Forging a morphological system out of two dimensions: Agentivity and number.

PubMed

Horton, L; Goldin-Meadow, S; Coppola, M; Senghas, A; Brentari, D

2015-12-01

Languages have diverse strategies for marking agentivity and number. These strategies are negotiated to create combinatorial systems. We consider the emergence of these strategies by studying features of movement in a young sign language in Nicaragua (NSL). We compare two age cohorts of Nicaraguan signers (NSL1 and NSL2), adult homesigners in Nicaragua (deaf individuals creating a gestural system without linguistic input), signers of American and Italian Sign Languages (ASL and LIS), and hearing individuals asked to gesture silently. We find that all groups use movement axis and repetition to encode agentivity and number, suggesting that these properties are grounded in action experiences common to all participants. We find another feature - unpunctuated repetition - in the sign systems (ASL, LIS, NSL, Homesign) but not in silent gesture. Homesigners and NSL1 signers use the unpunctuated form, but limit its use to No-Agent contexts; NSL2 signers use the form across No-Agent and Agent contexts. A single individual can thus construct a marker for number without benefit of a linguistic community (homesign), but generalizing this form across agentive conditions requires an additional step. This step does not appear to be achieved when a linguistic community is first formed (NSL1), but requires transmission across generations of learners (NSL2).

Toxicity studies on agent GA (Phase 2): 90 day subchronic study of GA (Tabun) in cd rats. Appendices. Final report, July 1985-August 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-03-01

The purpose of the report is to provide essential toxicologic information on Tabun administration over a 90 day period. This toxicologic information may be used to adjust the maximum-tolerated dose for subsequent dominant-lethal and two-generation reproduction studies. The objectives were to determine the toxic effects of nerve agent exposure (e.g., target organs); and to determine the effects of nerve agent GA on sperm morphology and motility and vaginal cytology.

Construction of Zinc Oxide into Different Morphological Structures to Be Utilized as Antimicrobial Agent against Multidrug Resistant Bacteria

PubMed Central

Elkady, M. F.; Shokry Hassan, H.; Hafez, Elsayed E.; Fouad, Ahmed

2015-01-01

Nano-ZnO has been successfully implemented in particles, rods, and tubes nanostructures via sol-gel and hydrothermal techniques. The variation of the different preparation parameters such as reaction temperature, time, and stabilizer agents was optimized to attain different morphological structures. The influence of the microwave annealing process on ZnO crystallinity, surface area, and morphological structure was monitored using XRD, BET, and SEM techniques, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide produced in nanotubes structure was examined against four different multidrug resistant bacteria: Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains. The activity of produced nano-ZnO was determined by disc diffusion technique and the results revealed that ZnO nanotubes recorded high activity against the studied strains due to their high surface area equivalent to 17.8 m2/g. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ZnO nanotubes showed that the low concentrations of ZnO nanotubes could be a substitution for the commercial antibiotics when approached in suitable formula. Although the annealing process of ZnO improves the degree of material crystallinity, however, it declines its surface area and consequently its antimicrobial activity. PMID:26451136

Water as an agent for the morphology modification of metal oxalate materials on the nanoscale: from sheets to rods

PubMed Central

Kim, Minog; Kim, YooJin; Kwon, WonJong; Yoon, Sungho

2016-01-01

A number of approaches have been used to control the shape of metal oxalates, which often used as precursors for metal oxide nanomaterials. However, attempts to use water as a regulator have not been reported. Here in we report systematic studies on related topics: nanosheets, composed of 1-dimensional [M(C2O4)(EG)] (M = Zn or Co) polymeric structure, could be transformed into nanorods by using water as a shape-shifting agent because water can readily substitute EG ligand, leading alternation of inter-chain hydrogen bonding interactions. In addition, heat-treatment of these nanomaterials with diverse morphologies resulted in porous metal oxides with high degrees of shape retention. PMID:26763973

Forest Service special agents, assistant special agents in charge, senior special agents, and supervisory special agents report: nationwide study

Treesearch

Deborah J. Chavez; Joanne F. Tynon

2007-01-01

This is the fourth in a series of studies to evaluate perceptions of U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service law enforcement personnel of the roles, responsibilities, and issues related to their jobs. An e-mail survey was administered to the 89 Forest Service special agents, assistant special agents in charge, senior special agents, and supervisory special agents...

Cellular internalization and morphological analysis after intravenous injection of a highly hydrophilic octahedral rhenium cluster complex - a new promising X-ray contrast agent.

PubMed

Krasilnikova, Anna A; Solovieva, Anastasiya O; Trifonova, Kristina E; Brylev, Konstantin A; Ivanov, Anton A; Kim, Sung-Jin; Shestopalov, Michael A; Fufaeva, Maria S; Shestopalov, Alexander M; Mironov, Yuri V; Poveshchenko, Alexander F; Shestopalova, Lidia V

2016-11-01

The octahedral cluster compound Na 2 H 8 [{Re 6 Se 8 }(P(C 2 H 4 CONH 2 )(C 2 H 4 COO) 2 ) 6 ] has been shown to be highly radio dense, thus becoming a promising X-ray contrast agent. It was also shown that this compound had low cytotoxic effect in vitro, low acute toxicity in vivo and was eliminated rapidly from the body through the urinary tract. The present contribution describes a more detailed cellular internalization assay and morphological analysis after intravenous injection of this hexarhenium cluster compound at different doses. The median lethal dose (LD 50 ) of intravenously administrated compound was calculated (4.67 ± 0.69 g/kg). Results of the study clearly indicated that the cluster complex H n [{Re 6 Se 8 }(P(C 2 H 4 CONH 2 )(C 2 H 4 COO) 2 ) 6 ] n-10 was not internalized into cells in vitro and induced only moderate morphological alterations of kidneys at high doses without any changes in morphology of liver, spleen, duodenum, or heart of mice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The New Agent: A Qualitative Study to Strategically Adapt New Agent Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Lauri M.; Hadley, Gregg

2014-01-01

The qualitative study reported here assessed the needs of agents related to new agent professional development to improve the current model. Agents who participated in new agent professional development within the last 5 years were selected to participate in focus groups to determine concerns and continued needs. Agents enjoyed networking and…

How morphology influences relaxivity - comparative study of superparamagnetic iron oxide-polymer hybrid nanostructures.

PubMed

Ebert, Sandro; Bannwarth, Markus B; Musyanovych, Anna; Landfester, Katharina; Münnemann, Kerstin

2015-01-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIOs) are widely used in MRI as T2 contrast agents, and interest is still growing. Here, the T2 relaxivity of three different SPIO-polymer hybrid morphologies, i.e. homogeneously distributed iron oxide within a polymer matrix, Janus-like nanoparticles and polymer nanocapsules containing iron oxides, is studied. Making use of calculations based on theory for agglomerated systems, the obtained T2 values could be predicted for all different morphologies, except for nanocapsules. Nanocapsules, in contrast to full spheres, allow for water exchange between encapsulated water and bulk water, and thus have two contributions to relaxivity. One originates from the capsules acting as a weakly magnetized cluster and the other stems from the individual SPIOs inside the capsule. Therefore, the relaxivities were also computed using an empirical equation found in the literature, which considers water exchange, resulting in a better T2 forecast for the nanocapsules. The presented study is the first example of a comparison between measured and calculated relaxivities of nanocapsules. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Studies on the chemical synthesis and characterization of lead oxide nanoparticles with different organic capping agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arulmozhi, K. T.; Mythili, N.

2013-12-01

Lead oxide (PbO) nanoparticles were chemically synthesized using Lead (II) acetate as precursor. The effects of organic capping agents such as Oleic acid, Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid (EDTA) and Cetryl Tri Methyl Butoxide (CTAB) on the size and morphology of the nanoparticles were studied. Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Photoluminescence (PL) Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to analyse the prepared nanoparticles for their physical, structural and optical properties. The characterization studies reveal that the synthesized PbO nanoparticles had well defined crystalline structure and sizes in the range of 25 nm to 36 nm for capping agents used and 40 nm for pure PbO nanoparticles.

Halloysite clay nanotubes for controlled release of protective agents.

PubMed

Abdullayev, Elshad; Lvov, Yuri

2011-11-01

Halloysite is a naturally occurring clay mineral with submicron sized hollow cylindrical morphology. Halloysite morphology, structure and properties were characterized by using SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy, surface electrokinetic (zeta) potential and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Comparison of the halloysite structure with imogolite was also provided. Halloysite toxicological studies revealed that it is environmentally friendly and biocompatible material. Due to its unique tubular shape and availability in thousands of tons halloysite has potential to be applied as nanocontainers for encapsulation of chemically and biologically active agents such as medicines, pharmaceuticals, antiseptics, corrosion inhibitors, antifouling agents, and doped with them plastics producing smart polymeric nanocomposites with improved mechanical strength. Finally possibility to synthesize metal nanorods within the halloysite lumen was demonstrated.

Tuning the morphology and structure of nanocarbons with activating agents for ultrafast ionic liquid-based supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Yongpeng; Wang, Huanlei; Mao, Nan; Yu, Wenhua; Shi, Jing; Huang, Minghua; Liu, Wei; Chen, Shougang; Wang, Xin

2017-09-01

The increasing demand for supercapacitors with high energy and power density has attracted extensive attention in designing advanced carbon materials with high accessible surface area, hierarchical porosity, and 2D/3D morphology. Here, we report a new approach to tune the morphology and structure of the nanocarbons by using methyl cellulose as the precursor. Due to the varying effect of different activating agents, the interconnected sheet-like carbon with a high surface area of up to 2285 m2 g-1 and a thickness down to ∼4 nm can be obtained. These important characteristics make the nanocarbons demonstrate a high capacitance of 144 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 20 °C, and an excellent capacitance retention ratio of 64% at 100 A g-1 in ionic liquid. Because of the high fraction of meso/macropores for nanocarbons, an outstanding capacitance of 116 F g-1 can be achieved at 0 °C, with a high capacitance retention ratio of 39% at 100 A g-1. A high energy of 16-17 and 9-10 W h kg-1 can be maintained at 20 and 0 °C when the supercapacitor is charged in less than 1s. The excellent electrochemical response of nanocarbons suggests that the proposed preparation process is promising for developing advanced carbon electrodes.

Semantic processing during morphological priming: an ERP study.

PubMed

Beyersmann, Elisabeth; Iakimova, Galina; Ziegler, Johannes C; Colé, Pascale

2014-09-04

Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding the onset of semantic processing during morphological priming. The present study was designed to further explore the time-course of morphological processing using event-related potentials (ERPs). We conducted a primed lexical decision study comparing a morphological (LAVAGE - laver [washing - wash]), a semantic (LINGE - laver [laundry - wash]), an orthographic (LAVANDE - laver [lavender - wash]), and an unrelated control condition (HOSPICE - laver [nursing home - wash]), using the same targets across the four priming conditions. The behavioral data showed significant effects of morphological and semantic priming, with the magnitude of morphological priming being significantly larger than the magnitude of semantic priming. The ERP data revealed significant morphological but no semantic priming at 100-250 ms. Furthermore, a reduction of the N400 amplitude in the morphological condition compared to the semantic and orthographic condition demonstrates that the morphological priming effect was not entirely due to the semantic or orthographic overlap between the prime and the target. The present data reflect an early process of semantically blind morphological decomposition, and a later process of morpho-semantic decomposition, which we discuss in the context of recent morphological processing theories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The morphology of the causative agent of human diphyllobothriasis in the Far East].

PubMed

Dovgalev, A S; Valovaia, M A; Piskunova, Iu A; Romanenko, N A; Khodakova, V I; Artamoshin, A S

1991-01-01

The morphology of types F, A, C plerocercoids, and mature Diphyllobothriidae of the Far Eastern populations (USSR) was studied by using scanning electron microscopy. New data were obtained on structure the skin muscular sac of plerocercoids type F (presence of tegumental microvilli, multi poly-layer of longitudinal subtegumental musculature, and variation of quantity of muscular filaments along strobila. The morphological identity of mature Diphyllobothriidae from the volunteer (self-infection of plerocercoid "type F"), infested men and seagulls from focuses of diphyllobothriasis in the Pacific Ocean regions in the Far East of the USSR was proved.

Novel polyester/SiO2 nanocomposite membranes: Synthesis, properties and morphological studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadizadegan, Hashem; Esmaielzadeh, Sheida

2018-06-01

In this paper, a new type of soluble polyester/silica (PE/SiO2) hybrid was prepared by the ultrasonic irradiation process. The coupling agent γ-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOTMS) was chosen to enhance the compatibility between the polyester (PE) and silica (SiO2). Furthermore, the effects of the coupling agent on the morphologies and properties of the PE/SiO2 hybrids were investigated using UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopies and FE-SEM. The densities and solubilities of the PE/SiO2 hybrids were also measured. The results show that the size of the silica particle was markedly reduced by the introduction of the coupling agent, which made the PE/SiO2 hybrid films become transparent. Furthermore, thermal stability, residual solvent in the membrane film and structural ruination of membranes were analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the prepared nanocomposites were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Moreover, their mechanical properties were also characterized. It can be observed that the Young's moduli (E) of the hybrid films increase linearly with the silica content. The results obtained from gas permeation experiments with a constant pressure setup showed that adding SiO2 nanoparticles to the polymeric membrane structure increased the permeability of the membranes.

Morphological Effect of the New Antifungal Agent ME1111 on Hyphal Growth of Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Determined by Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Yayoi; Takahata, Sho; Abe, Shigeru

2017-01-01

The effects of ME1111, a novel antifungal agent, on the hyphal morphology and ultrastructure of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were investigated by using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Structural changes, such as pit formation and/or depression of the cell surface, and degeneration of intracellular organelles and plasmolysis were observed after treatment with ME1111. Our results suggest that the inhibition of energy production by ME1111 affects the integrity and function of cellular membranes, leading to fungal cell death. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Microbiology.

How well can morphology assess cell death modality? A proteomics study

PubMed Central

Chernobrovkin, Alexey L; Zubarev, Roman A

2016-01-01

While the focus of attempts to classify cell death programs has finally shifted in 2010s from microscopy-based morphological characteristics to biochemical assays, more recent discoveries have put the underlying assumptions of many such assays under severe stress, mostly because of the limited specificity of the assays. On the other hand, proteomics can quantitatively measure the abundances of thousands of proteins in a single experiment. Thus proteomics could develop a modern alternative to both semiquantitative morphology assessment as well as single-molecule biochemical assays. Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing the proteomes of cells dying after been treated with various chemical agents. The most striking finding is that, for a multivariate model based on the proteome changes in three cells lines, the regulation patterns of the 200–500 most abundant proteins typically attributed to household type more accurately reflect that of the proteins directly interacting with the drug than any other protein subset grouped by common function or biological process, including cell death. This is in broad agreement with the 'rigid cell death mechanics' model where drug action mechanism and morphological changes caused by it are bijectively linked. This finding, if confirmed, will open way for a broad use of proteomics in death modality assessment. PMID:27752363

Thermal Degradation, Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Wheat Straw Flour Filled Recycled Thermoplastic Composites

PubMed Central

Mengeloglu, Fatih; Karakus, Kadir

2008-01-01

Thermal behaviors of wheat straw flour (WF) filled thermoplastic composites were measured applying the thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Morphology and mechanical properties were also studied using scanning electron microscope and universal testing machine, respectively. Presence of WF in thermoplastic matrix reduced the degradation temperature of the composites. One for WF and one for thermoplastics, two main decomposition peaks were observed. Morphological study showed that addition of coupling agent improved the compatibility between WFs and thermoplastic. WFs were embedded into the thermoplastic matrix indicating improved adhesion. However, the bonding was not perfect because some debonding can also be seen on the interface of WFs and thermoplastic matrix. In the case of mechanical properties of WF filled recycled thermoplastic, HDPE and PP based composites provided similar tensile and flexural properties. The addition of coupling agents improved the properties of thermoplastic composites. MAPE coupling agents performed better in HDPE while MAPP coupling agents were superior in PP based composites. The composites produced with the combination of 50-percent mixture of recycled HDPE and PP performed similar with the use of both coupling agents. All produced composites provided flexural properties required by the ASTM standard for polyolefin-based plastic lumber decking boards. PMID:27879719

Capping agents in nanoparticle synthesis: Surfactant and solvent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulati, Shivani; Sachdeva, M.; Bhasin, K. K.

2018-05-01

The preparation of nanomaterials by organometallic precursors require a capping agent, which primarily acts as stabilizing agent and provide colloidal stability along with preventing agglomeration and stopping uncontrolled growth. Final morphology of nanocrystal largely depends on the type of capping agent which is adsorbed on the surface of nanocrystal. Thus capping agents are the keys to obtain the small-sized nanoparticles and are very frequently used in colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles to avoid its overgrowth.

Anabolic agents and bone quality.

PubMed

Sibai, Tarek; Morgan, Elise F; Einhorn, Thomas A

2011-08-01

The definition of bone quality is evolving particularly from the perspective of anabolic agents that can enhance not only bone mineral density but also bone microarchitecture, composition, morphology, amount of microdamage, and remodeling dynamics. This review summarizes the molecular pathways and physiologic effects of current and potential anabolic drugs. From a MEDLINE search (1996-2010), articles were identified by the search terms "bone quality" (1851 articles), "anabolic agent" (5044 articles), "PTH or parathyroid hormone" (32,229 articles), "strontium" or "strontium ranelate" (283 articles), "prostaglandin" (77,539 articles), and "statin" or "statins" (14,233 articles). The search strategy included combining each with the phrase "bone quality." Another more limited search aimed at finding more novel potential agents. Parathyroid hormone is the only US Food and Drug Administration-approved bone anabolic agent in the United States and has been the most extensively studied in in vitro animal and human trials. Strontium ranelate is approved in Europe but has not undergone Food and Drug Administration trials in the United States. All the studies on prostaglandin agonists have used in vivo animal models and there are no human trials examining prostaglandin agonist effects. The advantages of statins include the long-established advantages and safety profile, but they are limited by their bioavailability in bone. Other potential pathways include proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) and sclerostin (SOST) inhibition, among others. The ongoing research to enhance the anabolic potential of current agents, identify new agents, and develop better delivery systems will greatly enhance the management of bone quality-related injuries and diseases in the future.

Morphology of self assembled monolayers using liquid phase reaction on silica and their effect on the morphology of adsorbed insulin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Indu; Pattanayek, Sudip K.; Aggarwal, Varsha; Ghosh, Subhasis

2017-05-01

The effect of roughness of two different categories of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with propyl amine and propyl groups respectively on the morphology of adsorbed insulin is observed. SAMs are obtained by liquid phase reaction of silica with organo silane coupling agents (SCA). The influence of the morphology and physical characteristics of the SAMs on the reaction time and concentration of the modifiers are explored. We have tested three SCA containing propyl amine with varying groups linked to Si present on it. In addition, we have used a silane coupling agent to prepare SAM of methyl head group. The approach of these molecules towards the surface depends on the head group and the groups linked to Si of the SCA. The morphology of the surfaces is analysed using power spectral density distribution (PSD), skewness, ellipsometry thickness and surface energy. Both chemical nature and physical morphology of the adsorbent influence the morphology of the adsorbed insulin. In general, a low number of aggregates of big size are formed on the surfaces obtained from low concentration of SAMs, while a higher number but of smaller size of aggregates are formed over surfaces obtained from 1% concentration of SAMs modifiers. The peak to valley ratio of the aggregates of insulin is strongly influenced by the size of grains of SCA over the adsorbent.

Spreading of nonmotile bacteria on a hard agar plate: Comparison between agent-based and stochastic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, Navdeep; Ghosh, Pushpita; Perlekar, Prasad

2017-11-01

We study spreading of a nonmotile bacteria colony on a hard agar plate by using agent-based and continuum models. We show that the spreading dynamics depends on the initial nutrient concentration, the motility, and the inherent demographic noise. Population fluctuations are inherent in an agent-based model, whereas for the continuum model we model them by using a stochastic Langevin equation. We show that the intrinsic population fluctuations coupled with nonlinear diffusivity lead to a transition from a diffusion limited aggregation type of morphology to an Eden-like morphology on decreasing the initial nutrient concentration.

Comparison of epidermal morphologic response to commercial antiwrinkle agents in the hairless mouse.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, Tapan K; Higgins, Natalie P; Sebastian, J Scott; Thomas, J Regan

2009-07-01

A large number of commercial antiwrinkle and antiaging compounds are available to consumers for rejuvenation of facial skin ravaged by age or solar radiation. Experimental data on the histological effects of these commercial products in laboratory models are sparse. To compare the efficacy of topical application of five commercially available antiaging compounds (retinoic acid, glycolic acid, vitamin C, estrogen, and soy) on the dorsal skin. The effects were examined using light microscopic analysis of the epidermis in the normal nonirradiated hairless mouse. The agents were applied daily to dorsal tattooed areas for 2 weeks before histological assessment; neighboring untreated surface areas were used as control. Morphometric measurements of total epidermal width, nuclear volume of keratinocytes in three layers, and index of proliferating cell nuclear antigen according to immunohistochemistry were obtained and statistically analyzed. Significant histomorphometric effects were noticed with all five agents, but more pronounced changes were obtained with glycolic acid, estrogen, and retinoic acid product. These baseline data will be useful for future studies on the effect of ultraviolet radiation to cause photoaging and reparative effects of similar agents in this animal. The information contained in the report may provide guidelines to consumers and clinicians.

Effect of Co doping, capping agent and optical-structural studies of ZnO:Co2+ nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri Otaqsara, S. M.

2011-08-01

Co2+ doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) using PEG as a capping agent were prepared by colloidal wet-chemical method. The structure, morphology and characteristics of as-prepared samples were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns studies revealed wurtzite crystal phase. STM-TEM micrographs show a spherical shape and nearly well distribution with an average particle size of ~15-20 nm. UV-VIS spectra show the presence of exciton peak at 349 nm which can be effectively tuned versus cobalt doping and PEG concentration. PL studies were done under the excitation of 347 nm, which exhibited a UV (~386 nm) and visible (blue-orange) emission peak because of free-exciton recombination and oxygen vacancy.

Profound Morphological Changes in the Erythrocytes and Fibrin Networks of Patients with Hemochromatosis or with Hyperferritinemia, and Their Normalization by Iron Chelators and Other Agents

PubMed Central

Pretorius, Etheresia; Bester, Janette; Vermeulen, Natasha; Lipinski, Boguslaw; Gericke, George S.; Kell, Douglas B.

2014-01-01

It is well-known that individuals with increased iron levels are more prone to thrombotic diseases, mainly due to the presence of unliganded iron, and thereby the increased production of hydroxyl radicals. It is also known that erythrocytes (RBCs) may play an important role during thrombotic events. Therefore the purpose of the current study was to assess whether RBCs had an altered morphology in individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), as well as some who displayed hyperferritinemia (HF). Using scanning electron microscopy, we also assessed means by which the RBC and fibrin morphology might be normalized. An important objective was to test the hypothesis that the altered RBC morphology was due to the presence of excess unliganded iron by removing it through chelation. Very striking differences were observed, in that the erythrocytes from HH and HF individuals were distorted and had a much greater axial ratio compared to that accompanying the discoid appearance seen in the normal samples. The response to thrombin, and the appearance of a platelet-rich plasma smear, were also markedly different. These differences could largely be reversed by the iron chelator desferal and to some degree by the iron chelator clioquinol, or by the free radical trapping agents salicylate or selenite (that may themselves also be iron chelators). These findings are consistent with the view that the aberrant morphology of the HH and HF erythrocytes is caused, at least in part, by unliganded (‘free’) iron, whether derived directly via raised ferritin levels or otherwise, and that lowering it or affecting the consequences of its action may be of therapeutic benefit. The findings also bear on the question of the extent to which accepting blood donations from HH individuals may be desirable or otherwise. PMID:24416376

Morphological priming by itself: a study of Portuguese conjugations.

PubMed

Veríssimo, João; Clahsen, Harald

2009-07-01

Does the language processing system make use of abstract grammatical categories and representations that are not directly visible from the surface form of a linguistic expression? This study examines stem-formation processes and conjugation classes, a case of 'pure' morphology that provides insight into the role of grammatical structure in language processing. We report results from a cross-modal priming experiment examining 1st and 3rd conjugation verb forms in Portuguese. Although items were closely matched with respect to a range of non-morphological factors, distinct priming patterns were found for 1st and 3rd conjugation stems. We attribute the observed priming patterns to different representations of conjugational stems, combinatorial morphologically structured ones for 1st conjugation and un-analyzed morphologically unstructured ones for 3rd conjugation stems. Our findings underline the importance of morphology for language comprehension indicating that morphological analysis goes beyond the identification of grammatical morphemes.

Effect of crystals and fibrous network polymer additives on cellular morphology of microcellular foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyamoto, Ryoma; Utano, Tatsumi; Yasuhara, Shunya; Ishihara, Shota; Ohshima, Masahiro

2015-05-01

In this study, the core-back foam injection molding was used for preparing microcelluar polypropylene (PP) foam with either a 1,3:2,4 bis-O-(4-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol gelling agent (Gel-all MD) or a fibros network polymer additive (Metablen 3000). Both agent and addiive could effectively control the celluar morphology in foams but somehow different ways. In course of cooling the polymer with Gel-all MD in the mold caity, the agent enhanced the crystal nucleation and resulted in the large number of small crystals. The crystals acted as effective bubble nucleation agent in foaming process. Thus, the agent reduced the cell size and increased the cell density, drastically. Furthermore, the small crystals provided an inhomogenuity to the expanding cell wall and produced the high open cell content with nano-scale fibril structure. Gell-all as well as Metablene 3000 formed a gel-like fibrous network in melt. The network increased the elongational viscosity and tended to prevent the cell wall from breaking up. The foaming temperature window was widened by the presence of the network. Especially, the temperature window where the macro-fibrous structure was formed was expanded to the higher temperature. The effects of crystal nucleating agent and PTFE on crystals' size and number, viscoelsticity, rheological propreties of PP and cellular morphology were compared and thorougly investigated.

Morphological plasticity of bacteria—Open questions

PubMed Central

Shen, Jie-Pan

2016-01-01

Morphological plasticity of bacteria is a cryptic phenomenon, by which bacteria acquire adaptive benefits for coping with changing environments. Some environmental cues were identified to induce morphological plasticity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Physical and chemical factors causing morphological changes in bacteria have been investigated and mostly associated with potential pathways linked to the cell wall synthetic machinery. These include starvation, oxidative stresses, predation effectors, antimicrobial agents, temperature stresses, osmotic shock, and mechanical constraints. In an extreme scenario of morphological plasticity, bacteria can be induced to be shapeshifters when the cell walls are defective or deficient. They follow distinct developmental pathways and transform into assorted morphological variants, and most of them would eventually revert to typical cell morphology. It is suggested that phenotypic heterogeneity might play a functional role in the development of morphological diversity and/or plasticity within an isogenic population. Accordingly, phenotypic heterogeneity and inherited morphological plasticity are found to be survival strategies adopted by bacteria in response to environmental stresses. Here, microfluidic and nanofabrication technology is considered to provide versatile solutions to induce morphological plasticity, sort and isolate morphological variants, and perform single-cell analysis including transcriptional and epigenetic profiling. Questions such as how morphogenesis network is modulated or rewired (if epigenetic controls of cell morphogenesis apply) to induce bacterial morphological plasticity could be resolved with the aid of micro-nanofluidic platforms and optimization algorithms, such as feedback system control. PMID:27375812

Prevention of shockwave induced functional and morphological alterations: an overview.

PubMed

Sarica, Kemal; Yencilek, Faruk

2008-03-01

Experimental as well as clinical findings reported in the literature suggest that treatment with shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) causes renal parenchymal damage mainly by generating free radicals through ischaemia/reperfusion injury mechanism. Although SWL-induced renal damage is well tolerated in the majority of healthy cases with no permanent functional and/or morphologic side effects, a subset of patients with certain risk factors requires close attention on this aspect among which the ones with pre-existing renal disorders, urinary tract infection, previous lithotripsy history and solitary kidneys could be mentioned. It is clear that in such patients lowering the number of shock waves (per session) could be beneficial and has been applied by the physicians as the first practical step of diminishing SWL induced parenchymal damage. On the other hand, taking the injurious effects of high energy shock wave (HESW) induced free radical formation on renal parenchyma and subsequent histopathologic alterations into account, physicians searched for some protective agents in an attempt to prevent or at least to limit the extent of the functional as well as the morphologic alterations. Among these agents calcium channel blocking agents (verapamil and nifedipine), antioxidant agents (allopurinol, vitamin E and selenium) and potassium citrate have been used to minimize these adverse effects. Additionally, therapeutic application of these agents on reducing stone recurrence particularly after SWL will gain more importance in the future in order to limit new stone formation in these cases. Lastly, as experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated, combination of anti-oxidants with free radical scavengers may provide superior renal protection against shock wave induced trauma. However, we believe that further investigations are certainly needed to determine the dose-response relationship between the damaging effects of SWL application and the protective role of these agents.

Molecular and morphological surface analysis: effect of filling pastes and cleaning agents on root dentin.

PubMed

Dainezi, Vanessa Benetello; Iwamoto, Alexsandra Shizue; Martin, Airton Abrahão; Soares, Luís Eduardo Silva; Hosoya, Yumiko; Pascon, Fernanda Miori; Puppin-Rontani, Regina Maria

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of different filling pastes and cleaning agents on the root dentin of primary teeth using Fourier-transformed Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), micro energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (µ-EDXRF) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Eighty roots of primary teeth were endodontically prepared and distributed into 4 groups and filled according to the following filling pastes: Control-no filling (CP), Calen®+zinc oxide (CZ), Calcipex II® (CII), Vitapex® (V). After seven days, filling paste groups were distributed to 4 subgroups according to cleaning agents (n=5): Control-no cleaning (C), Ethanol (E), Tergenform® (T), 35% Phosphoric acid (PA). Then, the roots were sectioned and the dentin root sections were internally evaluated by FT-Raman, µ-EDXRF and SEM. Data was submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (α=0.05). Regarding filling pastes, there was no significant difference in organic content. CP provided the lowest calcium values and, calcium/phosphoric ratio (Ca/P), and the highest phosphoric values. For cleaning agents there was no difference in organic content when compared to the C; however, T showed significantly higher calcium and Ca/P than PA. All groups showed similar results for phosphorus. The dentin smear layer was present after use of the cleaning agents, except PA. The filling pastes changed the inorganic content, however they did not change the organic content. Cleaning agents did not alter the inorganic and organic content. PA cleaned and opened dentin tubules.

Infants' Attribution of a Goal to a Morphologically Unfamiliar Agent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shimizu, Y. Alpha; Johnson, Susan C.

2004-01-01

How do infants identify the psychological actors in their environments? Three groups of 12-month-old infants were tested for their willingness to encode a simple approach behavior as goal-directed as a function of whether it was performed by (1) a human hand, (2) a morphologically unfamiliar green object that interacted with a confederate and…

Alternative to xylene as a clearing agent in histopathology

PubMed Central

Alwahaibi, Nasar; Aljaradi, Shaima; Alazri, Horiyah

2018-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Clearing is an essential step in processing tissue for light microscopy. Xylene is the clearing agent used most commonly worldwide. Xylene is toxic and therefore a threat to personnel working in histopathology laboratories. We evaluated a safer alternative clearing agent for use in the histopathology laboratory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used 230 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 19 different tissues. Half of the specimens were processed using xylene and half were processed using UltraClear™. Tissues were evaluated for eight parameters: sectioning, nuclear staining, cytoplasmic staining, overall cell morphology, clarity of staining, uniformity of staining, quality of immunohistochemistry (IHC), and cost. RESULTS: Both UltraClear™ and xylene processed sections scored 100% for IHC. Sections processed using UltraClear™ were easy to cut (81.7%) as were xylene processed sections (96.5%). UltraClear™ processed sections showed 67%, 60.9%, 52.2%, 63.5%, and 67% for nuclear staining, cytoplasmic staining, cell morphology, clarity of staining, and uniformity of staining, respectively. UltraClear™ is twice as expensive as xylene. We found that tissues processed using UltraClear™ were easy to cut and worked well for both hematoxylin and eosin and IHC staining. CONCLUSION: UltraClear™ is less toxic, less flammable, friendlier to the environment, and easy to handle, but it is two times expensive than xylene. The findings of this study recommend the use of UltraClear™ solution as a routine clearing agent in histopathology laboratories. However, further studies are required. PMID:29692586

Morphology in Malay-English Biliteracy Acquisition: An Intervention Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Dongbo

2016-01-01

This intervention study examined the effect of English morphological instruction on the development of English as well as Malay morphological awareness and word reading abilities among Malay-English bilingual fourth graders in Singapore, where English is the medium of instruction. The intervention group experienced semester-long instruction in…

Synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of hydroxyapatite using a green chelating agent as template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopi, D.; Bhuvaneshwari, N.; Indira, J.; Kavitha, L.

2013-03-01

Hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HAP] particles have been successfully synthesized by a cost-effective, eco-friendly green template method using natural and commercially available sucrose as a chelating agent. The sucrose used in this method has been extracted from various sources, three from natural and one from commercially available sources are exploited in our study to achieve a controlled crystallinity, particle size as well as uniform morphology. Spectral characterizations involving Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the functional group analysis of sucrose and HAP; carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR) for the identification of the carbon atoms in sucrose and in HAP; liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for the determination of the hydrolyzed products of sucrose; and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques for the phase identification of the HAP particles were performed. The morphology of the HAP particles were assessed thoroughly using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The experimental results indicate that the obtained HAP using the natural sucrose as a chelating agent is of phase pure, with a well defined morphology having discrete particles without any agglomeration than the HAP from commercially available sucrose. Further, the reduced particle size can be achieved from the stem sugarcane extract as the source of the chelating agent.

Synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of hydroxyapatite using a green chelating agent as template.

PubMed

Gopi, D; Bhuvaneshwari, N; Indira, J; Kavitha, L

2013-03-01

Hydroxyapatite [Ca(10)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2), HAP] particles have been successfully synthesized by a cost-effective, eco-friendly green template method using natural and commercially available sucrose as a chelating agent. The sucrose used in this method has been extracted from various sources, three from natural and one from commercially available sources are exploited in our study to achieve a controlled crystallinity, particle size as well as uniform morphology. Spectral characterizations involving Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for the functional group analysis of sucrose and HAP; carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((13)C NMR) for the identification of the carbon atoms in sucrose and in HAP; liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for the determination of the hydrolyzed products of sucrose; and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques for the phase identification of the HAP particles were performed. The morphology of the HAP particles were assessed thoroughly using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The experimental results indicate that the obtained HAP using the natural sucrose as a chelating agent is of phase pure, with a well defined morphology having discrete particles without any agglomeration than the HAP from commercially available sucrose. Further, the reduced particle size can be achieved from the stem sugarcane extract as the source of the chelating agent. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of γ-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (γ-APS) coupling agent on mechanical and morphological properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/palm pressed fibre (PPF) composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norizan, Nabila Najwa; Santiagoo, Ragunathan; Ismail, Hanafi

2017-07-01

The fabrication of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)/ Acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR)/ Palm Pressed Fibre (PPF) composite were investigated. The effect of γ-Aminopropyltriethoxy Silane (APS) as coupling agent on the properties of HDPE/ NBR/ PPF composite were studied. The composites were melt mixed using heated two roll mill at 180°C and speed of 15rpm with six different loading (100/0/10, 80/20/10, 70/30/10, 60/40/10, 50/50/10, and 40/60/10). The effects of γ-APS silane on mechanical, and morphological properties were examined using universal tensile machine (UTM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Tensile strength and Young's modulus of HDPE/ NBR/ PPF composites decrease with increasing of NBR loading, whilst increasing the elongation at break. However, treated composites have resulted 3% to 29%, and 9% to 19%, higher in tensile strength and young's modulus compared to untreated composites. This was due to the better adhesion between HDPE/ NBR matrices and PPF filler with the presence of silanol moieties. From the morphological study, the micrograph of treated composites has proved the well bonded and good attachment of PPF filler with HDPE/ NBR matrices which resulted to better tensile strength to the HDPE/ NBR/ PPF composites.

Molecular and morphological surface analysis: effect of filling pastes and cleaning agents on root dentin

PubMed Central

DAINEZI, Vanessa Benetello; IWAMOTO, Alexsandra Shizue; MARTIN, Airton Abrahão; SOARES, Luís Eduardo Silva; HOSOYA, Yumiko; PASCON, Fernanda Miori; PUPPIN-RONTANI, Regina Maria

2017-01-01

Abstract The quality of the dentin root is the most important factor for restoration resin sealing and drives the outcome of endodontic treatment. Objective This study evaluated the effect of different filling pastes and cleaning agents on the root dentin of primary teeth using Fourier-transformed Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman), micro energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (µ-EDXRF) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Material and Methods Eighty roots of primary teeth were endodontically prepared and distributed into 4 groups and filled according to the following filling pastes: Control-no filling (CP), Calen®+zinc oxide (CZ), Calcipex II® (CII), Vitapex® (V). After seven days, filling paste groups were distributed to 4 subgroups according to cleaning agents (n=5): Control-no cleaning (C), Ethanol (E), Tergenform® (T), 35% Phosphoric acid (PA). Then, the roots were sectioned and the dentin root sections were internally evaluated by FT-Raman, µ-EDXRF and SEM. Data was submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (α=0.05). Results Regarding filling pastes, there was no significant difference in organic content. CP provided the lowest calcium values and, calcium/phosphoric ratio (Ca/P), and the highest phosphoric values. For cleaning agents there was no difference in organic content when compared to the C; however, T showed significantly higher calcium and Ca/P than PA. All groups showed similar results for phosphorus. The dentin smear layer was present after use of the cleaning agents, except PA. Conclusion The filling pastes changed the inorganic content, however they did not change the organic content. Cleaning agents did not alter the inorganic and organic content. PA cleaned and opened dentin tubules. PMID:28198982

Beyond Simple AB Diblock Copolymers: Application of Bifunctional and Trifunctional RAFT Agents to PISA in Water.

PubMed

Mellot, Gaëlle; Beaunier, Patricia; Guigner, Jean-Michel; Bouteiller, Laurent; Rieger, Jutta; Stoffelbach, François

2018-06-20

The influence of the macromolecular reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (macro-RAFT) agent architecture on the morphology of the self-assemblies obtained by aqueous RAFT dispersion polymerization in polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is studied by comparing amphiphilic AB diblock, (AB) 2 triblock, and triarm star-shaped (AB) 3 copolymers, constituted of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAc = A) and diacetone acrylamide (DAAm = B). Symmetrical triarm (AB) 3 copolymers could be synthesized for the first time in a PISA process. Spheres and higher order morphologies, such as worms or vesicles, could be obtained for all types of architectures and the parameters that determine their formation have been studied. In particular, we found that the total DP n of the PDMAc and the PDAAm segments, i.e., the same overall molar mass, at the same M n (PDMAc)/M n (PDAAm) ratio, rather than the individual length of the arms determined the morphologies for the linear (AB) 2 and star shaped (AB) 3 copolymers obtained by using the bi- and trifunctional macro-RAFT agents. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Developmental morphology of Knemidokoptes pilae on an infested red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae).

PubMed

Kim, Kyoo-Tae; Lee, Seung-Hun; Kwak, Dongmi

2016-03-01

A captive 4-year-old female red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) presented with anorexia, diminished activity and thick, beige, crusted lesions over the cere, legs, wings and cloaca. Deep skin scrapings from various lesions identified Knemidokoptes pilae as the causative agent. For treatment, the crusts were debrided, and the lesions were topically treated with ivermectin, chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine. The parakeet died the day after treatment. Previous studies examining K. pilae have focused primarily on the morphologic characteristics of adult female mites. This study presents a more comprehensive morphologic analysis, with examination of K. pilae at different stages of development (eggs, larvae and adult males and females).

Kerosene: Contributing agent to xylene as a clearing agent in tissue processing.

PubMed

Shah, Amisha Ashokkumar; Kulkarni, Dinraj; Ingale, Yashwant; Koshy, Ajit V; Bhagalia, Sanjay; Bomble, Nikhil

2017-01-01

Research methodology in oral and maxillofacial pathology has illimitable potential. The tissue processing involves many steps of which one of the most important step is "Clearing," which is a process of replacing dehydrant with a substance which is miscible with embedding medium or paraffin wax. Xylene is one of the common clearing agents used in laboratory, but it is also hazardous. The main aim of this study is to substitute conventionally used xylene by a mixture of kerosene and xylene in clearing steps without altering the morphology and staining characteristics of tissue sections. This will also minimize the toxic effects and tend to be more economical. One hundred and twenty bits of tissue samples were collected, each randomly separated into 4 groups (A, B, C and D) and kept for routine tissue processing till the step of clearing; during the step of clearing instead of conventional xylene, we used mixture of xylene and kerosene in 4 ratios ([A-K:X - 50:50]; [B-K:X - 70:30]; [C - Ab. Kerosene]; [D - Ab. Xylene - as control]) and observed for the light microscopic study adopting H and E staining, IHC (D2-40), Special stains (periodic acid-Schiff and congo red) procedure. The result was subjected to statistical analysis by using Fisher's exact test. The results obtained from the present study were compared with control group, i.e., D and it was observed that Groups A and B were absolutely cleared without altering the morphology of tissue and cellular details; optimum embedding characteristics and better staining characteristics were also noted, whereas Group C presents poor staining characteristics with reduced cellular details. Embedded tissues in Group C presented with rough, irregular surface and also appeared shrunken. Combined mixture of xylene and kerosene as a clearing agent in different ratio, i.e., Group A (K:X - 50:50) and B (K:X - 70:30) can be used without posing any health risk or compromising the cellular integrity.

Biomimetic synthesis of struvite with biogenic morphology and implication for pathological biomineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Han; Yao, Qi-Zhi; Wang, Yu-Ying; Li, Yi-Liang; Zhou, Gen-Tao

2015-01-01

Recent studies have found that certain urinary proteins can efficiently inhibit stone formation. These discoveries are significant for developing effective therapies for stone disease, but the inhibition mechanism of crystallization remains elusive. In the present study, polyaspartic acid (PASP) was employed as a model peptide to investigate the effect of urinary proteins on the crystallization and morphological evolution of struvite. The results demonstrate that selective adsorption/binding of PASP onto the {010} and {101} faces of struvite crystals results in arrowhead-shaped morphology, which further evolves into X-shaped and unusual tabular structures with time. Noticeably, these morphologies are reminiscent of biogenic struvite morphology. Concentration-dependent experiments show that PASP can inhibit struvite growth and the inhibitory capacity increases with increasing PASP concentration, whereas aspartic acid monomers do not show a significant effect. Considering that PASP is a structural and functional analogue of the subdomains of aspartic acid-rich proteins, our results reveal that aspartic acid-rich proteins play a key role in regulating biogenic struvite morphology, and aspartic acid residues contribute to the inhibitory capacity of urinary proteins. The potential implications of PASP for developing therapeutic agents for urinary stone disease is also discussed.

Biomimetic synthesis of struvite with biogenic morphology and implication for pathological biomineralization.

PubMed

Li, Han; Yao, Qi-Zhi; Wang, Yu-Ying; Li, Yi-Liang; Zhou, Gen-Tao

2015-01-16

Recent studies have found that certain urinary proteins can efficiently inhibit stone formation. These discoveries are significant for developing effective therapies for stone disease, but the inhibition mechanism of crystallization remains elusive. In the present study, polyaspartic acid (PASP) was employed as a model peptide to investigate the effect of urinary proteins on the crystallization and morphological evolution of struvite. The results demonstrate that selective adsorption/binding of PASP onto the {010} and {101} faces of struvite crystals results in arrowhead-shaped morphology, which further evolves into X-shaped and unusual tabular structures with time. Noticeably, these morphologies are reminiscent of biogenic struvite morphology. Concentration-dependent experiments show that PASP can inhibit struvite growth and the inhibitory capacity increases with increasing PASP concentration, whereas aspartic acid monomers do not show a significant effect. Considering that PASP is a structural and functional analogue of the subdomains of aspartic acid-rich proteins, our results reveal that aspartic acid-rich proteins play a key role in regulating biogenic struvite morphology, and aspartic acid residues contribute to the inhibitory capacity of urinary proteins. The potential implications of PASP for developing therapeutic agents for urinary stone disease is also discussed.

Mining Temporal Patterns to Improve Agents Behavior: Two Case Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fournier-Viger, Philippe; Nkambou, Roger; Faghihi, Usef; Nguifo, Engelbert Mephu

We propose two mechanisms for agent learning based on the idea of mining temporal patterns from agent behavior. The first one consists of extracting temporal patterns from the perceived behavior of other agents accomplishing a task, to learn the task. The second learning mechanism consists in extracting temporal patterns from an agent's own behavior. In this case, the agent then reuses patterns that brought self-satisfaction. In both cases, no assumption is made on how the observed agents' behavior is internally generated. A case study with a real application is presented to illustrate each learning mechanism.

Morphological Study of Insoluble Organic Matter Residues from Primitive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Changela, H. G.; Stroud, R. M.; Peeters, Z.; Nittler, L. R.; Alexander, C. M. O'D.; DeGregorio, B. T.; Cody, G. D.

2012-01-01

Insoluble organic matter (IOM) constitutes a major proportion, 70-99%, of the total organic carbon found in primitive chondrites [1, 2]. One characteristic morphological component of IOM is nanoglobules [3, 4]. Some nanoglobules exhibit large N-15 and D enrichments relative to solar values, indicating that they likely originated in the ISM or the outskirts of the protoplanetary disk [3]. A recent study of samples from the Tagish Lake meteorite with varying levels of hydrothermal alteration suggest that nanoglobule abundance decreases with increasing hydrothermal alteration [5]. The aim of this study is to further document the morphologies of IOM from a range of primitive chondrites in order to determine any correlation of morphology with petrographic grade and chondrite class that could constrain the formation and/or alteration mechanisms.

[Vestibular compensation studies]. [Vestibular Compensation and Morphological Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perachio, Adrian A. (Principal Investigator)

1996-01-01

The following topics are reported: neurophysiological studies on MVN neurons during vestibular compensation; effects of spinal cord lesions on VNC neurons during compensation; a closed-loop vestibular compensation model for horizontally canal-related MVN neurons; spatiotemporal convergence in VNC neurons; contributions of irregularly firing vestibular afferents to linear and angular VOR's; application to flight studies; metabolic measures in vestibular neurons; immediate early gene expression following vestibular stimulation; morphological studies on primary afferents, central vestibular pathways, vestibular efferent projection to the vestibular end organs, and three-dimensional morphometry and imaging.

