Hygienic and Dietary Measures in Cameroonian Hypertensive Patients Followed at the Douala General Hospital: Knowledge, Compliance and Effect on Blood Pressure Control

Introduction: The management of hypertension is mostly based on pharmacotherapy and hygienic and dietary measures (HDMs) for which little data is available in Cameroon. The concern to improve the quality of life of hypertensive patients led us to study the knowledge, compliance and effect of HDMs among Cameroonian hypertensive patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the Douala General Hospital;the census of patients was carried out from 05 March to 10 May 2018. The data evaluated were knowledge and compliance with HDMs with an inference of their effect on blood pressure control. Results: We recruited 330 participants at mean age of 60 ± 11 years, 37.9% men;57.3% with blood pressure (BP) controlled. Out of 330 subjects, 308 (93.3%) who had been educated about dietary health measures for hypertension were assessed on knowledge, compliance and effect of these measures against 22 (6.7%) who had never heard about them. Around 85.7% of participants had good knowledge of HDMs and 78.9% had good compliance with them. There was no statistically significant influence of knowledge and compliance with HDMs on blood pressure control. Conclusion: The level of knowledge and adherence to HDMs of hypertensive patients at the Douala General Hospital was appreciable. It is however appropriate for physicians to intensify patient education on HDMs and BP control.

Clinical and Therapeutic Evaluation of Hypertensives According to the Practice of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement (ABPM) at the Bel Air International Clinic in Conakry from January 1, 2019 to November 30, 2022

Introduction: Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement (ABPM) is a non- invasive examination recommended for subjects at high cardiovascular risk, and those requiring a nocturnal drop in BP such as elderly and obese subjects, those with secondary hypertension or resistant, diabetics, subjects with metabolic syndrome or sleep apnea syndrome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of ABPM in the diagnosis and evaluation of the level of control of hypertension under treatment at the Bel Air international clinic. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional and descriptive study, carried out at the Bel Air International Clinic in Conakry (Guinea) between January 2019 and November 30, 2022. It included a consecutive series of 180 consenting patients recruited through an ambulatory measurement of 24-hour blood pressure from a FUGADA brand device. Results: We collected 180 patients, with a male predominance (sex-ratio M/F = 2.46). The mean age of the patients was 48.48 ± 14.23 years. The most represented age group was that of 32 to 42 years with 50 cases (27.8%) followed by that of 43 to 52 years with 42 cases or 23.3%. The indication was for diagnostic purposes in 106 cases 58.9%, the therapeutic evaluation in 58 patients (32.2%). The examination was prescribed by a cardiologist in 98 cases (54.4%), a general practitioner in 71 cases (39.4%), a neurologist in 11 cases (6.1%). In the therapeutic evaluation, high blood pressure was controlled in 24 patients (13.3%) and uncontrolled in 34 cases (18.9%). In the diagnostic indication, high blood pressure was confirmed in 79 cases (43.9%) with a statistically significant link (Chi2 = 4.57 and p-value = 0.032). The nycthemeral mean was 187.27 ± 26.22 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 110.37 ± 19.06 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP), during the day, 151.64 ± 21.45 mmHg for SBP and 71.59 ± 8.67 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. During the study 65 patients (36.1%) were identified as dippers and 115 patients (63.9%) were no-dipping. The antihypertensive protocol used was monotherapy in 68 cases (37.8%), dual therapy in 46 cases (25.6%), triple therapy in 17 cases (9.4%). However 39 patients or 21.7% were not taking any antihypertensive. Conclusion: This preliminary study, despite the modest sample size, showed the importance of ABPM as a tool for diagnosis, monitoring of hypertensive patients and therapeutic adaptation. A large-scale national study would be necessary for the rational use of ambulatory blood pressure measurement in our context in order to improve the management of hypertensive patients.

