This paper presents a machine learning method to select best geometric features for deformable brain registration for each brain location. By incorporating those learned best attribute vector into the framework of HAMMER registration algorithm, The accuracy has increased by about 10% in estimating the simulated deformation fields. At the same time, on real MR brain images, we have found a great deal of improvement of registration in cortical regions.
Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Brain ; anatomy & histology ; Computer Simulation ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; methods ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results

Adult ; Chondrosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Collagen Type II ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Femoral Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Giant Cells ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoclasts ; pathology ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the influence of factors related to metabolic syndrome(MS)on the outcome in subjects without diabetes mellitus in a community.Methods A two-year follow-up study was conducted in 885 subjects who were enrolled in the epidemiologic survey carried out in Pingliang Community, Shanghai in 2002.Oral glucose tolerance test,lipid prefde,blood pressure(BP),body mass index(BMI),waist and hip circumferences were measured.Results (1)The baseline of BMI,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2h plasma glucose after glucose loading(2hPG),BP,triglyceride(TG)in the subjects with impaired glucose regulation(IGR)increased significantly as compared to those with normal glucose regulation(NGR)(all P

Objective To explore a sensitive method and index to evaluate renal functional reserve (RFR) in patients with early diabetic nephropathy (DN) using protein loading-scintirenography.Methods Fifty subjects were studied and divided into 3 groups.Group one (G1) consisted of 14 healthy volunteers;Group two (G2) consisted of 15 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and normoalbuminuria; Group three (G3) consisted of 21 patients with type 2 DM and microalbuminuria.All subjects underwent baseline and protein loading-99 Tcm-DTPA scintirenography within one week.RFR was calculated as the difference between stimulated and baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR), time of peak ( Tb ), time of half excretion ( C1/2 ), residual rate at 20 min ( C20/b ) .Variance analysis and t-test were used to analyze the group differences.Results ( 1 ) The RFR in terms of GFR had statistical difference between any two groups (t=14.884, 32.180, 16.042, all P＜0.01).After protein-loading, the GFR of G1, G2 and G3 increased 20.1, 10.9 and 2.2 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2 respectively.Therefore, the RFR decreased before microalbuminuria in type 2 DM patients.(2)There was statistical difference between the RFR of G1 and G2 in terms of C1/2 (t = 5.505, P＜0.05 ), and between G1 and G3 ( t = 8.914, P＜0.01 ).(3) There was statistical difference of the RFR in terms of TP between G1 and G3 (t = 5.690, P ＜ 0.01 ).(4) There was statistical difference of the RFR in terms of C20/b between G1 and G3 (t= 4.376, P＜0.05 ).Conclusions 99Tcm-DTPA protein loading-scintirenography is an effective method for measuring RFR to evaluate early DN in type 2 DM patients.

Objective To analyze the surveillance results and grasp the situation of Keshan disease in Wudalianchi city Heilongjiang province.Methods In 2009,Kaifa village was selected as the surveillance point in Wudalianchi city,total resident population were monitored by routine clinical examination and 12-lead electrocardiogram(ECG) tracing.Suspected cases with Keshan disease were taken chest X-ray,and Keshan disease was diagnosed based on Keshan Disease Diagnostic Criteria (WS/T 210-2011).Results A total of 795 people were investigated,including 397 males and 398 females.Eighteen people were found to be the patients with Keshan disease,of which 13 cases were latent Keshan patients,5 cases were chronic Keshan patients.The overall detection rate was 2.27％,aged 24 to 83 years old.There was no acute type and subacute type of Keshan disease in the surveillance point.Twenty nine cases of abnormal ECG were detected,the detection rate was 3.65％ (29/795),of which the 18 patients with Keshan disease were all had abnormal ECGs,mainly taken the form of ST-T changes and completely right bundle branch blocked.Six cases of male patients with Keshan disease were detected,the detection rate was 1.52％ (6/397); 12 cases of female patients with Keshan disease were detected,the detection rate was 3.01％ (12/398).Conclusions There is still potential and chronic Keshan disease cases in Wudalianchi city.We must keep on the monitoring on Keshan disease,master the dynamical changes of the disease conditions,and carry out the targeted prevention and control of Keshan disease.

