To assess the changes in the curvature of the spinal column in the supine position during pregnancy, we studied seven pregnant (32-37 weeks of pregnancy) and seven non-pregnant women using magnetic resonance imaging. T1-weighted sagittal midline magnetic resonance images of the spinal column were obtained with subjects in the supine position with left tilt. There was no significant difference i...

FUZHENGHUAYU Tablets have been widely used in the treatment of liver fibrosis in China. Here, we investigate the apoptotic effect of FUZHENGHUAYU Tablet in rat liver stellate cell line HSC-T6. HSC-T6 cells were incubated with control serum or drug serum from rats fed with 0.9% NaCl or FUZHENGHUAYU Tablet, respectively. Cells exposed to drug serum showed higher proportions of early and late apop...

EZH2, a histone H3 lysine-27-specific methyltransferase, is involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes including cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the role of EZH2 in liver fibrosis is largely unknown. In this study, it was identified that EZH2 promoted Wnt pathway-stimulated fibroblasts in vitro and in vivo by repressing Dkk-1, which is a Wnt pathway antagonist...

AIM To examine the protective effect of green tea extract (GT) on hepatic fibrosis in vitro and in vivo in dimethylnitrosamine (DMN)-induced rats. METHODS HSC-T6, a rat hepatic stellate cell line, was used as an in vitro assay system. Cell proliferation, collagen content, and type 1 collagen expression were examined in activated HSC-T6 cells. Collagen was determined by estimating the hydroxyp...

Immunocytochemical techniques using antibodies to the specific T6 and Ia (Major Histocompability Complex, class 11, human HLA-Dr) antigens were used to determine the densities of epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) in psoriasis patients treated with the aromatic retinoid RO 10-9359. Fourteen patients were treated with the aromatic retinoid and were skin biopsied before, during and after therapy. Tw...

High-strength aluminum alloys are of increasing interest to the aerospace and automotive industry for critical high-strength components. B-pillars and door beams being of particular interest to the automotive industry Refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) offers an attractive means of joining these difficult-to-weld alloys since bulk melting is avoided and no exit hole is left. In this stud...

In the present study, the dynamic compressive behavior of aluminum-alloy-based tetrahedral-core truss structures is investigated as a function of impact velocity using a split Hopkinson pressure bar. The results are used to understand the phenomenon of buckling in truss structures as a function of loading rates and test temperatures, and its implication on the dynamic crush resistance of tetrah...

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in COPD patients on maintenance treatment results in deterioration of symptoms, lung function and exacerbations. The aim of this real-life, prospective, multicentric study was to investigate whether withdrawal of ICS in COPD patients at low risk of exacerbation is linked to a deterioration in lung function and sym...

BACKGROUND Neuromechanical responses to spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) have been shown to be modulated through the variation of SMT biomechanical parameters: peak force, time to peak force, and preload force. Although rate of force application was modulated by the variation of these parameters, the assumption that neuromuscular responses are modulated by the rate of force application remains...