BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The membrane potential (DeltaPsim) dependence of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in isolated guinea-pig brain mitochondria respiring on NADH-linked substrates (glutamate plus malate) was addressed. Depolarization by FCCP was without effect on H(2)O(2) formation in the absence of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Addition of BSA (0.025%) to the assay medium hyperpolarized mitochondria by 6.1 +/- 0.9 mV (from 169 +/- 3 to 175.1 +/- 2.1 mV) and increased the rate of H(2)O(2) formation from 207 +/- 4.5 to 312 +/- 12 pmol/min/mg protein. Depolarization by FCCP (5-250 nM) in the presence of BSA decreased H(2)O(2) formation but only to the level observed in the absence of BSA. Rotenone stimulated the formation of H(2)O(2) both in the absence and presence of BSA. It is suggested that H(2)O(2) formation in mitochondria supported by NADH-linked substrates is sensitive to changes in DeltaPsim only when mitochondria are highly polarized and even then, 60% of ROS generation is independent of DeltaPsim. This is in contrast to earlier reports on the highly DeltaPsim sensitive ROS formation related to reverse electron flow observed in well-coupled succinate-supported mitochondria.

背景与目标： : 解决了在NADH连接的底物 (谷氨酸加苹果酸) 上呼吸的分离的豚鼠脑线粒体中活性氧 (ROS) 产生的膜电位 (DeltaPsim) 依赖性。在不存在牛血清白蛋白 (BSA) 的情况下，FCCP的去极化对H(2)O(2) 的形成没有影响。通过6.1 +/- 0.9 mV (从169 +/- 3到175.1 +/- 2.1 mV) 将BSA (0.025%) 添加到测定培养基超极化线粒体中，并将H(2)O(2) 的形成速率从207 +/- 4.5增加到312 +/- 12 pmol/min/mg蛋白。在BSA存在下通过FCCP (5-250 nM) 去极化降低了H(2)O(2) 的形成，但仅达到在不存在BSA的情况下观察到的水平。在不存在和存在BSA的情况下，鱼藤酮均刺激H(2)O(2) 的形成。建议仅当线粒体高度极化时，由NADH连接的底物支持的线粒体中H(2)O(2) 的形成才对DeltaPsim的变化敏感，即使这样，ROS生成的60% 也独立于DeltaPsim。这与先前关于在充分耦合的琥珀酸支持的线粒体中观察到的与反向电子流有关的高度DeltaPsim敏感的ROS形成的报道相反。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Related outer membrane proteins, termed secretins, participate in the secretion of macromolecules across the outer membrane of many Gram-negative bacteria. In the pullulanase-secretion system, PulS, an outer membrane-associated lipoprotein, is required both for the integrity and the proper outer membrane localization of the PulD secretin. Here we show that the PulS-binding site is located within the C-terminal 65 residues of PulD. Addition of this domain to the filamentous phage secretin, pIV, or to the unrelated maltose-binding protein rendered both proteins dependent on PulS for stability. A chimeric protein composed of bacteriophage f1 pIV and the C-terminal domain of PuID required properly localized PulS to support phage assembly. An in vivo complex formed between the pIV-PulD65 chimera and PulS was detected by co-immunoprecipitation and by affinity chromatography.

