Objective To introduce the wavelet zero -cross stimulation algorithm and based on which to design and implement the cochlear implants. Methods Through DSP and ICETEK-VC5416, the WZS speech coding strategy was simulated, and also the presented WZS strategy was compared to CIS strategy by hardware implementation and computer simulation. Results The processed audio signals, output from eight channels, were synthesized and played through loudhailer and could be heard with high fidelity. Conclusion The wavelet zero-cross stimulation(WZS) strategy, which generates stimulating pulsatile series at zero-cross points in the domain of wavelet transform, can keep the temporal correlation and coherence of speech remained in stimulating pulsatile series and reflects the characteristic of temporal coding for cochlea.

To evaluate the influence of different brands of syringes on performance parameters and application quality of syringe pump, we carried out matching experiment of infusion/syringe pump analyzer Rigel Multi-Flo, made by ALK Co. in Sweden, for 3 different types of syringes to measure the flow rate, occlusion alarm pressure, occlusion time and bolus volume of 26 syringe pumps. Data of quality control were analyzed with statistical method. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences in the flow rate, occlusion alarm pressure, occlusion time and bolus volume (P<0. 01) between those of common syringes and original syringes. This study points out that the health care providers should select compatible syringes for syringe pumps, which provides evidence and guidance to assure the reasonable and safe application of syringe pumps in clinical practice.
Infusion Pumps ; Quality Control ; Syringes

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) under ultrasound guidance and high power microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of intermediated or advanced-staged primary liver cancer.Methods: 60 patients with primary liver cancer who were in accordance with the inclusion criteria were divided into radiofrequency ablation group (RFA group, 30 cases) and microwave ablation group (MWA group, 30 cases). A series indicators, such as postoperative complete remission rate of lesion, 1 year survival rate, 1 year progression-free survival rate, postoperative adverse reaction and postoperative complication, for these patients of two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:The total complete remission rate of the RAF group and the MWA group were 66.7% and 76.7%, respectively, and the difference between them was significant (x2=3.776, P<0.05). When the lesion was larger than 5 cm, the complete remission rate of RFA group and MWA group were 41.7% and 63.6%, respectively, and the difference between them was significant (x2=4.231,P<0.05). When the lesion was between in 3-5 cm, the complete remission rate of RFA group and MWA group were 75.0% and 81.2%, respectively, while the difference between them was no significant (x2=0.976,P>0.05). For postoperative complication, there were 3 cases in RAF group while there were 5 cases in MWA group, and the difference between them was significant (x2=3.373, P<0.05). There was no death case that was related with treatment in the two postoperative groups. The 1 year survival rate and 1 year progression-free survival rate of RAF group were 90.0% and 53.3%, respectively, and that of MWA group were 86.7% and 60.0%, and the difference between them was no significant (x2=0.877,P>0.05).Conclusion: For intermediated or advanced-staged primary liver cancer with the larger or multiple lesions, complete remission rate of high-power MWA group is better than that of RAF. But there was no significant difference for 1 year total survival rate and 1 year progression-free survival rate between the two groups, respectively. And the postoperative adverse reaction of high-power MWA group was higher than that of RAF group.

Objective To design and implement the implantable part of cochlear implants, i.e. multi-channel implantable neural stimulator. Methods Based on programmable logic device (PLD), the design of hardware circuit utilized hardware description language through PDM decoding and ETC controlling precept. Results The multi-channel implantable neural stimulator could provide as more as eight outputs of the channel, and the resolution of the outputs were high. Conclusion The miniature stimulator which is portable and efficient, contains perfect error correcting system, and the stimulating waveforms produced by the stimulator accord with the charge balance, current limit and charge limit.

