Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using a microsensor motion capture unit (MCU) to assess the reaching characteristics of hemiplegic stroke patients. Methods Twenty-three hemiplegic stroke patients with an average age of (61 ± 11) years and ten normal subjects of matching age were asked to sit on a chair and use the affected arm (for the patients) or the right arm (for the normal subjects) to reach for a cup on a table just in front of the shoulder at arm's length away.Four small sensor boxes which could detect movement and its speed and smoothness in three dimensions were fixed to the subject's spine,upper arm,forearm and hand.The test was repeated four times after two trial runs.The average velocity,peak velocity,degree of joint dispersion,entropy of acceleration,joint coordination and active range of motion ( AROM ) of the shoulder were analyzed.The patients and normal subjects were statistically compared.The results were correlated with Fugl-Meyer upper extremity scores using Spearman correlation analysis. Results All of the measured variables showed significant differences between the patients and normal subjects.In the correlation study,the average velocity,peak velocity,AROM of the shoulder and joint coordination showed significant correlation with the Fugl-Meyer scores.There was,however,no significant correlation between degree of dispersion of the shoulder or elbow joints or the entropy of acceleration ( which represented the quality of movement) and Fugl-Meyer upper extremity scores. Conclusions The results suggest that microsensor MCUs can quantitatively assess the kinematics of reaching among hemiplegic stroke patients.They can provide valuable and objective data about the functional quality of multiple joint movements in three dimensions.

Objective To assess the reaching ability of hemiplegic stroke survivors using a motion capture unit (MCU) combined with surface electromyography (sEMG).Methods Sixteen stroke survivors with hemiplegia formed the experimental group,while healthy counterparts were selected as the control group.Both groups were asked to sit on a chair and reach for a cup on a table in front of their shoulder at arm's length using their affected arms in the experimental group and their right arms in the control group.MCUs were fixed on their spines and arms to obtain kinematic signals,and the sEMG signals of the trapezius,the anterior deltoids,biceps and triceps of the tested limb were recorded.Each subject repeated the test 3 times,and the best result was retained for further analysis.After signal processing,the range of movement of the shoulders and elbows was extracted along with the time used to reach the cup,peak angular velocity,time to peak velocity of the shoulders and elbows,work of the muscles and work ratios of the trapezius/deltoid and biceps/triceps.The upper limb section of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) was also administered to evaluate the patients' upper limb function.Independent sample rank sum tests compared the patients with the controls in terms of kinematics and sEMG parameters.Spearman analysis was used to explore the correlation between the FMA scores and the kinematics and sEMG characteristics.Results Significant differences in the kinematic and myoelectric indicators were found between the patients and the controls.The average FMA score of the patients was correlated with the peak velocity of the shoulder joint.Moreover,the ROM of the shoulder was closely related to the work of the trapezius,while the time for the shoulder joint to reach peak velocity was closely related to the work ratio of the biceps and triceps.Conclusion An MCU integrated with synchronous sEMG can quantitatively assess the kinematics and kinetics of hemiplegic stroke survivors,at least in reaching.This can provide objective guidance to optimize clinical rehabilitation.

SUN Shu-chun,the chief researcher,is one of the famous expert of osteo-traumatology of TCM.He makes systematic sort and study on chirismus on basis of succeeding experience predecessors and his own years of clinic experience.He is good at treating cervical syndrome with TCM chirismus,especially combine it with drugs.In osteo-traumatology academic circles,he is called "the best doctor at home".Professor SUN advocates that the rule of applying various therapies according to different conditions,combination of rigid-flexible,light,skill,gentle,harmony should be obey when we use chirismus.His diagnostic and therapeutic methods and thoughts are original and ingenious.In this article,the author analyzes the academic experience of tendon trauma of professor SUN.

Adult ; Computer Terminals ; Humans ; Male ; Paper ; Reading ; Students, Medical ; Workload

· AIM: To inspect and compare the functional vision of an aspheric intraocular lens (Tecnis) with those of conventional monofocal silicone and acrylic intraocular lens and multifocal intraocular lens (Array).· METHODS: The IOLs were tested in the eye model, which was designed to be optically equivalent to the theoretical eye model. The eye model is a combination of a spherical photographic lens with 35mm focal length ( IOL put in a water cell)and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The images constructed by the lenses are observed on a monitor of personal computer and the contrasts of the images are analyzed by using commercial image processing software.· RESULTS: The modulation transfer function of the eye model equals the scale produced by the theoretical eye model. The images constructed by changing the diameter of aperture stop and IOL.· CONCLUSION: The proposed eye model is useful for testing functional vision and for inspecting differences of intraocular lens.

