Objective To study the effect of low frequency electrical stimulation on blood hormone levels in differ -ent animals.Methods At 12 h, 24 h and 36 h after low frequency electrical stimulation to Chinese tree shrews , Wistar rats, and BALB/c mice, respectively, the blood noradrenaline (NA) and endothelin (ET) levels were determined by ra-dioimmunoassay ( RIA) .Results The blood NA and ET levels of electrical stimulation group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P <0.01).At 24 h after reserpine treatment, the same electrical stimulation was given. The NA, ET levels were significantly decreased compared with that in the electrical stimulation group (P<0.05 to 0.01). Different animals responded to the same electric stimulus differently , following the order of Chinese tree shrews >Wistar rats >BALB/c mice.Conclusions Low frequency electrical stimulation can promote the release of noradrenaline and en -dothelin in Chinese tree shrews , Wistar rats and BALB/c mice.Reserpine can reduce the stress induced by low frequency electric stimulation to the body .

To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for the measurement of hemodialysis access recirculation (AR) and access flow rate (Qa), a two pump system was used to simulate access and dialyzer flow. AR and Qa under different conditions, such as reversal connection of dialysis lines and the needle orientation, were compared with each other. The value of access flow and recirculation flow were calculated based on the formulas introduced in this paper, and the correlation and consistency between true flow rate and calculated values were analyzed. The measured R correlated well with true value of flow rate (r = 0.57, P = 0.038, Qa > Qb; r = 0.95, P = 0.001, Qa < Qb). The Bland-altman test showed good agreement between the calculated value based on CEUS and true values. The CEUS can be used as a new advanced technology for AR and Qa measurement.
Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Computer Simulation ; Contrast Media ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; blood ; therapy ; Models, Biological ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; instrumentation ; Regional Blood Flow ; Renal Dialysis ; methods ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the consistency between the clinical diagnostic criteria and the ascertained diagnostic criteria for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in the Preventive and Treatment Guidelines of Diabetes in China (2013) and explore an economic, convenient, and accurate approach to DPN diagnosis.

METHODSThe patients with type 2 diabetes admitted in our department from April to June, 2014 were examined for nerve conduction velocity, 10 g nylon silk, vibration threshold value, sense of temperature and pain, and ankle reflex. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value were calculated to assess the diagnostic power of the two diagnostic criteria.

RESULTSOf the 151 patients enrolled, 106 (70.2%) had a diagnosis of DPN consistent with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, as compared to 86 (56.95%) who were diagnosed according to the clinical diagnostic criteria; the latter patients accounted for 81.13% of former cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value of the clinical diagnostic criteria were 80.19%, 97.78%, 98.84%, 67.69%, 77.97%, and 0.69, respectively, which were highly consistent with those of the ascertained diagnostic criteria; the sensitivity to compression showed a poor consistency between the two diagnostic criteria. In the 5 screening tests, the combined test of temperature sensation, vibration perception, and ankle reflex showed the highest AUC value among their different combinations.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical diagnostic criteria for DPN show good consistency with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, and for patients with clinical symptoms or with only one positive sign, combination of the two diagnostic criteria can achieve the maximum diagnostic power.

China ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Neurologic Examination ; methods ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective To evaluate the consistency between the clinical diagnostic criteria and the ascertained diagnostic criteria for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in the Preventive and Treatment Guidelines of Diabetes in China (2013) and explore an economic, convenient, and accurate approach to DPN diagnosis. Methods The patients with type 2 diabetes admitted in our department from April to June, 2014 were examined for nerve conduction velocity, 10 g nylon silk, vibration threshold value, sense of temperature and pain, and ankle reflex. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value were calculated to assess the diagnostic power of the two diagnostic criteria. Results Of the 151 patients enrolled, 106 (70.2%) had a diagnosis of DPN consistent with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, as compared to 86 (56.95%) who were diagnosed according to the clinical diagnostic criteria; the latter patients accounted for 81.13% of former cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value of the clinical diagnostic criteria were 80.19%, 97.78%, 98.84%, 67.69%, 77.97%, and 0.69, respectively, which were highly consistent with those of the ascertained diagnostic criteria; the sensitivity to compression showed a poor consistency between the two diagnostic criteria. In the 5 screening tests, the combined test of temperature sensation, vibration perception, and ankle reflex showed the highest AUC value among their different combinations. Conclusion The clinical diagnostic criteria for DPN show good consistency with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, and for patients with clinical symptoms or with only one positive sign, combination of the two diagnostic criteria can achieve the maximum diagnostic power.

