Structural shielding design for a gamma ray stereotactic body radiotherapy system.

An OUR-QGD gamma ray stereotactic body radiotherapy system (body knife), made in China, is described. According to its structure and the principle of gamma radiation revolved on a focus, the energy distribution of scattered radiation in its treatment room is calculated. The structural shielding of the wall, roof, and door for a certain treatment room is calculated according to the local radiation protection law.     

Noradrenergic activation of immediate early genes in rat cerebral cortex.

Previous studies have shown that stimulation of adrenergic receptors in the brain increases the expression of the immediate early gene (IEG), c-fos, in vivo (Mol. Brain Res., 6(1989) 39-45). The present study was undertaken to determine whether this also holds for other IEGs which have been shown to be activated in brain cell culture by adrenergic agonists. Both yohimbine injection and stressful stimulation, two treatments causing brain norepinephrine (NE) release, were found to cause a parallel, transient activation of at least 5 IEGs (c-fos, nur77, tis-7, zif-268 and tis-21) in the rat cortex. Genes that are not immediate early (beta-actin, NGF and HSP70) were found not to be affected in the interval used (6 h). The responses were mediated predominantly by beta-adrenoceptors with some contribution from alpha 1 receptors. The parallel activation of multiple genes by noradrenergic receptors may enable the coding of different biochemical responses to the activation of different receptors.     

Plasma proteins in a standardised skin mini-erosion (II): effects of extraction pressure

Background  

A standardised suction technique has been used to sample plasma proteins in dermal interstitial fluid (IF) serially for 5 to 6 days from a suction-induced skin mini-erosion. Increased protein concentrations ascribed to inflammation have been shown from day 1 onward. In this study, we assessed the effect of two different extraction pressures on IF sample composition.     

载瘤动脉闭塞术治疗颅内巨大动脉瘤的探讨

目的总结和探讨脑血管造影和载瘤动脉闭塞在治疗颅内巨大动脉瘤上的作用及特点。方法60例颅内巨大动脉瘤患者,根据其脑血管造影的特点采取血管内介入方法[可脱式球囊和(或)弹簧圈]闭塞载瘤动脉近端53例、闭塞载瘤动脉两端后孤立动脉瘤7例;其中23例闭塞前先行颅内-外血管搭桥术。结果出院时Rankin评分分级:单纯血管内介入治疗组37例中轻残3例,合并颅内-外血管搭桥术组23例中死亡1例、重残2例。1-6年的影像学随访动脉瘤无复发。结论血管内介入结合颅内-外血管搭桥术闭塞载瘤动脉是治疗颅内巨大动脉瘤的方法之一。     

Hereditary characteristics of enzyme deficiency and dermatoglyphics in congenital color blindness

The hereditary characteristics of enzyme deficiency and dermatoglyphics in congenital color blindness (CCB) were studied. We propose that there is a linkage between the two loci on the X-chromosome determining CCB and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), based on our study of a high incidence of G6PD deficiency in 156 male cases with CCB. The CCB gene is closely linked with that of G6PD deficiency from our pedigree investigations. The rise in the frequency of eight or more whorls, the low value of atd angle and the presenting rate of real palmar patterns of the thenar, hypothenar and I, areas presented the hereditary traits of congenital color blindness.     

A juvenile animal model to study the growth potential of bowel segments in the urinary tract

A juvenile animal model has been developed to study the growth potential of ileum in the urinary tract. Patch ileocystoplasties of known surface area were constructed in dogs of Group 1. Nonrefluxing ileal nipple valves of known length were created to replace one ureter in dogs of Group 2. After the juvenile animals grew and at minimum doubled their weight, they were reoperated and augmentation surface areas were remeasured at various physiologic intravesical pressures. Nipple valve lengths were remeasured after cystograms ruled out reflux. Results show that the bowel augmentation and an identical control segment increased in surface area proportionate to animal growth and that hydrostatic dilation caused further surface area increase. Nipple valves did not grow and in fact shortened, but remained nonrefluxing. The conclusion is that in the pediatric population, consideration should be given to downscaling the size of bladder augmentations or diversions in anticipation of future bowel growth, but that one should not shorten the ileal nipple valves.     

Calculation of cyclic voltammetric responses for the catalytic reduction of substrates via intramolecular electron transfer within a catalyst-substrate complex formed on electrode surfaces

Cyclic voltammetric responses are calculated for the case where the reduction of a substrate proceeds only via intramolecular electron transfer to the substrate molecule when it is bound to reduced catalyst molecules present in a single monolayer on the electrode surface. The dependences of the voltammetric responses on the equilibrium constant for the formation of the catalyst-substrate complex, the rate of its formation and the rate of intramolecular electron transfer are discussed. Procedures are described for estimating the rate constant for the intramolecular electron transfer reaction and for discriminating between mechanistic possibilities.     

Prevalence of knee abnormalities in patients with osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament injury identified with peripheral magnetic resonance imaging: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To assess, with a peripheral magnetic resonance imaging system (pMRI), the prevalence of bony and soft tissue abnormalities in the knee joints of normal subjects, osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and individuals who have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture; and 2) to compare the prevalence among groups. METHODS: Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 28 healthy, 32 OA, and 26 ACL damaged knees were acquired with a 1.0-T pMRI system. Two radiologists graded the presence and severity of 9 MR image features: cartilage degeneration, osteophytes, subchondral cyst, bone marrow edema, meniscal abnormality, ligament integrity, loose bodies, popliteal cysts, and joint effusion. RESULTS: Ten of 28 healthy (35.7%), 24 of 26 ACL (92.3%), and all OA knees (100%) showed prevalent cartilage defects; 5 healthy (17.9%), 20 ACL (76.9%), and all OA knees (100%) had osteophytes; and 9 normal (32.1%), 21 ACL (80.8%), and 29 OA knees (90.6%) had meniscal abnormalities. One-half of the knees in the OA group (16 of 32, 50%) had subchondral cysts, and almost one-half had bone marrow edema (15 of 32, 46.9%). These features were not common in the ACL group (7.7%, and 11.5%, respectively) and were not observed in healthy knees. The OA group had the most severe cartilage defects, osteophytes, bone marrow edema, subchondral cysts, and meniscal abnormalities; the ACL group showed more severe cartilage defects, osteophytes, and meniscal abnormalities than did normal subjects. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that knees that have sustained ACL damage have OA-like reatures; most subjects (19 of 26, 73.1%) could be identified as in the early stage of OA. The prominent abnormalities present in ACL-damaged knees are cartilage defects, osteophytes, and meniscal abnormalities.