Clinical applications of colour Doppler energy imaging in the female reproductive tract and pregnancy

This review describes the usefulness of colour Doppler energy (CDE) (or power Doppler) imaging to measure vascularization in the female reproductive tract. CDE imaging is characterized by an increased sensitivity to flow, and thus may be useful in low-flow states and when optimal Doppler angles cannot be obtained. In addition, longer segments of vessels and more individual vessels can be visualized with CDE imaging. The role of CDE imaging in the evaluation of stromal vasculature in normal and in polycystic ovaries is described, and the relationship between follicular vascularity and outcome following in-vitro fertilization are discussed, together with the findings obtained from the evaluation of thecal arteriole of corpus luteum in early pregnancy. The fundamental role of CDE imaging in differentiation among ovarian masses is also reviewed. We summarize the role of CDE imaging in pregnancy, and describe two new applications of three-dimensional power Doppler sonography and the use of ultrasound contrast media. In conclusion, CDE imaging can replace conventional colour Doppler when the information on the direction of flow is not useful. Moreover, the technique appears superior to others for describing microvascular architecture and determining the presence or absence of flow.     

Comparison of the COBAS TaqMan HBV test with the COBAS Amplicor monitor test for measurement of hepatitis B virus DNA in serum

Quantitation of low hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B is important for monitoring natural history of disease and treatment efficacy. This study aimed to compare the quantitation range and analytical sensitivity of the newly developed COBAS TaqMan HBV test (TaqMan test) with the COBAS Amplicor HBV Monitor Test (Amplicor test), using the Eurohep HBV reference plasma and serum samples from patients. Serial dilutions (2.7x10(1)-2.7x10(8) copies/ml) of the Eurohep HBV reference plasma and 50 serum samples from chronic hepatitis B patients were tested by both assays. The TaqMan test could detect seven (2.7x10(2)-2.7x10(8) copies/ml) of eight dilutions of the reference plasma, while the Amplicor test could only detect three of them (2.7x10(3)-2.7x10(5) copies/ml). The HBV DNA values measured by the TaqMan test correlated very well with the theoretical Eurohep standard values (r=0.998, P<0.001). There were good correlations between the HBV DNA levels measured by the two assays on both the Eurohep reference plasma (r=0.993, P<0.001) and serum samples from patients (r=0.904, P<0.001). Compared to the Amplicor test, the TaqMan test had a higher sensitivity (50 vs. 300 copies/ml), shorter assay time (6 vs. 10 hr), and wider dynamic range (8 vs. 3 logs), and was more cost-effective in a clinical setting. These data indicate that the TaqMan test is an excellent tool for HBV DNA quantitation.     

Relative motion of lung and chest wall promotes uniform pleural space thickness

The pleural space is modeled in two dimensions as a thin layer of fluid separating a deformable membrane and a rigid surface containing a bump. We computed the steady-state membrane configuration and fluid pressure distribution during relative sliding of the two surfaces. For physiologically relevant values of membrane tension, shear flow-induced pressures near the bump and far-field pressure gradients are similar to those measured in vivo within the pleural space (e.g. Lai-Fook et al.) [J. Appl. Physiol.: Respirat. Environ. Exercise Physiol. 56 (1984) 1633-1639]. Deformation of the membrane over the bump suggests that the pressure field generated by the sliding motion promotes an even layer of fluid in the pleural space, preventing asperities from touching. Results also suggest a possible mechanism for pleural fluid redistribution during breathing, whereby irreversible fluid motion is associated with the deformability of the membrane.     

医学生人格特征形成的相关性研究

目的分析影响医学生人格特征形成的相关因素，为发展大学生的人格特征探寻其理论依据。方法用EPQ量表对601名医学生进行团体测验，其数据在WJZ心理测验软件上预处理后转入电子表格，用SPSS11．0软件进行统计学分析。结果EPQ量表中E、N、P、L的均值、标准差与常模比较，其差异有统计学意义；E，P，L3个维度间有不同程度的相关性：当以EPQ为因变量，15个影响因素为自变量进行逐步回归分析时，进入回归方程的主要是人际关系、家庭、学校教养(育)方式、经济状况、身心伤害否及自我形象、才能、专业的满意度。结论医学生的人格特征还处于发展阶段，其形戍过程与上述因素密切相关。     