背景与目标： : 相关的外膜蛋白，称为分泌素，参与许多革兰氏阴性细菌外膜的大分子分泌。在支链淀粉酶分泌系统中，PulS (一种与外膜相关的脂蛋白) 对于PulD分泌素的完整性和适当的外膜定位都是必需的。在这里，我们显示了PulS结合位点位于PulD的C末端65个残基内。将该结构域添加到丝状噬菌体分泌素pIV或不相关的麦芽糖结合蛋白中，这两种蛋白质都依赖于PulS的稳定性。由噬菌体f1 pIV和PuID的C端结构域组成的嵌合蛋白需要适当定位的PulS来支持噬菌体组装。通过共免疫沉淀和亲和色谱法检测在pIV-PulD65嵌合体和PulS之间形成的体内复合物。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :It is well-recognised that steady-state isometric muscle force is decreased following active shortening (force depression, FD) and increased following active stretch (force enhancement, FE). It has also been demonstrated that passive muscle force is increased following active stretch (passive FE). Several studies have reported that FD increases with shortening amplitude and that FE and passive FE increase with stretch amplitude. Here, we investigate whether these trends continue with further increases in shortening or stretch amplitude. Experiments were performed using in situ cat soleus muscles (n=8 for FD; n=7 for FE and passive FE). FD, FE and passive FE were measured after shortening or stretch contractions that covered as wide a range of amplitudes as practically possible without damaging the muscles. FD increased approximately linearly with shortening amplitude, over the full range of amplitudes investigated. This is consistent with the hypothesis that FD arises from a stress-induced inhibition of crossbridges. FE increased with stretch amplitude only up to a point, and then levelled off. Passive FE, and the transient increase in force at the end of stretch, showed relationships to stretch amplitude that were qualitatively very similar to the relationship for FE, increasing only until the same critical stretch amplitude had been reached. We conclude that FE and passive FE do not increase with stretch amplitude under all circumstances. This finding has important consequences for determining the mechanisms underlying FE and passive FE because any mechanism that is proposed to explain them must be able to predict it.

背景与目标： : 众所周知，主动缩短 (力降低，FD) 后，稳态等距肌肉力降低，主动拉伸 (力增强，FE) 后，稳态等距肌肉力增加。还已证明，主动拉伸 (被动FE) 后，被动肌肉力量会增加。一些研究报告说，FD随缩短幅度而增加，FE和被动FE随拉伸幅度而增加。在这里，我们研究这些趋势是否随着缩短或拉伸幅度的进一步增加而继续。使用原位猫比目鱼肌进行实验 (FD为n = 8; FE和被动FE为n = 7)。在缩短或拉伸收缩后测量FD，FE和被动FE，这些收缩实际上覆盖了尽可能宽的振幅范围，而不会损坏肌肉。在所研究的整个振幅范围内，FD随振幅的缩短而近似线性增加。这与FD由应力诱导的交叉桥抑制引起的假设是一致的。FE仅随拉伸幅度增加到一个点，然后趋于平稳。被动FE和拉伸结束时的瞬时力增加显示出与拉伸幅度的关系，在质量上与FE的关系非常相似，仅在达到相同的临界拉伸幅度之前才增加。我们得出的结论是，在所有情况下，FE和被动FE都不会随拉伸幅度而增加。这一发现对于确定FE和被动FE的潜在机制具有重要的影响，因为提出的任何解释它们的机制都必须能够预测它。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Glycogen storage disease type II (GSDII) is a lysosomal disorder caused by the deficient activity of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme, leading to the accumulation of glycogen within the lysosomes. The disease has been classified in infantile and late-onset forms. Most late-onset patients share a splicing mutation c.-32-13T > G in intron 1 of the GAA gene that prevents efficient recognition of exon 2 by the spliceosome. In this study, we have mapped the splicing silencers of GAA exon 2 and developed antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMOs) to inhibit those regions and rescue normal splicing in the presence of the c.-32-13T > G mutation. Using a minigene approach and patient fibroblasts, we successfully increased inclusion of exon 2 in the mRNA and GAA enzyme production by targeting a specific silencer with a combination of AMOs. Most importantly, the use of these AMOs in patient myotubes results in a decreased accumulation of glycogen. To our knowledge, this is the only therapeutic approach resulting in a decrease of glycogen accumulation in patient tissues beside enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and TFEB overexpression. As a result, it may represent a highly novel and promising therapeutic line for GSDII.

