A binocular machine vision system for three-dimensional surface measurement of small objects

Rendering three-dimensional information of a scene from optical measurements is very important for a wide variety of applications. However, computer vision advancements have not yet achieved the accurate three-dimensional reconstruction of objects smaller than 1 cm diameter. This paper describes the development of a novel volumetric method for small objects, using a binocular machine vision system. The achieved precision is high, providing a standard deviation of 0.04 mm. The robustness, of the system, issues from the lab prototype imaging system with the crucial z-axis movement without the need of further calibration and the fully automated volumetric algorithms.     

100例2型糖尿病患者交感神经皮肤反应研究

目的探讨交感神经皮肤反应(SSR)检测在评价2型糖尿病(T2DM)自主神经损害中的价值.方法对100例T2DM患者进行SSR检测,30例健康志愿者作为对照.结果2组SSR的起始潜伏期、N波潜伏期、波幅、面积比较差异有显著性意义(P＜0.05),P波潜伏期差异无显著性意义(P＞0.05).T2DM组72例(72%)患者至少有一肢SSR异常.血糖控制满意组和血糖控制不良组比较,起始和N波潜伏期差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),波幅和面积无显著性意义(P＞0.05).T2DM组病程＜5年与病程≥5年比较,潜伏期、波幅、面积差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论SSR可作为评价T2DM自主神经损害的客观电生理指标;T2DM患者SSR与血糖控制水平相关,与病程无关.     

Do ethnicity and gender have an impact on pain thresholds in minor dermatologic procedures?

Background and Objectives: The perception of pain is a personal experience influenced by many factors, including genetic, ethnic and cultural issues. Understanding these perceptions is especially important in dermatologic patients undergoing minor surgical operations and who often differ in their pain response to surgical treatments. Little is known about how these differences affect the perception of experimental pain. The purpose of this study was to determine experimental pain perception differences in three distinct East Asian ethnic populations.
Methods: Pain thresholds were examined with a psychophysical computerized quantitative thermal sensory testing device (TSA 2001) in healthy volunteers recruited from three different Asian ethnic groups. Using the methods of limits, experimental pain perception threshold was measured on the forehead and volar aspect of the forearm in 49 healthy subjects. The measurements were then repeated after skin barrier perturbation with adhesive tape stripping of the stratum corneum. All three ethnic groups were analyzed separately with respect to age, gender educational level and skin type.
Results: A total of 20 Chinese, 14 Malay and 15 Indian subjects completed the study. Thermal pain thresholds were similar in all three ethnic groups before and after tape strippings. No significant differences were noted between genders.
Conclusions: Using quantitative sensory thermal testing, we demonstrated that no significant differences in pain occur between different races and genders.     

The Effects of Depressed Affect on Functional Disability Among Rural Older Adults

This study investigates functional disability among some of the nation's most vulnerable older adults: rural Medicaid recipients. Data were provided by 221 older adults (mean age = 75.9 years; 82% women) who were receiving community-based long-term care services through Medicaid. Participants self-reported functional ability involving the completion of six basic activities of daily living (BADLs), three cognitive instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS), and four physical IADLs. Self-reports of depressed affect and the number of physical health conditions were also obtained. Path analysis was used to examine all of the associations among age, gender, number of chronic health conditions, depressed affect and functional disability. The tested model was significant [chi2 (DF = 3, n = 221) = 5.052, p = 0.168; TLI = 0.945; CFI = 0.992; RMSEA = 0.056] and explained 45.1% of the variance in BADL disability. Depressed affect significantly predicted disability in cognitive IADLs and physical IADLs, which predicted disability in BADLs. Age and gender had indirect effects on BADL, through their association with cognitive IADLs and physical IADLs. The number of chronic health conditions exerted both indirect and direct effects on BADL disability. Results are discussed within the context of the growing literature that suggests the importance of psychological variables as predictors of functional disability. Moreover, we discuss whether community-based long-term care is appropriate for older adults with high levels of functional disability.     