Morphological studies on block copolymer modified PA 6 blends

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poindl, M., E-mail: marcus.poindl@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de; Bonten, C., E-mail: marcus.poindl@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de, E-mail: christian.bonten@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de

Recent studies show that compounding polyamide 6 (PA 6) with a PA 6 polyether block copolymers made by reaction injection molding (RIM) or continuous anionic polymerization in a reactive extrusion process (REX) result in blends with high impact strength and high stiffness compared to conventional rubber blends. In this paper, different high impact PA 6 blends were prepared using a twin screw extruder. The different impact modifiers were an ethylene propylene copolymer, a PA PA 6 polyether block copolymer made by reaction injection molding and one made by reactive extrusion. To ensure good particle matrix bonding, the ethylene propylene copolymermore » was grafted with maleic anhydride (EPR-g-MA). Due to the molecular structure of the two block copolymers, a coupling agent was not necessary. The block copolymers are semi-crystalline and partially cross-linked in contrast to commonly used amorphous rubbers which are usually uncured. The combination of different analysis methods like atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gave a detailed view in the structure of the blends. Due to the partial cross-linking, the particles of the block copolymers in the blends are not spherical like the ones of ethylene propylene copolymer. The differences in molecular structure, miscibility and grafting of the impact modifiers result in different mechanical properties and different blend morphologies.« less

Impact of the morphology and reactivity of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) on dechlorinating bacteria.

PubMed

Rónavári, Andrea; Balázs, Margit; Tolmacsov, Péter; Molnár, Csaba; Kiss, István; Kukovecz, Ákos; Kónya, Zoltán

2016-05-15

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) is increasingly used for reducing chlorinated organic contaminants in soil or groundwater. However, little is known about what impact the particles will have on the biochemical processes and the indigenous microbial communities. Nanoiron reactivity is affected by the structure and morphology of nanoparticles that complicates the applicability in bioremediation. In this study, the effect of precursors (ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride) and reducing agents (sodium dithionite and sodium borohydride) on the morphology and the reactivity of NZVIs was investigated. We also studied the impact of differently synthesized NZVIs on microbial community, which take part in reductive dechlorination. We demonstrated that both the applied iron precursor and the reducing agent had influence on the structure of the nanoparticles. Spherical nanoparticles with higher Fe(0) content (>90%) was observed by using sodium borohydride as reducing agent, while application of sodium dithionite as reducing agent resulted nanostructures with lower Fe(0) content (between 68,7 and 85,5%). To determine the influence of differently synthesized NZVIs on cell viability anaerobic enriched microcosm were used. NVZI was used in 0.1 g/L concentration in all batch experiments. Relative amount of Dehalococcoides, sulfate reducers (SRBs) and methanogens were measured by quantitative PCR. We found that the relative amount of Dehalococcoides slowly decreased in all experiments independently from the precursor and reducing agent, whereas the total amount of microbes increased. The only clear distinction was in relative amount of sulfate reducers which were higher in the presence of NZVIs synthesized from sodium dithionite. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of vitrification cryopreservation on follicular morphology and stress relaxation behaviors of human ovarian tissues: sucrose versus trehalose as the non-permeable protective agent.

PubMed

Tian, Ting; Zhao, Gang; Han, Dan; Zhu, Kaixuan; Chen, Dawei; Zhang, Zhiguo; Wei, Zhaolian; Cao, Yunxia; Zhou, Ping

2015-04-01

Is sucrose more effective than trehalose in human ovarian tissue cryopreservation? The effect of sucrose as a cryoprotective agent (CPA) was not significantly different from that of trehalose in human ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Sugars have the ability to keep the cell membrane intact and can decrease the toxicity of CPAs. Sucrose is the most commonly used non-permeable CPA, while trehalose is rarely used in human ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Although various methods are utilized to evaluate the efficiency of human ovarian tissue cryopreservation, few studies have evaluated the effect of cryopreservation from the viewpoint of biomechanics. A total of 15 ovarian tissue samples were collected from 15 patients (20-41 years old) with benign ovarian tumors or malignancies, and each was dissected into six slices. Two slices were taken as the fresh control group. The remaining four slices were vitrified using different vitrification protocols. After warming, samples in each group were either fixed for histological evaluation or destined for stress relaxation test. The CPA solutions for the control and vitrified groups were composed of EDS and EDT (E, ethylene glycol; D, dimethylsulphoxide; S, sucrose; T, trehalose). The stress relaxation experiments were carried out at room temperature using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Ovarian tissue samples were assessed for both their morphology and viscoelasticity. Stress relaxation data (SRD) were calculated as a percentage, representing the ability to maintain the initial stress after stretching. The percentage of morphologically normal follicles was compared between groups, which was represented by morphologic preservation ratio. The morphologic preservation ratio of the primordial follicles in the fresh control group (87.58%) was higher than that in group S (72.33%) (P = 0.000) and group T (79.56%) (P = 0.002). Although not statistically significant, compared with the S group, vitrification with T suggested a trend

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Morphological Awareness Intervention: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimo, Danielle

2016-01-01

Researchers have established that morphological awareness is an important skill because it contributes unique variance to word-level reading and reading comprehension; however, few studies include students with reading disorders. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether training morphological awareness would improve morphological…

Association between trochlear morphology and chondromalacia patella: an MRI study.

PubMed

Duran, Semra; Cavusoglu, Mehtap; Kocadal, Onur; Sakman, Bulent

This study aimed to compare trochlear morphology seen in magnetic resonance imaging between patients with chondromalacia patella and age-matched control patients without cartilage lesion. Trochlear morphology was evaluated using the lateral trochlear inclination, medial trochlear inclination, sulcus angle and trochlear angle on the axial magnetic resonance images. Consequently, an association between abnormal trochlear morphology and chondromalacia patella was identified in women. In particular, women with flattened lateral trochlea are at an increased risk of patellar cartilage structural damage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Revised Study Design for Final Phase of the Change Agent Study. Study of Change Agent Programs: A Working Note.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, G.; And Others

The Rand change agent study was designed to determine the factors for successful implementation and continuation of selected federal programs--the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III, Innovation Projects; ESEA Title VII, Bilingual Projects; Vocational Education Part D, Exemplary Programs; and the Right-to-Read program. This report…

Carbohydrate-directed synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles: effect of the structure of carbohydrates and reducing agents on the size and morphology of the composites.

PubMed

Shervani, Zameer; Yamamoto, Yasushi

2011-04-01

A monosaccharide (β-D-glucose) and polysaccharide (soluble starch) were used as structure directing and subsequently stabilizing agents for the synthesis of spherical nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires of silver and gold. Homogeneous monodispersed Ag(0) nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of 15 nm diameter were obtained when 10(-4)M AgNO(3) precursor salt was reduced in starch (1 wt%)-water gel by 1 wt% β-D-glucose. For a second preparation the effect of reducing agents on the synthesis of Au(0) metallic nanoparticles (Au NPs) of 2 × 10(-4)M concentration prepared in a β-D-glucose (0.03 M)-water dispersion was studied first in detail. Different equivalent amounts of NaBH(4) and a number of pH values were evaluated for the reduction of the Au salt HAuCl(4)·3H(2)O to obtain Au NPs. The type and the amount of reducing agent, as well as the pH of the solution was shown to affect the size and morphology of the NPs. NaBH(4) (4 equiv) produced the smallest (5.3 nm (σ 0.7)) metallic particles compared to larger particles (10.0 nm (σ 1.4)) when the salt was reduced by 1 equiv of NaBH(4). Addition of excess NaBH(4) caused the NPs to settle out as a precipitate forming a mesh or wire structure rather than monodispersed particles. Low pH (pH 6) resulted in incomplete reduction, while at pH 8 the salt was completely reduced. When the salt was reduced by NaOH at pH 8, the particles were larger (14.2 nm) and less homogeneous (σ 2.8) compared to those from NaBH(4) reduction. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface morphology and electrochemical studies on polyaniline/CuO nano composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashokkumar, S. P.; Vijeth, H.; Yesappa, L.; Niranjana, M.; Vandana, M.; Basappa, M.; Devendrappa, H.

2018-05-01

An electrochemically synthesized Polyaniline (PANI) and Polyaniline/copper oxide (PCN) nano composite have studied the morphology and electrochemical properties. The composite is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphology was studied using FESEM and electrochemical behavior is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The CV curves shows rectangular shaped curve and they have contribution to electrical double layer capacitance (EDCL).

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Hexahydropyrimidine Derivatives against the Causative Agents of Dermatomycosis

PubMed Central

Caneschi, César A.; Senra, Mônica P.; Carvalho, Gustavo S. G.; da Silva, Adilson D.

2017-01-01

Nitrogenated heterocyclic compounds are present in both natural and synthetic drugs, and hexahydropyrimidine derivatives may prove to be efficient in treating dermatomycosis causing fungi. This study evaluated the antifungal activity of four hexahydropyrimidine derivatives against the dermatomycosis causing fungi. These derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and assessed in terms of their activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Epidermophyton floccosum between concentrations 7.8 and 1,000 μg mL−1. Scanning electron micrographs were assessed for the active derivatives and reference drugs, and these micrographs revealed that new agents cause morphological changes in fungi. The derivatives HHP1, HHP3, and HHP4 revealed poor activity against the four fungal strains (MICs range 500–1000 μg mL−1). Compound HHP3 was found to be the best potential antifungal agent among those tested and was the most effective among all the active derivatives that caused morphological changes in the susceptible strains. PMID:29226215

Morphologic study of the effect of iron on pseudocyst formation in Trichomonas vaginalis and its interaction with human epithelial cells.

PubMed

Dias-Lopes, Geovane; Saboia-Vahia, Leonardo; Margotti, Eliane Trindade; Fernandes, Nilma de Souza; Castro, Cássia Luana de Faria; Oliveira, Francisco Odencio; Peixoto, Juliana Figueiredo; Britto, Constança; Silva, Fernando Costa E; Cuervo, Patricia; Jesus, José Batista de

2017-10-01

Trichomonas vaginalis is the aetiological agent of human trichomoniasis, which is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in humans. Iron is an important element for the survival of this parasite and the colonisation of the host urogenital tract. In this study, we investigated the effects of iron on parasite proliferation in the dynamics of pseudocyst formation and morphologically characterised iron depletion-induced pseudocysts. We performed structural and ultrastructural analyses using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was observed that iron depletion (i) interrupts the proliferation of T. vaginalis, (ii) induces morphological changes in typical multiplicative trophozoites to spherical non-proliferative, non-motile pseudocysts, and (iii) induces the arrest of cell division at different stages of the cell cycle; (iv) iron is the fundamental element for the maintenance of typical trophozoite morphology; (v) pseudocysts induced by iron depletion are viable and reversible forms; and, finally, (vi) we demonstrated that pseudocysts induced by iron depletion are able to interact with human epithelial cells maintaining their spherical forms. Together, these data suggest that pseudocysts could be induced as a response to iron nutritional stress and could have a potential role in the transmission and infection of T. vaginalis.

Morphologic study of the effect of iron on pseudocyst formation in Trichomonas vaginalis and its interaction with human epithelial cells

PubMed Central

Dias-Lopes, Geovane; Saboia-Vahia, Leonardo; Margotti, Eliane Trindade; Fernandes, Nilma de Souza; Castro, Cássia Luana de Faria; Oliveira, Francisco Odencio; Peixoto, Juliana Figueiredo; Britto, Constança; Silva, Fernando Costa e; Cuervo, Patricia; de Jesus, José Batista

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Trichomonas vaginalis is the aetiological agent of human trichomoniasis, which is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in humans. Iron is an important element for the survival of this parasite and the colonisation of the host urogenital tract. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the effects of iron on parasite proliferation in the dynamics of pseudocyst formation and morphologically characterised iron depletion-induced pseudocysts. METHODS We performed structural and ultrastructural analyses using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. FINDINGS It was observed that iron depletion (i) interrupts the proliferation of T. vaginalis, (ii) induces morphological changes in typical multiplicative trophozoites to spherical non-proliferative, non-motile pseudocysts, and (iii) induces the arrest of cell division at different stages of the cell cycle; (iv) iron is the fundamental element for the maintenance of typical trophozoite morphology; (v) pseudocysts induced by iron depletion are viable and reversible forms; and, finally, (vi) we demonstrated that pseudocysts induced by iron depletion are able to interact with human epithelial cells maintaining their spherical forms. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that pseudocysts could be induced as a response to iron nutritional stress and could have a potential role in the transmission and infection of T. vaginalis. PMID:28953994

Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma of the Female Genital Tract: A Morphologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Cytogenetic Study of 10 Cases With Emphasis on its Distinction From Morphologic Mimics.

PubMed

Schoolmeester, J Kenneth; Carlson, Joseph; Keeney, Gary L; Fritchie, Karen J; Oliva, Esther; Young, Robert H; Nucci, Marisa R

2017-05-01

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a morphologically distinctive neoplasm of unknown differentiation that bears a characteristic gene fusion involving ASPSCR1 and TFE3. ASPS can occur in the female genital tract, but is rare. Eleven cases with an initial diagnosis of ASPS at female genital tract sites were evaluated for their morphologic features and immunoprofile using a panel of antibodies (TFE3, HMB45, melan-A, smooth muscle actin, desmin, and h-Caldesmon). In addition, the presence of TFE3 rearrangement and subsequent ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion were determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Ten tumors retained their classification as ASPS based on their morphologic appearance, immunohistochemical profile, and demonstration of ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion. The remaining case was reclassified as conventional-type PEComa due to its pattern of HMB45, melan-A, and desmin positivity as well as absence of TFE3 rearrangement. Sites of the 10 ASPS were uterine corpus (3), cervix (2), uterus not further specified (2), vagina (2), and vulva (1). The age of the patients ranged from 15 to 68 years (mean 34 y, median 32 y). The tumors demonstrated a spectrum of morphologic features, but all had a consistent immunophenotype of strong TFE3 nuclear expression and lack of muscle (smooth muscle actin, desmin, h-Caldesmon) and melanocytic (melan-A, HMB45) markers, except focal positivity for HMB45 in 1. Follow-up was available for 4 patients ranging from 1 to 35 months (mean 15 mo, median 25 mo) and they were alive and had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis at last follow-up. Distinguishing ASPS from its morphologic mimics, particularly PEComa, is important due to increasingly efficacious targeted agents such as MET-selective and VEGF signaling inhibitors in the former and mTOR inhibition therapy in the latter.

A decontamination study of simulated chemical and biological agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhm, Han S.; Lee, Han Y.; Hong, Yong C.; Shin, Dong H.; Park, Yun H.; Hong, Yi F.; Lee, Chong K.

2007-07-01

A comprehensive decontamination scheme of the chemical and biological agents, including airborne agents and surface contaminating agents, is presented. When a chemical and biological attack occurs, it is critical to decontaminate facilities or equipments to an acceptable level in a very short time. The plasma flame presented here may provide a rapid and effective elimination of toxic substances in the interior air in isolated spaces. As an example, a reaction chamber, with the dimensions of a 22cm diameter and 30cm length, purifies air with an airflow rate of 5000l/min contaminated with toluene, the simulated chemical agent, and soot from a diesel engine, the simulated aerosol for biological agents. Although the airborne agents in an isolated space are eliminated to an acceptable level by the plasma flame, the decontamination of the chemical and biological agents cannot be completed without cleaning surfaces of the facilities. A simulated sterilization study of micro-organisms was carried out using the electrolyzed ozone water. The electrolyzed ozone water very effectively kills endospores of Bacillus atrophaeus (ATCC 9372) within 3min. The electrolyzed ozone water also kills the vegetative micro-organisms, fungi, and virus. The electrolyzed ozone water, after the decontamination process, disintegrates into ordinary water and oxygen without any trace of harmful materials to the environment.

Determination of Thermal Properties and Morphology of Eucalyptus Wood Residue Filled High Density Polyethylene Composites

PubMed Central

Mengeloglu, Fatih; Kabakci, Ayse

2008-01-01

Thermal behaviors of eucalyptus wood residue (EWR) filled recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites have been measured applying the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Morphology of the materials was also studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Addition of the EWR into the recycled HDPE matrix reduced the starting of degradation temperature. EWR filled recycled HDPE had two main decomposition peaks, one for EWR around 350 °C and one for recycled HDPE around 460 °C. Addition of EWR did not affect the melting temperature of the recycled HDPE. Morphological study showed that addition of coupling agent improved the compatibility between wood residue and recycled HDPE. PMID:19325736

Submicron polycaprolactone particles as a carrier for imaging contrast agent for in vitro applications.

PubMed

Iqbal, Muhammad; Robin, Sophie; Humbert, Philippe; Viennet, Céline; Agusti, Geraldine; Fessi, Hatem; Elaissari, Abdelhamid

2015-12-01

Fluorescent materials have recently attracted considerable attention due to their unique properties and high performance as imaging agent in biomedical fields. Different imaging agents have been encapsulated in order to restrict its delivery to a specific area. In this study, a fluorescent contrast agent was encapsulated for in vitro application by polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer. The encapsulation was performed using modified double emulsion solvent evaporation technique with sonication. Fluorescent nanoparticles (20 nm) were incorporated in the inner aqueous phase of double emulsion. A number of samples were fabricated using different concentrations of fluorescent contrast agent. The contrast agent-containing submicron particle was characterized by a zetasizer for average particle size, SEM and TEM for morphology observations and fluorescence spectrophotometer for encapsulation efficiency. Moreover, contrast agent distribution in the PCL matrix was determined by confocal microscopy. The incorporation of contrast agent in different concentrations did not affect the physicochemical properties of PCL particles and the average size of encapsulated particles was found to be in the submicron range. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neural Correlates of Morphological Decomposition in a Morphologically Rich Language: An fMRI Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehtonen, Minna; Vorobyev, Victor A.; Hugdahl, Kenneth; Tuokkola, Terhi; Laine, Matti

2006-01-01

By employing visual lexical decision and functional MRI, we studied the neural correlates of morphological decomposition in a highly inflected language (Finnish) where most inflected noun forms elicit a consistent processing cost during word recognition. This behavioral effect could reflect suffix stripping at the visual word form level and/or…

A study on etiologic agents and clinical manifestations of dermatophytosis in Yazd, Iran

PubMed Central

Rashidian, S; Falahati, M; Kordbacheh, P; Mahmoudi, M; Safara, M; Sadeghi Tafti, H; Mahmoudi, S; Zaini, F

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose: Dermatophytosis is one of the most common infections of skin, hair, and nails, caused by a group of keratinophilic fungi known as dermatophytes. Species identification of these fungi is of great significance from epidemiological and therapeutic points of view. The objective of the present study was to investigate dermatophytosis and its causative agents in patients, referring to the Central Mycology Laboratory of Yazd University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Materials and Methods: In total, 139 clinically suspected cases of dermatophytosis were examined during 12 months from February 2014 to February 2015. Skin scrapings were assessed through direct microscopic examinations and culture studies. Dermatophyte isolates were identified based on colony morphology on potato dextrose agar and dermatophyte test medium, nutritional requirements, urease and hair perforation tests, and microscopic characteristics on slide cultures. Results: Dermatophytosis was mycologically confirmed in 26 (18.70%) out of 139 cases. Although there was a statistically insignificant difference between male and female subjects, men were dominantly affected. Infection was significantly common in the age group of ≤ 29 years (P<0.043). The most common clinical manifestation of dermatophytosis was tinea corporis (69.2%), followed by tinea cruris (15.4%), tinea manuum (11.5%), and tinea pedis (3.8%). Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex was the main etiologic agent (38.5%), followed by T. rubrum (23%), T. violaceum (15.5%), T. verrucosum (11.5%), Microsporum canis (7.7%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (3.8%). Conclusion: In comparison with previous research, epidemiology of dermatophytosis has changed in Yazd over the past decades. Therefore, periodical investigations on the epidemiological aspects of this infection are required for efficient control and prevention of this cutaneous dermatophytic disease. PMID:28681000

Preparation and characterization of silver chloride nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duong Trinh, Ngoc; Thanh Binh Nguyen, Thi; Hai Nguyen, Thanh

2015-12-01

Silver chloride nanoparticles were prepared by the precipitation reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride in an aqueous solution containing poly(vinyl alcohol) as a stabilizing agent. Different characteristics of the nanoparticles in suspension and in lyophilized powder such as size, morphology, chemical nature, interaction with stabilizing agent and photo-stability were investigated. Biological tests showed that the obtained silver chloride nanoparticles displayed antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

[Effects of tooth whitening agents and acidic drinks on the surface properties of dental enamel].

PubMed

Chen, Xiaoling; Chen, Zhiqun; Lin, Yao; Shao, Jinquan; Yin, Lu

2013-10-01

Using tooth whitening agents (bleaching clip) in vitro and acidic drinks, we conducted a comparative study of the changes in enamel surface morphology, Ca/P content, and hardness. Tooth whitening glue pieces, cola, and orange juice were used to soak teeth in artificial saliva in vitro. Physiological saline was used as a control treatment. The morphology of the four groups was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) immediately after the teeth were soaked for 7 and 14 d. The changes in Ca/P content and microhardness were analyzed. The enamel surfaces of the teeth in the three test groups were demineralized. The Ca/P ratio and the average microhardness were significantly lower than those of the control group immediately after the teeth were soaked (P < 0.05). The Ca/P ratio and microhardness gradually increased after 7 d. No significant difference was observed between the control group and the test groups after 14 d (P > 0.05). Bleaching agents caused transient demineralization of human enamel, but these agents could induce re-mineralization and repair of enamel over time. Demineralization caused by bleaching covered a relatively normal range compared with acidic drinks and daily drinking.

Cu-based metal-organic framework thin films: A morphological and photovoltaic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khajavian, Ruhollah; Ghani, Kamal

2018-06-01

This work explores the layer-by-layer (LbL) fabrication of [Cu2(bdc)2(bpy)]n thin films by using pyridine and acetic acid as capping agents onto mesoporous titania surface. While in the presence of acetic acid highly-ordered crystals with nanoplate morphology are formed, modulation with pyridine gives rise to formation of leaf-like crystals. In addition, processing sequence also matters when modulator is added. According to our results, modulators should be added to metal solution rather than linker/pillar during LbL assembly. These films were subsequently shown to generate photocurrent in a sandwich-type Grätzel solar cell device in response to simulated 1 sun illumination. The results also demonstrated that the device consisted of well-aligned nanoplates exhibits higher power conversion efficiency than the similar cell with disordered leaf-like crystals after iodine loading.

The effect of different chemical agents on human enamel: an atomic force and scanning electron microscopy study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rominu, Roxana O.; Rominu, Mihai; Negrutiu, Meda Lavinia; Sinescu, Cosmin; Pop, Daniela; Petrescu, Emanuela

2010-12-01

PURPOSE: The goal of our study was to investigate the changes in enamel surface roughess induced by the application of different chemical substances by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. METHOD: Five sound human first upper premolar teeth were chosen for the study. The buccal surface of each tooth was treated with a different chemical agent as follows: Sample 1 - 38% phosphoric acid etching (30s) , sample 2 - no surface treatment (control sample), 3 - bleaching with 37.5 % hydrogen peroxide (according to the manufacturer's instructions), 4 - conditioning with a self-etching primer (15 s), 5 - 9.6 % hydrofluoric acid etching (30s). All samples were investigated by atomic force microscopy in a non-contact mode and by scanning electron microscopy. Several images were obtained for each sample, showing evident differences regarding enamel surface morphology. The mean surface roughness and the mean square roughness were calculated and compared. RESULTS: All chemical substances led to an increased surface roughness. Phosphoric acid led to the highest roughness while the control sample showed the lowest. Hydrofluoric acid also led to an increase in surface roughness but its effects have yet to be investigated due to its potential toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: By treating the human enamel with the above mentioned chemical compounds a negative microretentive surface is obtained, with a morphology depending on the applied substance.

Evaluation of biocompatibility of sodium perborate and 30% hydrogen peroxide using the analysis of the adherence capacity and morphology of macrophages.

PubMed

Asfora, Kattyenne Kabbaz; Santos, Maria do Carmo Moreira da Silva; Montes, Marcos Antonio Japiassú Resende; de Castro, Célia Maria Machado Barbosa

2005-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of the most used bleaching materials for pulpless teeth, sodium perborate and 30% hydrogen peroxide, in an experimental model of macrophages, through analysis of the adherence index and the cellular morphology. Inflammatory macrophages were obtained from peritoneal washed of Wistar rats. The evaluation of the adherence capacity of these cells to the plastic surface was conducted in Eppendorf tubes containing RPMI, after treatment with the bleaching agents diluted in 1:10, 1:100 and 1:1000 for 15 and 30 min, and incubation at 37 degrees C and humidified atmosphere of 5% CO(2) in air. The cellular morphology was verified after incubation of the cells treated with the bleaching agents in culture plaques and compared with normal cells in culture medium. Results showed that sodium perborate neither increased the adherence index, nor altered the cellular morphology when compared to the control group. The distribution, cellular morphology, cytoplasmatic and nuclear characteristics, reproduced the aspects observed in normal macrophages. However, the treatment with 30% hydrogen peroxide presented an increase in adherence index when compared to the control group (RPMI), in all dilutions, according to Mann-Whitney test (n=08 and p=0.001 for dilutions 1:10 and 1:100, and n=08 and p=0.004 for dilution 1:1000). The morphology of the cells treated with this product presented structural alterations proportionally greater, depending on the dilution of this bleaching agent, and even in the highest dilution (1:1000) the cells presented very evident alterations. This irreversible cellular damage as well as the elevation of the adherence index, characterizes the aggressive potential of 30% hydrogen peroxide, regardless of its dilution. Sodium perborate, on the other hand, showed biocompatibitity, since, no morphological nor functional alteration was observed in macrophages.

Morphology-controllable growth of GdVO4:Eu3+ nano/microstructures for an optimum red luminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Liusai; Li, Guangshe; Zhao, Minglei; Zheng, Jing; Guan, Xiangfeng; Li, Liping

2012-06-01

Chemically tailoring microstructures for an optimum red luminescence is a subject at the forefront of many disciplines, which still remains a challenge due to a poor knowledge about the roles of defects in structures. In this work, GdVO4 :Eu3+ nano/microstructures of different morphologies, including tomato-like, cookie-circle-like, and ellipsoidal-like nanoparticles, and microspheroids were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal route using trisodium citrate as a capping agent. During the growth processes, the types of vanadyl ions were adjusted by varying pH value to control the morphologies and nano/microstructures with the help of trisodium citrate. The possible mechanisms for the growth processes into diverse morphologies are presented. Further, a systematic study on defect characteristics pertinent to these diverse morphologies has been explored to achieve an optimum red luminescence. The ability is clearly shown to generate different nano/microstructures of diverse morphologies and varied defect concentrations, which provides a great opportunity for morphological control in tailoring the red luminescence property for many technological applications.

Morphology-controllable growth of GdVO4:Eu3+ nano/microstructures for an optimum red luminescence.

PubMed

Yang, Liusai; Li, Guangshe; Zhao, Minglei; Zheng, Jing; Guan, Xiangfeng; Li, Liping

2012-06-22

Chemically tailoring microstructures for an optimum red luminescence is a subject at the forefront of many disciplines, which still remains a challenge due to a poor knowledge about the roles of defects in structures. In this work, GdVO(4) :Eu(3+) nano/microstructures of different morphologies, including tomato-like, cookie-circle-like, and ellipsoidal-like nanoparticles, and microspheroids were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal route using trisodium citrate as a capping agent. During the growth processes, the types of vanadyl ions were adjusted by varying pH value to control the morphologies and nano/microstructures with the help of trisodium citrate. The possible mechanisms for the growth processes into diverse morphologies are presented. Further, a systematic study on defect characteristics pertinent to these diverse morphologies has been explored to achieve an optimum red luminescence. The ability is clearly shown to generate different nano/microstructures of diverse morphologies and varied defect concentrations, which provides a great opportunity for morphological control in tailoring the red luminescence property for many technological applications.

Desensitizing Agent Reduces Dentin Hypersensitivity During Ultrasonic Scaling: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Suda, Tomonari; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Akiyama, Toshiharu; Takano, Takuya; Gokyu, Misa; Sudo, Takeaki; Khemwong, Thatawee; Izumi, Yuichi

2015-09-01

Dentin hypersensitivity can interfere with optimal periodontal care by dentists and patients. The pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling is intolerable for patient and interferes with the procedure, particularly during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) for patients with gingival recession. This study proposed to evaluate the desensitizing effect of the oxalic acid agent on pain caused by dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. This study involved 12 patients who were incorporated in SPT program and complained of dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. We examined the availability of the oxalic acid agent to compare the degree of pain during ultrasonic scaling with or without the application of the dentin hypersensitivity agent. Evaluation of effects on dentin hypersensitivity was determined by a questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores after ultrasonic scaling. The statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student t-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The desensitizing agent reduced the mean VAS pain score from 69.33 ± 16.02 at baseline to 26.08 ± 27.99 after application. The questionnaire revealed that >80% patients were satisfied and requested the application of the desensitizing agent for future ultrasonic scaling sessions. This study shows that the application of the oxalic acid agent considerably reduces pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity experienced during ultrasonic scaling. This pain control treatment may improve patient participation and treatment efficiency.

Effects of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial agents on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation.

PubMed

Dong, Liping; Tong, Zhongchun; Linghu, Dake; Lin, Yuan; Tao, Rui; Liu, Jun; Tian, Yu; Ni, Longxing

2012-05-01

Many studies have demonstrated that sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of antimicrobial agents can inhibit bacterial biofilm formation. However, the mechanisms by which antimicrobial agents at sub-MICs inhibit biofilm formation remain unclear. At present, most studies are focused on Gram-negative bacteria; however, the effects of sub-MICs of antimicrobial agents on Gram-positive bacteria may be more complex. Streptococcus mutans is a major cariogenic bacterium. In this study, the S. mutans growth curve as well as the expression of genes related to S. mutans biofilm formation were evaluated following treatment with 0.5× MIC of chlorhexidine (CHX), tea polyphenols and sodium fluoride (NaF), which are common anticaries agents. The BioFlux system was employed to generate a biofilm under a controlled flow. Morphological changes of the S. mutans biofilm were observed and analysed using field emission scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results indicated that these three common anticaries agents could significantly upregulate expression of the genes related to S. mutans biofilm formation, and S. mutans exhibited a dense biofilm with an extensive extracellular matrix following treatment with sub-MICs of NaF and CHX. These findings suggest that sub-MICs of anticaries agents favour S. mutans biofilm formation, which might encourage dental caries progression. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

Spelling and Morphology in Dyslexia: A Developmental Study Across the School Years.

PubMed

Schiff, Rachel; Levie, Ronit

2017-11-01

The current study examined the effect of morphological knowledge on spelling development in Hebrew-speaking schoolchildren, adolescents and adults with dyslexia, compared with typically developing (TD) peers. Participants were 238 Hebrew-speaking readers of five grade levels of whom 139 were TD and 99 had developmental dyslexia (DD). Participants were tested on a function letter spelling task, a phonological awareness task and a morphological awareness task. The overall picture that emerged from the results is that performance on all measures increased with grade level, with TD participants always scoring higher than peers with DD. Moreover, the higher the morphological complexity in spelling and irregularity in noun inflection, the higher the differences between the DD and TD participants. Finally, performance on the morphological awareness task contributed to spelling morphologically more complex spelling items in the TD, but not in the DD group. From clinical and educational perspectives, these results strongly suggest that rigorous morphological instruction is necessary in teaching children and adolescents with dyslexia to identify and use morphological cues in spoken and written Hebrew. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gellan gum blended PEI nanocomposites as gene delivery agents: evidences from in vitro and in vivo studies.

PubMed

Goyal, Ritu; Tripathi, S K; Tyagi, Shilpa; Ravi Ram, K; Ansari, K M; Shukla, Y; Kar Chowdhuri, D; Kumar, Pradeep; Gupta, K C

2011-09-01

Branched Polyethylenimine, 25 kDa (PEI), was blended with gellan gum, an anionic heteropolysaccharide, for partial neutralization of its excess positive charge to form gellan gum-polyethylenimine (GP) nanocomposites (NCs). Subsequently, we manipulated the amount of gellan gum for obtaining a series of NCs and characterized them for their size, charge and morphology. Among all the NCs, one member, named GP3, showed the best transfection efficiency in tested cell lines in comparison with the rest of the series, PEI, Lipofectamine and other commercial transfection agents and also exhibited minimum cytotoxicity. It was found to transfect primary cells of mouse skin with better efficiency than PEI and Lipofectamine and was able to protect the plasmid DNA from nucleases and serum proteins present in the blood. GP3 exhibited efficient intracellular delivery of plasmid as revealed by confocal studies while its intracellular presence was also confirmed by the knockdown of GFP expression (using GFP specific siRNA) and JNKII by quantifying proteins in cell lysates and by western blotting and hybridization, respectively. In vivo cytotoxicity studies in Drosophila showed lack of induction of stress response in the exposed organisms. Further, exposed organisms did not show any developmental delay or mortality and no morphological defects were observed in the emerged flies. In vivo gene expression studies in Balb/c mice revealed maximum expression of luciferase enzyme in spleen. The study suggests that GP3 may act as an efficient non-viral gene carrier with diverse biomedical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphology and vulcanizate properties of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber/ styrene-butadiene rubber blends.

PubMed

Park, Gayoung; Kim, Yun Hee; Kim, Dong Soo; Ko, Young Chun

2010-05-01

Morphology and vulcanizate properties of EPDM/SBR blends were investigated. AAHR (a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resins) was used as a compatibilizer and bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide (TESPT) was used as a coupling agent. The vulcanizate properties and the morphological studies revealed that EPDM and SBR were incompatible, and the addition of AAHR was very effective to enhance the compatibility between EPDM and SBR. The weight percent of bound rubbers was increased with increasing SBR contents. The addition of an AAHR increased the amounts of bound rubbers, and hence the vulcanizate properties such as tear strength and fatigue resistance of the EPDM/SBR blends were improved. The dynamic mechanical analysis and the morphological studies revealed that the addition of TESPT increased the weight of bound rubbers and provided better dispersion of carbon black, resulting in good mechanical properties such as tear strength and fatigue resistance of the vulcanized EPDM/SBR blends. The smaller particle of zinc oxide (i.e., 50 nm > 100 nm > 1000 nm) yielded to the better blending properties of the polymer blend.

Morphology of Block Copolymer Electrolytes: A Numerical Self-Consistent Field Theory Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Kevin; Qin, Jian

Engineering the morphology of ion-containing block copolymers is imperative for the optimization of their charge-transport and mechanical properties. Existing experiments have demonstrated that the addition of ions has a dramatic effect on the morphology and thermodynamic behavior of these structured electrolytes. We have developed an efficient, symmetry-adapted algorithm to calculate the ionic interactions in the SCFT for ion-containing polymers. We present the results of a numerical SCFT study examining how dielectric heterogeneity, ion concentration, and ion solvation affect morphology, domain spacing, ion distribution, and polymer density profiles. Particular attention is given to the detailed morphological analysis of the bicontinuous gyroidal phase, as well as the relevance of the aforementioned results to ionic conductivity.

Effect of captivity on morphology: negligible changes in external morphology mask significant changes in internal morphology

PubMed Central

Munn, Adam J.; Byrne, Phillip G.

2018-01-01

Captive breeding programmes are increasingly relied upon for threatened species management. Changes in morphology can occur in captivity, often with unknown consequences for reintroductions. Few studies have examined the morphological changes that occur in captive animals compared with wild animals. Further, the effect of multiple generations being maintained in captivity, and the potential effects of captivity on sexual dimorphism remain poorly understood. We compared external and internal morphology of captive and wild animals using house mouse (Mus musculus) as a model species. In addition, we looked at morphology across two captive generations, and compared morphology between sexes. We found no statistically significant differences in external morphology, but after one generation in captivity there was evidence for a shift in the internal morphology of captive-reared mice; captive-reared mice (two generations bred) had lighter combined kidney and spleen masses compared with wild-caught mice. Sexual dimorphism was maintained in captivity. Our findings demonstrate that captive breeding can alter internal morphology. Given that these morphological changes may impact organismal functioning and viability following release, further investigation is warranted. If the morphological change is shown to be maladaptive, these changes would have significant implications for captive-source populations that are used for reintroduction, including reduced survivorship.

Desensitizing Agent Reduces Dentin Hypersensitivity During Ultrasonic Scaling: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Suda, Tomonari; Akiyama, Toshiharu; Takano, Takuya; Gokyu, Misa; Sudo, Takeaki; Khemwong, Thatawee; Izumi, Yuichi

2015-01-01

Background Dentin hypersensitivity can interfere with optimal periodontal care by dentists and patients. The pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling is intolerable for patient and interferes with the procedure, particularly during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) for patients with gingival recession. Aim This study proposed to evaluate the desensitizing effect of the oxalic acid agent on pain caused by dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. Materials and Methods This study involved 12 patients who were incorporated in SPT program and complained of dentin hypersensitivity during ultrasonic scaling. We examined the availability of the oxalic acid agent to compare the degree of pain during ultrasonic scaling with or without the application of the dentin hypersensitivity agent. Evaluation of effects on dentin hypersensitivity was determined by a questionnaire and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores after ultrasonic scaling. The statistical analysis was performed using the paired Student t-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results The desensitizing agent reduced the mean VAS pain score from 69.33 ± 16.02 at baseline to 26.08 ± 27.99 after application. The questionnaire revealed that >80% patients were satisfied and requested the application of the desensitizing agent for future ultrasonic scaling sessions. Conclusion This study shows that the application of the oxalic acid agent considerably reduces pain associated with dentin hypersensitivity experienced during ultrasonic scaling. This pain control treatment may improve patient participation and treatment efficiency. PMID:26501012

Electron microscopy studies of the morphological evolution in hydrothermally derived lead titanate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Zhiyuan

Hydrothermal processing is a promising technique to synthesize perovskite ceramic powders. Understanding the reaction mechanisms and the factors that affect the particle morphologies is essential to optimize the hydrothermal processing. In this dissertation, the reaction mechanisms and nucleation processes in hydrothermally derived lead titanate (PbTiO3) are examined and established by morphological studies. The initial concentration of potassium hydroxide [KOH]i had a strong influence on the reaction. As [KOH] i increased from 0.01 M to 0.1 M to 1.0 M, the resultant morphology changed from irregular spherical to dendritic to faceted rectangular platelet morphology. The morphological evolution was well explained in the context of a supersaturation-nucleation relation. As the [KOH]i increased, the supersaturation increased and the nucleation mechanism changed from weak heterogeneous nucleation to strong heterogeneous nucleation or even homogeneous nucleation. These different nucleation mechanisms resulted in the different morphologies. Kinetic and morphological studies suggest that the reaction starting from nanocrystalline titania is dominated by dissolution-precipitation. The titanium precursors strongly affected the reaction. Increasing the particle size of precursors significantly reduced the reaction rate, especially at the low [KOH]i case. In situ transformations play important roles under the conditions of low [KOH] i and/or large particle size of precursors. Investigation using amorphous titania indicated that the nucleation of lead titanate at low and intermediate [KOH]i is via a in situ transformation while at high [KOH]i a dissolution-precipitation mechanism dominates. Ferro electricity of PbTiO3 also affects the particle morphology. The hydrothermal lead titanate particles could grow as a single domain during the processing. The ferroelectric polarization of PbTiO3 induced different local ionic environment between the positively and negatively charged

Investigation of nuclear nano-morphology marker as a biomarker for cancer risk assessment using a mouse model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bista, Rajan K.; Uttam, Shikhar; Hartman, Douglas J.; Qiu, Wei; Yu, Jian; Zhang, Lin; Brand, Randall E.; Liu, Yang

2012-06-01

The development of accurate and clinically applicable tools to assess cancer risk is essential to define candidates to undergo screening for early-stage cancers at a curable stage or provide a novel method to monitor chemoprevention treatments. With the use of our recently developed optical technology--spatial-domain low-coherence quantitative phase microscopy (SL-QPM), we have derived a novel optical biomarker characterized by structure-derived optical path length (OPL) properties from the cell nucleus on the standard histology and cytology specimens, which quantifies the nano-structural alterations within the cell nucleus at the nanoscale sensitivity, referred to as nano-morphology marker. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the nuclear nano-morphology marker from histologically normal cells, extracted directly from the standard histology specimens, to detect early-stage carcinogenesis, assess cancer risk, and monitor the effect of chemopreventive treatment. We used a well-established mouse model of spontaneous carcinogenesis--ApcMin mice, which develop multiple intestinal adenomas (Min) due to a germline mutation in the adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) gene. We found that the nuclear nano-morphology marker quantified by OPL detects the development of carcinogenesis from histologically normal intestinal epithelial cells, even at an early pre-adenomatous stage (six weeks). It also exhibits a good temporal correlation with the small intestine that parallels the development of carcinogenesis and cancer risk. To further assess its ability to monitor the efficacy of chemopreventive agents, we used an established chemopreventive agent, sulindac. The nuclear nano-morphology marker is reversed toward normal after a prolonged treatment. Therefore, our proof-of-concept study establishes the feasibility of the SL-QPM derived nuclear nano-morphology marker OPL as a promising, simple and clinically applicable biomarker for cancer risk assessment and

Mechanical vibrations from tadpoles' flapping tails transform salamander's carnivorous morphology.

PubMed

Michimae, Hirofumi; Nishimura, Kinya; Wakahara, Masami

2005-03-22

Some prey or predator organisms exhibit striking rapid morphological plastic changes with distinct morphology under the condition of predator or prey presence. Remote chemicals propagating from the inducing agents are the prevalent induction cues for most examples of induction of distinct morphs. Sonic and visual cues, as well as chemical cues, are known as triggers for induction of behavioural plasticity. Here we show that hydraulic vibration originating from flapping tails of anuran tadpoles is a key cue in relation to induction of a distinct carnivorous morphology, a broad-headed morph, in larval salamander Hynobius retardatus, which is able to efficiently capture and handle prey. This result was further supported by the fact that simple mechanical vibrations of tail-like vinyl fins were able to induce the morph without any biological cues. Induction of the morph triggered by hydraulic vibration provides a novel concept for understanding the proximate mechanisms of induction of morphological changes.

Chemotherapy-induced pulmonary hypertension: role of alkylating agents.

PubMed

Ranchoux, Benoît; Günther, Sven; Quarck, Rozenn; Chaumais, Marie-Camille; Dorfmüller, Peter; Antigny, Fabrice; Dumas, Sébastien J; Raymond, Nicolas; Lau, Edmund; Savale, Laurent; Jaïs, Xavier; Sitbon, Olivier; Simonneau, Gérald; Stenmark, Kurt; Cohen-Kaminsky, Sylvia; Humbert, Marc; Montani, David; Perros, Frédéric

2015-02-01

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) is an uncommon form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) characterized by progressive obstruction of small pulmonary veins and a dismal prognosis. Limited case series have reported a possible association between different chemotherapeutic agents and PVOD. We evaluated the relationship between chemotherapeutic agents and PVOD. Cases of chemotherapy-induced PVOD from the French PH network and literature were reviewed. Consequences of chemotherapy exposure on the pulmonary vasculature and hemodynamics were investigated in three different animal models (mouse, rat, and rabbit). Thirty-seven cases of chemotherapy-associated PVOD were identified in the French PH network and systematic literature analysis. Exposure to alkylating agents was observed in 83.8% of cases, mostly represented by cyclophosphamide (43.2%). In three different animal models, cyclophosphamide was able to induce PH on the basis of hemodynamic, morphological, and biological parameters. In these models, histopathological assessment confirmed significant pulmonary venous involvement highly suggestive of PVOD. Together, clinical data and animal models demonstrated a plausible cause-effect relationship between alkylating agents and PVOD. Clinicians should be aware of this uncommon, but severe, pulmonary vascular complication of alkylating agents. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical and morphological studies of ionic polymer metal composites as stress sensors

DOE PAGES

Hong, Wangyujue; Almomani, Abdallah; Montazami, Reza

2016-10-04

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are the backbone of a wide range of ionic devices. IPMC mechanoelectric sensors are advanced nanostructured transducers capable of converting mechanical strain into easily detectable electric signal. Such attribute is realized by ion mobilization in and through IPMC nanostructure. In this study we have investigated electrochemical and morphological characteristics of IPMCs by varying the morphology of their metal composite component (conductive network composite (CNC)). We have demonstrated the dependence of electrochemical properties on CNC nanostructure as well as mechanoelectrical performance of IPMC sensors as a function of CNC morphology. Lastly, it is shown that themore » morphology of CNC can be used as a means to improve sensitivity of IPMC sensors by 3–4 folds.« less

Genetic backgrounds and redox conditions influence morphological characteristics and cell differentiation of osteoclasts in mice.

PubMed

Narahara, Shun; Matsushima, Haruna; Sakai, Eiko; Fukuma, Yutaka; Nishishita, Kazuhisa; Okamoto, Kuniaki; Tsukuba, Takayuki

2012-04-01

Osteoclasts (OCLs) are multinucleated giant cells and are formed by the fusion of mononuclear progenitors of monocyte/macrophage lineage. It is known that macrophages derived from different genetic backgrounds exhibit quite distinct characteristics of immune responses. However, it is unknown whether OCLs from different genetic backgrounds show distinct characteristics. In this study, we showed that bone-marrow macrophages (BMMs) derived from C57BL/6, BALB/c and ddY mice exhibited considerably distinct morphological characteristics and cell differentiation into OCLs. The differentiation of BMMs into OCLs was comparatively quicker in the C57BL/6 and ddY mice, while that of BALB/c mice was rather slow. Morphologically, ddY OCLs showed a giant cell with a round shape, C57BL/6 OCLs were of a moderate size with many protrusions and BALB/c OCLs had the smallest size with fewer nuclei. The intracellular signaling of differentiation and expression levels of marker proteins of OCLs were different in the respective strains. Treatment of BMMs from the three different strains with the reducing agent N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or with the oxidation agent hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induced changes in the shape and sizes of the cells and caused distinct patterns of cell differentiation and survival. Thus, genetic backgrounds and redox conditions regulate the morphological characteristics and cell differentiation of OCLs.

Morphological Awareness and Bilingual Word Learning: A Longitudinal Structural Equation Modeling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Dongbo; Koda, Keiko; Leong, Che Kan

2016-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the contribution of morphological awareness to bilingual word learning of Malay-English bilingual children in Singapore where English is the medium of instruction. Participants took morphological awareness and lexical inference tasks in both English and Malay twice with an interval of about half a year, the first…

Microstructure and electrochemical behavior of cerium conversion coating modified with silane agent on magnesium substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Li; Shi, Jing; Wang, Xin; Liu, Dan; Xu, Haigang

2016-07-01

The cerium conversion coating with and without different concentrations of silane agent bis-(γ-triethoxysilylpropyl)-tetrasulfide (BTESPT) modification is obtained on magnesium alloys. Detailed properties of the coatings and the role of BTESPT as an additive are studied and followed with careful discussion. The coating morphology, wettability, chemical composition and corrosion resistance are characterized by scanning electronic microscope (SEM), water contact-angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), potentiodynamic measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical behavior of the coatings is investigated using EIS. The results indicate that the coating morphology and composition can be controlled by changing silane concentration. The combination of cerium ions and silane molecules could promote the formation of more homogenous and higher hydrophobic coating. The coating turns to be more compact and the adhesive strength between the coating and the magnesium substrate are strongly improved with the formation of Sisbnd Osbnd Si and Sisbnd Osbnd M chemical bonds. The optimum corrosion resistance of the coating in the corrosive media is obtained by 25 ml L-1 BTESPT modification. This whole study implies that the cerium conversion coating modified with certain silane agent deserves cautiousness before its application for corrosion resistance.

