孕早期超声心动图对超声软指标阳性胎儿复杂先天性心脏病的诊断价值

目的:明确各孕周胎儿超声心动图四腔观、腹部横断面观等切面显示率,探讨孕早期超声心动图对超声软指标阳性胎儿复杂先天性心脏病(CHD)的诊断价值。方法:用GE Voluson E8彩色超声诊断仪(探头频率4~8 MHz)对120例超声软指标阳性胎儿进行孕早期(11~13+6周)超声心动图检查,探查胎儿方位、腹部大血管位置、心脏位置、心尖指向及超声心动图各切面,判断胎儿心脏结构是否正常,将检查结果与引产病理尸检、孕中期(孕18~24周)复查或分娩后新生儿期超声心动图检查结果作对照,并以ROC曲线分析孕早期超声心动图的灵敏度和特异度。结果:孕早期胎儿超声心动图对胎儿心脏四腔观、腹部横断面观、动脉导管弓观、左心室流出道观、主动脉弓观、三血管气管观、上下腔静脉长轴观的显示率均随孕周的增加而提高,分别为72.7%、89.2%、80.0%、65.8%、70.0%、72.5%、74.2%。胎儿孕早期超声心动图对复杂性CHD的灵敏度为86.4%(19/22),特异度为96.7%(87/90),准确度为72.7%(16/22),ROC曲线下面积(AUC)为0.81。结论:孕早期胎儿超声心动图对各切面的显示率随孕周的增加而提高,且超声图像特征基本同于孕中期超声检查。孕早期超声心动图筛查复杂性CHD胎儿特异性好,灵敏度及准确度均较高,对于部分复杂性CHD胎儿可作出提示性诊断,对减少先天性畸形胎儿出生率有重要意义。     

Phytoplankton: a significant trophic source for soft corals?

Histological autoradiographs and biochemical analyses show that ¹⁴C-labelled microalgae (diatoms, chlorophytes and dinoflagellates) are used by the soft coral Dendronephthya sp. Digestion of the algae took place at the point of exit of the pharynx into the coelenteron. Ingestion and assimilation of the labelled algae depended on incubation time, cell density, and to a lesser extent on species-specificity. ¹⁴C incorporation into polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and compounds of low molecular weight was analysed. The ¹⁴C-labelling patterns of the four classes of substances varied depending on incubation time and cell density. ¹⁴C incorporation was highest into lipids and proteins. Dissolved labelled algal metabolites, released during incubation into the medium, contributed between 4% and 25% to the total ¹⁴C activity incorporated. The incorporated microalgae contributed a maximum of 26% (average of the four species studied) to the daily organic carbon demand, as calculated from assimilation rates at natural eucaryotic phytoplankton densities and a 1 h incubation period. The calculated contribution to the daily organic carbon demand decreased after prolonged incubation periods to about 5% after 3 h and to 1–3% after 9 h. Thus the main energetic demand of Dendronephthya sp. has to be complemented by other components of the seston. Received in revised form: 17 April 2001 Electronic Publication     

Bose–Einstein condensates form in heuristics learned by ciliates deciding to signal ‘social’ commitments

Fringe quantum biology theories often adopt the concept of Bose–Einstein condensation when explaining how consciousness, emotion, perception, learning, and reasoning emerge from operations of intact animal nervous systems and other computational media. However, controversial empirical evidence and mathematical formalism concerning decoherence rates of bioprocesses keep these frameworks from satisfactorily accounting for the physical nature of cognitive-like events. This study, inspired by the discovery that preferential attachment rules computed by complex technological networks obey Bose–Einstein statistics, is the first rigorous attempt to examine whether analogues of Bose–Einstein condensation precipitate learned decision making in live biological systems as bioenergetics optimization predicts. By exploiting the ciliate Spirostomum ambiguum's capacity to learn and store behavioral strategies advertising mating availability into heuristics of topologically invariant computational networks, three distinct phases of strategy use were found to map onto statistical distributions described by Bose–Einstein, Fermi–Dirac, and classical Maxwell–Boltzmann behavior. Ciliates that sensitized or habituated signaling patterns to emit brief periods of either deceptive ‘harder-to-get’ or altruistic ‘easier-to-get’ serial escape reactions began testing condensed on initially perceived fittest ‘courting’ solutions. When these ciliates switched from their first strategy choices, Bose–Einstein condensation of strategy use abruptly dissipated into a Maxwell–Boltzmann computational phase no longer dominated by a single fittest strategy. Recursive trial-and-error strategy searches annealed strategy use back into a condensed phase consistent with performance optimization. ‘Social’ decisions performed by ciliates showing no nonassociative learning were largely governed by Fermi–Dirac statistics, resulting in degenerate distributions of strategy choices. These findings corroborate previous work demonstrating ciliates with improving expertise search grouped ‘courting’ assurances at quantum efficiencies and verify efficient processing by primitive ‘social’ intelligences involves network forms of Bose–Einstein condensation coupled to preceding thermodynamic-sensitive computational phases.     

Investigations on natural durability of important European wood species against wood decay fungi. Part 1: Laboratory tests

The durability of heartwood from European larch, Sessile oak and Scots pine was tested in laboratory against wood decay basidiomycetes and soft rot. The durability test was performed according to CEN/TS 15083-1:2005 with Coniophora puteana, Oligoporus (Poria) placenta and Trametes (Coriolus) versicolor. CEN/TS 15083-2:2005 was applied in order to test the timber with a bioactive soil substrate against soil rotting organisms. For Sessile oak, a very high durability against basidiomycetes (DC 1) was found in contrast to a low durability (DC 4) against soft rot fungi. Furthermore the results indicated that the durability of European larch and Scots pine is slightly deteriorated after leaching according to EN 84:1997. Beside this a minor influence of raw density on mass loss was detected for larch.     

