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The objective of the work is to evaluate the feasibility of improving selective stimulation and reducing muscle fatigue in upper extremity rehabilitation with a self-designed multi-site functional electrical stimulation (FES) prototype. The design of the prototype is a distributed architecture concept, and all the modules communicate within a single local area network controlled by the Android application (APP). To improve the efficiency of the prototype, the APP was developed to utilize a simple online algorithm to perform a rapid real-time search for the optimal stimulation site. One healthy subject participated in a multi-site FES trial consisting of a search for the optimal stimulating electrode test and a fatigue stimulation test. Comparing the results of the online automatic search for the optimal stimulation site test with the results of the offline analysis, the average Location Error for the extension and flexion motions were 1.5 cm and 2.8 cm, respectively. For the fatigue stimulation test, all the assessments of the multi-site sequential stimulation group were higher than those of the conventional stimulation, with a significant 193% higher Fatigue Index (P=0.003) and 300% longer Fatigue Time (P=0.005). These results suggest that multi-site FES may exert positive effects on selective stimulation and stimulation fatigue reduction in healthy subjects.

Zygomatic implant technique is an effective alternative for the prosthetic rehabilitation of maxilla with severe bone defect exteriorly and functionally, which not only avoid bone grafting and shorten the prosthetic process in some way, but also improve the prognosis quality of patient, as well as the pronunciation and the chew function. With the popularity in the clinic, zygomatic implants have been developed these years. This article will give a systematical introduction including the update of the application of the technology, as well as the selection of the quantity and location of the implants, the modifications of the operation technique, the avoidance and solution of common specific complications, the establishment of zygomatic implant index and the assistance of the computerized technique in the operation.穿颧种植技术是临床上修复上颌骨大面积缺损、恢复上颌牙列外形及功能的重要手段，不仅可减少植骨量、缩短修复进程，还可提高患者舒适度、改善发音及咀嚼功能。随着临床应用的普及，该技术不断改进完善。本文围绕该技术适用范围的更新、种植体数量和位点的选择理念、术式的改良及评价、常见特异性并发症的规避及应对、专用成功标准的提出以及数字化技术的辅助应用等方面的研究进展进行综述。.

Lower extremity arteriosclerosis is one of leading causes of death worldwide. Arteriosclerosis is closely related to microvascular endothelial cells. This study was aimed to explore the role of long non-coding RNA ROR in regulations of growth, migration, and angiogenesis of microvascular endothelial cells.Angiogenesis was determined by the number of tube-like cells on a matrigel extracellular matrix. Cell viability, apoptosis, and migration were determined by CCK-8 assay, PI/FITC-Annexin V staining method, and transwell assay, respectively. Relative RNA expression of ROR, miR-26, and angiogenesis-associated genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of apoptosis- and angiogenesis-associated genes, as well as main factors in NF-κB and JAK1/STAT3 pathways, were analyzed by Western blot.LncRNA ROR silence inhibited viability, migration, and angiogenesis of HMEC-1 cells but promoted apoptosis of them. miR-26 expression was promoted after knocking down ROR expression. miR-26 overexpression enhanced the inhibitory effects of ROR silence on growth, migration, and angiogenesis in HMEC-1 cells, whereas, miR-26 silence impaired the effects of ROR silence. Finally, we found that NF-κB and JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathways were inhibited by ROR down-regulation. Similarly, miR-26 overexpression enhanced the inhibitory effect of ROR down-regulation on the pathways and miR-26 inhibition abrogated it.Down-regulating lncRNA ROR inhibited growth, migration and angiogenesis of microvascular endothelial cells possibly through up-regulation of miR-26. During this process, the activations of NF-κB and JAK1/STAT3 pathways were inhibited after interaction of ROR and miR-26.

Synopsis Spectral line profile of Ti XII 11.64 nm was measured using spatio-temporally resolved laser-produced plasma technique. The electron density of laser-produced Ti plasmas was calculated based on the spectral line Stark broadening of highly charged ions.

In recent years, many visual secret sharing technologies have been proposed to protect the security of secret images (black and white, grey scale or colour images). In 2005, Lukac and Plataniotis used the concept of the Naor–Shamir method to propose a visual secret sharing technology for sharing secret grey-scale images based on bit-plane decomposition. Although their method can avoid pixel-value cutting problem, it still suffers from the pixel expansion problem. In this paper, we propose a new secret grey-scale image sharing method to improve this situation. In the proposed sharing image creation phase, two sharing images (one is grey-scale and the other is binary) are created and later shared by two protectors. The original secret image can be easily reconstructed if both sharing images are obtained. However, one cannot obtain the original secret image from each of the sharing images. Experimental results also show that the proposed method can effectively solve the pixel expansion problem.