To investigate whether apoptosis is associated with cell adhesion in bronchial epithelium, and whether it contributes to the kinetics of injury and repair of surface epithelia, this study was performed for E-cadherin expression by using immunohistochemistry technique and for apoptosis by TUNEL method. An animal model of smoking was used for this study. The results showed that epithelial cells with membrane anchored E-cadherin decreased remarkably at several time points during 6 months of exposure to smoke (P < 0.01) and then restored to normal level. This fluctuation was associated exclusively with the alteration in number of apoptotic cells (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B among groups (P > 0.05). All these suggested that apoptosis is associated with E-cadherin expression in bronchial epithelium of smoking mouse.
*Apoptosis ; Bronchi/metabolism ; Bronchi/*pathology ; Cadherins/analysis ; Cadherins/*biosynthesis ; Epithelial Cells/chemistry ; Epithelial Cells/metabolism ; Epithelial Cells/pathology ; Smoking/*adverse effects

Objective To assess the usefulness of contrast echocardiography in differential diagnosing space-occupying lesions of the heart.Methods Contrast echocardiography was assessed for 38 patients of space-occupying lesion of the heart (SOLH).Contrast enhancement of SOLH was assessed visually,comparing with that in the adjacent myocardium:significant contrast enhancement,intensity higher than or equal to the adjacent myocardium; mild or partial contrast enhancement,intensity lower than the adjacent myocardium,or no contrast enhancement.Respectively,malignant tumors,benign tumors,and thrombus were diagnosed.Twenty-eight patients among the 38 cases had gold standard diagnosis.The consistency between visual assessment diagnosis and gold standards were compared with Kappa statistic.Results Visual semi-quantitative diagnosis of contrast echocardiography:thrombus,benign tumors and malignant tumors were diagnosed for 8,8 and 12 cases,separately.Except two highly vascular benign tumors (1rhabdomyoma and 1 paraganglioma) were misdiagnosed as malignant tumors,the rest 26 cases matched gold standard diagnosis.Quantitative analysis of contrast echocardiography,16 cases were suitable for quantitative an alysis,10 cases were diagnosed as benign tumors or thrombus (quantitative analysis could not differentiate the two),the rest 6 cases were diagnosed as malignant tumors.Quantitative analysis got the same 2 misdiagnosis as visual semi-quantitative diagnosis.Kappa value on visual semi-quantitative diagnosis of contrast echocardiography comparing with gold standard diagnosis was 0.892.Conclusions The characteristics of vascularity of SOLH can be accurately determined by the contrast enhancement level in diseased region through visual semi-quantitative analysis with contrast echocardiography.Contrast echocardiography can be mainly used in SOLH except thrombus that has been clearly diagnosed,especially for patients with on going or fore-past malignancy in other organs.

As a result of observation in lab. ,it showed that the rice straw attracted snail well,it at-tracted uninfected and infected snails, and adult and young snails respectively without singnificant difference. On this basis,we can investigate the snails under water by rice straw curtains during water raising season. This paper reported that the method for weaving rice straw curtain fixed by stone,and using foamed plastics as buoy were easy and convenient. The rate of snail-attraction was highest when it took 14 hours ,especially in August.

Objective:To evaluate the left ventricular rotation and twist in patients with constrictive pericarditis (CP) after pericardiectomy by using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), and observe its trend over time.Methods:A total of 29 patients with CP from Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from September 2014 to December 2017 underwent echocardiography 1 week before and 1 month, 6 months, 12 months after pericardiectomy. STE was performed to obtain peak values of basal and apical rotation and left ventricular twist. Twenty-nine healthy subjects were recruited as controls in the same period.Results:The left ventricu1ar apical rotation[before surgery(6.62±3.19)°, 1 month after surgery(7.07±4.02)°, 6 months after surgery(7.88±4.46)°, 12 months after surgery(7.85±4.51)°], the left ventricu1ar twist [before surgery(10.50±4.94)°, 1 month after surgery(9.42±5.40)°, 6 months after surgery(9.59±4.62)°, 12 months after surgery(9.70±4.45)°] were significantly lower in patients with CP than those in controls [(11.22±5.17)°, (16.35±5.21)°](all P<0.05); while basal rotation in patients with CP after surgery among different time points were all significantly lower than those in controls[1 month after surgery(-3.85±3.20)°, 6 months after surgery(-3.49±2.09)°, 12 months after surgery(-3.53±2.01)°; controls(-5.57±2.78)°] (all P<0.05), with no significant difference between patients with CP before surgery (-5.22±3.14)° and controls (-5.57±2.78)°( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in left ventricular twist, basal and apical rotation in CP groups before and after surgery among different time points (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Although the left ventricular global function of patients with CP in the long postoperative period seems "normal" , the left ventricular twist, basal and apical rotation are still significantly lower than those in controls. STE can be used to assess the changes of left ventricular twist and rotation in patients with CP long-term after pericardiectomy.

