The paper proposes and realizes a programmable wireless neural stimulation system which can be used as a solution of functional electrical stimulation to treat neural diseases. The system is composed of two parts: controller and neural stimulator. The controller can transmit pulse parameters to the stimulator wirelessly, and the stimulator can generate bidirectional pulses with charge balance. The simulator takes use of ADCs to sample on the bidirectional pulse output, which compared with preset amplitude to the DAC output voltage to realize the voltage calibration. Through the test, the whole system works stably and the output of the biphasic charge balanced circuit is definite. The stimulator output ranges from 0 to 5 V ajustably, and the frequency ranges from 1 Hz to 200 Hz ajustably, while the pulse width ranges from 500 μs to 1500 μs ajustably. The duration of the stimulation can be set from 10 s to 10 min.
Electric Stimulation ; instrumentation ; Equipment Design ; Wireless Technology

Objective To retrospectively analyze the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for primary bone lymphomas ( PBL) . Methods Forty patients with PBL who were admitted to our center from 1964 to 2014 were enrolled as subjects. In those patients, 10 were treated with chemotherapy alone, 10 with radiochemotherapy, 10 with postoperative chemotherapy, 9 with postoperative radiochemotherapy, and 1 with surgery alone. The median radiation dose was 36 Gy. The Kaplan?Meier method was used to calculate survival rates . The log?rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis . Results The follow?up rate was 100%. The 3?year sample size was 36. In all patients, the 1?and 3?year overall survival rates were 60% and 42%, respectively, while the 1?and 3?year disease?free survival rates were 45%and 34%, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that no pathological fracture at diagnosis, normal lactate dehydrogenase level, an International Prognostic Index score of ≤1, early clinical stage ( stageⅠE ) , complete response after initial treatment, no less than 6 cycles of chemotherapy, a radiation dose of≥40 Gy, no progression outside radiation field after radiotherapy, and grade<3 bone marrow suppression during the treatment were prognostic factors for survival ( P=0. 027, 0. 037, 0. 000, 0. 016, 0. 000, 0. 000, 0. 022, 0. 014, and 0. 030). Conclusions The incidence of PBL is low. Comprehensive treatment can achieve satisfactory outcomes. As a PBL staging system, Ann Arbor has limitations. The staging of PBL should be based on local bone destruction and metastasis.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is an extremely aggressive and rapidly progressive polymicrobial soft tissue infection of the perineum, anal area or genitalial regions with a high mortality rate. The objectives of this study were to share our experience with the management of this serious infectious disease over the last 15 years. This retrospective study examined 24 patients diagnosed as having FG who were admitted to our hospital between March 1996 and December 2011. The gender, age, etiology, predisposing factors, laboratory findings, treatment modality, hospitalization time and spread of gangrene of the subjects were all recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the mean age of the patients was 48.33 years, the male-to-female ratio was 5:1 and the mortality rate was 20.8% (5/24). The most common predisposing factor was diabetes mellitus in 10 patients (41.6%), followed by alcohol abuse, obesity, neoplasms and immunosuppression. The most common etiology was peri-anal and peri-rectal abscesses (45.8%), followed by lesions of urogenital origin (33.3%) and cutaneous (8.3%) origin. No local pathologies could be identified in 3 (12.5%) patients. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli (62.5%), followed by Enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The median admission Fournier's gangrene severity index (FGSI) score for survivors was 5.63±1.89 against 13.6±3.64 for non-survivors which was designed for predicting the disease severity in the series. Early diagnosis and immediate extensive surgical debridement were significant prognostic factors in the management of Fournier gangrene. Individualized reconstructive modalities for wound coverage were useful in that they repaired the tissue defect and improved the quality of life. We are led to conclude that Fournier's gangrene is a severe condition with a high mortality. The Fournier's gangrene severity index (FGSI) score at admission serves as a good predictor for the disease severity. Early diagnosis, surgical debridement and aggressive fluid therapy are significant prognostic factors in the management of Fournier gangrene. Individualized reconstructive surgery modalities for wound coverage are useful to correct the tissue defect and improve the quality of life.