Effects of bisphosphonates on keratinocytes and fibroblasts having a role in the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw

Bisphosphonates (BPs) have became the treatment of choice for the prevention of skeletal complications in cancer patients with bone metastases as well as in patients suffering from osteoporosis, Paget's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a recently described complication associated with the use of BPs in which the key finding is exposed necrotic bone in the oral cavity. Often, the precipitating event appears to be a dental invasive procedure. We recently provided evidence that ONJ is associated with dental extractions and use of dentures. It has been reported that the primary lesion lies in the bone and it is related to over-suppression of bone turnover, but it is unclear why such a lesion should present with loss of the soft tissue covering the jawbone. We propose that BP could be impairing molecular signalling not only of osteoblasts and osteoclasts but also of fibroblasts and keratinocytes, via cell to cell endocrine and paracrine interactions in a double manner. Such an impairment would result to fibroblast and keratinocyte impaired multiplication, proliferation and migration thereby leading to defective mucosal wound healing. This provides an open entry point for the oral flora to reach the underlying jawbone which is considered to have poor metabolic and immune properties when under BP treatment. We demonstrate that ONJ is associated with mucosal damage, which could be mediated via BP induced soft tissue toxicity. BPs have been reported to promote keratinocyte and fibroblast apoptosis and to impair various cellular activities like apoptosis, RANK, RANK-L and OPG signalling, bone morphogenetic protein signalling, growth factor signalling, immune homeostasis and wound healing. We discuss potential consequences of the above hypothesis for practitioners and investigators.     

Soft-cuticle biomechanics: A constitutive model of anisotropy for caterpillar integument

The mechanical properties of soft tissues are important for the control of motion in many invertebrates. Pressurized cylindrical animals such as worms have circumferential reinforcement of the body wall; however, no experimental characterization of comparable anisotropy has been reported for climbing larvae such as caterpillars. Using uniaxial, real-time fluorescence extensometry on millimeter scale cuticle specimens we have quantified differences in the mechanical properties of cuticle to circumferentially and longitudinally applied forces. Based on these results and the composite matrix-fiber structure of cuticle, a pseudo-elastic transversely isotropic constitutive material model was constructed with circumferential reinforcement realized as a Horgan-Saccomandi strain energy function. This model was then used numerically to describe the anisotropic material properties of Manduca cuticle. The constitutive material model will be used in a detailed finite-element analysis to improve our understanding of the mechanics of caterpillar crawling.     

Surgical resection,intraoperative radiotherapy and immediate plastic reconstruction: A good option for the treatment of distal extremity soft tissue sarcomas

AimTo show three patients with soft tissue sarcomas of distal extremities conservatively treated after tumor-board discussion, involving margin-free surgery, exclusive intraoperative radiotherapy, and immediate reconstruction.BackgroundCurrent guidelines show clear and robust recommendations regarding the composition of the treatment of sarcomas of extremities. However, little evidence exists regarding the application of these treatments depending on the location of the primary neoplasia. Tumors that affect the distal extremities present different challenges and make multidisciplinary discussions desirable.Methods/ResultsWe reported 3 patients who were approached with a conservative intention, after tumor board recomendation. The goals from the treatment performed were aesthetic and functional preservation, while enruring locoregional control. We had wound healing complications in 2 of the cases, requiring additional reconstruction measures. Patients are followed up for 24, 20 and 10 months; local control is 100%, and functional preservation is 100%.ConclusionsDespite being a small series, it was sufficient to illustrate successful multidisciplinary planning, generating a therapeutic result with improved quality of life for patients who had an initial indication for extremity amputation.     

An ultrasoft X-ray multi-microbeam irradiation system for studies of DNA damage responses by fixed- and live-cell fluorescence microscopy

Localized induction of DNA damage is a valuable tool for studying cellular DNA damage responses. In recent decades, methods have been developed to generate DNA damage using radiation of various types, including photons and charged particles. Here we describe a simple ultrasoft X-ray multi-microbeam system for high dose-rate, localized induction of DNA strand breaks in cells at spatially and geometrically adjustable sites. Our system can be combined with fixed- and live-cell microscopy to study responses of cells to DNA damage. This article has been submitted as a contribution to the Festschrift entitled “Uncovering cellular sub-structures by light microscopy” in honour of Professor Cremer’s 65th birthday. C. van Oven and P. M. Krawczyk contributed equally to this work.     

The Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (Late Carboniferous,France)

The Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (Late Stephanian, Late Carboniferous) is located northeast of the French Massif Central. Situated at equatorial latitudes during the Pennsylvanian, this Lagerstätte, probably a freshwater environment, preserves a rich and diverse flora (lycopsids, sphenopsids, ferns, pteridosperms, and cordaites) and fauna (bivalves, annelids, crustaceans, myriapods, insects, chelicerates, myxinoids, actinopterygians, sarcopterygians and tetrapods). These exceptionally preserved fossils can be found either flattened in shales or three-dimensionally preserved in sideritic nodules. The fossils from the nodules are exceptional for at least two reasons: the absence of major disarticulation of their body structure and the preservation of soft parts and extremely fragile cuticular structures. Such preservation was made possible by the combination of several factors: rapid burial in fine anoxic mud, early siderite precipitation (inducing the nodule formation) and phosphatization of cuticles and soft-bodied features.