Relative motion of lung and chest wall promotes uniform pleural space thickness

The pleural space is modeled in two dimensions as a thin layer of fluid separating a deformable membrane and a rigid surface containing a bump. We computed the steady-state membrane configuration and fluid pressure distribution during relative sliding of the two surfaces. For physiologically relevant values of membrane tension, shear flow-induced pressures near the bump and far-field pressure gradients are similar to those measured in vivo within the pleural space (e.g. Lai-Fook et al.) [J. Appl. Physiol.: Respirat. Environ. Exercise Physiol. 56 (1984) 1633-1639]. Deformation of the membrane over the bump suggests that the pressure field generated by the sliding motion promotes an even layer of fluid in the pleural space, preventing asperities from touching. Results also suggest a possible mechanism for pleural fluid redistribution during breathing, whereby irreversible fluid motion is associated with the deformability of the membrane.     

Diet salinity and vasopressin as reproduction modulators in the desert-dwelling golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus)

The time for reproduction in mammals largely depends on the availability of water and food in their habitat. Therefore, in regions where rains are limited to definite seasons of the year, mammals presumably will restrict their breeding correspondingly. But while mammals living in predictable ecosystems would benefit by timing their season to an ultimate predictable cue, such as photoperiod, in unpredictable ecosystems (e.g., deserts) they will need to use a more proximate signal. We suggest a mechanism by which water shortage (low water content in plants) could act as a proximate cue for ending the reproductive season. The golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus), a diurnal rodent living in extreme deserts, may face an increased dietary salt content as the summer progresses and the vegetation becomes dry. Under laboratory conditions, increased diet salinity lead to reproductive hiatus in females, notable in imperforated vagina, and a significant decrease in the ovaries, uteri, and body masses. In females treated with vasopressin (VP), a hormone expressed during water stress, the uteri and body masses have decreased significantly, and the ovaries exhibited an increased number of atretic follicles. VP has also led to a significant decrease in relative medullary thickness (RMT) of the kidney. It is thus suggested that VP could act as a modulator linking the reproductive system with water economy in desert rodents, possibly through its act on the energetic pathways.     

EEG asymmetries may be affected by cranial and Brain parenchymal asymmetries

Summary The plagiocephaly index, an index that reflects an underlying anatomic asymmetry of the brain, was assessed in ten schizophrenic patients and its values were correlated with the lateral distribution of quantitatively evaluated EEG. The correlations between the index and alpha power at F7 were significant, positive for frontal asymmetry (frontal bulging) and negative for occipital flattening. We then studied ten normal subjects in an attempt to illuminate the contribution of several cephalic and cranial variables to the imbalance of alpha-afterdischarges (AD) of VEP recorded at O1–O2. The asymmetry index of AD was computed and correlated with asymmetries of CT-derived measures of occipital bone thickness, occipital lobe width, mastoid area, and sulcal asymmetry (the asymmetry of intraparietal sulcus location from the longitudinal fissure). With the exception of the sulcal variable all measures significantly covaried with alpha AD. These findings caution that it may be important to determine cranial and brain parenchymal asymmetries where brain laterality is pertinent to studies of EEG.     

Tissue remodeling of rat pulmonary artery in hypoxic breathing. I. Changes of morphology, zero-stress state, and gene expression

The remodeling of the pulmonary arterial tissue in response to a step change of the oxygen concentration in the gas in which a rat lives was recorded as function of time and function of O₂ concentration. Three steps of changing from 20.9% to 17.2%, 13.6%, and 10% O₂ were imposed. Earlier work in our laboratory has shown that pulmonary arterial tissue remodeling is significant in the first 24 h after a step change of oxygen tension. Hence we made measurements in this period. Furthermore, data were obtained for tissue remodeling of circumferential and axial lengths of the pulmonary arteries. We recorded the activities of gene expressions in the lung tissues by microarray, determined the dose response curves of gene expression in the homogenized whole lungs with respect to four levels of O₂ concentration, and obtained the time courses of gene expression in the lung parenchyma in 30 days after a step decrease of O₂ concentration from 20.9% to 10%. We would like to suggest that the correlation of gene expression with physiological function parameters, i.e., time, O₂ tension, blood pressure, opening angle, wall thicknesses, etc., is the way to narrow down the search for specific genes for specific physiological functions. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC01: 8719Uv     

