U-Patch GAN: A Medical Image Fusion Method Based on GAN

Journal of Digital Imaging - Although medical imaging is frequently used to diagnose diseases, in complex diagnostic situations, specialists typically need to look at different modalities of image...     

Association between indoor and outdoor air pollution and adolescent asthma from 1995 to 1996 in Taiwan

The study aim was to estimate the contribution of indoor and outdoor air pollution to the 1-year prevalence of adolescent asthma after personal susceptibility and other potential risk factors were taken into account. A large-scaled cross-sectional study was conducted among 165,173 high school students aged 11 to 16 years in the different communities of Kaohsiung and Pintong in Taiwan, from October 1995 to June 1996. Each student and his/her parents participating in the study completed a video and a written International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire about symptoms of wheezing and allergies, passive smoking, and demographic variables. After adjustment for potential confounders, adolescents exposed to cigarette smoking (odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.17-1.42) and environmental tobacco smoke (odds ratio = 1.08, 95% CI, 1.05-1.12) were found to suffer from asthma at an increased frequency. We observed a statistically significant association between outdoor air pollution and asthma, after controlling for potential confound variables. Total suspended particulate, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and airborne dust particles all displayed an independent association with asthma, respectively. There were no selection biases in this community-based study, which provides evidence that passive smoking and long-term, high average outdoor air pollution are independent risk factors of asthma.     

胃肠宁胶囊治疗肝胃郁热型胃脘痛的临床观察附:170例病例报告

对照观察了中药胃肠宁胶囊和三九胃泰治疗肝胃郁热型胃脘痛患者１７０例的临床疗效,结果治疗组（胃肠宁胶囊组）１０４例,显效率为７５．９６％,对照组（三九胃泰组）６６例,显效率为３６．３６％,二者比较有高度统计学意义（Ｐ〈０．０１）,表明胃肠宁胶囊治疗肝胃郁热型胃脘痛的疗效优于三九胃泰。通过治疗前后肝胃郁热主症及其引起的其它症状的比较及慢性浅表性胃炎病理诊断比较,结果表明,具有疏肝解郁,清热和胃降逆之功     

γ—氨基丁酸治疗儿童植物神经性癫痫60例分析

目的　观察γ－ 氨基丁酸（ＧＡＢＡ） 治疗儿童植物神经性癫痫的临床疗效及其副作用。方法　详细记录６０ 例患儿治疗前３ 个月及口服ＧＡＢＡ（２５ ～３０ｍｇ／ｋｇ／ｄ）３ 个月后的发作频率及脑电图变化,并行统计学处理。结果　治疗后发作频率明显少于治疗前（ Ｐ＜ ００５） ,其中脑电图正常者更明显。结论　γ－ 氨基丁酸治疗儿童植物神经性癫痫疗效好,副作用小。     

Influence of fetal to neonatal transition on nitric oxide synthase expression in the nucleus tractus solitarius in sheep

Transition from fetal to newborn life is accompanied by a marked rise in circulating norepinephrine (NE) concentrations though arterial blood pressure does not substantively change. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the central regulation of sympathetic tone in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) expression is functionally regulated in the brain. The purpose of these studies was to determine the influence of transition at birth on nNOS expression in the brainstem nuclei, particularly in the NTS, associated with changes in arterial pressure and plasma NE concentration. Experiments were performed using time-dated gestational ewes with twin fetuses. Arterial blood pressure was recorded and arterial blood NE concentrations were measured in the term fetus (gestational 147-148 days) and newborn lambs (4 h of postnatal age). The fetal and newborn animals were then perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. Sections of the medulla were examined by using both immunolabeling with a polyclonal antibody directed against nNOS and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPHd) histochemistry, a marker for expression of nNOS. Micrographs were quantified using a microscope with reticule grid to measure the number of positive cells containing color staining in the brainstem nuclei. Plasma NE concentration in the newborn was more than two-fold greater compared to fetal values but mean arterial blood pressure was similar between fetus and newborn. The nNOS positive cells and NADPHd positive cells were significantly increased in the medial NTS (mNTS) of the newborn compared to fetus. nNOS immunoreactivity and NADPHd reactivity tended to increase in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) in newborn, but were not altered in other brainstem nuclei during the transition from fetal to newborn life. The results suggest that nNOS expression in the mNTS is predominately enhanced at 4 h of neonatal age vs. the term fetus. We conclude that elevated circulating NE is associated with up-regulation of nNOS in the mNTS which may serve a protective role in central regulation of neonatal arterial blood pressure.     

