Developments in cardiovascular ultrasound. Part 2: Arterial applications

Many of the changes resulting from arterial disease can be measured, using Doppler ultrasound for measurement of blood velocity and B-scan imaging for measurement of tissue structure and composition. Wall thickness, the degree of arterial narrowing and plaque volume can be measured using B-scan imaging, and 3D ultrasound can be used to improve the accuracy of measurements of plaque volume and for improved visualisation of complex arterial geometries. Measurement of the dynamic properties of the arterial wall permits estimation of wall elasticity and plaque motion. From the Doppler signal, measurements of blood velocity are used to estimate the degree of arterial narrowing and volumetric flow, although measurement errors can be large. Wall shear stress can be estimated by measuring the velocity gradient at the vessel wall. The problems of inadequate spatial resolution and interference from overlying tissue are largely removed when intravascular systems are used, and these have superior capability in the assessment of arterial structure and tissue composition. However, measurement of quantities relating to blood flow is more difficult using the intravascular approach, as the indwelling cather disturbs the blood flow pattern, and currently, assessment of flow and vessel cross-section are not performed at the same site.     

磷酸钙人工骨(CPC)在颈前路椎间融合的临床应用

目的探讨磷酸钙人工骨(CPC)在颈椎前路椎间融合手术中的应用效果。方法2001年4月至2003年10月颈前路手术中应用磷酸钙人工骨栓椎间融合结合钛钢板固定治疗颈椎病17例,颈椎间盘突出症5例,颈椎外伤脱位2例,共24例35个节段。采用JOA评分评价神经功能,X线片判定融合效果。结果随访18±6.5个月,术后无感染,无过敏或毒性反应。JOA评分由术前9.28±2.15分增加到14.65±2.18分(P<0.001)。术后X线片未见CPC骨栓塌陷或移位,钛板和螺钉无松动及折断。术后16.5±6.8个月均获得椎间融合。结论颈椎前路椎间融合手术应用磷酸钙人工骨替代自体骨,经济、安全、简便、效果可靠。     

距下关节在成人足三维运动中的力学研究

目的:分析研究成人新鲜足标本距下关节在正常情况下足三维运动中的生物力学特性。方法:取新鲜足标本12例,通过加载使足产生某种形式的运动,用三维数字化坐标仪测量距下关节组成骨在某种运动状态下的相对三维坐标位移,通过矩阵转换和求解非线性函数方程计算其三维旋转角度,确定距下关节的运动范围、规律和在足整体运动中的作用。结果:距下关节在足整体运动中背屈-跖屈、内翻-外翻、内收-外展轴运动范围分别为4.13°±0.86°、8.43°±0.52°、12.77°±1.29°。在足单纯跖屈背屈、内翻外翻、内收外展过程中,对距下关节三维运动度作相关性分析,并对相关系数进行t检验,相关系数均有高度统计学意义。结论:随足跖屈、背屈,内、外翻,内收、外展运动度的增加,距下关节三维运动范围呈线性增加,在各轴上的增加幅度有所不同,三轴方向上的运动存在密切的相关关系。     

解剖钢板结合连续被动运动功能锻炼治疗胫骨平台骨折

目的 评价解剖钢板结合连续被动运动(CPM)功能锻炼在治疗胫骨平台骨折中的应用价值.方法 2003年5月至2005年10月本院34例胫骨平台骨折行解剖复位、解剖钢板内固定并在术后进行CPM功能锻炼.结果 术后对患者行X线检查示骨折实现解剖复位或接近解剖复位.23例患者经5～30个月随访骨折均愈合,无植骨坏死发生.CPM功能锻炼后运动功能恢复优良率为82.6%(19/23).结论 采用关节面的解剖复位、解剖钢板及牢固固定后配合术后CPM功能锻炼对于胫骨平台骨折有很好的疗效.     

人椎间盘髓核细胞突起的形态学特征

目的 探讨成人腰椎间盘髓核细胞突起的形态学特征.方法 取8例成人腰椎间盘髓核组织标本(Thompson Ⅰ～Ⅱ),分别行冰冻切片和电镜切片,同时进行髓核细胞的分离和单层培养,利用光镜、激光扫描共焦显微镜和透射电镜,从组织、细胞和超微结构水平观察细胞突起的形态学特征.结果 所有的髓核细胞均具有明显的突起结构,相邻的细胞突起间可见缝隙连接.在体状态下均呈类圆形的髓核细胞进行离体培养时却呈现梭形和类圆形两种不同的形态,梭形细胞与类圆形细胞的比例约为2.3∶1.梭形细胞的突起顺着细胞体长轴发出,未见二级突起.类圆形细胞的突起从细胞体四周发出,突起呈树枝状,可见多级突起.结论 突起是椎间盘髓核细胞的形态学特征之一,对突起功能的深入研究将有助于加深对椎间盘退变病理机制的认识.     