A New Device for Gas-Liquid Flow Measurements Relying on Forced Annular Flow

A new measurement device,consisting of swirling blades and capsule-shaped throttling elements,is proposed in this study to eliminate typical measurement errors caused by complex flow patterns in gas-liquid flow.The swirling blades are used to transform the complex flow pattern into a forced annular flow.Drawing on the research of existing blockage flow meters and also exploiting the single-phase flow measurement theory,a formula is introduced to measure the phase-separated flow of gas and liquid.The formula requires the pressure ratio,Lockhart-Martinelli number(L-M number),and the gas phase Froude number.The unknown parameters appearing in the formula are fitted through numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics(CFD),which involves a comprehensive analysis of the flow field inside the device from multiple perspectives,and takes into account the influence of pressure fluctuations.Finally,the measurement model is validated through an experimental error analysis.The results demonstrate that the measurement error can be maintained within±8%for various flow patterns,including stratified flow,bubble flow,and wave flow.

Reliability of Blood Pressure Measurements: An Analysis of the White Coat Effect and Its Fluctuations

In this paper, we evaluate the difference between the first and second measurements of blood pressure (BP) when BP is measured twice using the results of 17,775 medical checkups. The two measurements for both systolic BP (SBP) and the diastolic BP (DBP) fluctuated a large amount even though they were measured at a short interval. The first measurements were 6.7 and 2.4 mmHg higher than the second ones for SBP and DBP, suggesting a white coat effect. Then, the factors that might affect the differences between the two measurements were analyzed by the regression models. For both SBP and DBP, the difference increased as the first measurement increased. Age, gender, BMI and alcohol consumption were other important factors affecting the difference. In the case of a typical male individual, the typical criteria for hypertension of 140/90, 160/100 and 180/110 mmHg criteria in the first measurement would correspond to 135/86, 150/94 and 165/102 mmHg in the second measurement. The necessity of developing accurate and cost-efficient BP measurement methods is strongly suggested.

Side abutment pressure distribution by field measurement

Given the 7123 working face in the Qidong Coal Mine of the Wanbei Mining Group, nine dynamic roof monitors were installed in the crossheading to measure the amount and velocity of roof convergence in different positions and at different times and three steel bored stress sensors were installed in the return airway to measure rock stress at depth. On the basis of this arrange- ment, the rule of change of the distribution of the side abutment pressure with the advance of the working face and movement of overlying strata was studied. The rule of change and the stability of rock stress at depth were measured. Secondly, the affected area and stability time of the side abutment pressure were also studied. The results show that: 1) During working, the face advanced distance was from 157 m to 99 m, the process was not effected by mining induced pressure. When the distance was 82 m, the posi- tion of peak stress was 5 m away from the coal wall. When the distance was 37 m, the position of peak stress away from the coal wall was about 15 m to 20 m and finally reached a steady state; 2) the time and the range of the peak of side rock pressure obtained from stress sensors were consistent with the results from the dynamic roof monitors; 3) the position of the peak pressure was 25 m away from the coal wall.

Numerical analysis of stress distribution in the upper arm tissues under an inflatable cuff：Implications for noninvasive blood pressure measurement

An inflatable cuff wrapped around the upper arm is widely used in noninvasive blood pressure measurement.However, the mechanical interaction between cuff and arm tissues, a factor that potentially affects the accuracy of noninvasive blood pressure measurement, remains rarely addressed. In the present study, finite element（FE） models were constructed to quantify intra-arm stresses generated by cuff compression, aiming to provide some theoretical evidence for identifying factors of importance for blood pressure measurement or explaining clinical observations. Obtained results showed that the simulated tissue stresses were highly sensitive to the distribution of cuff pressure on the arm surface and the contact condition between muscle and bone. In contrast, the magnitude of cuff pressure and small variations in elastic properties of arm soft tissues had little influence on the efficiency of pressure transmission in arm tissues. In particular, it was found that a thickened subcutaneous fat layer in obese subjects significantly reduced the effective pressure transmitted to the brachial artery, which may explain why blood pressure overestimation occurs more frequently in obese subjects in noninvasive blood pressure measurement.

