Induction of multiple embryos with NaHCO3 or calcium free sea water in the horseshoe crab

Summary When horseshoe crab embryos were treated with NaHCO₃ at the developmental stage when the germ disc appears, multiple embryos were formed. NaHCO₃ may effect the formation of multiple embryos by binding Ca²⁺ ions of the embryo since multiple embryos were also formed by treatment with Ca²⁺ free sea water.The treatment caused the blastoderm layer to tear. When the embryos were returned to normal sea water after the treatment, the blastoderm recovered. Some cell masses, probably derived from the germ disc or its prospective cells, formed during the process of the recovery. Each cell mass developed into an embryo.Contributions from the Shimoda Marine Research Center, Nor. 348     

髓内固定对老年股骨转子间骨折患者关节功能的影响

摘要 目的：研究髓内固定对老年股骨转子间骨折患者关节功能的影响。方法：选取2016年9月~2019年9月我院收治的股骨转子间骨折的老年患者80例为研究对象,采用随机数字表法将其分为两组,每组各40例。对照组患者采用Gamma钉进行治疗,观察组患者采用股骨近端防旋髓内钉固定治疗。比较两组患者的围术期相关指标、骨折愈合时间、Harris评分、临床治疗效果及并发症的发生情况。结果：观察组患者的手术时间、切口长度、术中出血量、术后引流量、住院时间及骨折愈合时间均显著少于或短于对照组(P＜0.05)。术前,两组患者的Harris评分比较无统计学差异(P＞0.05);术后6个月及术后12个月,两组患者的Harris评分均较术前显著升高,且观察组显著高于对照组(P＜0.05)。观察组患者的治疗优良率为92.50 %,显著高于对照组(75.00 %,P＜0.05)。两组患者深静脉血栓、感染、褥疮、固定松动、股骨头坏死及严重疼痛的发生率比较无统计学差异(P＞0.05)。结论：股骨近端防旋髓内钉固定治疗老年股骨转子间骨折效果明显优于Gamma钉治疗,可有效缩短骨折愈合时间,提高髋关节功能。     

Positioning accuracy of a single-isocenter multiple targets SRS treatment: A comparison between Varian TrueBeam CBCT and Brainlab ExacTrac

PurposeThis study compared the positioning accuracy between cone-beam CT (CBCT) and ExacTrac (ETX) for a single-isocenter multiple target stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) on two TrueBeam STx systems.MethodsA single-isocenter treatment plan was simulated on an anthropomorphic head phantom with six spherical steel ball bearings (BBs). One of the BBs was chosen to be the isocenter. The five off-isocenter targets were located at various distances from the isocenter. MV portal images were generated to evaluate the deviations between the expected and the real center of the targets after CBCT and ETX positioning, respectively.ResultsThe evaluation of the positioning accuracy for the isocenter target showed that CBCT and ETX positioning provided comparable, sub-millimetric results. Deviations in positioning accuracy were also calculated for all other targets, also showing comparable results for CBCT and ETX. Moreover, our study showed that the deviation between CBCT and ETX positioning were in better agreement for TBSTx1 and deviated slightly higher on TBSTx2 (maximum: 1.23 mm at S/I direction), due to a less perfect alignment between the CBCT coordinate system and the ETX coordinate system on TBSTx2 compared to TBSTx1. This study also showed a correlation between the target positioning accuracy and the distance to the isocenter.ConclusionThe positioning accuracy of ETX and CBCT for targets located at isocenter and off-isocenter locations was compared on two treatment machines and found comparable. Our study highlights the importance of a proper calibration procedure, to ensure correct alignment between the CBCT, ETX and machine coordinate systems.     

Separating distinct structures of multiple macromolecular assemblies from cryo-EM projections

Single particle analysis for structure determination in cryo-electron microscopy is traditionally applied to samples purified to near homogeneity as current reconstruction algorithms are not designed to handle heterogeneous mixtures of structures from many distinct macromolecular complexes. We extend on long established methods and demonstrate that relating two-dimensional projection images by their common lines in a graphical framework is sufficient for partitioning distinct protein and multiprotein complexes within the same data set. The feasibility of this approach is first demonstrated on a large set of synthetic reprojections from 35 unique macromolecular structures spanning a mass range of hundreds to thousands of kilodaltons. We then apply our algorithm on cryo-EM data collected from a mixture of five protein complexes and use existing methods to solve multiple three-dimensional structures ab initio. Incorporating methods to sort single particle cryo-EM data from extremely heterogeneous mixtures will alleviate the need for stringent purification and pave the way toward investigation of samples containing many unique structures.     

