Simulation studies of data classification by artificial neural networks: Potential applications in medical imaging and decision making

Artificial neural networks are being investigated in the field of medical imaging as a means to facilitate pattern recognition and patient classification. In the work reported here, the effects of internal structure and the nature of input data on the performance of neural networks were investigated systematically using computer-simulated data. Network performance was evaluated quantitatively by means of receiver operating characteristic analysis and compared with the performance of an ideal statistical decision maker. We found that the relatively simple neural networks investigated in this study can perform at the level of an ideal decision maker. These simple networks were also found to learn accurately even when the training data are extremely unbalanced with respect to the prevalence of actually positive cases and to differentiate input data patterns by recognizing their unique characteristics.     

Effect of once-daily fluticasone furoate nasal spray on nasal symptoms in adults and adolescents with perennial allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Intranasal corticosteroids are recommended as first-line therapy for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Fluticasone furoate is a novel enhanced-affinity glucocorticoid for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of intranasal fluticasone furoate with those of vehicle placebo nasal spray in adult and adolescent patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). METHODS: After screening (7-14 days), patients 12 years and older with confirmed PAR were randomized to receive fluticasone furoate, 110 microg once daily, or placebo once daily intranasally for 4 weeks in this double-blind, multicenter study. The primary end point was mean change from baseline during the entire treatment period in daily reflective total nasal symptom score (rTNSS), recorded on diary cards by patients, using a 4-point categorical scale. RESULTS: The mean reduction from baseline during the treatment period in daily rTNSS was significantly greater in fluticasone furoate recipients than in placebo recipients (P = .005). This finding was supported by significantly greater mean reductions in morning rTNSS and evening rTNSS (P = .004 and P = .011, respectively). A significantly greater mean reduction in instantaneous morning predose TNSS with fluticasone furoate compared with placebo (P = .006) confirmed the efficacy of once-daily administration. Fluticasone furoate was also significantly more effective than placebo in overall response to therapy (P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: Fluticasone furoate nasal spray, 110 microg once daily, effectively relieved nasal symptoms of PAR in adults and adolescents 12 years and older.     

Real-time PCR for quantitation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2 in naturally-infected and challenged pigs

Real-time PCR assays were developed for quantitative detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). The established real-time PCR for the quantitation of PRRSV cDNA and PCV2 DNA were found to be in the 9-log(10) linear dynamic range with excellent linearity and reliable reproducibility. Using these techniques, the distribution and quantitation of PRRSV and PCV2 in naturally infected and challenged pigs were investigated. The viral concentrations were expressed as the mean log(10) viral DNA or cDNA copy numbers per mg or ml of tested samples. For pigs infected naturally with both viruses, the lung, spleen, tonsil and lymphoid organs had the highest viral burdens with ranges from 5.73 to 8.38 and 5.65 to 6.91 for PRRSV and PCV2, respectively. The injection of formalin-inactivated Salmonella choleraesuis emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant 1 week before and after the inoculation of both viruses resulted in PRRSV replication enhancement 2 weeks post-challenge. However, this facilitated the clearance of PRRSV 4 weeks post-challenge. Results from this study show that the established quantitative PCR could be a useful tool when applied to vaccine development and pathogenesis studies in the future.     

Attachment, proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts on random biopolyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) scaffolds

Rabbit bone marrow cells were inoculated on 3D scaffolds of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) to evaluate their in vitro biocompatibilities. It was found that PHBHHx had the best performance on attachment, proliferation of bone marrow cells. The cells on PHBHHx scaffolds presented typical osteoblast phenotypes: round cell shape, high alkaline phosphotase (ALP) activity, strong calcium deposition, and fibrillar collagen synthesis. After incubation for 10 days, cells grown on PHBHHx scaffolds were approximately 2x10(5)ml(-1), 40% more than that on PHB scaffolds and 60% more than that on PLA scaffolds. ALP activity of the cells grown on PHBHHx scaffolds was up to about 65U/g scaffolds, 50% higher than that of PHB and PLA, respectively. The scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) results showed that PHBHHx scaffolds had the appropriate roughness for osteoblast attachment and proliferation comparing with PHB and PLA. All these indicated that PHBHHx was a suitable biomaterial for osteoblast attachment, proliferation and differentiation from bone marrow cells.     

