New algorithmic-based digital filter processing system for real-time continuous blood pressure measurement and analysis in conscious rats

A new algorithmic-based digital filter processing system for real-time continuous blood pressure (BP) measurement and analysis in freely-moving conscious rats has been developed. Real-time recognition of BP waveforms, real-time noise rejection and determination of representative waveform indexes (WIs) at indicated time points using digital filters and Smirnov's rejection test were realized with this system. Digital filters were applied for two different purposes: waveform segmentation and smoothing the calculations of representative WIs. Smirnov's rejection test was used for real-time noise rejection and yielded an accurate rejection rate of 99.99%. The result was that the digital filter processing and Smirnov's rejection test realized accurate real-time BP measurement and analysis in freely-moving conscious rats using a personal computer.     

脑膜炎大肠埃希菌侵袭素IbeA结合多肽的初步研究

目的脑膜炎大肠埃希菌（E．coli）侵袭素IbeA通过与脑微血管内皮细胞表面受体结合，从而介导细菌穿透血脑屏障引起新生儿细菌性脑膜炎。为通过肽库筛选获得与IbeA蛋白结合的多肽，建立噬菌体随机肽库筛选IbeA结合多肽模体的方法。方法首先制备靶分子，用PCR扩增出全长ibeA基因序列，克隆至表达载体pET28a中，转化大肠埃希菌BL21（DE3）．经IPTG诱导表达出带有His-tag的目的蛋白，经变性复性后通过Ni^2＋-NTA亲和层析柱得到纯度达90％的重组蛋白。然后以固相化IbeA重组蛋白为靶亲和筛选噬菌体线性12肽库。结果经过3轮淘选，得到能和IbeA结合的24个重组噬菌体克隆；挑选15个亲和力高的克隆进行DNA测序，对比分析所得的短肽序列。固相Fmoc法合成短肽，并进行结合实验、阻断实验和竞争抑制实验。绪论以重组表达的IbeA融合蛋白为靶筛选得到的重组噬菌体十二肽克隆，能够和IbeA蛋白结合，为IbeA蛋白结合多肽。结果提示所筛选的阳性噬菌体克隆及其合成肽可能模拟IbeA受体表位的结构。     

数字水印技术在脑电信号数据压缩中的应用

首先对数字水印技术和脑电信号的数据压缩进行了介绍,然后就数字水印技术用于解决脑电信号数据压缩过程中的完整性和真实性检测问题进行了探讨。最后总结了国内外研究情况,并对脑电信号数据压缩方法进行了展望。     

Computerised analysis of auscultatory sounds associated with vascular patency of haemodialysis access

Vascular access for renal dialysis is a lifeline for about 120 000 individuals in the United States. Stethoscope auscultation of vascular sounds has some utility in the assessment of access patency, yet can be highly skill-dependent. The objective of the study was to identify acoustic parameters that are related to changes in vascular access patency. The underlying hypothesis is that stenoses of haemodialysis access vessels or grafts cause vascular sound changes that are detectable using computerised data acquisition and analysis. Eleven patients participated in the study. Their vascular sounds were recorded before and after angiography, which was accompanied by angioplasty in most patients. The sounds were acquired using two electronic stethoscopes and then digitised and analysed on a personal computer. Vessel stenosis changes were found to be associated with changes in acoustic amplitude and/or spectral energy distribution. Certain acoustic parameters correlated well (correlation coefficient=0.98, p<0.0001) with the change in the degree of stenosis, suggesting that stenosis severity may be predictable from these parameters. Parameters also appeared to be sensitive to modest diameter changes (>20%), (p<0.005, Wilcoxon rank sum test). These results suggest that computerised analysis of vascular sounds may be useful in vessel patency surveillance. Further testing using longitudinal studies may be warranted.     

A peptide DNA surrogate that binds and inhibits anti-dsDNA antibodies

Autoantibodies to dsDNA are an important diagnostic marker and pathogenic factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although the anti-dsDNA antibodies present in SLE are indicative of an antigen-driven response, the antigen has not been conclusively identified. The specific SLE anti-dsDNA antibodies were obtained by affinity purification using a dsDNA-coupled Sepharose column. Using the anti-dsDNA antibodies to screen a phage peptide display library, we demonstrated that purified polyclonal anti-dsDNA antibodies and a monoclonal anti-dsDNA antibody specifically bind a 15 mer peptide ASPVTARVLWKASHV. This chemically synthesized peptide could be recognized by anti-dsDNA antibodies in ELISA and Dot blot. This 15 mer peptide can inhibit anti-dsDNA antibodies binding to dsDNA antigen in immunoassays and in the Crithidia luciliae assay while a control peptide did not inhibit anti-dsDNA antibodies. This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of the peptide DNA surrogate in diagnostic tests of SLE and in the investigation of the origin of anti-dsDNA antibodies. It may also be used in studies of the DNA-anti-DNA antibody interaction.     

