PROX1, a Key Mediator of the Anti-Proliferative Effect of Rapamycin on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

The MTOR signal is known to be activated in various cancer cells including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of MTOR, has been widely used as an immunosuppressant in organ transplant patients, and its clinical application has been recently expanded to cancer therapy. In this study, the anti-proliferative effect of rapamycin was investigated in four different HCC cell lines.

A constrained slice-dependent background suppression scheme for simultaneous multislice pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling.

Purpose: To present a constrained slice-dependent (CSD) background-suppression (BS) scheme in 2D arterial spin labeling (ASL) using simultaneous multislice acquisition with blipped-CAIPIRINHA (controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration).

Methods: Background suppression for 2D acquisition is challenging because of the multiple nulling points required for sequential slice readout. Constrained slice-dependent BS exploits the simultaneous multislice technique to reduce the readout duration, and uses slice-dependent premodulation pulses to achieve BS across slice groups.

A novel speech-processing strategy incorporating tonal information for cochlear implants.

Good performance in cochlear implant users depends in large part on the ability of a speech processor to effectively decompose speech signals into multiple channels of narrow-band electrical pulses for stimulation of the auditory nerve. Speech processors that extract only envelopes of the narrow-band signals (e.g.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy in brain-injured patients.

One-hundred consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated on admission to our Brain Injury Unit for signs and symptoms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) in the upper extremity. Patients averaged 4 months postinjury and had an average age of 29 years. Thirteen patients had clinical signs and symptoms of RSD and were then evaluated with standard radiographs and 3-phase radionuclide scintigraphy.