中德外科及基础病理新进展研讨会会议简介

由中、德科学中心发起、浙江大学与德国柏林洪堡大学共同主办的中德外科及基础病理新进展研讨会于2004年4月20日～22日在浙江省杭州市举行。会议由浙江大学来茂德教授和德国Humboldt大学Dietel教授主持,中、德两国共23名病理学专家参加了此次高水准国际病理学会议。会议主要涉及WHO肿瘤新分类、第6版国际抗癌联盟(UICC)TNM分期以及SARS病研究等。会议促进了双方病理学界的交流,增进了友谊,为今后中、德两国病理学界的进一步交流、合作开创了新局面。     

Role of bacterial products in periodontitis: immune response in gnotobiotic rats monoinfected with Eikenella corrodens.

The development of humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to Eikenella corrodens (a bacterium that causes periodontal lesions in gnotobiotic rats) was measured and compared with the rate of appearance of macroscopic lesions. A possible inverse relationship was found. A strong cell-mediated immune response, as measured by skin reactivity and lymphocyte mitogenesis, occurred between 4 and 6 weeks after infection and subsided soon thereafter to a low response level. Humoral antibodies to endotoxin from E. corrodens could not be detected at any time. The disease developed only after the cell-mediated immune response diminished, thus suggesting that lack of an efficient immune response may permit the development of the disease. This is seemingly in contradiction to the assumption that tissue destruction in such cases is caused by the immune response and its products. We are inclined to believe, based on our findings reported here, that the lack of immune responsiveness to the bacterium and/or its products is the major causative factor in the development of periodontitis. At the same time, we wish to emphasize that occurrence of both phenomena during the long development of periodontal disease is possible.     

Cell-free translation of avian erythroblastosis virus RNA yields two specific and distinct proteins with molecular weights of 75,000 and 40,000

Avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) 28 S virion RNA was translated in vitro in cell-free reticulocyte lysates. Two AEV-specific proteins, one of 75,000 (p75) the other of 40,000 (p40) molecular weight, were detected. p75 is a fusion protein containing gag-specific and AEV-specific peptides. It appears to be translated from the 5′-end of the 28 S AEV RNA and is indistinguishable from the p75 detected in AEV-transformed cells (Hayman et al., 1979). p40 does not share sequences with any viral structural protein. It also contains peptides distinct from those of p75, but one of the five identifiable p40 peptides comigrates with one of the p75 peptides. p40 is translated from a 20 S RNA which contains the 3′-half of the AEV-specific sequences of the genome. These two proteins account for all of the coding capacity of the AEV-specific gene sequences in the 28 S AEV RNA and are candidates for leukemia-specific transforming proteins.     

痢疾杆菌免疫小鼠的GALT中T淋巴细胞亚群的应答状态

以鼠伤寒杆菌Ｇ３０株为对照，应用间接免疫荧光法检测了痢疾杆菌福氏２ａ经口服及腹腔免疫后，小鼠派伊尔氏（ＰＰ）节结、肠系膜淋巴结（ＭＬＮ）及脾脏（ＳＰｔ）中Ｌ３Ｔ４～＋、Ｌｙｔ２～＋Ｔ细胞亚群的变化；并以ＭＴＴ比色法测定了ＣｏｎＡ诱导的淋巴细胞增殖反应。实验发现：无论是口服还是腹腔途径，这两种细菌都诱导出基本相似的Ｔ淋巴细胞反应，即Ｌ３Ｔ４亚群在ＰＰ及ＭＬＮ中均有显著升高，而Ｌｙｔ２亚群均无明显变化；口服途径仅ＰＰ淋巴细胞的增殖反应有明显升高，腹腔途径主要为ＭＬＮ出现淋巴细胞显著的增殖反应。提示：在痢疾菌感染免疫中以Ｌ３Ｔ４亚群起主要作用；ＰＰ作为粘膜免疫的诱导部位；经口途径主要诱导肠道局部淋巴细胞的免疫应答，经腹腔途径虽能诱导多部位免疫应答但有否抗粘膜感染保护作用尚待研究。