Objective To study the clinical characteristics and relative risk factors of hypertensive inpatients aged over 80 years.Methods From February 2003 to May 2012,336 hypertensive inpatients aged over 80 years were enrolled in the study.Medical history and family history including height,weight,blood pressure,fasting glucose,total cholesterol,triglyceride,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,creatinine,urea nitrogen,uric acid and urine protein levels were recorded and analyzed statistically.Results The elderly hypertensive inpatients over 80 years old had systolic hypertension with widening pulse pressure and the decline in glomerular filtration rate.The incidence of dyslipidemia,atrial fibrillation,microalbuminuria,coronary heart disease,cerebrovascular disease were 56.5 ％ (190/336),13.4 ％(45/336),15.8％ (53/336),41.4％ (139/336) and 24.1％ (81/336),respectively.Whereas there was no significant sex difference (P＞0.05).A significant difference was found in the incidence of left vetricular hypertrophy between males (10.4％,25/240) and females (22.9％,22/96) (x2 =8.91,P＜0.01).The prevalence of diabetes in males (46.3％,111/240) was significantly higher than in females (28.1％,27/96) (x2=9.38,P＜0.01).From the 336 patients in the study,311 (92.6％)were treated by antihypertensive agents.The antihypertensive drugs included diuretics (37 patients,11.9％),calcium channel blocker (182 patients,58.5％),angiotensin receptor antagonists (89 patients,28.6％),angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (68 patients,21.9％),β-blockers (92 patients,29.6％),α-blockers (31 patients,10.0％),either alone (109 patients,35.0％) or in combination (202 patients,65.0％).96 (30.9％) patients were medically treated for dyslipidemia (drugs including statins).151 (48.6％) patients were treated with antiplatelet drugs.Conclusions The elderly hypertensive inpatients,over 80 years old,were accompanied by multiple risk factors and target organ damage,and most of them was treated with antihypertensive agents in combination.

To assess right ventricular free wall longitudinal myocardium deformation and examine the changes with normal age by speckle tracking imaging (STI), myocardial systolic peak strain (epsilon), systolic peak strain rate (SRs), early diastolic peak strain rate (SRe), late diastolic peak strain rate (SRa), the ratio of SRe/SRa were measured in the basal, middle and apical segments of right ventricular free wall in 75 healthy volunteers (age range: 21-71 y) by STI from the apical 4-chamber view. RV longitudinal strain and strain rate were highest in the basal segment of the free wall. Older subjects had lower early diastolic strain rate (SRe) than younger subjects, but they had higher late diastolic strain rate (SRa). A negative correlation between age and the ratio of SRe/SRa was found in all RV free wall segments (r=-0.466 - -0.614, P<0.01). It is concluded that RV diastolic strain rate changes with age and STI can be used for the study of RV myocardial deformation.
Age Factors ; Diagnostic Imaging/*methods ; Echocardiography/methods ; Heart/physiology ; Models, Statistical ; Myocardial Contraction ; Myocardium/*pathology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Stress, Mechanical ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right ; Ventricular Function, Right