猪脊髓前角匀浆免疫后豚鼠脊髓前角运动神经元的超微病理特征

应用透射电子显微镜观察猪脊髓前角匀浆免疫后豚鼠脊髓前角运动神经元的超微结构改变,并进一步探讨其发病机制。结果显示：免疫后豚鼠脊髓前角运动神经元可见内质网扩张、线粒体肿胀;胞浆基质及细胞器致密化;有髓神经纤维内神经丝局部积聚、大量线粒体及溶酶体聚集;前根及坐骨神经大的有髓神经纤维轴索萎缩,髓鞘结构保存相对较好。以上结果提示自身免疫机制能诱导脊髓前角运动神经元的损伤,轴浆转运异常可能参与其致病过程。     

免疫介导豚鼠脊髓运动神经元损伤的超微结构及钙稳衡改变

应用常规透射电镜及草酸盐-焦亚锑酸盐技术原位固定细胞内钙,对豚鼠脊髓前角细胞内的钙分布进行超微定位,探讨钙稳衡改变在免疫介导运动神经元损伤中的作用.结果发现模型组豚鼠脊髓前角运动神经元可见粗面内质网扩张、线粒体肿胀、嵴排列紊乱等.神经元周围胶质细胞增生.在运动神经元扩张的粗面内质网池和线粒体内室可见数量不等颗粒状电子致密的钙沉积物.线粒体内室内钙沉积颗粒与线粒体肿胀的程度相关.星形胶质细胞内肿胀的线粒体内室及扩张的粗面内质网池内也可见电子致密钙沉积颗粒.因此认为,钙稳衡失调参与了免疫介导的运动神经元损伤过程.     

A model of the rat phrenic motor neuron

We have developed a model for the rat phrenic motor neuron (PMN) that robustly replicates many experimentally observed behaviors of PMNs in response to pharmacological, ionic, and electrical perturbations using a single set of parameters. Our model suggests that the after-depolarization (ADP) response seen in action potentials is a result of the slow deactivation of the fast sodium channel in the range of the ADP coupled with the activation of the L-type calcium channel (I(CaL)). This current and its interactions with the small and large conductance calcium-activated potassium currents (I(KCaSK) and I(KCaBK), respectively) is also important in the generation of spike frequency adaptation in the repetitive firing mode of activity. Other aspects of the model conform very well to experimental observations in both the action potential and repetitive firing mode of activity, including the role of I(KCaSK) in the medium after-hyperpolarization (AHP) and the role of I(KCaBK) in the fast AHP. We have made a number of predictions using the model, including the characterization of two putative sodium currents (fast and persistent), as well as functional roles for the N- and T-type calcium currents.     

实验性免疫介导的运动神经元损伤中神经丝异常的超微结构观察

为了观察免疫介导的神经元损伤过程中脊髓前角运动神经元超微结构的病变特征,将新鲜的猪脊髓前角匀浆加佐剂注入Lewis大鼠的背部皮下,每月一次,连续四个月。在最后一次免疫后2个月,灌注固定取材。制作超薄切片,应用光镜及透射电镜观察脊髓前角运动神经元及其突起的形态学改变。结果发现脊髓前角运动神经元有不同程度的变性、丢失。残存神经元的核周体内有排列紊乱的神经丝异常聚集,构成有界膜包绕的球形或类圆形包涵体,其突起内还有大量线粒体和溶酶体聚集。其次,尚可见线粒体变性及高尔基复合体扁囊和粗面内质网池的扩张。因此认为,在免疫介导的神经元损伤过程中,神经丝的异常聚集可能与神经元的变性、丢失有关。     

脊髓前角运动神经元GR受体免疫电镜观察

近年肾上腺皮质激素的糖皮质激素受体 ( Glucocorticoid receptor.GR)在脑神经细胞分布与作用的研究已倍受关注[1] ,脊髓 GR受体的分布尚未见报道 ,本研究采用免疫组织细胞化学方法对 GR受体在脊髓前角运动神经元的超微结构定位进行了电镜观察 ,为进一步探讨 GR受体对脊髓功能的作用机制提供形态学依据。材料与方法　实验动物为成熟 Wistar大鼠 (体重 2 5 0～ 30 0 g) ,全身麻醉下 ,用 4%多聚甲醛( 0 .1 mol/ L PBS缓冲液配制 )固定液心脏灌流固定 ,摘出脊髓 ,用同种固定液再继续浸泡固定一夜 ,同上缓冲液洗净标本 ,采用 microslicer(…     