Morphological variation in the cosmopolitan fish parasite Neobenedenia girellae (Capsalidae: Monogenea).

PubMed

Brazenor, Alexander K; Saunders, Richard J; Miller, Terrence L; Hutson, Kate S

2018-02-01

Intra-species morphological variation presents a considerable problem for species identification and can result in taxonomic confusion. This is particularly pertinent for species of Neobenedenia which are harmful agents in captive fish populations and have historically been identified almost entirely based on morphological characters. This study aimed to understand how the morphology of Neobenedenia girellae varies with host fish species and the environment. Standard morphological features of genetically indistinct parasites from various host fish species were measured under controlled temperatures and salinities. An initial field-based investigation found that parasite morphology significantly differed between genetically indistinct parasites infecting various host fish species. The majority of the morphological variation observed (60%) was attributed to features that assist in parasite attachment to the host (i.e. the posterior and anterior attachment organs and their accessory hooks) which are important characters in monogenean taxonomy. We then experimentally examined the effects of the interaction between host fish species and environmental factors (temperature and salinity) on the morphology of isogenic parasites derived from a single, isolated hermaphroditic N. girellae infecting barramundi, Lates calcarifer. Experimental infection of L. calcarifer and cobia, Rachycentron canadum, under controlled laboratory conditions did not confer host-mediated phenotypic plasticity in N. girellae, suggesting that measured morphological differences could be adaptive and only occur over multiple parasite generations. Subsequent experimental infection of a single host species, L. calcarifer, at various temperatures (22, 30 and 32 °C) and salinities (35 and 40‰) showed that in the cooler environments (22 °C) N. girellae body proportions were significantly smaller compared with warmer temperatures (30 and 32 °C; P < 0.0001), whereas salinity had no effect. This

Dynamics of β-adrenergic/cAMP signaling and morphological changes in cultured astrocytes.

PubMed

Vardjan, Nina; Kreft, Marko; Zorec, Robert

2014-04-01

The morphology of astrocytes, likely regulated by cAMP, determines the structural association between astrocytes and the synapse, consequently modulating synaptic function. β-Adrenergic receptors (β-AR), which increase cytosolic cAMP concentration ([cAMP]i ), may affect cell morphology. However, the real-time dynamics of β-AR-mediated cAMP signaling in single live astrocytes and its effect on cell morphology have not been studied. We used the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based cAMP biosensor Epac1-camps to study time-dependent changes in [cAMP]i ; morphological changes in primary rat astrocytes were monitored by real-time confocal microscopy. Stimulation of β-AR by adrenaline, noradrenaline, and isoprenaline, a specific agonist of β-AR, rapidly increased [cAMP]i (∼15 s). The FRET signal response, mediated via β-AR, was faster than in the presence of forskolin (twofold) and dibutyryl-cAMP (>35-fold), which directly activate adenylyl cyclase and Epac1-camps, respectively, likely due to slow entry of these agents into the cytosol. Oscillations in [cAMP]i have not been recorded, indicating that cAMP-dependent processes operate in a slow time domain. Most Epac1-camps expressing astrocytes revealed a morphological change upon β-AR activation and attained a stellate morphology within 1 h. The morphological changes exhibited a bell-shaped dependency on [cAMP]i . The 5-10% decrease in cell cross-sectional area and the 30-50% increase in cell perimeter are likely due to withdrawal of the cytoplasm to the perinuclear region and the appearance of protrusions on the surface of astrocytes. Because astrocyte processes ensheath neurons, β-AR/cAMP-mediated morphological changes can modify the geometry of the extracellular space, affecting synaptic, neuronal, and astrocyte functions in health and disease. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Blaptica dubia as sentinels for exposure to chemical warfare agents - a pilot study.

PubMed

Worek, Franz; Seeger, Thomas; Neumaier, Katharina; Wille, Timo; Thiermann, Horst

2016-11-16

The increased interest of terrorist groups in toxic chemicals and chemical warfare agents presents a continuing threat to our societies. Early warning and detection is a key component for effective countermeasures against such deadly agents. Presently available and near term solutions have a number of major drawbacks, e.g. lack of automated, remote warning and detection of primarily low volatile chemical warfare agents. An alternative approach is the use of animals as sentinels for exposure to toxic chemicals. To overcome disadvantages of vertebrates the present pilot study was initiated to investigate the suitability of South American cockroaches (Blaptica dubia) as warning system for exposure to chemical warfare nerve and blister agents. Initial in vitro experiments with nerve agents showed an increasing inhibitory potency in the order tabun - cyclosarin - sarin - soman - VX of cockroach cholinesterase. Exposure of cockroaches to chemical warfare agents resulted in clearly visible and reproducible reactions, the onset being dependent on the agent and dose. With nerve agents the onset was related to the volatility of the agents. The blister agent lewisite induced signs largely comparable to those of nerve agents while sulfur mustard exposed animals exhibited a different sequence of events. In conclusion, this first pilot study indicates that Blaptica dubia could serve as a warning system to exposure of chemical warfare agents. A cockroach-based system will not detect or identify a particular chemical warfare agent but could trigger further actions, e.g. specific detection and increased protective status. By designing appropriate boxes with (IR) motion sensors and remote control (IR) camera automated off-site warning systems could be realized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulating cancer growth with multiscale agent-based modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Zhihui; Butner, Joseph D; Kerketta, Romica; Cristini, Vittorio; Deisboeck, Thomas S

2015-02-01

There have been many techniques developed in recent years to in silico model a variety of cancer behaviors. Agent-based modeling is a specific discrete-based hybrid modeling approach that allows simulating the role of diversity in cell populations as well as within each individual cell; it has therefore become a powerful modeling method widely used by computational cancer researchers. Many aspects of tumor morphology including phenotype-changing mutations, the adaptation to microenvironment, the process of angiogenesis, the influence of extracellular matrix, reactions to chemotherapy or surgical intervention, the effects of oxygen and nutrient availability, and metastasis and invasion of healthy tissues have been incorporated and investigated in agent-based models. In this review, we introduce some of the most recent agent-based models that have provided insight into the understanding of cancer growth and invasion, spanning multiple biological scales in time and space, and we further describe several experimentally testable hypotheses generated by those models. We also discuss some of the current challenges of multiscale agent-based cancer models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simulating Cancer Growth with Multiscale Agent-Based Modeling

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhihui; Butner, Joseph D.; Kerketta, Romica; Cristini, Vittorio; Deisboeck, Thomas S.

2014-01-01

There have been many techniques developed in recent years to in silico model a variety of cancer behaviors. Agent-based modeling is a specific discrete-based hybrid modeling approach that allows simulating the role of diversity in cell populations as well as within each individual cell; it has therefore become a powerful modeling method widely used by computational cancer researchers. Many aspects of tumor morphology including phenotype-changing mutations, the adaptation to microenvironment, the process of angiogenesis, the influence of extracellular matrix, reactions to chemotherapy or surgical intervention, the effects of oxygen and nutrient availability, and metastasis and invasion of healthy tissues have been incorporated and investigated in agent-based models. In this review, we introduce some of the most recent agent-based models that have provided insight into the understanding of cancer growth and invasion, spanning multiple biological scales in time and space, and we further describe several experimentally testable hypotheses generated by those models. We also discuss some of the current challenges of multiscale agent-based cancer models. PMID:24793698

Incorporating BDI Agents into Human-Agent Decision Making Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamphorst, Bart; van Wissen, Arlette; Dignum, Virginia

Artificial agents, people, institutes and societies all have the ability to make decisions. Decision making as a research area therefore involves a broad spectrum of sciences, ranging from Artificial Intelligence to economics to psychology. The Colored Trails (CT) framework is designed to aid researchers in all fields in examining decision making processes. It is developed both to study interaction between multiple actors (humans or software agents) in a dynamic environment, and to study and model the decision making of these actors. However, agents in the current implementation of CT lack the explanatory power to help understand the reasoning processes involved in decision making. The BDI paradigm that has been proposed in the agent research area to describe rational agents, enables the specification of agents that reason in abstract concepts such as beliefs, goals, plans and events. In this paper, we present CTAPL: an extension to CT that allows BDI software agents that are written in the practical agent programming language 2APL to reason about and interact with a CT environment.

CN MORPHOLOGY STUDIES OF COMET 103P/HARTLEY 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knight, Matthew M.; Schleicher, David G., E-mail: knight@lowell.edu

2011-06-15

We report on narrowband CN imaging of Comet 103P/Hartley 2 obtained at Lowell Observatory on 39 nights from 2010 July until 2011 January. We observed two features, one generally to the north and the other generally to the south. The CN morphology varied during the apparition: no morphology was seen in July; in August and September, the northern feature dominated and appeared as a mostly face-on spiral; in October, November, and December, the northern and southern features were roughly equal in brightness and looked like more side-on corkscrews; in January, the southern feature was dominant but the morphology was indistinctmore » due to very low signal. The morphology changed smoothly during each night and similar morphology was seen from night to night. However, the morphology did not exactly repeat each rotation cycle, suggesting that there is a small non-principal axis rotation. Based on the repetition of the morphology, we find evidence that the fundamental rotation period was increasing: 16.7 hr from August 13 to 17, 17.2 hr from September 10 to 13, 18.2 hr from October 12 to 19, and 18.7 hr from October 31 to November 7. We conducted Monte Carlo jet modeling to constrain the pole orientation and locations of the active regions based on the observed morphology. Our preliminary, self-consistent pole solution has an obliquity of 10{sup 0} relative to the comet's orbital plane (i.e., it is centered near R.A. = 257{sup 0} and decl. = +67{sup 0} with an uncertainty around this position of about 15{sup 0}) and has two mid-latitude sources, one in each hemisphere.« less

CN Morphology Studies of Comet 103P/Hartley 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Matthew M.; Schleicher, David G.

2011-06-01

We report on narrowband CN imaging of Comet 103P/Hartley 2 obtained at Lowell Observatory on 39 nights from 2010 July until 2011 January. We observed two features, one generally to the north and the other generally to the south. The CN morphology varied during the apparition: no morphology was seen in July; in August and September, the northern feature dominated and appeared as a mostly face-on spiral; in October, November, and December, the northern and southern features were roughly equal in brightness and looked like more side-on corkscrews; in January, the southern feature was dominant but the morphology was indistinct due to very low signal. The morphology changed smoothly during each night and similar morphology was seen from night to night. However, the morphology did not exactly repeat each rotation cycle, suggesting that there is a small non-principal axis rotation. Based on the repetition of the morphology, we find evidence that the fundamental rotation period was increasing: 16.7 hr from August 13 to 17, 17.2 hr from September 10 to 13, 18.2 hr from October 12 to 19, and 18.7 hr from October 31 to November 7. We conducted Monte Carlo jet modeling to constrain the pole orientation and locations of the active regions based on the observed morphology. Our preliminary, self-consistent pole solution has an obliquity of 10° relative to the comet's orbital plane (i.e., it is centered near R.A. = 257° and decl. = +67° with an uncertainty around this position of about 15°) and has two mid-latitude sources, one in each hemisphere.

Morphologic and morphometric studies of impact craters in the northern plains of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barlow, N. G.

1993-01-01

Fresh impact craters in the northern plains of Mars display a variety of morphologic and morphometric properties. Ejecta morphologies range from radial to fluidized, interior features include central peaks and central pits, fluidized morphologies display a range of sinuosities, and depth-diameter ratios are being measured to determine regional variations. Studies of the martian northern plains over the past five years have concentrated in three areas: (1) determining correlations of ejecta morphologies with crater diameter, latitude, and underlying terrain; (2) determining variations in fluidized ejecta blanket sinuosity across the planet; and (3) measurement of depth-diameter ratios and determination of regional variations in this ratio.

Non-Clostridium perfringens infectious agents producing necrotic enteritis-like lesions in poultry.

PubMed

Uzal, F A; Sentíes-Cué, C G; Rimoldi, G; Shivaprasad, H L

2016-06-01

Necrotic enteritis (NE) produced by Clostridium perfringens is amongst the most prevalent enteric diseases of chickens and turkeys. However, several other bacterial, parasitic and viral agents can cause clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions in poultry very similar to those of NE and the diseases produced by those agents need to be differentiated from NE. The main differential diagnoses for C. perfringens NE include bacterial (Clostridium colinum, Clostridium sordellii, Clostridium difficile, Pasteurella multocida, Brachyspira spp.), parasitic (Eimeria spp., Histomonas meleagridis) and viral (Duck Herpesvirus type 1, Avian Paramyxovirus type 1) diseases. Confirmation of the diagnosis of these diseases requires identification of the aetiological agents by morphological, cultural and/or molecular methods.

Planetary geological studies. [MARS crater morphology and ejecta deposit topography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blasius, K. R.

1981-01-01

A global data base was assembled for the study of Mars crater ejecta morphology. The craters were classified as to morhology using individual photographic prints of Viking orbiter frames. Positional and scale information were derived by fitting digitized mosaic coordinates to lattitude-longitude coordinates of surface features from the Mars geodetic control net and feature coordinates from the U.S.G.S. series of 1:5,00,000 scale shaded relief maps. Crater morphology characteristics recorded are of two classes - attributes of each ejecta deposit and other crater charactersitics. Preliminary efforts to check the data base with findings of other workers are described.

Morphology and viscoelastic properties of sealing materials based on EPDM rubber.

PubMed

Milić, J; Aroguz, A; Budinski-Simendić, J; Radicević, R; Prendzov, S

2008-12-01

In this applicative study, the ratio of active and inactive filler loadings was the prime factor for determining the dynamic-mechanical behaviour of ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubbers. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the structure of reinforced dense and microcellular elastomeric materials. The effects of filler and blowing agent content on the morphology of composites were investigated. Microcellular samples cured in salt bath show smaller cells and uniform cell size compared with samples cured in hot air. Dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis showed appreciable changes in the viscoelastic properties by increasing active filler content, which could enable tailoring the material properties to suit sealing applications.

The trade-off between morphology and control in the co-optimized design of robots.

PubMed

Rosendo, Andre; von Atzigen, Marco; Iida, Fumiya

2017-01-01

Conventionally, robot morphologies are developed through simulations and calculations, and different control methods are applied afterwards. Assuming that simulations and predictions are simplified representations of our reality, how sure can roboticists be that the chosen morphology is the most adequate for the possible control choices in the real-world? Here we study the influence of the design parameters in the creation of a robot with a Bayesian morphology-control (MC) co-optimization process. A robot autonomously creates child robots from a set of possible design parameters and uses Bayesian Optimization (BO) to infer the best locomotion behavior from real world experiments. Then, we systematically change from an MC co-optimization to a control-only (C) optimization, which better represents the traditional way that robots are developed, to explore the trade-off between these two methods. We show that although C processes can greatly improve the behavior of poor morphologies, such agents are still outperformed by MC co-optimization results with as few as 25 iterations. Our findings, on one hand, suggest that BO should be used in the design process of robots for both morphological and control parameters to reach optimal performance, and on the other hand, point to the downfall of current design methods in face of new search techniques.

The trade-off between morphology and control in the co-optimized design of robots

PubMed Central

Iida, Fumiya

2017-01-01

Conventionally, robot morphologies are developed through simulations and calculations, and different control methods are applied afterwards. Assuming that simulations and predictions are simplified representations of our reality, how sure can roboticists be that the chosen morphology is the most adequate for the possible control choices in the real-world? Here we study the influence of the design parameters in the creation of a robot with a Bayesian morphology-control (MC) co-optimization process. A robot autonomously creates child robots from a set of possible design parameters and uses Bayesian Optimization (BO) to infer the best locomotion behavior from real world experiments. Then, we systematically change from an MC co-optimization to a control-only (C) optimization, which better represents the traditional way that robots are developed, to explore the trade-off between these two methods. We show that although C processes can greatly improve the behavior of poor morphologies, such agents are still outperformed by MC co-optimization results with as few as 25 iterations. Our findings, on one hand, suggest that BO should be used in the design process of robots for both morphological and control parameters to reach optimal performance, and on the other hand, point to the downfall of current design methods in face of new search techniques. PMID:29023482

Morphological and biochemical features of Borrelia burgdorferi pleomorphic forms

PubMed Central

Herranen, Anni; Schwarzbach, Armin; Gilbert, Leona

2015-01-01

The spirochaete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is the causative agent of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne infection in the northern hemisphere. There is a long-standing debate regarding the role of pleomorphic forms in Lyme disease pathogenesis, while very little is known about the characteristics of these morphological variants. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of B. burgdorferi pleomorphic formation in different culturing conditions at physiological temperature. Interestingly, human serum induced the bacterium to change its morphology to round bodies (RBs). In addition, biofilm-like colonies in suspension were found to be part of B. burgdorferi’s normal in vitro growth. Further studies provided evidence that spherical RBs had an intact and flexible cell envelope, demonstrating that they are not cell wall deficient, or degenerative as previously implied. However, the RBs displayed lower metabolic activity compared with spirochaetes. Furthermore, our results indicated that the different pleomorphic variants were distinguishable by having unique biochemical signatures. Consequently, pleomorphic B. burgdorferi should be taken into consideration as being clinically relevant and influence the development of novel diagnostics and treatment protocols. PMID:25564498

Developmental and morphological studies in Japanese medaka with ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Gladys, Fanny Moses; Matsuda, Masaru; Lim, Yiheng; Jackin, Boaz Jessie; Imai, Takuto; Otani, Yukitoshi; Yatagai, Toyohiko; Cense, Barry

2015-02-01

We propose ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography to study the morphological development of internal organs in medaka fish in the post-embryonic stages at micrometer resolution. Different stages of Japanese medaka were imaged after hatching in vivo with an axial resolution of 2.8 µm in tissue. Various morphological structures and organs identified in the OCT images were then compared with the histology. Due to the medaka's close resemblance to vertebrates, including humans, these morphological features play an important role in morphogenesis and can be used to study diseases that also occur in humans.

Polyol synthesis, functionalisation, and biocompatibility studies of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as potential MRI contrast agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachani, Roxanne; Lowdell, Mark; Birchall, Martin; Hervault, Aziliz; Mertz, Damien; Begin-Colin, Sylvie; Thanh, Nguy&Ecirtil; N. Thi&Cmb. B. Dot; Kim

2016-02-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) of low polydispersity were obtained through a simple polyol synthesis in high pressure and high temperature conditions. The control of the size and morphology of the nanoparticles was studied by varying the solvent used, the amount of iron precursor and the reaction time. Compared with conventional synthesis methods such as thermal decomposition or co-precipitation, this process yields nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution in a simple, reproducible and cost effective manner without the need for an inert atmosphere. For example, IONPs with a diameter of ca. 8 nm could be made in a reproducible manner and with good crystallinity as evidenced by X-ray diffraction analysis and high saturation magnetization value (84.5 emu g-1). The surface of the IONPs could be tailored post synthesis with two different ligands which provided functionality and stability in water and phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Their potential as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent was confirmed as they exhibited high r1 and r2 relaxivities of 7.95 mM-1 s-1 and 185.58 mM-1 s-1 respectively at 1.4 T. Biocompatibility and viability of IONPs in primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was studied and confirmed.Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) of low polydispersity were obtained through a simple polyol synthesis in high pressure and high temperature conditions. The control of the size and morphology of the nanoparticles was studied by varying the solvent used, the amount of iron precursor and the reaction time. Compared with conventional synthesis methods such as thermal decomposition or co-precipitation, this process yields nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distribution in a simple, reproducible and cost effective manner without the need for an inert atmosphere. For example, IONPs with a diameter of ca. 8 nm could be made in a reproducible manner and with good crystallinity as evidenced by X-ray diffraction analysis and high

Premature birth--Studies on orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology and function.

PubMed

Paulsson, Liselotte

2009-01-01

A series of studies have been initiated implying a unique opportunity to evaluate and compare malocclusion traits, orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology, mandibular function, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and headache between extremely preterm (EPT; born before the 29th week of gestation) and very preterm (VPT; born between 29 and 32 weeks of gestation) and full-term born children. THIS THESIS WAS BASED ON FOUR STUDIES: Paper I. A systematic literature review was undertaken to answer the following questions: Does prematurity result in alterations of palatal morphology, dental occlusion, tooth-crown dimensions, tooth maturation and eruption? What role does neonatal oral intubation play in the appearance of the alterations? Are the alterations in morphology permanent or transient? The literature search spanned from January 1966 to November 2002 and was later extended to September 2008. Furthermore, a quality analysis of the methodological soundness of the studies in the review was performed. Paper II-IV. The aims were to compare EPT and VPT 8- to 10-year-old children with matched full-term controls considering: Prevalence of malocclusion traits and orthodontic treatment need (Paper II). Craniofacial morphology (Paper III). Mandibular function, signs and symptoms of TMD and headache (Paper IV). KEY FINDINGS IN PAPER I AND THE SUPPLEMENTARY SEARCH: Moderate scientific evidence existed for more malocclusion traits among premature children. Limited evidence was found for no delay in dental eruption, if corrected age was considered for the premature children. Insufficientwas considered for the premature children. Insufficient evidence was found for altered tooth-crown dimensions and permanent alteration of palatal morphology among prematurely children. Thus, further well-designed controlled studies which should also consider orthodontic treatment need, craniofacial morphology, TMD and headache are needed. KEY FINDINGS IN PAPER II

Caries-removal effectiveness of a papain-based chemo-mechanical agent: A quantitative micro-CT study.

PubMed

Neves, Aline A; Lourenço, Roseane A; Alves, Haimon D; Lopes, Ricardo T; Primo, Laura G

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to access the effectiveness and specificity of a papain-based chemo-mechanical caries-removal agent in providing minimum residual caries after cavity preparation. In order to do it, extracted carious molars were selected and scanned in a micro-CT before and after caries-removal procedures with the papain-based gel. Similar parameters for acquisition and reconstruction of the image stacks were used between the scans. After classification of the dentin substrate based on mineral density intervals and establishment of a carious tissue threshold, volumetric parameters related to effectiveness (mineral density of removed dentin volume and residual dentin tissue) and specificity (relation between carious dentin in removed volume and initial caries) of this caries-removal agent were obtained. In general, removed dentin volume was similar or higher than the initial carious volume, indicating that the method was able to effectively remove dentin tissue. Samples with an almost perfect accuracy in carious dentin removal also showed an increased removal of caries-affected tissue. On the contrary, less or no affected dentin was removed in samples where some carious tissue was left in residual dentin. Mineral density values in residual dentin were always higher or similar to the threshold for mineral density values in carious dentin. In conclusion, the papain-based gel was effective in removing carious dentin up to a conservative in vitro threshold. Lesion characteristics, such as activity and morphology of enamel lesion, may also influence caries-removal properties of the method. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The olfactory bulbectomized rat model is not an appropriate model for studying depression based on morphological/stereological studies of the hippocampus.

PubMed

Yurttas, Canan; Schmitz, Christoph; Turgut, Mehmet; Strekalova, Tatyana; Steinbusch, Harry W M

2017-09-01

Bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX) has been used as an animal model for major depression that results in behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroendocrinological changes were reversed by chronic treatment with antidepressants, including fluoxetine. However, both etiological and construct validities are lacking in OBX for rats. In the present study, we investigated the morphological changes in the hippocampi of rats undergoing OBX that were treated with fluoxetine (10mg/kg, p.o. once daily for 4 and 12 weeks) using stereological techniques. Our results revealed that OBX caused a reduction in the volumes of the CA1/2, CA3, and dentate gyrus regions 4 weeks after OBX without fluoxetine treatment. With fluoxetine treatment, these reductions were achieved 12 weeks after OBX and the volumes were comparable to normal control rats. Nevertheless, fluoxetine treatment did not reverse neuron loss in all hippocampal regions 12 weeks after OBX. Therefore, we suggest that the OBX rat model should not be used to detect the antidepressant activity of various pharmacological agents such as fluoxetine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

System-morphological approach: Another look at morphology research and geomorphological mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lastochkin, Alexander N.; Zhirov, Andrey I.; Boltramovich, Sergei F.

2018-02-01

A large number of studies require a clear and unambiguous morphological basis. For over thirty years, Russian scientists have been applying a system-morphological approach for the Arctic and Antarctic research, ocean floor investigation, for various infrastructure construction projects (oil and gas, sports, etc.), in landscape and environmental studies. This article is a review aimed to introduce this methodological approach to the international scientific community. The details of the methods and techniques can be found in a series of earlier papers published in the Russian language in 1987-2016. The proposed system-morphological approach includes: 1) partitioning of the Earth surface, i.e. precise identification of linear, point, and areal elements of topography considered as a two-dimensional surface without any geological substance; 2) further identification of larger formations: geomorphological systems and regions; 3) analysis of structural relations and symmetry of topography; and 4) various dynamic (litho- and glaciodynamic, tectonic, etc.) interpretations of the observed morphology. This method can be used to study the morphology of the surface topography as well as less accessible interfaces such as submarine and subglacial ones.

Global study of holistic morphological effectors in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Suzuki, Godai; Wang, Yang; Kubo, Karen; Hirata, Eri; Ohnuki, Shinsuke; Ohya, Yoshikazu

2018-02-20

The size of the phenotypic effect of a gene has been thoroughly investigated in terms of fitness and specific morphological traits in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but little is known about gross morphological abnormalities. We identified 1126 holistic morphological effectors that cause severe gross morphological abnormality when deleted, and 2241 specific morphological effectors with weak holistic effects but distinctive effects on yeast morphology. Holistic effectors fell into many gene function categories and acted as network hubs, affecting a large number of morphological traits, interacting with a large number of genes, and facilitating high protein expression. Holistic morphological abnormality was useful for estimating the importance of a gene to morphology. The contribution of gene importance to fitness and morphology could be used to efficiently classify genes into functional groups. Holistic morphological abnormality can be used as a reproducible and reliable gene feature for high-dimensional morphological phenotyping. It can be used in many functional genomic applications.

Effect of complexing agent on the photoelectrochemical properties of bath deposited CdS thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patil, S. B.; Singh, A. K.

2010-02-01

In the present paper photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of bath deposited CdS thin films based on complexing agents i.e. ammonia and triethanolamine (TEA) has been discussed. Effect of annealing has also been analyzed. The as-deposited and annealed (at 523 K for 1 h in air) films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, SEM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and PEC properties. XRD studies revealed that the films were nanocrystalline in nature with mixed hexagonal and cubic phases. TEA complex resulted in better crystallinity. Further improvement in the crystallinity of the films was observed after air annealing. The marigold flower-like structure, in addition to flakes morphology, was observed with TEA complex, whereas for ammonia complex only flakes morphology was observed. The UV-vis absorption studies revealed that the optical absorption edge for the films with ammonia and TEA complex was around 475 nm and 500 nm, respectively. Annealing of the films resulted in red shift in the UV-vis absorption. The PEC cell performance of CdS films was found to be strongly affected by crystallinity and morphology of the films resulted due to complexing agent and annealing. The air annealed film deposited using TEA complex showed maximum short circuit current density ( Jsc) and open circuit voltage ( Voc) i.e. 99 μA/cm 2 and 376 mV respectively, under 10 mW/cm 2 of illumination. The films deposited using TEA complex showed good stability under PEC cell conditions.

Combining Multiobjective Optimization and Cluster Analysis to Study Vocal Fold Functional Morphology

PubMed Central

Palaparthi, Anil; Riede, Tobias

2017-01-01

Morphological design and the relationship between form and function have great influence on the functionality of a biological organ. However, the simultaneous investigation of morphological diversity and function is difficult in complex natural systems. We have developed a multiobjective optimization (MOO) approach in association with cluster analysis to study the form-function relation in vocal folds. An evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II) was used to integrate MOO with an existing finite element model of the laryngeal sound source. Vocal fold morphology parameters served as decision variables and acoustic requirements (fundamental frequency, sound pressure level) as objective functions. A two-layer and a three-layer vocal fold configuration were explored to produce the targeted acoustic requirements. The mutation and crossover parameters of the NSGA-II algorithm were chosen to maximize a hypervolume indicator. The results were expressed using cluster analysis and were validated against a brute force method. Results from the MOO and the brute force approaches were comparable. The MOO approach demonstrated greater resolution in the exploration of the morphological space. In association with cluster analysis, MOO can efficiently explore vocal fold functional morphology. PMID:24771563

Morphological Priming by Itself: A Study of Portuguese Conjugations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verissimo, Joao; Clahsen, Harald

2009-01-01

Does the language processing system make use of abstract grammatical categories and representations that are not directly visible from the surface form of a linguistic expression? This study examines stem-formation processes and conjugation classes, a case of "pure" morphology that provides insight into the role of grammatical structure in…

Preliminary study of semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) as secondary gelling agent in natural rubber (NR) latex foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norhazariah, S.; Azura, A. R.; Azahari, B.; Sivakumar, R.

2017-12-01

Semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) product is considerably cheaper and easier to produce as a natural polysaccharide, which was utilized in food and other product application. However, the application in latex is limited. The aim of this work is to evaluate the SRC produced from low industrial grade seaweed (LIGS) in the latex foam application. The FTIR spectra showed the SRC produced as kappa type carrageenan with lower sulfur content compared to native LIGS. NR latex foam is produced by using the Dunlop method with some modifications. The effect of SRC loading as a secondary gelling agent in NR latex foam is investigated. The density and morphology of the NR latex foam with the addition of the SRC are analyzed. NR latex foam density increased with SRC loading and peaked at 1.8 phr SRC. The addition of SRC has induced the bigger cell size compared to the cell size of the control NR latex foam, as shown in the optical micrograph. It can be concluded that SRC LIGS could be acted as secondary gelling agent in NR latex foam.

Morphological transformations of diblock copolymers in binary solvents: A simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zheng; Yin, Yuhua; Jiang, Run; Li, Baohui

2017-12-01

Morphological transformations of amphiphilic AB diblock copolymers in mixtures of a common solvent (S1) and a selective solvent (S2) for the B block are studied using the simulated annealing method. We focus on the morphological transformation depending on the fraction of the selective solvent C S2, the concentration of the polymer C p , and the polymer-solvent interactions ɛ ij ( i = A, B; j = S1, S2). Morphology diagrams are constructed as functions of C p , C S2, and/or ɛ AS2. The copolymer morphological sequence from dissolved → sphere → rod → ring/cage → vesicle is obtained upon increasing C S2 at a fixed C p . This morphology sequence is consistent with previous experimental observations. It is found that the selectivity of the selective solvent affects the self-assembled microstructure significantly. In particular, when the interaction ɛ BS2 is negative, aggregates of stacked lamellae dominate the diagram. The mechanisms of aggregate transformation and the formation of stacked lamellar aggregates are discussed by analyzing variations of the average contact numbers of the A or B monomers with monomers and with molecules of the two types of solvent, as well as the mean square end-to-end distances of chains. It is found that the basic morphological sequence of spheres to rods to vesicles and the stacked lamellar aggregates result from competition between the interfacial energy and the chain conformational entropy. Analysis of the vesicle structure reveals that the vesicle size increases with increasing C p or with decreasing C S2, but remains almost unchanged with variations in ɛ AS2.

Tuning the morphology of metastable MnS films by simple chemical bath deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhandayuthapani, T.; Girish, M.; Sivakumar, R.; Sanjeeviraja, C.; Gopalakrishnan, R.

2015-10-01

In the present investigation, we have prepared the spherical particles, almond-like, and cauliflower-like morphological structures of metastable MnS films on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition technique at low temperature without using any complexing or chelating agent. The morphological change of MnS films with molar ratio may be due to the oriented aggregation of adjacent particles. The compositional purity of deposited film was confirmed by the EDAX study. X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman studies confirm the sulfur source concentration induced enhancement in the crystallization of films with metastable MnS phase (zinc-blende β-MnS, and wurtzite γ-MnS). The shift in PL emission peak with molar ratio may be due to the change in optical energy band gap of the MnS, which was further confirmed by the optical absorbance study. The paramagnetic behavior of the sample was confirmed by the M-H plot.

Reverse genetics studies on the filamentous morphology of influenza A virus.

PubMed

Bourmakina, Svetlana V; García-Sastre, Adolfo

2003-03-01

We have investigated the genetic determinants responsible for the filamentous morphology of influenza A viruses, a property characteristic of primary virus isolates. A plasmid-based reverse genetics system was used to transfer the M segment of influenza A/Udorn/72 (H3N2) virus into influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus. While WSN virions display spherical morphology, recombinant WSN-Mud virus acquired the ability of the parental Udorn strain to form filamentous virus particles. This was determined by immunofluorescence studies in infected MDCK cells and by electron microscopy of purified virus particles. To determine the gene product within the M segment responsible for filamentous virus morphology, we generated four recombinant viruses carrying different sets of M1 and M2 genes from WSN or Udorn strains in a WSN background. These studies revealed that the M1 gene of Udorn, independently of the origin of the M2 gene, conferred filamentous budding properties and filamentous virus morphology to the recombinant viruses. We also constructed two WSN viruses encoding chimeric M1 proteins containing the amino-terminal 1-162 amino acids or the carboxy-terminal 163-252 amino acids of the Udorn M1 protein. Neither of these two viruses acquired filamentous phenotypes, indicating that both amino- and carboxy-terminal domains of the M1 protein contribute to filamentous virus morphology. We next rescued seven mutant WSN-M1ud viruses containing Udorn M1 proteins carrying single amino acid substitutions corresponding to the seven amino acid differences with the M1 protein of WSN virus. Characterization of these recombinant viruses revealed that amino acid residues 95 and 204 are critical in determining filamentous virus particle formation.

Controlling filamentous fungi morphology with microparticles to enhanced β-mannanase production.

PubMed

Yatmaz, Ercan; Karahalil, Ercan; Germec, Mustafa; Ilgin, Merve; Turhan, İrfan

2016-09-01

β-mannanase was produced mainly by Aspergillus species and can degrade the β-1,4-mannose linkages of galactomannans. This study was undertaken to enhance mannanase production using talcum and aluminum oxide as the microparticles, which control cell morphology of recombinant Aspergillus sojae in glucose and carob extract medium. Both microparticles improved fungal growth in glucose and carob pod extract medium. Aluminum oxide (1 g/L) was the best agent for glucose medium which resulted in 514.0 U/ml. However, the highest mannanase activity was found as 568.7 U/ml with 5 g/L of talcum in carob extract medium. Increase in microparticle concentration resulted in decreasing the pellet size diameter. Furthermore, more than 10 g/L of talcum addition changed the filamentous fungi growth type from pellet to pellet/mycelium mixture. Results showed that right type and concentration of microparticle in fermentation media improved the mannanase activity and production rate by controlling the growth morphology.

Developmental and morphological studies in Japanese medaka with ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Gladys, Fanny Moses; Matsuda, Masaru; Lim, Yiheng; Jackin, Boaz Jessie; Imai, Takuto; Otani, Yukitoshi; Yatagai, Toyohiko; Cense, Barry

2015-01-01

We propose ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography to study the morphological development of internal organs in medaka fish in the post-embryonic stages at micrometer resolution. Different stages of Japanese medaka were imaged after hatching in vivo with an axial resolution of 2.8 µm in tissue. Various morphological structures and organs identified in the OCT images were then compared with the histology. Due to the medaka’s close resemblance to vertebrates, including humans, these morphological features play an important role in morphogenesis and can be used to study diseases that also occur in humans. PMID:25780725

Size and morphology controlled NiSe nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for the reduction reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subbarao, Udumula; Marakatti, Vijaykumar S.; Amshumali, Mungalimane K.; Loukya, B.; Singh, Dheeraj Kumar; Datta, Ranjan; Peter, Sebastian C.

2016-12-01

Facile and efficient ball milling and polyol methods were employed for the synthesis of nickel selenide (NiSe) nanoparticle. The particle size of the NiSe nanoparticle has been controlled mechanically by varying the ball size in the milling process. The role of the surfactants in the formation of various morphologies was studied. The compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The efficiency of the NiSe nanoparticle as a catalyst was tested for the reduction of para-nitroaniline (PNA) to para-phenyldiamine (PPD) and para-nitrophenol (PNP) to para-aminophenol (PAP) using NaBH4 as the reducing agent. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant played a crucial role in the reduction process.

Morphological, molecular and biological evidence reveal two cryptic species in Mecinus janthinus Germar (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), a successful biological control agent of Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria dalmatica (Lamiales, Plantaginaceae)

Treesearch

Ivo Tosevski; Roberto Caldara; Jelena Jovic; Gerardo Hernandez-Vera; Cosimo Baviera; Andre Gassmann; Brent C. Emerson

2011-01-01

A combined morphological, molecular and biological study shows that the weevil species presently named Mecinus janthinus is actually composed of two different cryptic species: M. janthinus Germar, 1821 and M. janthiniformis Tosevski & Caldara sp.n. These species are morphologically distinguishable from each other by a few very subtle morphological characters. On...

Preparation, thermal property and morphology analysis of waterborne polyurethane-acrylate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhenyu; Jing, Zefeng; Qiu, Fengxian; Dai, Yuting; Xu, Jicheng; Yu, Zongping; Yang, Pengfei

2017-01-01

A series of waterborne polyurethane-acrylate (WPUA) dispersions were prepared with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyether polyol (NJ-210), dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA), hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA), different proportions of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethyl acrylate (MMA and EA) and initiating agent by the emulsion co-polymerization. The structures, thermal properties and morphology of WPUA films were characterized with FT-IR, DSC, SEM and AFM. Performances of the dispersions and films were studied by means of apparent viscidity, particle size and polydispersity, surface tension and mechanical properties. The obtained WPUA have great potential application such as coatings, leather finishing, adhesives, sealants, plastic coatings and wood finishes.

Axinellamines as Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Agents: Scalable Synthesis and Biology

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria present an ongoing challenge to both chemists and biologists as they seek novel compounds and modes of action to out-maneuver continually evolving resistance pathways, especially against Gram-negative strains. The dimeric pyrrole–imidazole alkaloids represent a unique marine natural product class with diverse primary biological activity and chemical architecture. This full account traces the strategy used to develop a second-generation route to key spirocycle 9, culminating in a practical synthesis of the axinellamines and enabling their discovery as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, with promising activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. While their detailed mode of antibacterial action remains unclear, the axinellamines appear to cause secondary membrane destabilization and impart an aberrant cellular morphology consistent with the inhibition of normal septum formation. This study serves as a rare example of a natural product initially reported to be devoid of biological activity surfacing as an active antibacterial agent with an intriguing mode of action. PMID:25328977

Unsilencing Critical Conversations in Social-Studies Teacher Education Using Agent-Based Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hostetler, Andrew; Sengupta, Pratim; Hollett, Ty

2018-01-01

In this article, we argue that when complex sociopolitical issues such as ethnocentrism and racial segregation are represented as complex, emergent systems using agent-based computational models (in short agent-based models or ABMs), discourse about these representations can disrupt social studies teacher candidates' dispositions of teaching…

Morphology of the spermathecae of twelve species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) vectors of Chagas disease.

PubMed

Nascimento, Juliana Damieli; Ribeiro, Aline Rimoldi; Almeida, Larissa Aguiar; de Oliveira, Jader; Mendonça, Vagner José; Cilense, Mário; da Rosa, João Aristeu

2017-12-01

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by triatomines that have been described in a large number of studies. Most of those studies are related to external morphology and taxonomy, but some biochemical, genetic and physiological studies have also been published. There are a few publications in the literature about the internal organs of Triatominae, for instance the spermathecae, which are responsible for storing and maintaining the viability of the spermatozoids until the fertilization of the oocytes. This work aims to study the spermathecae of twelve species of triatomines obtained from the Triatominae Insectarium of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNESP, Araraquara, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The spermathecae of the twelve species studied showed three morphological patterns: a) P. herreri sn, P. lignarius, P. megistus, Triatoma brasiliensis, T. juazeirensis, T. sherlocki and T. tibiamaculata have spermathecae with a thin initial portion and an oval-shaped final portion; b) R. montenegrensis, R. nasutus, R. neglectus, R. pictipes and R. prolixus have tubular and winding spermathecae; c) T. infestans has oval spermathecae. In addition to the three morphological patterns, it was noted that each of the twelve species has particular features that differentiate them. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moral actor, selfish agent.

PubMed

Frimer, Jeremy A; Schaefer, Nicola K; Oakes, Harrison

2014-05-01

People are motivated to behave selfishly while appearing moral. This tension gives rise to 2 divergently motivated selves. The actor-the watched self-tends to be moral; the agent-the self as executor-tends to be selfish. Three studies present direct evidence of the actor's and agent's distinct motives. To recruit the self-as-actor, we asked people to rate the importance of various goals. To recruit the self-as-agent, we asked people to describe their goals verbally. In Study 1, actors claimed their goals were equally about helping the self and others (viz., moral); agents claimed their goals were primarily about helping the self (viz., selfish). This disparity was evident in both individualist and collectivist cultures, attesting to the universality of the selfish agent. Study 2 compared actors' and agents' motives to those of people role-playing highly prosocial or selfish exemplars. In content (Study 2a) and in the impressions they made on an outside observer (Study 2b), actors' motives were similar to those of the prosocial role-players, whereas agents' motives were similar to those of the selfish role-players. Study 3 accounted for the difference between the actor and agent: Participants claimed that their agent's motives were the more realistic and that their actor's motives were the more idealistic. The selfish agent/moral actor duality may account for why implicit and explicit measures of the same construct diverge, and why feeling watched brings out the better angels of human nature.

Reinforcement Learning Multi-Agent Modeling of Decision-Making Agents for the Study of Transboundary Surface Water Conflicts with Application to the Syr Darya River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riegels, N.; Siegfried, T.; Pereira Cardenal, S. J.; Jensen, R. A.; Bauer-Gottwein, P.

2008-12-01

In most economics--driven approaches to optimizing water use at the river basin scale, the system is modelled deterministically with the goal of maximizing overall benefits. However, actual operation and allocation decisions must be made under hydrologic and economic uncertainty. In addition, river basins often cross political boundaries, and different states may not be motivated to cooperate so as to maximize basin- scale benefits. Even within states, competing agents such as irrigation districts, municipal water agencies, and large industrial users may not have incentives to cooperate to realize efficiency gains identified in basin- level studies. More traditional simulation--optimization approaches assume pre-commitment by individual agents and stakeholders and unconditional compliance on each side. While this can help determine attainable gains and tradeoffs from efficient management, such hardwired policies do not account for dynamic feedback between agents themselves or between agents and their environments (e.g. due to climate change etc.). In reality however, we are dealing with an out-of-equilibrium multi-agent system, where there is neither global knowledge nor global control, but rather continuous strategic interaction between decision making agents. Based on the theory of stochastic games, we present a computational framework that allows for studying the dynamic feedback between decision--making agents themselves and an inherently uncertain environment in a spatially and temporally distributed manner. Agents with decision-making control over water allocation such as countries, irrigation districts, and municipalities are represented by reinforcement learning agents and coupled to a detailed hydrologic--economic model. This approach emphasizes learning by agents from their continuous interaction with other agents and the environment. It provides a convenient framework for the solution of the problem of dynamic decision-making in a mixed cooperative / non

Fluorine-doped NiO nanostructures: Structural, morphological and spectroscopic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Kulwinder; Kumar, Manjeet; Singh, Dilpreet; Singh, Manjinder; Singh, Paviter; Singh, Bikramjeet; Kaur, Gurpreet; Bala, Rajni; Thakur, Anup; Kumar, Akshay

2018-05-01

Nanostructured NiO has been prepared by co-precipitation method. In this study, the effect of fluorine doping (1, 3 and 5 wt. %) on the structural, morphological as well as optical properties of NiO nanostructures has been studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has employed for studying the structural properties. Cubic crystal structure of NiO was confirmed by the XRD analysis. Crystallite size increased with increase in doping concentration. Nelson-Riley factor (NRF) analysis indicated the presence of defect states in the synthesized samples. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed the spherical morphology of the synthesized samples and also revealed that the particle size varied with dopant content. The optical properties were studied using UV-Visible Spectroscopy. The results indicated that the band gap energy of the synthesized nanostructures decreased with increase in doping concentration upto 3% but increased as the doping concentration was further raised to 5%. This can be ascribed to the defect states variations in the synthesized samples. The results suggested that the synthesized nanostructures are promising candidate for optoelectronic as well as gas sensing applications.

X-ray morphological study of the ESZ sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovisari, L.; Forman, W.; Jones, C.; Andrade-Santos, F.; Democles, J.; Pratt, G.; Ettori, S.; Arnaud, M.; Randall, S.; Kraft, R.

2017-10-01

An accurate knowledge of the scaling relations between X-ray observables and cluster mass is a crucial step for studies that aim to constrain cosmological parameters using galaxy clusters. The measure of the dynamical state of the systems offers important information to obtain precise scaling relations and understand their scatter. Unfortunately, characterize the dynamical state of a galaxy cluster requires to access a large set of information in different wavelength which are available only for a few individual systems. An alternative is to compute well defined morphological parameters making use of the relatively cheap X-ray images and profiles. Due to different projection effects none of the methods is good in all the cases and a combination of them is more effective to quantify the level of substructures. I will present the cluster morphologies that we derived for the ESZ sample. I will show their dependence on different cluster properties like total mass, redshift, and luminosity and how they differ from the ones obtained for X-ray selected clusters.

Is there any connection between the network morphology and the fluctuations of the stock market index?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefan, F. M.; Atman, A. P. F.

2015-02-01

Models which consider behavioral aspects of the investors have attracted increasing interest in the Finance and Econophysics literature in the last years. Different behavioral profiles (imitation, anti-imitation, indifference) were proposed for the investors, which take their decision based on their trust network (neighborhood). Results from agent-based models have shown that most of the features observed in actual stock market indices can be replicated in simulations. Here, we present a deeper investigation of an agent based model considering different network morphologies (regular, random, small-world) for the investors' trust network, in an attempt to answer the question raised in the title. We study the model by considering four scenarios for the investors and different initial conditions to analyze their influence in the stock market fluctuations. We have characterized the stationary limit for each scenario tested, focusing on the changes introduced when complex networks were used, and calculated the Hurst exponent in some cases. Simulations showed interesting results suggesting that the fluctuations of the stock market index are strongly affected by the network morphology, a remarkable result which we believe was never reported or predicted before.

