Objective To develop a set of wearable device for dynamic monitoring of human vital signs and environmental information during exercise.Methods By using system integration mode,multiple sensor modules were integrated in the design of the device.A microcontroller was selected as the core of the hardware circuit.Then serial ports simulation was used to connect all sensors to the microcontroller.Wireless data transmission between the handset and the primary control module was implemented with Bluetooth component.Results The device behaved well in low energy consumption,small volume,low weight and data accuracy,and met the design requirements for wearable mobile monitoring device.Conciusion The device provides real-time data monitoring to the users so as to contribute to human health.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the outcomes of perineal urethrostomy plus secondary urethroplasty for ultralong urethral stricture and assess its influence on the patient's quality of life.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed 54 cases of ultralong urethral stricture treated by perineal urethrostomy from 2000 to 2010. The mean age of the patients was 40 years, and the average length of stricture was 6.5 cm. We evaluated the patients'quality of life by questionnaire investigation and the clinical outcomes based on IPSS, Qmax, the necessity of urethral dilation and satisfaction of the patients.

RESULTSThe mean Qmax of the 54 patients was (14.0 +/- 4.7) ml/min. Of the 34 cases that underwent secondary urethroplasty, 22 (64.7%) achieved a mean Qmax of (12.0 +/- 3.5) ml/min, 8 (23.5%) needed regular urethral dilatation and 4 (11.8%) received internal urethrotomy because of restenosis. IPSS scores were 5.4 +/- 2.1 and 8.5 +/- 5.8 after perineal urethrostomy and secondary urethroplasty, respectively. Fifty of the total number of patients (92.6%) were satisfied with the results of perineal urethrostomy, and 22 of the 34 (64.7%) with the results of secondary urethroplasty.

CONCLUSIONPerineal urethrostomy plus secondary urethroplasty is safe and effective for ultralong urethral stricture, and affects very little the patient's quality of life.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ostomy ; Perineum ; surgery ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Urethral Stricture ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND:Sepsis has become the greatest threat to in-patients, with a mortality of over 25％.The dysfunction of gut barrier, especially the immunological barrier, plays an important role in the development of sepsis. This dysfunction occurs after surgery, but the magnitude of change does not differentiate patients with sepsis from those without sepsis. Increased intestinal permeability before surgery is of no value in predicating sepsis. The present study aimed to observe the changes of intestinal mucosal immunologic barrier in rat models of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture. METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sepsis group (n=45) and a control group (n=15). The rats in the sepsis group were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), whereas the rats in the control group underwent a sham operation. The ileac mucosa and segments were harvested 3, 6 and 12 hours after CLP, and blood samples were collected. Pathological changes, protein levels of defensin-5 (RD-5) and trefoil factor-3 (TFF3) mRNA, and lymphocytes apoptosis in the intestinal mucosa were determined. In an additional experiment, the gut-origin bacterial DNA in blood was detected. RESULTS:The intestinal mucosa showed marked injury with loss of ileal villi, desquamation of epithelium, detachment of lamina propria, hemorrhage and ulceration in the sepsis group. The expression of TFF3 mRNA and level of RD-5 protein were decreased and the apoptosis of mucosal lymphocyte increased (P<0.05) in the sepsis group compared with the control group. Significant differences were observed in RD-5 and TFF3 mRNA 3 hours after CLP and they were progressively increased 6 and 12 hours after CLP in the sepsis group compared with the control group (P<0.05, RD-5 F=11.76, TFF3 F=16.86 and apoptosis F=122.52). In addition, the gut-origin bacterial DNA detected in plasma was positive in the sepsis group. CONCLUSION:The immunological function of the intestinal mucosa was impaired in septic rats and further deteriorated in the course of sepsis.

OBJECTIVETo observe the expressions of the substance P (SP) mRNA and neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord in the rat model of chronic prostatitis pain, and to investigate the changes in the activation of astrocytes and influence of SP on this activation in rat spinal cord astrocytes cultured in vitro.