Transformation of cortical motor signals in spinal cord

A review of the neuronal organization of the corticospinal (pyramidal) system is presented. Parameters of pyramidal tract fibers are described; special attention is paid to the existence of pyramidal neurons with fast- and slow-conducting axons which have different locations of somata over the sensorimotor cortex, different locations of terminals on spinal neurons, and different parameters of impulse activity. Two types of pyramidal descending action are considered: direct action of corticifugal signals upon motor units, and control of sensory flow to motor units and higher brain centers. Corticifugal motor signals produce predominantly excitatory postsynaptic potentials in flexor and inhibitory ones--in extensor motoneurons. The following types of connections between pyramidal fibers and motoneurons are distinguished: 1) monosynaptic connections (only in primates), 2) connections via propriospinal interneurons localized in the external basilar region and specialized for transmission of pyramidal fiber activity only, and 3) connections via interneurons of the internal basilar region and intermediate zone which transmit both segmental afferent and pyramidal activity. Evidence is presented that the activity of fast-conducting pyramidal fibers via the first two types of connections creates phasic synaptic processes in motoneurons while slow-conducting fibers via the third type render the tonic action. Properties of corresponding interneuronal groups are specialized for transmission of phasic and tonic signals. The types of pyramidal control of sensory flow considered are: 1) postsynaptic facilitation and inhibition of interneurons of segmental reflex arcs, 2) postsynaptic facilitation and inhibition of transmission via ascending pathways, 3) presynaptic inhibition of primary afferent activity, and 4) postsynaptic influences on γ-motoneurons.     

Indirect angle estimation in switched reluctance motor drive usingfuzzy logic based motor model

In this paper, a novel rotor position estimation scheme is described that was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the previous sensorless techniques, which were proposed for switched reluctance (SR) motor drives. It is based on fuzzy-logic, and does not require complex mathematical models or large look up tables. The scheme was implemented by using a digital signal processor. The real-time experimental results given in this paper show that the position estimation method proposed can provide accurate and continual position data over a wide range of speeds (zero/low/high), and can also function accurately at different operating conditions (chopping/single pulse mode and steady state/transient operation)     

The chronaxie for myocardium and motor nerve in the dog withchest-surface electrodes

The chronaxie (i.e., the duration for a stimulating current having twice the rheobasic, or minimum, value) was determined for ventricular myocardium in 12 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. Current was applied transthoracically via chest-surface electrodes located at the optimal axillary site for producing inspiration by stimulation of the phrenic nerve (electroventilation). In four dogs the chronaxie for motor-nerve was determined using electrodes at the same location. After using hand-held electrodes to identify the optimal stimulation site for electroventilation, 4.1 cm diameter electrodes were applied bilaterally to the optimal site on the thorax. In 12 dogs, the threshold current for producing ventricular ectopic beats was determined for single rectangular current pulses ranging from 0.1-10 ms in duration. From these data, strength-duration curves were determined and the average chronaxie for ventricular myocardium was found to be 1.82 ms. In four dogs the relationship between inspired volume and maximum stimulus intensity was determined using a 0.8 s burst of stimuli (60/s) with pulse durations ranging from 20-500 microseconds. From these data, strength-duration curves for current were constructed and the average chronaxie for motor-nerve was found to be 0.17 ms. The results of this study show that, because of the differing chronaxies, the current required to produce inspiration with short-duration stimuli is much less than that required to evoke an ectopic heart beat.     

Three-dimensional segmentation and growth-rate estimation of small pulmonary nodules in helical CT images

Small pulmonary nodules are a common radiographic finding that presents an important diagnostic challenge in contemporary medicine. While pulmonary nodules are the major radiographic indicator of lung cancer, they may also be signs of a variety of benign conditions. Measurement of nodule growth rate over time has been shown to be the most promising tool in distinguishing malignant from nonmalignant pulmonary nodules. In this paper, we describe three-dimensional (3-D) methods for the segmentation, analysis, and characterization of small pulmonary nodules imaged using computed tomography (CT). Methods for the isotropic resampling of anisotropic CT data are discussed. 3-D intensity and morphology-based segmentation algorithms are discussed for several classes of nodules. New models and methods for volumetric growth characterization based on longitudinal CT studies are developed. The results of segmentation and growth characterization methods based on in vivo studies are described. The methods presented are promising in their ability to distinguish malignant from nonmalignant pulmonary nodules and represent the first such system in clinical use.     