Objective To evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for esophageal fistula and fatal bleeding after intensity?modulated radiotherapy ( IMRT) for esophageal cancer. Methods Clinical data were collected from 128 patients with esophageal cancer who received radical IMRT in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2014. According to the incidence of esophageal fistula and fatal bleeding, those patients were divided into control group ( n= 105 ) and severe complications group ( n= 23 ) . In the severe complications group,12 patients had esophageal fistula and 11 fatal bleeding. Between?group comparison was made by χ2 test. The Cox model was used for the multivariate analysis. Results Chest and back pain in the initial diagnosis,clinical stage cT4 ,tumor type ( ulcerative) ,gross tumor volume ( GTV)>50 cm3 ,and GTV maximum diameter>2?45 cm were risk factors for esophageal fistula and fatal bleeding after radiotherapy for esophageal cancer (P=0?042,0?042,0?019,0?046,0?002).The multivariate analysis showed that tumor type ( ulcerative) and GTV maximum diameter were independent risk factors for esophageal fistula and fatal bleeding ( P=0?010,HR=0?329,95% CI:0?142?0?763;P=0?009,HR=3?805,95% CI:1?404?10?312) . Conclusions The efficacy of IMRT is severely restricted by the incidence of esophageal fistula and fatal bleeding. For patients with an ulcerative type of esophageal cancer or a GTV max diameter of>2?45 cm,the chemoradiotherapy plan should be optimized to reduce the risk of severe complications.

Objective:To improve the awareness of cholesterol crystal embolism syndrome (CCE) inrheumatologists.Methods:The clinical characteristics of 40 Chinese CCE patients admitted to our department (one case) were summarize and in the literature (thirty-nine cases) were reviewed.Results:Among these 40 patients, 87.5%(35/40) were male and the mean age was (68±6) years. All patients suffered from athero-sclerosis and 87.5%(35/40) of them had precipitating factors such as endovascular intervention, vascular surgery, anticoagulant, or thrombolytic therapy. The clinical manifestations included renal insufficiency (90.0%, 36/40), blue toe syndrome (82.5%, 33/40), ulceration or gangrene (25.0%, 10/40), and livedo reticularis (15%, 6/40). Acute phase reactant was tested in 25 cases, of whom 84.0%(21/25) showed elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and 56.0%(14/25) showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).Conclusion:Rheumatologists should be alert that CCE is one of the differential diagnosis of systemic vasculitis, especially for patients with severe atherosclerosis.

Fournier's gangrene (FG) is an extremely aggressive and rapidly progressive polymicrobial soft tissue infection of the perineum, anal area or genitalial regions with a high mortality rate. The objectives of this study were to share our experience with the management of this serious infectious disease over the last 15 years. This retrospective study examined 24 patients diagnosed as having FG who were admitted to our hospital between March 1996 and December 2011. The gender, age, etiology, predisposing factors, laboratory findings, treatment modality, hospitalization time and spread of gangrene of the subjects were all recorded and analyzed. The results showed that the mean age of the patients was 48.33 years, the male-to-female ratio was 5:1 and the mortality rate was 20.8% (5/24). The most common predisposing factor was diabetes mellitus in 10 patients (41.6%), followed by alcohol abuse, obesity, neoplasms and immunosuppression. The most common etiology was peri-anal and peri-rectal abscesses (45.8%), followed by lesions of urogenital origin (33.3%) and cutaneous (8.3%) origin. No local pathologies could be identified in 3 (12.5%) patients. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli (62.5%), followed by Enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The median admission Fournier's gangrene severity index (FGSI) score for survivors was 5.63±1.89 against 13.6±3.64 for non-survivors which was designed for predicting the disease severity in the series. Early diagnosis and immediate extensive surgical debridement were significant prognostic factors in the management of Fournier gangrene. Individualized reconstructive modalities for wound coverage were useful in that they repaired the tissue defect and improved the quality of life. We are led to conclude that Fournier's gangrene is a severe condition with a high mortality. The Fournier's gangrene severity index (FGSI) score at admission serves as a good predictor for the disease severity. Early diagnosis, surgical debridement and aggressive fluid therapy are significant prognostic factors in the management of Fournier gangrene. Individualized reconstructive surgery modalities for wound coverage are useful to correct the tissue defect and improve the quality of life.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Fournier Gangrene ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To analyze the effects of gross tumor volume(GTV-T)and positive lymph node volume(GTV-LN)on the prognosis of radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). Methods A total of 79 patients with stage N1ESCC undergoing radical radiotherapy in our hospital from 2012 to 2015 were enrolled as subjects. GTV-T and GTV-LN were calculated by the Pinnacle39.0 treatment planning system. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the value of the GTV-LN/GTV-T ratio in the prediction of local recurrence(LR)and distant metastasis(DM)of ESCC. Results The median follow-up time was 17.2 months in all patients. The ROC curves were made using the GTV-LN/GTV-T ratio. The optimal cut-off values of GTV-LN/GTV-T ratio for predicting the risk of LR and DM were 0.34 and 0.59, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed that the LR rates were 50% and 8% in patients with GTV-LN/GTV-T ratios of<0.34 and ≥0.34, respectively(P<0.01), while the DM rates were 11% and 43% in patients with GTV-LN/GTV-T ratios of<0.59 and ≥0.59, respectively(P= 0.003). Conclusions The GTV-LN/GTV-T ratio may be a predictor of LR and DM in patients with ESCC. Further studies on the GTV-LN/GTV-T ratio may help to make personalized chemoradiotherapy strategies for patients with ESCC.

