectiveness and safety of auriculotherapy for the treatment of uncomplicated chronic rachialgia: a study protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Uncomplicated chronic rachialgia is a highly prevalent complaint, and one for which therapeutic results are contradictory. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of treatment with auriculopressure, in the primary healthcare sector, carried out by trained healthcare professionals via a 30-hour course.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The design consists of a multi-centre randomized controlled trial, with placebo, with two parallel groups, and including an economic evaluation. Patients with chronic uncomplicated rachialgia, whose GP is considering referral for auriculopressure sensory stimulation, are eligible for inclusion. Sampling will be by consecutive selection, and randomised allocation to one of the two study arms will be determined using a centralised method, following a 1:1 plan (true auriculopressure; placebo auriculopressure). The implants (true and placebo) will be replaced once weekly, and the treatment will have a duration of 8 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the change in pain intensity, measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 100 mm, at 9 weeks after beginning the treatment. A follow up study will be performed at 6 months after beginning treatment. An assessment will also be made of the changes measured in the Spanish version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, of the changes in the Lattinen test, and of the changes in quality of life (SF-12). Also planned is an analysis of cost-effectiveness and also, if necessary, a cost-benefit analysis.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study will contribute to developing evidence on the use of auriculotherapy using Semen vaccariae [wang bu liu xing] for the treatment of uncomplicated chronic rachialgia.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN01897462.</p

P2X7 nucleotide receptors mediate caspase-8/9/3-dependent apoptosis in rat primary cortical neurons

Apoptosis is a major cause of cell death in the nervous system. It plays a role in embryonic and early postnatal brain development and contributes to the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report that activation of the P2X7 nucleotide receptor (P2X7R) in rat primary cortical neurons (rPCNs) causes biochemical (i.e., caspase activation) and morphological (i.e., nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation) changes characteristic of apoptotic cell death. Caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation in rPCNs induced by the P2X7R agonist BzATP were inhibited by the P2X7R antagonist oxidized ATP (oATP) or by pre-treatment of cells with P2X7R antisense oligonucleotide indicating a direct involvement of the P2X7R in nucleotide-induced neuronal cell death. Moreover, Z-DEVD-FMK, a specific and irreversible cell permeable inhibitor of caspase-3, prevented BzATP-induced apoptosis in rPCNs. In addition, a specific caspase-8 inhibitor, Ac-IETD-CHO, significantly attenuated BzATP-induced caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, suggesting that P2X7R-mediated apoptosis in rPCNs occurs primarily through an intrinsic caspase-8/9/3 activation pathway. BzATP also induced the activation of C-jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) in rPCNs, and pharmacological inhibition of either JNK1 or ERK1/2 significantly reduced caspase activation by BzATP. Taken together, these data indicate that extracellular nucleotides mediate neuronal apoptosis through activation of P2X7Rs and their downstream signaling pathways involving JNK1, ERK and caspases 8/9/3

ANK, a Host Cytoplasmic Receptor for the Tobacco mosaic virus Cell-to-Cell Movement Protein, Facilitates Intercellular Transport through Plasmodesmata

Plasmodesma (PD) is a channel structure that spans the cell wall and provides symplastic connection between adjacent cells. Various macromolecules are known to be transported through PD in a highly regulated manner, and plant viruses utilize their movement proteins (MPs) to gate the PD to spread cell-to-cell. The mechanism by which MP modifies PD to enable intercelluar traffic remains obscure, due to the lack of knowledge about the host factors that mediate the process. Here, we describe the functional interaction between Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) MP and a plant factor, an ankyrin repeat containing protein (ANK), during the viral cell-to-cell movement. We utilized a reverse genetics approach to gain insight into the possible involvement of ANK in viral movement. To this end, ANK overexpressor and suppressor lines were generated, and the movement of MP was tested. MP movement was facilitated in the ANK-overexpressing plants, and reduced in the ANK-suppressing plants, demonstrating that ANK is a host factor that facilitates MP cell-to-cell movement. Also, the TMV local infection was largely delayed in the ANK-suppressing lines, while enhanced in the ANK-overexpressing lines, showing that ANK is crucially involved in the infection process. Importantly, MP interacted with ANK at PD. Finally, simultaneous expression of MP and ANK markedly decreased the PD levels of callose, β-1,3-glucan, which is known to act as a molecular sphincter for PD. Thus, the MP-ANK interaction results in the downregulation of callose and increased cell-to-cell movement of the viral protein. These findings suggest that ANK represents a host cellular receptor exploited by MP to aid viral movement by gating PD through relaxation of their callose sphincters

