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ObjectiveTo improve the anti-fall capacity and safety of the smart walkers. MethodsTwo pressure sensors were placed on the handles on both sides of the walker. The confusion matrix was obtained, the corresponding operational intent labels were manually labeled, using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier for model prediction to predict the travel intent of the users. The user wore a gyroscope and the walker was equipped with a laser sensor, to measure the angular velocity, angular acceleration and the distance data, respectively, to detect the user's fall. ResultsThe classifier model established by SVM successfully predicted three operating states of the walker, namely straight ahead, left turning and right turning. The user's fall was detected by the sudden change of the following data: the combined angular velocity was greater than 100°/s, the combined angular acceleration was greater than 1.3 G, the angular acceleration of Z-axis was greater than 0.7 G or less than 0.2 G, and the distance was greater than 600 mm or less than 300 mm. ConclusionThe improvement of the walker can predict the turn intention of the user, and detect the user's fall.
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Lipid metabolism disorders contribute to hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. It is ideal to develop drugs simultaneous improving both hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Nitazoxanide is an FDA-approved oral antiprotozoal drug with excellent pharmacokinetic and safety profile. We found that nitazoxanide and its metabolite tizoxanide induced mild mitochondrial uncoupling and subsequently activated AMPK in HepG2 cells. Gavage administration of nitazoxanide inhibited high-fat diet (HFD)-induced increases of liver weight, blood and liver lipids, and ameliorated HFD-induced renal lipid accumulation in hamsters. Nitazoxanide significantly improved HFD-induced histopathologic changes of hamster livers. In the hamsters with pre-existing hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis, nitazoxanide also showed therapeutic effect. Gavage administration of nitazoxanide improved HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in C57BL/6J mice and western diet (WD)-induced hepatic steatosis in Apoe -/- mice. The present study suggests that repurposing nitazoxanide as a drug for hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis treatment is promising.
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Objective To assess the correlation of newly fracture and spinal sagittal parameters.Methods From March 2011 to December 2014,80 patients of osteoporosis vertebral compression fracture treated by PVP as observation group were studied.The whole-spine anteroposterior view and lateral view XRay Photographes of the patients were taken,the sagittal parameters such as Pelvic index (PI),sacral slope (SS),pelvic tilt (PT),thoracic kyphotic angle(TK),lumbar lordotic angle(LL),the C7/SFD ratio were recorded.The whole cases were divided into two groups according to the presence of new fracture or not after the last followup of one year,the index of two groups were compared,and the risk factors of newly vertebral compression fractures were analysed.Results There were no statistically significant difference in gender,age,body mass index,BMD,PI,TK,LL between the two trea ted groups (P＞0.05);there were statistically significant difference in SS,PT and the C7/SFD between the new vertebral fracture group and the control group (P＜0.05).The analytic results of Logistic regression model showed that the smaller SS,larger TK and C7/SFD were risk factors of newly vertebral compression fractures.Conclusion The newly occurred vertebral compression fractures,after the primary treatment of PVP,are associated with changed spinal sagittal parameters.
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BACKGROUND:Recent report addressing new vertebral fracture after vertebroplasty or bal oon kyphoplasty has increased gradual y. It remains controversial whether new vertebral fracture is induced by bone cement augmentation or osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To observe new vertebral fracture after conservative treatment and bone cement augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, analyze the relationship between new vertebral fracture and spinal sagittal parameters, and explore the risk factors for new vertebral fracture. METHODS:From June 2011 to December 2014, 160 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in thoracic and lumbar vertebrae were selected from the Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical Col ege. According to therapeutic regimen, the patients were divided into two groups. The observation group (n=80) received vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The control group (n=80) underwent conservative treatment. At 1 day after surgery in the observation group and after walking in the control group, patients were subjected to anteroposterior and lateral X-ray in the entire length of the spine. Bone mineral density, number and location of new vertebral fractures and sagittal parameters during fol ow-up were recorded and compared between groups. After final fol ow-up, according to the appearance of new vertebral fracture, patients in both groups were assigned to two subgroups. The difference in above indicators was compared between the two subgroups. The relationship between new vertebral fracture and spinal sagittal parameters was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) There were no statistical y significant differences in gender, age, body mass index, bone mineral density, pelvic index, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, thoracic kyphotic angle, lumbar lordotic angle, C7/sacro-femoral distance ratio and occurrence rate of new fractures between the two treated groups (P>0.05). (2) There were no statistical y significant differences in gender, age, body mass index, pelvic index, and lumbar lordotic angle between new vertebral fracture group and non-fracture group. There were statistical y significant differences in bone mineral density, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, thoracic kyphotic angle and the C7/sacro-femoral distance between the new vertebral fracture group and the control group (P<0.05). (3) Results confirmed that new vertebral compression fractures after vertebroplasty, Kyphoplasty or conservative treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were definitely associated with osteoporosis and spinal sagittal imbalance.