A low-cost sensorless technique for load torque estimation in ahybrid stepping motor

This paper presents a method of torque measurement in a hybrid stepping motor without the use of speed or position sensors. It is shown that torque ripple can be minimized by appropriate shaping of the phase-current pulses and that efficiency can be maximized when the level of mechanical load applied to the shaft is known. A controller is described which generates a signal related to the mechanical load by observation of the phase-current profile using a novel low-complexity technique. Practical results are presented, showing the torque estimation relative to measured torque     

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of permanent magnetbrushless DC motor drives-status of the state of the art

This paper reviews advances in the state of the art of applying three-dimensional finite-element (3-D-FE) magnetic field computation techniques to the analysis and quantification of parameters and performance of permanent magnet (PM) brushless DC motors as components of brushless DC drives. The application of the powerful 3-D-FE formulation based on the coupled magnetic vector potential-magnetic scalar potential (CMVP-MSP) concept to a case study PM brushless DC motor with skewed permanent magnet mounts is reviewed and summarized. This large-scale simulation of such a motor drive system is shown to be successfully implementable using workstation type computer environments     

Parameter estimation in a converter driven DC motor system viageneral hybrid orthogonal functions

An algorithm for parameter estimation in a power converter-controlled DC motor drive system is proposed. The algorithm is based on the recently proposed framework of general hybrid orthogonal functions (GHOFs) for signal characterization in power electronic systems. The use of GHOFs allows parameter estimation directly in continuous-time models, bypassing the nontrivial problems of discretization which would otherwise arise in conventional techniques based on discrete-time models     

Online rotor resistance estimation using the transient state underthe speed sensorless control of induction motor

In the speed sensorless control of the induction motor, the machine parameters (especially rotor resistance R₂) have a strong influence on the speed estimation. It is known that the simultaneous estimation of the rotor speed and R₂ is impossible in the slip frequency type vector control, because the rotor flux is constant. But the rotor flux is not always constant in the speed transient state. In this paper, the R₂ estimation in the transient state without signal injection to the stator current is proposed. This algorithm uses the least mean square algorithm and the adaptive algorithm, and it is possible to estimate R₂ exactly. This algorithm is verified by the digital simulations and experiments     

Three-dimensional biplanar reconstruction of scoliotic rib cage using the estimation of a mixture of probabilistic prior models

In this paper, we present an original method for the three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the scoliotic rib cage from a planar and a conventional pair of calibrated radiographic images (postero-anterior with normal incidence and lateral). To this end, we first present a robust method for estimating the model parameters in a mixture of probabilistic principal component analyzers (PPCA). This method is based on the stochastic expectation maximization (SEM) algorithm. Parameters of this mixture model are used to constrain the 3-D biplanar reconstruction problem of scoliotic rib cage. More precisely, the proposed PPCA mixture model is exploited for dimensionality reduction and to obtain a set of probabilistic prior models associated with each detected class of pathological deformations observed on a representative training scoliotic rib cage population. By using an appropriate likelihood, for each considered class-conditional prior model, the proposed 3-D reconstruction is stated as an energy function minimization problem, which is solved with an exploration/selection algorithm. The optimal 3-D reconstruction then corresponds to the class of deformation and parameters leading to the minimal energy. This 3-D method of reconstruction has been successfully tested and validated on a database of 20 pairs of biplanar radiographic images of scoliotic patients, yielding very promising results. As an alternative to computed tomography-scan 3-D reconstruction this scheme has the advantage of low radiation for the patient, and may also be used for diagnosis and evaluation of deformity of a scoliotic rib cage. The proposed method remains sufficiently general to be applied to other reconstruction problems for which a database of objects to be reconstructed is available (with two or more radiographic views).     

A method to improve the estimation of conduction velocitydistributions over a short segment of nerve

Accurate, noninvasive determination of the distribution of conduction velocities (DCV) among fibers of a peripheral nerve has the potential to improve both clinical diagnoses of pathology and longitudinal studies of the progress of disease or the efficacy of treatments. Current techniques rely on long distances of propagation to increase the amount of temporal dispersion in the compound signals and reduce the relative effect of errors in the forward model. The method described in this paper attempts to reduce errors in DCV estimation through transfer function normalization and, thereby, eliminate the need for long segments of nerve. Compound action potential (CAP) signals are recorded from several, equally spaced electrodes in an array spanning only a 10-cm length of nerve. Relative nerve-to-electrode transfer functions (NETF's) between the nerve and each of the array electrodes are estimated by comparing discrete Fourier transforms of the array signals. NETF's are normalized along the array so that waveform differences can be attributed to the effects of temporal dispersion between recordings, and more accurate DCV estimates can be calculated from the short nerve segment. The method is tested using simulated and real CAP data. DCV estimates are improved for simulated signals. The normalization procedure results in DCV's that qualitatively match those from the literature when used on actual CAP recordings.     