背景与目标： : 糖原贮积症II型 (GSDII) 是一种溶酶体疾病，由酸性 α-葡萄糖苷酶 (GAA) 酶的活性不足引起，导致溶酶体内糖原积累。该疾病已分为婴儿期和迟发性。大多数迟发性患者在GAA基因的内含子1中共享剪接突变c.-32-13T> G，从而阻止了剪接体对外显子2的有效识别。在这项研究中，我们绘制了GAA外显子2的剪接消音器，并开发了反义吗啉代寡核苷酸 (AMOs)，以抑制这些区域并在c.-32-13T> G突变存在下挽救正常剪接。使用小基因方法和患者成纤维细胞，我们通过将特定的消音器与AMOs组合靶向，成功地增加了外显子2在mRNA和GAA酶产生中的包含。最重要的是，在患者肌管中使用这些AMOs会导致糖原积累减少。据我们所知，这是除酶替代疗法 (ERT) 和TFEB过表达外，导致患者组织中糖原积累减少的唯一治疗方法。因此，它可能代表了GSDII的一种非常新颖和有前途的治疗方法。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: PURPOSE:The incidence of poor ovarian response in controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) has been reported in 9-24 % of IVF-ET cycles. Growth hormone augments the effect of gonadotropin on granulosa and theca cells, and plays an essential role in ovarian function, including follicular development, estrogen synthesis and oocyte maturation. The aim of this study was to assess IVF-ET cycle outcome after the addition of growth hormone in antagonist protocol in poor responders. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Eighty-two poor responder patients selected for ART enrolled the study and were randomly divided into two groups. Group I (GH/HMG/GnRHant group, n = 40) received growth hormone/gonadotropin/GnRH antagonist protocol and group II (HMG/GnRHant group, n = 42) received gonadotropin/GnRH antagonist protocol. RESULTS:The number of retrieved oocytes was significantly higher in GH/HMG/GnRHant group than HMG/GnRHant group, 6.10 ± 2.90 vs. 4.80 ± 2.40 (p = 0.035) and the number of obtained embryos was also significantly higher in GH/HMG/GnRHant group than HMG/GnRHant group, 3.7 ± 2.89 as compared to 2.7 ± 1.29 (p = 0.018). There were no significant differences between groups regarding implantation, and chemical and clinical pregnancy rates. CONCLUSION:Our study showed that co-treatment with growth hormone in antagonist protocol in patients with a history of poor response in previous IVF-ET cycles did not increase pregnancy rates.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:The process and preparation of moving from child to adult services (transition) is a challenging period of time for young people and represents significant changes in care and support systems. The proliferation of mobile phone applications for health purposes suggests that it is an area for further investigation. OBJECTIVE:The review explores the potential to use mobile phone technology to help support young liver transplant recipients moving to adult services. It represents the first review conducted in this specialism and considers a new model of support for young liver patients. METHODS:A systematic rapid review of the published peer-reviewed literature. RESULTS:Two searches were conducted: Search 1: the use of technology to support transition to adult services (6 studies) and Search 2: how best to support liver transplant recipients during transition (6 studies). DISCUSSION:Research shows that to achieve positive transition young people need information about their condition and transition. The process needs to be guided by transition readiness, rather than the young persons' age. Although parents and support networks should be in place and are valued, transition should build upon self-management and independence. Results suggest that there appears to be scope to use mobile phone technology to support transition. This is the first time a review has explored the types of issues or concerns facing liver transplant patients and how these can be addressed through mobile phone technology.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Light focusing through a microbead leads to the formation of a photonic nanojet functional for enhancing the spatial resolution of traditional optical systems. Despite numerous works that prove this phenomenon, a method to appropriately translate the nanojet on top of a region of interest is still missing. Here, by using advanced 3D fabrication techniques we integrated a microbead on an AFM cantilever thus realizing a system to efficiently position nanojets. This fabrication approach is robust and can be exploited in a myriad of applications, ranging from microscopy to Raman spectroscopy. We demonstrate the potential of portable nanojets by imaging different sub-wavelength structures. Thanks to the achieved portability, we were able to perform a detailed optical characterization of the resolution enhancement induced by the microbead, which sheds light into the many contradictory resolution claims present in literature. Our conclusions are strongly supported by rigorous data analysis and by numerical simulations, all in perfect agreement with experimental results.

