Objective To investigate the value of the senile degenerative aortic valve calcification (AVC) and to analyze the correlative risk factors by color Doppler echocardiograph.Methods Aortic valves of 110 cases with AVC (study group) and 110 cases without AVC (control group) were observed by color Doppler echocardiograph.All the patients with AVC have been excluded of congenital and other acquired valves' diseases.The aortic valve' s shape and the diameters of aortic root were measured.At the same time,the peak systolic and diastolic velocities of aorta were detected.The different features were compared between the two groups.Results Test results showed significant differences in study group:Anteroposterior diameter of aortic annulus and the area of aortic valve were decreased by calcification; The anteroposterior diameter of aortic sinus increased and aorta transvalvular pressure gradient augmented; Detection rate of atherosclerosis (AS) of aorta and the peripheral artery stenosis of the study group were higher than that of control group; The AS increased pulse pressure and aggravated AVC; Correlative risk factors,in addition to age,included hypertension,hypercholesterolemia,osteoporosis,and so on.The correct diagnosis of the correlated diseases were on the basis of clinical examines.The rate of AVC with multi-factor was higher than that with single-factor.In addition,gender difference and the diameters of ascending aortic showed no significant difference in two groups.Relationship between diabetes of correlative factors and the rate of AVC showed no significant difference in two groups.Conclusion Morphologic abnormality and malfunction of aortic valve and the large artery in elder patients were caused by senile degenerative AVC.The more correlative risk factors,the worse showed.

Objective To observe the effects of fluoride of different dose on the proliferation of the cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC). Methods The cells were treated with NaF at different doses. Cell counting, MTT colorimetry, flow cytometry (FCM) and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the endothelial cells activities. Results Compared with the fluoride free control, the positive rate of PCNA and Ki-67 were higher as NaF concentration was at 120-240 ?mol/L and were highest at 240 ?mol/L, the same was seen in the values of A and PI, as NaF concentration was at 600-960 ?mol/L,these indexes decreased. Conclusion In vitro, the low concentration of fluoride can promote the proliferative activity of HUVEC, whereas the high concentration can inhibit it.

In recent years active implantable medical devices(AIMD) are being developed rapidly. Many battery systems have been developed for different AIMD applications. These batteries have the same requirements which include high safety, reliability, energy density and long service life, discharge indication. History, present and future of batteries used in AIMD are introduced in the article.
Electric Power Supplies ; Prostheses and Implants

OBJECTIVE:To determine the contents of Cu,Zn and Mn in Ejiao,a kind of Chinese traditional medicine.METHOD:The contents of Cu,Zn and Mn were determined by derivative flame atomic absorption spectrometry (DFAAS) after digested by HNO3-HClO4.RESULTS:The contents of Cu,Zn and Mn were 10.48,12.38 and 18.09μg.g-1 respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The DFAAS possesses higher sensitivities,lower detection limits and better precision.

Objective To find out a PPM-based transcutaneous wireless bidirectional communication system for implantable medical device.Methods The wireless communication system included device implanted in the body,controller and PDA outside the body.Pulse position modulation(PPM) was used for the wireless bidirectional communication between device implanted in the body and controller outside the body.Results A PPM-based transcutaneous wireless communication system was realized.Its wireless bidirectional communication distance between device implanted in the body with titanium container and controller outside the body was over two inches.This system was with good position availability.Conclusion Pulse position modulation is successfully used for transcutaneous wireless communication system,and average power consumption for communication device implanted in the body is lowered greatly compared with ASK modulation method.At the same time,the volume of communication device implanted in the body is decreased for antenna common-using idea.

Objective To develop a programmable neuromuscular electrical stimulation system as a potential countermeasure for muscle atrophy in long-term microgravity.Methods The system was mainly composed of a controllable constant current pulse generator,wires and skin electrodes.To meet the requirements of stimulating recipes selection,the stimulating parameters could be adjusted independently and the combinatorial output of different stimulating phases should also be achieved.Results The system worked well with high accuracy outputs.The sensation,contraction,tetany and pain thresholds of all the 5 waveforms stimulating signals were measured.For different stimulating waveforms,thresholds of each state were different and the subjective sensations induced by same stimulating amplitude were dissimilar.Conclusion The developed system providing powerful programmable and accurate stimulating signals,is convenient for the selection and verification of stimulating recipes and can be used as an instrument platform for study of electrical stimulation to prevent muscle atrophy in microgravity.Volunteer experiments have proved its validation for function of muscle contraction and provide primary basses for the optimization of stimulating recipes.

