Analysis of fMRI data by blind separation of data in a tiny spatial domain into independent temporal component

Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a promising tool for the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series. In these studies, mostly assumed is a spatially independent component map of fMRI data (spatial ICA). In this paper, we assume that the temporal courses of the signal and noises are independent within a Tiny spatial domain (temporal ICA). Then with fast-ICA algorithm, spatially neighboring fMRI data were blindly separated into several temporal courses and were preassumed to be formed by a signal time course and several noise time courses where the signal has the largest correlation coefficient with the reference signal. The final functional imaging was completed for the signals obtained from each voxel. Simulations showed that compared with the spatial ICA method, the new temporal ICA method is more effective than the spatial ICA in detecting weak signal in a fMRI dataset. As background noise, the simulations include simulated Gaussian noise and fMRI data without stimulation. Finally, vivo fMRI tests showed that the excited areas evoked by a visual stimuli are mainly in the region of the primary visual cortex and that evoked by auditory stimuli are mainly in the region of the primary temporal cortex.     

应激相关的热休克信号转导通路的研究进展

随着社会的发展和医疗技术的不断进步与完善,人们的健康水平有了大幅度的提高。但急性梗塞(如脑梗、心梗)、感染性疾病(如败血症)等仍有较高的发病率和死亡率。特别是随着我国社会和经济的发展,老年人群的结构比例明显增高,心脑血管疾病和感染引起的疾病将进一步增加。而且随着     

Computerized Cardiovascular Monitoring: Method and Data

This paper describes the development of a digitized, real-time, microcomputer-based signal processing system which records the following variables: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, pulse transit time, blood volume pulse, and R-, S-, and T-wave amplitudes of EKG signals. Forty-eight healthy subjects participated in a three-task stress response study in order to gather initial data for evaluating the reliability and validity of this monitoring system. The three tasks represented replications of earlier studies: 1) reading aloud of a monotonous neutral text (Reading Only, RO); 2) mental arithmetic without vocalization (Arithmetic Quiet, AQ); and 3) mental arithmetic with vocalization (Arithmetic Aloud, AA). The findings provided support for the reliability and validity of the new monitoring system given that few data were lost, and resting values as well as differential task responses were found to be comparable with earlier data sets derived via similar experimental protocols.     

Perceptual Performance as a Function of Intra-Cycle Cardiac Activity

The purpose of the experiment was to test the hypothesis of a systematic change in perceptual performance within a single cardiac cycle due to the activity of the baroreceptors in carotid sinus. As an index of perceptual performance the d_s-parameter from signal detection theory (TSD) was used. A 1000 Hz sine tone had to be detected in a background of white noise. Each of 4 subjects received on the average 4605 noise or noise plus tone stimuli distributed over 10 experimental sessions. When comparing performance during time intervals before and after baroreceptor activity onset no significant difference was found. Also, when tracing perceptual performance over the whole cardiac cycle in steps of 66,100, and 200 msec, no systematic variation could be detected. For steps of 33 msec a rhythmic pulsation of perceptual performance of about 8 Hz appeared. An influence of electrical activity of the brain on perceptual performance was postulated. This activity would have to be time-locked to carotid sinus baroreceptor activity.     

心房颤动时心房肌细胞L型Ca2+通道与肌浆网间Ca2+信号转导的探讨

目的：探讨房颤时心房肌细胞膜上L型Ca2+通道与肌浆网之间的Ca2+信号转导。 方法： 杂种犬10条，随机分为正常对照组和单纯房颤组。房颤组用起搏器行右心房快速起搏（500±20）次/分，术后观测24周。正常对照组不植入起搏器。胶原酶Ⅱ型分离心房肌细胞，用激光共聚焦显微镜检测L型Ca2+ 通道对细胞内Ca2+浓度变化的影响；L型Ca2+通道与肌浆网三磷酸肌醇受体（IP3R）和兰尼碱受体（RyR）之间的Ca2+信号转导。 结果： （1）L型Ca2+通道与肌浆网IP3R之间的Ca2+信号转导：正常对照组、单纯房颤组的心房肌细胞在用mibefradil和丁卡因分别阻滞T型Ca2+通道和RyR后给予细胞膜激动剂时，细胞内Ca2+浓度均升高（分别为1.4000±0.0776和1.5169±0.4414），组间比较无显著差异（P＞0.05）；（2）L型Ca2+通道与肌浆网RyR之间的Ca2+信号转导：正常对照组的心房肌细胞在用mibefradil和肝素分别阻滞T型Ca2+通道和IP3R后给予细胞膜激动剂时，细胞内Ca2+浓度升高（1.5576±0.1989），单纯房颤组的细胞内Ca2+浓度也升高（1.5372±0.2952），两组间比较无显著差异（P＞0.05）。 结论： 房颤时L型Ca2+通道与RyR和IP3R之间可能存在信号转导，但其可能在房颤时的细胞内Ca2+超载及异常Ca2+信号转导方面不起重要作用。     