内骨架一体化小腿假肢的生物力学研究

一体化假肢是以聚合物为材料从接受腔到假腿一体成型的新型下肢假肢，它比传统型假肢更经济、美观、轻便，具有较大的应用前景。目前的相关研究主要集中在设计与制作及少量的临床研究方面。由于一体化假肢与传统型假肢在结构上的差异，有必要对其进行应力分析。本研究的目的是开展内骨架一体化假肢的生物力学研究，本研究基于内骨架一体化小腿假肢的真实几何构型，建立三维有限元模型，计算该模型在模拟Heel OH步态时相的载荷作用下的应力分布；在保持该模型的几何形状不变的情况下，建立了三个不同壁面厚度的一体化小腿假肢的有限元模型，分析壁面厚度对一体化小腿假肢应力分布的影响；通过分别赋予模型四种不同高分子聚合物的材料力学特性值，分析不同材料的一体化假肢的应力分布特点；分别对模型施加与正常步态的五个典型时相对应的载荷，分析一体化小腿假肢在各步态时相的应力分布特点。本研究结果对一体化假肢设计有指导价值。     

Lack of PTEN expression in endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia is correlated with cancer progression

We tested the hypothesis that PTEN inactivation may stratify cancer progression risk among putative endometrial hyperplasias, classified prognostically by means of the morphometric D score (DS). The DS, calculated from 3 morphometric variables measured in routine hematoxylin-eosin-stained endometrial biopsy slides, is the most sensitive and specific method of endometrial cancer risk prediction currently available. Clinical outcomes of 103 women with endometrial hyperplasia on biopsy were tallied according to the DS. Seven (7/103; 7%) patients with carcinoma during follow-up were all distributed within the high-risk prognostic group (ie, DS <1 = endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia [EIN]) (7/21; 33% progression). None of the 82 cases with a DS higher than 1 progressed. All cases that progressed were PTEN null, indicating that this genotype is capable of further stratifying cancer progression risk in hyperplasias irrespective of histological categorization. However, only 16% of the PTEN-null cases progressed. When PTEN expression pattern was combined with EIN, the prognostic power was greatly increased (specificity from 63% for PTEN and 85% for EIN to 93% when combined; positive predictive value from 16% and 33% to 50%). We conclude that loss of PTEN expression is the first biomarker in EIN that increases the accuracy of the prognostic DS to predict cancer progression risk. Unless endometrial hyperplasias are stratified by histological morphometric D-Score, PTEN has a low positive predictive value.     

Noninvasive method for measuring the electrical properties of deep tissues using an open-ended coaxial probe

A new noninvasive method of measuring the structure and the electrical properties of bilayered biological tissues was evaluated as a potentially useful diagnostic means for detecting changes in subcutaneous tissues. First, the input impedance of an open-ended coaxial probe radiating into a bilayered model was calculated using a full-wave method, the results showed that the evanescen higher order modes do not have a significant influence on the reflection coefficient of muscle layer surface. Then, it was clearly proven that the phase shift and the modulus of the reflection coefficient of muscle layer surface depending on the frequency are useful to estimate the thickness of fat layer and the electrical properties of muscle respectively. The experimental results showed an excellent agreement with the theoretical relationship between the phase shift and the thickness. The sensitivity of estimation of the electrical properties of muscle was shown to be not enough for differentiating between normal and diseased deep tissue because of noises from the experimental systems.     

