Conversion factors for effective dose and organ doses with the air kerma area product in patients undergoing percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and trans arterial chemoembolization

Conversion factors used to estimate effective (E) and organ doses (H_T) from air Kerma area product (KAP) are required to estimate population doses in percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE) interventional procedures.In this study, E and H_T for ten critical organs/tissues, were derived in 64 PTBD and 48 TACE procedures and in 14,540 irradiation events from dosimetric, technical and geometrical information included in the radiation dose structured report using the PCXMC Monte Carlo model, and the ICRP 103 organ weighting factors. Conversion factors of: 0.13; 0.19; 0.26 and 0.32 mSv Gy⁻¹ cm⁻² were established for irradiation events characterized by a Cu filtration of 0.0; 0.1; 0.4 and 0.9 mm, respectively. While a single coefficient of conversion is not able to provide estimates of E with enough accuracy, a high agreement is obtained between E estimated through Monte Carlo methods and E estimated through E/KAP conversion factors accounting separately for the different modes of fluoroscopy and the fluorography component of the procedures.An algorithm for the estimation of effective and organ doses from KAP has been established in biliary procedures which considers the Cu filtration in the X-ray irradiation events. A similar algorithm could be easily extended to other interventional procedures and incorporated in radiation dose monitoring systems to provide dosimetric estimates automatically with enough accuracy to assess population doses.     

Radioprotection of eye lens using protective material in neuro cone-beam computed tomography: Estimation of dose reduction rate and image quality

PurposeIn cerebral angiography, for diagnosis and interventional neuroradiology, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan is frequently performed for evaluating brain parenchyma, cerebral hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction. However, the patient’s eye lens is more frequently exposed to excessive doses in these scans than in the previous angiography and interventional neuroradiology (INR) procedures. Hence, radioprotection for the lenses is needed. This study selects the most suitable eye lens protection material for CBCT from among nine materials by evaluating the dose reduction rate and image quality.MethodsTo determine the dose reduction rate, the lens doses were measured using an anthropomorphic head phantom and a real-time dosimeter. For image quality assessment, the artifact index was calculated based on the pixel value and image noise within various regions of interest in a water phantom.ResultsThe protective materials exhibited dose reduction; however, streak artifacts were observed near the materials. The dose reduction rate and the degree of the artifact varied significantly depending on the protective material. The dose reduction rates were 14.6%, 14.2%, and 26.0% when bismuth shield: normal (bismuth shield in the shape of an eye mask), bismuth shield: separate (two separate bismuth shields), and lead goggles were used, respectively. The “separate” bismuth shield was found to be effective in dose reduction without lowering the image quality.ConclusionWe found that bismuth shields and lead goggles are suitable protective devices for the optimal reduction of lens doses.     

The MultiBac Protein Complex Production Platform at the EMBL

Proteomics research revealed the impressive complexity of eukaryotic proteomes in unprecedented detail. It is now a commonly accepted notion that proteins in cells mostly exist not as isolated entities but exert their biological activity in association with many other proteins, in humans ten or more, forming assembly lines in the cell for most if not all vital functions.^1,2 Knowledge of the function and architecture of these multiprotein assemblies requires their provision in superior quality and sufficient quantity for detailed analysis. The paucity of many protein complexes in cells, in particular in eukaryotes, prohibits their extraction from native sources, and necessitates recombinant production. The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) has proven to be particularly useful for producing eukaryotic proteins, the activity of which often relies on post-translational processing that other commonly used expression systems often cannot support.³ BEVS use a recombinant baculovirus into which the gene of interest was inserted to infect insect cell cultures which in turn produce the protein of choice. MultiBac is a BEVS that has been particularly tailored for the production of eukaryotic protein complexes that contain many subunits.⁴ A vital prerequisite for efficient production of proteins and their complexes are robust protocols for all steps involved in an expression experiment that ideally can be implemented as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and followed also by non-specialist users with comparative ease. The MultiBac platform at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) uses SOPs for all steps involved in a multiprotein complex expression experiment, starting from insertion of the genes into an engineered baculoviral genome optimized for heterologous protein production properties to small-scale analysis of the protein specimens produced.^5-8 The platform is installed in an open-access mode at EMBL Grenoble and has supported many scientists from academia and industry to accelerate protein complex research projects.     