背景与目标： : 通过微珠聚焦的光导致形成光子纳米射流功能，以增强传统光学系统的空间分辨率。尽管有许多工作证明了这种现象，但仍然缺少一种将纳米射流适当地翻译在感兴趣区域顶部的方法。在这里，通过使用先进的3D制造技术，我们在AFM悬臂上集成了微珠，从而实现了有效定位纳米射流的系统。这种制造方法是可靠的，可以在从显微镜到拉曼光谱的无数应用中使用。我们通过对不同的亚波长结构进行成像来证明便携式纳米射流的潜力。由于实现了便携性，我们能够对微珠引起的分辨率增强进行详细的光学表征，从而揭示了文献中存在的许多相互矛盾的分辨率要求。我们的结论得到严格的数据分析和数值模拟的大力支持，所有这些都与实验结果完全吻合。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: AIMS:To test aripiprazole for efficacy in decreasing use in methamphetamine-dependent adults, compared to placebo. DESIGN:Participants were randomized to receive 12 weeks of aripiprazole or placebo, with a 3-month follow-up and a platform of weekly 30-minute substance abuse counseling. SETTING:The trial was conducted from January 2009 to March 2012 at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. PARTICIPANTS:Ninety actively using, methamphetamine-dependent, sexually active adults were recruited from community venues. MEASUREMENTS:The primary outcome was regression estimated reductions in weekly methamphetamine-positive urines. Secondary outcomes were study medication adherence [by self-report and medication event monitoring systems (MEMS)], sexual risk behavior and abstinence from methamphetamine. FINDINGS:Participant mean age was 38.7 years, 87.8% were male, 50.0% white, 18.9% African American, and 16.7% Latino. Eighty-three per cent of follow-up visits and final visits were completed. By intent-to-treat, participants assigned to aripiprazole had similar reductions in methamphetamine-positive urines as participants assigned to placebo [risk ratio (RR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-1.19, P = 0.41]. Urine positivity declined from 73% (33 of 45 participants) to 45% (18 of 40) in the placebo arm and from 77% (34 of 44) to 44% (20 of 35) in the aripiprazole arm. Adherence by MEMS and self-report was 42 and 74%, respectively, with no significant difference between arms (MEMS P = 0.31; self-report P = 0.17). Most sexual risk behaviors declined similarly among participants in both arms (all P > 0.05). There were no serious adverse events related to study drug, although participants randomized to aripiprazole reported more akathisia, fatigue and drowsiness (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION:Compared with placebo, aripiprazole did not reduce methamphetamine use significantly among actively using, dependent adults.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Walking outdoors is often difficult or impossible for many seniors and people with disabilities during winter. We present a novel approach for conducting winter accessibility evaluations of commonly used pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks, street crossings, curb ramps (curb cuts and dropped curbs), outdoor stairs and ramps, building and transit entrances, bus stops, and driveways. A total of 183 individuals, aged 18-85 completed our survey. The results show that cold weather itself had little impact on the frequency of outdoor excursions among middle-aged and older adults while the presence of snow and/or ice on the ground noticeably kept people, especially older adults at home. The survey found that the key elements decreasing winter accessibility were icy sidewalks and puddles at street crossings and curb ramps. While communities have recognized the need to improve snow and ice removal, little attention has been paid to curb ramp design which is especially ineffective in winter when the bottom of the ramps pool with rain, snow, and ice, making it hazardous and inaccessible to nearly all users. We conclude that investigations of alternative designs of curb ramp are needed.

