In vivo comparison of two through-plane MR velocity mapping methods: Fast fourier encoding and phase mapping

Magnetic resonance imaging maps of velocity were acquired with a 1.5-T system in 10 subjects in a plane perpendicular to the main pulmonary artery. Velocity images were successively acquired with a method developed from Fourier-encoding velocity imaging (FEVI) principles with eight gradient steps and one excitation, and with two-point phase-subtraction mapping. Reconstruction in FEVI was implemented by zero-filling interpolation around the eight gradient steps and then around the four central steps. The methods were compared by using estimates of noise in velocity measurements based on the difference between the experimental map and a smooth fitted map. For the same acquisition time, FEVI with four encoding steps was more precise in velocity measurements than phase mapping. Precision was further increased by the use of eight encoding steps, but acquisition time was doubled.     

腹部CTA检查的质量保证

目的:探讨螺旋CT血管造影(Spiral CT angiography,SCTA)技术,以期提高SCTA造影的质量。材料与方法:采用Somatom Plus 4螺旋CT扫描系统对10例病人行腹部SCTA检查。扫描技术和造影剂参数按病变范围和性质而定,三维重建采用最大强度投影法(MIP)或表面阴影显示法(SSD)或弯曲平面重建法(CPR)。结果:SCTA检查技术能可靠地显示血管形态和病变,评价腹部肿瘤与邻近血管关系。结论:SCTA是无创伤性的血管成像术,在很大范围可替代创伤性的血管造影。     

Dopamine receptor agonists alter gap prestimulus modulation

An innocuous sensory event (a prestimulus) that briefly precedes a startle-eliciting stimulus (SES) will reduce the amplitude of the subsequently elicited reflex. In three experiments brief silent periods in otherwise continuous noise (gaps) were used as prestimuli to investigate the effects of the D₁ dopamine receptor agonist (±)-SKF-38393 (SKF) and the dopamine D₂ receptor group agonist (−)-quinpirole hydrochloride on gap inhibition of the rat’s acoustic startle reflex. Gap durations of 4 and 50 ms were analyzed. Quinpirole (0–1.6 mg/kg) had a biphasic effect on gap inhibition. Lower doses increased gap inhibition, an effect that peaked at the 0.4 mg/kg dose. For higher doses, inhibition returned to control levels for the 4-ms long gap, but remained elevated for the 50-ms long gap. SKF had no effect on gap inhibition, and haloperidol (0.2 mg/kg) reversed the quinpirole-induced increase of gap inhibition. These data implicate the D₂ dopamine receptor group in gap inhibition of startle modulation. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of catecholamine agonists on attention. Received: 25 July 1995/Final version: 28 April 1997     

A Critical Period of Ventricular Fibrillation More Susceptible to Defibrillation: Real-Time Waveform Analysis Using a Single ECG Lead

Previous studies have suggested that variations in the underlying ventricular fibrillation (VF) waveform may be one of the factors responsible for the probabilistic nature of defibrillation. The heart appeared to be more susceptible to defibrillation at higher absolute VF voltages (AVFV). This study investigated in an open-chest canine model (n = 8), a newly developed system that analyzed the VF waveform in real-time, instantaneously determined the time to shock, and immediately delivered a fixed low energy DC shock. A two parameter tracking technique using a running long-term and short-term AVFV average was devised to automatically identify a high voltage peak area of the VF waveform, which has been hypothesized to represent a critical period susceptible to defibrillation. Using a DC shock estimated at the 50% success level, the performance using this technique in 58 defibrillation trials was compared to the performance of the conventional method of shocking at a fixed time (random shock method) in 62 trials. Patch size, electrode location, and discharge voltage were kept constant while VF duration, transmyocardial resistance (TMR), energy delivered, and AVFV at the point of shock were measured. Shock energy and current, TMR, and VF duration were similar with both shock methods. A significantly higher AVFV was observed for trials performed with the peak shock method (0.66 ± 0.02 mV) as compared to trials performed with the random shock method (0.25 ± 0.09 mV) (P < 0.003). Using lead II as the only sensing lead, the success rate was increased in 6 of 8 dogs (75%) with the new method. One animal showed identical performance, and one animal a worse performance. The overall increase in success rate was 24% using a single ECG lead (range 0%-100%; P < 0.04). Our data document that using this algorithm a period of high VF voltage can be detected in realtime. The improved success in the majority of animals supports the hypothesis that a critical period susceptible to defibrillation exists during VF. However, the high AVFV detected using a single ECG lead did not translate to an improved success rate in all animals. This suggests that other factors in addition to the VF voltage measured on a single lead of the ECG are important in characterizing this critical period.     