METHODSThe rat model of chronic prostatitis pain was established by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and assessed by the tail flick threshold test, the control rats injected with sodium chloride and all observed at 0, 14 and 28 days. Changes in the expressions of SP mRNA, NK-1R, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Rat spinal cord astrocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into a control group, cultured with ITS cell culture fluid, and two experiment groups, with Group 1 stimulated with SP at the concentration of 10(-9) - 10(-6) mol/L for 12 hours followed by determination of the expressions of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, NO and NOS by ELISA and nitrate reductase and colorimetric methods, and Group 2 at 10(-7) mol/L for 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours followed by detection of the GFAP expression by Western blot.

RESULTSThe expressions of SP mRNA, NK-1 R, GFAP, TNF-alpha and iNOS in the posterior horn of the L5 - S2 spinal cord were obviously higher in the rat prostatitis pain models than in the controls, successively higher at 28 than at 14 and 0 d (P < 0.01), and so was the expression of GFAP at 28 than at 14 d in the experiment groups (P < 0.05). SP induced a gradual increase at 10(-7) mol/L in the expression of GFAP in the spinal cord astrocytes at 0 -72 h, significantly different from that of the control group (P < 0.01), and it promoted the excretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and the activity of NO and NOS at 10(-9) - 10(-6) mol/L at 12 h in a concentration-dependent manner, with marked differences between the experiment and control groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). But a decreased excretion of IL-1 beta was observed in the 10(-6) mol/L group, though with no significant difference from the control (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChronic prostatitis pain could upregulate the expressions of the excitatory transmitter SP and receptor in the L5 - S2 spinal cord, and result in the activation of astrocytes and increased excretion of proinflammatory cytokines, which may be associated with the persistence and generalization of prostatitis pain.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Pain ; metabolism ; Prostatitis ; metabolism ; Rats ; Receptors, Neurokinin-1 ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Substance P ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDRecent research suggested that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) might be independently associated with hypoadiponectinemia, which was linked to some complications of OSAS, such as hypertension, diabetes, etc. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on changes of both serum adiponectin levels and mean arterial pressure and their possible links in male OSAS patients.

METHODSTwenty-three adult male patients with moderate-to-severe OSAS but without obesity, coronary heart disease and diabetes were recruited. Their blood samples were collected and morning mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured before CPAP treatment and on day 3, 7, 14 of CPAP treatment respectively. The serum adiponectin concentration was tested with radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSCompared with the serum adiponectin level before CPAP treatment, no significant change was found in OSAS patients on day 3 and day 7 of CPAP treatment (P > 0.05). It was not until day 14 of CPAP treatment did a significant elevation in serum adiponectin level occur (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the MAP showed no statistically significant difference among its levels before CPAP, on day 3 and day 7 of CPAP treatment (P > 0.05). However, on day 14 of CPAP treatment, a significantly lower MAP than that obtained before treatment was observed (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCPAP treatment can gradually reverse hypoadiponectinemia and reduce MAP in OSAS patients. Hypoadiponectinemia might be involved in the pathogenesis of OSAS-mediated hypertension.

Adiponectin ; blood ; Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; blood ; complications ; physiopathology ; therapy

Adult ; Female ; Hamartoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi ; complications ; Spleen ; pathology ; surgery ; Splenectomy ; methods ; Splenic Diseases ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery

BACKGROUNDCongestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR), which may hasten CHF. Adaptive servoventilation (ASV) is a novel method of ventilatory support designed for removal of CSF in CHF patients. This study compares the efficacy of ASV in patients with CHF and CSR with the efficacy of oxygen therapy.

METHODSFourteen patients with CHF and CSR were recruited. During sleep, nasal oxygen therapy and ASV treatment were each performed for two weeks. Comparison before and after each treatment was made for the following items: a) parameters of sleep respiration, sleep structure and quality; b) left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and 6-minute walk distance.

