A de-noising method for electrocardiogram (ECG) based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and wavelet threshold de-noising theory is proposed in our school. We decomposed noised ECG signals with the proposed method using the EEMD and calculated a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Then we selected IMFs and reconstructed them to realize the de-noising for ECG. The processed ECG signals were filtered again with wavelet transform using improved threshold function. In the experiments, MIT-BIH ECG database was used for evaluating the performance of the proposed method, contrasting with de-noising method based on EEMD and wavelet transform with improved threshold function alone in parameters of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and mean square error (MSE). The results showed that the ECG waveforms de-noised with the proposed method were smooth and the amplitudes of ECG features did not attenuate. In conclusion, the method discussed in this paper can realize the ECG denoising and meanwhile keep the characteristics of original ECG signal.
Algorithms ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Wavelet Analysis

Objective:To evaluate the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on hyperdynamic circulatory state and portal hypertensive gastrropathy in liver cirrhotic patients.Methods:Helicobacter pylori infection,IL-1,IL-8,TNF-?,Endotoxin,NO,ET,anti-VacA and anti-CagA levels were determined in cirrhotic patients by using rapid urease test,()~(14)C-urea expiratory test,immunoimpression test,nitrite colorimetric test and ELISA.The parameters of portal venous system flow were determined by doppler ultrasonography.Results:HP prevalence in patients with liver cirrhosis was 77.1%,anti-VacA and antiCagA positive rate was 60.4% in common.IL-1,IL-8,TNF-?,Endotoxin,NO and ET levels in anti-VacA and anti-CagA positive group were significantly higher than in anti-VacA and anti-CagA negtive group.The amount of splenic venous flow(SVF) and superior mesenteric venous flow(SMVF)in anti-VacA and anti-CagA positive group was greater and the amount of portal venous flow(PVF) was smaller than those in negtive group.Conclusion:There was the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on hyperdynamic circulatory state and portal hypertensive gastrropathy in liver cirrhotic patients.

Anorectal malformations (ARM)comprise a broad spectrum of congenital disorders that account for 25 ％ of gastrointestinal malformations.Despite numerous technical advances for treatment of ARM,complications such as fecal incontinence and constipation still occur and can greatly deteriorate patients' quality of life.It is recognized that lumbosacral spinal cord anomalies in ARM has been an important factor affecting the fecal function after procedure.Researchers have found that lumbosacral myelodysplasia is the common seen complication of ARM and neural cells decreased in lumbosacral spinal cord by the study on animals and human.Due to numerous factos affecting nerve innervation on annrectus and pelvic floor muscle,this review summarizes the nervous system complications and abnormal intervention of human and rats ARMs.The developments of study on ARM complications and intervention are detailed.Then the new direction of the research about the anorectal malformation nervous system is put forward,and the new strategy of improving the prognosis of anorectal malformation surgery is explored.

Objective To investigate the possible regulating effect of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) towards matrix metalloproteinase-9/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-9/TIMP-1) ratio in the process of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human kidney proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells.Methods HK-2 cells were cultured and stimulated with 10 ng/ml TGF-β1.Specific ILK-small interfering RNA (ILK-siRNA) was used to inhibit ILK expression.The characteristic epithelial marker (E-cadherin) and mesenchymal marker (α-SMA) of EMT were examined by Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) and Western blot.The expressions of ILK,MMP-9,and TIMP-1 were also examined,to determine the regulating effect of ILK towards MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio.Results In the HK-2 cells cultured with TGF-β1,the expression of E-cadherin decreased,and α-SMA expression increased;overexpression of ILK and an abnormal changing of MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio were observed.ILK inhibition by ILK-siRNA could adjust MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio to near normal.Meanwhile,the overexpressed ILK and α-SMA were decreased.Conclusions Our data indicates that ILK-siRNA successfully inhibits ILK expression,which regulates the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in HK-2 cells.The inhibition of ILK expression suppresses TGF-β1-induced EMT partially.

Ballistocardiogram (BCG) signal is a physiological signal, reflecting heart mechanical status. It can be measured without any electrodes touching subject's body surface and can realize physiological monitoring ubiquitously. However, BCG signal is so weak that it would often be interferred by superimposed noises. For measuring BCG signal effectively, we proposed an approach using joint time-frequency distribution and empirical mode decomposition (EMD) for BCG signal denoising. We set up an adaptive optimal kernel for BCG signal and extracted BCG signals components using it. Then we de-noised the BCG signal by combing empirical mode decomposition with it. Simulation results showed that the proposed method overcome the shortcomings of empirical mode decomposition for the signals with identical frequency content at different times, realized the filtering for BCG signal and also reconstructed the characteristics of BCG.
Algorithms ; Ballistocardiography ; methods ; Humans ; Monitoring, Physiologic