Morphological cladistic study of coregonine fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, G.R.; Todd, T.N.

1992-01-01

A cladistic analysis of 50 characters from 26 taxa of coregonine fishes and two outgroup taxa yields a phylogenetic tree with two major branches, best summarized as two genera - Prosopium and Coregonus. Presence of teeth on the palatine, long maxillae, and long supra-maxillae are primitive, whereas loss of teeth, short or notched maxillae, and short supermaxillae are derived traits. P. coulteri and C. huntsmani are morphologically and phylogenetically primitive members of their groups. The widespread species, P. cylindraceum and P. williamsoni are morphologically advanced in parallel with the subgenus Coregonus (whitefishes): they share subterminal mouths, short jaws, and reduced teeth. Prosopium gemmifer parallels the ciscoes, subgenus Leucichthys. The whitefishes, C. ussuriensis, C. lavaretus, C. clupeaformis, and C. nasus are a monophyletic group, the subgenus Coregonus. The subgenus Leucichthys is a diverse, relatively plesiomorphic assemblage, widespread in the Holarctic region. This assemblage includes the inconnu, Stenodus.

Polypropylenes foam consisting of thermally expandable microcapsule as blowing agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeoung, Sun Kyung; Hwang, Ye Jin; Lee, Hyun Wook; Kwak, Sung Bok; Han, In-Soo; Ha, Jin Uk

2016-03-01

The structure of thermally expandable microcapsule (TEMs) is consisted of a thermoplastic shell which is filled with liquid hydrocarbon at core. The shell of TEMs becomes soft when the temperature is higher than boiling temperature of liquid hydrocarbon. The shell of TEMs is expanded under the high temperature because the inner pressure of TEMs is increased by vaporization of hydrocarbon core. Therefore, the TEMs are applicable for blowing agents and light weight fillers. In this research, we fabricated the polypropylene (PP) foam by using the TEMs and chemical blowing agents and compared to their physical properties. The density of the specimen was decreased when the contents of chemical blowing agents and TEMs were increased. In addition, the mechanical properties (i.e. tensile strength and impact strength) of specimens were deteriorated with increasing amount of chemical blowing agents and TEMs. However, PP foam produced with TEMs showed higher impact strength than the one with the chemical blowing agent. In order to clarify the dependence of impact strength of PP foam as the blowing agent, the morphology difference of the PP foams was investigated. Expanding properties of PP foams produced with TEMs was changed with TEMs content of PP foams. Processing conditions also influenced the mechanical properties of PP foam containing TEMs.

Acquisition of L2 English Morphology: A Family Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yanyin; Widyastuti, Ima

2010-01-01

This study investigates the status of morphology in the L2 English of three members of a family from Indonesia (parents and their 5-year-old daughter) who have lived, studied or worked in Australia for a year. The investigation is contextualized against various learning settings in which the informants have learned English: formal instruction in…

Parallel computational and experimental studies of the morphological modification of calcium carbonate by cobalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braybrook, A. L.; Heywood, B. R.; Jackson, R. A.; Pitt, K.

2002-08-01

Crystal growth can be controlled by the incorporation of dopant ions into the lattice and yet the question of how such substituents affect the morphology has not been addressed. This paper describes the forms of calcite (CaCO 3) which arise when the growth assay is doped with cobalt. Distinct and specific morphological changes are observed; the calcite crystals adopt a morphology which is dominated by the {01.1} family of faces. These experimental studies paralleled the development of computational methods for the analysis of crystal habit as a function of dopant concentration. In this case, the predicted defect morphology also argued for the dominance of the (01.1) face in the growth form. The appearance of this face was related to the preferential segregation of the dopant ions to the crystal surface. This study confirms the evolution of a robust computational model for the analysis of calcite growth forms under a range of environmental conditions and presages the use of such tools for the predictive development of crystal morphologies in those applications where chemico-physical functionality is linked closely to a specific crystallographic form.

Morphological changes of Ganoderma boninense mycelia after challenged by Trichoderma and Bacillus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexander, Arnnyitte; Chong, Khim-Phin, E-mail: chongkp@ums.edu.my; Dayou, Jedol

Ganoderma boninense is a fungal pathogen that causes Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. This deadly disease has caused major losses in the oil palm industry and no remedy is reported to date. The more promising control on G. boninense is the use of biological control agents (BCAs). Despite many attempts in using BCAs as a control agent but evidence on the colonization of BCAs and morphological changes of the pathogen is not well documented. We have investigated the effect of antagonist activity on the combination of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. on the morphology of G. boninense.more » The antagonist activity was evaluated using agar well diffusion assay. BCAs suppressed the mycelia growth of G. boninense up to 70%. Observation under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) shows these BCAs induced stripping of G. boninense hyphal structure by destroying the cellular structure. Highly disrupted, disaggerated, shrivelled and lysis of G. boninense hyphal were also observed. The antifungal activity of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. observed could be associated with the production of Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes (CWDE)« less

Morphological changes of Ganoderma boninense mycelia after challenged by Trichoderma and Bacillus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Arnnyitte; Dayou, Jedol; Chong, Khim-Phin

2015-07-01

Ganoderma boninense is a fungal pathogen that causes Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. This deadly disease has caused major losses in the oil palm industry and no remedy is reported to date. The more promising control on G. boninense is the use of biological control agents (BCAs). Despite many attempts in using BCAs as a control agent but evidence on the colonization of BCAs and morphological changes of the pathogen is not well documented. We have investigated the effect of antagonist activity on the combination of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. on the morphology of G. boninense. The antagonist activity was evaluated using agar well diffusion assay. BCAs suppressed the mycelia growth of G. boninense up to 70%. Observation under Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) shows these BCAs induced stripping of G. boninense hyphal structure by destroying the cellular structure. Highly disrupted, disaggerated, shrivelled and lysis of G. boninense hyphal were also observed. The antifungal activity of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. observed could be associated with the production of Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes (CWDE).

A hemolytic factor from Haemonchus contortus alters erythrocyte morphology.

PubMed

Fetterer, R H; Rhoads, M L

1998-12-15

A hemolytic factor from adult Haemonchus contortus caused distinct morphological changes in the surface of sheep red blood cells (RBCs). After a 15 min exposure to the hemolytic factor, hemolysis was not detected in incubation media, but RBCs were spherical in shape with numerous surface projections compared to control cells that were smooth-surfaced biconcave disks. After 30 min, a time at which significant hemolysis occurred, echinocytes were formed, and after 90 min, cells were severely disrupted with many visible holes in membranes. No RBC ghosts were observed. RBCs from four other mammalian species were lysed by the H. contortus hemolytic factor. However, the rate of hemolysis varied with a relative order of sheep approximately rabbit>goat>pig>calf. The morphology of RBCs from all four species was significantly altered after 30 min incubation with the degree of morphological changes related to the degree of hemolysis. These results support the hypothesis that the hemolytic factor acts as a pore-forming agent, although a phospholipase or other enzyme might play a role in solubilization of cell membranes.

Biofilm imaging in porous media by laboratory X-Ray tomography: Combining a non-destructive contrast agent with propagation-based phase-contrast imaging tools.

PubMed

Carrel, Maxence; Beltran, Mario A; Morales, Verónica L; Derlon, Nicolas; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Kaufmann, Rolf; Holzner, Markus

2017-01-01

X-ray tomography is a powerful tool giving access to the morphology of biofilms, in 3D porous media, at the mesoscale. Due to the high water content of biofilms, the attenuation coefficient of biofilms and water are very close, hindering the distinction between biofilms and water without the use of contrast agents. Until now, the use of contrast agents such as barium sulfate, silver-coated micro-particles or 1-chloronaphtalene added to the liquid phase allowed imaging the biofilm 3D morphology. However, these contrast agents are not passive and potentially interact with the biofilm when injected into the sample. Here, we use a natural inorganic compound, namely iron sulfate, as a contrast agent progressively bounded in dilute or colloidal form into the EPS matrix during biofilm growth. By combining a very long source-to-detector distance on a X-ray laboratory source with a Lorentzian filter implemented prior to tomographic reconstruction, we substantially increase the contrast between the biofilm and the surrounding liquid, which allows revealing the 3D biofilm morphology. A comparison of this new method with the method proposed by Davit et al (Davit et al., 2011), which uses barium sulfate as a contrast agent to mark the liquid phase was performed. Quantitative evaluations between the methods revealed substantial differences for the volumetric fractions obtained from both methods. Namely, contrast agent-biofilm interactions (e.g. biofilm detachment) occurring during barium sulfate injection caused a reduction of the biofilm volumetric fraction of more than 50% and displacement of biofilm patches elsewhere in the column. Two key advantages of the newly proposed method are that passive addition of iron sulfate maintains the integrity of the biofilm prior to imaging, and that the biofilm itself is marked by the contrast agent, rather than the liquid phase as in other available methods. The iron sulfate method presented can be applied to understand biofilm development

An agent-based method for simulating porous fluid-saturated structures with indistinguishable components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashani, Jamal; Pettet, Graeme John; Gu, YuanTong; Zhang, Lihai; Oloyede, Adekunle

2017-10-01

Single-phase porous materials contain multiple components that intermingle up to the ultramicroscopic level. Although the structures of the porous materials have been simulated with agent-based methods, the results of the available methods continue to provide patterns of distinguishable solid and fluid agents which do not represent materials with indistinguishable phases. This paper introduces a new agent (hybrid agent) and category of rules (intra-agent rule) that can be used to create emergent structures that would more accurately represent single-phase structures and materials. The novel hybrid agent carries the characteristics of system's elements and it is capable of changing within itself, while also responding to its neighbours as they also change. As an example, the hybrid agent under one-dimensional cellular automata formalism in a two-dimensional domain is used to generate patterns that demonstrate the striking morphological and characteristic similarities with the porous saturated single-phase structures where each agent of the ;structure; carries semi-permeability property and consists of both fluid and solid in space and at all times. We conclude that the ability of the hybrid agent to change locally provides an enhanced protocol to simulate complex porous structures such as biological tissues which could facilitate models for agent-based techniques and numerical methods.

Lava flow-field morphology: A case study from Mount Etna, Sicily

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guest, J. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Duncan, A. M.

1987-01-01

The morphology of lava flows is often taken as an indicator of the broad chemical composition of the lava, especially when interpreting extraterrestrial volcanoes using spacecraft images. The historical lavas of the active volcano Mount Etna in Sicily provide an excellent opportunity to examine the controls on flow field morphology. In this study only flow produced by flank eruptions after the middle of the 18th century are examined. The final form of a flow-field may be more indicative of the internal plumbing of the volcano, which may control such factors as the effusion, rate, duration of eruption, volume of available magma, rate of de-gassing, and lava rheology. Different flow morphologies on Etna appear to be a good indicator of differing conditions within the volcanic pile. Thus the spatial distribution of different flow types on an extraterrestrial volcano may provide useful information about the plumbing conditions of that volcano, rather than necessarily providing information on the composition of materials erupted.

In-depth morphological study of mesiobuccal root canal systems in maxillary first molars: review

PubMed Central

Chang, Seok-Woo; Lee, Jong-Ki; Lee, Yoon

2013-01-01

A common failure in endodontic treatment of the permanent maxillary first molars is likely to be caused by an inability to locate, clean, and obturate the second mesiobuccal (MB) canals. Because of the importance of knowledge on these additional canals, there have been numerous studies which investigated the maxillary first molar MB root canal morphology using in vivo and laboratory methods. In this article, the protocols, advantages and disadvantages of various methodologies for in-depth study of maxillary first molar MB root canal morphology were discussed. Furthermore, newly identified configuration types for the establishment of new classification system were suggested based on two image reformatting techniques of micro-computed tomography, which can be useful as a further 'Gold Standard' method for in-depth morphological study of complex root canal systems. PMID:23493453

The Effect of Morphological Awareness on Reading Comprehension: A Study with Adolescent Spanish-English Emergent Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curinga, Rebecca

2014-01-01

The present research examines the role of morphological awareness in reading comprehension of high school emergent bilinguals. As an increasing number of research studies contribute to our understanding of morphological awareness, i.e. the ability to reflect on and manipulate morphologically complex derived words, we are better able to appreciate…

Forest Service special agent in charge report: nationwide study

Treesearch

Deborah J. Chavez; Joanne F. Tynon

2007-01-01

This study is the second in a series of studies to evaluate perceptions of USDA Forest Service law enforcement personnel of the roles, responsibilities, and issues entailed in their jobs. An e-mail survey was administered to the nine Forest Service special agents in charge (SACs) across the United States. All nine completed and returned the survey. Communication with...

Morphology engineering - Osmolality and its effect on Aspergillus niger morphology and productivity

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is a widely used strain in a broad range of industrial processes from food to pharmaceutical industry. One of the most intriguing and often uncontrollable characteristics of this filamentous organism is its complex morphology, ranging from dense spherical pellets to viscous mycelia depending on culture conditions. Optimal productivity correlates strongly with a specific morphological form, thus making high demands on process control. Results In about 50 2L stirred tank cultivations the influence of osmolality on A. niger morphology and productivity was investigated. The specific productivity of fructofuranosidase producing strain A. niger SKAn 1015 could be increased notably from 0.5 to 9 U mg-1 h-1 around eighteen fold, by increasing the culture broth osmolality by addition of sodium chloride. The specific productivity of glucoamylase producing strain A. niger AB1.13, could be elevated using the same procedure. An optimal producing osmolality was shown to exist well over the standard osmolality at about 3.2 osmol kg-1 depending on the strain. Fungal morphology of all cultivations was examined by microscope and characterized by digital image analysis. Particle shape parameters were combined to a dimensionless Morphology number, which enabled a comprehensive characterization of fungal morphology correlating closely with productivity. A novel method for determination of germination time in submerged cultivations by laser diffraction, introduced in this study, revealed a decelerated germination process with increasing osmolality. Conclusions Through the introduction of the versatile Morphology number, this study provides the means for a desirable characterization of fungal morphology and demonstrates its relation to productivity. Furthermore, osmolality as a fairly new parameter in process engineering is introduced and found to affect fungal morphology and productivity. Osmolality might provide an auspicious and

Three-dimensional morphology of heel fat pad: an in vivo computed tomography study

PubMed Central

Campanelli, Valentina; Fantini, Massimiliano; Faccioli, Niccolò; Cangemi, Alessio; Pozzo, Antonio; Sbarbati, Andrea

2011-01-01

Heel fat pad cushioning efficiency is the result of its structure, shape and thickness. However, while a number of studies have investigated heel fat pad (HFP) anatomy, structural behavior and material properties, no previous study has described its three-dimensional morphology in situ. The assessment of the healthy, unloaded, three-dimensional morphology of heel pad may contribute to deepen the understanding of its role and behavior during locomotion. It is the basis for the assessment of possible HFP morphological modifications due to changes in the amount or distribution of the loads normally sustained by the foot. It may also help in guiding the surgical reconstruction of the pad and in improving footwear design, as well as in developing a correct heel pad geometry for finite element models of the foot. Therefore the purpose of this study was to obtain a complete analysis of HFP three-dimensional morphology in situ. The right foot of nine healthy volunteers was scanned with computed tomography. A methodological approach that maximizes reliability and repeatability of the data was developed by building a device to lock the foot in a neutral position with respect to the scan planes during image acquisition. Scan data were used to reconstruct virtual three-dimensional models for both the calcaneus and HFP. A set of virtual coronal and axial sections were extracted from the three-dimensional model of each HFP and processed to extract a set of one- and two-dimensional morphometrical measurements for a detailed description of heel pad morphology. The tissue exhibited a consistent and sophisticated morphology that may reflect the biomechanics of the foot support. HFP was found to be have a crest on its anterior dorsal surface, flanges on the sides and posteriorly, and a thick portion that reached and covered the posterior surface of the calcaneus and the achilles tendon insertion. Its anterior internal portion was thinner and a lump of fat was consistently present in

Influence of additional coupling agent on the mechanical properties of polyester–agave cantala roxb based composites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ubaidillah, E-mail: ubaidillah@uns.ac.id; Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur; Raharjo, Wijang W.

The mechanical and morphological properties of the unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs)-agave cantala roxb based composite are investigated in this paper. The cantala fiber woven in 3D angle interlock was utilized as the composite reinforcement. Surface grafting of the cantala fiber through chemical treatment was performed by introducing silane coupling agent to improving the compatibility with the polymer matrix. The fabrication of the composite specimens was conducted using vacuum bagging technique. The effect of additional coupling agent to the morphological appearance of surface fracture was observed using scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the influence of additional silane to the mechanical properties wasmore » examined using tensile, bending and impact test. The photograph of surface fracture on the treated specimens showed the residual matrix left on the fibers in which the phenomenon was not found in the untreated specimens. Based on mechanical tests, the treated specimens were successfully increased their mechanical properties by 55%, 9.67%, and 92.4% for tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength, respectively, at 1.5% silane coupling agent.« less

Morphologies, Processing and Properties of Ceramic Foams from Pre-Ceramic Foams from Pre-Ceramic Polymer Routes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stackpoole, Mairead; Simoes, Conan R.; Venkatapathy, Ethiras (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The current research is focused on processing ceramic foams that have potential as a thermal protection material. Ceramic foams with different architectures were formed from the pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers at 1200 C in different atmospheres. In some systems a sacrificial polyurethane was used as the blowing agent. We have also processed foams using sacrificial fillers to introduce controlled cell sizes. Each sacrificial filler or blowing agent leads to a unique morphology. The effect of different fillers on foam morphologies will be presented. The presentation will also focus on characterization of these foams in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. Foams processed using these approaches having bulk densities ranging from 0.15 to 0.9 g per cubic centimeter and a cell sizes from 5 to 500 micrometers. Compression strengths ranged from 2 to 7 MPa for these materials.

The effect of morphology on spelling and reading accuracy: a study on Italian children

PubMed Central

Angelelli, Paola; Marinelli, Chiara Valeria; Burani, Cristina

2014-01-01

In opaque orthographies knowledge of morphological information helps in achieving reading and spelling accuracy. In transparent orthographies with regular print-to-sound correspondences, such as Italian, the mappings of orthography onto phonology and phonology onto orthography are in principle sufficient to read and spell most words. The present study aimed to investigate the role of morphology in the reading and spelling accuracy of Italian children as a function of school experience to determine whether morphological facilitation was present in children learning a transparent orthography. The reading and spelling performances of 15 third-grade and 15 fifth-grade typically developing children were analyzed. Children read aloud and spelled both low-frequency words and pseudowords. Low-frequency words were manipulated for the presence of morphological structure (morphemic words vs. non-derived words). Morphemic words could also vary for the frequency (high vs. low) of roots and suffixes. Pseudo-words were made up of either a real root and a real derivational suffix in a combination that does not exist in the Italian language or had no morphological constituents. Results showed that, in Italian, morphological information is a useful resource for both reading and spelling. Typically developing children benefitted from the presence of morphological structure when they read and spelled pseudowords; however, in processing low-frequency words, morphology facilitated reading but not spelling. These findings are discussed in terms of morpho-lexical access and successful cooperation between lexical and sublexical processes in reading and spelling. PMID:25477855

The effect of morphology on spelling and reading accuracy: a study on Italian children.

PubMed

Angelelli, Paola; Marinelli, Chiara Valeria; Burani, Cristina

2014-01-01

In opaque orthographies knowledge of morphological information helps in achieving reading and spelling accuracy. In transparent orthographies with regular print-to-sound correspondences, such as Italian, the mappings of orthography onto phonology and phonology onto orthography are in principle sufficient to read and spell most words. The present study aimed to investigate the role of morphology in the reading and spelling accuracy of Italian children as a function of school experience to determine whether morphological facilitation was present in children learning a transparent orthography. The reading and spelling performances of 15 third-grade and 15 fifth-grade typically developing children were analyzed. Children read aloud and spelled both low-frequency words and pseudowords. Low-frequency words were manipulated for the presence of morphological structure (morphemic words vs. non-derived words). Morphemic words could also vary for the frequency (high vs. low) of roots and suffixes. Pseudo-words were made up of either a real root and a real derivational suffix in a combination that does not exist in the Italian language or had no morphological constituents. Results showed that, in Italian, morphological information is a useful resource for both reading and spelling. Typically developing children benefitted from the presence of morphological structure when they read and spelled pseudowords; however, in processing low-frequency words, morphology facilitated reading but not spelling. These findings are discussed in terms of morpho-lexical access and successful cooperation between lexical and sublexical processes in reading and spelling.

Morphological study of the TK cholangiocarcinoma cell line with three-dimensional cell culture.

PubMed

Akiyoshi, Kohei; Kamada, Minori; Akiyama, Nobutake; Suzuki, Masafumi; Watanabe, Michiko; Fujioka, Kouki; Ikeda, Keiichi; Mizuno, Shuichi; Manome, Yoshinobu

2014-04-01

Cholangiocarcinoma is an intractable carcinoma originating from the bile duct epithelium. To gain an understanding of the cell biology of cholangiocarcinoma, in vitro cell culture is valuable. However, well‑characterized cell lines are limited. In the present study, the morphology of the TK cholangiocarcinoma cell line was analyzed by three‑dimensional culture. Dispersed TK cells were injected into a gelatin mesh scaffold and cultivated for 3‑20 days. The morphology of the TK cells was investigated by phase‑contrast microscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TK cells were observed to proliferate three-dimensionally in the scaffold. The cells exhibited a globoid structure and attached to the scaffold. The SEM observation demonstrated typical microvilli and plicae on the surface of the structure. Light microscopy and TEM confirmed intercellular and cell‑to‑scaffold attachment in the three‑dimensional mesh. The culture also exhibited the formation of a duct-like structure covered by structured microvilli. In conclusion, three‑dimensional culture of TK cells demonstrated the morphological characteristics of cholangiocarcinoma in vitro. Production of high levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)19‑9, CA50 and carcinoembryonic antigen was previously confirmed in the TK cell line. As a characteristic morphology was demonstrated in the present study, the TK cholangiocarcinoma cell line may be useful as an experimental model for further study of cholangiocarcinoma.

Distinct morphological processing of recently learned compound words: An ERP study.

PubMed

Kaczer, Laura; Timmer, Kalinka; Bavassi, Luz; Schiller, Niels O

2015-12-10

Our vocabulary is, at least in principle, infinite. We can create new words combining existing ones in meaningful ways to form new linguistic expressions. The present study investigated the morphological processing of novel compound words in overt speech production. Native speakers of Dutch learned a series of new compounds (e.g. appelgezicht, 'apple-face') that were later used as primes in a morphological priming task. In this protocol, primes were compound words morphologically related to a target's picture name (e.g. appelgezicht was used for a picture of an apple, Dutch appel). The novel primes were compared with corresponding familiar compounds sharing a free morpheme (e.g. appelmoes, 'applesauce') and with unrelated compounds. Participants were required to read aloud words and to name pictures in a long-lag design. Behavioral and event-related potentials (ERPs) data were collected in two sessions, separated by 48h. Clear facilitation of picture naming latencies was obtained when pictures were paired with morphological related words. Notably, our results show that novel compounds have a stronger priming effect than familiar compounds in both sessions, which is expressed in a marked reduction in target naming latencies and a decrease in the N400 amplitude. These results suggest that participants focused more on the separate constituents when reading novel primes than in the case of existing compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrolytic degradation and morphologic study of poly-p-dioxanone.

PubMed

Lin, H L; Chu, C C; Grubb, D

1993-02-01

The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of 2-0 size PDS monofilament suture was studied for the purpose of revealing its morphologic structure and degradation mechanism. The sutures were immersed in phosphate buffer of pH 7.44 for up to 120 days at 37 degrees C. These hydrolyzed sutures were examined by the changes in tensile properties, weight, thermal properties, x-ray diffraction structure, surface morphology, and dye diffusion phenomena. It was found that hydrolysis had significant effects on the change of PDS fiber morphology and properties. Hydrolysis, however, had no significant effect on overall molecular orientation of the fiber until the very late stage. PDS suture fibers retained their skeleton throughout the earlier periods of hydrolysis concurrent with mass and tensile strength losses. PDS sutures exhibited an absorption delay of 120 days. Both heat of fusion and melting point exhibited a maximum function of hydrolysis time. Hydrolysis of PDS suture fibers proceeded through two stages: random scission of chain segments located in the amorphous regions of microfibrils and intermicrofibrillar space, followed by stepwise scission of chain segments located in the crystalline regions of microfibrils. Dye diffusion data showed that the passage along the longitudinal direction of the fiber was relatively easier than the lateral direction as evident in the diffusion coefficient, activation energy, and flexibility of chain segments. Swiss-cheese model of fiber structure appears to describe the observed dye diffusion phenomena and their dependence on hydrolysis time and dying temperature.

Effect of anti-glycolytic agents on tumour cells in vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korshunov, D. A.; Kondakova, I. V.

2016-08-01

A metabolic change is one of the tumour hallmarks, which has recently attracted a great amount of attention. One of the main metabolic characteristics of tumour cells is a high level of glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen, known as aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect. The energy production is much less in a glycolysis pathway than that in a tricarboxylic acid cycle. The Warburg effect constitutes a fundamental adaptation of tumour cells to a relatively hostile environment, and supports the evolution of aggressive and metastatic phenotypes. As a result, tumour glycolysis may become an attractive target for cancer therapy. Here, we research the effect of potential anticancer agents on tumour cells in vitro. In our study, we found a high sensitivity of tumour cells to anti-glycolityc drugs. In addition, tumour cells are more resistant to the agents studied in comparison with normal cells. We also observed an atypical cooperative interaction of tumour cells in the median lethal dose of drugs. They formed the specific morphological structure of the surviving cells. This behavior is not natural for the culture of tumour cells. Perhaps this is one of the mechanisms of cells' adaptation to the aggressive environment.

Aneurysm Morphology and Prediction of Rupture: An International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms Analysis.

PubMed

Mocco, J; Brown, Robert D; Torner, James C; Capuano, Ana W; Fargen, Kyle M; Raghavan, Madhavan L; Piepgras, David G; Meissner, Irene; Huston, John

2018-04-01

There are conflicting data between natural history studies suggesting a very low risk of rupture for small, unruptured intracranial aneurysms and retrospective studies that have identified a much higher frequency of small, ruptured aneurysms than expected. To use the prospective International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms cohort to identify morphological characteristics predictive of unruptured intracranial aneurysm rupture. A case-control design was used to analyze morphological characteristics associated with aneurysm rupture in the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms database. Fifty-seven patients with ruptured aneurysms during follow-up were matched (by size and location) with 198 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms without rupture during follow-up. Twelve morphological metrics were measured from cerebral angiograms in a blinded fashion. Perpendicular height (P = .008) and size ratio (ratio of maximum diameter to the parent vessel diameter; P = .01) were predictors of aneurysm rupture on univariate analysis. Aspect ratio, daughter sacs, multiple lobes, aneurysm angle, neck diameter, parent vessel diameter, and calculated aneurysm volume were not statistically significant predictors of rupture. On multivariate analysis, perpendicular height was the only significant predictor of rupture (Chi-square 7.1, P-value .008). This study underscores the importance of other morphological factors, such as perpendicular height and size ratio, that may influence unruptured intracranial aneurysm rupture risk in addition to greatest diameter and anterior vs posterior location.

Correlated evolution of personality, morphology and performance

PubMed Central

Kern, Elizabeth M. A.; Robinson, Detric; Gass, Erika; Godwin, John; Langerhans, R. Brian

2018-01-01

Evolutionary change in one trait can elicit evolutionary changes in other traits due to genetic correlations. This constrains the independent evolution of traits and can lead to unpredicted ecological and evolutionary outcomes. Animals might frequently exhibit genetic associations among behavioural and morphological-physiological traits, because the physiological mechanisms behind animal personality can have broad multitrait effects and because many selective agents influence the evolution of multiple types of traits. However, we currently know little about genetic correlations between animal personalities and nonbehavioural traits. We tested for associations between personality, morphology and locomotor performance by comparing zebrafish (Danio rerio) collected from the wild and then selectively bred for either a proactive or reactive stress coping style (‘bold’ or ‘shy’ phenotypes). Based on adaptive hypotheses of correlational selection in the wild, we predicted that artificial selection for boldness would produce correlated evolutionary responses of larger caudal regions and higher fast-start escape performance (and the opposite for shyness). After four to seven generations, morphology and locomotor performance differed between personality lines: bold zebrafish exhibited a larger caudal region and higher fast-start performance than fish in the shy line, matching predictions. Individual-level phenotypic correlations suggested that pleiotropy or physical gene linkage likely explained the correlated response of locomotor performance, while the correlated response of body shape may have reflected linkage disequilibrium, which is breaking down each generation in the laboratory. Our results indicate that evolution of personality can result in concomitant changes in morphology and whole-organism performance, and vice versa. PMID:29398712

Method for removing strongly adsorbed surfactants and capping agents from metal to facilitate their catalytic applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adzic, Radoslav R.; Gong, Kuanping; Cai, Yun

A method of synthesizing activated electrocatalyst, preferably having a morphology of a nanostructure, is disclosed. The method includes safely and efficiently removing surfactants and capping agents from the surface of the metal structures. With regard to metal nanoparticles, the method includes synthesis of nanoparticle(s) in polar or non-polar solution with surfactants or capping agents and subsequent activation by CO-adsorption-induced surfactant/capping agent desorption and electrochemical oxidation. The method produces activated macroparticle or nanoparticle electrocatalysts without damaging the surface of the electrocatalyst that includes breaking, increasing particle thickness or increasing the number of low coordination sites.

Early morphological and functional changes in pancreas following necrosectomy for acute severe necrotizing pancreatitis.

PubMed

Bavare, Charudatta; Prabhu, Ramkrishna; Supe, Avinash

2004-01-01

Morphological and functional changes in the pancreas after surgical pancreatic necrosectomy have not been studied extensively. To study morphological changes in the pancreas, and exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function following pancreatic necrosectomy. Eighteen adult patients surviving at least one month after pancreatic necrosectomy for acute necrotizing pancreatitis were followed up. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was done every six months. Stool fat was estimated at 3-month intervals, and need for and response to enzyme supplements were recorded. Blood sugar was measured every fortnight; in patients with hyperglycemia, need for oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin was recorded. Additional pancreatic imaging was done in some cases. Six weeks after surgery, nine of 18 patients had exocrine insufficiency. Thirteen patients developed endocrine insufficiency, including 5 who also had exocrine insufficiency. At the end of the study, 13 patients had endocrine insufficiency and 2 had exocrine insufficiency. Pancreatic size was subnormal in all patients at the end of six months. Pancreatography in three cases did not reveal any ductal abnormality. Necrotizing pancreatitis affects pancreatic exocrine or endocrine function in more than half the patients.

The effects of hemostatic agents on peripheral nerve function: an experimental study.

PubMed

Alkan, Alper; Inal, Samet; Yildirim, Mehmet; Baş, Burcu; Ağar, Erdal

2007-04-01

In the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery, hemostatic agents are sometimes placed in close proximity to peripheral nerves. In the present study, we evaluated immediate and delayed effects of 4 hemostatic agents (oxidized regenerated cellulose, 5% colloid silver-added gelatine sponge, bovine collagen, bone wax) on peripheral nerve function. A total of 25 rat sciatic nerves were prepared, and the amplitudes were recorded with a physiological data acquisition system. Animals were randomly assigned to 5 groups: control, oxidized regenerated cellulose, gelatine sponge, bone wax, and bovine collagen. The first hour records are defined as immediate effects of these hemostatic agents on nerve function. The animals were then allowed to recover for 4 weeks. At the end of this period, the same surgical and recording procedures were performed. These final records are defined as delayed effects of hemostatic agents on nerve function. According to nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and compound action potential (CAP) values of the experimental groups, early and delayed effects of each hemostatic agent were statistically compared with Bonferroni corrected test (P < .05). Statistically, NCV was significantly reduced, and the CAP was significantly increased 1 hour after surgery (P < .05) in the group of oxidized regenerated cellulose. However, there were no significant differences after 4 weeks compared with the first records. In the gelatine sponge group, CAP was significantly increased 4 weeks after the application. In the bovine collagen and bone wax groups, NCV and CAP values (1 hour and 4 weeks after the application) were not statistically significant compared with initial control records. The present study shows that bovine collagen is the most suitable hemostatic agent applicable for peripheral nerves.

New rodent models for studies of chemopreventive agents.

PubMed

Lipkin, M

1997-01-01

Some recent studies of the effects of chemopreventive agents have begun to use new rodent models to improve the analysis of stages of colonic preneoplasia, and how chemopreventive agents modify progressive abnormal cell development. In one of the models of inherited predisposition to colon cancer, mice carrying a truncated Apc allele with a nonsense mutation in exon 15 have been generated by gene targeting and embryonic stem cell technology (Apc1638 mice). These mice develop multiple gastrointestinal lesions, including adenomas and carcinomas, focal areas of high-grade dysplasia (FAD), and polypoid hyperplasias with FADS. The incidence of inherited colonic neoplasms has now been modulated by a chemopreventive regimen. Colonic lesions significantly increased in Apc1638 mice on a Western-style diet, which has higher fat content and lower calcium and vitamin D compared to the same mice on AIN-76A diet. In another rodent model, Min mice were treated with sulindac, which markedly reduced the incidence of intestinal tumors. A third new rodent model containing a targeted mutation in the gene Mcc (mutated in colorectal cancer) recently became available for chemoprevention studies. These mice develop multiple types of neoplasms including adenocarcinomas, focal areas of gastrointestinal dysplasia, papillomas of the forestomach, and tumors in other organs including lung, liver, and lymphoid tissue. Feeding a Western-style diet to the Mcc mutant mice also resulted in significantly increased gastrointestinal lesions. These nutrient modifications also have been given to normal mice, demonstrating without any chemical carcinogen that a Western-style diet induced colonic tumorigenesis. Western-style diets also have now induced modulation of cell proliferation in other organs including mammary gland, pancreas, and prostate. These findings help develop new preclinical rodent models to aid the analysis of genetic and environmental factors leading to neoplasia, as well as new methods

Added value of lignin as lignin-based hybrid polyurethane for a compatibilizing agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilmiati, S.; Haris Mustafa, J.; Yaumal, A.; Hanum, F.; Chalid, M.

2017-07-01

As biomass-based material, lignin contains abundant hydroxyl groups promising to be used as chain extender in building hybrid polyurethanes. Consisting of polyehtylene glycol (PEG) content as hydrophobic part and lignin as hydrophilic part, the hybrid PU is expected to be as a novel compatibilizing agent in new materials production such as polyblends and composites. The hybrid PU was synthesized via two reaction stages, viz. pre-polyurethanization through reacting 4,4'-Methylenebis (Cyclohexyl Isocyanate) (HMDI) and PEG as polyol, and chain extention through adding lignin in the pre-polyurethanization system. The composition effect of lignin in hybrid PU syntehsis, to chemical structure corelated to hydrophobic to hydrophilic ratio, thermal and morphological properties, was evaluated by measuring NMR, FTIR, DSC, TGA and FE-SEM. The experiments showed that addition of lignin was able to extend the pre-polyurethane into hybrid polyurethane and to increase the lignin/polyol ratio in the hybrid polyurethanes, which were indicated by NMR and FTIR Analysis. And change of the ratio lead to increase the glass transition from 60.9 until 62.1°C and degradation temperature from 413.9 until 416.0°C. Observation of the morphology implied that addition of lignin gave more agglomerations. A Further investigation for this characterization study should be focused on a feasibility for this modified lignin as a novel compatibilizing agent.

Controlling the polypyrrole microstructures using swollen liquid crystals as structure directing agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutt, S.; Sharma, R.

2017-10-01

Microstructures of polypyrrole (PPy) with different morphology were synthesized using swollen liquid crystals (SLCs) as soft structure directing agents and confinement effect on the control of PPy microstructures have been thoroughly investigated. SLCs are the quaternary mixtures of aqueous phase: oil phase: surfactant: co-surfactant. Mesophases of PPy were synthesized by trapping small amount of pyrrole in the oil phase of SLCs. Spherical, fiber and rod-like microstructures of PPy were synthesized by adding ammonium persulphate (APS) as an oxidant under different synthesis conditions using SLCs. The possible mechanism for the formation of different PPy microstructures also proposed in this study.

Morphologies, Processing and Properties of Ceramic Foams and Their Potential as TPS Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stackpoole, Mairead; Simoes, Conan R.; Johnson, Sylvia M.

2002-01-01

The current research is focused on processing ceramic foams with compositions that have potential as a thermal protection material. The use of pre-ceramic polymers with the addition of sacrificial blowing agents or sacrificial fillers offers a viable approach to form either open or closed cell insulation. Our work demonstrates that this is a feasible method to form refractory ceramic foams at relatively low processing temperatures. It is possible to foam complex shapes then pyrolize the system to form a ceramic while retaining the shape of the unfired foam. Initial work focused on identifying suitable pre-ceramic polymers with desired properties such as ceramic yield and chemical make up of the pyrolysis product after firing. We focused on making foams in the Si system (Sic, Si02, Si-0-C), which is in use in current acreage TPS systems. Ceramic foams with different architectures were formed from the pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers at 1200 C in different atmospheres. In some systems a sacrificial polyurethane was used as the blowing agent. We have also processed foams using sacrificial fillers to introduce controlled cell sizes. Each sacrificial filler or blowing agent leads to a unique morphology. The effect of different fillers on foam morphologies and the characterization of these foams in terms of mechanical and thermal properties are presented. We have conducted preliminary arc jet testing on selected foams with the materials being exposed to typical re-entry conditions for acreage TPS and these results will be discussed. Foams processed using these approaches have bulk densities ranging from 0.15 to 0.9 g/cm3 and cell sizes ranging from 5 to 500 pm. Compression strengths ranged from 2 to 7 MPa for these systems. Finally, preliminary oxidation studies have been conducted on selected systems and will be discussed.

Assessment of antibacterial properties of newer dentin bonding agents: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Sampath, Pavitra B; Hegde, Mithra N; Hegde, Priyadarshini

2011-07-01

To evaluate and compare the antibacterial activity of newer dentin bonding agents on Streptococcus mutans using the direct contact test. Streptococcus mutans was used as test organism and a direct contact test was performed. The dentin bonding agents to be tested were grouped as Group I, Clearfil Protect Bond, Group II, Adper Easy One, and Group III, Prime and Bond NT. For the direct contact test, three microtiter plates consisting of 96 wells each were taken (288 wells). These wells were divided into three groups of 96 wells; 16 wells of a microtiter plate were utilized, of which four were designated as 'A' wells (with the dentin bonding agent and bacterial suspension), another four as 'B' wells (without the dentin bonding agent, but with the bacterial suspension), another four as the 'C' wells (with the tested material, but without bacteria, which served as the negative control), and the remaining four as the 'D' wells (without the dentin bonding agent, which served as the positive control). Each group was treated with their respective bonding agents as per the manufactures instructions. Broth of 15 μL was then transferred from the A wells into an adjacent set of B wells containing fresh medium (215 μL). This resulted in two sets of four wells for each tested material containing an equal volume of liquid medium, so that bacterial growth was monitored both in the presence and in the absence of the tested material. The plate was placed for incubation at 37°C in the microplate reader and the optical density in each well was measured at 600 nm. The readings were taken at regular intervals. (Every 30 minutes for 16 hours). The Dentin bonding agents evaluated in this study showed different inhibitory effects. Clearfil Protect Bond and Prime and Bond NT were most effective, and Adper Easy One was least effective against Streptococcus mutans. The Dentin bonding agents evaluated in this study showed different inhibitory effects. Clearfil Protect Bond and Prime and Bond

The Relation between Morphological Awareness and Reading and Spelling in Greek: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittas, Evdokia; Nunes, Terezinha

2014-01-01

The aim of this longitudinal study is to examine the contribution of morphological awareness to the prediction of reading and spelling in Greek. The target group (N = 404) consisted of children, aged 6-9 years at the start of the project, who learn literacy in Cyprus. Because there are no standardized measures of morphological awareness for Greek…

The Role of Phonological versus Morphological Skills in the Development of Arabic Spelling: An Intervention Study.

PubMed

Taha, Haitham; Saiegh-Haddad, Elinor

2016-06-01

The current study investigated the contribution of two linguistic intervention programs, phonological and morphological to the development of word spelling among skilled and poor native Arabic readers, in three grades: second, fourth and sixth. The participants were assigned to three experimental groups: morphological intervention, phonological intervention and a non-intervention control group. Phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and spelling abilities were tested before and after the intervention. Participants from both linguistic intervention programs and in all grades made significant progress in linguistic awareness and spelling after the intervention. The results showed that both intervention programs were successful in promoting children's spelling skills in both groups. Also, older poor readers showed a stronger response to the morphological intervention than the older skilled readers. A transfer effect was found with the phonological training contributing to the morphological skills and vice versa. The results of the current study were discussed in the light of developmental and psycholinguistic views of spelling acquisition as well as the characteristics of Arabic language and orthography.

Synthesis of calcium carbonate using extract components of croaker gill as morphology and polymorph adjust control agent.

PubMed

Chen, Hao; Qing, Chengsong; Zheng, Jiaoling; Liu, Yuxi; Wu, Gang

2016-06-01

Biomimetic synthesis of calcium carbonate with various polymorphs, sizes and morphologies by using organic substrates has become an interesting topic for the last years. Calcium carbonate has been synthesized by the reaction of Na2CO3 and CaCl2 in the presence of extract components of croaker gill. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, and particle morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that at lower concentration yellow croaker gill extract has no effect on calcium carbonate crystal polymorph. Calcite was obtained only. But the morphologies of calcite particle change with the increase of the concentration. The corners of the particle change from angular to curved. However, with the further increase of the concentration of yellow croaker gill extract, the calcium carbonate obtained is a mixture of calcite and vaterite. The vaterite component in the mixture rises with increasing concentration of extract solution, indicating that the proteins from the yellow croaker gill during growth play a crucial role in stabilizing and directing the crystal growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructured Metal Oxides for Stoichiometric Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents.

PubMed

Štengl, Václav; Henych, Jiří; Janoš, Pavel; Skoumal, Miroslav

2016-01-01

Metal oxides have very important applications in many areas of chemistry, physics and materials science; their properties are dependent on the method of preparation, the morphology and texture. Nanostructured metal oxides can exhibit unique characteristics unlike those of the bulk form depending on their morphology, with a high density of edges, corners and defect surfaces. In recent years, methods have been developed for the preparation of metal oxide powders with tunable control of the primary particle size as well as of a secondary particle size: the size of agglomerates of crystallites. One of the many ways to take advantage of unique properties of nanostructured oxide materials is stoichiometric degradation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) pollutants on their surfaces.

Live morphological analysis of taxol-induced cytoplasmic vacuolization [corrected] in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-Ping; Chen, Tong-Sheng; Sun, Lei; Cai, Ji-Ye; Wu, Ming-Qian; Mok, Martin

2008-12-01

Taxol (paclitaxel), one of the most active cancer chemotherapeutic agents, can cause programmed cell death (PCD) and cytoplasmic vacuolization. The objective of this study was to analyze the morphological characteristics induced by taxol. Human lung adenocarcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cells were exposed to various concentration of taxol. CCK-8 was used to assay the cell viability. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), plasmid transfection and confocal fluorescence microscopy were performed to image the cells morphological change induced by taxol. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was used to monitor the caspase-3 activation in living cells during taxol-induced cell death. Cells treated with taxol exhibited significant swelling and cytoplasmic vacuolization which may be due to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) vacuolization. Caspase-3 was not activated during taxol-induced cytoplasmic vacuolization and cell death. These findings suggest that taxol induces caspase-3-independent cytoplasmic vacuolization, cell swelling and cell death through ER vacuolization.

Mechanics, morphology, and mobility in stratum corneum membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olmsted, Peter; Das, Chinmay; Noro, Massimo

2012-02-01

The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of skin, and serves as a protective barrier against external agents, and to control moisture. It comprises keratin bodies (corneocytes) embedded in a matrix of lipid bilayers. Unlike the more widely studied phospholipid bilayers, the SC bilayers are typically in a gel-like state. Moreover, the SC membrane composition is radically different from more fluid counterparts: it comprises single tailed fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol; with many distinct ceramides possessing different lengths of tails, and always with two tails of different lengths. I will present insight from computer simulations into the morphology, mechanical properties, and diffusion (barrier) properties of these highly heterogeneous membranes. Our results provide some clue as to the design principles for the SC membrane, and is an excellent example of the use of wide polydispersity by natural systems.

Effect of Viscous Agents on Corneal Density in Dry Eye Disease.

PubMed

Wegener, Alfred R; Meyer, Linda M; Schönfeld, Carl-Ludwig

2015-10-01

To investigate the effect of the viscous agents, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), carbomer, povidone, and a combination of HPMC and povidone on corneal density in patients with dry eye disease. In total, 98 eyes of 49 patients suffering from dry eye and 65 eyes of 33 healthy age-matched individuals were included in this prospective, randomized study. Corneal morphology was documented with Scheimpflug photography and corneal density was analyzed in 5 anatomical layers (epithelium, bowman membrane, stroma, descemet's membrane, and endothelium). Corneal density was evaluated for the active ingredients HPMC, carbomer, povidone, and a combination of HPMC and povidone as the viscous agents contained in the artificial tear formulations used by the dry eye patients. Data were compared to the age-matched healthy control group without medication. Corneal density in dry eye patients was reduced in all 5 anatomical layers compared to controls. Corneal density was highest and very close to control in patients treated with HPMC containing ocular lubricants. Patients treated with lubricants, including carbomer as the viscous agent displayed a significant reduction of corneal density in layers 1 and 2 compared to control. HPMC containing ocular lubricants can help to maintain physiological corneal density and may be beneficial in the treatment of dry eye disease.

Study to Evaluate the Changes in Polycystic Ovarian Morphology after Naturopathic and Yogic Interventions.

PubMed

Ratnakumari, M Ezhil; Manavalan, N; Sathyanath, D; Ayda, Y Rosy; Reka, K

2018-01-01

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the commonest endocrine disorders in women, with a prevalence ranging from 2.2% to 26% in India. Patients with PCOS face challenges including irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism, acne, acanthosis nigricans, obesity and infertility. 9.13% of South Indian adolescent girls are estimated to suffer from PCOS. The efficacy of Yoga & Naturopathy (Y&N) in the management of polycystic ovarian syndrome requires to be investigated. Aims: The aim of the present study is to observe the morphological changes in polycystic ovaries of patients following 12 weeks of Y&N intervention. The study was conducted at the Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, India. The study was a single blinded prospective, pre-post clinical trial. Fifty PCOS patients of age between 18 and 35 years who satisfied the Rotterdam criteria were recruited for the study. According to their immediate participation in the study they were either allocated to the intervention group ( n =25) or in the wait listed control group ( n =25). The intervention group underwent Y&N therapy for 12 weeks. Change in polycystic ovarian morphology, anthropometric measurements and frequency of menstrual cycle were studied before and after the intervention. Results: Significant improvement was observed in the ovarian morphology ( P <0.001) and the anthropometric measurements ( P <0.001) between the two groups. The findings of the study indicate that Y&N interventions are efficient in bringing about beneficial changes in polycystic ovarian morphology. We speculate that a longer intervention might be required to regulate the frequency of menstrual cycle.