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; MART-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanocytes ; pathology ; Melanoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neurilemmoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nevus of Ota ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Skin Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Objective We examined the in vivo effect of the antisense or/and decoy oligonucleotide of nuclear factor-?appa B (NF-?B) on balloon-injured smooth muscle cell proliferation and MMP-9 in the carotid artery of rats. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats underwent balloon-dilation injury of the left carotid artery. Rats were divided into 7 groups(n=18) and each group included 6 time points (6 h and 1,3,5,7,14 d)(n=3). Results The mean intima/media ratio increased significantly in sense group、scramble group and model group and reached the maximum at 7 d after rat injured carotid artery, compared with normal group, antisense group, decoy group and decoy plus antisense group(P

BackgroundPterygium is an ocular surface disease of abnormal cell proliferative kind and angiogenesis plays an important role in its development and recurrence.Several anti-angiogenic therapies have been used to treat pterygium,but there very few studtes for the in vivo observation of the microvessles in pterygium.ObjectiveThis study was to observe angiogenesis in pterygium with a high-resolution confocal microscope in vivo and to perform immunohistochemical study in vitro.MethodsA prospective case-controlled study was designed.Twenty eyes of 20 consecutive patients with primary pterygia and 20 age- and sex-matched patients with inner eye diseases and strabismus with normal conjunctiva were enrolled in this study.An in vivo confocal microscopy imaging system (Heidelberg Retina Tomograph Ⅱ Rostock Cornea Module) was used to collect microvascular pictures from the anterior part of pterygia and normal nasal conjunctiva of controls,and then immunochemistry was performed to examine the expression of CD31 in microvessel in vitro.The vascular density values were compared between these two groups.The correlation of vascular density values between in vivo Heidelberg Retina Tomograph and in vitro immunohistochemistry was calculated.Written informed consent was obtained from pationts before any examination and surgery.ResultsUnder the in vivo confocal microscope,the microvessel density was (8929±2993) μm/mm2 and (4202 ±692)μm/mm2,respectively,in pterygium and the normal conjunctiva group with a statistically significant difference between them (t =6.881,P＜0.01 ).Immunochemistry revealed that the expression of CD31 to measure vascular density was ( 21.00 ± 4.06/400 × field ) and ( 6.07 ± 1.75/400 × field ) in pterygium and the normal conjunctiva group,showing significant difference (t =12.312,P＜0.01 ).Positive correlations were found in the vascular density values between in vivo corneal laser confocal microscopy examination and in vitro immunochemistry examination in both the pterygium group and normal conjunctiva group (pterygium group:r=0.649,P＜0.01 ;normal conjunctiva group: r=0.572,P＜0.01 ) ConclusionsIn vivo confocal microscopy imaging is superior to in vitro immunochemistry in evaluating the microvessel of pterygium.The results of this study offer a new way index for further investigation of the biological behavior of pterygium and its mechanism.

Background Phlyctenular ophthalmia is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to some microprotein and affected mainly by adolescent in high incidence.Objective This study was to investigate the microscopy findings of phlyctenular ophthalmia and evaluate the histological changes by laser scanning confocal microscope.Methods Twenty-nine eyes suffered from phlyctenular ophthalmia and twenty normal eyes were examined using laser scanning confocal microscope.The pictures were taken by a CCD camera.All the cases had initially chest X-ray,tuberculin test,bacterial and mycobacteria culture.Results Dendritic and inflammatory cells were increased and concentrated in conjunctiva,and epithelial cells were deformed and squamatizated.The capillaries engorged and the goblet cells were injured.The corneoscleral Vogt meshing of the phlyctenular keratitis was obscured and dendritic cells were intruded into the corneas.The corneal epithelium of phlyctenular keratitis was absent and the subepithelial nerve plexus were bended and fractured,and the dendritic and inflammatory cells were intruded.Scarring of corneal stroma was seen under the laser scanning confocal microscope.Conclusions Laser scanning confocal microscopy is valuable for basic research and clinical diagnosis of phlyctenular ophthalmia.

Limulus Factor C, a serine protease zymogen from the amoebocytes of the limulus, has high affinity for endotoxin. When Factor C is activated by endotoxin, it hydrolyses artificial tripeptide substrate and measurable products are released, so it can be used as an alternative reagent for endotoxin analysis. Factor C gene of Tachypleus tridentatus was obtained through RT-PCR and the recombinant protein was expressed by Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV baculovirus expression system in silkworm larvae. The activity of Factor C was detected with diluted serum of silkworm larvae, and the sensitivity of endotoxin detected was 0.2 EU/mL when the serum was diluted at 1:500. The silkworm larvae expressed limulus Factor C could be used to develop a new low-cost endotoxin test reagent.
Animals ; Arthropod Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Baculoviridae ; Bombyx ; metabolism ; Enzyme Precursors ; biosynthesis ; Genetic Vectors ; Larva ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Serine Endopeptidases ; biosynthesis