Objective To develop a rapid method based on ARMS, named four primers allele-specific PCR(4p-AS PCR), to detect the most common non-deletional ?-thalassemia mutation Hb Constant Spring(Hb CS) by PCR technique. Methods The 4p-ASPCR was used to detect the Hb CS mutation of ?-thalassemia in 38 DNA samples of Hb H disease patients and using PCR-RE and DNA sequencing to confirm the results. Results Among the 38 Hb H disease patients 15 cases was revealed to carry Hb CS, 16 cases were deletional Hb H, and 7 cases need to be defined.Conclusion A simple, rapid and reliable method, named 4P-ASPCR, to detect Hb CS mutation have been developed. It is also may be useful in screen other point mutations such as Hb Quong Sze.

Obiective To descript the method and the equipment of implantable single-point electric stimulation which is designed to continionsly and effectively treat the chronic diseases that harm the people's health. Methods The system is constructed with two parts, outside power transfer and implanted power receiver. The bypass capacitor of transistor and transformer inductor make up of power transmitter, which is half series resonant. With using transeutaneous power transform, the efficiency of this transform is studied. Experiments choose proper transmitting parameters: transformer winding is a 20 turns hollow coil of 35mm diameter, and the frequency is 150-200 kHz; the receiver winding is a 100 turns hollow coil of 10ram diameter. Results Finally the completed prototype of the system and the receiver can generate about 5-10 mA current to stimulation tissue with 5mm gap between receiver and radiator, which meets the requirement of application.ConclusionThis instrument can be used in all kinds of single-point stimulation experiment.

The surface structure of the pineal recess in rat (Sprague-Dawley) was observedby using scanning electron microscope.Because of the distribution ofthe cilia and microvilli shows a regular changes from peripheralarea to central area in the recess,the surface of the recess can be divided intoperipheral,transitional and central zone.In the peripheral zone,there aresupraependymal cells in different appearance among those tufted cilia.Thetransitional zone is between peripheral and central zone.The cilia in this zone arefewer than those of the peripheral zone.We have observed the neuron-like suprae-pendymal cell with a splndle shaped cell body and numerous small holes as well assupraependymal nerve fibers in the floor of this zone.The ending of the nerve fiberis varicose.Some smooth areas devoid of cilia and microvilli were presentin the central zone.There are also neuron like cells with slender processes,roundsupraependymal cell,some fine crisscrossing fibers and some sprouted cilia.Acluster of bleb-like structures are present in this zone.The relations between thesurface of the recess and the pineal gland are discussed.

Objective To observe the dynamic changes of high mobility group protein B1 ( HMGB1 )expression in the lung of rats with Vibrio vulnificus sepsis so as to unravel the role of HMGB1 in lung injury.Methods Sixty rats of clean grade were randomly divided into normal control group ( A group, n = 10) and Vibrio vulnificus sepsis group (B group, n =50). Sepsis model was made in rats with subcutaneous injection of Vibrio vulnificus with concentration of 6 × 108 cfu/ml in dose of 0. 1 ml/100 g into left lower limb.The rats of group B were sacrificed 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after infection for taking lung tissues to detect the water content of lung and to observe the histopathological changes in lung under light microscope.The expression of HMGB1 mRNA and the level of HMGB1 protein in the lungs were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Data were analysed with ANOVA and LSD method for comparison between groups, and P ＜0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Compared with the group A (0.652±0. 177), the expressions of HMGB1 mRNA in lung of rats of group B were significantly higher in 12 hours (1. 161 ±0.358, P=0.013), 24 hours (1.679 ±0.235, P =0.000) and 48 hours (1.258 ±0.274, P=0.004) and reached the peak in 24 h. Compared with group A (0.594 ±0. 190), the level of HMGB1 protein in rats of group B 6 h after infection ( 1. 408 ± 0. 567, P = 0. 026) was significantly increased (P＜0.05), and it reached peak in 24 h (2.415 ± 1.064, P =0.000) after infection. Compared with group A (0.699 ± 0.054), the lung water contents in rats of group B were significantly increased in 6 h (0.759±0.030, P=0.001), in 12 h (0.767 ±0.023, P =0.000), in 24 h (0.771 ±0.043, P=0.000) and in 48 h (0.789 ±0.137, P=0.000) after infection. Compared with group A, the pathological changes in the lung of rats in group B showed clearly marked pulmonary vascular congestion, interstitial edema and inflammatory cell infiltration, and those changes became more and more serious until alveolar sacs entirely collapsed and the boundaries of the alveolar septa could not be clearly identified in 48 h. Conclusions Vibrio vulnificus sepsis leads to the lung injury of infected rats, and the increase in the expression of HMGB1 mRNA in lung might be one of the mechanisms of lung injury in rats with Vibrio vulnificus sepsis.