An integrative psychophysiological approach to brain hemisphere functions in schizophrenia

The present paper proposes a new psychophysiological approach to the genesis of positive and negative schizophrenic symptoms. According to this approach, the initial factor in schizophrenic disorders is a functional insufficiency of the right hemisphere which can be determined by early emotional experience in combination with subtle brain damage. This functional insufficiency causes (a) the inability to grasp and select information before its realization; and (b) the inability to produce a polysemantic context which is crucial for creativity, psychological defense, and the restoration of search activity, all of which determine psychophysiological adaptation to the environment. Right hemisphere insufficiency causes left hemisphere hyperactivity as an ineffective attempt to compensate for this functional deficiency. As a result, normal search activity is replaced by artificial search activity which is represented by “positive” symptoms, and which uses the predisposition of the left hemisphere's catecholamine system for its increased activity. The suggestion is made that cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (the inability to use appropriate previous information in relation to current perceptual input) is related to the competition between information processing which requires left hemisphere activity, and the formation of positive symptoms, also based on left hemisphere activity.     

Detecting possible vaccine adverse events in clinical notes of the electronic medical record

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is a collaboration between the CDC and eight large HMOs to investigate adverse events following immunization through analyses of clinical data. We modified an existing system, called MediClass, that uses natural language processing to identify clinical events recorded in electronic medical records (EMRs). We customized MediClass so it could detect possible vaccine adverse events (VAEs) generally, and gastrointestinal-related VAEs in particular, in the text clinical notes of encounters recorded in the EMR of a large HMO. Compared to methods that use diagnosis and utilization codes assigned to encounters by clinicians and administrators, the MediClass system can both find more adverse events and improve the positive predictive value for detecting possible VAEs.     

低剂量容积数据高分辨率CT重组在肺部疾病中的应用价值

目的:评价低剂量容积数据高分辨率CT重组图像在肺部疾病中的应用价值。方法:对50例肺部疾病患者进行低剂量多层螺旋CT(MSCT)、高分辨率CT(HRCT)扫描及容积数据HRCT重组,比较所得到的低剂量容积数据HRCT重组图像和HRCT扫描图像质量并进行分级评分。结果:50例肺部疾病患者的低剂量容积数据HRCT重组图像和HRCT扫描图像质量相同,两者差异无统计学意义(P=0.188)。所见征象评分P值均>0.05,肺实变、网状影、蜂窝影、肺气肿、肺大泡得分趋向一致。低剂量MSCT扫描降低80%辐射量,缩短扫描时间。结论:低剂量容积数据HRCT重组图像评价肺部疾病的价值与HRCT扫描图像相同。低剂量容积数据HRCT重组大大降低辐射量,明显缩短检查时间,复检患者尤其适用,可以替代HRCT扫描。     

盐炙对补骨脂吸收特性的影响

 目的通过考察炮制前、后补骨脂中主要成分补骨脂素和异补骨脂素胃肠道吸收参数的变化,研究炮制对补骨脂吸收特性的影响。方法以SD大鼠为模型动物,进行大鼠在体肠灌注实验。并分别考察高、中、低3个浓度下的药动学参数,以确定浓度对吸收的影响。采用t检验法考察生品和盐炙品中补骨脂素和异补骨脂素的药动学参数之间的差异。结果生品中补骨脂素在高、中、低3个浓度下的吸收速率常数为0.203,0.165,0.203 h^-1,异补骨脂素的吸收速率常数则分别为0.178、0.168,0.204 h^-1;而盐炙品中补骨脂素在高、中、低3个浓度下的吸收速率常数为0.326,0.377,0.369 h^-1,异补骨脂素的吸收速率常数则分别为0.373,0.371,0.329 h^-1。盐炙品的吸收速率明显高于生品,而不同浓度下的吸收速率常数没有明显变化。结论补骨脂生品和盐炙品在小肠中的吸收机制是简单的被动扩散,吸收呈现一级动力学过程;炮制可以增加补骨脂的吸收。     

MR imaging of viscoelastic properties

Mechanical waves in magnetic resonance imaging, which have been suggested for possible clinical applications, were analyzed with regard to imaging of the viscoelastic properties of large objects. The method is based on the Larmor frequency modulation caused by the application of mechanical waves. Possible clinical applications include all diseases that result in a change in the mechanical properties of biologic tissues (eg, atherosclerosis).     

