Visually impaired people face many inconveniences because of the loss of vision. Therefore, scientists are trying to design various guidance systems for improving the lives of the blind. Based on sensory substitution, auditory guidance has become an interesting topic in the field of biomedical engineering. In this paper, we made a state-of-technique review of the auditory guidance system. Although there have been many technical challenges, the auditory guidance system would be a useful alternative for the visually impaired people.
Acoustics ; Auditory Perception ; Biomedical Engineering ; Equipment Design ; Humans ; Sensory Aids ; Software ; Sound Localization ; Visual Perception ; Visually Impaired Persons ; rehabilitation

Objective To investigate the efficacy of suprapatellar versus infrapatellar approach in tibial intramedullary nail fixation for tibial fracture. Methods Clinical trials that evaluated suprapatellar approach and infrapatellar approach for tibia intramedullary nailing fixation were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ( CENTRAL ) , Chinese Biology Medicine ( CBM) , Wanfang, Weipu and CNKI databases. Methodological qualities of the included studies were assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine whether overall results were reliable. Publication bias was detected using Begg's test and Egger's test. Lysholm score, reoperation rate, Hospital for Special Surgery ( HSS ) score, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay were selected to evaluate the clinical effect of suprapatellar approach and infrapatellar approach in tibial intramedullary nail fixation for tibial fracture. Results Two randomized controlled trials and six case-controlled studies involving 787 patients were included in the analysis. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were statistically significant. No significant publication bias was detected by Begg's test or Egger's test. Our meta-analysis indicated that suprapatellar approach had significantly higher Lysholm score ( MD=1. 04, 95％CI 0. 82 -1. 26, P<0. 05, I2 =10. 5％) and HSS score ( MD =0. 97, 95％CI 0. 65 -1. 30, P <0. 05, I2 =0 ) than infrapatellar approach ( P <0. 05 ) . Additionally, there were no statistical differences between the two procedures in reoperation rate, operation time, intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay (P>0. 05). Conclusion Compared with infrapatellar approach, suprapatellar approach in intramedullary nail fixation for tibial fracture can better relieve the pain, keep stability and motion of the knee joint and promote function recovery of knee joint.

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to analyze the chronological changes in postoperative complications in surgical ulcerative colitis patients over the past decade in China and to investigate the potential parameters that contributed to the changes. Methods: Ulcerative colitis patients who underwent surgery during 2008–2017 were retrospectively enrolled from 13 hospitals in China. Postoperative complications were compared among different operation years. Risk factors for complications were identified by logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 446 surgical ulcerative colitis patients were analyzed. Fewer short-term complications (24.8% vs. 41.0%, P=0.001) and more laparoscopic surgeries (66.4% vs. 25.0%, P<0.001) were found among patients who received surgery during 2014–2017 than 2008–2013. Logistic regression suggested that independent protective factors against short-term complications were a higher preoperative body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 0.870; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.785–0.964; P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR, 0.391; 95% CI, 0.217–0.705; P=0.002) and elective surgery (OR, 0.213; 95% CI, 0.067–0.675; P=0.009). The chronological decrease in short-term complications was associated with an increase in laparoscopic surgery. Conclusions Our data revealed a downward trend of short-term postoperative complications among surgical ulcerative colitis patients in China during the past decade, which may be due to the promotion of minimally invasive techniques among Chinese surgeons.

Chemerin is a cytokine that attracts much attention in the reproductive process. This study aimed to explore the effects of chemerin and its receptor chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) on the maintenance of early pregnancy. The expression levels of chemerin and CMKLR1 in the decidua tissues of 20 early normal pregnant women and 20 early spontaneous abortion women were examined by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. CMKLR1 receptor antagonist (α-NETA) was then intrauterinely injected into normal pregnant mice model to assess its effect on the outcome of pregnancy and the phosphorylation rate of ERK1/2 in decidua tissues.We found that the expression level of chemerin in women who had experienced early spontaneous abortion was lower than in those who had experienced normal early pregnancy (P < 0.01); conversely, CMKLR1 expression was higher in the former than in the latter (P < 0.01). In a pregnant-mouse model, the embryo resorption rate of α-NETA group was higher than that in the negative control group (61.5% vs. 10.8%) (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, ERK1/2 phosphorylation in decidua tissues decreased in the α-NETA-treated group (P < 0.01). These results suggested that the inhibition of the chemerin/CMKLR1 signaling pathway can lead to the abortion of mouse embryos, and that chemerin/CMKLR1 may play an important role in the maintenance of early pregnancy possibly by regulating ERK1/2 phosphorylation.
Adult ; Animals ; Chemokines ; analysis ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; analysis ; metabolism ; Mice ; Pregnancy ; metabolism ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy, Animal ; Receptors, Chemokine ; metabolism ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Young Adult