Development of a novel,high resolution melting analysis based genotyping method for Cryptosporidium parvum

This study employed the post-real-time PCR application, high resolution melting (HRM) analysis, in order to differentiate between characterised clinical and reference Cryptosporidium parvum samples obtained from Cork University Hospital (Cork, Ireland) and the Cryptosporidium Reference Unit (Swansea, Wales). A sample set composed of 18 distinct C. parvum gp60-subtypes of the IIa gp60-subtype family (an allele family accounting for over 80% of all cryptosporidiosis cases in Ireland) was employed. HRM analysis-based interrogation of the gp60, MM5 and MS9-Mallon tandem repeat loci was found to completely differentiate between 10 of the 18 studied gp60-subtypes. The remaining eight gp60-subtypes were differentiated into three distinct groupings, with the designations within these groupings resolved to two to three potential gp60-subtypes.The current study aimed to develop a novel, reproducible, real-time PCR based multi-locus genotyping method to distinguish between C. parvum gp60-subtypes. These preliminary results support the further expansion of the multi-locus panel in order to increase the discriminatory capabilities of this novel method.     

医学生学习激情现状及影响因素的研究

目的:测量医学生学习激情现状,探索相关人口学变量差异及影响因素作用机制。方法:通过网络问卷对1793名在校医学生进行问卷调查,回收有效问卷1218份,应用SPSS22.0软件对数据进行统计处理。结果:测量对象的学习激情处于中等偏上水平(4.37±0.91);学习激情平均得分在性别(F=9.097,P<0.05)、生源地(F=14.850,P<0.05)、独生子女情况(F=5.470,P<0.05)方面的差异有统计学意义;成绩水平(β=0.094,P<0.01)、发展规划(β=0.105,P<0.01)、生活满意度(β=0.213,P<0.01)和活力(β=0.253,P<0.01)对医学生学习激情的影响有统计学意义。结论:医学生学习激情水平在性别、生源地、独生与否方面存在显著差异;成绩水平、发展规划、生活满意度、活力是影响医学生学习激情的因素。     

miR-134-5p靶向抑制PAK3表达增强多发性骨髓瘤细胞的化疗敏感性的研究

摘要 目的：研究miR-134-5p对多发性骨髓瘤（multiple myeloma, MM）化疗敏感性的影响及其可能的作用机制。方法：CCK-8法测定人多发性骨髓瘤细胞KM3及其耐硼替佐米（bortezomib, BTZ）细胞株KM3/BTZ对BTZ的化疗敏感性,RT-PCR法检测KM3和KM3/BTZ细胞株中miR-134-5p和p21活化激酶3（p21 activated kinase 3, PAK3）mRNA的表达,生物信息学软件分析miR-134-5p的靶基因,荧光素酶报告实验进行验证,CCK-8法检测分别抑制miR-134-5p和PAK3后KM3/BTZ的化疗敏感性,Western-blot法检测抑制miR-134-5p后KM3/BTZ细胞株中PAK3蛋白的表达。结果：KM3/BTZ细胞株对BTZ的化疗敏感性显著低于KM3细胞株（P＜0.05）。MiR-134-5p在KM3细胞株的表达显著高于KM3/BTZ细胞株,而PAK3 mRNA在KM3细胞株的表达显著低于KM3/BTZ细胞株（P＜0.05）。PAK3为miR-134-5p的靶基因。MiR-134-5p inhibitor组和PAK3 siRNA组KM3/BTZ细胞株的化疗敏感性显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）。MiR-134-5p inhibitor组PAK3蛋白的相对表达显著高于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论：MiR-134-5p可提高KM3/BTZ细胞株的化疗敏感性,其机制可能与抑制PAK3的表达有关。     

Photon beam energy dependent single-arc volumetric modulated arc optimization

PurposeThe purpose of this work was to present a new single-arc mixed photon (6&18MV) VMAT (SAMP) optimization framework that concurrently optimizes for two photon energies with corresponding partial arc lengths.Methods and materialsOwing to simultaneous optimization of energy dependent intensity maps and corresponding arc locations, the proposed model poses nonlinearity. Unique relaxation constraints based on McCormick approximations were introduced for linearization. Energy dependent intensity maps were then decomposed to generate apertures. Feasibility of the proposed framework was tested on a sample of ten prostate cancer cases with lateral separation ranging from 34 cm (case no.1) to 52 cm (case no.6). The SAMP plans were compared against single energy (6MV) VMAT (SE) plans through dose volume histograms (DVHs) and radiobiological parameters including normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and equivalent uniform dose (EUD).ResultsThe contribution of higher energy photon beam optimized by the algorithm demonstrated an increase for cases with a lateral separation >40 cm. SAMP–VMAT notably improved bladder and rectum sparing in large size cases. Compared to single energy, SAMP–VMAT plans reduced bladder and rectum NTCP in cases with large lateral separation. With the exception of one case, SAMP–VMAT either improved or maintained femoral heads compared to SE–VMAT. SAMP–VMAT reduced the nontarget tissue integral dose in all ten cases.ConclusionsA single-arc VMAT optimization framework comprising mixed photon energy partial arcs was presented. Overall results underline the feasibility and potential of the proposed approach for improving OAR sparing in large size patients without compromising the target homogeneity and coverage.