背景与目标： : 在冬季，对于许多老年人和残疾人来说，在户外散步通常是困难的或不可能的。我们提出了一种新颖的方法，用于对常用的行人设施进行冬季无障碍评估，包括人行道，街道交叉口，路缘坡道 (路缘切口和掉落路缘)，室外楼梯和坡道，建筑物和公交入口，公交车站和车道。共有183名年龄在18-85岁之间的人完成了我们的调查。结果表明，寒冷的天气本身对中老年人户外旅行的频率影响不大，而地面上的雪和/或冰的存在明显地使人们，尤其是老年人在家中。调查发现，降低冬季通行能力的关键因素是街道交叉口和路边坡道上结冰的人行道和水坑。尽管社区已经意识到需要改善除雪和除冰的需求，但很少关注遏制坡道设计，这在冬季特别无效，因为坡道的底部充满雨，雪和冰，这使其变得危险且无法接近几乎所有用户。我们得出的结论是，需要对路缘坡道的替代设计进行研究。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Much of our science and technology relies on the visualization of complex data, and chemical biology, more than most fields, often deals with complex datasets. There are, however, other ways of making information available to our senses beyond the visual. Rare individuals naturally have sensory crossover, whose synesthesia permits them, for example, to see colors or shapes when hearing sounds or to sense a specific taste with a specific word. Many scientists, technologists and inventors, however, make a conscious attempt to convert one type of sensory-like input to a different sensory output. A laser light show, for example, converts sound to sight; infrared imaging converts heat to sight. Two recent examples of such intentional synesthesia are discussed in this context: sight-tasting and smell-seeing.

背景与目标： : 我们的许多科学技术都依赖于复杂数据的可视化，而化学生物学比大多数领域更多地处理复杂数据集。但是，还有其他方法可以使我们的感官获得视觉以外的信息。稀有个体自然具有感觉交叉，例如，其联觉使他们能够在听到声音时看到颜色或形状，或者用特定的单词感知特定的味道。但是，许多科学家，技术人员和发明家都有意识地尝试将一种类似感觉的输入转换为不同的感觉输出。例如，激光表演将声音转换为视线; 红外成像将热量转换为视线。在这种情况下，讨论了这种故意联觉的两个最近的例子: 视觉品尝和嗅觉观察。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Most of type II restriction endonucleases show an absolute requirement for divalent metal ions as cofactors for DNA cleavage. While Mg(2+) is the natural cofactor other metal ions can substitute it and mediate the catalysis, however Ca(2+) (alone) only supports DNA binding. To investigate the role of Mg(2+) in DNA cleavage by restriction endonucleases, we have studied the Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) concentration dependence of DNA cleavage by SepMI and EhoI. Digestion reactions were carried out at different Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) concentrations at constant ionic strength. These enzymes showed different behavior regarding the ions requirement, SepMI reached near maximal level of activity between 10 and 20mM while no activity was detected in the presence of Mn(2+) and in the presence of Ca(2+) cleavage activity was significantly decreased. However, EhoI was more highly active in the presence of Mn(2+) than in the presence of Mg(2+) and can be activated by Ca(2+). Our results propose the two-metal ion mechanism for EhoI and the one-metal ion mechanism for SepMI restriction endonuclease. The analysis of the kinetic parameters under steady state conditions showed that SepMI had a K(m) value for pTrcHisB DNA of 6.15 nM and a V(max) of 1.79×10(-2)nM min(-1), while EhoI had a K(m) for pUC19 plasmid of 8.66 nM and a V(max) of 2×10(-2)nM min(-1).

