The effect of anode curvature on radiographic heel effect

Previous computer modeling of radiographic heel effect has shown that a simple model can give an accurate representation of heel effect for flat anode surfaces. This paper details the extension of this model to allow curved anode surfaces. A fixed-anode x-ray tube with a demountable anode was constructed and used to test the predictions of the computational model at 25 kVp using stainless-steel anodes. The computer model was also used to estimate the magnitude of the heel effect for a tungsten anode at 60 kVp. This work allows determination of the effect of anode curvature, which is an inherent feature of certain recently proposed tube designs for scanning slit radiography.     

Additive effect of an immunomodulator on the therapeutic effect of antibiotics

The effect of an immunomodulator, the Immunoferon (IF), on the course of experimental infections with Staphylococcus aureus and on cellular immune reactions (foot pad swelling test) was examined. The substance is a glycophosphopeptide adsorbed on sulfurized calcium phosphate. The IF improves clearly the therapeutic effect of penicillin, but has no significant effect when given alone. The substance neutralizes the negative effect of hydrocortisone on the therapeutic effectivity of penicillin. The cellular immune reaction is reduced by very small doses of IF, but is enhanced progressively by higher doses. The effect of hydrocortisone is abolished in this respect.     

Corticosteroid effect on immunoglobulins

The corticosteroid (prednisone) effect on serum immunoglobulins in 9 atopic asthmatic patients who required corticosteroids for the control of asthma was evaluated. Serum immunoglobulins were determined before corticosteroids were administered, an average of 15 days while on corticosteroids, and again an average of 22 days after corticosteroids were discontinued. While on corticosteroids (averaging 16.8 mg prednisone daily) for 15 days, mean serum IgG was significantly decreased (?22%, p ≤ 0.01), mean serum IgA tended to be decreased (?10%), and mean serum IgM was essentially unchanged. Serum IgE was initially significantly increased (p < 0.01) when compared to levels of other serum immunoglobulins (IgG,A,M). An average of 22 days after corticosteroids were discontinued, mean serum IgG was still significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and mean serum IgA again tended to be decreased. Serum IgM remained unchanged and mean serum IgE now was significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Corticosteroids appear to have a significant effect on levels of some serum immunoglobulins.     

The effect of sound intensity on the audiotactile crossmodal dynamic capture effect

We investigated the effect of varying sound intensity on the audiotactile crossmodal dynamic capture effect. Participants had to discriminate the direction of a target stream (tactile, Experiment 1; auditory, Experiment 2) while trying to ignore the direction of a distractor stream presented in a different modality (auditory, Experiment 1; tactile, Experiment 2). The distractor streams could either be spatiotemporally congruent or incongruent with respect to the target stream. In half of the trials, the participants were presented with auditory stimuli at 75 dB(A) while in the other half of the trials they were presented with auditory stimuli at 82 dB(A). Participants’ performance on both tasks was significantly affected by the intensity of the sounds. Namely, the crossmodal capture of tactile motion by audition was stronger with the more intense (vs. less intense) auditory distractors (Experiment 1), whereas the capture effect exerted by the tactile distractors was stronger for less intense (than for more intense) auditory targets (Experiment 2). The crossmodal dynamic capture was larger in Experiment 1 than in Experiment 2, with a stronger congruency effect when the target streams were presented in the tactile (vs. auditory) modality. Two explanations are put forward to account for these results: an attentional biasing toward the more intense auditory stimuli, and a modulation induced by the relative perceptual weight of, respectively, the auditory and the tactile signals.

Investigating the effect of a transparent barrier on the crossmodal congruency effect

A transparent barrier, such as a window, protects us from approaching objects (such as flies), although we can still see the objects coming toward us through the occluder. In the present study, we examined whether this potential dissociation between tactile and visual experience introduced by the presence of a transparent barrier also affects visual-tactile interactions in normal participants, as indexed by performance in the crossmodal congruency task. Participants discriminated the elevation of vibrotactile target stimuli (upper vs lower) presented to the left or right hand while trying to ignore visual distractor lights that could independently be presented from upper or lower locations on either the same or the opposite side. A transparent occluder was placed between the vibrotactile targets and the visual stimuli (the barrier occluded the vibrotactile targets in Experiment 1 and the visual distractors in Experiment 2). Vibrotactile elevation discrimination performance was slower and less accurate when the distractor lights were presented from incongruent locations relative to the target (e.g., lower tactile target with upper distractor light). However, there were no significant differences between performance with and without the transparent occluder present. This pattern of results was replicated in Experiment 3 under conditions where the participants were periodically required to reach around the transparent occluder in order to press buttons placed near to the visual distractors. Taken together, these results support recent neuropsychological evidence [Farne et al. (2003) Int J Psychophysiol 50:51-61] suggesting that visual-tactile interactions in peripersonal space are not necessarily modulated by conscious awareness of the impossibility of our hand being touched by the visual stimuli.     

