Data compression: effect on diagnostic accuracy in digital chest radiography

High-resolution digital images make up very large data sets that are relatively slow to transmit and expensive to store. Data compression techniques are being developed to address this problem, but significant image deterioration can occur at high compression ratios. In this study, the authors evaluated a form of adaptive block cosine transform coding, a new compression technique that allows considerable compression of digital radiographs with minimal degradation of image quality. To determine the effect of data compression on diagnostic accuracy, observer tests were performed with 60 digitized chest radiographs (2,048 x 2,048 matrix, 1,024 shades of gray) containing subtle examples of pneumothorax, interstitial infiltrate, nodules, and bone lesions. Radiographs with no compression, with 25:1 compression, and with 50:1 compression ratios were presented in randomized order to 12 radiologists. The results suggest that, with this compression scheme, compression ratios as high as 25:1 may be acceptable for primary diagnosis in chest radiology.     

全国细菌药敏试验的室间质量评价

目的：了解全国大中型医院细菌药敏试验（AST）状况，提高检测水平和质量。方法：定期向全国各参加评价实验室发放冻干标本，要求在规定时间内报告可疑感染的病原菌及其药敏结果，对回报结果给予数据统计、分析和评价。结果：2000年全国489个细菌室对常见耐药菌的检测正确率分别为：超广谱β－内酰胺酶63％（ESBLs)；苯唑西林敏感金黄色葡萄球菌（MSSA）74％；苯唑西林耐药凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（MRSCoN)48％；对青霉素不敏感肺炎链球菌7％；氨基糖苷类高水平耐药肠球菌95％；产β－内酰胺酶流感嗜血杆菌正确率35％。结论：通过细菌药敏试验的室间质量评价反映出我国的细菌耐药性检测水平急待提高。     

沙土鼠短暂性脑缺血后海马损伤的形态学特征

本实验通过结扎沙土鼠双侧颈总动脉20分钟,再灌流7天内,动态观察背侧海马组织的形态学变化。光镜观察表明:海马各区对缺血的反应性不同,其中以 CA_1区锥体细胞对缺血最为敏感,并且 CA_1区神经元的损伤是迟发性的,再灌流4天后才出现大量神经元的坏死、消失,即“迟发性神经元死亡”(NDN)。电镜下发现:缺血再灌流早期(1～2天),CA_1区神经细胞质内有大量粗面内质网增多。本实验结果表明:短暂性脑缺血所致的海马损伤与脑组织其他区域神经元损伤不同。     

登革病毒感染后小鼠细胞免疫功能的动态变化

从登革Ⅱ型病毒感染成年ＢＡＬＢ／ｃ小鼠为模型，观察感染后不同时间机体细胞免疫反应的变化。结果表明：感染后７－１４ｄ免疫功能处于激活状态，表现为腹腔巨噬细胞的吞噬功能和脾淋巴细胞对ＣｏｎＡ的反应及ＩＬ－２产生水平都明显高于对照组，感染２１ｄ后免疫功能则转为抑制状态，上棕免疫反应明显低于对照组，脾中的Ｌ３Ｔ４＾＋细胞亚群的百分比逐渐下降；相反，ＬＹＴ２＾＋细胞亚群的百分比逐渐升高，这种抑制现象可维持到     

In-plane myocardial wall stress is not the primary determinant of coronary systolic flow impediment. A study in the isolated, perfused dog septum.

The hypothesis that ventricular in-plane tensile wall stresses are the major determinant of systolic coronary flow was investigated in this study. We measured coronary artery inflow in the maximally vasodilated bed of the isolated beating septum (n = 10) during two modes of contraction characterized by markedly different levels of developed in-plane stress. An increase in contractility was induced by changing from the control steady-state pacing state to a postextrasystolic potentiated state induced by a modified rapid pacing protocol. Over a range of increments of passive stretch, the systolic flow impediment versus the diastolic wall strain was described by an inverse linear relation. Despite the differences in developed in-plane wall stresses between the two modes of contraction (p less than 0.001), the slope and intercept of these relations in both the control and potentiated states were not different for the low versus high developed stress modes. The systolic flow impediment versus diastolic wall strain relation for the potentiated beats, compared with the control beats, was characterized by an increase in the intercept in both the low developed stress beats (p less than 0.05) and the high developed stress beats (p less than 0.05). These data indicate that the impediment to coronary flow during systole is not primarily determined by systolic myocardial in-plane tensile wall stresses but rather by the contractile state of the muscle.     