背景与目标： : 大多数II型限制性核酸内切酶显示出对二价金属离子作为DNA切割的辅因子的绝对需求。虽然Mg(2) 是天然的辅因子，但其他金属离子可以替代它并介导催化作用，但是Ca(2) (单独) 仅支持DNA结合。为了研究Mg(2) 在限制性核酸内切酶切割DNA中的作用，我们研究了SepMI和EhoI切割DNA的Mg(2) 和Mn(2) 浓度依赖性。在恒定的离子强度下，在不同的Mg(2) 和Mn(2) 浓度下进行消化反应。这些酶在离子需求方面表现出不同的行为，SepMI达到了接近10至20毫米的最大活性水平，而在Mn(2) 存在下未检测到活性，并且在Ca(2) 存在下裂解活性显着降低。然而，EhoI在Mn(2) 存在下比在Mg(2) 存在下具有更高的活性，并且可以被Ca(2) 激活。我们的结果提出了EhoI的两金属离子机制和SepMI限制性核酸内切酶的一金属离子机制。稳态条件下动力学参数的分析表明，SepMI对pTrcHisB DNA的K(m) 值为6.15 nM，V(max) 为1.79 × 10(-2)nM min(-1)，而EhoI对pUC19质粒的K(m) 为8.66 nM，V(max) 为2 × 10(-2)nM min(-1)。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Using single and multiunit recordings in the striate cortex of alert macaque monkeys, we find that gamma-band (20-70 Hz) oscillations in neuronal firing are a prominent feature of V1 neuronal activity. The properties of this rhythmic activity are very similar to those previously observed in the cat. Gamma-band activity is strongly dependent on visual stimulation, largely absent during spontaneous activity and, under the conditions of our experiment, not time-locked to the vertical refresh of the computer monitor (80 Hz) used to present the stimuli. In our sample, 61% of multiunit activity (MUA) and 46% of single-unit activity (SUA) was significantly oscillatory, with mean frequencies of 48+/-9 and 42+/-13 Hz, respectively. Gamma-band activity was most likely to occur when cells were activated by their optimal stimuli, but still occurred, although less often and with lower amplitude, in response to nonoptimal stimuli. The frequency of gamma-band activity also reflected stimulus properties, with drifting gratings evoking higher-frequency oscillations than stationary gratings. As in the cat, the spike trains of single cells showing gamma-band oscillations often displayed a pattern of repetitive burst firing, with intraburst firing rates of 300-800 Hz. The overall similarity of rhythmic neuronal activity in the primary visual cortex of cats and monkeys suggests that the phenomenon is not species-specific. The stimulus-dependence of the rhythmic activity is consistent with a functional role in visual perception.

背景与目标： : 使用警报猕猴的纹状皮层中的单个和多单位记录，我们发现神经元放电中的伽玛带 (20-70Hz) 振荡是V1神经元活动的突出特征。这种节律活动的特性与以前在猫中观察到的非常相似。伽玛带活动在很大程度上取决于视觉刺激，在自发活动期间基本上不存在，并且在我们的实验条件下，与用于呈现刺激的计算机监视器 (80Hz) 的垂直刷新没有时间锁定。在我们的样本中，多单位活性61% (MUA) 和单单位活性46% (SUA) 显着振荡，平均频率分别为48/-9和42/-13Hz。当细胞被其最佳刺激激活时，最有可能发生 γ 带活性，但仍然发生，尽管频率较低且幅度较低，但响应于非最佳刺激。伽马带活动的频率也反映了刺激特性，漂移光栅比固定光栅引起更高频率的振荡。与cat一样，显示伽马带振荡的单个细胞的尖峰序列通常显示出重复爆发的模式，其内部发射速率为300-800Hz。猫和猴子初级视觉皮层中节律性神经元活动的总体相似性表明该现象不是特定于物种的。节律活动的刺激依赖性与视觉感知中的功能作用一致。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of technology-assisted rehabilitation following total hip/knee replacement (THR/TKR). METHODS:Six electronic databases were searched without language or time restrictions for relevant studies: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro); from inception to November 7th, 2018. Two reviewers independently applied inclusion criteria to select eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effectiveness of technology-based interventions, compared with usual care or no intervention for people undergoing THR/TKR. Two reviewers independently extracted trial details (e.g. patients' profile, intervention, outcomes, attrition and adverse events). Study methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Quality of evidence was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. RESULTS:We identified 21 eligible studies assessing telerehabilitation, game- or web-based therapy. There were 17 studies (N = 2188) in post-TKR rehabilitation and 4 studies (N = 783) in post-THR rehabilitation. Compared to usual care, technology-based intervention was more effective in reducing pain (mean difference (MD): - 0.