Training of laboratory-housed non-human primates in the UK

Abstract

Laboratory-housed non-human primates may experience a range of potential stressors, including physical and chemical restraint, venepuncture, injection, catching and cage-change. Training them to co-operate, using positive reinforcement techniques, is one means of significantly reducing the adverse impact of such procedures upon them and, therefore, is a refinement. Furthermore, the additional time that staff spend with the primates, and the need for individual recognition and close observation of animal behavior, mean that the trainer develops a relationship with each individual animal which can be beneficial for animal welfare (e.g., by reducing the occurrence of abnormal behavior and fear of humans). We surveyed use of training in thirteen UK establishments using and breeding primates, utilizing a mixed-mode questionnaire. The survey demonstrated that there is widespread awareness of training as a refinement and appreciation of its diverse benefits, but training is not used as widely or as fully as it might be. This is largely due to real constraints (principally staff and time and a lack of confidence in ability to train), and perceived constraints (such as a supposed lack of information on how to train and assessment of the benefits, and an overestimation of the time investment needed). There is also considerable variation between establishments in the purposes of training and techniques used, with a reliance on negative reinforcement in three. We conclude that there is considerable scope for refinement of common scientific, veterinary and husbandry procedures, and refer to some resources designed to help establishments take action (e.g., Prescott and Buchanan-Smith 2003).     

介入治疗成人非创伤性股骨头缺血性坏死的疗效分析

目的：分析介入治疗对于成人非创伤性股骨头缺血性坏死的疗效。方法：采用介入方法治疗95例共117髋非创伤性股骨头缺血性坏死。对比介入治疗前后DSA造影分型结果及血供异常例数。结果：117患髋中,Ia型的31病髋中,11髋（35．48％）介入治疗后动脉主干再通;Ib型的27髋中,24髋（88．89％）介入治疗后分支再通;II型的11髋中,5髋（45．45％）实质期股骨头缺损面积缩小;III型的10髋中,8髋（80．00％）静脉期见股骨头浓密染色明显减轻;Ⅳ型的33髋中,28髋（84．85％）可见动脉主干再通、分支增粗、实质期股骨头缺损面积缩小和静脉期股骨头染色减轻等。治疗前117病髋异常率为95．73％。经过介入治疗后,异常率为30．77％。治疗后异常率明显低于治疗前异常率（P〈0．01）。结论：介入治疗可有效改善非创伤性股骨头缺血性坏死血供异常,增加股骨头血供,具有操作简单、创伤小、疗效确切等优点。关键阗：股骨头缺血性坏死;介入治疗;数字减影血管造影     

磁共振成像应用于检测胎盘植入介入治疗

为了探讨磁共振成像(magnetic resonance imaging, MRI)在胎盘植入介入治疗中的诊断作用和为临床治疗提供依据,本研究选取30例于2012年6月至2015年12月间在我院进行介入治疗的胎盘植入患者作为研究对象,根据病理诊断标准,分析患者胎盘植入介入治疗前后的MRI检查结果。结果显示,粘连性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为77.5%和90.2%,植入性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为75.5%和87.7%,穿透性胎盘的敏感性和特异性分别为85%和100%。最好的预测胎盘植入的MRI特征是在T2W磁共振成像(T2W-MRI)序列上存在暗色的胎盘内条带。介入治疗1年后复查时,发现患者子宫恢复为正常大小,宫腔内的胎盘组织基本消失,宫壁与植入胎盘融合、宫腔内膜线和子宫结合带的信号完整。综上结果,说明MRI可作为检测胎盘植入可靠性和可重复性的工具,并且能够显示胎盘植入部位及子宫肌层受侵程度,可用于评价胎盘植入介入治疗的疗效。     

先天性支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘儿童咯血的介入治疗临床分析

目的:总结先天性支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘患儿的临床特点及诊治经验,探讨介入治疗支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘所致咯血的安全性及有效性。方法:回顾性分析我院自2009年7月至2017年6月收治的先天性支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘所致咯血患儿36例,行支气管动脉数字减影血管造影(DSA),选择300-700μm聚乙烯醇(PVA)微栓颗粒或微球颗粒行支气管动脉栓塞术治疗,评价疗效,患者在术后1个月、3个月、半年、1年门诊复查。结果:多层螺旋CT血管造影(MSCTA)显示支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘直接征象的诊出率为55.5%(20/36),16例为假阴性(44.4%),未发现假阳性病例;36例患者栓塞术后治疗即刻成功率为100%,复发率13.9%(5/36),复发时间出现于术后2-6个月,表现为再次咯血,但咯血量较初次封堵前减少,均行二次栓塞术。结论:介入治疗对于支气管动脉-肺动脉瘘所致咯血是一种创伤小、操作简便、疗效明确、并发症少的治疗方法。为进一步减少复发风险,患者术前应仔细进行MSCTA检查,行全面DSA下血管造影,根据患者病变血管情况选择合适的永久栓塞剂,运用恰当的栓塞技术。     

