Magnetoencephalography using high temperature rf SQUIDs

Summary We have developed high-critical-temperature radio-frequency Super conducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) with step-edge grain-boundary Josephson junctions and large flux focusers. These planar devices were fabricated from epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O₇ films and operated in the magnetometer and first-order gradiometer configurations while immersed in liquid nitrogen. At the temperature of 77K, we have attained a magnetic field resolution for the magnetometer better than 200 fT/Hz^1/2 down to less than 1 Hz, i.e., over the low signal frequency range important for medical diagnostics. The results to date show a high promise for biomagnetic diagnostics. For the first time, we recorded the evoked responses from human brains using a high-temperature magnetometer and a first-order electronic gradiometer channel simultaneously. These results were obtained in a magnetically shielded room. An improvement in the magnetic field resolution by another order of magnitude is possible and probable.We are grateful to Prof. Dr. med. M. Hoke, Director of the Institute for Experimental Audiology for his support and the encouragement offered to us. We also thank Dr. J. Schubert and W. Zander, KFA-ISI, who fabricated the YBCO films by pulsed laser deposition. Work at KFA was supported, in part, by the German Minister of Research and Technology (BMFT), the Consortium on "First Applications of HTS in Microelectronics".     

从《四诊抉微》浅窥林之翰学术思想

<正>林之翰,字宪百,号慎庵,别号苕东逸老,清代康雍间浙江乌程(今湖州市)人,长于中医诊断,著有《四诊抉微》、《嗽证知原》和《温疫萃言》三部医书~([1])。年少嗜读,博览群书,崇尚岐黄之术,周游四方,虚心请教,学识日渐渊博。"迨业成行世,远近敦请者,户外之履恒满",因此累积丰富经验,并且心存高尚医德,济世之志。然而明清以前,医家往往多重望色与     

信息化环境下《中医诊断学》的教学模式实施初探

从对教师素质的要求、教师素质的培养及信息化教学模式的实施几方面对如何运用现代信息技术,开发教学资源,优化教学过程,促进中医诊断学教学质量的提高进行探讨,提示信息环境下中医诊断教学模式需各环节配合才能达到最佳效果。     

在线教学模式下医学留学生实验诊断学实验教学的探索与实践

受不同国家新冠肺炎疫情防控措施影响，留学生短时间内仍不能返校进行正常教学活动，在线教学成为替代线下教学的主要教学方式。首都医科大学面向临床医学专业留学生开设的实验诊断学（Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics）课程，以实践操作为主的实验课程的教学工作则面临着新的问题：一是留学生群体本身的特殊性，他们来自不同的国家和地区，由于地域分散，与中国存在不同时长的时差，难以集中线上授课；另一方面，实验教学是以实际操作和可视化为主要特点的授课方式，如果仅通过视频分享自行学习，失去动手机会，效果欠佳。教学中通过调查问卷、集体备课、组建专家团队等方式集思广益，并积极采取应对措施，通过探索新的在线教学模式，使得教学产品多样化，组建及组织小组内在线平台实现线上交流，全面提高留学生实验教学的质量，为培养优秀的国际医学人才提供了保障。     

Molecular lipid species in urinary exosomes as potential prostate cancer biomarkers

BackgroundExosomes have recently appeared as a novel source of noninvasive cancer biomarkers, since these nanovesicles contain molecules from cancer cells and can be detected in biofluids. We have here investigated the potential use of lipids in urinary exosomes as prostate cancer biomarkers.MethodsA high-throughput mass spectrometry quantitative lipidomic analysis was performed to reveal the lipid composition of urinary exosomes in prostate cancer patients and healthy controls.ResultsControl samples were first analysed to characterise the lipidome of urinary exosomes and test the reproducibility of the method. In total, 107 lipid species were quantified in urinary exosomes. Several differences, for example, in cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine, were found between urinary exosomes and exosomes derived from cell lines, thus showing the importance of in vivo studies for biomarker analysis. The 36 most abundant lipid species in urinary exosomes were then quantified in 15 prostate cancer patients and 13 healthy controls. Interestingly, the levels of nine lipids species were found to be significantly different when the two groups were compared. The highest significance was shown for phosphatidylserine (PS) 18:1/18:1 and lactosylceramide (d18:1/16:0), the latter also showed the highest patient-to-control ratio. Furthermore, combinations of these lipid species and PS 18:0-18:2 distinguished the two groups with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Finally, in agreement with the reported dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism in cancer cells, alteration in specific sphingolipid lipid classes were observed.ConclusionThis study shows for the first time the potential use of exosomal lipid species in urine as prostate cancer biomarkers.     

A novel real-time RT-PCR assay for influenza C tested in Peruvian children

BackgroundInfluenza C virus (ICV) is associated with acute respiratory illness. Yet ICV remains under recognized, with most previous studies using only culture to identify cases.ObjectivesTo develop a sensitive and specific real-time RT-PCR assay for ICV that allows for rapid and accurate detection in a clinical or research setting.Study designMultiple ICV sequences obtained from GenBank were analyzed, including 141 hemagglutinin-esterase (HE), 106 matrix (M), and 97 nucleoprotein (NP) sequences. Primers and probes were designed based on conserved regions. Multiple primer-probe sets were tested against multiple ICV strains.ResultsThe ICV M and NP genes offered the most conserved sequence regions. Primers and probes based on newer sequence data offered enhanced detection of ICV, especially for low titer specimens. An NP-targeted assay yielded the best performance and was capable of detecting 10–100 RNA copies per reaction. The NP assay detected multiple clinical isolates of ICV collected in a field epidemiology study conducted in Peru.ConclusionsWe report a new real-time RT-PCR assay for ICV with high sensitivity and specificity.     

Overcoming the global crisis: “Yes,we can”, but also for TB … ?

Tuberculosis (TB) poses formidable challenges to global health at the public health‐, scientific‐ and political level. Causing almost two million deaths every year, this ancient disease represents a continuing global crisis. The writing on the wall is that TB is resurging in more virulent and treatment‐resistant forms. Our tools to combat TB are dangerously out of date and ineffective. Besides new tools (TB drugs, vaccines, diagnostics), we also need new strategies to identify key Mycobacterium tuberculosis/human host interactions, since it is here that we can most likely find Mtb's Achilles' heel. Equally important is that we build high‐quality clinical trial capacity and biobanks for TB biomarker identification. But most important is a global commitment at all levels to roll back TB before it outwits us again.