Digital processing of radiographic images from PACS to publishing

Several studies have addressed the implications of filmless radiologic imaging on telemedicine, diagnostic ability, and electronic teaching files. However, many publishers still require authors to submit hard-copy images for publication of articles and textbooks. This study compares the quality digital images directly exported from picture archive and communications systems (PACS) to images digitized from radiographic film. The authors evaluated the quality of publication-grade glossy photographs produced from digital radiographic images using 3 different methods: (1) film images digitized using a desktop scanner and then printed, (2) digital images obtained directly from PACS then printed, and (3) digital images obtained from PACS and processed to improve sharpness prior to printing. Twenty images were printed using each of the 3 different methods and rated for quality by 7 radiologists. The results were analyzed for statistically significant differences among the image sets. Subjective evaluations of the filmless images found them to be of equal or better quality than the digitized images. Direct electronic transfer of PACS images reduces the number of steps involved in creating publication-quality images as well as providing the means to produce high-quality radiographic images in a digital environment.     

微重力条件下动态三维诱导骨髓间充质干细胞分化为软骨细胞：与静态培养的比较

目的:观察微重力条件下动态三维诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向软骨细胞的分化,并与静态培养作比较。方法:实验于2005-08/2006-04在哈尔滨医科大学附属第一医院中心实验室完成。穿刺抽取2月龄新西兰大白兔骨髓,密度梯度离心法分离纯化,体外培养扩增。取第3代骨髓间充质干细胞分组诱导培养:三维动态培养组:1%藻酸钠溶液洗涤并重新悬浮细胞,细胞密度为5×1010L-1,滴入200mmol/L氯化钙溶液,立即形成藻酸钙凝胶微球,细胞被悬浮固定于球内部,静止5min,取出凝胶微球,磷酸盐缓冲液充分洗涤,置于旋转式细胞培养系统,微重力条件下动态诱导。二维动态培养组:细胞直接接种于平面培养瓶,置于旋转式细胞培养系统,微重力条件下动态诱导。三维静态培养组:藻酸钙凝胶微球悬浮细胞静态培养。二维静态培养组:细胞直接接种于平面培养瓶静态培养。诱导培养2周后取材,甲苯胺蓝染色、Ⅰ、Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色,测定胶原和蛋白多糖含量。结果:①藻酸钠接触钙离子迅速形成透明凝胶微球,直径约为1.0mm,均匀一致,有光泽,易于操作。倒置显微镜下见凝胶微球中的细胞呈球形,核仁清晰,动、静态培养后立体结构相似。甲苯胺蓝染色阳性,表达Ⅱ型胶原,无明显Ⅰ型胶原表达。平面培养组细胞形态由梭形向多角形、多边形转变,核周可见黑色颗粒。甲苯胺蓝染色弱阳性,仅少数细胞表达Ⅱ型胶原。②与静态培养相比,动态培养出现明显软骨分化,动态培养组胶原和蛋白多糖产量均高于静态培养培养组,以三维动态培养组效果最佳[胶原:0.078±0.004,0.069±0.003,0.048±0.002,0.035±0.004;蛋白多糖:0.111±0.003,0.092±0.002,0.069±0.003,0.058±0.002,(P<0.05)]。结论:立体诱导优于平面诱导,微重力动态培养可提高细胞诱导分化质量。     

骨形态发生蛋白载体的研究与应用

目的:介绍近几年来骨形态发生蛋白载体的研究及应用进展。资料来源:应用计算机检索PubMed 1965-01/2006-07相关骨形态发生蛋白的文章,检索词“Bone Morphogenetic Protein,BMP and carriers”,限定文章语言种类为English。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选取包括骨形态发生蛋白的文献,然后删除明显与载体无关的研究,对剩余文献查找全文。纳入标准:与骨形态发生蛋白载体研究应用相关的动物实验。排除标准:重复研究、Meta分析类文章。资料提炼:共检索到1000篇关于骨形态发生蛋白的文献,最终纳入37篇符合标准的文献,分别介绍了骨形态发生蛋白成员载体的研究、临床应用及动物实验。资料综合:骨形态发生蛋白具有诱导骨形成活性特点,是目前的研究热点。骨形态发生蛋白应用于修复骨缺损需复合适宜的载体,目前已有多种材料用于其载体,有植入性和注射性载体两类,包括生物陶瓷、骨水泥、高分子多聚体、胶原、纤维蛋白凝块等。这些材料理化性质和生物学性质各不相同,因此与骨形态发生蛋白复合后的载体也各具特色。本文介绍了不同载体与骨形态发生蛋白复合体的各自特点,并回顾了各种载体材料的研究和应用现状。结论:骨形态发生蛋白属于超级转化因子β家族,可诱导骨形成,复合各种载体可应用于骨缺损的修复。     