西咪替丁对小鼠中孕妊娠影响的实验研究

目的 :初步研究西咪替丁对中孕妊娠的影响。方法 :用昆明种小鼠 ,在妊娠第 9～ 1 2天分别连续灌胃给予西咪替丁 80mg·kg 1,1 60mg·kg 1,3 2 0mg·kg 1,640mg·kg 1,于妊娠第 1 6天解剖记录活胎数 ,吸收胎死胎数。结果 :西咪替丁 1 60mg·kg 1,3 2 0mg·kg 1,640mg·kg 1剂量对小鼠的妊娠抑制率分别为 1 0 % ,45 % ( p <0 .0 0 5 ) ,65 % ( p <0 .0 0 5 )。 结论 :西咪替丁具有一定的终止中孕妊娠作用。     

Therapeutic effect of exercise on hypertension

Summary Arterial blood pressure, total peripheral resistance (TPR), plasma catecholamine and other hormone concentrations were measured or estimated during, and 4 h following, a 20-min exercise test on the bicycle ergometer in 10 women with marginal (borderline) hypertension. Each woman served as her own control by repeating the whole procedure, except for the exercise test, on another day. Median and 80% range was used: M (0.8 R). Compared with the control, the exercise reduced the driving blood pressure from 103 (94–110) to 95 (80–100) mm Hg and the TPR from 1.13 (0.96–1.40) to 0.91 (0.79–1.11) PRU_S — both reductions being statistically significant with two-sided P<0.05 for at least 4 h. — The reduced nervous and humoral sympathetic activity following aerobic exercise seems capable of explaining the low TPR, and the continuous rise in the muscular vasodilatator dopamine may be of importance.Supported by Hjerteforeningen and HÄssle, Denmark     

TIGIT-Fc融合蛋白的表达以及对巨噬细胞功能的影响

目的:构建携带小鼠TIGIT-Fc融合基因的慢病毒载体,稳定整合基因至小鼠H22细胞,制备并纯化TIGIT-Fc融合蛋白,探讨其对巨噬细胞功能的影响。方法:利用分子生物学方法将小鼠TIGIT胞外段与人IgG3 Fc段基因融合,构建分泌型TIGIT-Fc载体,再重组入慢病毒载体,感染小鼠H22细胞,接种至C57BL/6小鼠腹腔产生腹水,收集腹水后通过蛋白A柱纯化获得TIGIT-Fc融合蛋白,以此干预LPS处理的巨噬细胞,检测其分泌IL-10的水平。结果:TIGIT-Fc蛋白在H22细胞中以分泌形式表达,经过纯化后的TIGIT-Fc融合蛋白可在体外作用于高表达PVR受体的成熟巨噬细胞,促进其分泌抗炎症因子IL-10。结论:TIGIT可负调节成熟巨噬细胞的功能,促进其分泌IL-10。     

毛蕊花糖苷对内毒素性休克大鼠脑组织保护作用及对凋亡的影响

目的探讨毛蕊花糖苷对内毒素性休克大鼠的脑保护作用及其作用机制。方法将SPF级SD大鼠60只,体重200-250 g,随机分为假手术组、内毒素性休克组、毛蕊花糖苷低剂量组、毛蕊花糖苷中剂量组、毛蕊花糖苷高剂量组,每组12只。尾静脉注射5 mg/kg脂多糖(LPS)制备大鼠内毒素性休克模型,治疗组于造模前灌胃给药30 mg/kg、60 mg/kg、120 mg/kg,分别于感染性休克发生后12 h及24 h处死大鼠。HE染色观察大鼠脑组织病理变化;检测脑组织含水量变化;检测脑组织中IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α及IL-10水平;TUNEL法检测大鼠脑内细胞凋亡情况;Western Blot法检测各组大鼠脑组织中Bax、Bcl-2及Caspase-3蛋白表达水平。结果与LPS组相比,毛蕊花糖苷中、高剂量组大鼠脑组织炎性细胞浸润及细胞排列结构明显改善;脑组织含水量明显降低;脑组织IL-10水平升高,IL-1β, IL-6及TNF-α水平降低;神经细胞凋亡数量明显减少;凋亡相关蛋白Bax、Caspase-3表达降低,Bcl-2蛋白表达升高,且呈剂量依赖性。结论毛蕊花糖苷对内毒素性休克大鼠具有一定的脑保护作用,可能与其抗炎抗凋亡作用相关。     

The effect of chemotherapy on hepatoblastoma

A 15-month-old girl had a case of mixed hepatoblastoma. The unresectable tumor became surgically resectable after treatment with doxorubicin hydrochloride and cisplatin, which was also continued postoperatively. This regimen had a remarkable necrotizing effect on the fetal epithelial component of the hepatoblastoma. The patient's high alpha-fetoprotein level and extreme thrombocytosis, which resolved with treatment, were used as indicators of the disease's activity. An unaffected mesenchymal component and a few microscopic foci of undisturbed embryonal hepatoblastoma were found. The finding of a mature intestinal epithelial island in this case is unique.     

The effect of malnutrition on placenta

Effect of malnutrition was studied on placentas of eighty-five malnourished mothers, taking the placentas of sixty-five well nourished mothers as control. Nutritional status of mothers were studied by estimation of haemoglobin, total R.B.C. count and serum protein. Mothers of the malnourished group, showed anaemia of normocytic, microcytic, a few macrocytic type and hypoproteinaemia. Their placentas were of lower weights and sizes than those of control group. Placentas of both the groups showed infarction, degenerative, calcification, fibrinoid necrosis of villi, intervillous fibrin deposition, villous fibrosis, syncytial knotting of villi and proliferation of Langhan's cell of the villi. But the extent and degree of these changes were much more in malnourished group than control group. Activities of the enzyme such as alkaline phosphatase and Glucose-6-phosphatase in placental villi were increased in malnourished group than those in control group. So it appears that placentas of malnourished mothers become underdeveloped having pathological changes greater in extent and degree than control group resulting in inadequate supply of nutrients from mother's blood to foetus blood.     

The effect of fixation on esterases

The localization of reaction product for non-specific esterase from fresh and aldehyde treated glandular tissue was examined. The electrophoretical studies showed a selective inhibition of certain isoenzymes and a change in mobility of some bands caused by aldehyde fixation. In sections a granular reaction could be identified after 5 min fixation with 1% formaldehyde while no such staining was visible in fresh tissue.