Association between sleep behavior and sleep-related factors among university students in Hong Kong

Sleep problems among university students are common; however, the association between many sleep-related factors and sleep behaviors is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine different sleep behaviors and sleep-related factors influencing such behaviors in university students. A descriptive survey was conducted on 400 university students in Hong Kong. The instruments for data collection consisted of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a sleep hygiene practice questionnaire, demographic data, and other sleep-related factors. The results reveal that 57.5% of the 400 university students are poor sleepers. Sex, year of study, sleep hygiene practice, and perceived adequate sleep in the past month all demonstrate significant associations with poor sleepers. A high prevalence of sleep-related problems among college students is confirmed and associated factors are identified. Students should be encouraged to follow sleep hygiene practice, adequate time management for academic and social activities, and suitable stress-relieving measures. Copyright © Informa Healthcare.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Brain activations by umami and salty taste in humans

Oral Session - Diagnostic Sciences I: no. 293OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate which part of human brain activates by a combined umami and salty taste stimuli on the tongue under standardized taste delivery conditions. METHODS: The study was carried out in 26 healthy volunteers: 12 females and 14 males (19 - 27 yrs). Taste solution contained an umami (10.68 mM monosodium L-glutamate, MSG) and salty (171.0 mM sodium chloride, NaCl) mixture at the set concentrations assumed to be present in noodle soup. Functional magnetic resonance image was performed and brain functional data was acquired while each participant was tasting solution. Each participant was delivered the MSG + NaCl solution for 6 s and distilled water for 15 s alternately on the tongue using original intraoral device and taste delivery system. Image pre-processing and data analysis were performed using the Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 (SPM8) software package (Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, London, UK) implemented in MATLAB R2012a (The MathWorks Inc., Natick, MA, USA). We examined the effect of solution by one-sample t-test. We investigated the statistical parametric maps generated by solution at an initial threshold of uncorrected P 10 voxels. Clusters that had a cluster P < 0.05 corrected for family-wise error (FWE) were defined as significant. RESULTS: Functional MRI showed that brain regions activated by taste solution in the insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus (z value = 3.9, 3.8, and 3.7, respectively; cluster PFWE < 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The result demonstrated brain activatios both in the primary (taste identification and intensity) and seondary (reward and emotion) taste cortices while humans were tasting an umami and salty mixture. THIS ABSTRACT IS BASED ON RESEARCH THAT WAS FUNDED ENTIRELY OR PARTIALLY BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE: General Research Fund grant from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [Code: HKU 766212M] and from Society for Research on Umami Taste, Japan

High resolution time-intensity recording with synchronized solution delivery system for the human dynamic taste perception

Background: Time-intensity sensory evaluation of human taste perception is useful to know the feedback of a taste stimulus from tongue. However, it has not been profiled together with reaction time under the constant stimulating tongue in high time resolution. New method: We first made intra-oral device to deliver taste solution to anterior, lateral and posterior tongue in standardized condition. Second, we developed a time-intensity sensory evaluation meter linked to synchronized taste solution delivery system. Time-intensity profiles were recorded in higher temporal resolution than our past study. Third, we analyzed the corrected taste quality reaction time from raw sensory perception data, and following sensory evaluation profile. Results: The new method acquired taste sensory evaluation data with 1. ms temporal resolution and found the reaction timing was 908. ms, the corrected taste quality reaction time was 712. ms, maximum intensity was 3.47, and corrected time to reach maximum intensity was 1312. ms. The coefficient of variation ranged from 0.007 to 0.236 indicating low variance. Comparison with existing methods: Time-intensity sensory evaluation in this study did not sacrifice the feature of raw data. The relative comparison of time-intensity sensory profile among subjects will be available in this system in future study, while it was still difficult to define the absolute value of reaction time. Conclusions: Our method could gather real-time feedback for the time-intensity sensory evaluation of a taste stimulus under the standardized stimulating tongue. This could be useful for establishing database of time-intensity sensory profiles for comparison of delicate taste perceptions. © 2015 Elsevier B.V

Automated reticulocyte counting - An evaluation of GEN-S Cell-Dyn 3500 and Cell-Dyn 4000 [1]

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