An assessment of PKI and networked electronic patient record system: lessons learned from real patient data exchange at the platform of OCHIS (Osaka Community Healthcare Information System)

To enhance medical cooperation between the hospitals and clinics around Osaka local area, the healthcare network system, named Osaka Community Healthcare Information System (OCHIS), was established with support of a supplementary budget from the Japanese government in fiscal year 2002. Although the system has been based on healthcare public key infrastructure (PKI), there remain security issues to be solved technically and operationally. An experimental study was conducted to elucidate the central and the local function in terms of a registration authority and a time stamp authority in contract with the Japanese Medical Information Systems Organization (MEDIS) in 2003. This paper describes the experimental design and the results of the study concerning message security.     

Chronic ethanol exposure differentially regulates NOS1 mRNA levels depending on rat brain area

In vitro experiments were performed on brainstem – spinal cord preparations from mouse neonates to compare the noradrenergic regulations of the respiratory network in the control C3H/HeJ strain and the transgenic Tg8 strain which has been created from the C3H/HeJ strain by deletion of the gene encoding monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), the main enzyme for serotonin degradation. In both control and MAOA-deficient strains, we show: (i) that the pontine A5 area exerts a potent inhibitory modulation on the respiratory rhythm generator; (ii) that noradrenaline application induces a tonic phrenic activity; and (iii) that noradrenaline increases the respiratory rhythm. The latter effect is however delayed and weak in the Tg8 strain. Therefore, MAOA-deficiency has only slightly altered the noradrenergic regulations of the respiratory network.     

IDO expression on decidual and peripheral blood dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages after treatment with CTLA-4 or interferon-gamma increase in normal pregnancy but decrease in spontaneous abortion

Recent data demonstrated that CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells and an enzyme called indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) mediate maternal tolerance to the fetus. Interestingly, Treg cells express the CTLA-4 molecule on their surface, and B7 (CD80/86) ligation by CTLA-4 enhanced IDO activity of dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes by the induction of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production. In this study, we studied the IDO expression on peripheral blood monocytes and decidual monocytes or DCs after treatment with CTLA-4/Fc fusion protein or IFN-gamma using flow cytometry. IDO expressions on both peripheral blood DC and decidual DC and monocytes were up-regulated during normal pregnancy. On the other hand, both IDO expression on DC and monocytes after IFN-gamma treatment or CTLA-4 treatment were decreased in spontaneous abortion cases. The expression of CD86 on peripheral blood and decidual monocytes and DC in spontaneous abortion cases was lower compared with those in normal pregnancy subjects. Also, IFN-gamma production by decidual and peripheral blood mononuclear cells after CTLA-4/Fc treatment in spontaneous abortion cases was significantly lower than those in normal pregnancy subjects. These data suggest that CTLA-4 on Treg cells up-regulates IDO expression on decidual and peripheral blood DC and monocytes by the induction of IFN-gamma production.     

Effect of peptide Pro-Gly-Pro on stress-induced behavioral changes in rats

Tripeptide PGP in a dose of 1 mg/kg had a correcting effect on behavioral disorders in rats induced by stress exposure (forced swimming). PGP prevented the increase in anxiety and decrease in orientation and exploratory activity. Our results suggest that the effect of this peptide is realized via central nervous structures involved in organism’s response to stress factors. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 138, No. 7, pp. 9–11, July, 2004     

Development of CD4+ T cell lines that suppress an antigen-specific immune response in vivo

It has been suggested for many years that the regulation of the immune system for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance may involve regulatory/suppressor T cells. In the past few years, several investigators have demonstrated that these cells can be generated in vitro. It has also been shown that they can inhibit the progression of various autoimmune disease models when infused into susceptible mice. We have generated two murine T cell lines in the presence of KLH-specific T cell clones from BALB/c or DBA2 mice. The lines are characterized by a low proliferative response to mitogens, the capacity to secrete high amounts of IL-10 and TGF-beta, and small amounts of IFN-gamma. Interestingly, these cells are unable to produce IL-2, IL-4 or IL-5. The study of the surface phenotype of both lines revealed CD4+, CD25high, CD44low and CTLA-4- cells. When injected intravenously in (CBy.D2) F1 mice, these cells were able to inhibit 50-100% of the TNP-specific antibody production, when the hapten was coupled to KLH. In the present study we offer another evidence for the existence of regulatory T cells in the T lymphocyte repertoire, suggesting that they can also regulate immune responses to foreign antigens. Furthermore, we demonstrate an alternative pathway to generate these cells different from approaches used thus far.     

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞在肿瘤免疫中的作用

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞(Tr)是体内自然发生的调节性T细胞的重要亚群,具有无反应性和免疫抑制两大特性,主要通过与靶细胞的直接接触而起作用,其在体内不仅参与自身免疫性疾病、移植排斥反应等,还在肿瘤的发生、发展及免疫治疗中发挥重要作用.近几年来,Tr在肿瘤免疫中的作用倍受关注.     

独立分量分析在乳腺钼靶X片感兴趣区域提取中的应用

为乳腺癌早期诊断和乳腺X线影像微钙化点计算机辅助检测的前期预处理,本研究提出基于独立分量分析（ICA）的自动提取新算法并且将其应用于乳腺图像感兴趣区域的自动提取.其具体思路是：（1）将乳腺区域图像提取成等大的子图像作为待测乳腺图像感兴趣区域;（2）将ICA应用于乳腺图像感兴趣区域得到基图像;（3）将待识别乳腺图像感兴趣区域在基图像所构成的子空间进行投影求得待测乳腺图像感兴趣区域的特征矢量;（4）用人工神经网络分类方法进行乳腺图像感兴趣区域的模式判别.对临床实际病例的试验结果表明,该方法的检出率为91%,与同类研究检出率相当.本研究方法简单有效,并具有较高的智能性,为ROI的自动提取提供了新的研究思路.     

Role of Der p 1–specific B cells in immune tolerance during 2 years of house dust mite–specific immunotherapy

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在人工神经网络中引入混沌的必要性

本文从Freeman的生理学实验和仿真实验的结果出发,综合了Freeman和Tsuda对生物神经网络中混沌动力学的解释,从信息流动的角度论述了在生物神经网络中混沌存在的必要性和引入混沌机制的人工神经网络模型所具有的信息处理的潜力,指出认知系统对外界输入的反应是其动力学行为性质的改变而不仅是静态的数值输出.并认为具有混沌动力学性质的神经网络应同时具有模式分类器和解释器的双重作用.这一结合来自于系统的混沌动力性质.描述了混沌在模式识别中的作用,指出了其相对ART等传统神经网络模型的一些优势.部分结论在仿真实验中得到了证实.     

Holter系统的技术要求及神经网络方法

为了长时间、准确的记录分分析体表ＥＣＧ，从各个方面满足基础研究、临床、康复以及特殊生理需要，对Ｈｏｌｔｅｒ系统提出了愈来愈高的要求。作者从技术实现的角度讨论了Ｈｏｌｔｅｒ的主要技术要求，包括记录部分和分析部分；还介绍了几种用神经网络模型满足Ｈｏｌｔｅｒ系统技术要求的原理，包括用多层感知器实现数据压缩及分类，用高阶神经网络实现ＥＣＧ的分类，以及用ＡＲＴ模型识别ＥＣＧ中的Ｐ波与Ｔ波。