Control strategies in directing the hand to moving targets

Summary We have evaluated the use of visual information about the movement of a target in two tasks tracking and interceptions — involving multi-joint reaching movements with the arm. Target velocity was either varied in a pseudorandom order (random condition) or was kept constant (predictable condition) across trials. Response latency decreased as target velocity increased in each condition. A simple model that assumes that latency is the sum of two components — the time taken for target motion to be detected, and a fixed processing time — provides a good fit to the data. Results from a step-ramp experiment, in which the target stepped a small distance immediately preceding the onset of the ramp motion, were consistent with this model. The characteristics of the first 100 ms of the response depended on the amount of information about target motion available to the subject. In the tracking task with randomly varied target velocities, the initial changes in hand velocity were largely independent of target velocity. In contrast, when the velocity was predictable the initial hand velocity depended on target velocity. Analogously, the initial changes in the direction of hand motion in the interception task were independent of target velocity in the random condition, but depended on target velocity in the predictable condition. The time course for development of response dependence was estimated by controlling the amount of visual information about target velocity available to the subject before the onset of limb movement. The results suggest that when target velocity was random, hand movement started before visual motion processing was complete. The response was subsequently adjusted after target velocity was computed. Subjects displayed idiosyncratic strategies during the catch-up phase in the tracking task. The peak hand velocity depended on target velocity and was similar for all subjects. The time at which the peak occurred, in contrast, varied substantially among subjects. In the interception task the hand paths were straighter in the predictable than in the random condition. This appeared to be the result of making adjustments in movement direction in the former condition to correct for initially inappropriate responses.     

内脏高敏感大鼠结肠电活动及运动异常

目的探讨内脏高敏感大鼠结肠电活动及运动的特点。方法实验分对照组和模型组,模型组腹腔注射鸡卵清蛋白使大鼠内脏致敏。2周后,记录结肠快波、慢波及收缩波,观察消化间期移行性综合肌电IMC的周期、Ⅲ期持续时间、快波和慢波的波动频率及平均最大振幅,记录结肠收缩波数目及收缩波指数。结果模型组消化间期复合肌电的周期延长(P<0·01),Ⅲ期持续时间延长(P<0·01),快波的波动率加快(P<0·05),平均最大振幅增大(P<0·01)。慢波的波动频率加快(P<0·05),平均最大振幅增大(P<0·01)。收缩波数目增加(P<0·05),收缩波指数增大(P<0·05)。结论内脏高敏感大鼠结肠电活动及运动有明显异常。     

Control of fluid shear response in circulating leukocytes by integrins

Recent evidence shows that circulating leukocytes respond not only to humoral inflammatory mediators but also to fluid stresses. Application of fluid shear stress (of the order of 1–10 cm² to fresh migrating leukocytes leads to initial retraction of pseudopods, an important step to facilitate normal passage of leukocytes through the microcirculation and to prevent spreading on the endothelium. The ability to respond to fluid shear stress, however, may be regulated under different physiological conditions. In the current study, we examine the role of integrins in the fluid shear response as measured by pseudopod retraction with the use of antibodies against human neutrophil ₁ and ₂ integrins. Neutrophils adhering via ₂ integrins exhibit normal ability to project pseudopods and to migrate. Such cells show normal response to fluid shear with rapid pseudopod retraction. In contrast, attachment via ₁ integrins leads to firmly adhesive leukocytes, spreading and almost no cell migration. Such leukocytes exhibit a significantly attenuated ability for pseudopod retraction under fluid shear. These results suggest that integrins may serve as a regulating mechanism for fluid shear response in human leukocytes. Attachment via ₁ integrins may lead to an abolishment of the fluid shear response. © 2002 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC2002: 8716-b, 8719Tt     

Increased fluidity of Plasmodium berghei-infected mouse red blood cell membranes detected by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

The fluidity of Plasmodium berghei-infected mouse red cell membranes is increased over that of uninfected cells at both 24°C and 37°C. This was demonstrated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using the hydrocarbon spin labels 2-dodecyl-2′,5,5′-trimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl and 2-heptyl-2′ -hexyl-5,5′-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl to label regions of the bilayer near its surface, and deeper within the hydrocarbon region, respectively. Arrhenius plots of the ‘empirical motion parameter’ (R_i) obtained from 2-heptyl-2′-hexyl-5,5′-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl-labeled cells versus temperature over the range from 0 to 45°C showed an hysteretic behavior of the spin labels in the membranes of both mature and immature uninfected cells. Such hysteretic behavior was consistently lacking in membranes of infected cells. These differences in membrane fluidity and spin label behavior are interpreted to reflect biochemical modifications of the red cell membrane which occur with infection by the malarial parasite.     

A neuronal correlate of spatial stability during periods of self-induced visual motion

Summary Motion of background visual images across the retina during slow tracking eye movements is usually not consciously perceived so long as the retinal image motion results entirely from the voluntary slow eye movement (otherwise the surround would appear to move during pursuit eye movements). To address the question of where in the brain such filtering might occur, the responses of cells in 3 visuo-cortical areas of macaque monkeys were compared when retinal image motion of background images was caused by object motion as opposed to a pursuit eye movement. While almost all cells in areas V4 and MT responded indiscriminately to retinal image motion arising from any source, most of those recorded in the dorsal zone of area MST (MSTd), as well as a smaller proportion in lateral MST (MST1), responded preferentially to externally-induced motion and only weakly or not at all to self-induced visual motion. Such cells preserve visuo-spatial stability during low-velocity voluntary eye movements and could contribute to the process of providing consistent spatial orientation regardless of whether the eyes are moving or stationary.