围手术期心脏起搏临床应用探讨

报道５８例非心脏手术的围手术期心脏起搏临床应用,重点讨论围手术期心脏起搏的方法与适应症。认为经静脉右室起搏疗效恒定可靠,适应症范围广。对伴有缓慢型或快速型心律失常的心脏病或潜在心脏病患者,围手术期心脏起搏适应症可适当放宽,以确保麻醉手术顺利进行     

Discovery and structure-activity relationships of imidazole-containing tetrahydrobenzodiazepine inhibitors of farnesyltransferase

2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-1-(imidazol-4-ylalkyl)-1,4-benzodiazepines were found to be potent inhibitors of farnesyltransferase (FT). A hydrophobic substituent at the 4-position of the benzodiazepine, linked via a hydrogen bond acceptor, was important to enzyme inhibitory activity. An aryl ring at position 7 or a hydrophobic group linked to the 8-position through an amide, carbamate, or urea linkage was also important for potent inhibition. 2,3,4, 5-Tetrahydro-1-(1H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-7-(4-pyridinyl)-4-[2-(t rifluo romethoxy)benzoyl]-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine (36), with an FT IC(50) value of 24 nM, produced 85% phenotypic reversion of Ras transformed NIH 3T3 cells at 1.25 microM and had an EC(50) of 160 nM for inhibition of anchorage-independent growth in soft agar of H-Ras transformed Rat-1 cells. Selected analogues demonstrated ip antitumor activity against an ip Rat-1 tumor in mice.     

Substituted isoquinolines and quinazolines as potential antiinflammatory agents. Synthesis and biological evaluation of inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

A series of isoquinolin-1-ones and quinazolin-4-ones and related derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their ability to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) production in human peripheral blood monocytes stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In an effort to optimize the TNFalpha inhibitory activity, a homologous series of N-alkanoic acid esters was prepared. Several electrophilic and nucleophilic substitutions were also carried out. Alkanoic acid esters of four carbons were found to be optimum for activity in both the isoquinoline and quinazoline series. Ring substituents such as fluoro, bromo, nitro, acetyl, and aminomethyl on the isoquinoline ring resulted in a significant loss of activity. Likewise, similar groups on the quinazoline ring also reduced inhibitory activity. However, the 6- and 7-aminoquinazoline derivatives, 75 and 76, were potent inhibitors, with IC(50) values in the TNFalpha in vitro assay of approximately 5 microM for each. An in vivo mouse model of pulmonary inflammation was then used to evaluate promising candidate compounds identified in the primary in vitro assay. Compound 75 was selected for further study in this inhalation model, and was found to reduce the level of TNFalpha in brochoalveolar lavage fluid of LPS-treated mice by about 50% that of control mice. Thus, compounds such as 75, which can effectively inhibit proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFalpha in clinically relevant animal models of inflammation and fibrosis, may have potential as new antiinflammatory agents. Finally, a quinazoline derivative suitable to serve as a photoaffinity radiolabeled compound was prepared to help identify the putative cellular target(s) for these TNFalpha inhibitors.     

Neuroprotective mechanism of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor on dopamine neurons: role of antioxidation.

Recombinant human GDNF was infused into the rat striatum either acutely or subchronically. Its effects and its interactions with MPP+ on antioxidant enzyme activities were examined. Results indicated that acute GDNF infusion significantly increased glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Subchronic GDNF treatment decreased the DA level and enhanced DA turnover. Pre-treatment with GDNF markedly protected DA neurons against MPP+-induced toxicity. These results suggest that GDNF protects DA neurons through its activation of the antioxidant enzyme systems.     

Inhibition by arsenite of anticancer drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) induced DNA repair and drug resistance in HeLa cells

We have previously reported a cisplatin-resistant HeLa variant cell line (HeLa/CPR) which exhibited an enhancement in repairing cisplatin-DNA adducts (Chao, 1994, Mol. Pharmacol. 45, 1137-1144). In this study, using this cell line, we investigated the modification, by arsenite, of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and DNA repair in the resistant cell line. By a sublethal dose of arsenite, cytotoxicity of the resistant cells was enhanced by 2.5-fold, compared to 1.62-fold in the parental cells. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a monoclonal antibody specific for cisplatin-DNA adducts, we found that the resistant cells showed a 5.15-fold decrease in the adduct formation compared to the parental cells. However, in the presence of arsenite, the resistant cells showed only a 1.47-fold decrease in the adduct formation, indicating a more than 3-fold modification. Using host cell reactivation of transfected plasmid DNA carrying cisplatin damage (an indirect detection of DNA repair), arsenite also revealed a ～2-fold modification of adduct formation in the resistant cells. In addition, the time-dependent potentiation of cytotoxicity by arsenite in both cell lines was parallel to the increase of adduct formation. These results indicate that arsenite is an effective modifier of cisplatin-induced resistance and enhanced DNA repair in HeLa/CPR cells. The results are consistent with the notion that the cisplatin-resistant phenotype in HeLa cells is mainly mediated by enhancement of DNA repair.