A novel examination of the three-dimensional (3-D) vibrations of rectangular parallelepipeds of functionally graded material (FGM) having side cracks is summarized. Employing 3-D theory of elasticity and a variational Ritz methodology, new hybrid series of mathematically complete orthogonal polynomials and crack functions as the assumed displacement fields are proposed to enhance the convergence modeling of the stress singular behavior of the crack terminus edge front in a rectangular FGM parallelepiped. The proposed admissible hybrid series properly describe the ϑ ( 1 / r ) 3-D stress singularities at the terminus edge front of the crack, allowing for displacement discontinuities across the crack sufficient to explain the most general 3-D “mixed modes” of local crack-edge deformation and stress fields typically seen in fracture mechanics. The correctness and validity of the vibration analysis are confirmed through comprehensive convergence studies and comparisons with published results for cracked rectangular FGM parallelepipeds modeled as homogeneous rectangular plates with side cracks and FGM rectangular plates with no cracks based on various plate theories. Two types of FGM parallelepipeds, Al/Al2O3 and Al/ZrO2, are included in the study. The locally effective material properties are estimated by a simple power law and the effects of the volume fraction on the frequencies are investigated. For the first time in the published literature, this work reports frequency data and nodal patterns for FGM rectangular parallelepipeds modeled as moderately thick plates with several combinations of hinged, clamped, and completely free kinematic and stress conditions along the four side faces, and having side cracks with varying crack size effects implying flaw-size influence in FGM parallelepiped vibration and fracture, including crack length ratios (d/a and d/b), crack positions (cx/a and cy/b), and crack inclination angles (α).

Utilisation de resultats de calculs de clusters de Johnson pour Fe 15 et de Callaway pour MCu 18 afin d'estimer le nombre des electrons a localises et itinerants du fer metallique et du Cu-M dilue (M=Fe, Co, Ni)

Some recent developments for computational modeling of strain localization of multiphase porous media are reviwed. In order to avoid the deficiencies of the standard finite element method in the numerical simulation of strain localization, material point method (MPM) is developed for the dynamic analysis of multiphase porous media in the frame work of Biot’s theory. The u-U form governing equations are adopted, and two sets of material points are invoked to represent the deformation of the solid skeleton and the pore fluid flow in porous materials. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the validity of the proposed model and the efficiency in the strain localization analysis of multiphase porous materials.

To compare two different image registration methods for accurately displaying the position of a flexible bronchoscope on a previously acquired three-dimensional CT scan during bronchoscopy.Bronchoscopy suite of a university hospital.Fifteen adult patients scheduled for nonemergent bronchoscopy.A miniature electromagnetic position sensor was placed at the tip of a flexible bronchoscope. Previously acquired three-dimensional CT scans were registered with the patient in the bronchoscopy suite. Registration method 1 used multiple skin fiducial markers. Registration method 2 used the inner surface of the trachea itself for registration. Method 1 was objectively assessed by measuring the error distance between the real skin marker position and the computer display position. Methods 1 and 2 were subjectively assessed by the bronchoscopist correlating visual bronchoscopic anatomic location with the computer display position on the CT image.The error distance (+/- SD) from known points for registration method 1 was 5.6 +/- 2.7 mm. Objective error distances were not measured for method 2 because no accurate placement of the bronchoscope sensor could be correlated with CT position. Subjectively, method 2 was judged more accurate than method 1 when compared with the fiberoptic view of the airways through the bronchoscope. Additionally, method 2 had the advantage of not requiring placement of fiducial markers before the CT scan. Respiratory motion contributed an error of 3.6 +/- 2.6 mm, which was partially compensated for by a second tracking sensor placed on the patient's chest.Image registration method 2 of surface fitting the trachea rather than method 1 of fiducial markers was subjectively judged to be superior for registering the position of a flexible bronchoscope during bronchoscopy. Method 2 was also more practical inasmuch as no special CT scanning technique was required before bronchoscopy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether intravenous injection of a magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent, ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (ferumoxtran-10), can be useful in characterizing lymph nodes in patients with lung cancer. Twelve patients with known or suspected lung cancer were studied. Pre- and postcontrast injection of ferumoxtran-10 MR scans of the chest were obtained. Analysis of the signal intensities and bronchoscopic fine needle aspiration of a single node were performed in each patient. Six of 12 patients had a final diagnosis of lung cancer. T1-weighted images were best for localizing mediastinal lymph nodes. Signal intensity changes before and after contrast were best visualized on T2-weighted and gradient-echo images. All four patients with lung cancer who had nodes positive for malignancy at biopsy had no change in signal intensity of the nodes on T2 images. The signal intensity decreased in the remaining two patients, and the nodes were benign. Of the eight patients with benign disease, five had no change in signal intensity of the nodes. Therefore the sensitivity for tumor involvement of the nodes is 100%, but the specificity is only 37.5%. Ferumoxtran-10 is a contrast agent that can alter the signal intensity of lymph nodes. Lack of signal change may be due to malignant or inflammatory change. Studies in a larger population of lung cancer patients may help to characterize the utility of this agent further. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2000;12:899-904.