Objective Investigate the relationship between gross tumor volume (GTV)-related factors including GTV-T volume,the maximum thickness of the esophageal lesion plane and GTV-T volume/length(GTV-T volume divided by the length of the lesion calculated by the number of GTV-T layers) and the locoregional failure of radical intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for esophageal carcinoma.Methods A total of 133 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radical IMRT were enrolled.The factors related to GTV-T including GTV-T volume,the maximum thickness of the esophageal lesions,GTV-T volume/length were calculated.The relationship between GTV-T related factors and local recurrence of tumors was retrospectively analyzed.Results There was positively linear association between the locoregional failure rate of GTV-T and the volume of GTV-T.The volume of GTV-T tumor was 36 cm3,the maximum wall thickness was 2.5 cm,and the GTV-T volume/length was calculated as 5.3 cm2.These critical values could be utilized to predict the risk of locoregional failure of IMRT for esophageal carcinoma.Conclusions The GTV-T factors can be adopted to predict the local control and the risk of locoregional failure of radical IMRT for esophageal carcinoma to certain extent.

To explore the medication regularity of Tibetan medicine in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases, analyze the potential drug targets and interactions of the prescriptions, and reveal the mechanism of Tibetan medicine in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases. The prescriptions in Tibetan medicine for treatment of spleen and stomach diseases were collected, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System (TCMISS) was used to analyze the association rules between the herbs and discover the core herbs and new prescriptions. The integrated pharmacology platform V1.0 software was used to construct "herb-compound-target" network and investigate the interactions between various herbs and related pathways of Tibetan medicine Wuwei Shiliu powder in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases. Among the 216 prescriptions of Tibetan medicine in the treatment of spleen and stomach diseases, pomegranate seed was used at a highest frequency (118 times), followed by white cardamom (107 times) and comatose (107 times). 12 new prescriptions were evolved by using the association rules (support>=34%, confidence>=0.85). 5 242 related drug targets and 20 related pathways were obtained from classic formula Wuwei Shiliu Powder (FDR<0.01). It was proposed that Tibetan medicine treatment for spleen and stomach diseases was mainly based on proliferation of "stomach fire" and the main drugs were for regulating Qi-flowing for strengthening spleen. The mechanism may be associated with regulation of digestive juice secretion, proton pump, mitochondria, regulation of intestinal digestion and immunity, the body's immunity to microorganisms function and other multiple targets and pathways to achieve the joint intervention.

This research is launched to look for the medication rules and characteristics of Tibetan medicine in the treatment of gZav-Grib( apoplexy sequelae). HIS records of gZav-Grib patients were selected from the Tibetan Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan Hospital of the city of Naqu. SPSS Modeler,Gephi and other data mining and visualization software were used to study the actual law of drug use in the treatment of gZav-Grib in Tibetan medicine. Finally,479 cases of gZav-Grib patients in Tibetan medicine were included. Their average age is 63 and average hospital stay was 32 days. In total,82 Tibetan medicine prescriptions were used for treating gZav-Grib. The frequency in the front is Twenty-flavor Chenxiang Pills( 338 times),Ruyi Zhenbao Pills( 322 times),and Seventy-flavor Zhenzhu Pills( 315 times). According to the regularity of Tebitan medicine,they were applied in different time periods including the early morning,morning,noon,and evening,for example,in the early morning: Seventy-flavor Zhenzhu Pills,morning: Ruyi Zhenbao Pills,noon: Eighteen-flavor Dujuan Pills,evening: Twenty-flavor Chenxiang Pills. In the clinical joint,18 groups were found in the 10% support and 70% confidence. There are two prescriptions confidence more than 80% which nature focus on Gan,Ruan,Xi,Liang,Dun,Han,Wen. gZav-Grib of Tibetan medicine can be divided into two types: r Lung-Grib type and k Hrag-Grib type,in which the medicine of r Lung-Grib type takes Seventy-flavor Zhenzhu Pills as the core prescription,while the medicine of k Hrag-Grib type takes Ruyi Zhenbao Pills as the core prescription. It is found that the treatment of gZav-Grib by Tibetan medicine is mainly dominated by the treatment idea about " Therapeutic r Lung and blood,Consideration of venous diseases". Treatment functions is promoting the circulation of Qi,clearing blood heat and getting rid of bad blood,achieving the purpose of treating both principal secondary aspect of gZav-Grib. The research methods based on the HIS can't only optimize the Tibetan treating gZav-Grib sequela treatment plan and rule of medication,but also provide the scientific basis for Tibetan medicine treat gZav-Grib.
Data Mining ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Software ; Stroke ; complications ; drug therapy ; Tibet