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): - 0.48, - 0.02; moderate evidence) and improving function measured with the timed up-and-go test (MD: -7.03; 95% CI: - 11.18, - 2.88) in people undergoing TKR. No between-group differences were observed in rates of hospital readmissions or treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in those studies. CONCLUSION:There is moderate-quality of evidence showed technology-assisted rehabilitation, in particular, telerehabilitation, results in a statistically significant improvement in pain; and low-quality of evidence for the improvement in functional mobility in people undergoing TKR. The effects were however too small to be clinically significant. For THR, there is very limited low-quality evidence shows no significant effects.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Combining the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) and the classification of the trabecular structure in cancellous bone improves the estimation of the degree of osteoporosis. A fractal method for the automatic quantitative classification of the trabecular structure in midvertebral slices of lumbar vertebrae is introduced. This method is based on the computation of the fractal dimension (box counting method) for varying binarization thresholds. Radiographic images from 30 lumbar vertebrae and CT images from an additional 16 lumbar vertebrae were analysed by calculating the dimension D in dependency of the threshold value T. The function D(T) was normalized by the average image grey value, eliminating the bone mineral density from the computations. The results show that the images of the lumbar vertebrae have fractal properties, and the function D(T) has a typical behaviour that allows the discrimination of the degree of osteoporosis. With two parameters extracted from the function D(T) the correlation coefficients with BMD were both -79% for the radiographic images, and -93% and -91% for the CT data, respectively.

背景与目标： : 结合骨密度 (BMD) 的测量和松质骨中小梁结构的分类，可以改善对骨质疏松症程度的估计。介绍了一种用于腰椎中段椎板小梁结构自动定量分类的分形方法。此方法基于分形维数 (盒计数法) 的计算来改变二值化阈值。通过根据阈值T计算尺寸D来分析来自30个腰椎的放射线图像和来自另外16个腰椎的CT图像。函数D(T) 通过平均图像灰度值进行归一化，从而从计算中消除了骨矿物质密度。结果表明，腰椎图像具有分形特性，函数D(T) 具有典型的行为，可以区分骨质疏松症的程度。利用从函数D(T) 中提取的两个参数，射线照相图像与BMD的相关系数分别为-79%，CT数据与-93% 和-91%。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Objectives:This study investigated the role of locus coeruleus (LC) nucleus TRPV1 receptors (TRPV1r) in the expression and development of morphine physical dependence by intra-LC administration of AMG9810 (selective TRPV1r antagonist) in male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods:For assessing the development of morphine dependence, AMG9810 (0.03 and 0.3 mM in 10% DMSO, 0.2 µl; intra-LC microinjection) was administered before each morphine administration for seven continues days (once daily; 6, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, and 66 mg/kg; sc). Furthermore, for evaluating the expression of morphine dependence, a single dose of AMG9810 (0.03 and 0.3 mM in 10% DMSO, 0.2 µl; intra-LC microinjection) was administered to morphine-dependent rats on day 8 of the experiment. Results:Obtained data demonstrated that co-administration of TRPV1r antagonist with morphine reduced the development of morphine withdrawal syndrome somatic signs induced by naloxone. Moreover, single intra-LC administration of TRPV1r antagonist on the final day of the examination period significantly decreased the expression of some signs of morphine withdrawal in rats. Conclusion:The results showed that LC TRPV1r might be participating in the expression and development of morphine dependence.

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