Imageability and Transparency in Morphological Awareness: A Study of How Third-Grade Children Made Lemonade from Lemon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolter, Julie A.

2014-01-01

Morphological awareness has been established as important to literacy success, and as such, it is critical to study factors affecting children's performance on measures of this skill. Morphological transparency, or the clarity of the sound and letter pattern relationship between base words and their associated morphological forms, has been found…

Three-dimensional morphology of heel fat pad: an in vivo computed tomography study.

PubMed

Campanelli, Valentina; Fantini, Massimiliano; Faccioli, Niccolò; Cangemi, Alessio; Pozzo, Antonio; Sbarbati, Andrea

2011-11-01

Heel fat pad cushioning efficiency is the result of its structure, shape and thickness. However, while a number of studies have investigated heel fat pad (HFP) anatomy, structural behavior and material properties, no previous study has described its three-dimensional morphology in situ. The assessment of the healthy, unloaded, three-dimensional morphology of heel pad may contribute to deepen the understanding of its role and behavior during locomotion. It is the basis for the assessment of possible HFP morphological modifications due to changes in the amount or distribution of the loads normally sustained by the foot. It may also help in guiding the surgical reconstruction of the pad and in improving footwear design, as well as in developing a correct heel pad geometry for finite element models of the foot. Therefore the purpose of this study was to obtain a complete analysis of HFP three-dimensional morphology in situ. The right foot of nine healthy volunteers was scanned with computed tomography. A methodological approach that maximizes reliability and repeatability of the data was developed by building a device to lock the foot in a neutral position with respect to the scan planes during image acquisition. Scan data were used to reconstruct virtual three-dimensional models for both the calcaneus and HFP. A set of virtual coronal and axial sections were extracted from the three-dimensional model of each HFP and processed to extract a set of one- and two-dimensional morphometrical measurements for a detailed description of heel pad morphology. The tissue exhibited a consistent and sophisticated morphology that may reflect the biomechanics of the foot support. HFP was found to be have a crest on its anterior dorsal surface, flanges on the sides and posteriorly, and a thick portion that reached and covered the posterior surface of the calcaneus and the achilles tendon insertion. Its anterior internal portion was thinner and a lump of fat was consistently present in

An agent-based simulation model to study accountable care organizations.

PubMed

Liu, Pai; Wu, Shinyi

2016-03-01

Creating accountable care organizations (ACOs) has been widely discussed as a strategy to control rapidly rising healthcare costs and improve quality of care; however, building an effective ACO is a complex process involving multiple stakeholders (payers, providers, patients) with their own interests. Also, implementation of an ACO is costly in terms of time and money. Immature design could cause safety hazards. Therefore, there is a need for analytical model-based decision-support tools that can predict the outcomes of different strategies to facilitate ACO design and implementation. In this study, an agent-based simulation model was developed to study ACOs that considers payers, healthcare providers, and patients as agents under the shared saving payment model of care for congestive heart failure (CHF), one of the most expensive causes of sometimes preventable hospitalizations. The agent-based simulation model has identified the critical determinants for the payment model design that can motivate provider behavior changes to achieve maximum financial and quality outcomes of an ACO. The results show nonlinear provider behavior change patterns corresponding to changes in payment model designs. The outcomes vary by providers with different quality or financial priorities, and are most sensitive to the cost-effectiveness of CHF interventions that an ACO implements. This study demonstrates an increasingly important method to construct a healthcare system analytics model that can help inform health policy and healthcare management decisions. The study also points out that the likely success of an ACO is interdependent with payment model design, provider characteristics, and cost and effectiveness of healthcare interventions.

Ablation of human skin mast cells in situ by lysosomotropic agents.

PubMed

Hagforsen, Eva; Paivandy, Aida; Lampinen, Maria; Weström, Simone; Calounova, Gabriela; Melo, Fabio R; Rollman, Ola; Pejler, Gunnar

2015-07-01

Mast cells are known to have a detrimental impact on numerous types of inflammatory skin diseases such as contact dermatitis, atopic eczema and cutaneous mastocytosis. Regimens that dampen skin mast cell-mediated activities can thus offer an attractive therapeutic option under such circumstances. As mast cells are known to secrete a large array of potentially pathogenic compounds, both from preformed stores in secretory lysosomes (granules) and after de novo synthesis, mere inhibition of degranulation or interference with individual mast cell mediators may not be sufficient to provide an effective blockade of harmful mast cell activities. An alternative strategy may therefore be to locally reduce skin mast cell numbers. Here, we explored the possibility of using lysosomotropic agents for this purpose, appreciating the fact that mast cell granules contain bioactive compounds prone to trigger apoptosis if released into the cytosolic compartment. Based on this principle, we show that incubation of human skin punch biopsies with the lysosomotropic agents siramesine or Leu-Leu methyl ester preferably ablated the mast cell population, without causing any gross adverse effects on the skin morphology. Subsequent analysis revealed that mast cells treated with lysosomotropic agents predominantly underwent apoptotic rather than necrotic cell death. In summary, this study raises the possibility of using lysosomotropic agents as a novel approach to targeting deleterious mast cell populations in cutaneous mastocytosis and other skin disorders negatively influenced by mast cells. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Morphology and phase control of iron oxide polymorph nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Hongtao; Wang, Li; Shi, Min; Li, Yanhong

2017-04-01

In this work, lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) nanobundles were prepared by a facile NH4F assisted epoxide precipitation route. The reactions between epoxide and [Fe(H2O)6]2+ promoted the hydrolysis and condensation of [Fe(H2O)6]2+, resulting in the formation of iron oxyhydroxide. After calcination of γ-FeOOH nanobundles at 400 °C, the produced α-Fe2O3 still kept the bundle morphology. Due to the unique chemistry of epoxide, the morphology and phase of iron oxide polymorph nanoparticles (goethite, akaganeite, lepidocrocite, magnetite) were well-controlled through controlling reaction conditions such as Fe2+ concentration, NH4F additive and reaction temperature. It is particularly interesting that NH4F working as phase controlling agent is able to control the phase development of iron oxyhydroxides. This phase control effect of NH4F is attributed to the promoted reaction rate of epoxide originating from the higher electronegativity of fluoride ions than chloride ions. Based on the results in this work and our other preliminary works, it is considered that this route can be used as a general strategy for controlling the morphology and phase of transition element compounds.

Structural, morphological and optical studies of F doped SnO2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandel, Tarun; Thakur, Vikas; Dwivedi, Shailendra Kumar; Zaman, M. Burhanuz; Rajaram, Poolla

2018-05-01

Highly conducting and transparent FTO (flourine doped tin Oxide) thin films were grown on the glass substrates using a low cost spray pyrolysis technique. The films were characterized for their structural, morphological and optical studies using XRD, SEM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. XRD studies show that the FTO films crystallize in Tetragonal cassiterite structure. Morphological analysis using SEM show that the films are uniformly covered with spherical grains albeit high in surface roughness. The average optical transmission greater than 80% in the visible region along with the appearance of interference fringes in the transmission curves confirms the high quality of the films. Electrical studies show that the films exhibit sheet resistance below 10 Ω ϒ-1.

Reduced chemical warfare agent sorption in polyurethane-painted surfaces via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of perfluoroalkanes.

PubMed

Gordon, Wesley O; Peterson, Gregory W; Durke, Erin M

2015-04-01

Perfluoralkalation via plasma chemical vapor deposition has been used to improve hydrophobicity of surfaces. We have investigated this technique to improve the resistance of commercial polyurethane coatings to chemicals, such as chemical warfare agents. The reported results indicate the surface treatment minimizes the spread of agent droplets and the sorption of agent into the coating. The improvement in resistance is likely due to reduction of the coating's surface free energy via fluorine incorporation, but may also have contributing effects from surface morphology changes. The data indicates that plasma-based surface modifications may have utility in improving chemical resistance of commercial coatings.

Size and morphology controlled NiSe nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for the reduction reactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Subbarao, Udumula; Marakatti, Vijaykumar S.; Amshumali, Mungalimane K.

Facile and efficient ball milling and polyol methods were employed for the synthesis of nickel selenide (NiSe) nanoparticle. The particle size of the NiSe nanoparticle has been controlled mechanically by varying the ball size in the milling process. The role of the surfactants in the formation of various morphologies was studied. The compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The efficiency of the NiSe nanoparticle as a catalyst was tested for the reduction of para-nitroaniline (PNA) to para-phenyldiamine (PPD) and para-nitrophenol (PNP) to para-aminophenol (PAP)more » using NaBH{sub 4} as the reducing agent. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant played a crucial role in the reduction process. - Graphical abstract: NiSe nanoparticles in different size and morphology were synthesized using facile ball milling and polyol methods. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant in these materials played a crucial role in the hydrogenation of PNA and PNP. - Highlights: • NiSe nanoparticles synthesized using ball milling and solution phase methods. • NiSe nanoparticle is an efficient catalyst for the reduction of PNA and PNP. • NiSe is found to be better than the best reported noble metal catalysts.« less

Slip-additive migration, surface morphology, and performance on injection moulded high-density polyethylene closures.

PubMed

Dulal, Nabeen; Shanks, Robert; Gengenbach, Thomas; Gill, Harsharn; Chalmers, David; Adhikari, Benu; Pardo Martinez, Isaac

2017-11-01

The amount and distribution of slip agents, erucamide, and behenamide, on the surface of high-density polyethene, is determined by integral characteristics of slip agent structure and polymer morphology. A suite of surface analysis techniques was applied to correlate physicochemical properties with slip-additive migration behaviour and their surface morphology. The migration, surface morphology and physicochemical properties of the slip additives, crystallinity and orientation of polyethene spherulites and interaction between slip additives and high-density polyethene influence the surface characteristics. The high-density polyethene closures were produced with erucamide and behenamide separately and stored until they produced required torque. Surface composition was determined employing spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The distribution of additives was observed under optical, scanning electron and atomic force microscopes. The surface energy, crystallinity and application torque were measured using contact angle, differential scanning calorimeter and a torque force tester respectively. Each slip additive produced a characteristic amide peak at 1645cm -1 in infrared spectroscopy and peaks of oxygen and nitrogen in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, suggesting their presence on the surface. The erucamide produced placoid scale-like structures and behenamide formed denticulate structures. The surface erucamide and behenamide responsible for reducing the torque was found to be 15.7µg/cm 2 and 1.7µg/cm 2 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AFM study of the morphologic change of HDPE surface photografted with glycidyl methacrylate.

PubMed

Wang, Huiliang; Han, Jianmei

2009-05-01

The UV-induced grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) study of the morphologic change of the grafted surface are reported. The grafting was carried out in GMA acetone solutions with different monomer concentrations. Grafting was much faster in a solution with a higher monomer concentration. FTIR analyses proved that GMA had been successfully grafted onto HDPE. The morphologies of grafted HDPE surfaces changed with UV irradiation time. The monomer concentration had a significant effect on the morphologies of the grafted HDPE surfaces. The HDPE surface grafted in a solution with a higher monomer concentration was much rougher than that grafted in a solution with a lower monomer concentration. The growth models of the grafted granules or clusters are also proposed.

Morphological effects in children word reading: a priming study in fourth graders.

PubMed

Casalis, Séverine; Dusautoir, Marion; Colé, Pascale; Ducrot, Stéphanie

2009-09-01

A growing corpus of evidence suggests that morphology could play a role in reading acquisition, and that young readers could be sensitive to the morphemic structure of written words. In the present experiment, we examined whether and when morphological information is activated in word recognition. French fourth graders made visual lexical decisions to derived words preceded by primes sharing either a morphological or an orthographic relationship with the target. Results showed significant and equivalent facilitation priming effects in cases of morphologically and orthographically related primes at the shortest prime duration, and a significant facilitation priming effect in the case of only morphologically related primes at the longer prime duration. Thus, these results strongly suggest that a morphological level is involved in children's visual word recognition, although it is not distinct from the formal one at an early stage of word processing.

Diffuse reflectance study of the effects of bleaching agents in damaged dental pieces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bante-Guerra, J.; Trejo-Tzab, R.; Macias, J. D.; Quintana, P.; Alvarado-Gil, J. J.

2011-03-01

One of the most important subjects of interest in dentistry and teeth preservation is related to the effects of bleaching agents on the integrity of the dental pieces. This is especially crucial when teeth surface has received some damage, generated by chemical, biological and mechanical agents or weathering in the case of dental pieces recovered from burial sites. In this work the time evolution of the effects of bleaching agents on the surface of dental pieces is monitored using diffuse reflectance in the visible spectrum is reported. The effects were monitored in teeth previously subject to chemical agents. Bleaching was induced using commercial whitening products. It is shown that the time evolution of the reflectance depends strongly on the condition of the surface as well as on the thickness of enamel. Additionally the colorimetric analysis of the samples during the bleaching is presented. This is especially useful in for comparing with previous studies. In order to complement our studies, the effects of the bleaching on the surface of the teeth were monitored by scanning electron microscopy.

Effect of carboxylic acids as compatibilizer agent on mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch and polypropylene blends.

PubMed

Martins, Andréa Bercini; Santana, Ruth Marlene Campomanes

2016-01-01

In this work, polypropylene/thermoplastic starch (PP/TPS) blends were prepared as an alternative material to use in disposable packaging, reducing the negative polymeric environmental impact. Unfortunately, this material displays morphological characteristics typical of immiscible polymer blends and a compatibilizer agent is needed. Three different carboxyl acids: myristic (C14), palmitic (C16) and stearic acids (C18) were used as natural compatibilizer agent (NCA). The effects of NCA on the mechanical, physical, thermal and morphological properties of PP/TPS blends were investigated and compared against PP/TPS with and without PP-grafted maleic anhydride (PPgMA). When compared to PP/TPS, blends with C18, PPgMA and C14 presented an improvement of 25, 22 and 17% in tensile strength at break and of 180, 194 and 259% in elongation at break, respectively. The highest increase, 54%, in the impact strength was achieved with C14 incorporation. Improvements could be seen, through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, in the compatibility between the immiscible components by acids incorporation. These results showed that carboxylic acids, specifically C14, could be used as compatibilizer agent and could substitute PPgMA. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphological computation and morphological control: steps toward a formal theory and applications.

PubMed

Füchslin, Rudolf M; Dzyakanchuk, Andrej; Flumini, Dandolo; Hauser, Helmut; Hunt, Kenneth J; Luchsinger, Rolf H; Reller, Benedikt; Scheidegger, Stephan; Walker, Richard

2013-01-01

Morphological computation can be loosely defined as the exploitation of the shape, material properties, and physical dynamics of a physical system to improve the efficiency of a computation. Morphological control is the application of morphological computing to a control task. In its theoretical part, this article sharpens and extends these definitions by suggesting new formalized definitions and identifying areas in which the definitions we propose are still inadequate. We go on to describe three ongoing studies, in which we are applying morphological control to problems in medicine and in chemistry. The first involves an inflatable support system for patients with impaired movement, and is based on macroscopic physics and concepts already tested in robotics. The two other case studies (self-assembly of chemical microreactors; models of induced cell repair in radio-oncology) describe processes and devices on the micrometer scale, in which the emergent dynamics of the underlying physical system (e.g., phase transitions) are dominated by stochastic processes such as diffusion.

Phase study and surface morphology of beta-alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tak, S. K.

2018-05-01

Beta alumina ceramic is well known as a polycrystalline ceramic material. The characteristic crystal structure of beta-alumina makes it useful as a separator in sodium sulphur batteries and other electrochemical devices requiring the passage of sodium ions. β"-alumina powders for this study were prepared by zeta process. The pellets were sintered at different microwave power levels and power schedule to optimize the sintering conditions to obtain preferred β" phase with improved microstructure. Phase identification was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis shows increase in β'' phase as the sintering temperature was increased from 1400°C to 1600°C. Surface morphology of the pellets was carried out by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM). SEM studies revealed the formation and growth of platelet grains with interconnected porosity.

[Morphological study of the adrenals of rats exposed on the Kosmos-690 satellite].

PubMed

Savina, E A; Alekseev, E I

1979-01-01

Adrenals of 12 rats flown aboard the biosatellite Cosmos-690 and 30 rats used in the ground-based experiments Control-1 and Control-2 were studied morphologically. The animals were sacrificed on the 2nd and 27th days after completion of the experiments (i. e., on the 12 and 37th days after irradiation at a total dose of 800 rad). A comparative study of morphological changes in the adrenals of flight and control rats did not show any distinct differences. It is therefore concluded that space flight factors did not produce a significant effect on the adrenal response to irradiation at a dose of 800 rad.

Synthesis and characterization of silver-copper core-shell nanoparticles using polyol method for antimicrobial agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hikmah, N.; Idrus, N. F.; Jai, J.; Hadi, A.

2016-06-01

Silver and copper nanoparticles are well-known as the good antimicrobial agent. The nano-size of particles influences in enhancing the antimicrobial activity. This paper discusses the effect of molarity on the microstructure and morphology of silver-copper core-shell nanoparticles prepared by a polyol method. In this study, silver-copper nanoparticles are synthesized through the green approach of polyol method using ethylene glycol (EG) as green solvent and reductant, and polyoxyethylene-(80)-sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) as a nontoxic stabilizer. The phase and morphology of silver-copper nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results XRD confirm the pure crystalline of silver and copper nanoparticles with face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. FESEM and TEM analysis confirm the existence of Ag and Cu nanoparticles in core-shell shape.

Proton Relaxivity and Magnetic Hyperthermia Evaluation of Gadolinium Doped Nickel Ferrite Nanoparticles as Potential Theranostic Agents.

PubMed

Yadavalli, Tejabhiram; Raja, Paradeep; Ramaswamy, Shivaraman; Chandrasekharan, Gopalakrishnan; Chennakesavulu, Ramasamy

2017-02-01

This paper outlines the preparation of gadolinium doped nickel ferrite nanoparticles as potential magnetic carriers and longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents using hydrothermal method with gadolinium concentration varying from 10% to 40%. A concise effect on the crystal structure was observed at 10% and 20% gadolinium doping, while gadolinium oxide was observed to leach at concentrations exceeding 20%. Further, gadolinium doped nickel ferrites were analyzed for their morphological, magnetic, proton relaxation and magnetic hyperthermia heating properties to understand their potential role as magnetic carrier agents. Low temperature and room temperature magnetic studies conducted on the samples showed comparatively high magnetic saturation with low remanent magnetization. Further, relaxometry studies revealed a high relaxation rate of 6.63 s−1 at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Magnetic hyperthermia studies of the samples at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, assessed that the samples attained a temperature of 68 °C in 240 seconds.

Trichosporon inkin: an uncommon agent of scalp white piedra. Report of four cases in Brazilian children.

PubMed

Fischman, Olga; Bezerra, Fabiane Castilho; Francisco, Elaine Cristina; da Silva, Flávia Cristina; Nishikaku, Angela Satie; Cavalcanti, Sarah Desirée Barbosa; de Azevedo Melo, Analy Salles; Bentubo, Henri Donnarumma Levy; Petri, Valéria

2014-08-01

We report four cases of scalp white piedra (SWP) in Brazilian female children. Morphological and physiological approaches gave inconsistent results for identifying Trichosporon to species level, while the sequencing of the intergenic spacer 1 region of ribosomal DNA accurately identified the agent of SWP as T. inkin. These cases emphasize the occurrence of this species causing this type of infection. The molecular identification of the suspected agent is needed for appropriate epidemiological surveillance of superficial mycoses caused by Trichosporon species.

Stability and morphology of Ag nanoplatelets probed by depolarized dynamic light scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimbone, M.; Contino, A.; Maccarrone, G.; Musumeci, P.; Lo Faro, M. J.; Calcagno, L.

2018-06-01

The stability of silver nanoplatelet (NP) suspensions prepared with different concentrations of trisodium citrate (TSC) was studied by depolarized dynamic light scattering (DDLS) and UV–vis spectrometry. The morphology of the nanoparticles, as well as the color and stability of the sols, are tuned by the concentration of the capping agent. The nanoparticles prepared with high TSC concentration (>10‑4 M) are blue triangular NPs showing a slight truncation of the tips with aging. When low TSC concentrations are used, the color of the sols changes from blue to yellow with aging time and a strong modification of the morphology occurs: the nanoparticle shape changes from triangular to spherical. Remarkably, they show a high degree of anisotropy. The aging process was followed by the UV–vis spectra and by measuring the rotational diffusion coefficient by DDLS, providing information on the nanoparticle size and shape evolution. The high intensity of depolarized signal and the high value of rotational diffusion coefficient suggest that the aging process increases the thickness and the roughness of the nanoparticles

Hydrolysis of Nerve Agents by Model Nucleophiles: A Computational Study

PubMed Central

Beck, Jeremy M.

2008-01-01

Density functional theory calculations were employed to study the reaction of five nerve agents with model nucleophiles, including EtX− and EtXH (X = O, S, Se) for serine, cysteine and selenocysteine, respectively. Calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) level of theory predict an exothermic reaction between ethoxide and all of the nerve agents studied. As compared to EtO− as a nucleophile, these reactions become ~30 kcal/mol more endothermic for EtS−, and by ~40 kcal/mol for EtSe−. The equivalent reactions with the neutral nucleophiles (EtXH) were more endothermic. The effect of solvation on the reaction thermochemistry was determined using a polarizable continuum model simulating the dielectric constant of chloroform. While there was a large exothermic shift for reactions involving charged nucleophiles with solvation modeling, the corresponding shift was minimal for the reaction with neutral nucleophiles. PMID:18538754

Optical, thermal and morphological study of ZnS doped PVA polymer nano composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guruswamy, B.; Ravindrachary, V.; Shruthi, C.; Sagar, Rohan N.; Hegde, Shreedatta

2018-05-01

The effect of ZnS nano particle doping on optical, thermal properties and morphological study of the PVA polymer has been investigated using FTIR, UV-Visible and TGA, FESEM techniques. Nano sized ZnS particles were synthesized by a simple wet chemical route. Pure and ZnS/PVA nano composites were prepared using solution casting technique. The FTIR study confirms that the ZnS nano particles interacts with the OH group of PVA polymer and forms the complex. The formation of these complexes affects the optical and thermal properties of the composite. The changes in optical properties were studied using UV-Vis absorption method. The variation in thermal property was analysed using TGA results. The modified surface morphology analysis was carried out using FESEM.

Study on the E-commerce platform based on the agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Ruixue; Qin, Lishuan; Gao, Yinmin

2011-10-01

To solve problem of dynamic integration in e-commerce, the Multi-Agent architecture of electronic commerce platform system based on Agent and Ontology has been introduced, which includes three major types of agent, Ontology and rule collection. In this architecture, service agent and rule are used to realize the business process reengineering, the reuse of software component, and agility of the electronic commerce platform. To illustrate the architecture, a simulation work has been done and the results imply that the architecture provides a very efficient method to design and implement the flexible, distributed, open and intelligent electronic commerce platform system to solve problem of dynamic integration in ecommerce. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the architecture of electronic commerce platform system, and the approach how Agent and Ontology support the electronic commerce platform system.

Metric and morphological assessment of facial features: a study on three European populations.

PubMed

Ritz-Timme, S; Gabriel, P; Tutkuviene, J; Poppa, P; Obertová, Z; Gibelli, D; De Angelis, D; Ratnayake, M; Rizgeliene, R; Barkus, A; Cattaneo, C

2011-04-15

Identification from video surveillance systems is becoming more and more frequent in the forensic practice. In this field, different techniques have been improved such as height estimation and gait analysis. However, the most natural approach for identifying a person in everyday life is based on facial characteristics. Scientifically, faces can be described using morphological and metric assessment of facial features. The morphological approach is largely affected by the subjective opinion of the observer, which can be mitigated by the application of descriptive atlases. In addition, this approach requires one to investigate which are the most common and rare facial characteristics in different populations. For the metric approach further studies are necessary in order to point out possible metric differences within and between different populations. The acquisition of statistically adequate population data may provide useful information for the reconstruction of biological profiles of unidentified individuals, particularly concerning ethnic affiliation, and possibly also for personal identification. This study presents the results of the morphological and metric assessment of the head and face of 900 male subjects between 20 and 31 years from Italy, Germany and Lithuania. The evaluation of the morphological traits was performed using the DMV atlas with 43 pre-defined facial characteristics. The frequencies of the types of facial features were calculated for each population in order to establish the rarest characteristics which may be used for the purpose of a biological profile and consequently for personal identification. Metric analysis performed in vivo included 24 absolute measurements and 24 indices of the head and face, including body height and body weight. The comparison of the frequencies of morphological facial features showed many similarities between the samples from Germany, Italy and Lithuania. However, several characteristics were rare or

Evolution of natural agents: preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information.

PubMed

Sharov, Alexei A

2016-04-01

Biological evolution is often viewed narrowly as a change of morphology or allele frequency in a sequence of generations. Here I pursue an alternative informational concept of evolution, as preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information in natural agents. Functional information is a network of signs (e.g., memory, transient messengers, and external signs) that are used by agents to preserve and regulate their functions. Functional information is preserved in evolution via complex interplay of copying and construction processes: the digital components are copied, whereas interpreting subagents together with scaffolds, tools, and resources, are constructed. Some of these processes are simple and invariant, whereas others are complex and contextual. Advance of functional information includes improvement and modification of already existing functions. Although the genome information may change passively and randomly, the interpretation is active and guided by the logic of agent behavior and embryonic development. Emergence of new functions is based on the reinterpretation of already existing information, when old tools, resources, and control algorithms are adopted for novel functions. Evolution of functional information progressed from protosemiosis, where signs correspond directly to actions, to eusemiosis, where agents associate signs with objects. Language is the most advanced form of eusemiosis, where the knowledge of objects and models is communicated between agents.

Evolution of natural agents: preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information

PubMed Central

Sharov, Alexei A.

2016-01-01

Biological evolution is often viewed narrowly as a change of morphology or allele frequency in a sequence of generations. Here I pursue an alternative informational concept of evolution, as preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information in natural agents. Functional information is a network of signs (e.g., memory, transient messengers, and external signs) that are used by agents to preserve and regulate their functions. Functional information is preserved in evolution via complex interplay of copying and construction processes: the digital components are copied, whereas interpreting subagents together with scaffolds, tools, and resources, are constructed. Some of these processes are simple and invariant, whereas others are complex and contextual. Advance of functional information includes improvement and modification of already existing functions. Although the genome information may change passively and randomly, the interpretation is active and guided by the logic of agent behavior and embryonic development. Emergence of new functions is based on the reinterpretation of already existing information, when old tools, resources, and control algorithms are adopted for novel functions. Evolution of functional information progressed from protosemiosis, where signs correspond directly to actions, to eusemiosis, where agents associate signs with objects. Language is the most advanced form of eusemiosis, where the knowledge of objects and models is communicated between agents. PMID:27525048

Agent Orange exposure and cancer incidence in Korean Vietnam veterans: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Yi, Sang-Wook; Ohrr, Heechoul

2014-12-01

During the Vietnam War, US and allied military sprayed approximately 77 million liters of tactical herbicides including Agent Orange, contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. To the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have examined the association between Agent Orange exposure and cancer incidence among Korean veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. An Agent Orange exposure index, based on the proximity of the veteran's military unit to the area that was sprayed with Agent Orange, was developed using a geographic information system-based model. Cancer incidence was followed for 180,251 Vietnam veterans from 1992 through 2003. After adjustment for age and military rank, high exposure to Agent Orange was found to significantly increase the risk of all cancers combined (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR], 1.08). Risks for cancers of the mouth (aHR, 2.54), salivary glands (aHR, 6.96), stomach (aHR, 1.14), and small intestine (aHR, 2.30) were found to be significantly higher in the high-exposure group compared with the low-exposure group. Risks for cancers of all sites combined (aHR, 1.02) and for cancers of the salivary glands (aHR, 1.47), stomach (aHR, 1.03), small intestine (aHR, 1.24), and liver (aHR, 1.02) were elevated with a 1-unit increase in the exposure index. Exposure to Agent Orange several decades earlier may increase the risk of cancers in all sites combined, as well as several specific cancers, among Korean veterans of the Vietnam War, including some cancers that were not found to be clearly associated with exposure to Agent Orange in previous cohort studies primarily based on Western populations. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Contract Monitoring in Agent-Based Systems: Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodík, Jiří; Vokřínek, Jiří; Jakob, Michal

Monitoring of fulfilment of obligations defined by electronic contracts in distributed domains is presented in this paper. A two-level model of contract-based systems and the types of observations needed for contract monitoring are introduced. The observations (inter-agent communication and agents’ actions) are collected and processed by the contract observation and analysis pipeline. The presented approach has been utilized in a multi-agent system for electronic contracting in a modular certification testing domain.

The Study on Collaborative Manufacturing Platform Based on Agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao-yan; Qu, Zheng-geng

To fulfill the trends of knowledge-intensive in collaborative manufacturing development, we have described multi agent architecture supporting knowledge-based platform of collaborative manufacturing development platform. In virtue of wrapper service and communication capacity agents provided, the proposed architecture facilitates organization and collaboration of multi-disciplinary individuals and tools. By effectively supporting the formal representation, capture, retrieval and reuse of manufacturing knowledge, the generalized knowledge repository based on ontology library enable engineers to meaningfully exchange information and pass knowledge across boundaries. Intelligent agent technology increases traditional KBE systems efficiency and interoperability and provides comprehensive design environments for engineers.

Potential Bio-Control Agent from Rhodomyrtus tomentosa against Listeria monocytogenes

PubMed Central

Odedina, Grace Fiyinfoluwa; Vongkamjan, Kitiya; Voravuthikunchai, Supayang Piyawan

2015-01-01

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen implicated in many outbreaks of listeriosis. This study aimed at screening for the potential use of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa ethanolic leaf extract as a bio-control agent against L. monocytogenes. Twenty-two L. monocytogenes isolates were checked with 16 commercial antibiotics and isolates displayed resistance to 10 antibiotics. All the tested isolates were sensitive to the extract with inhibition zones ranging from 14 to 16 mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged from 16 to 32 µg/mL and 128 to 512 µg/mL, respectively. Time-kill assay showed that the extract had remarkable bactericidal effects on L. monocytogenes. The extract at a concentration of 16 µg/mL reduced tolerance to 10% NaCl in L. monocytogenes in 4 h. Stationary phase L. monocytogenes cells were rapidly inactivated by greater than 3-log units within 30 min of contact time with R. tomentosa extract at 128 µg/mL. Electron microscopy revealed fragmentary bacteria with changes in the physical and morphological properties. Our study demonstrates the potential of the extract for further development into a bio-control agent in food to prevent the incidence of L. monocytogenes contamination. PMID:26371033

Left Atrial Appendage Morphology and Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Pilot Study.

PubMed

Yaghi, Shadi; Chang, Andrew D; Hung, Peter; Mac Grory, Brian; Collins, Scott; Gupta, Ajay; Reynolds, Jacques; Finn, Caitlin B; Hemendinger, Morgan; Cutting, Shawna M; McTaggart, Ryan A; Jayaraman, Mahesh; Leasure, Audrey; Sansing, Lauren; Panda, Nikhil; Song, Christopher; Chu, Antony; Merkler, Alexander; Gialdini, Gino; Sheth, Kevin N; Kamel, Hooman; Elkind, Mitchell S V; Greer, David; Furie, Karen; Atalay, Michael

2018-06-01

The left atrial appendage (LAA) is the main source of thrombus in atrial fibrillation, and there is an association between non-chicken wing (NCW) LAA morphology and stroke. We hypothesized that the prevalence of NCW LAA morphology would be higher among patients with cardioembolic (CE) stroke and embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) than among those with noncardioembolic stroke (NCS). This multicenter retrospective pilot study included consecutive patients with ischemic stroke from 3 comprehensive stroke centers who previously underwent a qualifying chest computed tomography (CT) to assess LAA morphology. Patients underwent inpatient diagnostic evaluation for ischemic stroke, and stroke subtype was determined based on ESUS criteria. LAA morphology was determined using clinically performed contrast enhanced thin-slice chest CT by investigators blinded to stroke subtype. The primary predictor was NCW LAA morphology and the outcome was stroke subtype (CE, ESUS, NCS). We identified 172 patients with ischemic stroke who had a clinical chest CT performed. Mean age was 70.1 ± 14.3 years and 51.7% were male. Compared with patients with NCS, the prevalence of NCW LAA morphology was higher in patients with CE stroke (58.7% versus 46.3%, P = .1) and ESUS (58.8% versus 46.3%, P = .2), but this difference did not achieve statistical significance. The prevalence of NCW LAA morphology may be similar in patients with ESUS and CE, and may be higher than that in those with NCS. Larger studies are needed to confirm these associations. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological evolution of copper nanoparticles: Microemulsion reactor system versus batch reactor system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Ming; Tang, Zengmin; Kim, Woo-Sik; Yu, Taekyung; Park, Bum Jun

2017-07-01

In the synthesis of nanoparticles, the reaction rate is important to determine the morphology of nanoparticles. We investigated morphology evolution of Cu nanoparticles in this two different reactors, microemulsion reactor and batch reactor. In comparison with the batch reactor system, the enhanced mass and heat transfers in the emulsion system likely led to the relatively short nucleation time and the highly homogeneous environment in the reaction mixture, resulting in suppressing one or two dimensional growth of the nanoparticles. We believe that this work can offer a good model system to quantitatively understand the crystal growth mechanism that depends strongly on the local monomer concentration, the efficiency of heat transfer, and the relative contribution of the counter ions (Br- and Cl-) as capping agents.

Nondestructive Intervention to Multi-Agent Systems through an Intelligent Agent

PubMed Central

Han, Jing; Wang, Lin

2013-01-01

For a given multi-agent system where the local interaction rule of the existing agents can not be re-designed, one way to intervene the collective behavior of the system is to add one or a few special agents into the group which are still treated as normal agents by the existing ones. We study how to lead a Vicsek-like flocking model to reach synchronization by adding special agents. A popular method is to add some simple leaders (fixed-headings agents). However, we add one intelligent agent, called ‘shill’, which uses online feedback information of the group to decide the shill's moving direction at each step. A novel strategy for the shill to coordinate the group is proposed. It is strictly proved that a shill with this strategy and a limited speed can synchronize every agent in the group. The computer simulations show the effectiveness of this strategy in different scenarios, including different group sizes, shill speed, and with or without noise. Compared to the method of adding some fixed-heading leaders, our method can guarantee synchronization for any initial configuration in the deterministic scenario and improve the synchronization level significantly in low density groups, or model with noise. This suggests the advantage and power of feedback information in intervention of collective behavior. PMID:23658695

Iron removal on feldspar by using Averrhoa bilimbii as bioleaching agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Muhammad; Aji, Bramantyo B.; Supriyatna, Yayat Iman; Bahfie, Fathan

2017-01-01

Investigation of Averrhoa bilimbii as bioleaching agent was carried out. Parameters of leaching duration, acid concentration, and temperature were performed in iron removal process. Feldspar with sized 149 µm was diluted in 30 ml acid solution in order to reduce its iron content. The experimental results showed a good technical feasibility of the process which iron oxide content of feldspar was decreased from 2.24% to 0.29%. The lowest iron concentration remained was obtained after 5 hours of leaching treatment at 60 °C, and concentrated (100 vol%) Averrhoa bilimbii extract as bioleaching agent. SEM characterizations were carried out on the feldspar before and after the leaching treatment. The result shows that there were no significant effect of leaching process on the ore morphology.

Integrated molecular and morphological studies of Daucus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ninety-four nuclear orthologs were used to analyze phylogenetic structure in 89 accessions of 13 species and two subspecies of Daucus, and an additional ten accessions of related genera. A near parallel set of accessions were used for morphological analyses of germplasm planted in a common garden in...

A rapid method combining Golgi and Nissl staining to study neuronal morphology and cytoarchitecture.

PubMed

Pilati, Nadia; Barker, Matthew; Panteleimonitis, Sofoklis; Donga, Revers; Hamann, Martine

2008-06-01

The Golgi silver impregnation technique gives detailed information on neuronal morphology of the few neurons it labels, whereas the majority remain unstained. In contrast, the Nissl staining technique allows for consistent labeling of the whole neuronal population but gives very limited information on neuronal morphology. Most studies characterizing neuronal cell types in the context of their distribution within the tissue slice tend to use the Golgi silver impregnation technique for neuronal morphology followed by deimpregnation as a prerequisite for showing that neuron's histological location by subsequent Nissl staining. Here, we describe a rapid method combining Golgi silver impregnation with cresyl violet staining that provides a useful and simple approach to combining cellular morphology with cytoarchitecture without the need for deimpregnating the tissue. Our method allowed us to identify neurons of the facial nucleus and the supratrigeminal nucleus, as well as assessing cellular distribution within layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. With this method, we also have been able to directly compare morphological characteristics of neuronal somata at the dorsal cochlear nucleus when labeled with cresyl violet with those obtained with the Golgi method, and we found that cresyl violet-labeled cell bodies appear smaller at high cellular densities. Our observation suggests that cresyl violet staining is inadequate to quantify differences in soma sizes.

Hibernating myocardium, morphological studies on intraoperatory myocardial biopsies and on chronic ischemia experimental model.

PubMed

Laky, D; Parascan, Liliana

2007-01-01

Hibernating myocardium represent a prolonged but potentially reversible myocardial contractile dysfunction, an incomplete adaptation caused by chronic myocardial ischemia and persisting at least until blood flow restored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological changes and weather relations exist among function, metabolism and structure in left ventricular hibernating myocardium. Material and methods. Experimental study is making on 12 dogs incomplete coronary obstruction during six weeks for morphologic studies of ischemic zones. On 48 patients with coronary stenosis myocardial biopsies was effectuated during aorto-coronarian bypass graft. On 60 patients with valvular disease associated with segmental coronary atherosclerotic obstructions during surgical interventions on a effectuated repeatedly biopsies from ischemic zones. Dyskinetic ischemic areas was identified by angiography, scintigraphy, low dose dobutamine echography to identify the cells viability. On myocardial biopsies various histological, histoenzymological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods were performed. The morphological cardiomyocytic changes can summarized: loss of myofilaments, accumulation of glycogen, small mitochondria with reversible lesions, decrease of smooth reticulum, absence of T tubules, depression of titin in puncted pattern, loss of cardiotonin, disorganization of cytoskeleton, dispersed nuclear heterochromatin, embryofetal dedifferentiation, and persistence of viability. Extracellular matrix is enlarged with early matrix protein such fibronectin, tenascin, fibroblasts. In experimental material the morphological changes present similarities with the human biopsies, but intermixed with postinfarction scar tissue. Redifferentiation of hibernanting cells end remodeling of extracellular matrix is possible after quigle revascularization through aorto-coronary bypass grafts.

Agent-Based Computational Modeling of Cell Culture ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Quantitative characterization of cellular dose in vitro is needed for alignment of doses in vitro and in vivo. We used the agent-based software, CompuCell3D (CC3D), to provide a stochastic description of cell growth in culture. The model was configured so that isolated cells assumed a “fried egg shape” but became increasingly cuboidal with increasing confluency. The surface area presented by each cell to the overlying medium varies from cell-to-cell and is a determinant of diffusional flux of toxicant from the medium into the cell. Thus, dose varies among cells for a given concentration of toxicant in the medium. Computer code describing diffusion of H2O2 from medium into each cell and clearance of H2O2 was calibrated against H2O2 time-course data (25, 50, or 75 uM H2O2 for 60 min) obtained with the Amplex Red assay for the medium and the H2O2-sensitive fluorescent reporter, HyPer, for cytosol. Cellular H2O2 concentrations peaked at about 5 min and were near baseline by 10 min. The model predicted a skewed distribution of surface areas, with between cell variation usually 2 fold or less. Predicted variability in cellular dose was in rough agreement with the variation in the HyPer data. These results are preliminary, as the model was not calibrated to the morphology of a specific cell type. Future work will involve morphology model calibration against human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Our results show, however, the potential of agent-based modeling

Agent Architectures for Compliance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgemeestre, Brigitte; Hulstijn, Joris; Tan, Yao-Hua

A Normative Multi-Agent System consists of autonomous agents who must comply with social norms. Different kinds of norms make different assumptions about the cognitive architecture of the agents. For example, a principle-based norm assumes that agents can reflect upon the consequences of their actions; a rule-based formulation only assumes that agents can avoid violations. In this paper we present several cognitive agent architectures for self-monitoring and compliance. We show how different assumptions about the cognitive architecture lead to different information needs when assessing compliance. The approach is validated with a case study of horizontal monitoring, an approach to corporate tax auditing recently introduced by the Dutch Customs and Tax Authority.

Identification of group B rotavirus as an etiological agent in the gastroenteritis outbreak in Maharashtra, India.

PubMed

Joshi, Madhuri S; Ganorkar, Nital N; Ranshing, Sujata S; Basu, Atanu; Chavan, Nutan A; Gopalkrishna, Varanasi

2017-12-01

Acute gastroenteritis outbreak occurred at Pargaon, Maharashtra, India in 1789 cases with an attack rate of 32.5% between November to December 2015. The stool specimens (n = 32) were investigated for different enteric viral agents using conventional methods. Transmission electron microscopy and RNA polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis respectively identified morphologically distinct rotavirus particles in 28% and RNA migration pattern of Group B Rotavirus (GBR) in 72% of the specimens. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing confirmed presence of GBR in 97% of the samples analyzed. The predominance of GBR infections and absence or insignificant presence of other agents confirmed GBR as an etiological agent of the gastroenteritis outbreak occurred in Maharashtra, India. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Antibiofouling polymer coated gold nanoparticles as a dual modal contrast agent for X-ray and photoacoustic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Guojia; Yuan, Yi; Xing, Da

2011-01-01

X-ray is one of the most useful diagnostic tools in hospitals in terms of frequency of use and cost, while photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a rapidly emerging non-invasive imaging technology that integrates the merits of high optical contrast with high ultrasound resolution. In this study, for the first time, we used gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as a dual modal contrast agent for X-ray and PA imaging. Soft gelatin phantoms with embedded tumor simulators of GNPs in various concentrations are clearly shown in both X-ray and PA imaging. With GNPs as a dual modal contrast agent, X-ray can fast detect the position of tumor and provide morphological information, whereas PA imaging has important potential applications in the image guided therapy of superficial tumors such as breast cancer, melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.

The Contribution of Morphological Awareness to the Spelling of Morphemes and Morphologically Complex Words in French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fejzo, Anila

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between morphological awareness and the spelling of morphemes and morphologically complex words among 75 third- and fourth-grade Francophone students of low socio-economic status. To reach this objective, we administered a dictation comprised of morphologically complex words with prefixes,…

Morphological and molecular identification of the fish-borne metacercaria of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa Ransom, 1920 in Mugil liza from Argentina.

PubMed

Martorelli, S R; Lino, A; Marcotegui, P; Montes, M M; Alda, P; Panei, C J

2012-12-21

This is the first report of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa Ransom, 1920 (Digenea: Heterophyidae) in Argentina confirmed by morphological and molecular studies. The metacercaria was found encysted in myotomal musculature, heart and mesentery of the mullet Mugil liza (Pisces: Mugilidae) from Samborombon bay. We provide a morphological description of the metacercaria which we identified using species-specific primers for A. (Phagicola) longa and nucleotid sequence. This worldwide parasite has been reported as one of the causative agents of heterophyiosis, an emerging fish-borne disease of humans, contracted by the consumption of raw mullet. The discovery of A. (Phagicola) longa in Argentina represents a warning of the potentially great impact of this parasite on public health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biofilm imaging in porous media by laboratory X-Ray tomography: Combining a non-destructive contrast agent with propagation-based phase-contrast imaging tools

PubMed Central

Beltran, Mario A.; Morales, Verónica L.; Derlon, Nicolas; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Kaufmann, Rolf; Holzner, Markus

2017-01-01

X-ray tomography is a powerful tool giving access to the morphology of biofilms, in 3D porous media, at the mesoscale. Due to the high water content of biofilms, the attenuation coefficient of biofilms and water are very close, hindering the distinction between biofilms and water without the use of contrast agents. Until now, the use of contrast agents such as barium sulfate, silver-coated micro-particles or 1-chloronaphtalene added to the liquid phase allowed imaging the biofilm 3D morphology. However, these contrast agents are not passive and potentially interact with the biofilm when injected into the sample. Here, we use a natural inorganic compound, namely iron sulfate, as a contrast agent progressively bounded in dilute or colloidal form into the EPS matrix during biofilm growth. By combining a very long source-to-detector distance on a X-ray laboratory source with a Lorentzian filter implemented prior to tomographic reconstruction, we substantially increase the contrast between the biofilm and the surrounding liquid, which allows revealing the 3D biofilm morphology. A comparison of this new method with the method proposed by Davit et al (Davit et al., 2011), which uses barium sulfate as a contrast agent to mark the liquid phase was performed. Quantitative evaluations between the methods revealed substantial differences for the volumetric fractions obtained from both methods. Namely, contrast agent—biofilm interactions (e.g. biofilm detachment) occurring during barium sulfate injection caused a reduction of the biofilm volumetric fraction of more than 50% and displacement of biofilm patches elsewhere in the column. Two key advantages of the newly proposed method are that passive addition of iron sulfate maintains the integrity of the biofilm prior to imaging, and that the biofilm itself is marked by the contrast agent, rather than the liquid phase as in other available methods. The iron sulfate method presented can be applied to understand biofilm

Extrusion foaming of thermoplastic cellulose acetate from renewable resources using a two-component physical blowing agent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopmann, Ch.; Windeck, C.; Hendriks, S.; Zepnik, S.; Wodke, T.

2014-05-01

Thermoplastic cellulose acetate (CA) is a bio-based polymer with optical, mechanical and thermal properties comparable to those of polystyrene (PS). The substitution of the predominant petrol-based PS in applications like foamed food trays can lead to a more sustainable economic practice. However, CA is also suitable for more durable applications as the biodegradability rate can be controlled by adjusting the degree of substitutions. The extrusion foaming of CA still has to overcome certain challenges. CA is highly hydrophilic and can suffer from hydrolytic degradation if not dried properly. Therefore, the influence of residual moisture on the melt viscosity is rather high. Beyond, the surface quality of foam CA sheets is below those of PS due to the particular foaming behaviour. This paper presents results of a recent study on extrusion foamed CA, using a two-component physical blowing agent system compromising HFO 1234ze as blowing agent and organic solvents as co-propellant. Samples with different co-propellants are processed on a laboratory single screw extruder at IKV. Morphology and surface topography are investigated with respect to the blowing agent composition and the die pressure. In addition, relationships between foam density, foam morphology and the propellants are analysed. The choice of the co-propellant has a significant influence on melt-strength, foaming behaviour and the possible blow-up ratio of the sheet. Furthermore, a positive influence of the co-propellant on the surface quality can be observed. In addition, the focus is laid on the effect of external contact cooling of the foamed sheets after the die exit.