BACKGROUND: Special anatomical location makes eye lens expose to stressful situation in a long term. Whether the environmental stress can up-regulate the expression of heat shock proteins in human lens epithelial cells? Whether the synthesis increase occurs in the level of trenscdption or translation, remains unclear.OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression and location of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in human lens epithelial cells under the conditions of high temperature and oxidative stress, and to investigate the pathogenesis of the cataract.METHODS: Human lens epithelial cells cultured in vitro were exposed to heat (45 ℃) and oxidative stress (50 mmol/L H_2O_2) for 30 minutes, respectively, then allowed to recover normal conditions. At different intervals (0, 2, 4, 6, 16, 24 hours),immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to determine the expression and localization of HSP27.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: HSP27 was shown to express in both physiological and stressful conditions. The expressions of HSP27 mRNA and protein ware remarkably increased at 2 hours following heat and oxidative stress, and reached the peak at 6 hours. HSP27 could maintain a high level for 16 hours. The stress-induced HSP27 protein positive particles transferred from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, and gradually shift back to the cytoplasm along time. It is proved that HSP27 exists in lens epithelial cells and can be increased after stress. The data suggested it may play an important protective role in lens epithelial cells in respond to cellular stress.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have demonstrated that transplanted neural stem cells can survive and proliferate in the brain of Alzheimer disease(AD)rats,however,it is poorly understood whether it can rebuild the nerve tracts by substituting the injured or dead neurons and improve learning and memory abilities.Synaptophysin is one of the important markers of synaptic rebuilding.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of neural stem cell transplantation on synaptophysin expression in hippocampus and learning and memory abilities of AD rats.METHODS:Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control,AD model,2-week-transplantation and 4-week-transplantation groups.All rats were established AD models except that in the normal control group.Neural stem cells were isolated from the dentate gyrus of hippocampus of newborn rats,labeled with Hoechst33258,and then transplanted into CA1 region of hippocampus of rats in the 2-week-transplantation and 4-week-transplantation groups.The behavioral testing in the rats was performed using Y-maze trial.Nissl staining and synaptophysin immunohistochemistry were detected after the rats were sacrificed.The same volume of stroke-physiological saline solution was injected into rats in the AD models group using the identical methods.There was no treatment in the normal control group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:①The cells number in the hippocampal CA1 region of the 2-week-transplantation and 4-week-transplantation groups were increased than that of AD model group,but were still less than that of the normal control group(P ＜ 0.05).There was no significantly difference between the absorbance values of 2-or 4-week-transplantation group and control group(P ＞ 0.05).②The absorbance values of the 2-week-transplantation and 4-week-transplantation were significantly greater than that of the control and AD model groups(P ＜ 0.05).③The learning and memory abilities in 2-and 4-week-transplantation group enhanced obviously and their correct reaction rates improved evidently,which was found statistically significant difference from AD model group(P ＜ 0.05),while no statistically significant difference from control group(P ＞ 0.05).The transplanted neural stem cells may promote the synaptic rebuilding and improve learning and memory abilities in AD rats.

Objective To evaluate the relationship of peripheral blood Th17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells with disease activity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods This study recruited 21 patients with active SSc,24 patients with inactive SSc and 24 normal human controls with informed consent.Peripheral blood samples were obtained from these subjects.Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood CD4+ cells,a fluorescence-based quantitative PCR to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-17A,retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RoRγt),forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs),and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay to measure the serum level of IL-17.Results Increased percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood CD4+ cells was observed in patients with active SSc compared with those with inactive SSc and normal human controls (2.34％ ± 1.19％vs.0.68％ ± 0.39％ and 0.57％ ± 0.49％,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).No statistical difference was noted in the percentage of Treg cells in CD4+ cells or the mRNA expression levels of FoxP3 between the patients with active SSc,inactive SSc and normal human controls (all P ＞ 0.05).There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression of IL-17A,RoRγt in PBMCs and serum levels of IL-17 in patients with active SSc compared with patients with inactive SSc and normal human controls ( 11.73 ± 0.80 vs.9.77 ± 1.30 and 10.79 ± 0.74,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05; 18.48 ± 1.09 vs.15.89 ± 1.48 and 17.77 ± 1.64,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05; 53.60± 9.90 pg/ml vs.15.18 ± 3.24 pg/ml and 15.53 ± 4.12 pg/ml,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).The percentage of Th17 cells in CD4+ cells and serum IL-17 levels were both positively correlated with disease activity in patients with active SSc (r =0.675,0.644,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Th17 cells are highly proliferative in patients with active SSc,which may be closely correlated with the activity of SSc.

Objective To construct extravillous trophoblast(EVCT) tissue microarray and detect the expression of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pStat3) in EVCT and to explore the role of Stat3 signal transduction pathway in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.Methods Placentas of 80 pregnant women with preeclampsia and 58 normal pregnant women hospitalized in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 12,2007 to December 31,2010 were recruited for constructing EVCT tissue microarray.Vimentin,cytokeratin and human leukocyte antigen-G were used to verify EVCT tissue microarray immunohistochemically.The difference of pStat3 expression was detected between preeclampsia patients and normal pregnant women by immunohistochemical staining.Rank sum test,Kruskai-Wallis H test,t-test and Chisquare test were used for statistical analysis.Results Placental tissues from 57 preeclampsia patients (109 tissue cores) and 31 normal pregnant women (65 tissue cores) were suitable for constructing EVCT tissue microarray.The target tissue was positive for both cytokeratin and human leukocyte antigen-G staining and negative for vimentin,which was in accordance with the characters of EVCT tissue.Totally 86.4％(76/88) samples retained the target EVCT tissues,which meant EVCT tissue microarray was constructed successfully.The expression of pStat3 was significantly decreased in EVCT of preeclampsia patients (51.1％,24/47),the early onset (50.0％,19/38) and severe preeclampsia patients(52.3％,23/44) as compared to normal pregnant women (72.4％,21/29) (U=492.00,473.00 and 401.00,P＜0.05 respectively).Conclusions EVCT tissue microarray has been successfully constructed,and could be used to detect pStat3 expression.pStat3 signal transduction pathway may be involved in the development of preeclampsia.

AIM:To establish HPLC fingerprint for controlling the quality of Rubus chingii Hu. METHODS: Analysis was performed on Alltech C_(18) column(250 mm?4.6 mm,5 ?m)with a mixture of acetonitrile and water as mobile phase in gradient mode,flow rate was 1.0 mL/min,wavelength at 211 nm. RESULTS: There were 15 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints of Rubus chingii Hu.The RSD of precision and reproducibility lay within 5%. CONCLUSION: The method has good sensitivity and repeatability.This chromatographic fingerprint method can be used to controll the quality of Rubus chingii Hu.