The Oxford Optical Pointer: a direction-sensing device with proportional electrical output

For some disabled people pointing provides a more convenient means of communication and control than the use of switches. The quadriplegic who retains good control of head movement can be provided with a number of input alternatives, but no existing system meets all the requirements of a general-purpose electronic pointing device. Consequently the Oxford Optical Pointer has been developed. The principle by which it converts relative direction into analogue electrical signals is described and its application as a head-mounted device for controlling an electric wheelchair is presented.     

Changes in UK ORL-HNS training scheme: Does the Indian trainee have a place anymore?

The determination of the UK Government to modernise medical careers, the shortage of training jobs for local medical graduates, the establishment of the Postgraduate Medical Training and Education Board (PMETB) and European Union rules have combined to change the scheme of surgical training in the United Kingdom. In the opinion of the author, the Indian Otorhinolaryngological (ORL) trainee can no longer aspire to reasonable higher training in the UK.     

Diuretic and hypotensive actions of torasemide in hypertensive models of rat

The diuretic and the antihypertensive actions of torasemide were examined in renal and genetic hypertensive rats and compared to the effects of furosemide. Oral administration of torasemide (1 and 3 mg/kg) elicited a dose-dependent increase in the excretion of urine and electrolytes and elevated the urinary Na/K ratio in both renal and genetic hypertensive rats. Torasemide and furosemide had a similar maximum diuretic effect in the normotensive Wistar rat and the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). However, the diuretic activity of furosemide was weaker in the renal hypertensive rat (RHR). Torasemide showed approximately 30 times greater diuretic potency than furosemide. Torasemide and furosemide demonstrated hypotensive action in hypertensive rat models, but not in the normotensive Wistar rat. Especially in the RHR, torasemide exhibited a more potent hypotensive action than furosemide. These results show that the diuretic and antihypertensive activities of torasemide are effective in various rat models of hypertension, while the diuretic activity of furosemide is weak in certain hypertensive rat models. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

头部X线照射后大鼠血清中皮质酮含量和脾细胞中糖皮质激素受体变化及其相互关系的研究

给Wistar大鼠以10Gy X射线头部照射后不同时间测定血清皮质酮含量和脾细胞中糖皮质激素受体,结果表明:头照后24h受体数已降到对照组的25％,以后逐渐回升,至第9天恢复到接近正常水平。头照后受体的最大结合容量有降低趋势,但差异不显著,而Kd值显著增大,亲和力降低。皮质酮含量的变化呈双峰曲线,第1天即显著增高,至第9天仍显著增高,皮质酮含量和受体的变化规律不一致。体外实验还证实了1～10倍血清浓度的皮质酮在短时间内不会引起所测定的GCR改变。证明皮质酮的变化虽然可能是引起受体变化的一个原因,但不是主要原因。     

论护士长的管理技巧对团队凝聚力的影响

阐述护士长的自身素质和管理技巧对团队凝聚力的影响及护士长应具备的管理技巧,认为提高护士长的自身素质和管理技巧是充分调动护理人员工作积极性从而提高护理质量的必要条件。     

颈静脉孔区肿瘤术后后组脑神经损伤的评估和处理

目的：分析颈静脉孔区肿瘤术后后组脑神经损伤情况及其处理,以提高对后组脑神经损伤的认识并改进处理方法。方法：32例颈静脉孔区肿瘤患者中,颈静脉球体瘤12例,后组脑神经鞘膜瘤10例,脑膜瘤3例,胆脂瘤1例,颞骨巨细胞瘤2例,纤维瘤病1例,黏液软骨肉瘤1例,胚胎型横纹肌肉瘤1例,腺样囊性癌1例。均采取手术治疗,30例全切,1例近全切,1例大部切除。结果：除1例术后并发颅内出血死亡外,其余31例术后随访1-6年。术后后组脑神经功能仍正常者5例,新出现神经功能损伤者8例,原有神经功能损伤者18例术后出现不同程度的损伤加剧表现。手术前后行气管切开者8例,其中3例出院前拔管,5例带管出院。出院时后组脑神经损伤代偿者20例,失代偿者6例。失代偿者术后随访中3例代偿,2例部分代偿,1例未代偿。结论：颈静脉孔区肿瘤术后后组脑神经损伤是常见并发症,术前应根据患者年龄、神经功能等综合评估,术中应尽量保全神经,早期积极正确的功能锻炼是术后处理的关键。     

腰穿术后平卧方法的临床观察

目的 通过腰穿术后病人平卧方法舒适度的临床观察比较,从而探讨选择术后最佳的平卧方法.方法 观察并记录2001-02～2006-09的1070例门诊腰穿术后病人,2种平卧方法(即去枕仰卧位和低枕卧位)的舒适度.结果 随机分2组2种平卧方法临床观察,低枕卧位明显优于去枕仰卧位.结论 腰穿术后低枕卧位方法的选择对病人术后的尽快恢复,有较好的帮助.     

ENDOSCOPIC MUCOSAL RESECTION AND SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION METHOD FOR LARGE COLORECTAL TUMORS

The goal of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is to allow the endoscopist to obtain tissue or resect lesions not previously amenable to standard biopsy or excisional techniques and to remove malignant lesions without open surgery. In this article, we describe the results of conventional EMR and EMR using an insulation‐tipped (IT) electrosurgical knife (submucosal dissection method) for large colorectal mucosal neoplasms and discuss the problems and future prospects of these procedures. At present, conventional EMR is much more feasible than EMR using IT‐knife from the perspectives of time, money, complication, and organ preservation. However, larger lesions tend to be resected in a piecemeal fashion; and it is difficult to confirm whether EMR has been complete. For accurate histopathological assessment of the resected specimen en bloc EMR is desirable although further experience is needed to establish its safety and efficacy. Further improvements of in EMR with special knife techniques are required to simply and safely remove large colorectal neoplasms.     

Carotid baroreflex function ceases during vasovagal syncope

Abstract. Despite the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate and blood pressure, vasovagal syncope is a common cause of loss of consciousness in people exposed to stimuli that reduce the central blood volume, such as head-up tilt. Carotid baroreflex function was evaluated using a rapid pulse train of neck pressure and neck suction in three conscious volunteers who developed a vasovagal episode during head-up tilt. The maximal gain of the carotid-heart rate and carotid-blood pressure baroreflex function curves were identified as measures of carotid baroreceptor responsiveness. When presyncopal symptoms developed, one further baroreflex assessment was obtained before the subjects were returned to the supine position. The bradycardia and hypotension exhibited during pre-syncope and syncope reflected a leftward and downward relocation of both the cardiac and vasomotor stimulusresponse curves. In addition, during the vasovagal syncope, baroreflex control was suppressed as blood pressure remained low during neck pressure stimuli. In conclusion, arterial baroreflex function ceases during vasovagal syncope.