Eco-evolution in size-structured ecosystems: simulation case study of rapid morphological changes in alewife.

PubMed

Kang, Jung Koo; Thibert-Plante, Xavier

2017-02-27

Over the last 300 years, interactions between alewives and zooplankton communities in several lakes in the U.S. have caused the alewives' morphology to transition rapidly from anadromous to landlocked. Lakes with landlocked alewives contain smaller-bodied zooplankton than those without alewives. Landlocked adult alewives display smaller body sizes, narrower gapes, smaller inter-gill-raker spacings, reach maturity at an earlier age, and are less fecund than anadromous alewives. Additionally, landlocked alewives consume pelagic prey exclusively throughout their lives whereas anadromous alewives make an ontogenetic transition from pelagic to littoral prey. These rapid, well-documented changes in the alewives' morphology provide important insights into the morphological evolution of fish. Predicting the morphological evolution of fish is crucial for fisheries and ecosystem management, but the involvement of multiple trophic interactions make predictions difficult. To obtain an improved understanding of rapid morphological change in fish, we developed an individual-based model that simulated rapid changes in the body size and gill-raker count of a fish species in a hypothetical, size-structured prey community. Model parameter values were based mainly on data from empirical studies on alewives. We adopted a functional trait approach; consequently, the model explicitly describes the relationships between prey body size, alewife body size, and alewife gill-raker count. We sought to answer two questions: (1) How does the impact of alewife populations on prey feed back to impact alewife size and gill raker number under several alternative scenarios? (2) Will the trajectory of the landlocked alewives' morphological evolution change after 150-300 years in freshwater? Over the first 250 years, the alewives' numbers of gill-rakers only increased when reductions in their body size substantially improved their ability to forage for small prey. Additionally, alewives' gill

Morphology of a Wetland Stream

PubMed

Jurmu; Andrle

1997-11-01

/ Little attention has been paid to wetland stream morphology in the geomorphological and environmental literature, and in the recently expanding wetland reconstruction field, stream design has been based primarily on stream morphologies typical of nonwetland alluvial environments. Field investigation of a wetland reach of Roaring Brook, Stafford, Connecticut, USA, revealed several significant differences between the morphology of this stream and the typical morphology of nonwetland alluvial streams. Six morphological features of the study reach were examined: bankfull flow, meanders, pools and riffles, thalweg location, straight reaches, and cross-sectional shape. It was found that bankfull flow definitions originating from streams in nonwetland environments did not apply. Unusual features observed in the wetland reach include tight bends and a large axial wavelength to width ratio. A lengthy straight reach exists that exceeds what is typically found in nonwetland alluvial streams. The lack of convex bank point bars in the bends, a greater channel width at riffle locations, an unusual thalweg location, and small form ratios (a deep and narrow channel) were also differences identified. Further study is needed on wetland streams of various regions to determine if differences in morphology between alluvial and wetland environments can be applied in order to improve future designs of wetland channels.KEY WORDS: Stream morphology; Wetland restoration; Wetland creation; Bankfull; Pools and riffles; Meanders; Thalweg

Study on Heat Transfer Agent Models of Transmission Line and Transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, B.; Zhang, P. P.

2018-04-01

When using heat transfer simulation to study the dynamic overload of transmission line and transformer, it needs to establish the mathematical expression of heat transfer. However, the formula is a nonlinear differential equation or equation set and it is not easy to get general solutions. Aiming at this problem, some different temperature change processes caused by different initial conditions are calculated by differential equation and equation set. New agent models are developed according to the characteristics of different temperature change processes. The results show that the agent models have high precision and can solve the problem that the original equation cannot be directly applied in some practical engineers.

High morphological plasticity and global geographical distribution of the Pacific broad tapeworm Adenocephalus pacificus (syn. Diphyllobothrium pacificum): molecular and morphological survey.

PubMed

Hernández-Orts, Jesús Servando; Scholz, Tomáš; Brabec, Jan; Kuzmina, Tetiana; Kuchta, Roman

2015-09-01

The most important causative agent of human diphyllobothriosis in South America, Diphyllobothrium pacificum, is transferred to the original genus Adenocephalus Nybelin, 1931; revised and redescribed on the basis of the evaluation of an extensive material collected mainly from northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus, from St. Paul Island, Alaska. Detailed analysis of morphological and morphometrical data shows a high variability in most of the characteristics traditionally used in diagnosis of diphyllobothriid tapeworms. Phylogenetic analyses based on newly characterised sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA genes consistently reveal Adenocephalus pacificus as a sister lineage to the clade formed of the remaining Diphyllobothrium species and other genera (Digramma, Diplogonoporus, Ligula). Despite the generally similar morphology, A. pacificus can be differentiated from the closely related taxa in the presence of transverse papilla-like tegumental protuberances distributed anteriorly, separated by narrow semicircular grooves on the ventral surface of proglottids between their anterior margin and the anterior edge of the male gonopore, and relatively small eggs. A. pacificus displays a relatively low host specificity (found in 9 of 16 otariids, and in accidental hosts such as man, dog and jackal, the latter representing a new host) and a uniquely wide geographical distribution on both hemispheres. In addition, suitability of morphological criteria used in diagnostics of diphyllobothriid cestodes is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphological changes in diseased cementum layers: a scanning electron microscopy study.

PubMed

Bilgin, E; Gürgan, C A; Arpak, M Nejat; Bostanci, H S; Güven, K

2004-05-01

The aim of this study was to compare the morphological changes that occurred in root cementum layers due to periodontal disease by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ninety-two periodontally hopeless teeth extracted from 29 patients were studied. Measurements of probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were taken prior to extractions. After the longitudinal fracturing process of root specimens, healthy and diseased cementum layers of roots were evaluated by SEM for the thickness of the cementum and the morphological changes in collagen fibers. The result of SEM evaluation revealed a significant ( P < 0.001) decrease in the thickness of cementum layer on the diseased root surfaces compared to the healthy surfaces. There were denser and conspicuous collagen fibers with their interfibrillar matrix in cementum layers on the healthy root surfaces compared to the diseased surfaces. Within the limits of this study, the thickness of cementum layers in diseased areas was found to be significantly less than that in the healthy areas of root surfaces. However, there exist variations in the density and visibility of cemental fibers between individuals and within the individual.

Controlled Synthesis and Photocatalytic Antifouling Properties of BiVO4 with Tunable Morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Zhenbo; Wang, Yi; Ju, Peng; Zhang, Dun

2017-02-01

Monoclinic BiVO4 with different nanostructures were prepared via a facile and rapid route by adding different surfactants. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactants were selected as morphology controlling agents. The crystal phase, morphology, and diffuse reflectance spectra of BiVO4 were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra techniques, respectively. The photocatalytic activities of BiVO4 were investigated by killing the typical marine fouling bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa) under visible light irradiation. BiVO4 with grape-like nanostructure exhibited the best photocatalytic bactericidal activity. The sterilization rate of P. aeruginosa could reach up to 99.9% in 120 min. The photocatalytic mechanism was studied by captive species trapping experiments. The result revealed that photogenerated hole (h+) is the main reactive specie for killing P. aeruginosa under visible light irradiation. In addition, after five recycles, BiVO4 does not exhibit significant loss of photocatalytic sterilization activity. The results confirm that the synthesized BiVO4 photocatalyst has long-time reusability and good photocatalytic stability.

Morphology of ovary and spermathecae of the parasitoid Eibesfeldtphora tonhascai Brown (Diptera: Phoridae).

PubMed

Farder-Gomes, Cliver Fernandes; Santos, Helen Cristina Pinto; Oliveira, Marco Antonio; Zanuncio, José Cola; Serrão, José Eduardo

2018-06-16

Eibesfeldtphora tonhascai (Diptera: Phoridae) is a parasitoid of leaf-cutting ants and a potential biological control agent against these insect pests. This study describes the morphology of the ovary and spermatheca of E. tonhascai. The female reproductive tract of this parasitoid has a pair of meroistic polytrophic ovaries, two lateral oviducts that open into a common oviduct, an elongated accessory gland, and two spermathecae. Young oocytes are small and spherical, and their size increases as yolk is stored in the cytoplasm. This process is followed by chorion production by follicular cells. Mature oocytes are elliptical or torpedo-shaped. The reservoir wall of the spermatheca has type III glandular cells with cytoplasm rich in free ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and secretory vesicles. The apical surface of these cells has microvilli associated with mitochondria. The reservoir lumen is lined by a cuticle and filled with spermatozoa. This is the first report of the ovary and spermatheca morphology of E. tonhascai and contributes to the comprehension of the reproductive biology of this parasitoid of leaf-cutting ants.

Antibacterial activity and morphological changes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells after exposure to Vernonia cinerea extract.

PubMed

Latha, Lachimanan Yoga; Darah, Ibrahim; Kassim, Mohd Jain Noordin Mohd; Sasidharan, Sreenivasan

2010-08-01

The antibacterial activity of Vernonia cinerea (L.) extract was investigated using the broth dilution method. The extract showed a favorable antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) value of 3.13 mg/mL. V. cinerea extract at (1/2), 1, or 2 times the MIC significantly inhibited bacterial growth with a noticeable drop in optical density (OD) of the bacterial culture, thus confirming the antibacterial activity of the extract on P. aeruginosa. Imaging using scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy was done to determine the major alterations in the microstructure of the extract-treated P. aeruginosa. The main abnormalities noted via SEM and TEM studies were the alteration in morphology of the bacterial cells. The main reason for this destruction was the severe alterations of the cell wall with the formation of holes, invaginations, and morphological disorganization caused by the extract. The authors conclude that the extract may be used as a candidate for the development of antimicrobial agents.

Design, Implementation and Case Study of WISEMAN: WIreless Sensors Employing Mobile AgeNts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Valenzuela, Sergio; Chen, Min; Leung, Victor C. M.

We describe the practical implementation of Wiseman: our proposed scheme for running mobile agents in Wireless Sensor Networks. Wiseman’s architecture derives from a much earlier agent system originally conceived for distributed process coordination in wired networks. Given the memory constraints associated with small sensor devices, we revised the architecture of the original agent system to make it applicable to this type of networks. Agents are programmed as compact text scripts that are interpreted at the sensor nodes. Wiseman is currently implemented in TinyOS ver. 1, its binary image occupies 19Kbytes of ROM memory, and it occupies 3Kbytes of RAM to operate. We describe the rationale behind Wiseman’s interpreter architecture and unique programming features that can help reduce packet overhead in sensor networks. In addition, we gauge the proposed system’s efficiency in terms of task duration with different network topologies through a case study that involves an early-fire-detection application in a fictitious forest setting.

Study of Structural Morphology of Hemp Fiber from the Micro to the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bei; Sain, Mohini; Oksman, Kristiina

2007-03-01

The focus of this work has been to study how high pressure defibrillation and chemical purification affect the hemp fiber morphology from micro to nanoscale. Microscopy techniques, chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction were used to study the structure and properties of the prepared micro and nanofibers. Microscopy studies showed that the used individualization processes lead to a unique morphology of interconnected web-like structure of hemp fibers. The nanofibers are bundles of cellulose fibers of widths ranging between 30 and 100 nm and estimated lengths of several micrometers. The chemical analysis showed that selective chemical treatments increased the α-cellulose content of hemp nanofibers from 75 to 94%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study showed that the pectins were partially removed during the individualization treatments. X-ray analysis showed that the relative crystallinity of the studied fibers increased after each stage of chemical and mechanical treatments. It was also observed that the hemp nanofibers had an increased crystallinity of 71 from 57% of untreated hemp fibers.

Effects of hydrogen peroxide on the light reflectance and morphology of bovine enamel.

PubMed

Kwon, Y H; Huo, M S; Kim, K H; Kim, S K; Kim, Y J

2002-05-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a bleaching agent (30% hydrogen peroxide) on the surface of bovine enamel using a scanning electron microscope and a UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer. Five non-carious bovine incisors were bleached for 0, 1, 2 and 3 days using 30% hydrogen peroxide. The light reflectance spectrum was measured using a spectrophotometer with diffuse reflectance mode. Colour values and colour differences in the teeth were evaluated from the reflectance measurements with the CIE L*a*b* colour coordinate system. Surface alterations in the bleached and unbleached teeth were studied using a scanning electron microscope. The change of reflectance in the teeth was related to the change of colour. Most reflectance change occurred within a 1-day bleaching, and this result was confirmed by a CIE L*a*b* colour coordinate system. The colour differences in the bleached teeth were significant enough to be perceived by the observer's eye. The comparison of bleached to unbleached bovine enamel revealed that the bleached surface showed non-uniform slight morphological alterations, and it developed varying degrees of surface porosity. This study indicates that the bleached bovine teeth showed apparent colour differences as well as slight morphological alterations after bleaching.

Kinetic Transition of Crystal Morphology from Nanoparticles to Dendrites during Electron Beam Induced Deposition of Gold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jeung Hun; Schneider, Nicholas; Bau, Haim; Kodambaka, Suneel; Ross, Frances

2015-03-01

We studied the kinetic transition from compact nanoparticle to dendritic morphology during electron beam-induced Au deposition using in situ liquid cell-based transmission electron microcopy. Radiolysis of water by electrons generates radicals and molecular species. Hydrated electrons and hydrogen and hydroxide radicals can act as reducing agents and initiate the reduction of the water-soluble precursor, HAuCl4, resulting in the precipitation of Au as nanostructures. We tracked nucleation, growth, and morphological transition of Au from movies recorded in situ, as a function of irradiated dose and liquid thickness. We identified several distinct regimes that depend on the irradiation time: (1) nucleation; (2) linear volumetric growth; (3) formation of dendritic structures; (4) coalescence and dissolution. A diffusion and reaction model for the radiolytic species and metal ions in the confined geometry of the irradiated volume is used to understand the nucleation sites and morphological transitions. We finally describe how nanoparticles can be made to grow in a stepwise manner by switching the supply of Au ions on and off electrochemically, and discuss possibilities for creating more complex nanostructures. This research was partially funded by the National Science Foundation (DMR-1310639, CMMI-1129722, and CBET-1066573).

FOOT ECZEMA: THE ROLE OF PATCH TEST IN DETERMINING THE CAUSATIVE AGENT USING STANDARD SERIES

PubMed Central

Priya, K S; Kamath, Ganesh; Martis, Jacintha; D, Sukumar; Shetty, Narendra J; Bhat, Ramesh M; Kishore, B Nanda

2008-01-01

Foot dermatitis refers to the predominant involvement of feet in the eczematous process. This study is undertaken to determine the clinical pattern and causative agent in foot eczema and to evaluate the role of patch testing in determining the causative agent of foot eczema. Data was collected from 50 patients with foot eczema, who attended the out-patient department. The patch test was performed using Indian standard series. Patch test was positive in 88% of the patients. The most common site affected was the dorsal aspect of the foot (48%) and scaly plaque was the predominant morphological pattern. The highest number of patients (24%) showed positive reactions to mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and the lowest (4%) to neomycin sulfate. Rubber and rubber chemicals have been reported worldwide to be the most common sensitizer causing foot eczema. Thus, patch test has a major role in finding out the cause of foot eczema. PMID:19881990

Morphology Is a Link to the Past: Examining Formative and Secular Galactic Evolution through Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galloway, Melanie A.

Galaxy morphology is one of the primary keys to understanding a galaxy's evolutionary history. External mechanisms (environment/clustering, mergers) have a strong impact on the formative evolution of the major galactic components (disk, bulge, Hubble type), while internal instabilities created by bars, spiral arms, or other substructures drive secular evolution via the rearrangement of material within the disk. This thesis will explore several ways in which morphology impacts the dynamics and evolution of a galaxy using visual classifications from several Galaxy Zoo projects. The first half of this work will detail the motivations of using morphology to study galaxy evolution, and describe how morphology is measured, debiased, and interpreted using crowdsourced classification data via Galaxy Zoo. The second half will present scientific studies which make use of these classifications; first by focusing on the morphology of galaxies in the local Universe (z < 0.2) using data from Galaxy Zoo 2 and Galaxy Zoo UKIDSS. Last, the high-redshift Universe will be explored by examining populations of morphologies at various lookback times, from z = 0 out to z = 1 using data from Galaxy Zoo Hubble. The investigation of the physical implications of morphology in the local Universe will first be presented in Chapter 4, in a study of the impact of bars on the fueling of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Using a sample of 19,756 disk galaxies at 0.01 < z < 0.05 imaged by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and morphologically classified by Galaxy Zoo 2 (GZ2), the difference in AGN fraction in barred and unbarred disks was measured. A weak, but statistically significant, effect was found in that the population of AGN hosts exhibited a 16.0% increase in bar fraction as compared to their unbarred counterparts at fixed mass and color. These results are consistent with a cosmological model in which bar-driven fueling contributes to the growth of black holes, but other dynamical mechanisms

A Rapid Method Combining Golgi and Nissl Staining to Study Neuronal Morphology and Cytoarchitecture

PubMed Central

Pilati, Nadia; Barker, Matthew; Panteleimonitis, Sofoklis; Donga, Revers; Hamann, Martine

2008-01-01

The Golgi silver impregnation technique gives detailed information on neuronal morphology of the few neurons it labels, whereas the majority remain unstained. In contrast, the Nissl staining technique allows for consistent labeling of the whole neuronal population but gives very limited information on neuronal morphology. Most studies characterizing neuronal cell types in the context of their distribution within the tissue slice tend to use the Golgi silver impregnation technique for neuronal morphology followed by deimpregnation as a prerequisite for showing that neuron's histological location by subsequent Nissl staining. Here, we describe a rapid method combining Golgi silver impregnation with cresyl violet staining that provides a useful and simple approach to combining cellular morphology with cytoarchitecture without the need for deimpregnating the tissue. Our method allowed us to identify neurons of the facial nucleus and the supratrigeminal nucleus, as well as assessing cellular distribution within layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. With this method, we also have been able to directly compare morphological characteristics of neuronal somata at the dorsal cochlear nucleus when labeled with cresyl violet with those obtained with the Golgi method, and we found that cresyl violet–labeled cell bodies appear smaller at high cellular densities. Our observation suggests that cresyl violet staining is inadequate to quantify differences in soma sizes. (J Histochem Cytochem 56:539–550, 2008) PMID:18285350

Differential effects of two MRI contrast agents on the integrity and distribution of rAAV2 and rAAV5 in the rat striatum

PubMed Central

Osting, Sue; Bennett, Antonette; Power, Shelby; Wackett, Jordan; Hurley, Samuel A; Alexander, Andrew L; Agbandje-Mckena, Mavis; Burger, Corinna

2014-01-01

Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proposed as a method to optimize intracerebral targeting and for tracking infusate distribution in gene therapy trials for nervous system disorders. We thus investigated possible effects of two MRI contrast agents, gadoteridol (Gd) and galbumin (Gab), on the distribution and levels of transgene expression in the rat striatum and their effect on integrity and stability of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) particles. MRI studies showed that contrast agent distribution did not predict rAAV distribution. However, green fluorescent protein (GFP) immunoreactivity revealed an increase in distribution of rAAV5-GFP, but not rAAV2-GFP, in the presence of Gd when compared with viral vector injected alone. In contrast, Gab increased the distribution of rAAV2-GFP not rAAV5-GFP. These observations pointed to a direct effect of infused contrast agent on the rAAV particles. Negative-stain electron microscopy (EM), DNAase treatment, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to monitor rAAV2 and rAAV5 particle integrity and stability following contrast agent incubation. EMs of rAAV2-GFP and rAAV5-GFP particles pretreated with Gd appear morphologically similar to the untreated sample; however, Gab treatment resulted in surface morphology changes and aggregation. A compromise of particle integrity was suggested by sensitivity of the packaged genome to DNAase treatment following Gab incubation but not Gd for both vectors. However, neither agent significantly affected particle stability when analyzed by DSC. An increase in Tm was observed for AAV2 in lactated Ringer’s buffer. These results thus highlight potential interactions between MRI contrast agents and AAV that might affect vector distribution and stability, as well as the stabilizing effect of lactated Ringer’s solution on AAV2. PMID:26015943

Decomposing Animacy Reversals between Agents and Experiencers: An ERP Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourguignon, Nicolas; Drury, John E.; Valois, Daniel; Steinhauer, Karsten

2012-01-01

The present study aimed to refine current hypotheses regarding thematic reversal anomalies, which have been found to elicit either N400 or--more frequently--"semantic-P600" (sP600) effects. Our goal was to investigate whether distinct ERP profiles reflect aspectual-thematic differences between Agent-Subject Verbs (ASVs; e.g., "to eat") and…

Retrospective cohort study of anti-tumor necrosis factor agent use in a veteran population

PubMed Central

Madkour, Nermeen; Kazerooni, Rashid

2014-01-01

Introduction. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents are effective for several immunologic conditions (rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn’s disease (CD), and psoriasis). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF agents via chart review. Methods. Single-site, retrospective cohort study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF agents in veterans initiated between 2010 and 2011. Primary aim evaluated response at 12 months post-index date. Secondary aims evaluated initial response prior to 12 months post-index date and infection events. Results. A majority of patients were prescribed anti-TNF agents for CD (27%) and RA (24%). Patients were initiated on etanercept (41%), adalimumab (40%), and infliximab (18%) between 2010 and 2011. No differences in patient demographics were reported. Response rates were high overall. Sixty-five percent of etanercept patients, 82% of adalimumab patients, and 59% of infliximab patients were either partial or full responders, respectively. Approximately 16%, 11%, and 12% of etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab were non-responders, respectively. Infections between the groups were non-significant. Etanercept and adalimumab patients had higher but non-significant odds of being a responder relative to infliximab. Conclusions. Most patients initiated with anti-TNF agent were responders at 12 months follow-up for all indications in a veteran population. PMID:24883246

A comparative study of the skeletal morphology of the temporo-mandibular joint of children and adults.

PubMed

Meng, F; Liu, Y; Hu, K; Zhao, Y; Kong, L; Zhou, S

2008-01-01

The skeletal morphology of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) is constantly remodeled. A comparative study was undertaken to determine and characterize the differences in the skeletal morphology of TMJ of children and adults. The study was conducted on 30 children cadavers and 30 adult volunteers. Parameters that could reflect TMJ skeletal morphology were measured with a new technology combining helical computed tomography (CT) scan with multi-planar reformation (MPR) imaging. Significant differences between children cadavers and adults were found in the following parameters (P<0.05): Condylar axis inclination, smallest area of condylar neck/largest area of condylar process, inclination of anterior slope in inner, middle, and outer one-third of condyle, anteroposterior/mediolateral dimension of condyle, length of anterior slope/posterior slope in inner and middle one-third of condyle, anteroposterior dimension of condyle/glenoid fossa, mediolateral dimension of condyle/glenoid fossa, inclination of anterior slope of glenoid fossa, depth of glenoid fossa, and anteroposterior/mediolateral dimension of glenoid fossa. There are significant differences of TMJ skeletal morphology between children and adults.

A Biochemical and Morphological Study of Rat Liver Microsomes

PubMed Central

Moulé, Y.; Rouiller, C.; Chauveau, J.

1960-01-01

Microsomes isolated by differential centrifugation from a rat liver homogenate in 0.88 M sucrose solution have been studied from the biochemical and morphological point of view. 1. Under these experimental conditions, the "total microsome" fraction was obtained by centrifuging the cytoplasmic extract free of nuclei and mitochondria, for 3 hours at 145,000 g. Morphologically, the total microsomes consist mainly of "rough-surfaced membranes" and "smooth" ones. 2. The total microsomes have been divided into 2 subfractions so that the 1st microsomal fraction contains the "rough" vesicles (2 hours centrifugation at 40,000 g) while the 2nd microsomal fraction consists essentially of smooth vesicles, free particles, and ferritin (centrifugation of the supernatant at 145,000 g for 3 hours). 3. By the action of 0.4 per cent sodium deoxycholate in 0.88 M sucrose, it was possible to obtain a pellet for each of the 2 fractions which consisted of dense particles, rich in RNA, poor in lipids, and which represented about 50 to 60 percent of the RNA and 10 to 15 per cent of the proteins. The results have been discussed taking into consideration the hypothesis of the presence of RNA in the membranes of microsomal vesicles. PMID:14424705

Functionalized multimodal ZnO@Gd2O3 nanosystems to use as perspective contrast agent for MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babayevska, Nataliya; Florczak, Patryk; Woźniak-Budych, Marta; Jarek, Marcin; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Zalewski, Tomasz; Jurga, Stefan

2017-05-01

The main aim of this research was the synthesis of the multimodal hybrid ZnO@Gd2O3 nanostructures as prospective contrast agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for bio-medical applications. The nanoparticles surface was functionalized by organosilicon compounds (OSC) then, by folic acid (FA) as targeting agent and doxorubicin (Dox) as chemotherapeutic agent. Doxorubicin and folic acid were attached to the nanoparticles surface by amino groups as well as due to attractive physical interactions. The morphology and crystallography of the nanostructures were studied by HRTEM and SAXS techniques. After ZnO nanoparticles surface modification by Gd3+ and annealing at 900 °C, ZnO@Gd2O3 nanostructures are polydispersed with size 30-100 nm. NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) studies of ZnO@Gd2O3 were performed on fractionated particles with size up to 50 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-vis spectroscopy, zeta-potential measurements and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed that functional groups have been effectively bonded onto the nanoparticles surface. The high adsorption capacity of folic acid (up to 20%) and doxorubicin (up to 40%) on nanoparticles was reached upon 15 min of adsorption process in a temperature-dependent manner. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurements confirmed that the obtained ZnO@Gd2O3 nanostructures could be good contrast agents, useful for magnetic resonance imaging.

Spray drying egg using either maltodextrin or nopal mucilage as stabilizer agents.

PubMed

Medina-Torres, L; Calderas, F; Nuñez Ramírez, D M; Herrera-Valencia, E E; Bernad Bernad, M J; Manero, O

2017-12-01

In this work, a comparative study between spray drying (SD) of fresh egg by either maltodextrin (MD) or nopal-mucilage (MN) as stabilizing vectors was made. The powders obtained were characterized for drying performance, moisture content, chemical proximate analysis, thermal analysis (TGA), chemical composition (FTIR), microscopy (SEM) and rheology (viscoelasticity and steady state simple shear viscosity). Infrared analysis showed that MN has the effect of a thickening agent rather than an encapsulating one. Results indicated that SD egg with MN produced a high thermal and mechanical stable product and rendered the highest drying performance, producing a more uniform and defined sphere-shaped morphology in comparison to egg SD either alone and with MD.

Phylogenetic mapping of bacterial morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siefert, J. L.; Fox, G. E.

1998-01-01

The availability of a meaningful molecular phylogeny for bacteria provides a context for examining the historical significance of various developments in bacterial evolution. Herein, the classical morphological descriptions of selected members of the domain Bacteria are mapped upon the genealogical ancestry deduced from comparison of small-subunit rRNA sequences. For the species examined in this study, a distinct pattern emerges which indicates that the coccus shape has arisen and accumulated independently multiple times in separate lineages and typically survived as a persistent end-state morphology. At least two other morphologies persist but have evolved only once. This study demonstrates that although bacterial morphology is not useful in defining bacterial phylogeny, it is remarkably consistent with that phylogeny once it is known. An examination of the experimental evidence available for morphogenesis as well as microbial fossil evidence corroborates these findings. It is proposed that the accumulation of persistent morphologies is a result of the biophysical properties of peptidoglycan and their genetic control, and that an evolved body-plan strategy based on peptidoglycan may have been a fate-sealing step in the evolution of Bacteria. More generally, this study illustrates that significant evolutionary insights can be obtained by examining biological and biochemical data in the context of a reliable phylogenetic structure.

Morphology inherence from hollow MOFs to hollow carbon polyhedrons in preparing carbon-based electrocatalysts

DOE PAGES

Pei, Yuchen; Qi, Zhiyuan; Li, Xinle; ...

2017-02-21

Hollow carbon nanostructures are emerging as advanced electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to the effective usage of active sites and the reduced dependence on expensive noble metals. Conventional preparation of these hollow structures is achieved through templates (e.g. SiO 2, CdS, and Ni 3C), which serve to retain the void interiors during carbonization, leading to an essential template-removal procedure using hazardous chemical etchants. Herein, we demonstrate the direct carbonization of unique hollow zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) for the synthesis of hollow carbon polyhedrons (HCPs) with well-defined morphologies. The hollow ZIF particles behave bi-functionally as a carbon sourcemore » and a morphology directing agent. This method evidences the strong morphology inherence from the hollow ZIFs during the carbonization, advancing the significant simplicity and environmental friendliness of this synthesis strategy. The as-prepared HCPs show a uniform polyhedral morphology and large void interiors, which enable their superior ORR activity. Iron can be doped into the HCPs (Fe/HCPs), providing the Fe/HCPs with enhanced ORR properties ( E 1/2 = 0.850 V) in comparison with those of HCPs. As a result, we highlight the efficient structural engineering to transform ZIFs into advanced carbon nanostructures accomplishing morphological control and high electrocatalytic activity.« less

Morphology inherence from hollow MOFs to hollow carbon polyhedrons in preparing carbon-based electrocatalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pei, Yuchen; Qi, Zhiyuan; Li, Xinle

Hollow carbon nanostructures are emerging as advanced electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to the effective usage of active sites and the reduced dependence on expensive noble metals. Conventional preparation of these hollow structures is achieved through templates (e.g. SiO 2, CdS, and Ni 3C), which serve to retain the void interiors during carbonization, leading to an essential template-removal procedure using hazardous chemical etchants. Herein, we demonstrate the direct carbonization of unique hollow zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) for the synthesis of hollow carbon polyhedrons (HCPs) with well-defined morphologies. The hollow ZIF particles behave bi-functionally as a carbon sourcemore » and a morphology directing agent. This method evidences the strong morphology inherence from the hollow ZIFs during the carbonization, advancing the significant simplicity and environmental friendliness of this synthesis strategy. The as-prepared HCPs show a uniform polyhedral morphology and large void interiors, which enable their superior ORR activity. Iron can be doped into the HCPs (Fe/HCPs), providing the Fe/HCPs with enhanced ORR properties ( E 1/2 = 0.850 V) in comparison with those of HCPs. As a result, we highlight the efficient structural engineering to transform ZIFs into advanced carbon nanostructures accomplishing morphological control and high electrocatalytic activity.« less

N-acetylcysteine protects against motor, optomotor and morphological deficits induced by 6-OHDA in zebrafish larvae.

PubMed

Benvenutti, Radharani; Marcon, Matheus; Reis, Carlos G; Nery, Laura R; Miguel, Camila; Herrmann, Ana P; Vianna, Monica R M; Piato, Angelo

2018-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. In addition to its highly debilitating motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms may precede their motor counterparts by many years, which may characterize a prodromal phase of PD. A potential pharmacological strategy is to introduce neuroprotective agents at an earlier stage in order to prevent further neuronal death. N -acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used against paracetamol overdose hepatotoxicity by restoring hepatic concentrations of glutathione (GSH), and as a mucolytic in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by reducing disulfide bonds in mucoproteins. It has been shown to be safe for humans at high doses. More recently, several studies have evidenced that NAC has a multifaceted mechanism of action, presenting indirect antioxidant effect by acting as a GSH precursor, besides its anti-inflammatory and neurotrophic effects. Moreover, NAC modulates glutamate release through activation of the cystine-glutamate antiporter in extra-synaptic astrocytes. Its therapeutic benefits have been demonstrated in clinical trials for several neuropsychiatric conditions but has not been tested in PD models yet. In this study, we evaluated the potential of NAC to prevent the damage induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on motor, optomotor and morphological parameters in a PD model in larval zebrafish. NAC was able to prevent the motor deficits (total distance, mean speed, maximum acceleration, absolute turn angle and immobility time), optomotor response impairment and morphological alterations (total length and head length) caused by exposure to 6-OHDA, which reinforce and broaden the relevance of its neuroprotective effects. NAC acts in different targets relevant to PD pathophysiology. Further studies and clinical trials are needed to assess this agent as a candidate for prevention and adjunctive treatment of PD.

Preclinical Studies of a Kidney Safe Iodinated Contrast Agent.

PubMed

Rowe, Elizabeth S; Rowe, Vernon D; Biswas, Sangita; Mosher, Gerold; Insisienmay, Lovella; Ozias, Marlies K; Gralinski, Michael R; Hunter, John; Barnett, James S

2016-09-01

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a serious complication of the use of iodinated contrast agents. This problem is particularly acute in interventional neurology and interventional cardiology, probably due to the intra-arterial route of injection, high contrast volumes, and preexisting risk factors of these patients. In an attempt to develop a contrast agent that is less damaging to the kidneys, we have studied the effects of adding a small amount of the substituted cyclodextrin, sulfobutyl-ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBECD), to iohexol in rodent models of renal toxicity. Renally compromised mice and rats were injected with iohexol and iohexol-SBECD via the tail vein. The renal pathology, creatinine clearance, and survival benefits of iohexol-SBECD were studied. The safety of direct intra-arterial injection of the iohexol-SBECD formulation was studied in a dog heart model system. Mechanism of action studies in cell culture model using a human kidney cell line was performed using flow cytometry. Nephrotoxicity was significantly reduced using iohexol-SBECD compared to iohexol alone, at mole ratios of iohexol:SBECD of 1:0.025. SBECD increased survival from 50% to 88% in a rat survival study. In the dog heart model, iohexol-SBECD was safe. Cell culture studies suggest that SBECD interferes with the early stages of contrast-induced apoptosis in a human renal cell line. We have shown that the addition of a small amount of SBECD (one molecule of SBECD per 40 iohexol molecules) significantly protects rodent kidneys from CI-AKI. Further development of this new formulation of iodinated contrast is warranted. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Neuroimaging published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society of Neuroimaging.

Resin-Immobilized Palladium Nanoparticle Catalysts for Organic Reactions in Aqueous Media: Morphological Aspects.

PubMed

Mastrorilli, Piero; Dell'Anna, Maria M; Rizzuti, Antonino; Mali, Matilda; Zapparoli, Mauro; Leonelli, Cristina

2015-10-14

An insight into the nano- and micro-structural morphology of a polymer supported Pd catalyst employed in different catalytic reactions under green conditions is reported. The pre-catalyst was obtained by copolymerization of the metal-containing monomer Pd(AAEMA)₂ [AAEMA-=deprotonated form of 2-(acetoacetoxy) ethyl methacrylate] with ethyl methacrylate as co-monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. This material was used in water for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl bromides, and for the reduction of nitroarenes and quinolines using NaBH₄ or H₂, as reductants. TEM analyses showed that in all cases the pristine Pd(II) species were reduced in situ to Pd(0), which formed metal nanoparticles (NPs, the real active species). The dependence of their average size (2-10 nm) and morphology on different parameters (temperature, reducing agent, presence of a phase transfer agent) is discussed. TEM and micro-IR analyses showed that the polymeric support retained its porosity and stability for several catalytic cycles in all reactions and Pd NPs did not aggregate after reuse. The metal nanoparticle distribution throughout the polymer matrix after several recycles provided precious information about the catalytic mechanism, which was truly heterogeneous in the hydrogenation reactions and of the so-called "release and catch" type in the Suzuki coupling.

Viruses of Entamoeba histolytica II. Morphogenesis of the Polyhedral Particle (ABRM2→HK-9)→HB-301 and the Filamentous Agent (ABRM)2→HK-9

PubMed Central

Mattern, Carl F. T.; Diamond, Louis S.; Daniel, Wendell A.

1972-01-01

The intracellular development of two morphologically different amoebal viruses has been studied by electron microscopy. One is a polyhedral agent which was observed as early as 24 hr after infection in the perinuclear cytoplasm. Subsequently, cell lysis occurred and particles were found in large number bound to membranes of disrupted amoebae. Other particles were found in phagocytic vacuoles suggesting a possible portal of entry into amoebae. The other virus is a filamentous particle which is first seen in small clusters in the nucleus after 24 hr of infection. The number of particles increases such that by 72 hr massive whorls of particles occupy a substantial part of the nucleus. After rupture of the nuclear membrane, clusters of filaments are widely dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. Still later, the cytoplasmic membrane disintegrates and clusters of filaments are found extracellularly, but free of cell membranes. The morphology of these agents is discussed in comparison with a variety of plant, animal, and bacterial viruses. Images PMID:4335523

Differentiation between Prototheca and morphologically similar green algae in tissue.

PubMed

Chandler, F W; Kaplan, W; Callaway, C S

1978-07-01

Evidence that algae are pathogens was provided by the results of electron microscopic studies of tissues from five cattle and sheep suspected of having green algal infections. Chloroplasts were demonstrated in the algae in each case. Prototheca organisms, considered by some to be achloric mutants of green algae, are causative agents of disease in man and animals and may appear morphologically similar to green algae in tissue. However, electron microscopy showed that chloroplasts were absent in these organisms. Light microscopy revealed not only similarities in size, shape, and mode of reproduction, but also a striking difference between the Prototheca organisms and green algae. Unlike Prototheca, the green algae contained abundant cytoplasmic starch granules that were strongly positive by several staining procedures; these granules, which were PAS-negative following diastase digestion, provide a means of differentiating green algae from Prototheca cells in tissue.

Evaluation of new antiemetic agents and definition of antineoplastic agent emetogenicity--an update.

PubMed

Grunberg, Steven M; Osoba, David; Hesketh, Paul J; Gralla, Richard J; Borjeson, Sussanne; Rapoport, Bernardo L; du Bois, Andreas; Tonato, Maurizio

2005-02-01

Development of effective antiemetic therapy depends upon an understanding of both the antiemetic agents and the emetogenic challenges these agents are designed to address. New potential antiemetic agents should be studied in an orderly manner, proceeding from phase I to phase II open-label trials and then to randomized double-blind phase III trials comparing new agents and regimens to best standard therapy. Use of placebos in place of antiemetic therapy against highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy is unacceptable. Nausea and vomiting should be evaluated separately and for both the acute and delayed periods. Defining the emetogenicity of new antineoplastic agents is a challenge, since such data are often not reliably recorded during early drug development. A four-level classification system is proposed for emetogenicity of intravenous antineoplastic agents. A separate four-level classification system for emetogenicity of oral antineoplastic agents, which are often given over an extended period of time, is also proposed.

Topical antifungal agents: an update.

PubMed

Diehl, K B

1996-10-01

So many topical antifungal agents have been introduced that it has become very difficult to select the proper agent for a given infection. Nonspecific agents have been available for many years, and they are still effective in many situations. These agents include Whitfield's ointment, Castellani paint, gentian violet, potassium permanganate, undecylenic acid and selenium sulfide. Specific antifungal agents include, among others, the polyenes (nystatin, amphotericin B), the imidazoles (metronidazole, clotrimazole) and the allylamines (terbinafine, naftifine). Although the choice of an antifungal agent should be based on an accurate diagnosis, many clinicians believe that topical miconazole is a relatively effective agent for the treatment of most mycotic infections. Terbinafine and other newer drugs have primary fungicidal effects. Compared with older antifungal agents, these newer drugs can be used in lower concentrations and shorter therapeutic courses. Studies are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacies and cost advantages of both newer and traditional agents.

[Reservation forms of plague infectious agent in Tuva natural focus].

PubMed

Bazanova, L P; Innokent'eva, T I

2012-01-01

Data characterizing the reservation forms of plague infectious agent in Tuva natural focus are presented in the review. Yersinia pestis was shown to persist most of the year in Citellophilus tesquorum altaicus imago --the main carrier, getting into the animal organism only for a short time. An increased ability to aggregate in autumn and accumulate in clumps of C. tesquorum altaicus females that are more adapted to survive the cold season compared with males promote the persistence of the microorganism. The plague infectious agent in the altered form survives in the organism of females not only the winter period but also longer periods of time that is demonstrated by the facts of detection of it after 646 days of staying in the carrier. Moreover Yersinia pestis can persist for more than 400 days in the substrate of the nest of long-tailed ground squirrel infected by excrements and corpses of plague fleas. The substrate of the nest infected in summer-autumn period of the previous year may determine the primary infection of ground squirrels by plague infectious agent in the next epizootic season. On ground squirrels infected during contact with nest substrate, infection of intact fleas may be possible, and so the initiation of a new cycle of transmission of the infectious agent. Adaptation of the plague infectious agent to unfavorable existence conditions in the carrier is expressed in the changes of its morphology and ultrastructure that is evidenced by the facts of isolation of the infectious agent from corpses of fleas situated in the substrate, in the L-form, as well as results of phase-contrast and electron microscopy of the digestive tract of C. tesquorum altaicus.

Experimental and theoretical study to explain the morphology of CaMoO4 crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, F. K. F.; Oliveira, M. C.; Gracia, L.; Tranquilin, R. L.; Paskocimas, C. A.; Motta, F. V.; Longo, E.; Andrés, J.; Bomio, M. R. D.

2018-03-01

CaMoO4 crystals were prepared by a controlled co-precipitation method and processed in a domestic microwave-assisted hydrothermal system with two different surfactants (ethyl 4-dimethylaminobenzoate and 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride). The corresponding structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of the as-synthesized aggregates. The structure, the surface stability of the (001), (112), (100), (110), (101), and (111) surfaces of CaMoO4, and their morphological transformations were investigated through systematic first-principles calculations within the density functional theory method at the B3LYP level. Analysis of the surface structures showed that the electronic properties were associated with the presence of undercoordinated [CaOx] (x = 5 and 6) and [MoOy] (y = 4 and 3) clusters. The relative surfaces energies were tuned to predict a complete map of the morphologies available through a Wulff construction approach. The results reveal that the experimental and theoretical morphologies obtained coincide when the surface energies of the (001) and (101) surfaces increase, while the surface energy of the (100) facet decreases simultaneously. The results provide a comprehensive catalog of the morphologies most likely to be present under realistic conditions, and will serve as a starting point for future studies on the surface chemistry of CaMoO4 crystals.

Biology, behavior, and larval morphology of Salbia lotanalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a potential biological control agent of Miconia calvescens (Myrtales: Melastomataceae) from Costa Rica

Treesearch

Alexander Castillo; M. Tracy Johnson; Francisco R. Badenes-Pérez

2014-01-01

The leaf roller Salbia lotanalis Druce (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a potential biological control agent of Miconia calvescens de Candolle (Melastomataceae), was studied in Costa Rica. Larvae were collected from a field site near San Jose and the insect was reared in the laboratory to study its biology and behavior. Chaetotaxy and...

Computational Nonlinear Morphology with Emphasis on Semitic Languages. Studies in Natural Language Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiraz, George Anton

This book presents a tractable computational model that can cope with complex morphological operations, especially in Semitic languages, and less complex morphological systems present in Western languages. It outlines a new generalized regular rewrite rule system that uses multiple finite-state automata to cater to root-and-pattern morphology,…

Novel morphology change of Au-Methotrexate conjugates: From nanochains to discrete nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Yuan; Zhao, Xiu-Fen; Ju, Xiao-Han; Wang, Yu; Wang, Lin; Li, Shu-Ping; Li, Xiao-Dong

2016-12-30

A novel morphology change of Au-methotrexate (Au-MTX) conjugates that could transform from nanochains to discrete nanoparticles was achieved by a simple, one-pot, and hydrothermal growth method. Herein, MTX was used efficiently as a complex-forming agent, reducing agent, capping agent, and importantly a targeting anticancer drug. The formation mechanism suggested a similarity with the molecular imprinting technology. The Au-MTX complex induced the MTX molecules to selectively adsorb on different crystal facets of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and then formed gold nanospheres. Moreover, the abundantly binding MTX molecules promoted directional alignment of these gold nanospheres to further form nanochains. More interestingly, the linear structures gradually changed into discrete nanoparticles by adding different amount of ethylene diamine tetra (methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMPA) into the initial reaction solution, which likely arose from the strong electrostatic effect of the negatively charged phosphonic acid groups. Compared with the as-prepared nanochains, the resultant discrete nanoparticles showed almost equal drug loading capacity but with higher drug release control, colloidal stability, and in vitro anticancer activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructure control of SOFC cathode material: The role of dispersing agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Ismariza; Jani, Abdul Mutalib Md; Osman, Nafisah

2017-09-01

In the present works, La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) cathode powders were synthesized by a sol-gel method with the aid of ethylene glycol which served as the dispersing agent. The phase formation and morphology of the powders were examined by X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized cathode were obtained using an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The characteristic peaks for LSCF phase appears in the X-ray diffractogram after calcined at 500 °C and complete formation of LSCF single phase was attained at 700 °C. FESEM micrographs showed the presence of spherical particles of the powders with approximate particle size between 10 to 60 nm along with agglomerate morphologies. Well dispersed particles and fewer aggregates were observed for samples prepared with addition of ethylene glycol as the synthesizing aid. The surface area obtained for powder sample prepared with the aid of dispersing agent is 12.0 m2g-1. The EIS measurement results depicts a lower area specific resistance (ASR) obtained for sample prepared with addition of the ethylene glycol as compared to the pristine sample. The present results encourage the optimization of the cathode particle design in order to further improve the cathode performance.

Monitoring cell morphology during necrosis and apoptosis by quantitative phase imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugnano, Martina; Calabuig, Alejandro; Grilli, Simonetta; Miccio, Lisa; Ferraro, Pietro

2015-05-01

present a preliminary study on the variation of morphological parameters in case of cell apoptosis induced by exposure to 10 μM cadmium chloride. We employ the same cell line, monitoring the process for 18 hours. In the vast group of environmental pollutants, the toxic heavy metal cadmium is considered a likely candidate as a causative agent of several types of cancers. Widely distributed and used in industry, and with a broad range of target organs and a long half-life (10-30 years) in the human body, this element has been long known for its multiple adverse effects on human health, through occupational or environmental exposure. In apoptosis, we measure cell volume decrease and cell shrinking. Both data of apoptosis and necrosis were analysed by means of a Sigmoidal Statistical Distribution function, which allows several quantitative data to be established, such as swelling and cell death time, flux of intracellular material from inside to outside the cell, initial and final volume versus time. In addition, we can quantitatively study the cytoplasmatic granularity that occurs during necrosis. As a future application, DH could be employed as a non-invasive and label-free method to distinguish between apoptosis and necrosis in terms of morphological parameters.

Spatially variant morphological restoration and skeleton representation.

