Ramos免疫组织化学技术的敏感性研究

观察快速微波一步法（Ｒａｍｏｓ法）免疫组织化学技术的敏感性。选用１５种辣根过氧化物酶（ＨＲＰ）标记的特异性抗体（ＥＰＯＳ）,对５９例相应的恶性肿瘤组织进行快速微波免疫组织化学一步法标记。结果显示５８例为阳性（９８．３％）,其中弱阳性４例,中度阳性和强阳性为５４例。结果表明,Ｒａｍｏｓ法具有敏感性高、特异性强、快速而简便等特点,有广阔的应用前景     

Lipid analysis in bacterial taxonomy: proposal for a standardized method

To increase the application of lipid analysis for taxonomic purposes, a standardized method would be useful. This method has to be simple enough to be used routinely. Such a method, based on thin-layer and gas chromatography, is proposed. It can be applied to any kind of bacteria when a few milligrams of cells are available. Comparison of the results provided by this analysis with data found in the literature (given in a schematic form in six tables) allows the identification of the studied strain in the most favorable cases, or gives information for the choice of conclusive complementary tests in the other cases.     

SNP calling, genotype calling, and sample allele frequency estimation from new-generation sequencing data

We present a statistical framework for estimation and application of sample allele frequency spectra from New-Generation Sequencing (NGS) data. In this method, we first estimate the allele frequency spectrum using maximum likelihood. In contrast to previous methods, the likelihood function is calculated using a dynamic programming algorithm and numerically optimized using analytical derivatives. We then use a Bayesian method for estimating the sample allele frequency in a single site, and show how the method can be used for genotype calling and SNP calling. We also show how the method can be extended to various other cases including cases with deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We evaluate the statistical properties of the methods using simulations and by application to a real data set.     

Antibody probing of western blots which have been stained with india ink

India ink can be used to stain proteins bound to nitrocellulose. Subsequently, specific proteins can be identified with antibodies and 125I-protein A. In most cases, india ink did not significantly inhibit detection with antibody, nor was the ink washed off during the antibody incubation steps. Using this method, a direct comparison of antibody-reactive protein and total protein can be made with the same replica.     

Medical data base system with an ability of automated diagnosis.

We carried out an experiment on a medical information system in which a clinical data base is combined organically with computer programs for automated diagnosis. In this system, the parameters for automated diagnosis are devised to be renewed as the contents of the data base (patient's information) increase. This system can be regarded as a data base possessing a kind of diagnosing ability which grows up with time. We have named this system "Intelligent Data Base". The algorithm for computer diagnosis used in this study is based on maximum likelihood method, and each likelihood is weighted with a prior probability of each disease. The discrimination efficiency of this method is logically equal to that of the Bayes rule. First 27 cases were learnt by the system and correct diagnosis was obtained in 78% of the cases. When cases for learning increased to 82, the percentage of correct diagnosis was improved to 95%.     

EnVision与特异性抗体的一步法免疫组织化学标记

探讨En Vision与特异性抗体复合一步法免疫组织化学标记的可行性及其应用效果。筛选适合于该法的特异性抗体。利用辣根过氧化物酶标记的第二抗体（En Vision）分别与72种单克隆和多克隆特异性抗体混合配制成即用型试剂,将两步标记法变为快速微波一步法,并对2100余例各种良性和亚性肿瘤的免疫组化标记结果进行观察和分析。结果显示绝大发特异性抗体的特异性和敏感性与标准En Vision法相似,其中46种特异性抗体结果稳定,重复性佳;14种特异必抗体稳定性欠佳,但临用前新配制效果仍较理想;12种不理想,不主张用于此法,结果表明En Vision与特异性抗体复合免疫组化一步法是一种有效、快速、简便的免疫组化染色技术。适用于临床病理快速免疫组化诊断,但对所用的特异性抗体应注意选择。     

Cardiospasm

Cardiospasm and megaesophagus are well known clinical and pathological entities but the cause remains obscure. Megaesophagus is probably congenital or developmental in origin. The majority of cases of cardiospasm can be successfully treated by forceful dilatation of the narrow area. Some cases of megaesophagus are best treated by a plastic surgical procedure which enlarges the esophageal gastric opening. Additional experience with this method is necessary before it can be correctly evaluated.     

CARDIOSPASM

Cardiospasm and megaesophagus are well known clinical and pathological entities but the cause remains obscure. Megaesophagus is probably congenital or developmental in origin. The majority of cases of cardiospasm can be successfully treated by forceful dilatation of the narrow area. Some cases of megaesophagus are best treated by a plastic surgical procedure which enlarges the esophageal gastric opening. Additional experience with this method is necessary before it can be correctly evaluated.     