Experimental Tibetan monkey domestication and its application for intraocular pressure measurement

AIM: To train Tibetan monkey (Macaca thibetana) for intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement in conscious state and obtain normal IOP in conscious Tibetan Macaque. METHODS: The training was based on award-conditioned behavior. Food stimulation and human-animal interaction were used in this training. RESULTS: Trained Tibetan monkeys calmly accepted IOP measurement by the TonoVete (R) rebound tonometer without sedation or anesthesia and their IOP values were similar to other primates. CONCLUSION: Human-cultivated Thibetan monkeys are tamable, and can be used for biomedical research such as ophthalmic research without anesthesia.

Wireless contactless pressure measurement of an LC passive pressure sensor with a novel antenna for high-temperature applications

In this paper, a novel antenna is proposed for high-temperature testing, which can make the high-temperature pressure characteristics of a wireless passive ceramic pressure sensor demonstrated at up to a temperature of 600℃. The design parameters of the antenna are similar to those of the sensor, which will increase the coupling strength between the sensor and testing antenna. The antenna is fabricated in thick film integrated technology, and the properties of the alumina ceramic and silver ensure the feasibility of the antenna in high-temperature environments. The sensor, coupled with the ceramic antenna, is investigated using a high-temperature pressure testing platform. The experimental measurement results show that the pressure signal in a harsh environment can be detected by the frequency diversity of the sensor.

A New Measurement System for Static and Dynamic Clothing Pressure

This study aims to develop a system and measurement method for investigating the static and dynamic pressure behavior of compression products. The self-designed measurement system, named "cloth-press" (LLY-56B), is a direct measurement method, which is based on a rigid hemisphere with three pressure sensors distributed on its surface. The static pressure is measured at predetermined press depth, and the dynamic pressure is measured under the processing of fabric 3D deformation. The pressure distributions at the basic three sites are accepted as the measurement results. The measurement results provide much information in the field of compression fabric assessment, and the measurement system can be used in scientific research institutes and factories, contributing to optimize process parameters and quality control of compression garment.

Distribution laws of abutment pressure around fully mechanized top-coal caving face by in-situ measurement

In order to obtain the distribution rules of abutment pressure around the 1151 （3） fully mechanized top-coal caving （FMTC） face of Xieqiao Colliery, the KSE-II-1 type bore-hole stress gauges were installed in the tailentry and headentry to measure the mining-induced stress. The distribution rules of the front and side abutment pressure were demonstrated. The results show that distribution rules of stress are obviously different in the vicinity of the face and entries. The peak value of abutment pressure in the protective coal pillar and face are located commonly in front of the working face along the strike, and they are located at the stress-decreased zone near the face. There is no stress peak value in the lateral coal mass beside the headentry in front of the face on the strike, and the peak value of abutment pressure appears at the rear area of the face. There are stress peak values both in the protective coal pillar and in the lateral coal mass beside the headentry to the dip.

A Deep Learning-Based Continuous Blood Pressure Measurement by Dual Photoplethysmography Signals

This study proposed a measurement platform for continuous blood pressure estimation based on dual photoplethysmography(PPG)sensors and a deep learning(DL)that can be used for continuous and rapid measurement of blood pressure and analysis of cardiovascular-related indicators.The proposed platform measured the signal changes in PPG and converted them into physiological indicators,such as pulse transit time(PTT),pulse wave velocity(PWV),perfusion index(PI)and heart rate(HR);these indicators were then fed into the DL to calculate blood pressure.The hardware of the experiment comprised 2 PPG components(i.e.,Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and analog-todigital converter[MCP3008]),which were connected using a serial peripheral interface.The DL algorithm converted the stable dual PPG signals acquired from the strictly standardized experimental process into various physiological indicators as input parameters and finally obtained the systolic blood pressure(SBP),diastolic blood pressure(DBP)and mean arterial pressure(MAP).To increase the robustness of the DL model,this study input data of 100 Asian participants into the training database,including those with and without cardiovascular disease,each with a proportion of approximately 50%.The experimental results revealed that the mean absolute error and standard deviation of SBP was 0.17±0.46 mmHg.The mean absolute error and standard deviation of DBP was 0.27±0.52 mmHg.The mean absolute error and standard deviation of MAP was 0.16±0.40 mmHg.