PubMed

Bouaynaya, Nidhal; Charif-Chefchaouni, Mohammed; Schonfeld, Dan

2006-11-01

The theory of spatially variant (SV) mathematical morphology is used to extend and analyze two important image processing applications: morphological image restoration and skeleton representation of binary images. For morphological image restoration, we propose the SV alternating sequential filters and SV median filters. We establish the relation of SV median filters to the basic SV morphological operators (i.e., SV erosions and SV dilations). For skeleton representation, we present a general framework for the SV morphological skeleton representation of binary images. We study the properties of the SV morphological skeleton representation and derive conditions for its invertibility. We also develop an algorithm for the implementation of the SV morphological skeleton representation of binary images. The latter algorithm is based on the optimal construction of the SV structuring element mapping designed to minimize the cardinality of the SV morphological skeleton representation. Experimental results show the dramatic improvement in the performance of the SV morphological restoration and SV morphological skeleton representation algorithms in comparison to their translation-invariant counterparts.

Preliminary Study of the Effect of Incremental Rehearsal with a Morphological Component for Teaching Chinese Character Recognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwong, Elena; Burns, Matthew K.

2016-01-01

The current study examined the effectiveness of Incremental Rehearsal (IR) for teaching Chinese character recognition using a single-case experimental design. In addition, a morphological component was added to standard IR procedures (IRM) to take into account the role of morphological awareness in Chinese reading. Three kindergarten students in…

Stereomicroscopic study of the human tooth caries: clinical and morphological correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oancea, Roxana; Vasile, Liliana; Marchese, Cristian; Sava-Rosianu, Ruxandra

2012-06-01

Objectives: Stereomicroscopy allows a three-dimensional study of the images and of laterality at superior quality in comparison with other methods. Those advantages are given by the large examination fields and the wide work distances. The adding of the clinical and morphological data at the results gathered with stereomicroscopy and the stereo micrometry is useful in order to appreciate the deepness and the widening of the carious process, and the necessity to reconsider the therapeutically strategy. Materials and methods: During 2009-2011 the study material was represented by 10 surgically removed impacted third molars, and by 20 premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes, with closed and macroscopically apparently integer surfaces. 13 premolars with different degrees of carious affectation and periodontal lesions, which were surgically extracted without trauma, were also selected. The in situ measurements at the occlusal site were realized through the utilization of a fluorescent laser device - DIAGNOdent. The basic principles in stereomicroscopy stood at the base of the obliquely and circularly coaxial illumination techniques, one with optical alignment adjustment of the optical microscope and mechanical adjustment for the optimal illumination and micrometry. The Olympus Microscope SZ ×7 and an Olympus camera with 2,5 × digital zoom and a 3× optical zoom has been used to study the samples in stereomicroscopy and through polarized light it. Results: The DiagnoDent measured the following data: out of 43 apparently healthy teeth, 18 presented values between 2 and 13 (D1), 13 showed values between 14 and 24 (D2), 12 measured values over 24 (D3). After the histological examination in stereomicroscopy and in the polarized light: 25 teeth were healthy, 10 presented caries extended in dental enamel and 8 presented dentinal caries. Stereomicroscopy has allowed the morphological study, the color absorption, the appreciation of the lesions' deepness and substance

Utilization and costs of antipsychotic agents: a Canadian population-based study, 1996-2006.

PubMed

Alessi-Severini, Silvia; Biscontri, Robert G; Collins, David M; Kozyrskyj, Anita; Sareen, Jitender; Enns, Murray W

2008-05-01

This study evaluated the prescribing patterns and costs for antipsychotic agents in the population of the Canadian province of Manitoba over the past decade. A population-based study of antipsychotic utilization and costs was conducted on data collected from the administrative databases of the Manitoba Population Health Data Repository and the Statistics Canada census between index years 1996 and 2006 (April 1, 1995, through March 31, 2006). The total annual number of antipsychotic prescriptions dispensed in Manitoba increased by 227% between 1996 and 2006, and the prevalence of antipsychotic users increased by 62% over the same time interval. The fastest-growing segment of antipsychotic users in Manitoba appears to be young males, who increased from .16% in 1996 to .88% in 2006. The highest numbers of prescriptions were reported for schizophrenia, dementia, and conduct disorder. Annual expenditures for antipsychotics increased from $1.7 million in 1996 to $22.0 million in 2006 (expenditures are in Canadian dollars). The cost of second-generation agents reached 80% of total antipsychotic expenditures in 2006; risperidone was the most prescribed agent in all age groups of patients. The per-patient annual cost of antipsychotic pharmacotherapy increased by approximately 680% between 1996 and 2006 in Manitoba. The number of antipsychotic prescriptions and the prevalence of users of antipsychotic medications increased significantly in Manitoba over the study period, despite a steady-state population of approximately 1.2 million. Incremental costs relative to the use of antipsychotic medications can be explained by the market penetration of the second-generation agents and their expanded use in the treatment of various diagnoses.

Inner conflict in patients receiving oral anticancer agents: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Yagasaki, Kaori; Komatsu, Hiroko; Takahashi, Tsunehiro

2015-04-14

To explore the experiences of patients receiving oral anticancer agents. A qualitative study using semistructured interviews with a grounded theory approach. A university hospital in Japan. 14 patients with gastric cancer who managed their cancer with oral anticancer agents. Patients with cancer experienced inner conflict between rational belief and emotional resistance to taking medication due to confrontation with cancer, doubt regarding efficacy and concerns over potential harm attached to use of the agent. Although they perceived themselves as being adherent to medication, they reported partial non-adherent behaviours. The patients reassessed their lives through the experience of inner conflict and, ultimately, they recognised their role in medication therapy. Patients with cancer experienced inner conflict, in which considerable emotional resistance to taking their medication affected their occasional non-adherent behaviours. In patient-centred care, it is imperative that healthcare providers understand patients' inner conflict and inconsistency between their subjective view and behaviour to support patient adherence. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ambient agents: embedded agents for remote control and monitoring using the PANGEA platform.

PubMed

Villarrubia, Gabriel; De Paz, Juan F; Bajo, Javier; Corchado, Juan M

2014-07-31

Ambient intelligence has advanced significantly during the last few years. The incorporation of image processing and artificial intelligence techniques have opened the possibility for such aspects as pattern recognition, thus allowing for a better adaptation of these systems. This study presents a new model of an embedded agent especially designed to be implemented in sensing devices with resource constraints. This new model of an agent is integrated within the PANGEA (Platform for the Automatic Construction of Organiztions of Intelligent Agents) platform, an organizational-based platform, defining a new sensor role in the system and aimed at providing contextual information and interacting with the environment. A case study was developed over the PANGEA platform and designed using different agents and sensors responsible for providing user support at home in the event of incidents or emergencies. The system presented in the case study incorporates agents in Arduino hardware devices with recognition modules and illuminated bands; it also incorporates IP cameras programmed for automatic tracking, which can connect remotely in the event of emergencies. The user wears a bracelet, which contains a simple vibration sensor that can receive notifications about the emergency situation.

Ambient Agents: Embedded Agents for Remote Control and Monitoring Using the PANGEA Platform

PubMed Central

Villarrubia, Gabriel; De Paz, Juan F.; Bajo, Javier; Corchado, Juan M.

2014-01-01

Ambient intelligence has advanced significantly during the last few years. The incorporation of image processing and artificial intelligence techniques have opened the possibility for such aspects as pattern recognition, thus allowing for a better adaptation of these systems. This study presents a new model of an embedded agent especially designed to be implemented in sensing devices with resource constraints. This new model of an agent is integrated within the PANGEA (Platform for the Automatic Construction of Organiztions of Intelligent Agents) platform, an organizational-based platform, defining a new sensor role in the system and aimed at providing contextual information and interacting with the environment. A case study was developed over the PANGEA platform and designed using different agents and sensors responsible for providing user support at home in the event of incidents or emergencies. The system presented in the case study incorporates agents in Arduino hardware devices with recognition modules and illuminated bands; it also incorporates IP cameras programmed for automatic tracking, which can connect remotely in the event of emergencies. The user wears a bracelet, which contains a simple vibration sensor that can receive notifications about the emergency situation. PMID:25090416

Alpha-hydroxyacid chemical peeling agents: case studies and rationale for safe and effective use.

PubMed

Briden, M Elizabeth

2004-02-01

Chemical peeling is an in-office procedure that involves the application of a chemical agent to the skin to induce controlled destruction or exfoliation of old skin and stimulation of new epidermal growth with more evenly distributed melanin. When peel agents reach the dermal layer, important wound-healing activities occur that cause skin remodeling and skin smoothing, both antiaging benefits. There are a number of key factors in selecting a peeling agent and procedure, and each is discussed. Variables to consider are the peeling agent and its formulation, the concentration of the agent, the patient's skin type, the site to be peeled, the skin preparation procedure prior to and immediately preceding the application of the agent, the application method, the duration of contact, and the patient's medical history and lifestyle. Various types of peels are discussed. Of particular interest are superficial chemical peels, which offer great flexibility over a range of skin types and conditions with minimal to no "downtime." Alpha-hydroxyacid (AHA) peels are superficial and can be combined with other cosmetic procedures in the office to maximize benefits. In addition, AHA peels work well when combined with supportive homecare products including AHAs or polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), topical retinoids, and antiacne/antirosacea treatments. Case studies are presented of patients using AHA peels for the treatment of acne and hyperpigmentation in a variety of skin types, including Asian skin.

Agent-Based vs. Equation-based Epidemiological Models:A Model Selection Case Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sukumar, Sreenivas R; Nutaro, James J

This paper is motivated by the need to design model validation strategies for epidemiological disease-spread models. We consider both agent-based and equation-based models of pandemic disease spread and study the nuances and complexities one has to consider from the perspective of model validation. For this purpose, we instantiate an equation based model and an agent based model of the 1918 Spanish flu and we leverage data published in the literature for our case- study. We present our observations from the perspective of each implementation and discuss the application of model-selection criteria to compare the risk in choosing one modeling paradigmmore » to another. We conclude with a discussion of our experience and document future ideas for a model validation framework.« less

Morphology controlled graphene-alloy nanoparticle hybrids with tunable carbon monoxide conversion to carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Devi, M Manolata; Dolai, N; Sreehala, S; Jaques, Y M; Mishra, R S Kumar; Galvao, Douglas S; Tiwary, C S; Sharma, Sudhanshu; Biswas, Krishanu

2018-05-10

Selective oxidation of CO to CO2 using metallic or alloy nanoparticles as catalysts can solve two major problems of energy requirements and environmental pollution. Achieving 100% conversion efficiency at a lower temperature is a very important goal. This requires sustained efforts to design and develop novel supported catalysts containing alloy nanoparticles. In this regard, the decoration of nanoalloys with graphene, as a support for the catalyst, can provide a novel structure due to the synergic effect of the nanoalloys and graphene. Here, we demonstrate the effect of nano-PdPt (Palladium-Platinum) alloys having different morphologies on the catalytic efficiency for the selective oxidation of CO. Efforts were made to prepare different morphologies of PdPt alloy nanoparticles with the advantage of tuning the capping agent (PVP - polyvinyl pyrollidone) and decorating them on graphene sheets via the wet-chemical route. The catalytic activity of the G-PdPt hybrids with an urchin-like morphology has been found to be superior (higher % conversion at 135 °C lower) to that with a nanoflower morphology. The above experimental observations are further supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Comparative study of plant responses to carbon-based nanomaterials with different morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahiani, Mohamed H.; Dervishi, Enkeleda; Ivanov, Ilia; Chen, Jihua; Khodakovskaya, Mariya

2016-07-01

The relationship between the morphology of carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) and the specific response of plants exposed to CBNs has not been studied systematically. Here, we prove that CBNs with different morphologies can activate cell growth, germination, and plant growth. A tobacco cell culture growth was found to increase by 22%-46% when CBNs such as helical multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), few-layered graphene, long MWCNTs, and short MWCNTs were added to the growth medium at a concentration of 50 μg ml-1. The germination of exposed tomato seeds, as well as the growth of exposed tomato seedlings, were significantly enhanced by the addition of all tested CBNs. The presence of CBNs inside exposed seeds was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of helical MWCNTs on gene expression in tomato seeds and seedlings were investigated by microarray technology and real time-PCR. Helical MWCNTs affected a number of genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes and response to stress factors. It was shown that the expression of the tomato water channel gene in tomato seeds exposed to helical MWCNTs was upregulated. These established findings demonstrate that CBNs with different morphologies can cause the same biological effects and share similar mechanisms in planta.

Safe motion planning for mobile agents: A model of reactive planning for multiple mobile agents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fujimura, Kikuo.

1990-01-01

The problem of motion planning for multiple mobile agents is studied. Each planning agent independently plans its own action based on its map which contains a limited information about the environment. In an environment where more than one mobile agent interacts, the motions of the robots are uncertain and dynamic. A model for reactive agents is described and simulation results are presented to show their behavior patterns. 18 refs., 2 figs.

Impact of Various Irrigating Agents on Root Fracture: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Tiwari, Sukriti; Nikhade, Pradnya; Chandak, Manoj; Sudarshan, C; Shetty, Priyadarshini; Gupta, Naveen K

2016-08-01

Irrigating solutions are used for cleaning and removing dentinal debris, and the other remains from pulpal space during biomechanical preparation. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of various irrigating agents on root fracture at 5-minute time exposure. We sectioned 60 permanent maxillary premolars with fully formed root structures transversely maintaining the root length of approximately 14 mm. Five study groups were made comprising ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), cetrimide, citric acid, and so on as various irrigating agents. A universal force test machine was used to calculate the force which was enough to fracture each root. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to access the level of significance. About 10% citric acid solution as an irrigating agent showed minimal fracture opposing results, whereas 10% EDTA solution showed the maximum fracture resistance of root portion. Selection of suitable EDTA concentration that has minimal adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the tooth is very important for the successful management of tooth fracture. About 10% EDTA provided the highest fracture resistance, necessitating the use of irrigating solution in root canal therapy (RCT). Further research with higher and different study groups is required to search for more efficient irrigating solution to improve the outcome of RCT.

Acoustic fingerprints of photoacoustic contrast agents for molecular imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Michael A.; Jankovic, Ladislav; Shahzad, Khalid; Burcher, Michael; Li, King C. P.

2007-02-01

Protein nanospheres capable of frequency controlled oscillation in response to laser stimulation are presented as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging. Incident laser energy absorbed by dye-labeled protein nanospheres causes thermoelastically generated sound production. Plotted A-line graphs reveal a distinctive morphology and greater than 2 orders of magnitude increase in signal amplitude subsequent to converting labeled proteins into nanospheres. Evidence of nonlinearity and enhancement of ultrasound backscatter indicate a potential use in contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging. Photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of protein nanospheres in phantom vessels show enhanced contrast at low concentration and clear delineation of the phantom vessel wall.

Morphology targets: What do seedling morphological attributes tell us?

Treesearch

Jeremiah R. Pinto

2011-01-01

Morphology is classically defined as the form and structure of individual organisms, as distinct from their anatomy or physiology. We use morphological targets in the nursery because they are easy to measure, and because we can often quantitatively link seedling morphological traits with survival and growth performance in the field. In the 20 years since the Target...

A Comparative Morphological Study of the Jugal and Quadratojugal in Early Birds and Their Dinosaurian Relatives.

PubMed

Wang, Min; Hu, Han

2017-01-01

The zygoma (called jugal bar) in modern birds accounts for a large portion of the ventral margin of the cranium. As a delicate and rod-like element, the jugal bar is functionally integrated into the avian cranial kinesis, a unique property that allows the beak to be elevated or depressed with respect to the braincase and thus distinguishes birds from all other modern vertebrates. Developmental studies show that the jugal bar of modern birds is formed by the fusion of the jugal and quadratojugal that are ossified from separated centers. However, those two bones are unfused and exhibit complicated morphological variations in basal birds and their dinosaurian relatives. Moreover, the jugal and quadratojugal form rigid articulations with the postorbital and squamosal, respectively, consequently hindering the movement of the upper jaw in most non-avian dinosaurs and some basal birds. A comparative study of the jugal and quadratojugal morphology of basal birds and their close relatives such as dromaeosaurids and oviraptorids elucidates how modern birds has achieved its derived jugal bar morphology, and sheds light on the evolution of the postorbital configuration of birds. We propose that numerous morphological modifications of those two elements (morphology changes and reduced articulation with other elements) took place in early bird history, and some of them pertinent to the refinement of the cranial kinesis. Anat Rec, 300:62-75, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of testicular toxicity and sperm morphology in rats treated with methyl methanesulphonate (MMS).

PubMed

Kuriyama, Kazuya; Kitamura, Tsuyoshi; Yokoi, Ryohei; Hayashi, Morimichi; Kobayashi, Kazuo; Kuroda, Junji; Tsujii, Hirotada

2005-10-01

Methyl methanesulphonate (MMS), a potent alkylating agent and testicular toxicant, was orally administered to rats for 5 days at 40 mg/kg. During the recovery period of up to 5 weeks, males were evaluated for testicular toxicity and sperm morphology. The 5-week recovery period were designated as follows: Day 1 (the day after final treatment); Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5 (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after final treatment). Morphologically abnormal sperm increased beginning in Week 3, peaked in Week 4 and declined slightly in Week 5. Histopathological examinations indicated retention of step 19 spermatids at stage IX from Day 1 through Week 3. Quantitative evaluation of spermatogenic cells indicated a decrease in the number of late pachytene spermatocytes and early spermatids on Day 1. TUNEL examination showed a significantly high frequency of apoptosis in the meiosis cells in Week 1. In the present study, genetic damage induced by treatment with MMS affected spermatogenesis and a wide variety of spermatogenic cells in the testis. Apoptosis in the course of meiosis seemed to be involved in the elimination process of genetically insulted germ cells, and this process seems to play an important role in eliminating and/or decreasing the germ cells with retention of spermatids and the potential to express morphologically abnormal spermatozoa.

Application of glucose as a green capping agent and reductant to fabricate CuI micro/nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tavakoli, Farnosh; Salavati-Niasari, Masoud, E-mail: salavati@kashanu.ac.ir; Ghanbari, Davood

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • CuI nanostructures were prepared via a simple precipitation method. • Glucose as a green capping agent and reductant was applied. • The effect of glucose concentration on the morphology of CuI was investigated. • According to XRD results, pure cubic phase CuI have been formed by using glucose. - Abstract: In this work, CuI micro/nanostructures have been successfully prepared via a simple precipitation route at room temperature. By using glucose as a clean reducing agent with different concentrations, CuI micro/nanostructures with various morphologies were obtained. Besides glucose, Na{sub 2}SO{sub 3}, KBH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}H{submore » 4}·H{sub 2}O have been applied as reductant. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the as-produced CuI micro/nanostructures. According to the XRD results, it was found that pure cubic phase CuI have been formed by using glucose.« less

Neotrombicula inopinata (Acari: Trombiculidae) - a possible causative agent of trombiculiasis in Europe.

PubMed

Stekolnikov, Alexandr A; Santibáñez, Paula; Palomar, Ana M; Oteo, José A

2014-03-03

For over a decade, the presence of trombiculid mites in some mountain areas of La Rioja (Northern Spain) and their association with seasonal human dermatitis have been recognized. This work aimed to establish the species identity of the agent causing trombiculiasis in the study area. Trombiculid larvae (chigger mites) were collected from vegetation in the Sierra Cebollera Natural Park and in Sierra La Hez during an outbreak of human trombiculiasis in 2010. Three specimens collected from a bird were also examined. Identification was made using morphological and morphometric traits based on the most recent taxonomic sources. A comparison of those mites with specimens of the same species collected throughout Europe was performed by means of cluster analysis with multiscale bootstrap resampling and calculation of approximately unbiased p-values. All collected mites were identified as Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909). Therefore, this species is the most likely causative agent of trombiculiasis in Spain, not Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790), as it was generally assumed. No chigger was identified as N. autumnalis in the study area. Neotrombicula inopinata clearly differs from N. autumnalis in the presence of eight or more setae in the 1st and 2nd rows of dorsal idiosomal setae vs. six setae in N. autumnalis. Comparison of N. inopinata samples from different locations shows significant geographic variability in morphometric traits. Samples from Western and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus formed three separate clusters. Since the taxonomical basis of many studies concerning N. autumnalis as a causative agent of trombiculiasis is insufficient, it is highly possible that N. inopinata may be hiding behind the common name of "harvest bug" in Europe, together with N. autumnalis.

A study on agent-based secure scheme for electronic medical record system.

PubMed

Chen, Tzer-Long; Chung, Yu-Fang; Lin, Frank Y S

2012-06-01

Patient records, including doctors' diagnoses of diseases, trace of treatments and patients' conditions, nursing actions, and examination results from allied health profession departments, are the most important medical records of patients in medical systems. With patient records, medical staff can instantly understand the entire medical information of a patient so that, according to the patient's conditions, more accurate diagnoses and more appropriate in-depth treatments can be provided. Nevertheless, in such a modern society with booming information technologies, traditional paper-based patient records have faced a lot of problems, such as lack of uniform formats, low data mobility, slow data transfer, illegible handwritings, enormous and insufficient storage space, difficulty of conservation, being easily damaged, and low transferability. To improve such drawbacks, reduce medical costs, and advance medical quality, paper-based patient records are modified into electronic medical records and reformed into electronic patient records. However, since electronic patient records used in various hospitals are diverse and different, in consideration of cost, it is rather difficult to establish a compatible and complete integrated electronic patient records system to unify patient records from heterogeneous systems in hospitals. Moreover, as the booming of the Internet, it is no longer necessary to build an integrated system. Instead, doctors can instantly look up patients' complete information through the Internet access to electronic patient records as well as avoid the above difficulties. Nonetheless, the major problem of accessing to electronic patient records cross-hospital systems exists in the security of transmitting and accessing to the records in case of unauthorized medical personnels intercepting or stealing the information. This study applies the Mobile Agent scheme to cope with the problem. Since a Mobile Agent is a program, which can move among hosts and

Einstein and Einstein A: A Study in Crater Morphology

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA image release May 14, 2010 Einstein and Einstein A: A Study in Crater Morphology Located on the western limb of the Moon, Einstein and Einstein A craters (16.3oN, 271.3oE ) are only visible to Earth-based observers during certain lunar lighting and orientation conditions. Einstein A is younger than Einstein, as indicated by the fact that it lies squarely in the middle of the floor of Einstein. When viewed in topographic data, these two craters reveal much about the relative age and shape of an impact crater. To understand further, let's first take a look at Einstein. Einstein is a fairly large crater that spans 198 km across. A crater's size alone however cannot reveal much about age. ÊEinstein's relative age can be determined by examining the frequency and distribution of impact craters overprinted on its rim and floor. Younger craters have had fewer impacts, which enables them to retain their original morphology. Einstein A reveals most of its original structure, including a raised rim and ejecta blanket, and is therefore a relatively young crater as compared to Einstein, whose original structure has been somewhat degraded over time by smaller impacts. The Einstein craters were named after famed physicist, philosopher, and scientist Albert Einstein (1879-1955). To learn more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lola-... NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

Preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline CuO powders with the different surfactants and complexing agent mediated precipitation method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajendran, V.; Gajendiran, J., E-mail: gaja.nanotech@gmail.com

2014-08-15

Highlights: • CuO nanostructures by surfactants mediated method. • Structural and optical properties of CuO nanostructures changes under the effect of surface modifier. • Citric acid assisted is the best, in terms of size, morphology and optical properties than that of CTAB, SDS and PEG-400. - Abstract: Nanostructures of copper oxide (CuO) was synthesized into crystallite sized ranging from 20 to 50 nm in the presence of different surfactants, and complex agent such as cityl tri methyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), sodium do decyl sulfate (SDS), poly ethylene glycol (PEG-400) and citric acid via a precipitation route. Variations in several parametersmore » and their effects on the structural and optical properties of CuO nanostructures (crystallite size, morphology and band gap) were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM and UV analysis. The UV–visible absorption spectra of the different surfactants and complexing agent assisted CuO nanostructures indicates that the estimated optical band gap energy value (1.94–1.98 eV) is higher than that of the bulk CuO value (1.4 eV), which is attributed to the quantum confinement effect. The formation mechanism of different surfactants and complexing agent assisted CuO nanostructures is also proposed.« less

Integrated Agent-Based and Production Cost Modeling Framework for Renewable Energy Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallo, Giulia

The agent-based framework for renewable energy studies (ARES) is an integrated approach that adds an agent-based model of industry actors to PLEXOS and combines the strengths of the two to overcome their individual shortcomings. It can examine existing and novel wholesale electricity markets under high penetrations of renewables. ARES is demonstrated by studying how increasing levels of wind will impact the operations and the exercise of market power of generation companies that exploit an economic withholding strategy. The analysis is carried out on a test system that represents the Electric Reliability Council of Texas energy-only market in the year 2020.more » The results more realistically reproduce the operations of an energy market under different and increasing penetrations of wind, and ARES can be extended to address pressing issues in current and future wholesale electricity markets.« less

On the Relationship between Phonological Awareness, Morphological Awareness and Chinese Literacy Skills: Evidence from an 8-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Jinger; Song, Shuang; Su, Mengmeng; McBride, Catherine; Liu, Hongyun; Zhang, Yuping; Li, Hong; Shu, Hua

2016-01-01

The present study reported data on phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and Chinese literacy skills of 294 children from an 8-year longitudinal study. Results showed that mainland Chinese children's preliterate syllable awareness at ages 4 to 6 years uniquely predicted post-literate morphological awareness at ages 7 to 10 years.…

[Study on expert system of infrared spectral characteristic of combustible smoke agent].

PubMed

Song, Dong-ming; Guan, Hua; Hou, Wei; Pan, Gong-pei

2009-05-01

The present paper studied the application of expert system in prediction of infrared spectral characteristic of combustible anti-infrared smoke agent. The construction of the expert system was founded, based on the theory of minimum free energy and infrared spectral addition. After the direction of smoke agent was input, the expert system could figure out the final combustion products. Then infrared spectrogram of smoke could also be simulated by adding the spectra of all of the combustion products. Meanwhile, the screening index of smoke was provided in the wave bands of 3-5 im and 8-14 microm. FTIR spectroscope was used to investigate the performance of one kind of HC smoke. The combustion products calculated by the expert system were coincident with the actual data, and the simulant infrared spectrum was also similar to the real one of the smoke. The screening index given by the system was consistent with the known facts. It was showed that a new approach was offered for the fast discrimination of varieties of directions of smoke agent.

Study of 2219 aluminum alloy using direct current A-TIG welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hui; Zou, Jiasheng

2017-07-01

Direct current A-TIG (DCEN A-TIG) welding using special active agent had eliminated the pores and the oxidation of 2219 high-strength aluminum alloy in welding. Addition of AlF3-25% LiF active agent to DCEN A-TIG welding and arc morphology showed a trailing phenomenon. However, the change in arc morphology was not remarkable when AlF3-75% LiF active agent was added. Addition of AlF3-75% LiF active agent can refine the grain size of DCEN A-TIG joint. The mechanical properties of the weld were optimal at 10% AlF3-75% LiF active agent. Compared with AC TIG and AC A-TIG welding, DCEN A-TIG welding yielded better results for 2219 Al alloy.

Preparing Change Agents for Change Agent Roles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedlacek, James R.

Seventy-seven Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking agricultural change agents from developing Central and South American countries responded to a questionnaire which sought perceptions of the roles in which the change agents felt they were involved and the roles for which they felt they were being trained. The agents were participating in training…

Variable Production of English Past Tense Morphology: A Case Study of a Thai-Speaking Learner of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prapobaratanakul, Chariya; Pongpairoj, Nattama

2016-01-01

The study investigated variable production of English past tense morphology by an L1 Thai-speaking learner of English. Due to the absence of the past tense inflectional morphology in the Thai language, production of English past tense morphemes poses a persistent problem for L1 Thai-speaking learners of English. Hypotheses have been made in…

Effect of compatibilizer on impact and morphological analysis of recycled HDPE/PET blends

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salleh, Mohd Nazry; Ahmad, Sahrim; Ghani, Mohd Hafizuddin Ab

Blends based on recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) were prepared using a corotating twin screw extruder. PET and HDPE are incompatible polymers and their blends showed poor properties. Compatibilization is a step to obtain blends with good mechanical properties and in this work, ethylene glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (E-GMA) was used as a compatibilizing agent. The effect of blends based on rHDPE and rPET with and without a compatibilizer, E-GMA were examined. From the studies clearly showed that the addition of 5% E-GMA increased the impact strength. SEM analysis of rHDPE/rPET blends confirmed the morphological interactionmore » and improved interfacial bonding between two phases.« less

A study of root canal morphology of human primary incisors and molars using cone beam computerized tomography: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Gaurav, Vivek; Srivastava, Nikhil; Rana, Vivek; Adlakha, Vivek Kumar

2013-01-01

Variations in morphology of root canals in primary teeth usually leads to complications during and after endodontic therapy. To improve the success in endodontics, a thorough knowledge of the root canal morphology is essential. The aim of this study was to assess the variation in number and morphology of the root canals of primary incisors and molars and to study the applicability of cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) in assessing the same. A total of 60 primary molars and incisors with full root length were collected and various parameters such as the number of roots, number of canals, diameter of root canal at cementoenamel junction and middle-third, length and angulations of roots of primary molars and incisors were studied using CBCT. The observations were put to descriptive statistics to find out the frequency, mean, standard deviation and range for all four subgroups. Further, unpaired t-test was used to compare these parameters between subgroups and analysis of variance test was implemented to evaluate the parameters within the subgroups. The CBCT showed the presence of bifurcation of root canal at middle third in 13% of mandibular incisors while 20% of mandibular molars had two canals in distal root. The diameter of distobuccal root canal of maxillary molars and mesiolingual canal of mandibular molars was found to be minimum. CBCT is a relatively new and effective technology, which provides an auxiliary imaging modality to supplement conventional radiography for assessing the variation in root canal morphology of primary teeth.

Morphological Study of the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) Tongue.

PubMed

Sadeghinezhad, J; Sheibani, M T; Memarian, I; Chiocchetti, R

2017-06-01

This study described the morphological features of the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) tongue using light and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The keratinized filiform papillae were distributed all over the entire dorsal surface of the tongue and contained small processes. They were changed into a cylindrical shape in the body and conical shape in the root. The fungiform papillae were found on the apex and margin of the tongue. Few taste pores were observed on the dorsal surface of each papilla. The foliate papillae on the margins of the tongue were composed of several laminae and epithelial fissures. Taste buds were not seen within the non-keratinized epithelium. The vallate papillae were six in total and arranged in a "V" shape just rostral to the root. Each papilla was surrounded by a groove and pad. Taste buds were seen within their lateral walls. Lyssa was visible on the ventral surface of the tongue tip and was found as cartilaginous tissue surrounded by thin connective tissue fibres. The core of the tongue was composed of lingual glands, skeletal muscle and connective tissue. These glands were confined to the posterior portion of the tongue and were composed of many serous cells and a few mucous cells. The results of this study contributed to the knowledge of the morphological characteristics of the tongue of wild mammals and provided data for the comparison with other mammals. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Morphological changes in vascular and circulating blood cells following exposure to detergent sclerosants.

PubMed

Cooley-Andrade, O; Connor, D E; Ma, D D F; Weisel, J W; Parsi, K

2016-04-01

To investigate morphological changes in vascular and circulating blood cells following exposure to detergent sclerosants sodium tetradecyl sulfate and polidocanol. Samples of whole blood, isolated leukocytes, platelets, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts were incubated with varying concentrations of sclerosants. Whole blood smears were stained with Giemsa and examined by light and bright field microscopy. Phalloidin and Hoechst stains were used to analyze cytoplasmic and nuclear morphology by fluorescence microscopy. Endothelial cell and fibroblasts were analyzed by live cell imaging. Higher concentrations of sclerosants induced cell lysis. Morphological changes in intact cells were observed at sublytic concentrations of detergents. Low concentration sodium tetradecyl sulfate induced erythrocyte acanthocytosis and macrocytosis, while polidocanol induced Rouleaux formation and increased the population of target cells and stomatocytes. Leukocytes showed swelling, blebbing, vacuolation, and nuclear degradation following exposure to sodium tetradecyl sulfate, while polidocanol induced pseudopodia formation, chromatin condensation, and fragmentation. Platelets exhibited pseudopodia with sodium tetradecyl sulfate and a "fried egg" appearance with polidocanol. Exposure to sodium tetradecyl sulfate resulted in size shrinkage in both endothelial cell and fibroblasts, while endothelial cell developed distinct spindle morphology. Polidocanol induced cytoplasmic microfilament bundles in both endothelial cell and fibroblasts. Patchy chromatin condensation was observed following exposure of fibroblasts to either agent. Detergent sclerosants are biologically active at sublytic concentrations. The observed morphological changes are consistent with cell activation, apoptosis, and oncosis. The cellular response is concentration dependent, cell-specific, and sclerosant specific. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Study on the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Photo-Curable Ceramic/Polymer Composites with Different Silane Coupling Agents for SLA 3D Printing Technology.

PubMed

Song, Se Yeon; Park, Min Soo; Lee, Jung Woo; Yun, Ji Sun

2018-02-07

Silane coupling agents (SCAs) with different organofunctional groups were coated on the surfaces of Al₂O₃ ceramic particles through hydrolysis and condensation reactions, and the SCA-coated Al₂O₃ ceramic particles were dispersed in a commercial photopolymer based on interpenetrating networks (IPNs). The organofunctional groups that have high radical reactivity and are more effective in UV curing systems are usually functional groups based on acryl, such as acryloxy groups, methacrloxy groups, and acrylamide groups, and these silane coupling agents seem to improve interfacial adhesion and dispersion stability. The coating morphology and the coating thickness distribution of SCA-coated Al₂O₃ ceramic particles according to the different organofunctional groups were observed by FE-TEM. The initial dispersibility and dispersion stability of the SCA-coated Al₂O₃/High-temp composite solutions were investigated by relaxation NMR and Turbiscan. The rheological properties of the composite solutions were investigated by viscoelastic analysis and the mechanical properties of 3D-printed objects were observed with a nanoindenter.

Change Agent Strategies: A Study of the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Peggy Lynne

This dissertation reports on a study of the planning and development activities of the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). The study attempted to assess (1) whether MOREL has accepted a change agent role, and (2) whether it has taken action that indicates recognition of what is known through the literature and research about…

Morphological variation and chromosome studies of Calligonum mongolicum and C. pumilum (polygonaceae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Calligonum spp. are common plant species in desert areas of central Asia. Since they are drought-resistant, salt-tolerant and grow successfully in sand, they are useful for wind-breaks and dune stabilization. The fruit morphology is regarded as a key taxonomic character for the genus. Morphological ...

[Alkylating agents].

PubMed

Pourquier, Philippe

2011-11-01

With the approval of mechlorethamine by the FDA in 1949 for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, alkylating agents are the oldest class of anticancer agents. Even though their clinical use is far beyond the use of new targeted therapies, they still occupy a major place in specific indications and sometimes represent the unique option for the treatment of refractory diseases. Here, we are reviewing the major classes of alkylating agents and their mechanism of action, with a particular emphasis for the new generations of alkylating agents. As for most of the chemotherapeutic agents used in the clinic, these compounds are derived from natural sources. With a complex but original mechanism of action, they represent new interesting alternatives for the clinicians, especially for tumors that are resistant to conventional DNA damaging agents. We also briefly describe the different strategies that have been or are currently developed to potentiate the use of classical alkylating agents, especially the inhibition of pathways that are involved in the repair of DNA lesions induced by these agents. In this line, the development of PARP inhibitors is a striking example of the recent regain of interest towards the "old" alkylating agents.

Comparative study of plant responses to carbon-based nanomaterials with different morphologies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lahiani, Mohamed H.; Dervishi, Enkeleda; Ivanov, Ilia

The relationship between the morphology of carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) and the specific response of plants exposed to CBNs has not been studied systematically. Here, we prove that CBNs with different morphologies can activate cell growth, germination, and plant growth. A tobacco cell culture growth was found to increase by 22%–46% when CBNs such as helical multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), few-layered graphene, long MWCNTs, and short MWCNTs were added to the growth medium at a concentration of 50 μg ml –1. The germination of exposed tomato seeds, as well as the growth of exposed tomato seedlings, were significantly enhanced by themore » addition of all tested CBNs. The presence of CBNs inside exposed seeds was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of helical MWCNTs on gene expression in tomato seeds and seedlings were investigated by microarray technology and real time-PCR. Helical MWCNTs affected a number of genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes and response to stress factors. It was shown that the expression of the tomato water channel gene in tomato seeds exposed to helical MWCNTs was upregulated. Furthermore, these established findings demonstrate that CBNs with different morphologies can cause the same biological effects and share similar mechanisms in planta.« less

Comparative study of plant responses to carbon-based nanomaterials with different morphologies

DOE PAGES

Lahiani, Mohamed H.; Dervishi, Enkeleda; Ivanov, Ilia; ...

2016-05-19

The relationship between the morphology of carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) and the specific response of plants exposed to CBNs has not been studied systematically. Here, we prove that CBNs with different morphologies can activate cell growth, germination, and plant growth. A tobacco cell culture growth was found to increase by 22%–46% when CBNs such as helical multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), few-layered graphene, long MWCNTs, and short MWCNTs were added to the growth medium at a concentration of 50 μg ml –1. The germination of exposed tomato seeds, as well as the growth of exposed tomato seedlings, were significantly enhanced by themore » addition of all tested CBNs. The presence of CBNs inside exposed seeds was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effects of helical MWCNTs on gene expression in tomato seeds and seedlings were investigated by microarray technology and real time-PCR. Helical MWCNTs affected a number of genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes and response to stress factors. It was shown that the expression of the tomato water channel gene in tomato seeds exposed to helical MWCNTs was upregulated. Furthermore, these established findings demonstrate that CBNs with different morphologies can cause the same biological effects and share similar mechanisms in planta.« less

Which morphological characteristics are most influenced by the host matrix in downy mildews? A case study in Pseudoperonospora cubensis.

PubMed

Runge, Fabian; Ndambi, Beninweck; Thines, Marco

2012-01-01

Before the advent of molecular phylogenetics, species concepts in the downy mildews, an economically important group of obligate biotrophic oomycete pathogens, have mostly been based upon host range and morphology. While molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed a narrow host range for many downy mildew species, others, like Pseudoperonospora cubensis affect even different genera. Although often morphological differences were found for new, phylogenetically distinct species, uncertainty prevails regarding their host ranges, especially regarding related plants that have been reported as downy mildew hosts, but were not included in the phylogenetic studies. In these cases, the basis for deciding if the divergence in some morphological characters can be deemed sufficient for designation as separate species is uncertain, as observed morphological divergence could be due to different host matrices colonised. The broad host range of P. cubensis (ca. 60 host species) renders this pathogen an ideal model organism for the investigation of morphological variations in relation to the host matrix and to evaluate which characteristics are best indicators for conspecificity or distinctiveness. On the basis of twelve morphological characterisitcs and a set of twelve cucurbits from five different Cucurbitaceae tribes, including the two species, Cyclanthera pedata and Thladiantha dubia, hitherto not reported as hosts of P. cubensis, a significant influence of the host matrix on pathogen morphology was found. Given the high intraspecific variation of some characteristics, also their plasticity has to be taken into account. The implications for morphological species determination and the confidence limits of morphological characteristics are discussed. For species delimitations in Pseudoperonospora it is shown that the ratio of the height of the first ramification to the sporangiophore length, ratio of the longer to the shorter ultimate branchlet, and especially the length and

Which Morphological Characteristics Are Most Influenced by the Host Matrix in Downy Mildews? A Case Study in Pseudoperonospora cubensis

PubMed Central

Runge, Fabian; Ndambi, Beninweck; Thines, Marco

2012-01-01

Before the advent of molecular phylogenetics, species concepts in the downy mildews, an economically important group of obligate biotrophic oomycete pathogens, have mostly been based upon host range and morphology. While molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed a narrow host range for many downy mildew species, others, like Pseudoperonospora cubensis affect even different genera. Although often morphological differences were found for new, phylogenetically distinct species, uncertainty prevails regarding their host ranges, especially regarding related plants that have been reported as downy mildew hosts, but were not included in the phylogenetic studies. In these cases, the basis for deciding if the divergence in some morphological characters can be deemed sufficient for designation as separate species is uncertain, as observed morphological divergence could be due to different host matrices colonised. The broad host range of P. cubensis (ca. 60 host species) renders this pathogen an ideal model organism for the investigation of morphological variations in relation to the host matrix and to evaluate which characteristics are best indicators for conspecificity or distinctiveness. On the basis of twelve morphological characterisitcs and a set of twelve cucurbits from five different Cucurbitaceae tribes, including the two species, Cyclanthera pedata and Thladiantha dubia, hitherto not reported as hosts of P. cubensis, a significant influence of the host matrix on pathogen morphology was found. Given the high intraspecific variation of some characteristics, also their plasticity has to be taken into account. The implications for morphological species determination and the confidence limits of morphological characteristics are discussed. For species delimitations in Pseudoperonospora it is shown that the ratio of the height of the first ramification to the sporangiophore length, ratio of the longer to the shorter ultimate branchlet, and especially the length and

New agents for prostate cancer.

PubMed

Agarwal, N; Di Lorenzo, G; Sonpavde, G; Bellmunt, J

2014-09-01

The therapeutic landscape of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has been revolutionized by the arrival of multiple novel agents in the past 2 years. Immunotherapy in the form of sipuleucel-T, androgen axis inhibitors, including abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide, a chemotherapeutic agent, cabazitaxel, and a radiopharmaceutical, radium-223, have all yielded incremental extensions of survival and have been recently approved. A number of other agents appear promising in early studies, suggesting that the armamentarium against castrate-resistant prostate cancer is likely to continue to expand. Emerging androgen pathway inhibitors include androgen synthesis inhibitors (TAK700), androgen receptor inhibitors (ARN-509, ODM-201), AR DNA binding domain inhibitors (EPI-001), selective AR downregulators or SARDs (AZD-3514), and agents that inhibit both androgen synthesis and receptor binding (TOK-001/galeterone). Promising immunotherapeutic agents include poxvirus vaccines and CTLA-4 inhibitor (ipilimumab). Biologic agents targeting the molecular drivers of disease are also being investigated as single agents, including cabozantinib (Met and VEGFR2 inhibitor) and tasquinimod (angiogenesis and immune modulatory agent). Despite the disappointing results seen from studies evaluating docetaxel in combination with other agents, including GVAX, anti-angiogentic agents (bevacizumab, aflibercept, lenalinomide), a SRC kinase inhibitor (dasatinib), endothelin receptor antagonists (atrasentan, zibotentan), and high-dose calcitriol (DN-101), the results from the trial evaluating docetaxel in combination with the clusterin antagonist, custirsen, are eagerly awaited. New therapeutic hurdles consist of discovering new targets, understanding resistance mechanisms, the optimal sequencing and combinations of available agents, as well as biomarkers predictive for benefit. Novel agents targeting bone metastases are being developed following the success of zoledronic acid

Agent Reward Shaping for Alleviating Traffic Congestion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumer, Kagan; Agogino, Adrian

2006-01-01

Traffic congestion problems provide a unique environment to study how multi-agent systems promote desired system level behavior. What is particularly interesting in this class of problems is that no individual action is intrinsically "bad" for the system but that combinations of actions among agents lead to undesirable outcomes, As a consequence, agents need to learn how to coordinate their actions with those of other agents, rather than learn a particular set of "good" actions. This problem is ubiquitous in various traffic problems, including selecting departure times for commuters, routes for airlines, and paths for data routers. In this paper we present a multi-agent approach to two traffic problems, where far each driver, an agent selects the most suitable action using reinforcement learning. The agent rewards are based on concepts from collectives and aim to provide the agents with rewards that are both easy to learn and that if learned, lead to good system level behavior. In the first problem, we study how agents learn the best departure times of drivers in a daily commuting environment and how following those departure times alleviates congestion. In the second problem, we study how agents learn to select desirable routes to improve traffic flow and minimize delays for. all drivers.. In both sets of experiments,. agents using collective-based rewards produced near optimal performance (93-96% of optimal) whereas agents using system rewards (63-68%) barely outperformed random action selection (62-64%) and agents using local rewards (48-72%) performed worse than random in some instances.

Growth of different phases and morphological features of MnS thin films by chemical bath deposition: Effect of deposition parameters and annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannachi, Amira; Maghraoui-Meherzi, Hager

2017-03-01

Manganese sulfide thin films have been deposited on glass slides by chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The effects of preparative parameters such as deposition time, bath temperature, concentration of precursors, multi-layer deposition, different source of manganese, different complexing agent and thermal annealing on structural and morphological film properties have been investigated. The prepared thin films have been characterized using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). It exhibit the metastable forms of MnS, the hexagonal γ-MnS wurtzite phase with preferential orientation in the (002) plane or the cubic β-MnS zinc blende with preferential orientation in the (200) plane. Microstructural studies revealed the formation of MnS crystals with different morphologies, such as hexagons, spheres, cubes or flowers like.

Organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous silicas: functionalization, pore size, and morphology control.

PubMed

Park, Sung Soo; Ha, Chang-Sik

2006-01-01

Topological design of mesoporous silica materials, pore architecture, pore size, and morphology are currently major issues in areas such as catalytic conversion of bulky molecules, adsorption, host-guest chemistry, etc. In this sense, we discuss the pore size-controlled mesostructure, framework functionalization, and morphology control of organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous silicas by which we can improve the applicability of mesoporous materials. First, we explain that the sizes of hexagonal- and cubic-type pores in organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous silicas are well controlled from 24.3 to 98.0 A by the direct micelle-control method using an organosilica precursor and surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths or triblock copolymers as templates and swelling agents incorporated in the formed micelles. Second, we describe that organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous materials with various functional groups form various external morphologies such as rod, cauliflower, film, rope, spheroid, monolith, and fiber shapes. Third, we discuss that transition metals (Ti and Ru) and rare-earth ions (Eu(3+) and Tb(3+)) are used to modify organic-inorganic hybrid mesoporous silica materials. Such hybrid mesoporous silica materials are expected to be applied as excellent catalysts for organic reactions, photocatalysis, optical devices, etc. c) 2006 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Atomic force microscopic study of the effects of ethanol on yeast cell surface morphology.

PubMed

Canetta, Elisabetta; Adya, Ashok K; Walker, Graeme M

2006-02-01

The detrimental effects of ethanol toxicity on the cell surface morphology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain NCYC 1681) and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (strain DVPB 1354) were investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). In combination with culture viability and mean cell volume measurements AFM studies allowed us to relate the cell surface morphological changes, observed on nanometer lateral resolution, with the cellular stress physiology. Exposing yeasts to increasing stressful concentrations of ethanol led to decreased cell viabilities and mean cell volumes. Together with the roughness and bearing volume analyses of the AFM images, the results provided novel insight into the relative ethanol tolerance of S. cerevisiae and Sc. pombe.