Clinical Potential of Digital Linear Tomosynthesis Imaging of Total Joint Arthroplasty

The present study was performed to evaluate the potential for clinical application of digital linear tomosynthesis in imaging hip prostheses. Volumetric x-ray digital linear tomosysnthesis was used to image hip prostheses. The tomosynthesis was compared to metal artifact reduction (MAR) computed tomography (CT), and non-MAR CT scans of a prosthesis case. The effectiveness of this method in enhancing visibility of a prosthesis case was quantified in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and removal of ghosting artifacts in a prosthesis case was quantified in terms of the artifact spread function (ASF). In the near in-focus plane, the contrast is greater in the MAR CT or tomosynthesis relative to the non-MAR CT. The order of ASF performance of the algorithm was as follows: (1) tomosynthesis; (2) MAR-CT; (3) non-MAR CT. The potential usefulness of digital linear tomosynthesis for evaluation of hip prostheses was demonstrated. Further studies are required to determine the ability of digital linear tomosynthesis to quantify the spatial relationships between the metallic components of these devices as well as to identify bony changes with diagnostic consequences.     

抗肝癌细胞噬菌体单链抗体库的构建及筛选

构建抗人肝癌细胞单链抗体库 ,从中筛选与肝癌细胞特异结合的高亲和力单链抗体。从HepG2细胞免疫的BALB/c小鼠脾脏提取总RNA ,RT PCR扩增小鼠抗体重、轻链可变区基因 ,用 (Gly4Ser) 3 连接肽基因 ,经重叠延伸反应 ,在体外将VH 和VL 连接成单链抗体 (scFv)基因 ,并克隆入噬菌粒载体pCANTAB5E中 ,构建噬菌体单链抗体库。以HepG2细胞为抗原对抗体库进行淘选 ,ELISA法鉴定各单克隆与肝癌细胞的结合活性 ,并对阳性克隆进行表达。成功构建了库容为 1 1× 10 6抗肝癌细胞的噬菌体单链抗体库 ,经筛选得到了与HepG2细胞具有较强结合能力的单链抗体 ,实现了scFv在大肠杆菌中的可溶性表达。序列测定结果表明 ,VH 和VL 基因符合小鼠抗体可变区特征 ,scFv基因拼接正确     

Isolation of a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus

Cell culture-based transdominant genetic techniques provide new methods for discovering peptide/RNA modulators of cellular pathways. We applied this technology to isolate a peptide inhibitor of human rhinovirus. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-scaffolded library of cDNA fragments was expressed in HeLa cells from a retroviral vector and screened for inhibitors of rhinovirus-mediated cell killing. A DNA clone, I421, increased cell survival in an HRV14 challenge assay from less than 0.5% to greater than 60%. It encodes a 53-amino-acid C-terminal extension of the GFP scaffold. Particular subclones of Hela cells expressing I421 (exemplified by I421dp3) show a delay in virus production and a 50-fold decrease in viral RNA levels at 6-8 h postinfection. HRV2, HRV14, and HRV16 show a dramatic decrease in plaque-forming ability on I421dp3 while Coxsackievirus B3 showed a small reduction. Levels of ICAM-1, the receptor for the main rhinovirus serotype, are not altered in I421dp3.     

Physics-Driven CFD Modeling of Complex Anatomical Cardiovascular Flows—A TCPC Case Study

Recent developments in medical image acquisition combined with the latest advancements in numerical methods for solving the Navier-Stokes equations have created unprecedented opportunities for developing simple and reliable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools for meeting patient-specific surgical planning objectives. However, for CFD to reach its full potential and gain the trust and confidence of medical practitioners, physics-driven numerical modeling is required. This study reports on the experience gained from an ongoing integrated CFD modeling effort aimed at developing an advanced numerical simulation tool capable of accurately predicting flow characteristics in an anatomically correct total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC). An anatomical intra-atrial TCPC model is reconstructed from a stack of magnetic resonance (MR) images acquired in vivo. An exact replica of the computational geometry was built using transparent rapid prototyping. Following the same approach as in earlier studies on idealized models, flow structures, pressure drops, and energy losses were assessed both numerically and experimentally, then compared. Numerical studies were performed with both a first-order accurate commercial software and a recently developed, second-order accurate, in-house flow solver. The commercial CFD model could, with reasonable accuracy, capture global flow quantities of interest such as control volume power losses and pressure drops and time-averaged flow patterns. However, for steady inflow conditions, both flow visualization experiments and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements revealed unsteady, complex, and highly 3D flow structures, which could not be captured by this numerical model with the available computational resources and additional modeling efforts that are described. Preliminary time-accurate computations with the in-house flow solver were shown to capture for the first time these complex flow features and yielded solutions in good agreement with the experimental observations. Flow fields obtained were similar for the studied total cardiac output range (1–3 l/min); however hydrodynamic power loss increased dramatically with increasing cardiac output, suggesting significant energy demand at exercise conditions. The simulation of cardiovascular flows poses a formidable challenge to even the most advanced CFD tools currently available. A successful prediction requires a two-pronged, physics-based approach, which integrates high-resolution CFD tools and high-resolution laboratory measurements.     

生物组织微阵列芯片自动制备仪的研制

介绍了一种新型生物组织微阵列芯片自动制备仪的研制。分析了组织微阵列制备过程中的操作任务和实现目标,进行了制备仪的结构设计和各功能模块研究开发。制备仪从结构上分为蜡块承载定位模块和三工位操作模块,控制系统的组成有操作空间精密定位子系统,组织蜡块图像识别子系统,蜡块打孔填埋作业子系统等。研制成功的制备仪样机具备了图像自动识别、精密定位、自动打孔填埋等功能,实现了生物组织微阵列芯片的自动化制备。