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To evaluate the effects of alendronate (ALN) on the subchondral bone quality and cartilage degeneration in the early phase of experimental model of osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament transaction (ACLT). Thirty male adult healthy Japanese white rabbits after right ACLT or sham operation were divided into three groups (n = 10 per group): Sham; ACLT + ALN [after ACLT, the rabbits were treated with ALN daily starting from 4 days after surgery (10 μg/kg/d subcutaneously)]; and ACLT + NS group (after ACLT, the rabbits were injected saline as a placebo). At 60 days postsurgery, specimens from the affected knees were harvested. Histological analysis (HE and Safranin-O staining) as well as Mankin score were carried out to assess the cartilage degradation. BMP-2 and MMP-13 immunohistochemistry were also performed to demonstrate the alterations of cartilage molecular metabolism. Subchondral bone quality was evaluated by bone mineral density (BMD) and microstructure histomorphometry assay. For bone mineral density evaluation, 1/4 distal femurs, medial and lateral regions of femoral condylus were scanned with dual X-ray absorptiometry to assess the subchondral bone mass. Giemsa, von Kossa stain, and fluorescence technique for undecalcified bone section were carried out to examine the morphometry of the subchondral trabecular bone and subchondral plate. Histological and Mankin score analyses displayed that ALN treatment markedly reduced cartilage lesions and delayed the cartilage degeneration in OA joints. Immunohistochemistry assay further indicated that this cartilage-protective role of ALN was associated with elevating BMP-2 while inhibiting MMP-13 expression. BMD assessment demonstrated that ALN treatment significantly suppressed subchondral bone resorption. The results from histomorphometry assay of subchondral bone revealed that ALN treatment markedly increased the percent trabecular area (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular number (Tb.N). Moreover, both thickness and the porosity of the subchondral plate in ACLT + ALN group presented significantly higher than that in ACLT + NS group, while no significant difference was found between ACLT + ALN and Sham group. ALN plays an important role in cartilage protection in OA joints that is associated with the improvement of subchondral bone quality through reduction of subchondral bone resorption. ALN could be potentially used as a disease-modifying strategy to limit the progression of OA.

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BackgroundThe efficacy of coronary angiography may be different in the right radial approach (RRA) and the left radial approach (LRA) due to more common vascular tortuosity in the RRA. The aim of the study was to determine whether LRA is a valid alternative for coronary angiography compared with RRA in Asian populations.MethodsThis is a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study. A total of 1,400 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography were recruited and randomized to the RRA (number [n]=700) or LRA (n=700) group. The primary end point was total procedural duration. Secondary end points included fluoroscopy time, dose of radiation including cumulative air kerma and dose area product, contrast volume, and the incidence of vascular complications.ResultsCoronary procedural success was achieved in 682 of 700 (97.4%) patients in the RRA and 680 of 700 (97.1%) in the LRA. The total procedural time (RRA 14.1±6.3 minutes versus LRA 13.2±6.0 minutes; P=0.006) and fluoroscopy time (RRA 3.8±3.3 minutes versus LRA 3.4±2.8 minutes; P=0.046) were significantly shorter via LRA in comparison to RRA. The percentage of hydrophilic wire use was also lower in the LRA group (14% [RRA] versus 10% [LRA]; P=0.016). The dose of radiation and contrast volume were not different between the two approaches. No cases of major bleeding and vascular complications requiring surgical intervention were reported, other than with one patient who experienced a symptomatic stroke and died in the RRA group compared with none in the LRA group.ConclusionThe LRA seems to be a feasible alternative for coronary angiography in Asian patients due to shorter procedural duration and fluoroscopy time, as well as less hydrophilic wire use in comparison to RRA.

With the rapid development and integration of the Internet, wireless communication network and the Internet of Things, the Internet faces many challenges as a bearer network: a large volume of information exchange, multi-level QoS and smoothly switching multiple access protocols.

The Internet should be able to provide a variety of network capacities in a more dynamic and on-demand way, not just limited network resource provision through virtualization. The elastic network is expected to adapt to network changes by enabling network protocols selection and combination dynamically. Cloud computing illustrates a new Internet-based model of IT resources (hardware, software, data) provision, delivery and consumption as a service. Therefore, networking as a service can provide guaranteed quality of service and good quality of experience to users who do not care about any network configuration and network management.