Online dynamic measurement of saturation-capillary pressure relation in sandy medium under water level fluctuation

An online dynamic method based on electrical conductivity probe, tensiometer and datataker was presented to measure saturation-capillary pressure （S-p） relation in water-light nonaqueous phase liquid （LNAPL） two-phase sandy medium under water level fluctuation. Three-electrode electrical conductivity probe （ECP） was used to measure water saturation. Hydrophobic tensiometer was obtained by spraying waterproof material to the ceramic cup of commercially available hydrophilic tensiometer. A couple of hydrophilic tensiometer and hydrophobic tensiometer were used to measure pore water pressure and pore LNAPL pressure of the sandy medium, respectively. All the signals from ECP and tensiometer were collected by a data taker connected with a computer. The results show that this method can finish the measurement of S-R relation of a complete drainage or imbibition process in less than 60 min. It is much more timesaving compared with 10-40 d of traditional methods. Two cycles of water level fluctuation were produced, and four saturation-capillary pressure relations including two stable residual LNAPL saturations of the sandy medium were obtained during in 350 h. The results show that this method has a good durable performance and feasibility in the porous medium with complicated multiphase flow. Although further studies are needed on the signal stability and accuracy drift of the ECP, this online dynamic method can be used successfully in the rapid characterization of a LNAPL migration in porous media.

The Evaluation of Measurement Uncertainty and Its Application in the Vacuum Pressure Measurement

In order to accurately measure the pressure and the pressure difference between two points in the vacuum chamber, a large number of experimental data were used to research the performance of the three capacitance diaphragm gauge and analysis the main influences of the uncertainly degree of pressure in the process. In this paper, three kind of uncertainty, such as the single uncertainty, the synthesis uncertainty and the expanded uncertainty of the three capacitance diaphragm gauges are introduced in detail in pressure measurement. The results show that the performance difference of capacitance diaphragm gauge can be very influential to the accuracy of the pressure difference measurement and the uncertainty of different pressure can be very influential to pressure measurement. That for accurately measuring pressure and pressure difference has certain reference significance.

An improved outer pipe method for expansive pressure measurement of static cracking agents

Static cracking agent(SCA)is actively investigated as an alternative to explosive blasting for rock breakage due to its immense expansion property.SCA can eliminate the negative effects of shock,noise and harmful gases encountered in explosive blasting processes.Accurate measurement and deep understanding of the expansive properties of SCAs are important in their industrial application.An improved outer pipe method(OPM),termed the upper end surface method(UESM),is proposed in this paper to overcome the shortcomings of the OPM in the expansive pressure measurement of SCAs.Numerical simulation is used to proof the concept and a mathematical model established to relate the internal pressure and the radial strains at different positions in the upper end surface method test equipment.The new equipment is calibrated using oil pressure and strain measurements.The calibrated equipment is then used to measure the expansion pressure of SCA at three different water contents to proof its potential.The differences in the measurements with OPM and UESM at three different moisture contents are less than 4%.The experimental results confirm the accuracy and applicability of the more user friendly and less expensive UESM in the measurement of the expansive pressures of SCAs.

Liquid Level Measurement in Oil Tanks Based on Double-differential Pressure Technique

The system principle and configuration of the double differential pressure method for measuring oil tank level are presented. The fundamental method and circuit of fiber optic transmission are analyzed .The accuracy and security of level measurement in the oil tanks have been greatly improved.