RESULTSCompared with the baseline levels of apnoea hypopnoea index of 34.5 +/- 6.1 before treatment, the apnoea hypopnoea index significantly decreased following oxygen therapy to 27.8 +/- 8.2, P < 0.05 and further reduced following ASV treatment to 6.5 +/- 0.8, P < 0.01. The minimal pulse oxygen saturation markedly increased following oxygen therapy from a baseline of (84.3 +/- 2.6)% to (88.6 +/- 3.7)%, P < 0.05 and further increased following ASV treatment (92.1 +/- 4.9)%, P < 0.01. Stages I + II sleep as percentage of total sleep time decreased from (81.9 +/- 7.1)% to (78.4 +/- 6.7)% following oxygen therapy and further to (72.4 +/- 5.0)% following ASV treatment. Stages III + IV sleep as percentage of total sleep time decreased from (8.4 +/- 5.5)% to (6.0 +/- 3.0)% following oxygen therapy and but increased to (11.9 +/- 5.4)% following ASV treatment. The arousal index of 30.4 +/- 8.1 before treatment significantly decreased following oxygen therapy to 25.6 +/- 5.7, P < 0.05 and further declined following ASV treatment to 18.2 +/- 6.1, P < 0.01. No significant difference was shown in above percentages between day 14 of oxygen therapy and before treatment (P > 0.05). LVEF was significantly higher on day 14 of ASV treatment (37.2 +/- 4.1)% than on day 14 of oxygen therapy (33.2 +/- 5.1)% and before treatment (30.2 +/- 4.6)% (all P < 0.05). Six-minute walk distance was the shortest before treatment (226 +/- 28) m, longer on day 14 of oxygen therapy (289 +/- 26) m, and the longest on day 14 of ASV treatment (341 +/- 27) m (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONASV treatment is of better efficacy and greater clinical significance in improvement of CHF by eliminating CSR than oxygen therapy.

Adult ; Cheyne-Stokes Respiration ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Heart Failure ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; methods ; Sleep ; physiology ; Stroke Volume ; Ventricular Function, Left

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Coagulation Factors ; analysis ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prothrombin Time ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo determine which expression mode of prothrombin time (PT) might achieve PT standardization in patients with advanced liver diseases.

METHODSPT was measured with six thromboplastins with different ISI values in 16 severe chronic hepatitis patients, 50 decompensated liver cirrhosis patients and 30 patients on oral anticoagulation therapy. The results were expressed in PT (second), PTA (%), PTR and INR.

RESULTSIn chronic hepatitis patients, the means of the six group's PTAs ranged from 24% to 34%, while their upper limits ranged from 47% to 61%. The means of the INRs ranged from 2.55 to 5.13, while their upper limits ranged from 4.65 to 12.77. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.489) was > PINR (0.120). In patients with liver cirrhosis, the means of the PTA in six groups ranged from 50% to 59%, while their upper limits ranged from 82% to 90%. The means of the INR ranged from 1.40 to 1.80, while their upper limits ranged from 1.97 to 3.69. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.102) was > PINR (0.01). In patients on oral coagulation therapy, the means of PTA ranged from 26% to 37%, while their upper limits ranged from 39% to 49%. The means of INR ranged from 2.35 to 2.66, while their upper limits ranged from 3.16 to 4.26. Through one-way ANOVA of repeated measures, PPTA (0.01) was less than PINR (0.102). The correlation between the results detected by Neoplastine and by other reagents were analyzed. They correlated well with each other when PTA was used as the expression mode of PT in patients with advanced liver disease. But in patients on oral anticoagulation therapy, when only the INR was used as the expression mode of PT, the correlation was well with each other.

CONCLUSIONThe use of INR provides inadequate standardization. Only when the PT is expressed in PTA, then it may provide a standardization mode in patients with advanced liver diseases.

Female ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; blood ; Humans ; International Normalized Ratio ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; Liver Failure ; blood ; Male ; Prothrombin Time ; standards ; Reference Standards