In genetic modification of plants, once the transformants are obtained, selection markers are no longer required in mature plants. At present, the Cre/lox site-specific recombination system is most widely used to eliminate the selectable marker genes from the transgenic plants. In this study, attempt was made to favour the selection of marker-free plants in the re-transformation method. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be directly visualized in living cells, tissues or organisms under UV illumination. This advantage of GFP is exploited in the development of a practical approach in which GFP is used as a visual marker to monitor the removal of the selectable marker gene from transgenic plants. For that purpose, the pGNG binary vector was constructed, in which the GFP gene (gfp) was linked to the expression cassette Nos P-nptII-NosT and the two units were cloned between two directly-orientated lox sites. The CaMV 35S promoter was placed before the first lox site and used to drive GFP expression. The beta-glucuronidase gene (gus) of Escherichia coli was cloned behind the second lox site without a promoter, thus would not be expressed in this position. Tobacco plants were first transformed with pGNG and selected on kanamycin (Kan)-containing media. Regenerated transgenic shoots were readily singled out by GFP fluorescence. The GFP-expressing plants were then re-transformed with pCambia1300-Cre containing hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hpt) as a selectable marker gene. The Cre-mediated recombination resulted in the elimination of lox-flanked genes, herein gfp and nptII, from the plant genome and brought the GUS gene next to the 35S promoter. Our data demonstrated that transgenic plants free of nptII were easily selected by monitoring the loss of green fluorescence, and at the same time, GUS (here as a target protein) was expressed in the nptII-free plants. Finally, hpt and cre were removed from the progenies of the nptII-free plants by gene segregation.
Genetic Markers ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Recombination, Genetic ; Tobacco ; genetics

This paper presents a new deformable model using both population-based and patient-specific shape statistics to segment lung fields from serial chest radiographs. First, a modified scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) local descriptor is used to characterize the image features in the vicinity of each pixel, so that the deformable model deforms in a way that seeks for the region with similar SIFT local descriptors; second, the deformable model is constrained by both population-based and patient-specific shape statistics. At first, population-based shape statistics plays an leading role when the number of serial images is small, and gradually, patient-specific shape statistics plays a more and more important role after a sufficient number of segmentation results on the same patient have been obtained. The proposed deformable model can adapt to the shape variability of different patients, and obtain more robust and accurate segmentation results.
Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Computer Simulation ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Humans ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; Lung Diseases ; diagnosis ; Models, Statistical ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiography, Thoracic ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of paraquat-induced renal injury in rats.

METHODSAdult healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (female and male in half) were randomly divided into two groups, the control group and the paraquat poisoned group. The rats in the paraquat poisoned group were treated with PQ (25 mg/kg) intraperitoneally while the rats in the control group were treated with the same dose of normal saline. Its histopathological change was observed and the expression of HO-1 and the mRNA expression of HO-1 were detected by RT-PCR at 3rd h, 6th h, 12th h, on 1st d, 2nd d, 3rd d and 5th d.

RESULTS(1) In the control group, the tissue structure was clear without edema, vacuolar degeneration, cloudy swelling and necrosis. In the paraquat poisoned group, there were obvious lesions in the renal tubule of cortical part, including cellular swelling, the narrow cannula, the mesenchymal congestion and edema. These pathologic changes gradually became more severe, reached the peak on the 1st day, and did not relieve until the end of this study; there was the karyopyknosis and the cyto-architecture disappeared in some severe cases; Some glomerulus and medulla were also involved. (2) In the control group, there was no or weak expression of HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA. At the 3rd hour, the expressions of HO-1 in the paraquat poisoned group were observed in the membrane and cytoplasm of renal tubular epithelial cell of cortical part. Immunohistochemistry score (IHS) in the paraquat poisoned group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), except the HIS of the 5th day. At the 3rd hour, the expression of HO-1 mRNA increased, reached the peak on the 1st day, and then decreased. The expression of HO-1 mRNA was (0.53 +/- 0.21), (0.55 +/- 0.31), (0.56 +/- 0.22), (0.64 +/- 0.14) and (0.43 +/- 0.25) at the time point other than on the 3rd and 5th day. It showed statistical difference between the paraquat poisoned group and the control group from the 3rd hour to the 2nd day (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe mechanism of paraquat induced-renal injury is multiple. The higher expression of HO-1 and HO-1 mRNA were involved in the procedures of paraquat-induced renal injury.