超声彩色脉搏波技术在定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉弹性变化中的应用

目的 探讨超声彩色脉搏波(UFPWV)技术在定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉血管管壁弹性变化中的应用价值。方法 回顾性研究。纳入2018年7月-2019年3月蚌埠医学院第一附属医院收治的97例2型糖尿病患者为观察组,其中男47例、女50例,年龄20~74(46.6±9.3)岁;根据颈动脉内中膜厚度(IMT)将观察组分为颈动脉粥样斑块组(A组)、颈动脉内中膜增厚组(B组)和颈动脉内中膜正常组(C组),依据下肢动脉有无斑块将C组分为下肢动脉斑块组(C1组)、下肢动脉无斑块组(C2组)。选取2017年12月-2018年12月在蚌埠医学院第一附属医院体检中心血糖及颈动脉IMT正常的健康体检者64人为对照组,其中男25人、女39人,年龄20~74(44.3±12.0)岁。运用UFPWV采集脉搏波速度 (PWV),计算颈动脉收缩早期PWV(PWV-BS)及收缩晚期PWV(PWV-ES),分析各项参数组间的差异。结果 观察组中,A组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(9.51±1.25)m/s、(10.79±1.64)m/s,B组分别为(8.47±0.91)m/s、(9.81±1.05)m/s,C组分别为(7.97±0.77)m/s、(9.07±0.74)m/s,对照组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(6.10±1.00)m/s、(7.40±1.20)m/s,A组、B组、C组及对照组间颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES测量值依次降低,差异均有统计学意义(P值均<0.05)。C组中,C1组颈动脉PWV-BS、PWV-ES分别为(7.83±0.85)m/s、(8.82±0.59)m/s,C2组分别为(8.14±0.64)m/s、(9.34±0.79)m/s, C1组PWV-ES显著高于C2组,差异有统计学意义(t=3.402,P＜0.01),而两组间PWV-BS的差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论 UFPWV技术可定量评价2型糖尿病患者颈动脉弹性变化,并可通过PWV-ES的改变评估颈动脉形态学正常的患者动脉粥样硬化的进展程度,对临床诊疗具有一定意义。     

Differences in diazepam pharmacokinetics in Chinese and white Caucasians – Relation to body lipid stores

Summary We have compared diazepam pharmacokinetics in 16 Chinese and 18 white Caucasian healthy male volunteers, resident in Hong Kong and have correlated them with physical attributes. Serum concentrations of diazepam and desmethyldiazepam were measured in venous blood by an enzyme-linked immunoassay (0–3 h samples) and HPLC (3–72 h samples). Pharmacokinetic parameters were derived assuming a two compartment model, distribution phase <6 h, and 100% oral systemic availability. Compared with the Chinese the white Caucasians were older, heavier, taller, and fatter, as judged by skin fold thickness (SFT) and total body weight to Ideal body weight (TBW/IBW) ratio; respective mean differences being 16%, 27%, 4%, 26%, and 15% (p<0.05). Mean diazepam apparent volume of distribution (V) and V/IBW were larger in the white Caucasians (52% & 39% respectively, p=0.002). SFT and TBW/IBW ratio yielded the best correlations with V, V/TBW and V/IBW (0.50–0.75, p<0.05). Obesity indices contributed most to the overall regressions (R² up to 0.52), and for V there was a further small effect (2%, partial F test) due to ethnic group, possibly reflecting stature. Mean peak diazepam concentration (C_max) was similar in both ethnic groups. Time to C_max (t_max) was more often prolonged in the Chinese (X ² test, p=0.01). Body fat and stature may thus account for these inter-ethnic differences in the apparent volume of distribution of diazepam, a highly lipid-soluble drug.     

血清脂联素、骨桥蛋白和HE4在子宫内膜癌患者中的表达及意义

目的：探讨血清脂联素（APN）、骨桥蛋白（OPN）和人附睾分泌蛋白4(HE4)在子宫内膜癌患者中的表达及意义。方法：选取2019年11月至2022年9月郴州市第一人民医院收治的子宫内膜癌患者62例（子宫内膜癌组）,另选取同期50例子宫内膜不典型增生患者（内膜增生组）和50例健康志愿者（正常内膜组）。检测并比较三组血清APN、OPN、HE4水平,采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清APN、OPN、HE4对子宫内膜癌的诊断效能,并采用Spearman相关性分析探讨血清APN、OPN、HE4与临床病理特征的相关性。结果：子宫内膜癌组患者血清APN水平低于内膜增生组和正常内膜组,OPN、HE4水平高于内膜增生组和正常内膜组。国际妇产科联盟（FIGO）分期为Ⅲ期患者血清APN水平低于Ⅱ期和Ⅰ期患者,OPN、HE4水平高于Ⅱ期和Ⅰ期患者;肌层浸润深度≥1/2肌层患者血清APN水平低于<1/2肌层患者,OPN、HE4水平高于<1/2肌层患者;淋巴结转移患者血清APN水平低于无淋巴结转移患者,OPN、HE4水平高于无淋巴结转移患者,差异均具有统计学意义（P <0.05）。ROC曲...