顺式串联双拷贝DuIFN—γ基因的真核表达

目的：以鸭γ－干扰素（DuIFN-γ)基因为目的基因,研究同一启动子调控下,不同拷贝数的目的基因的表达状况。方法：采用基因重组技术构建含DuIFN-γcDNA单拷贝和双拷贝重组质粒并转入真核细胞COS－7中进行表达。DuIFN-γ活性采用Griess试剂检测。结果：双拷贝重组质粒和单拷贝重组质粒50％最大活性稀释度分别为1：320和1：160。双拷贝重组质粒转染上清稀释10240倍后,仍保留DuIFN-γ活性,而单拷贝重组质粒转染上清经1280倍稀释后,即丧失活性。结论：在同一启动子作用下,顺式插入双拷贝目的基因可明显增强目的基因在真核细胞中的表达量。     

Chemotherapy-Associated Liver Injuries: Unmet Needs and New Insights for Surgical Oncologists

Annals of Surgical Oncology -     

Paraneoplastische neurologische Syndrome in der gynäkologischen Onkologie

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are rare neurological disorders that are associated with a tumor without being directly triggered by the tumor itself or its metastases. PNS can affect every level of the nervous system through an autoimmune reaction against neuronal cells. Neurological symptoms can even occur several years before the tumor is diagnosed. The diagnosis is based on tumor detection, clinical symptoms, and antibody detection, while simultaneously excluding other causes. In addition to symptomatic therapy, the specific tumor therapy is the treatment of choice and depends primarily on tumor type and stage, not on the PNS. The most common PNS-associated gynecological tumor entities are breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and ovarian germ cell tumors. The detection of the well-characterized paraneoplastic antibodies and the search for associated tumors play very important roles in diagnosis. In gynecologic tumors (especially ovarian cancer), paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is the best-known PNS, which is usually associated with anti-Yo antibodies. Most patients show a progressive course despite the specific tumor therapy. Overall, the prognosis is relatively poor.     

sICAM-1 as potential additional parameter in the discrimination of the Sjögren syndrome and non-autoimmune sicca syndrome: a pilot study

Clinical Rheumatology - Both Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) and non-autoimmune sicca syndrome (nSS) can show symptoms of dry eyes and a dry mouth, and objective reductions in tear and saliva...     

Dynamic clustering of hazard functions: an application to disease progression in chronic heart failure

We analyse data collected from the administrative datawarehouse of an Italian regional district (Lombardia) concerning patients affected by Chronic Heart Failure. The longitudinal data gathering for each patient hospital readmissions in time, as well as patient-specific covariates, is studied as a realization of non homogeneous Poisson process. Since the aim behind this study is to identify groups of patients behaving similarly in terms of disease progression and then healthcare consumption, we conjectured the time segments between two consecutive hospitalizations to be Weibull distributed in each hidden cluster. Adding a frailty term to take into account the within subjects unknown variability, the corresponding patient-specific hazard functions are reconstructed. Therefore, the comprehensive distribution for each time to event variable is modelled as a Weibull Mixture. We are then able to easily interpret the related hidden groups as healthy, sick, and terminally ill subjects.     

Carbohydrate-antigen-125 levels predict hospital stay duration and adverse events at long-term follow-up in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible role of carbohydrate-antigen(CA)-125 as prognostic marker at short- and long-term follow-up, in subjects with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC). Sixty-three consecutive subjects with TTC were enrolled in the study and followed for a median 139 days. Circulating levels of CA-125, NT-proBNP, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were evaluated at admission. Duration of hospital stay, incidence of death, re-hospitalization and recurrence of TTC during follow-up were recorded. The mean hospital stay was 8.3 days, adverse events occurred during follow up in 17 % of cases. CA-125 levels at admission are inversely related to LVEF (r ?0.30, p < 0.05) and directly related to hospital stay (r 0.29, p < 0.05). CA-125 levels at admission are higher in subjects with adverse events at follow-up (88.9 ± 200.0 vs 20.9 ± 30.0 U/mL, p < 0.05). Rates of incidence of adverse events are proportionally increased with CA-125 tertiles (0, 6, 11 % respectively, p for trend <0.01), at survival analysis (Log Rank p < 0.05) and after correction for age, gender, LVEF and NT-proBNP levels in multivariable Cox analysis (p < 0.05). CA-125 levels <10 U/ml are predictors of adverse events at follow up with 91 % sensitivity, 52 % specificity, 29 % positive predictive power, and 96 % negative predictive power. Increased CA-125 admission levels are associated with a longer hospital stay, a lower LVEF, and a higher risk of adverse events during follow up. CA-125 might be useful for early risk stratification of subjects with TTC.     

Linear regression models and k-means clustering for statistical analysis of fNIRS data

We propose a new algorithm, based on a linear regression model, to statistically estimate the hemodynamic activations in fNIRS data sets. The main concern guiding the algorithm development was the minimization of assumptions and approximations made on the data set for the application of statistical tests. Further, we propose a K-means method to cluster fNIRS data (i.e. channels) as activated or not activated. The methods were validated both on simulated and in vivo fNIRS data. A time domain (TD) fNIRS technique was preferred because of its high performances in discriminating cortical activation and superficial physiological changes. However, the proposed method is also applicable to continuous wave or frequency domain fNIRS data sets.OCIS codes: (000.5490) Probability theory, stochastic processes, and statistics; (170.2655) Functional monitoring and imaging; (170.6920) Time-resolved imaging; (170.1470) Blood or tissue constituent monitoring