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。     

早产儿血清表皮生长因子水平与脑发育相关研究

目的探讨早产儿血清表皮生长因子水平与脑发育的关系。方法依据入选标准观察对象为自2005年8月起连续收治入本院新生儿病房、出生24h内的胎龄为34周±3d的“正常”早产适于胎龄儿30例。采用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)法,分别测定30例早产儿生后24h内和出生第8天空腹股静脉血清表皮生长因子(EGF)水平,分别为t0和t1值,计算血清EGF浓度变化的速率(Δt)。同时,在新生儿出生后6周(纠正胎龄接近40周)和纠正1月龄时进行NBNA评分测定。并将以上实验室数据与新生儿行为神经测定(NBNA)评分值及差值、早产儿出生后的头围增长值及增长速率进行Pearson相关分析。如果P值<0.05,则认为差有统计学意义。结果30例早产儿观察对象t0为(234.71±58.07)pg/ml,t1为(347.81±87.49)pg/ml,Δt为(16.16±9.94)(12.14、15.20)pg/ml/d;Pearson相关分析显示2次NBNA评分结果及差值、出生后6周和纠正1月龄时的头围增长值/增长速率与t0值无相关性(P>0.05);2次NBNA评分结果及差值、出生后6周和纠正1月龄时的头围增长值/增长速率与t1和Δt之间有相关性(P<0.05)。结论研究结果表明,早产儿出生后血清EGF浓度呈上升趋势,提示早产儿出生后体内EGF合成和释放增加,可能促进脏器成熟和组织修复;更重要的是,早产儿出生1周时高水平血清EGF浓度和/或较快上升速率者,其出生后头围增长速度也快,可能有较好的脑发育水平、远期预后良好。     

心脏移植术后急性排异反应的监测

目的 总结原位心脏移植术后急性排异反应的监测。方法 2000－01／2002－04施行11例原位心脏移植手术，结合临床表现、心电图、超声心动图、化验检查及心内膜活栓等检查，对心脏移植术后急性排异反应的监测进行分析。结果 采用临床症状＋心电图＋超声心电图＋心肌血清学检测综合判断有6次急性排异反应，行心内膜活检证实Ⅰb级2次，Ⅲa级3次；术后常规行心内膜活检21次，仅发现急性排异反应Ⅰa或Ⅰb级5次。结论 急性排异反应是关系到心脏移植术后患者康复及愈后的重要因素，因此要及时、有效地进行监测；心内膜心肌活检是诊断急性排异反应敏感可靠的方法，但为有创性检查，有一定的并发症风险，其他多项无创性检查可作辅助指标，因此急性排异反应监测应把无创性检查与心内膜心肌活检有机地结合起来。     

Correlation between the intensity of cytomegalovirus infection and the amount of perivasculitis in aortic allografts

Abstract  We previously demonstrated that cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection enhanced perivascular inflammation in rat aortic allografts. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the CMV infection load and the magnitude of perivasculitis (chronic rejection) in aortic transplants. Rats received or-thotopic abdominal aortic grafts, different degrees of total body irradiation (TBI) for immunosuppres-sion and CMV inoculation. The spleens of the rats receiving 5 Gy of TBI contained more infectious virus and viral antigens than those of rats receiving 3 Gy of TBI or no TBI. Although the number of inflammatory cells infiltrating the perivascular area was decreased after TBI, CMV infection resulted in increased perivasculitis in rats that received 5 Gy of TBI as compared to non-infected animals. This virus-induced effect was characterized predominantly by an increased T-cell infiltration, including CD4 and CD8 T-cells. It is concluded that an enhanced systemic CMV infection during severe immunosuppressive therapy can accelerate the development of chronic rejection, which seems to be mediated mainly by T-cells.     

Efficacy of low-dose interferon with antiretroviral therapy in Kaposi's sarcoma: a randomized phase II AIDS clinical trials group study.

We wished to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a low and an intermediate daily dose of interferon-alpha2b (IFN-alpha2b) with didanosine in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). HIV-seropositive subjects with biopsy-confirmed cutaneous KS were randomized to receive either a low (1 million IU) or an intermediate (10 million IU) dose of IFN-alpha2b once daily with twice daily doses of didanosine. Treatment assignment was stratified by CD4 count. Response, toxicity, changes in CD4 counts, and survival were evaluated. Sixty-eight eligible subjects were accrued, 35 to low-dose and 33 to intermediate-dose IFN-alpha2b. The response rate was 40% in the low-dose group (95% CI, 24-58) and 55% in the intermediate-dose group (95% CI, 36-72) (p = 0.338). The median response duration was approximately 110 weeks in both groups. Intermediate-dose IFN induced grade 3/4 neutropenia more often (21% vs. 3%, p = 0.048) and grade 3/4 toxicity faster (p = 0.0231) and necessitated treatment discontinuation earlier for drug-related toxicities (p = 0.0416) than low-dose IFN. There were no significant differences in survival between the treatment groups. Baseline CD4 count was the only significant factor predicting response. Once-daily low-dose and intermediate-dose IFN-alpha2b induced similar response rates, which were achieved without optimal antiretroviral therapy. The slightly higher response rate in the intermediate-dose group was offset by its significantly poorer tolerance. These findings justify the use of lower, well-tolerated IFN doses for treatment of KS with currently used antiretroviral regimens.