Objective To evaluate the consistency between the clinical diagnostic criteria and the ascertained diagnostic criteria for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in the Preventive and Treatment Guidelines of Diabetes in China (2013) and explore an economic, convenient, and accurate approach to DPN diagnosis. Methods The patients with type 2 diabetes admitted in our department from April to June, 2014 were examined for nerve conduction velocity, 10 g nylon silk, vibration threshold value, sense of temperature and pain, and ankle reflex. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value were calculated to assess the diagnostic power of the two diagnostic criteria. Results Of the 151 patients enrolled, 106 (70.2%) had a diagnosis of DPN consistent with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, as compared to 86 (56.95%) who were diagnosed according to the clinical diagnostic criteria; the latter patients accounted for 81.13% of former cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index, and Kappa value of the clinical diagnostic criteria were 80.19%, 97.78%, 98.84%, 67.69%, 77.97%, and 0.69, respectively, which were highly consistent with those of the ascertained diagnostic criteria; the sensitivity to compression showed a poor consistency between the two diagnostic criteria. In the 5 screening tests, the combined test of temperature sensation, vibration perception, and ankle reflex showed the highest AUC value among their different combinations. Conclusion The clinical diagnostic criteria for DPN show good consistency with the ascertained diagnostic criteria, and for patients with clinical symptoms or with only one positive sign, combination of the two diagnostic criteria can achieve the maximum diagnostic power.

Objective: To discuss the feasibility and effectiveness of using micro-CT in bone-implant contact (BIC) evaluation in dogs, and to provide reference for clinical and scientific research. Methods: Bilateral mandibular second premolar and first molar of six male Beagle dogs were extracted. After 3 months′ healing, eight implants were placed in bilateral mandible of each dog, four on each side. Dogs were sacrificed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after implant placement, two on each time point. Samples were scanned with micro-CT and digitally reconstructed. Bone-implant interface was analyzed at different analysis regions (25, 50 and 100 μm from implants′ surface), different detection range models were obtained (each time point consists 48 models), and BIC was evaluated, and the results were counted as micro-CT₂₅, micro-CT₅₀, and micro-CT₁₀₀ groups. Then undecalcified slides were made (three slides for each sample) and stained with toluidine blue for observation and analysis of BIC using an optical microscope, and the results were counted as optical microscope groups. The advantages and disadvantages, evaluation efficiency and BIC of different methods were analyzed. Results: To evaluate BIC of single sample, it took about 90 minutes by micro-CT, which was much lower than the time of 14 days by optical microscope. The success rates of modeling of micro-CT₂₅, micro-CT₅₀, and micro-CT₁₀₀ groups all were 100.0% (48/48), and total success rate of micro-CT group was 100.0% (144/144). For optical microscope groups, the success rates of making slides 2, 4, 8 weeks were 89.6% (43/48), 93.8% (45/48) and 93.8% (45/48), respectively, and total success rates of optical microscope group was 92.4% (133/144). At 2, 4,8 weeks after implantation, BIC in micro-CT₂₅ group was significantly smaller than that in optical microscope group at the same time point (P<0.05). However, at 2, 4,8 weeks after implantation, BIC of the micro-CT₅₀ and micro-CT₁₀₀ groups showed no significant difference with optical microscope groups at the same time point (P>0.05). A significant correlation (P<0.001, each) was seen between slides and micro-CT (25, 50, 100 μm groups) concerning BIC (r=0.680, r=0.892, r=0.713), and error bias was -19.4%, -0.9%, 3.0%, respectively. The probability within the 95% limits of agreement were 97.9%. Conclusions Micro-CT is a faster, simpler and more efficient way to analyze BIC at the implant-bone interface than optical microscope observation. BIC analysis by selecting 50 μm from implants′ surface as analysis region using micro-CT is in consistent with that using the optical microscope.