构建肿瘤坏死因子-α免疫微球的实验研究

前瞻性构建肿瘤坏死因子-α免疫微球,以期为将来进一步研究能应用于特异性清除TNF-α的血液净化方法,奠定实验基础。采用以PSM为载体,依次包被PLL及rHTNF-αM cA b的方法而制备的免疫微球,分别以异硫氰酸荧光素标记,应用倒置显微镜及荧光显微镜观察、分光光度计测定等方法,探讨吸附微球的包被条件。结果显示,20℃、pH 9.5、60 m in三者为PLL包被PSM的最佳条件。包被后的洗脱液检测结果显示PLL含量无明显变化,说明PLL在PSM表面包被较为牢固。在相同温度及包被时间内,应用浓度为0.2%的戊二醛溶液进行的rHTNF-αM cA b对PLL的包被结合牢固。实验表明,所构建的肿瘤坏死因子-α免疫微球,达到了预期的目的,可以作为一种新颖的免疫吸附材料。该方法简单,价格便宜,为相关实验研究提供了一种崭新方法。     

Viral dynamics and their relations to baseline factors and longer term virologic responses in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected patients receiving abacavir in combination with HIV-1 protease inhibitors

From a study of 71 HIV-1-infected patients receiving abacavir in combination with 1 of 5 different HIV-1 protease inhibitors (indinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, nelfinavir, or amprenavir), we found that the baseline HIV-1 RNA levels were highly predictive of the viral decay rates. The baseline HIV-1 RNA levels were negatively correlated with the first phase viral decay rates (r = -0.77, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with the second phase viral decay rates (r = 0.68, P < 0.001). In addition, the first phase viral decay rate was positively correlated with CD4+ cell increases. No significant correlation was found between viral decay rates and longer term (24 weeks) virologic responses, and no difference in viral decay rates was found among the 5 study regimens. These data suggest that the potency of the 5 treatment regimens was similar and was not predictive of long-term virologic failure.     

用蛋白Ⅷ在噬菌体表面展示抗体分子效果的观察

目的 观察抗体分子通过丝状噬菌体主要外壳蛋白Ⅷ（cpⅧ）和次要外壳蛋白Ⅲ（cpⅢ)在噬菌体表面呈现效果的差异。方法 分别构建通过cpⅢ或cpⅧ展示抗乙肝表面抗原（HBs)Fab,ScFv和抗角蛋白（Ker)Fab的表达载体，制备噬菌体抗体，比较其抗原结合活性和Fab呈现水平。用多种方法尝试提高cpⅧ介导的噬菌体展示效果。结果 cpⅧ对不同特异性抗体Fab段和不同形式的小分子抗体（Fab和ScFv)的展示效果均低于cpⅢ的展示，增加cpⅧ－Fab对野生型cpⅧ的表达比例，试用不同菌株，在Fab和cpⅧ之间插入间隔序列及换用控制更为严密的启动子等,匀未能改善cpⅧ介导的噬菌体展示。结论 以前所报道的通过cpⅧ多价展示Fab段不是普遍存在的现象，对有些抗体基因不能达到多价展示。     

An azurocidin-like protein is induced in Trichoplusia ni larval gut cells after bacterial challenge

Trichoplusia ni immune genes up-regulated in response to bacterial infection have been isolated using differential display polymerase chain reaction. Here we report the cloning and characterisation of a gut-specific immune gene encoding an azurocidin-like protein. The deduced protein is 317 amino acid residues long with a hydrophobic C-terminus and a predicted 17-residue signal peptide. The mature T. ni protein shows 30% identity to human azurocidin, an antibacterial protein. Like azurocidin, the T. ni protein contains two amino acid substitutions in the active site triad normally present in serine proteases. The T. ni protein was synthesised with a six-histidine C-terminal extension using the baculovirus expression system. Sequencing of the recombinant azurocidin-like protein confirmed the predicted cleavage of the signal peptide. Northern blots show that T. ni azurocidin-like protein is expressed solely in the larval gut and that expression is up-regulated by injecting or feeding bacteria. Expression reaches its highest level at 10 h after bacteria injection.