Assessment of tardive dyskinesia by means of digital image processing

A wireless device for the assessment of tardive dyskinesia by means of digital image processing is presented. Four skin-cream dots placed around the subjects' mouth are recorded by a video camera. The image is passed to a framegrabber with a signal processor, where it is converted from analogue to digital. A fast spot-detecting algorithm implemented on the signal processor tracks the dots and passes the information to a personal computer, where a Fourier transformation is performed to calculate the frequency spectrum of the movements. The device provided detailed information on the magnitude and on the frequencies of the movements. Data from a longitudinal investigation suggest a higher sensitivity and reliability than conventional rating scales to detect and evaluate abnormal perioral movements. The device might be useful for the early detection, for the longitudinal assessment (p.e. clinical trials) and in some cases for the differential diagnosis of tardive dyskinesia, thus providing a tool for both research and clinical purposes.     

Auditory and visual semantic priming using different stimulus onset asynchronies: An event-related brain potential study

Semantic priming effects (behavioral and electrophysiological) were compared in the visual and auditory modalities across three stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs; 0, 200, and 800 ms). When both prime and target were presented in the visual modality (the prime just to the left of a fixation point and the target to the right) there were N400 priming effects present across the three SOAs. However, the N400 in the 0-ms SOA condition extended longer in time (800 vs. 500 ms) than in the other SOAs. When both the prime and target were presented in the auditory modality (the prime to the right ear and the target to the left), the largest priming effects were found for the 800-ms SOA. Moreover, there was a relatively early priming effect present in the 0- and 800-ms SOA conditions but not in the 200-ms condition. The results are discussed in terms of modality differences in the time course of word comprehension processes.     

Sexual Content-Induced Delay With Double-Entendre Words

Seventy-three men and 72 women made lexical decisions to target words that followed sentences constructed so that the last word was a sexual double-entendre. Prime target relatedness, erotic versus nonerotic target, stimulus onset asynchrony, and participant's gender were varied in a between-subjects design. A second analysis that substituted sentence context for prime target relationship also was conducted. Data were collected on the emotionality and social acceptability of priming sentences and target words. Results revealed that, as with previous research on neutral words, prime target relatedness facilitated lexical decisions. Additionally, there was evidence of slowing in making lexical decisions when erotic material was presented or was part of a contextual bias. This delay was accentuated in women. A model that proposes that sexual words evoke a more complex processing sequence is presented. The model suggests that appraisal and checking or editing mechanisms, which are accentuated in women, help explain the phenomenon. Portions of this work was submitted by the junior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Honors in Psychology at Louisiana State University     

Attentional Bias in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

This study investigated preferential encoding of threat material in subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a modified dot-probe paradigm. This paradigm indexes attentional bias by measuring response latency to name neutral target words that are presented adjacent to or distant from threat words. Motor vehicle accident survivors with PTSD (n = 15), subclinical PTSD (n = 15), and low anxiety (n = 15) were required to name target words that were presented either adjacent to or distant from strong threat, mild threat, positive, and neutral words. PTSD subjects named targets faster when they were in close proximity to mild threat words. Results suggested that PTSD subjects' attention was drawn to the mild threat stimuli and are discussed in the context of network models of PTSD.     

影响计算机X线摄影图像质量因素的临床分析

目的:探讨影响计算机X线摄影(CR)图像质量的因素及优化图像质量的方法.方法:分析2000例不同部位计算机X线摄影成像的技术参数、伪影、IP板使用方式及后处理方法,并与计算机X线摄影的图像质量标准作对照研究,分析影响图像质量的各相关因素.结果:2000例中甲级片1720张,乙级片182张,丙级片98张.乙级与丙级片共280张,其中因摄影技术不当所致141张,伪影引起65张,后处理不当74张.结论:计算机X线摄影图像质量受多种因素影响,合理设置参数及采取各种针对措施能有效提高图像质量.