Randomized Controlled Trial: Targeted Neck Cooling in the Treatment of the Migraine Patient

Cold therapy has long been the number one self-care treatment employed for migraine without aura and the second most common for migraine with aura, yet its mechanism remains elusive. In this study, a mechanism by which this time-tested therapy works is proposed (by cooling the blood passing through intracranial vessels) in an attempt to further elucidate its beneficial effects. The study is designed as a randomized, controlled, crossover clinical trial utilizing an adjustable wrap containing two freezable ice packs targeting the carotid arteries at the neck, where they come close to the skin surface. Fifty-five participants successfully completed the study. Pain at onset, as recorded on a visual analog scale, was similar between the two treatment arms. Maximum pain reduction was observed at the 30 minute time point with a 31.8% ± 15.2% decrease in pain in the treatment arm compared to a 31.5% ± 20.0% increase in pain at the same time interval in the control arm. These findings confirm the application of a frozen neck wrap at onset of migraine headache targeting the carotid arteries at the neck significantly reduced recorded pain in participants with migraine headaches (P<.001).     

Polycystic ovarian disease: US features in 104 patients

Ultrasonographic (US) study was performed in 25 healthy women and 104 patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). Although the average size of ovaries in the PCOD patients was much larger than that of the healthy women, 29.7% of ovaries in the PCOD patients were normal in size. The shapes of the ovaries (roundness index) in PCOD patients were not different from those of the healthy women. There was no significant correlation between the size and shape of the ovaries. Bilaterally enlarged, globular-shaped ovaries were rare and usually asymmetric in size. The most important feature of PCOD on US scans is the bilaterally increased numbers of developing follicles (0.5-0.8 cm in size), usually more than five in each ovary. Although maturing follicles (1.5-2.9 cm) are much rarer in PCOD patients (13.5%) than in healthy women (36%), the incidences of follicular cysts (greater than 3 cm) was about the same in both.     

Autocrine growth hormone prevents lactogenic differentiation of mouse mammary epithelial cells

We have examined the expression, postnatal ontogeny, and localization of mouse GH (mGH) and its relative expression during pregnancy, lactation, and weaning in the mouse. mGH mRNA and protein was expressed predominantly in the epithelial component of the mammary gland, and maximal expression was observed during the pubertal period. Autocrine mGH expression dramatically decreased during late pregnancy and lactation. Concordantly, autocrine mGH expression is repressed during forced differentiation of mouse HC11 mammary epithelial cells in culture. Forced expression of mGH in HC11 cells abrogated lactogenic differentiation as indicated by reduced expression of beta-casein and reduced expression and loss of lateral epithelial localization of E-cadherin. Forced expression of mGH in mouse mammary epithelial cells increased cell survival and proliferation and consequently increased the size of mammary acinar-like structures formed in three-dimensional Matrigel. Thus, autocrine mGH expression in the mouse mammary epithelial cell is maximal at puberty and prevents mammary epithelial cell differentiation. Autocrine GH will therefore participate in mammary morphogenic processes at puberty.     

Quality of life in participants of a CRC screening program

Background:

Little is known about the effect of participating in a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme on quality of life (QOL), neither for participants with a negative nor for those with a positive test result. These findings, however, are important to evaluate the impact of CRC screening.

Methods:

Participants from CRC screening trials were sent a questionnaire, which included validated measures on generic health-related QOL, generic anxiety and screen-specific anxiety. Both faecal immunochemical test (FIT) and flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) participants, either with negative or positive test results, were addressed.

Results:

The response rate was 73% (1289 out of 1772) for FIT and 78% (536 out of 689) for FS participants, with mean ages varying from 63–66 years. Positive FIT participants had worse physical (PCS-12, 47.1 vs 48.3, P=0.02), but equal mental QOL scores (MCS-12, 51.1 vs 51.6, P=0.26). Positive and negative FS participants had similar QOL scores. Both FIT and FS participants with a positive test result reported more screen-specific anxiety than negative FIT and FS participants. Positive and negative FS participants had similar generic anxiety scores.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicate that the burden of participating in CRC screening may be limited. Conducting a prospective study to confirm these results is recommended.