Design and implementation of the extended Kalman filter for thespeed and rotor position estimation of brushless DC motor

A method for speed and rotor position estimation of a brushless DC motor (BLDCM) is presented in this paper. An extended Kalman filter (EKF) is employed to estimate the motor state variables by only using measurements of the stator fine voltages and currents. When applying the EKF, it was necessary to solve some specific problems related to the voltage and current waveforms of the BLDCM. During the estimation procedure, the voltage- and current-measuring signals are not filtered, which is otherwise usually done when applying similar methods. The voltage average value during the sampling interval is obtained by combining measurements and calculations, owing to the application of the predictive current controller which is based on the mathematical model of motor. Two variants of the estimation algorithm are considered: (1) speed and rotor position are estimated with constant motor parameters and (2) the stator resistance is estimated simultaneously with motor state variables. In order to verify the estimation results, the laboratory setup has been constructed using a motor with ratings of 1.5 kW, 2000 r/min, fed by an insulated gate bipolar transistor inverter. The speed and current controls, as well as the estimation algorithm, have been implemented by a digital signal processor (TMS320C50). The experimental results show that is possible to estimate the speed and rotor position of the BLDCM with sufficient accuracy in both steady-state and dynamic operation. Introducing the estimation of the stator resistance, the speed estimation accuracy is increased, particularly at low speeds. At the end of the paper, the characteristics of the sensorless drive are analyzed. A sensorless speed control system has been achieved with maximum steady-state error between reference and actual motor speed of ±1% at speeds above 5% of the rated value     

Analysis of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-containing nerve fibres in the rat spinal cord using light and electron microscopy.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) content in areas surrounding the central canals of cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cords of rats were investigated by light microscopy, conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) (100-200 kV) and high-voltage transmission electron microscopy (HVTEM) (1000 kV) using immunocytochemistry. Tissues were examined using either the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique or an immuno-cryoultramicrotomy technique. Light microscopically, more intense CGRP localization was observed ventral to the central canals in the lumbar and sacral cord compared with the dorsal area in the same regions. HVTEM revealed that high levels of CGRP labelling were found adjacent to the basal side of ependymal cells ventral to the central canal. Analysis using CTEM operated at 200 kV demonstrated that the CGRP immunoreactivity was present within unmyelinated nerve fibres in the vicinity of the basal side of ependymal cells ventral to the central canal. Immuno-cryoultramicrotomy revealed that immuno-gold particles indicating CGRP labelling were localized on vesicle-like electron-dense bodies in unmyelinated and some fine caliber myelinated nerve fibres. Existence of CGRP as a primary afferent marker in the area surrounding the central canal suggest that there may be an intimate relationship between the modulation of nociceptive information and the area surrounding the central canal in rat spinal cord.     

Bearing estimation in the bispectrum domain

A new array processing method is presented for bearing estimation based on the cross bispectrum of the array output data. The method is based on the asymptotic distribution of cross-bispectrum estimates and uses maximum likelihood theory. It is demonstrated that, when the noise additive sources are spatially correlated Gaussian with unknown cross-spectral matrix (CSM), the cross-bispectrum method provides better bearing estimates than the stochastic maximum likelihood method with known CSM. Analytical studies and simulations are given to document the performance of the new method     

A multichannel FES system for the restoration of motor functions inhigh spinal cord injury patients: a respiration-controlled system formultijoint upper extremity

A multichannel functional electrical stimulation (FES) system for the restoration of quadriplegic upper extremity function is described. The system is composed of a personal computer NEC PC-8801mkII, peripheral electronic circuits, CRT display and respiratory sensors for volitional control by the patient, and percutaneous electrodes. A C4 quadriplegic patient could drink canned tea by herself by using this FES system. Distinct features of the system are as follows: 1) Versatile volitional control was realized by controlling the memory allocation of the stored stimulation data by voluntary respiratory signals. 2) Sophisticated fine control of the fingers, wrists, and elbow was realized by creating the multichannel stimulation data from recorded myoelectric activities of normal subjects during movements of the upper limb.