Stat5b/Survivin信号转导通路调控结肠癌细胞凋亡的机制

目的: 探讨Stat5b/Survivin信号转导通路调控结肠癌细胞凋亡的作用机制。方法: 用阳离子脂质体介导Stat5反义寡核苷酸转染人结肠癌HT29细胞，MTT法检测细胞增殖状态；流式细胞术检测细胞周期与凋亡；EMSA检测Stat5活性；Western blotting检测Stat5、p-Stat5、cyclin D1、Survivin与Bcl-2凋亡家族成员Bcl-2和Bcl-x_L的表达。结果: 转染Stat5反义寡核苷酸后HT29细胞增殖受抑制，凋亡细胞增多，Stat5、p-Stat5与Survivin表达下降，Bcl-2与Bcl-x_L变化不明显。结论: 阻断Stat5通路可以抑制靶基因Survivin表达并诱导结肠癌细胞凋亡。     

TCRγδ cells: Mysterious cells of the immune system

γδ cells participate in pathogenic infections and autoimmune conditions, yet, almost a decade after their discovery, little is known regarding their TCR repertoire or effector functions. Unlike MHC-restricted antigen recognition employed by TCRαβ cells, TCRγδ cells can recognize whole unprocessed antigens in an MHC-independent manner. The nature of positive and negative selection used to shape the repertoire of TCRγδ cells is unclear, especially in the nonlymphoid tissues where these cells predominate. While TCRγδ cells express an activated phenotype and are present in pathological conditions, their roles in immunological protection is unknown. This review will focus on our efforts to study these issues of TCRγδ biology.     

钙调神经磷酸酶参与心衰患者心肌重构的信号转导

目的：探讨血管紧张素Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)介导的钙调神经磷酸酶（CaN）信号通路参与心力衰竭（CHF）患者心肌重塑的机制。方法:选择因瓣膜性心脏病接受二尖瓣置换术的CHF病人39例，正常对照38例(其中8例来自意外伤亡的器官捐献者)。彩色多普勒超声心动图仪检测心脏扩大和心功能参数。放免法检测血浆及心肌组织Ang Ⅱ浓度，免疫沉淀法测心肌组织CaN、活化T细胞核因子(NFAT₃）、锌指转录因子(GATA₄)磷酸化及蛋白表达，RT-PCR检测肌球蛋白重链（β-MHC）mRNA表达。结果:AngⅡ分别与心脏扩大参数呈显著正相关，而与心功能参数呈显著负相关。CHF患者心肌组织CaN蛋白表达、CaN磷酸化、GATA^₄蛋白表达及β-MHC mRNA表达明显高于对照组，随心功能恶化其表达逐渐增加；NFAT₃磷酸化随心功能恶化而减弱。结论：肾素血管紧张素系统（RAS）激活的CaN信号通路在CHF患者心肌重构机制中可能起重要作用。     

Increased fluidity of Plasmodium berghei-infected mouse red blood cell membranes detected by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

The fluidity of Plasmodium berghei-infected mouse red cell membranes is increased over that of uninfected cells at both 24°C and 37°C. This was demonstrated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy using the hydrocarbon spin labels 2-dodecyl-2′,5,5′-trimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl and 2-heptyl-2′ -hexyl-5,5′-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl to label regions of the bilayer near its surface, and deeper within the hydrocarbon region, respectively. Arrhenius plots of the ‘empirical motion parameter’ (R_i) obtained from 2-heptyl-2′-hexyl-5,5′-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl-labeled cells versus temperature over the range from 0 to 45°C showed an hysteretic behavior of the spin labels in the membranes of both mature and immature uninfected cells. Such hysteretic behavior was consistently lacking in membranes of infected cells. These differences in membrane fluidity and spin label behavior are interpreted to reflect biochemical modifications of the red cell membrane which occur with infection by the malarial parasite.