Animals ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; genetics ; metabolism ; Kidney ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate regulatory effect of Acheron (Achn) on proliferation and apoptosis of human vascular endothelial cell.

METHODS(1) Eahy926 cells were cultured in serum-free DMEM medium (96-well plates) and were divided into Achn inhibition group (transfected with plasmid psi-Achn), psi4.1 group (transfected with psi4.1 empty vector), Achn induction group (transfected with pcDNA-Achn), pcDNA3.1 group (transfected with pcDNA3.1 empty vector), cotransfection group [cotransfected with pcDNA-Achn + psi-calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase (CASK)], blank control group (treated with PBS) according to the random number table (the same method below). The cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay at post transfection hour (PTH) 1, 24, 48, 72, with expression of absorbance value. (2) Total protein of Eahy926 cells were extracted and quantitated by BCA assay, and then they were divided into Achn antibody precipitation group (100 µg protein), CASK antibody precipitation group (100 µg protein), IgG antibody group (100 µg protein), Western blot group (20 µg protein). Achn and CASK protein levels were determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blot. (3) Synchronously cultured Eahy926 cells were divided into LPS induction group (treated with 5 mol/L LPS), Achn transfection group (transfected with pcDNA-Achn), cotransfection group (cotransfected with psi-CASK and pcDNA-Achn), KCl group (treated with 5 mol/L KCl), and blank control group (treated with 5 mol/L PBS). Cells in transfection groups were stimulated by LPS for 12 hours after PTH 24. Caspase-3 protein level was detected by immunohistochemistry. (4) Synchronously cultured Eahy926 cells were divided into Achn inhibition group (transfected with psi-Achn vector), Achn induction group (transfected with pcDNA-Achn vector), and blank control group (treated with PBS). Apoptosis rate was determined by FITC/PI with flow cytometry. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and t test.

RESULTS(1) The cell proliferation in Achn inhibition group was lower than that in psi4.1 group from PTH 24, and the differences were statistically significant at PTH 48, 72 (with t value respectively 10.777, 6.112, P values all below 0.05). The cell proliferation in Achn induction group during PTH 24-72 were higher that in pcDNA3.1 group (with t value respectively 5.367, 6.053, 9.831, P values all below 0.05). The cell proliferation in cotransfection group at PTH 48, 72 were significantly lower than that in Achn induction group (with t value respectively 5.481, 9.517, P values all below 0.05). (2) Achn protein was detected in CASK antibody precipitation group while CASK protein was also detected in Achn antibody precipitation group. (3) Caspase-3 level in Achn transfection group was lower [(15.6 ± 0.5)%] as compared with that in LPS induction group [(32.8 ± 2.6)%, t = 10.083, P < 0.05], and that in cotransfection group showed further inhibition [(7.0 ± 2.0)%, t = 9.827, P < 0.01]. (4) Apoptosis rate in Achn inhibition group [(45.6 ± 10.9)%] was higher than that in blank control group [(13.2 ± 4.3) %, t = 7.043, P < 0.05]; while that in Achn induction group [(5.3 ± 2.9)%] was lower than that in blank control group (t = 6.499, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAchn can promote human vascular endothelial cell proliferation, and inhibit its apoptosis induced by LPS or burn serum, and the effect is related to CASK.

Apoptosis ; Autoantigens ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Guanylate Kinases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ribonucleoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the possible relationship between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism and the susceptibility to intrauterine HBV infection.

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty-six children, including 130 infants born to HBsAg positive mothers were divided into two groups: forty-five children with intrauterine HBV infection (group I) and 85 children without intrauterine HBV infection (group II), with a control group of 126. TNF-alpha-238G/A gene polymorphism was examined in all 256 children, by means of real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR.

RESULTSA significant difference of TNF-alpha-238A allele frequency was found between group I and group II (x2=6.797, P=0.009), and between group I and the controls group (x2=0.047, P=0.002), but there was no significant difference between group II and the control groups (x2=0.047, p=0.828).

CONCLUSIONThis study found that genetic polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor-a was associated with intrauterine HBV infection

Adult ; Child ; Disease Susceptibility ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; transmission ; Humans ; Infant ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Tumor Necrosis Factors ; genetics