Rapid diagnosis of exacerbations of chronic bronchitis of pneumococcal etiology in children

The diagnostic possibilities of the microscopic examination of bronchial secretion smears, stained by Gram's method, from 56 children with chronic bronchitis at different stages of exacerbation have been studied. The following criteria have been proposed for confirming the etiological role of pneumococci in cases of endobronchitis in children: the number of paired diplococci in the visual field must exceed 10 with polynuclears covering the whole field. In 84% of cases the use of this method makes it possible to determine the pneumococcal etiology of the disease within two hours from the arrival of the pathological material to a bacteriological laboratory; this method can also be used for evaluating the effectiveness of antibacterial therapy at its different stages.     

Modeling analytical ultracentrifugation experiments with an adaptive space-time finite element solution of the Lamm equation

Analytical ultracentrifugation experiments can be accurately modeled with the Lamm equation to obtain sedimentation and diffusion coefficients of the solute. Existing finite element methods for such models can cause artifactual oscillations in the solution close to the endpoints of the concentration gradient, or fail altogether, especially for cases where somega(2)/D is large. Such failures can currently only be overcome by an increase in the density of the grid points throughout the solution at the expense of increased computational costs. In this article, we present a robust, highly accurate and computationally efficient solution of the Lamm equation based on an adaptive space-time finite element method (ASTFEM). Compared to the widely used finite element method by Claverie and the moving hat method by Schuck, our ASTFEM method is not only more accurate but also free from the oscillation around the cell bottom for any somega(2)/D without any increase in computational effort. This method is especially superior for cases where large molecules are sedimented at faster rotor speeds, during which sedimentation resolution is highest. We describe the derivation and grid generation for the ASTFEM method, and present a quantitative comparison between this method and the existing solutions.     

Analysis of pooled DNA samples on high density arrays without prior knowledge of differential hybridization rates

Array based DNA pooling techniques facilitate genome-wide scale genotyping of large samples. We describe a structured analysis method for pooled data using internal replication information in large scale genotyping sets. The method takes advantage of information from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) typed in parallel on a high density array to construct a test statistic with desirable statistical properties. We utilize a general linear model to appropriately account for the structured multiple measurements available with array data. The method does not require the use of additional arrays for the estimation of unequal hybridization rates and hence scales readily to accommodate arrays with several hundred thousand SNPs. Tests for differences between cases and controls can be conducted with very few arrays. We demonstrate the method on 384 endometriosis cases and controls, typed using Affymetrix Genechip© HindIII 50 K arrays. For a subset of this data there were accurate measures of hybridization rates available. Assuming equal hybridization rates is shown to have a negligible effect upon the results. With a total of only six arrays, the method extracted one-third of the information (in terms of equivalent sample size) available with individual genotyping (requiring 768 arrays). With 20 arrays (10 for cases, 10 for controls), over half of the information could be extracted from this sample.     

Task partitioning in swarms of robots: an adaptive method for strategy selection

Task partitioning is the decomposition of a task into two or more sub-tasks that can be tackled separately. Task partitioning can be observed in many species of social insects, as it is often an advantageous way of organizing the work of a group of individuals. Potential advantages of task partitioning are, among others: reduction of interference between workers, exploitation of individuals?? skills and specializations, energy efficiency, and higher parallelism. Even though swarms of robots can benefit from task partitioning in the same way as social insects do, only few works in swarm robotics are dedicated to this subject. In this paper, we study the case in which a swarm of robots has to tackle a task that can be partitioned into a sequence of two sub-tasks. We propose a method that allows the individual robots in the swarm to decide whether to partition the given task or not. The method is self-organized, relies on the experience of each individual, and does not require explicit communication between robots. We evaluate the method in simulation experiments, using foraging as testbed. We study cases in which task partitioning is preferable and cases in which it is not. We show that the proposed method leads to good performance of the swarm in both cases, by employing task partitioning only when it is advantageous. We also show that the swarm is able to react to changes in the environmental conditions by adapting the behavior on-line. Scalability experiments show that the proposed method performs well across all the tested group sizes.     

The diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the assessment of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes: a study of 218 cases

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the assessment of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes. The material was analysed in 218 cases with enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes in which FNAC was performed by the conventional method. In all cases cytological examination was performed on-site after staining the smears by the Papanicolaou method. In addition, air-dried smears, fixed smears, filter preparations from needle washings and cell blocks were studied. The FNAC diagnosis was supported by examining cell blocks which added the reliability of histological architecture; further support was obtained by tissue biopsy and/or comparison with the primary tumour in some of the cases. Eleven cases were diagnosed as inflammatory lesions and 41 cases were unsatisfactory because of scanty/acellular samples (despite two to three repeat samplings). However, in five of these, malignant tumours were later found on biopsy, which was done for persistent enlargement of the supraclavicular lymph node(s). Fifty-three cases were diagnosed as negative for malignancy (normal cellular elements, n=15; reactive elements, n=38) and 12 cases were suspicious of malignancy. In 11 cases a diagnosis of lymphoma was made on histology and in 90 cases metastatic tumours were diagnosed. The overall sensitivity was 92.7%, specificity 98.5%, positive predictive value 97.3% and the negative predictive value was 94.8%. Based on our study we feel that FNAC of palpable supraclavicular lymph nodes as a first line of investigation is a cost-effective procedure and is not only useful in the diagnosis of various lesions but can also help in deciding on appropriate management. Furthermore, the histological architecture from cell blocks can be correlated with cytology, and such material can be used for appropriate histochemical and immunomarker studies, which can be useful in enhancing the diagnosis.     