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BACKGROUND:Sagittal imbalance induced by vertebral osteoporotic fractures has not been paid enough attention in previous studies. OBJECTIVE:To assess the correlation of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and spinal sagittal imbalance. METHODS:Sixty patients with old osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, who were treated in the Department of Spine Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical Colege from February 2013 to August 2015, were enroled in this study as the observation group. Sixty healthy old people from physical examination center were enroled as the control group. The whole-spine anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films were taken in both groups. The number and the location of fractured vertebrae were recorded. Sagittal parameters of both groups including thoracic kyphotic angle, lumbar lordotic angle, T1-spinopelvic inclination angle and the C7plumb line/sacro-femoral distance (PL/SFD) ratio were measured and compared among groups. The observation group was dividedinto three subgroups according to the number of fractured vertebrae,i.e., single-vertebrae fracture subgroup, double-vertebrae fracture subgroup and above triple-vertebrae fracture subgroup. The C7PL/SFD ratio of the three subgroups was compared. The correlation between the number of fractured vertebrae and the C7PL/SFD ratio was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The thoracic kyphotic angle of the observation group was bigger than that of the control group (P< 0.05). The lumbar lordotic angle of the observation group was smaler than that of the control group (P< 0.05). The absolute value of the T1-spinopelvic inclination angle of the observation group (-1.81±1.48)° was smaler than that of the control group (-3.35±1.22)° (P< 0.05). The C7PL/SFDratio of the observation group was significantly bigger than that of the control group (P< 0.05). (2) In the observation group, there were 4 cases of single-vertebrae fracture, 25 cases of double-vertebrae fracture and 31 cases of above triple-vertebrae fracture. Significant differences in the C7PL/SFD ratio were determined among subgroups (P< 0.05). The number of fractured vertebrae was positively correlated with the C7PL/SFD ratio; the correlation coefficient was 0.747. (3) Results indicated that osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture can change spinal local sagittal alignment. Multiple compression fractures of vertebrae can cause spinal sagittal imbalance. The gravity center of human body shifts forward. The number of fractured vertebrae was positively correlated with the range of shift forward.
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To study the effect of the osmotic stress in the microenvironment on the growth and metabolism of the encapsulated cells under aerobic condition, Osmo-sensitive yeast Y02724 and high-osmotic resistant yeast Hansel were used as models to explore the growth and metabolism state of the cells cultivated inalginate-chitosan-alginate (ACA) microcapsules. The changes of the yeast cells' specific growth rate, maximum product quantity and the secretion of ethanol and glycerol were analyzed. For Y02724, the yield of ethanol was increased in the ACA microenvironment compared to suspension cultivation. For Hansel, the maximum growth speed of microencapsulated cultivation had no obvious difference compared to the suspension cultivation. Moreover, after encapsulation, the production of glycerol was decreased for both Y02724 and Hansel compared to suspension cultivation. In conclusion, osmotic stress existed in the ACA microcapsules and affected the growth and metabolism of the cells.
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Alginates , Metabolism , Capsules , Metabolism , Cell Culture Techniques , Methods , Chitosan , Metabolism , Osmosis , Physiology , Osmotic Pressure , Polylysine , Metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Metabolism , Yeasts , Classification , MetabolismABSTRACT
AIM To evaluate the integration method for analysis of voltage-dependent Ca2+-independent transient outward K+ currents (Ito) in pharmacology. METHODSThe inactivation phases of Ito were best fitted by the sum of two or three exponentials equations. The area under the raw current curves (AUC) was obtained by the integration of exponential equations. The AUC normalized to the cell capacitance represented the net K+ charge flow during any depolarized duration and was as the index for comparison. Calcineurin overexpression transgenic (TG) mice showed downregulation of Ito. These data were tested by the integration method. RESULTS AUC obtained from three or two exponentials fittings was calculated as: AUC=A1τ1+A2τ2+A3τ3+A0t-A1τ1e-t/τ1-A2τ2e-t/τ2-A3τ3e-t/τ3 or AUC=A1τ1+A2τ2+A0t-A1τ1e-t/τ1-A2τ2e-t/τ2. The 50% and 90% action potential duration (APD50, APD90) in ventricular myocytes of mice are about 10 ms and 30 ms, respectively. AUC at 10 ms (AUC50, AUC of 50% APD) and 30 ms (AUC90, AUC of 90% APD) in left ventricle cardiomyocytes of wild type (WT) and TG mice were normalized to the cell capacitance. The normalized AUC50 and AUC90 of WT group were significantly more than those of TG group, which was consistent to the prolongation of APD in TG mice and the previous published results(downregulation of components of Ito in TG mice). CONCLUSION The integration method was an ideal way for analysis of transient outward K+ currents in pharmacology.