Reliability of gas holdup measurements using the differential pressure method in a cyclone-static micro-bubble flotation column

Gas holdup is one of the key parameters in flotation process. Gas holdup as measured by a differential pressure method was investigated and the relative errors compared to the average gas holdup from the volume expansion method. The errors were used to establish optimum measurement positions. The results show that the measurement position should be in the middle of the column and in the region half way from the center to the wall (the half-radius). The gas holdup along the axial direction is lower at the bottom and higher at the top of the floatation column. The gas holdup along the radial direction is lower near the wall and higher near the center of the flotation column. The average gas holdup measure- ment can be replaced by regional gas holdup values.

Experimental Measurement on Dynamic Pressures of a Large Container Ship

An experiment is carried out to investigate the pressures acting on the hull of a container ship in regular waves,The experimental results are important to develop the theoretical calculation method for the dynamic pressures.

Cubic anvil cell apparatus for high-pressure and low-temperature physical property measurements

We will build a cubic anvil cell （CAC） apparatus for high-pressure and low-temperature physical property measurements in the synergic extreme condition user facility （SECUF）. In this article, we first introduce the operating principle, the development history, and the current status of the CAC apparatus, and subsequently describe the design plan and technical targets for the CAC in SECUF. We will demonstrate the unique advantages of CAC, i.e., excellent pressure homogeneity and large hydrostatic pressure capacity, by summarizing our recent research progresses using CAC. Finally, we conclude by providing some perspectives on the applications of CAC in the related research fields.

High-pressure synergetic measurement station(HP-SymS)

In the High-Pressure Synergetic Measurements Station （HP-SymS） of the Synergic Extreme Condition User Facility （SECUF）, we will develop ultrahigh-pressure devices based on diamond-anvil cell （DAC） techniques, with a target pressure up to 300 GPa. With the use of cryostat and magnet, we will reach 300 GPa4.2 K-9 T and conduct simultaneous measurements of the electrical-transport property and Raman/Brillouin spectrascopy. With resistance heating and laser heating, we will reach temperatures of at least 1000 and 3000 K, respectively, coupled with Raman/Brillouin spectroscopy measurements. Some designs of supporting devices, such as a femtosecond laser gasket-drilling device, electrode-deposition device, and the gas-loading device, are also introduced in this article. Finally, we conclude by providing some perspectives on the applications of the DAC in related research fields.

A pilot study of the precision of digital intraocular pressure measurement during vitrectomy

AIM:To evaluate the precision of digital intraocular pressure(IOP)measurement in silicone oil(SO)filled eyes during vitrectomy.METHODS:This is a retrospective,single-blind study.Patients who were diagnosed with retinal detachment and scheduled for vitrectomy with SO injection were consecutively enrolled.During the vitrectomy,IOP was digitally measured and then by a rebound tonometer(Icare PRO).The rebound tonometer readings were masked to the surgeons.The digitally measured IOP and that of rebound tonometer were compared,and the inter-methods agreement was assessed.The absolute deviation in IOP values between these two methods(△IOP)was also calculated,and correlations between△IOP and refractive status,lens status and levels of surgeons’experience were analyzed.RESULTS:A total of 131 patients(131 eyes)were recruited,with a mean age of 51.0±16.1 y.There was no significant difference in IOPs between digital measurement and the rebound tonometer(15.6±4.3 vs 15.7±5.1 mm Hg;t=0.406,P=0.686).Intraclass correlation coefficients(ICC)analysis indicated a strong correlation between these two measurements(ICC=0.830,P<0.001).The mean△IOP was 2.0±1.9 mm Hg(range:0-12.8 mm Hg),with 98 eyes(74.8%)had the△IOP within 3 mm Hg.△IOP was found to be negatively correlated with levels of surgeons’experience(r=-0.183;P=0.037),but not with the refractive status or lens status of the patients(both P>0.05).CONCLUSION:For experienced surgeons,the digital IOP measurement may be an acceptable technique for IOP measurement in SO filled eyes during vitrectomy.However,its use by inexperienced surgeons should be taken with caution.