替格瑞洛与氯吡格雷对急性心肌梗死患者介入治疗后的心功能和炎症反应的影响

目的:探讨替格瑞洛与氯吡格雷对急性心肌梗死患者介入治疗后的心功能和炎症反应的影响。方法:选取2015年1月-2018年1月期间我院收治的行介入治疗的急性心肌梗死患者300例为研究对象。根据随机数字表法将患者分为替格瑞洛组(n=150)和氯吡格雷组(n=150),其中替格瑞洛组给予阿司匹林、替格瑞洛治疗,氯吡格雷组给予阿司匹林、氯吡格雷治疗。比较两组患者治疗前后的左心室射血分数(LVEF)、左心室舒张末期内径(LVEDd)及白介素-6(IL-6)、C反应蛋白(CRP)、可溶性CD40配体(s CD40L)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平,随访3个月,观察两组患者随访期间心血管不良事件的发生情况。结果:两组患者治疗后LVEF较治疗前升高,且替格瑞洛组高于氯吡格雷组,LVEDd较治疗前降低,且替格瑞洛组低于氯吡格雷组(P0.05)。两组患者治疗后IL-6、CRP、s CD40L、TNF-α均较治疗前升高,但替格瑞洛组低于氯吡格雷组(P0.05)。替格瑞洛组随访期间心血管不良事件总发生率为10.00%(15/150),显著低于氯吡格雷组患者的31.33%(47/150),组间比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:相较于氯吡格雷而言,替格瑞洛治疗行介入治疗的急性心肌梗死患者效果满意,可显著改善心功能,降低炎症因子水平及心血管不良事件发生率。     

缺血性脑卒中患者介入治疗后并发相关性肺炎的病原菌分布及药敏分析

目的:探讨缺血性脑卒中患者介入治疗后并发相关性肺炎的病原菌分布情况及其耐药性,为临床合理选择抗菌药物进行抗感染治疗提供参考。方法:选择2016年5月-2018年6月大连医科大学附属大连市中心医院神经内一科收治的182例缺血性脑卒中介入治疗后并发相关性肺炎患者,对患者痰标本进行细菌培养和鉴定,并对培养阳性的病原菌进行药物敏感性试验。结果:182例患者共送检痰标本并进行细菌培养276次,其中阳性检出199次,阳性检出率为72.10%,检出病原菌215株,革兰阴性杆菌153株,占71.16%,其中鲍氏不动杆菌是主要病原菌,占24.19%,其次为肺炎克雷伯菌,占20.93%;革兰阳性球菌62株,占28.84%,其中金黄色葡萄球菌为主要的病原菌,占11.16%,其次为溶血葡萄球菌,占7.91%。革兰阴性杆菌和革兰阳性球菌中的主要病原菌对抗菌药物的耐药性较严重,且存在多药耐药性的现象。结论:缺血性脑卒中患者介入治疗后并发相关性肺炎的病原菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主,且存在多药耐药率高的现象,临床应合理选取抗菌药物进行治疗。     

Exclusion effects on vegetation characteristics and their correlation to soil factors in the semi-arid rangeland of Mu Us Sandland, China

Exclusion has been applied as a main measure for re-vegetation all over the world. This paper, by comparing the results of year-round exclusion, seasonal exclusion, and non-exclusion, quantified the vegetation variations under three different exclusion measures and their correlation to soil factors. The analysis results for community species component and plant diversity using multi-response permutation procedures (MRPPs) showed that exclusion did change the species component and increase plant diversity remarkably, while the period of exclusion had no significant influence on these two community features. The indicator species analysis and calculation of similarity indices indicated that community for year-round exclusion were becoming xerophytization and unpalatability, and showed highly spatial heterogeneity of plant species distribution, whereas community for seasonal exclusion was under stable non-equilibrium condition. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and detrend canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) results of relationship between plant species and soil variables demonstrated that soil moisture was a controlling factor for plant species component, microbiotic soil crust cover, soil organic matter, and soil bulk density had significant effects on soil moisture, among which microbiotic soil crust was a leading factor owing to its limitation to rainfall infiltration on the one hand, and its constraints to entrance of herbaceous seeds into soil or to germination of soil seeds on the other hand. As a result of long-term removal of animal grazing, crust kept intact in year-round exclusion community, which was a main reason of community xerophytization. It was also obvious from ordination results that some important environmental factors, such as tempo-spatial change of rainfall and corresponding tempo-spatial change of soil moisture, were neglected during direct gradient analysis. In addition, biodiversity was close related to soil nutrients as well as to soil moisture condition (soil water content and crust cover), and it had positive relation to available N, and negative relation to available P. Higher soil N had advantage to non-leguminous plants growth on nutrition-poor sand land definitely. The impact of P to community component was unclear and should be studied from plant physiology. Further researches on non-equilibrium theory in semi-arid rangeland will provide a scientific and flexible animal development paradigm for being implementing livestock fen-raising and grazing-forbidden policies in China. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(12): 3212–3219 [译自: 生态学报]