计算机自动定量诊断脑萎缩的初步研究

目的研究正常人群脑容积随年龄及性别的变化规律,提出计算机定量诊断脑萎缩的客观标准。方法利用最新提出的脑容积计算机自动定量算法,测量了脑萎缩组487例(男,310例,女,177例)和正常组1901例(男,993例,女,908例)的颅腔容积、脑容积和脑实质分数(BPF),并通过多项式曲线拟合技术,研究正常人BPF随年龄变化的函数关系。结果正常组颅腔容积为(1271322±128699)mm3,脑容积为(1211725±122077)mm3,BPF为(95.3471±2.3453)%;脑萎缩组颅腔容积为(1276900±125180)mm3,脑容积为(1203400±117760)mm3,BPF为(91.8115±2.3035)%。两组之间的颅腔容积和脑容积差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),而BPF差异具有统计学意义(P<0.001);BPF定量与年龄之间的二次多项式函数关系P(x)=-0.0008x2+0.0193x+96.9999能够较为准确表达正常人BPF随年龄变化的函数关系,其95%可信区间下限为y=-0.0008x2+0.0184x+95.1090。结论BPF与年龄之间函数关系的95%可信区间下限,可作为计算机自动定量诊断脑萎缩的客观标准。     

Duplicated origin of right vertebral artery with rudimentary and accessory left vertebral arteries

Summary We observed a rare cerebrovascular anomaly in a patient with brain-stem infarction. Two right vertebral arteries arose from the subclavian artery and communicated directly with each other under the transverse foramen of the fourth cervical vertebra. The left vertebral artery consisted of a rudimentary artery that arose from the left subclavian artery, ran through the transverse foramen of the sixth cervical vertebra and then tapered down to disappear at the fourth/fifth cervical vertebrae, plus a second, accessory artery that arose from a branch of the left thyrocervical trunk, ran through the transverse foramen of the fifth cervical vertebra and tapered off to disappear at the first/second cervical vertebrae.     

Temazepam impairs effortful but not automatic processing of stimulus elements

The experiment investigated the effects in healthy volunteers of a single dose of temazepam (30 mg, oral) on effortful and automatic processing, by measuring memory for information and its context. Effortful processing was impaired, as shown by significant impairments in free recall of an 18-item list, but automatic processing was spared, as evidenced by no impairments in recall of the frequency of presentation, the colour, size or form of the items. In a second task, temazepam significantly impaired both recognition and recency memory of 30 items, although these scores were not correlated. Temazepam caused significant sedation, measured by an objective test and by subjective ratings, but this did not correlate with the memory impairments. The pattern of results is discussed with reference to the hypothesis that the memory impairments resulting from benzodiazepines are due to a reduction in information processing resources and thus affect effortful processing more than automatic processing.     

MICROCOMPUTER DATA PROCESSING OF HEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF A CARDIOTOXIC FRACTION(Fr.19-2) FROM THE SOUTHERN CHINESE COBRA(NAJA NAJA ATRA CANTOR)IN ANESTHETIZED CATS

A new program of microcomputer data processing was developed on AppleIIe computer on-line with 8-ch polygraph in the study of hemodynamic effects of a cardiotoxic fraction (Fr. 19-2) from the southern Chinese cobra (Naja naja atra Cantor). In anesthetized open-chest cats, Fr. 19-2 caused a dose-related decrease in various indices of myocardial contractility and pumping function such as dp/dt_(max), V_(CE-DP40), V_(CE-CPIP),V_(pm), CO, CI, SV, SI, LVW, LVWI, LVSW and LVSWI. It reduced the heart rate without other cardiac arrhythmias. A marked decrease in -dp/dt_(max) (219.7±23.5 vs 110.5±29.1kPa/s, P<0.01) and an increase in time constant of the fall of left ventricular pressure during isovolumetric relaxation (T) was induced. LVEDP rised till the dose of Fr. 19-2 reached 0.4mg/kg. It is concluded that this cardiotoxic fraction predominantly inhibits the hemodynamic indices and myocardial performance. With the new microcomputer data real-time processing system, 33 elaborated hemodynamic indices were ca     

树型金银花无公害优质加工技术的研究

目的探讨树型金银花无公害优质加工技术。方法采用树型金银花晾晒和烘烤以及"烤房3段变温烘烤技术"。结果烘干产品比晒干产品具有明显的质量和价格优势,价格高57.1%。烤房3段变温技术第1段烘干温度控制在35～40℃,烘8～9h;第2段将温度提高到50～55℃左右,烘烤6～8h;第3段温度升到60～70℃,烘烤5～6h左右;烘干总时间不超过24h。结论无公害优质加工技术利于规模化生产,获得无公害的绿色产品,增加金银花附加值。