Quantification of two-dimensional NOE spectra via a combined linear and nonlinear least-squares fit

Summary Determining the volumes of peaks in 2D NMR spectra can be prohibitively difficult in cases of overlapping, broad lines. Deconvolution and parameter estimation can be attempted on either the time-domain or the frequency-domain data. We present a method of estimating spectral parameters from frequency-domain data, using a combination of Lorentzian and Gaussian lineshapes for reference lines. This approach combines a previously published method of projecting the data on a linear space spanned by reference lines with a nonlinear least-squares fitting algorithm. Comparison of this method with other published methods of frequency-domain deconvolution shows that it is both more precise and more accurate when estimating 2D volumes.     

Exploring the Dynamics of Cell Processes through Simulations of Fluorescence Microscopy Experiments

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) methods are powerful tools for unveiling the dynamical organization of cells. For simple cases, such as molecules passively moving in a homogeneous media, FCS analysis yields analytical functions that can be fitted to the experimental data to recover the phenomenological rate parameters. Unfortunately, many dynamical processes in cells do not follow these simple models, and in many instances it is not possible to obtain an analytical function through a theoretical analysis of a more complex model. In such cases, experimental analysis can be combined with Monte Carlo simulations to aid in interpretation of the data. In response to this need, we developed a method called FERNET (Fluorescence Emission Recipes and Numerical routines Toolkit) based on Monte Carlo simulations and the MCell-Blender platform, which was designed to treat the reaction-diffusion problem under realistic scenarios. This method enables us to set complex geometries of the simulation space, distribute molecules among different compartments, and define interspecies reactions with selected kinetic constants, diffusion coefficients, and species brightness. We apply this method to simulate single- and multiple-point FCS, photon-counting histogram analysis, raster image correlation spectroscopy, and two-color fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy. We believe that this new program could be very useful for predicting and understanding the output of fluorescence microscopy experiments.     

Flow cytometry of postmortem human testicular tissue in cases of atherosclerosis

From forty-seven autopsy cases of atherosclerosis flow cytometry (FCM) of DNA and histology of both testes are compared with the histological sections of their supplying vessels arteriae testiculares and arteriae ductus deferentis at different levels. By this method, changes of spermatogenesis are judged separately for each side and the results can be related to the local conditions of blood supply. Four young men, dead after traffic accidents, served as control. In the majority of cases, the computer-assisted evaluations of the meiotic DNA histograms show no differences between the right and left testis, even when differences of the arterial diameters are found by histology. On the other hand, cases with distinct differences in the histograms can show insignificant pathological alterations of the vessels. Though most excessive forms of macroscopic and microscopic atherosclerosis do not necessarily lead to a significant reduction in spermatogenesis, some cases with moderate forms show a strong reduction or even a total loss. This discrepancy can best be explained by superposition of other diseases.     

Predicting protein function from sequence and structural data

When a protein's function cannot be experimentally determined, it can often be inferred from sequence similarity. Should this process fail, analysis of the protein structure can provide functional clues or confirm tentative functional assignments inferred from the sequence. Many structure-based approaches exist (e.g. fold similarity, three-dimensional templates), but as no single method can be expected to be successful in all cases, a more prudent approach involves combining multiple methods. Several automated servers that integrate evidence from multiple sources have been released this year and particular improvements have been seen with methods utilizing the Gene Ontology functional annotation schema.     

Cytotoxic antiglobulin test--a sensitive method for HLA typing

By using of 1:1000 of diluted antiglobulin sera the cytotoxic antiglobulin test also covers HLA antigens in 20% of those cases which cannot be identified by normal microlymphocytotoxic tests. The percentage of not specifically faulty positive results is lower than 5%. The method can be used for typing HLA antigens in all those cases where a decreased expressiveness of HLA antigens can be expected as well as for determining weak HLA cytotoxins. The use of undiluted antiglobulin sera, however, leads to unspecific positive results in 1/4 of the cases. The reasons for this phenomenon are being investigated and discussed.     

Improved methods of direct and cultured chromosome preparations from chorionic villous samples.

A new method is described for preparing direct mitotic chromosome spreads from chorionic villous samples, which has resulted in sufficiently high yields of well-banded metaphases to permit a complete standard chromosomal diagnosis in 20 of 20 cases. A method of establishing monolayer cultures from this material that can be harvested from 3 to 7 days after initiation is also presented.