Differential Stripping: Determination of the Amount of Topically Applied Substances Penetrated into the Hair Follicles

The determination of penetration pathways of topically applied substances into the skin is the subject of several investigations. Recently, follicular penetration has become a major focus of interest. To date, a direct, non-invasive quantification of the amount of topically applied substance penetrated into the follicles had not been possible. The development of such a method was the aim of this study. Therefore, the advantages of both stripping techniques, tape stripping and cyanoacrylate skin surface biopsy, were combined and evaluated. Tape stripping was used to remove the part of the stratum corneum that contained the topically applied dye. Subsequently, the follicular contents were ripped off by cyanoacrylate skin surface biopsy. The combined method termed "differential stripping" was evaluated in vitro and in vivo , and the amount of topically applied fluorescent dye penetrated into the hair follicles was quantified after different penetration times. After 30 min, 5% of the recovered concentration of sodium fluorescein was found in the follicular infundibula, where it was still detectable after 48 h. Altogether, the results of this investigation revealed that differential stripping is a new method that can be used to study the penetration of topically applied substances into the follicular infundibula non-invasively and selectively.     

Pathologic laughter and crying in ALS: a search for their origin

Spells of laughter and crying are well known in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since ALS occurs mostly in older age groups, this brings up the possibility that aging changes in the brain could play a causative role in the origin of such spells. To rule out or at least reduce the complicating factor of aging, a study was made of the incidence of pathologic laughter and crying in patients whose motor neuron disease had started before the age of 45 years. The data were collected from 73 such individuals, all with confirmed ALS. All told, 36 had experienced episodes of pathologic laughter and/or crying. Of these, 20 had bouts of both laughter and crying. 9 bouts of crying alone and 7 spells of laughter alone. Nearly all with such emotional spells had developed bulbar involvement with the illness. The youngest patient with spells was 31 when his illness began and 35 when he started to have bouts of crying.     

皮(肌)瓣治疗小腿长段骨坏死实验研究与临床应用

[目的] 探讨皮（肌）瓣治疗骨坏死的可行性。[方法]应用新西兰大白兔48只，随机分为对照组、实验组。按实验方法将胫骨制成骨坏死模型。对照组用游离皮片覆盖坏死骨；实验组用腓肠肌皮瓣覆盖坏死骨。术后2、4、8、12周行ECT、X线片、骨钙素（BGT）、组织切片检查。临床应用436例。[结果]ECT显示实验组动脉相放射摄入值及延迟相放射摄入值明显高于对照组（P〈0．02）；血清BGP水平实验组各时段均比对照组高（P〈0．001）；组织学检查4周实验组髓腔中可见增生的血管，大量骨细胞；X线片12周实验组的胫前皮质骨接近正常骨，而对照组皮质骨仍为坏死、骨质硬化。临床应用小腿外观好，足部肿胀消退，创面感染治愈，坏死骨成活，骨髓腔再通。[结论]用血运丰富的皮（肌）瓣覆盖坏死胫骨段后，血运改善，坏死骨可以成活。     

头面颈部毛细血管畸形的手术治疗

目的 探讨手术治疗头面部不同类型毛细血管畸形的适应证,手术方法及疗效.方法 对适合手术的23例头面颈部患者,根据病灶的面积和手术前的条件分别采用了植皮,扩张器局部皮瓣转移修复和游离皮瓣修复等方法,并进行术后评价和随访.结果 除一例特别原因造成皮片下积血,皮片部分成活不良二期再植,一例同位素治疗后扩张器病例远端发生血运障碍后改植皮以外,其余皮片,皮瓣均成活良好,但随访皮片有较明显的色差,而皮瓣色泽,质地良好.结论 皮瓣修复效果较好,其中扩张的局部皮瓣转移修复效果最佳.游离皮瓣较适合有皮下组织萎缩的大面积的病例,而其他大面积病灶可采用分期分区植皮.