Element-specific spectral imaging of multiple contrast agents: a phantom study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panta, R. K.; Bell, S. T.; Healy, J. L.; Aamir, R.; Bateman, C. J.; Moghiseh, M.; Butler, A. P. H.; Anderson, N. G.

2018-02-01

This work demonstrates the feasibility of simultaneous discrimination of multiple contrast agents based on their element-specific and energy-dependent X-ray attenuation properties using a pre-clinical photon-counting spectral CT. We used a photon-counting based pre-clinical spectral CT scanner with four energy thresholds to measure the X-ray attenuation properties of various concentrations of iodine (9, 18 and 36 mg/ml), gadolinium (2, 4 and 8 mg/ml) and gold (2, 4 and 8 mg/ml) based contrast agents, calcium chloride (140 and 280 mg/ml) and water. We evaluated the spectral imaging performances of different energy threshold schemes between 25 to 82 keV at 118 kVp, based on K-factor and signal-to-noise ratio and ranked them. K-factor was defined as the X-ray attenuation in the K-edge containing energy range divided by the X-ray attenuation in the preceding energy range, expressed as a percentage. We evaluated the effectiveness of the optimised energy selection to discriminate all three contrast agents in a phantom of 33 mm diameter. A photon-counting spectral CT using four energy thresholds of 27, 33, 49 and 81 keV at 118 kVp simultaneously discriminated three contrast agents based on iodine, gadolinium and gold at various concentrations using their K-edge and energy-dependent X-ray attenuation features in a single scan. A ranking method to evaluate spectral imaging performance enabled energy thresholds to be optimised to discriminate iodine, gadolinium and gold contrast agents in a single spectral CT scan. Simultaneous discrimination of multiple contrast agents in a single scan is likely to open up new possibilities of improving the accuracy of disease diagnosis by simultaneously imaging multiple bio-markers each labelled with a nano-contrast agent.

Solvent induced rapid modulation of micro/nano structures of metal carboxylates coordination polymers: mechanism and morphology dependent magnetism.

PubMed

Liu, Kun; Shen, Zhu-Rui; Li, Yue; Han, Song-De; Hu, Tong-Liang; Zhang, Da-Shuai; Bu, Xian-He; Ruan, Wen-Juan

2014-08-12

Rational modulation of morphology is very important for functional coordination polymers (CPs) micro/nanostructures, and new strategies are still desired to achieve this challenging target. Herein, organic solvents have been established as the capping agents for rapid modulating the growth of metal-carboxylates CPs in organic solvent/water mixtures at ambient conditions. Co-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (pydc) CPs was studied here as the example. During the reaction, the organic solvents exhibited three types of modulation effect: anisotropic growth, anisotropic growth/formation of new crystalline phase and the formation of new crystalline phase solely, which was due to the variation of their binding ability with metal cations. The following study revealed that the binding ability was critically affected by their functional groups and molecular size. Moreover, their modulation effect could be finely tuned by changing volume ratios of solvent mixtures. Furthermore, they could be applied for modulating other metal-carboxylates CPs: Co-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic (BTC), Zn-pydc and Eu-pydc etc. Additionally, the as-prepared Co-pydc CPs showed a fascinating morphology-dependent antiferromagnetic behavior.

Solvent induced rapid modulation of micro/nano structures of metal carboxylates coordination polymers: mechanism and morphology dependent magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Kun; Shen, Zhu-Rui; Li, Yue; Han, Song-De; Hu, Tong-Liang; Zhang, Da-Shuai; Bu, Xian-He; Ruan, Wen-Juan

2014-08-01

Rational modulation of morphology is very important for functional coordination polymers (CPs) micro/nanostructures, and new strategies are still desired to achieve this challenging target. Herein, organic solvents have been established as the capping agents for rapid modulating the growth of metal-carboxylates CPs in organic solvent/water mixtures at ambient conditions. Co-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (pydc) CPs was studied here as the example. During the reaction, the organic solvents exhibited three types of modulation effect: anisotropic growth, anisotropic growth/formation of new crystalline phase and the formation of new crystalline phase solely, which was due to the variation of their binding ability with metal cations. The following study revealed that the binding ability was critically affected by their functional groups and molecular size. Moreover, their modulation effect could be finely tuned by changing volume ratios of solvent mixtures. Furthermore, they could be applied for modulating other metal-carboxylates CPs: Co-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic (BTC), Zn-pydc and Eu-pydc etc. Additionally, the as-prepared Co-pydc CPs showed a fascinating morphology-dependent antiferromagnetic behavior.

Solvent induced rapid modulation of micro/nano structures of metal carboxylates coordination polymers: mechanism and morphology dependent magnetism

PubMed Central

Liu, Kun; Shen, Zhu-Rui; Li, Yue; Han, Song-De; Hu, Tong-Liang; Zhang, Da-Shuai; Bu, Xian-He; Ruan, Wen-Juan

2014-01-01

Rational modulation of morphology is very important for functional coordination polymers (CPs) micro/nanostructures, and new strategies are still desired to achieve this challenging target. Herein, organic solvents have been established as the capping agents for rapid modulating the growth of metal-carboxylates CPs in organic solvent/water mixtures at ambient conditions. Co-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (pydc) CPs was studied here as the example. During the reaction, the organic solvents exhibited three types of modulation effect: anisotropic growth, anisotropic growth/formation of new crystalline phase and the formation of new crystalline phase solely, which was due to the variation of their binding ability with metal cations. The following study revealed that the binding ability was critically affected by their functional groups and molecular size. Moreover, their modulation effect could be finely tuned by changing volume ratios of solvent mixtures. Furthermore, they could be applied for modulating other metal-carboxylates CPs: Co-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic (BTC), Zn-pydc and Eu-pydc etc. Additionally, the as-prepared Co-pydc CPs showed a fascinating morphology-dependent antiferromagnetic behavior. PMID:25113225

Dynamics of three-agent games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mungan, Muhittin; Rador, Tonguç

2008-02-01

We study the dynamics and resulting score distribution of three-agent games where after each competition a single agent wins and scores a point. A single competition is described by a triplet of numbers p, t and q denoting the probabilities that the team with the highest, middle or lowest accumulated score wins. The three-agent game can be regarded as a social model where a player can be favored or disfavored for advancement, based on his/her accumulated score. We study the full family of solutions in the regime, where the number of agents and competitions is large, which can be regarded as a hydrodynamic limit. Depending on the parameter values (p, q, t), we find six qualitatively different asymptotic score distributions and we provide a qualitative explanation of these results. We also compare our analytical results against numerical simulations of the microscopic model and find these to be in excellent agreement. It is possible to decide the outcome of a three-agent game through a mini-tournament of two-agent competitions among the participating players and it turns out that the resulting possible score distributions are a subset of those obtained for the general three-agent games. We discuss how one can add a steady and democratic decline rate to the model and present a simple geometric construction that allows one to obtain the score evolution equations for n-agent games.

[Analytic study of foaming agents in imported beers].

PubMed

Scriban, R; Hebert, J P; Benard, M

1978-01-01

The French consumer expects a natural high-quality drink. It was therefore of interest to ascertain the quality of imported beers (they reached 2,440,000 hl in 1976, or 9.8 f. 100 of total sales) as well as how far their composition complies with present French legislation. Fifteen imported bottled beers were analyzed, from the following countries: West Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Attempts were first of all made to detect the presence in these beers of iron and cobalt, since both metals are recognized froth-improving agents. The search for cobalt produced negative results for all the beers. On the other hand we found that five of the 15 samples examined were questionable for their iron content (0.56--1.52 mg/l). We than looked for alginates in these imported beers, using a method comprising the following sequence of operations: concentration of the beer, dextrine hydrolysis, alginate precipitation at pH 5 by calcium chloride, treatment of the heated preparation with sodium hexametaphosphate, and colorimetric measurement at 670 nm with a reagent comprising orcinol, ferric sulfate and hydrochloric acid. In most of the 15 imported beers studied, the presence of alginates (up to 16.5 mg/l) was indisputable. The French consumer therefore has a right to expect the composition of foreign beers to comply with the French food laws, especially as regards the absence of frothing agents.

What makes virtual agents believable?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdanovych, Anton; Trescak, Tomas; Simoff, Simeon

2016-01-01

In this paper we investigate the concept of believability and make an attempt to isolate individual characteristics (features) that contribute to making virtual characters believable. As the result of this investigation we have produced a formalisation of believability and based on this formalisation built a computational framework focused on simulation of believable virtual agents that possess the identified features. In order to test whether the identified features are, in fact, responsible for agents being perceived as more believable, we have conducted a user study. In this study we tested user reactions towards the virtual characters that were created for a simulation of aboriginal inhabitants of a particular area of Sydney, Australia in 1770 A.D. The participants of our user study were exposed to short simulated scenes, in which virtual agents performed some behaviour in two different ways (while possessing a certain aspect of believability vs. not possessing it). The results of the study indicate that virtual agents that appear resource bounded, are aware of their environment, own interaction capabilities and their state in the world, agents that can adapt to changes in the environment and exist in correct social context are those that are being perceived as more believable. Further in the paper we discuss these and other believability features and provide a quantitative analysis of the level of contribution for each such feature to the overall perceived believability of a virtual agent.

Delay-dependent coupling for a multi-agent LTI consensus system with inter-agent delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Wei; Sipahi, Rifat

2014-01-01

Delay-dependent coupling (DDC) is considered in this paper in a broadly studied linear time-invariant multi-agent consensus system in which agents communicate with each other under homogeneous delays, while attempting to reach consensus. The coupling among the agents is designed here as an explicit parameter of this delay, allowing couplings to autonomously adapt based on the delay value, and in order to guarantee stability and a certain degree of robustness in the network despite the destabilizing effect of delay. Design procedures, analysis of convergence speed of consensus, comprehensive numerical studies for the case of time-varying delay, and limitations are presented.

Effect of chlorhexidine-containing prophylactic agent on the surface characterization and frictional resistance between orthodontic brackets and archwires: an in vitro study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to assess the surface characterization and frictional resistance between stainless steel brackets and two types of orthodontic wires made of stainless steel and nickel-titanium alloys after immersion in a chlorhexidine-containing prophylactic agent. Methods Stainless steel orthodontic brackets with either stainless steel (SS) or heat-activated nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) wires were immersed in a 0.2% chlorhexidine and an artificial saliva environment for 1.5 h. The frictional force was measured on a universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 10 mm/min over a 5-mm of archwire. The surface morphology of bracket slots and surface roughness of archwires after immersion in chlorhexidine were also characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. Results There was no significant difference in the frictional resistance values between SS and Ni-Ti wires immersed in either chlorhexidine or artificial saliva. The frictional resistance values for the SS and Ni-Ti wires immersed in 0.2% chlorhexidine solution were not significantly different from that inartificial saliva. No significant difference in the average surface roughness for both wires before (as-received) and after immersion in either chlorhexidine or artificial saliva was observed. Conclusions One-and-half-hour immersion in 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthrinse did not have significant influence on the archwires surface roughness or the frictional resistance between stainless steel orthodontic brackets and archwires made of SS and Ni-Ti. Based on these results, chlorhexidine-containing mouthrinses may be prescribed as non-destructive prophylactic agents on materials evaluated in the present study for orthodontic patients. PMID:24325758

Morphological Effects in Children Word Reading: A Priming Study in Fourth Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casalis, Severine; Dusautoir, Marion; Cole, Pascale; Ducrot, Stephanie

2009-01-01

A growing corpus of evidence suggests that morphology could play a role in reading acquisition, and that young readers could be sensitive to the morphemic structure of written words. In the present experiment, we examined whether and when morphological information is activated in word recognition. French fourth graders made visual lexical…

Study of the internal morphology of cation-exchange membranes by means of electroosmotic permeability relaxations.

PubMed

Barragán, V M; Izquierdo-Gil, M A; Godino, M P; Villaluenga, J P G

2009-10-01

The effect of an ac sinusoidal perturbation of known amplitude and frequency superimposed to the usual dc applied electric voltage difference on the electroosmotic flow through three cation-exchange membranes with different morphology has been studied. A dispersion of the electroosmotic permeability on the frequency of the applied ac signal has been found for the three membranes investigated, observing that the electroosmotic permeability reaches maximum values for some characteristic values of the frequency. These characteristic frequency values, which are related to relaxation processes in heterogeneous media, depend on the membrane system and permit to obtain information about the different structures of the membrane system. Thus, the study of the electroosmotic permeability relaxation can be used as a method to study the internal morphology of a cation-exchange membrane in a given electrolyte medium.

Agents Play Mix-game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gou, Chengling

In recent years, economics and finance see the shift of paradigm from representative agent models to heterogeneous agent models [1, 2]. More and more economists and physicists made efforts in research on heterogeneous agent models for financial markets. Minority game (MG) proposed by D. Challet, and Y. C. Zhang [3] is an example among such efforts. Challet and Zhang's MG model, together with the original bar model of Arthur, attracts a lot of following studies [4-6]. Given MG's richness and yet underlying simplicity, MG has also received much attention as a financial market model [4]. MG comprises an odd number of agents choosing repeatedly between the options of buying (1) and selling (0) a quantity of a risky asset. The agents continually try to make the minority decision, i.e. buy assets when the majority of other agents are selling, and sell when the majority of other agents are buying. Neil F. Johnson [4, 5] and coworkers extended MG by allowing a variable number of active traders at each timestep— they called their modified game as the Grand Canonical Minority Game (GCMG). GCMG, and to a lesser extent the basic MG itself, can reproduce the stylized facts of financial markets, such as volatility clustering and fat-tail distributions.

Agent Orange exposure and disease prevalence in Korean Vietnam veterans: the Korean veterans health study.

PubMed

Yi, Sang-Wook; Hong, Jae-Seok; Ohrr, Heechoul; Yi, Jee-Jeon

2014-08-01

Between 1961 and 1971, military herbicides were used by the United States and allied forces for military purposes. Agent Orange, the most-used herbicide, was a mixture of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and contained an impurity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Many Korean Vietnam veterans were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Agent Orange exposure and the prevalence of diseases of the endocrine, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems. The Agent Orange exposure was assessed by a geographic information system-based model. A total of 111,726 Korean Vietnam veterans were analyzed for prevalence using the Korea National Health Insurance claims data from January 2000 to September 2005. After adjusting for covariates, the high exposure group had modestly elevated odds ratios (ORs) for endocrine diseases combined and neurologic diseases combined. The adjusted ORs were significantly higher in the high exposure group than in the low exposure group for hypothyroidism (OR=1.13), autoimmune thyroiditis (OR=1.93), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.04), other endocrine gland disorders including pituitary gland disorders (OR=1.43), amyloidosis (OR=3.02), systemic atrophies affecting the nervous system including spinal muscular atrophy (OR=1.27), Alzheimer disease (OR=1.64), peripheral polyneuropathies (OR=1.09), angina pectoris (OR=1.04), stroke (OR=1.09), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) including chronic bronchitis (OR=1.05) and bronchiectasis (OR=1.16), asthma (OR=1.04), peptic ulcer (OR=1.03), and liver cirrhosis (OR=1.08). In conclusion, Agent Orange exposure increased the prevalence of endocrine disorders, especially in the thyroid and pituitary gland; various neurologic diseases; COPD; and liver cirrhosis. Overall, this study suggests that Agent Orange/2,4-D/TCDD exposure several decades earlier may increase morbidity

Cognitive and linguistic biases in morphology learning.

PubMed

Finley, Sara

2018-05-30

Morphology is the study of the relationship between form and meaning. The study of morphology involves understanding the rules and processes that underlie word formation, including the use and productivity of affixes, and the systems that create novel word forms. The present review explores these processes by examining the cognitive components that contribute to typological regularities among morphological systems across the world's language. The review will focus on research in morpheme segmentation, the suffixing preference, acquisition of morphophonology, and acquiring morphological categories and inflectional paradigms. The review will highlight research in a range of areas of linguistics, from child language acquisition, to computational modeling, to adult language learning experiments. In order to best understand the cognitive biases that shape morphological learning, a broad, interdisciplinary approach must be taken. This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Linguistic Theory Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Volcanology and morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryan, W. B.

1976-01-01

Apollo 15 photographs of the southern parts of Serenitatis and Imbrium were used for a study of the morphology and distribution of wrinkle ridges. Volcanic and structural features along the south margin of Serenitatis were also studied, including the Dawes basalt cinder cones. Volcanic and structural features in crater Aitken were investigated as well. Study of crater Goclenius showed a close relationship between morphology of the impact crater and grabens which tend to parallel directions of the lunar grid. Similar trends were observed in the walls of crater Tsiolkovsky and other linear structures. Small craters of possible volcanic origin were also studied. Possible cinder cones were found associated with the Dawes basalt and in the floor of craters Aitken and Goclenius. Small pit craters were observed in the floors of these craters. Attempts were made to obtain contour maps of specific small features and to compare Orbiter and Apollo photographs to determine short term changes associated with other processes.

Exposure to non-ionizing radiation provokes changes in rat thyroid morphology and expression of HSP-90

PubMed Central

Misa-Agustiño, Maria J; Jorge-Mora, Teresa; Jorge-Barreiro, Francisco J; Suarez-Quintanilla, Juan; Moreno-Piquero, Eduardo; Ares-Pena, Francisco J

2015-01-01

Non-ionizing radiation at 2.45 GHz may modify the morphology and expression of genes that codify heat shock proteins (HSP) in the thyroid gland. Diathermy is the therapeutic application of non-ionizing radiation to humans for its beneficial effects in rheumatological and musculo-skeletal pain processes. We used a diathermy model on laboratory rats subjected to maximum exposure in the left front leg, in order to study the effects of radiation on the nearby thyroid tissue. Fifty-six rats were individually exposed once or repeatedly (10 times in two weeks) for 30 min to 2.45 GHz radiation in a commercial chamber at different non-thermal specific absorption rates (SARs), which were calculated using the finite difference time domain technique. We used immunohistochemistry methods to study the expression of HSP-90 and morphological changes in thyroid gland tissues. Ninety minutes after radiation with the highest SAR, the central and peripheral follicles presented increased size and the thickness of the peripheral septa had decreased. Twenty-four hours after radiation, only peripheral follicles radiated at 12 W were found to be smaller. Peripheral follicles increased in size with repeated exposure at 3 W power. Morphological changes in the thyroid tissue may indicate a glandular response to acute or repeated stress from radiation in the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis. Further research is needed to determine if the effect of this physical agent over time may cause disease in the human thyroid gland. PMID:25649190

Observational Study of Morphological Changes in Medium-mass Evolved Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chong, Sze-Ning

2014-02-01

Medium-mass (or intermediate-mass) stars refer to main sequence stars with masses ranging from 0.4 to 8 solar masses. These stars are believed to finally evolve into the central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) and white dwarfs. One of the fascinating aspects of PNe is their diverse morphology. To understand the mechanisms of the morphological changes from spherical circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to those forming highly diversified PNe, it is necessary to investigate the true three-dimensional (3D) morphology of PNe from two-dimensional images, and the short transition phase in-between the two phases should also be explored. "Water Fountain" (WF) sources belong to transition phase objects; they are AGB or post-AGB stars with collimated jets traced by high velocity water maser emissions in their CSEs. This thesis comprises of four chapters. The results can be divided into two major parts. Chapter 1 is the introduction on the related fields with brief reviews of previous observational studies on PNe and the rapidly evolving transition phase objects. Basic theories necessary for understanding the next chapters were also described, including those explaining the commonly observed Hα emission in PNe, the formation of multipolar PNe, the maser emission and the role of shock in circumstellar materials. The first major part of the results, about the morphological classification of multipolar PNe, is presented in Chapter 2. At the beginning of the chapter, the problems on the previous classification methods were pointed out. Then a three-lobed model was introduced. By changing the combination of the orientations of the three pairs of lobes, simulations using the model produced statistical results in classification and quantified the errors of misidentification. Assuming that all PNe observed have the true structure of three lobes, due to projection effect, only 49% of them would be correctly classified. 46% and 5% of them would be

Morphological, structural and thermal studies of gallium nitride ferrite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Indrakanti, Rajani; Rao, V. Brahmaji; Kiran, C. Udaya

2016-05-06

We report the synthesis and Characterization of III-V doped Nano ferrite Ga{sub (2x+2)}N Fe{sub 2(49-x)}O{sub 3} for x=1 and x=5 by Sol-Gel method. The Morphological, structural and Thermal characterisation studies are done by using Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, Selected Area Electron Diffraction, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis and Differential Thermal Analysis. Using the Sci-Finder software we could not trace any reports related to GaNFe{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the literature. It has been observed from our studies that the particles are in the Cylindrical and the Globular structure. The particle diameter values from the Histograms are in good agreement with themore » XRD values that were communicated by us earlier. The SAED and the EDAX studies reveal the confirmation of the composition and also that the synthesized Ferrite exhibits crystalline nature. The TG-DTA results show that the compound indicates constant sample weight.« less

Gd-Si Oxide Nanoparticles as Contrast Agents in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

PubMed Central

Cabrera-García, Alejandro; Vidal-Moya, Alejandro; Bernabeu, Ángela; Pacheco-Torres, Jesús; Checa-Chavarria, Elisa; Fernández, Eduardo; Botella, Pablo

2016-01-01

We describe the synthesis, characterization and application as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging of a novel type of magnetic nanoparticle based on Gd-Si oxide, which presents high Gd3+ atom density. For this purpose, we have used a Prussian Blue analogue as the sacrificial template by reacting with soluble silicate, obtaining particles with nanorod morphology and of small size (75 nm). These nanoparticles present good biocompatibility and higher longitudinal and transversal relaxivity values than commercial Gd3+ solutions, which significantly improves the sensitivity of in vivo magnetic resonance images. PMID:28335240

Anthropometric Study of Three-Dimensional Facial Morphology in Malay Adults

PubMed Central

Majawit, Lynnora Patrick; Mohd Razi, Roziana

2016-01-01

Objectives To establish the three-dimensional (3D) facial soft tissue morphology of adult Malaysian subjects of the Malay ethnic group; and to determine the morphological differences between the genders, using a non-invasive stereo-photogrammetry 3D camera. Material and Methods One hundred and nine subjects participated in this research, 54 Malay men and 55 Malay women, aged 20–30 years old with healthy BMI and with no adverse skeletal deviation. Twenty-three facial landmarks were identified on 3D facial images captured using a VECTRA M5-360 Head System (Canfield Scientific Inc, USA). Two angular, 3 ratio and 17 linear measurements were identified using Canfield Mirror imaging software. Intra- and inter-examiner reliability tests were carried out using 10 randomly selected images, analyzed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was carried out to investigate morphologic differences between genders. Results ICC scores were generally good for both intra-examiner (range 0.827–0.987) and inter-examiner reliability (range 0.700–0.983) tests. Generally, all facial measurements were larger in men than women, except the facial profile angle which was larger in women. Clinically significant gender dimorphisms existed in biocular width, nose height, nasal bridge length, face height and lower face height values (mean difference > 3mm). Clinical significance was set at 3mm. Conclusion Facial soft tissue morphological values can be gathered efficiently and measured effectively from images captured by a non-invasive stereo-photogrammetry 3D camera. Adult men in Malaysia when compared to women had a wider distance between the eyes, a longer and more prominent nose and a longer face. PMID:27706220

Chloroquine, an Endocytosis Blocking Agent, Inhibits Zika Virus Infection in Different Cell Models

PubMed Central

Delvecchio, Rodrigo; Higa, Luiza M.; Pezzuto, Paula; Valadão, Ana Luiza; Garcez, Patrícia P.; Monteiro, Fábio L.; Loiola, Erick C.; Dias, André A.; Silva, Fábio J. M.; Aliota, Matthew T.; Caine, Elizabeth A.; Osorio, Jorge E.; Bellio, Maria; O’Connor, David H.; Rehen, Stevens; de Aguiar, Renato Santana; Savarino, Andrea; Campanati, Loraine; Tanuri, Amilcar

2016-01-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in utero might lead to microcephaly and other congenital defects. Since no specific therapy is available thus far, there is an urgent need for the discovery of agents capable of inhibiting its viral replication and deleterious effects. Chloroquine is widely used as an antimalarial drug, anti-inflammatory agent, and it also shows antiviral activity against several viruses. Here we show that chloroquine exhibits antiviral activity against ZIKV in Vero cells, human brain microvascular endothelial cells, human neural stem cells, and mouse neurospheres. We demonstrate that chloroquine reduces the number of ZIKV-infected cells in vitro, and inhibits virus production and cell death promoted by ZIKV infection without cytotoxic effects. In addition, chloroquine treatment partially reveres morphological changes induced by ZIKV infection in mouse neurospheres. PMID:27916837

Chloroquine, an Endocytosis Blocking Agent, Inhibits Zika Virus Infection in Different Cell Models.

PubMed

Delvecchio, Rodrigo; Higa, Luiza M; Pezzuto, Paula; Valadão, Ana Luiza; Garcez, Patrícia P; Monteiro, Fábio L; Loiola, Erick C; Dias, André A; Silva, Fábio J M; Aliota, Matthew T; Caine, Elizabeth A; Osorio, Jorge E; Bellio, Maria; O'Connor, David H; Rehen, Stevens; de Aguiar, Renato Santana; Savarino, Andrea; Campanati, Loraine; Tanuri, Amilcar

2016-11-29

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in utero might lead to microcephaly and other congenital defects. Since no specific therapy is available thus far, there is an urgent need for the discovery of agents capable of inhibiting its viral replication and deleterious effects. Chloroquine is widely used as an antimalarial drug, anti-inflammatory agent, and it also shows antiviral activity against several viruses. Here we show that chloroquine exhibits antiviral activity against ZIKV in Vero cells, human brain microvascular endothelial cells, human neural stem cells, and mouse neurospheres. We demonstrate that chloroquine reduces the number of ZIKV-infected cells in vitro, and inhibits virus production and cell death promoted by ZIKV infection without cytotoxic effects. In addition, chloroquine treatment partially reveres morphological changes induced by ZIKV infection in mouse neurospheres.

Chemical warfare agents.

PubMed

Kuca, Kamil; Pohanka, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Chemical warfare agents are compounds of different chemical structures. Simple molecules such as chlorine as well as complex structures such as ricin belong to this group. Nerve agents, vesicants, incapacitating agents, blood agents, lung-damaging agents, riot-control agents and several toxins are among chemical warfare agents. Although the use of these compounds is strictly prohibited, the possible misuse by terrorist groups is a reality nowadays. Owing to this fact, knowledge of the basic properties of these substances is of a high importance. This chapter briefly introduces the separate groups of chemical warfare agents together with their members and the potential therapy that should be applied in case someone is intoxicated by these agents.

Effect of Hydrogen and Carbamide Peroxide in Bleaching, Enamel Morphology, and Mineral Composition: In vitro Study.

PubMed

Llena, Carmen; Esteve, Irene; Forner, Leopoldo

2017-07-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the bleaching effect, morphological changes, and variations in calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) in the enamel with hydrogen peroxide (HP) and carbamide peroxide (CP) after the use of different application regimens. Four groups of five teeth were randomly assigned, according to the treatment protocol: HP 37.5% applied for 30 or 60 minutes (HP30, HP60), CP 16% applied for 14 or 28 hours (CP14, CP28). Changes in dental color were evaluated, according to the following formula: ΔE = [(L a -L b ) 2 +(a a -a b ) 2 + (b a -b b ) 2 ] 1/2 . Enamel morphology and Ca and P compositions were evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscope and environmental scanning electron microscopy. ΔE HP30 was significantly greater than CP14 (10.37 ± 2.65/8.56 ± 1.40), but not between HP60 and CP28. HP60 shows greater morphological changes than HP30. No morphological changes were observed in the groups treated with CP. The reduction in Ca and P was significantly greater in HP60 than in CP28 (p < 0.05). Both formulations improved tooth color; HP produced morphological changes and Ca and P a gradual decrease, while CP produced no morphological changes, and the decrease in mineral component was smaller. CP 16% applied during 2 weeks could be equally effective and safer for tooth whitening than to administer two treatment sessions with HP 37.5%.

Genetic Determinism vs. Phenotypic Plasticity in Protist Morphology.

PubMed

Mulot, Matthieu; Marcisz, Katarzyna; Grandgirard, Lara; Lara, Enrique; Kosakyan, Anush; Robroek, Bjorn J M; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Payne, Richard J; Mitchell, Edward A D

2017-11-01

Untangling the relationships between morphology and phylogeny is key to building a reliable taxonomy, but is especially challenging for protists, where the existence of cryptic or pseudocryptic species makes finding relevant discriminant traits difficult. Here we use Hyalosphenia papilio (a testate amoeba) as a model species to investigate the contribution of phylogeny and phenotypic plasticity in its morphology. We study the response of H. papilio morphology (shape and pores number) to environmental variables in (i) a manipulative experiment with controlled conditions (water level), (ii) an observational study of a within-site natural ecological gradient (water level), and (iii) an observational study across 37 European peatlands (climate). We showed that H. papilio morphology is correlated to environmental conditions (climate and water depth) as well as geography, while no relationship between morphology and phylogeny was brought to light. The relative contribution of genetic inheritance and phenotypic plasticity in shaping morphology varies depending on the taxonomic group and the trait under consideration. Thus, our data call for a reassessment of taxonomy based on morphology alone. This clearly calls for a substantial increase in taxonomic research on these globally still under-studied organisms leading to a reassessment of estimates of global microbial eukaryotic diversity. © 2017 The Author(s) Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology © 2017 International Society of Protistologists.

Effects of erbium, chromium:YSGG laser irradiation on root surface: morphological and atomic analytical studies.

PubMed

Kimura, Y; Yu, D G; Kinoshita, J; Hossain, M; Yokoyama, K; Murakami, Y; Nomura, K; Takamura, R; Matsumoto, K

2001-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological and atomic changes on the root surface by stereoscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) after erbium, chromium:yttrium, scandium, gallium, garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser irradiation in vitro. There have been few reports on morphological and atomic analytical study on root surface by Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation. Eighteen extracted human premolar and molar teeth were irradiated on root surfaces at a vertical position with water-air spray by an Er,Cr:YSGG laser at the parameter of 5.0 W and 20 Hz for 5 sec while moving. The samples were then morphologically observed by stereoscopy and FE-SEM and examined atomic-analytically by SEM-EDX. Craters having rough but clean surfaces and no melting or carbonization were observed in the samples. An atomic analytical examination showed that the calcium ratio to phosphorus showed no significant changes between the control and irradiated areas (p > 0.01). These results showed that the Er,Cr:YSGG laser has a good cutting effect on root surface and causes no burning or melting after laser irradiation.

Geosimulation of urban growth and demographic decline in the Ruhr: a case study for 2025 using the artificial intelligence of cells and agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rienow, Andreas; Stenger, Dirk

2014-07-01

The Ruhr is an "old acquaintance" in the discourse of urban decline in old industrialized cities. The agglomeration has to struggle with archetypical problems of former monofunctional manufacturing cities. Surprisingly, the image of a shrinking city has to be refuted if you shift the focus from socioeconomic wealth to its morphological extension. Thus, it is the objective of this study to meet the challenge of modeling urban sprawl and demographic decline by combining two artificial intelligent solutions: The popular urban cellular automaton SLEUTH simulates urban growth using four simple but effective growth rules. In order to improve its performance, SLEUTH has been modified among others by combining it with a robust probability map based on support vector machines. Additionally, a complex multi-agent system is developed to simulate residential mobility in a shrinking city agglomeration: residential mobility and the housing market of shrinking city systems focuses on the dynamic of interregional housing markets implying the development of potential dwelling areas. The multi-agent system comprises the simulation of population patterns, housing prices, and housing demand in shrinking city agglomerations. Both models are calibrated and validated regarding their localization and quantification performance. Subsequently, the urban landscape configuration and composition of the Ruhr 2025 are simulated. A simple spatial join is used to combine the results serving as valuable inputs for future regional planning in the context of multifarious demographic change and preceding urban growth.

Bulk and Surface Morphologies of ABC Miktoarm Star Terpolymers Composed of PDMS, PI, and PMMA Arms

DOE PAGES

Chernyy, Sergey; Kirkensgaard, Jacob Judas Kain; Mahalik, Jyoti P.; ...

2018-02-02

DIM miktoarm star copolymers, composed of polydimethylsiloxane [D], poly(1,4-isoprene) [I], and poly(methyl methacrylate) [M], were synthesized using a newly developed linking methodology with 4-allyl-1,1-diphenylethylene as a linking agent. The equilibrium bulk morphologies of the DIM stars were found to range from [6.6.6] tiling patterns to alternating lamellar and alternating cylindrical morphologies, as determined experimentally by small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by dissipative particle dynamics and self-consistent field theory based arguments. The thin film morphologies, which differ from those found in the bulk, were identified by scanning electron microscopy, coupled with oxygen plasma etching. Finally, square arraysmore » of the PDMS nanodots and empty core cylinders were formed on silica after oxygen plasma removal of the poly(1,4-isoprene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) which generated nanostructured substrates decorated with these features readily observable.« less

Bulk and Surface Morphologies of ABC Miktoarm Star Terpolymers Composed of PDMS, PI, and PMMA Arms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chernyy, Sergey; Kirkensgaard, Jacob Judas Kain; Mahalik, Jyoti P.

DIM miktoarm star copolymers, composed of polydimethylsiloxane [D], poly(1,4-isoprene) [I], and poly(methyl methacrylate) [M], were synthesized using a newly developed linking methodology with 4-allyl-1,1-diphenylethylene as a linking agent. The equilibrium bulk morphologies of the DIM stars were found to range from [6.6.6] tiling patterns to alternating lamellar and alternating cylindrical morphologies, as determined experimentally by small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy and confirmed by dissipative particle dynamics and self-consistent field theory based arguments. The thin film morphologies, which differ from those found in the bulk, were identified by scanning electron microscopy, coupled with oxygen plasma etching. Finally, square arraysmore » of the PDMS nanodots and empty core cylinders were formed on silica after oxygen plasma removal of the poly(1,4-isoprene) and poly(methyl methacrylate) which generated nanostructured substrates decorated with these features readily observable.« less

Morphological study on small molecule acceptor-based organic solar cells with efficiencies beyond 7% (Presentation Recording)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Wei; Yan, He

2015-10-01

Despite the essential role of fullerenes in achieving best-performance organic solar cells (OSCs), fullerene acceptors have several drawbacks including poor light absorption, high-cost production and purification. For this reason, small molecule acceptor (SMA)-based OSCs have attracted much attention due to the easy tunability of electronic and optical properties of SMA materials. In this study, polymers with temperature dependent aggregation behaviors are combined with various small molecule acceptor materials, which lead to impressive power conversion efficiencies of up to 7.3%. The morphological and aggregation properties of the polymer:small molecule blends are studied in details. It is found that the temperature-dependent aggregation behavior of polymers allows for the processing of the polymer solutions at moderately elevated temperature, and more importantly, controlled aggregation and strong crystallization of the polymer during the film cooling and drying process. This results in a well-controlled and near-ideal polymer:small molecule morphology that is controlled by polymer aggregation during warm casting and thus insensitive to the choice of small molecules. As a result, several cases of highly efficient (PCE between 6-7.3%) SMA OSCs are achieved. The second part of this presentation will describe the morphology of a new small molecule acceptor with a unique 3D structure. The relationship between molecular structure and morphology is revealed.

Morphological awareness and reading comprehension: Examining mediating factors.

PubMed

Levesque, Kyle C; Kieffer, Michael J; Deacon, S Hélène

2017-08-01

The relation between morphological awareness-defined as the awareness of and ability to manipulate the smallest units of meaning in language-and reading comprehension remains in need of specification. In this study, we evaluated four potential intervening variables through which morphological awareness may contribute indirectly to reading comprehension. We assessed word reading and vocabulary as well as children's ability to read and analyze the meaning of morphologically complex words (morphological decoding and morphological analysis, respectively). Controls of phonological awareness and nonverbal ability were included in the model. Participants were 221 English-speaking children in Grade 3. Multivariate path analyses revealed evidence of two indirect relations and one direct relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. In the first indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological decoding, which then influenced word reading and finally reading comprehension. In a second indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological analysis, which contributed to reading comprehension. Finally, in a direct path, morphological awareness contributed to reading comprehension beyond all other variables. These findings inform as to the potential mechanisms underlying the relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biological Agents

MedlinePlus

... E-Tools Safety and Health Topics / Biological Agents Biological Agents This page requires that javascript be enabled ... 202) 693-2300 if additional assistance is required. Biological Agents Menu Overview In Focus: Ebola Frederick A. ...

Morphological Awareness and Children's Writing: Accuracy, Error, and Invention

PubMed Central

McCutchen, Deborah; Stull, Sara

2014-01-01

This study examined the relationship between children's morphological awareness and their ability to produce accurate morphological derivations in writing. Fifth-grade U.S. students (n = 175) completed two writing tasks that invited or required morphological manipulation of words. We examined both accuracy and error, specifically errors in spelling and errors of the sort we termed morphological inventions, which entailed inappropriate, novel pairings of stems and suffixes. Regressions were used to determine the relationship between morphological awareness, morphological accuracy, and spelling accuracy, as well as between morphological awareness and morphological inventions. Linear regressions revealed that morphological awareness uniquely predicted children's generation of accurate morphological derivations, regardless of whether or not accurate spelling was required. A logistic regression indicated that morphological awareness was also uniquely predictive of morphological invention, with higher morphological awareness increasing the probability of morphological invention. These findings suggest that morphological knowledge may not only assist children with spelling during writing, but may also assist with word production via generative experimentation with morphological rules during sentence generation. Implications are discussed for the development of children's morphological knowledge and relationships with writing. PMID:25663748

3-Rooted Maxillary First Premolars: An Ex Vivo Study of External and Internal Morphologies.

PubMed

Beltes, Panagiotis; Kalaitzoglou, Maria-Elpida; Kantilieraki, Eleni; Beltes, Charalampos; Angelopoulos, Christos

2017-08-01

This study aimed to analyze the external and internal morphologies of 3-rooted maxillary first premolars using cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging. Fifty-six three-rooted maxillary first premolars were imaged by CBCT imaging and classified into 4 groups on the basis of external root morphology. Internal morphologic features, including the shapes of the buccal and palatal orifices and distances of bifurcation of the buccal-palatal and mesiobuccal-distobuccal root canals from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), were measured. The teeth were classified into 4 groups on the basis of external morphology: group A, separation of the buccal and palatal roots with bifurcation of the former into the mesiobuccal and distobuccal roots (n = 22); group B, fusion of 2 buccal roots with the palatal root being separate (n = 19); group C, complete or partial fusion of the distobuccal and palatal roots (n = 9); and group D, fusion of all 3 roots (n = 6). The buccal orifice was mainly triangular/heart shaped. The distance of bifurcation of the buccal-palatal root canals from the CEJ in group A differed significantly from those in groups B and C (P < .05). There were significant differences in the distance of bifurcation of the mesiobuccal-distobuccal root canals from the CEJ among groups A, B, and C (P < .05). Four teeth exhibited C-shaped root canal systems of different configurations. The external and internal morphologies of 3-rooted maxillary first premolars vary considerably. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphological, spectroscopic and thermal studies of samarium chloride coordinated single crystal grown by slow evaporation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slathia, Goldy; Raina, Bindu; Gupta, Rashmi; Bamzai, K. K.

2018-05-01

The synthesis of samarium chloride coordinated single crystal was carried out at room temperature by slow evaporation method. The crystal possesses a well defined hexagonal morphology with six symmetrically equivalent growth sectors separated by growth boundaries. The theoretical morphology has been established by structural approach using Bravaise-Friedele-Donnaye-Harker (BFDH) law. Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy was carried in order to study the geometry and structure of the crystal. The detailed thermogravimetric analysis elucidates the thermal stability of the complex.

Do Low Molecular Weight Agents Cause More Severe Asthma than High Molecular Weight Agents?

PubMed

Meca, Olga; Cruz, María-Jesús; Sánchez-Ortiz, Mónica; González-Barcala, Francisco-Javier; Ojanguren, Iñigo; Munoz, Xavier

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyse whether patients with occupational asthma (OA) caused by low molecular weight (LMW) agents differed from patients with OA caused by high molecular weight (HMW) with regard to risk factors, asthma presentation and severity, and response to various diagnostic tests. Seventy-eight patients with OA diagnosed by positive specific inhalation challenge (SIC) were included. Anthropometric characteristics, atopic status, occupation, latency periods, asthma severity according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) control classification, lung function tests and SIC results were analysed. OA was induced by an HMW agent in 23 patients (29%) and by an LMW agent in 55 (71%). A logistic regression analysis confirmed that patients with OA caused by LMW agents had a significantly higher risk of severity according to the GINA classification after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 3.579, 95% CI 1.136-11.280; p = 0.029). During the SIC, most patients with OA caused by HMW agents presented an early reaction (82%), while in patients with OA caused by LMW agents the response was mainly late (73%) (p = 0.0001). Similarly, patients with OA caused by LMW agents experienced a greater degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, measured as the difference in the methacholine dose-response ratio (DRR) before and after SIC (1.77, range 0-16), compared with patients with OA caused by HMW agents (0.87, range 0-72), (p = 0.024). OA caused by LMW agents may be more severe than that caused by HMW agents. The severity of the condition may be determined by the different mechanisms of action of these agents.

Ferrimagnetic susceptibility contrast agents.

PubMed

Bach-Gansmo, T

1993-01-01

Contrast agents based on superparamagnetic particles have been in clinical development for more than 5 years, and the complexity of their effects is still not elucidated. The relaxivities are frequently used to give an idea of their efficacy, but these parameters can only be used if they are concentration independent. For large superparamagnetic systems, the evolution of the transverse magnetization is biexponential, after an initial loss of magnetization. Both these characteristics of large superparamagnetic systems should lead to prudence in using the relaxivities as indicators of contrast medium efficacy. Susceptibility induced artefacts have been associated with the use of superparamagnetic contrast agents since the first imaging evaluation took place. The range of concentrations where good contrast effect was achieved without inducing artefacts, as well as blurring and metal artefacts were evaluated. The influence of motion on the induction of artefacts was studied, and compared to the artefacts induced by a paramagnetic agent subject to motion. With a suitable concentration of a negative contrast agent, a signal void could be achieved in the region prone to motion, and no artefacts were induced. If the concentration was too high, a displacement of the region close to the contrast agent was observed. The artefacts occurred in a volume surrounding the contrast agent, i.e., also outside the imaging plane. In comparison a positive, paramagnetic contrast agent induced heavy artefacts in the phase encoding direction, appearing as both high intensity regions and black holes, in a mosaic pattern. Clinical trials of the oral contrast agent OMP for abdominal MR imaging showed this agent to be safe and efficacious. OMP increased the diagnostic efficacy of abdominal MR imaging in 2 of 3 cases examined, with a significant decrease in motion artefacts. Susceptibility contrast agents may also be of use in the evaluation of small lesions in the liver. Particulate material

Damage morphology study of high cycle fatigued as-cast Mg–3.0Nd–0.2Zn–Zr (wt.%) alloy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yue, Haiyan; Fu, Penghuai, E-mail: fph112sjtu@sjtu.edu.cn; Peng, Liming

Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and Electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) were applied to the study of surface morphology variation of as-cast Mg–3.0Nd–0.2Zn–Zr (NZ30K) (wt.%) alloy under tension-compression fatigue test at room temperature. Two kinds of typical damage morphologies were observed in fatigued NZ30K alloy: One was parallel lines on basal planes led by the cumulation of basal slips, called persistent slip markings (PSMs), and the other was lens shaped, thicker and in less density, led by the formation of twinning. The surface fatigue damage morphology evolution was analyzed in a statistical way. The influences of stress amplitude and grain orientationmore » on fatigue deformation mechanisms were discussed and the non-uniform deformation among grains and the PSMs, within twinning were described quantitatively. - Highlights: • Fatigue morphology evolution was studied by Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy. • 3D morphology of persistent slip markings and twins was characterized. • Non-uniform deformation among grains, the PSMs and twins were quantified. • Initiations of fatigue crack were clearly investigated.« less

Online Deception Detection Using BDI Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merritts, Richard A.

2013-01-01

This research has two facets within separate research areas. The research area of Belief, Desire and Intention (BDI) agent capability development was extended. Deception detection research has been advanced with the development of automation using BDI agents. BDI agents performed tasks automatically and autonomously. This study used these…

"Design characteristics of the CORRONA CERTAIN study: a comparative effectiveness study of biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis patients".

PubMed

Pappas, Dimitrios A; Kremer, Joel M; Reed, George; Greenberg, Jeffrey D; Curtis, Jeffrey R

2014-04-01

Comparative effectiveness research has recently attracted considerable attention. The Comparative Effectiveness Registry to study Therapies for Arthritis and Inflammatory Conditions (CERTAIN) is an ongoing prospective cohort study of adult patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). CERTAIN uses the existing Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America (CORRONA) network of participating private and academic sites in order to recruit patients fulfilling the 1987 ACR criteria that have at least moderate disease activity. Patients starting or switching biologic agents either anti-TNF therapy or a non anti-TNF biologic are eligible for enrollment, depending on the treatment selected by their physician. Enrollment is expected to be completed by March of 2014, and 2711 patients will participate in the study. As of October 7th 2013, 2234 patients have been enrolled. Patient visits and laboratory blood work are mandated every three months for one year. Safety data is collected through one year and beyond. The primary comparative effectiveness endpoint is attainment of low RA disease activity at one year among patients who have been exposed to at least one prior TNF-α inhibitor agent prior to enrollment. Multiple secondary effectiveness and safety endpoints will be addressed by investigating the entire population enrolled (naïve and biologic experienced). The unique design features of CERTAIN will inform comparative effectiveness and safety questions for choosing biologic agents for the management of RA.

Morphological study of boar sperm during their passage through the female genital tract

PubMed Central

GARCÍA-VÁZQUEZ, Francisco Alberto; HERNÁNDEZ-CARAVACA, Iván; MATÁS, Carmen; SORIANO-ÚBEDA, Cristina; ABRIL-SÁNCHEZ, Silvia; IZQUIERDO-RICO, María José

2015-01-01

Once deposited in the female tract, sperm face a series of challenges that must be overcome to ensure the presence of an adequate normal sperm population close to the site of fertilization. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of the uterine milieu on boar sperm morphology. In experiment 1, sperm morphology was evaluated in the backflow (60 min after insemination) and within the uterotubal junction (UTJ) (collected ~24 h after insemination) following intrauterine sperm deposition (n = 6) and compared with the morphology of the sperm in the insemination dose. In experiment 2, the influence of the uterine fluid (UF) on sperm morphological modifications was evaluated. For this purpose, ejaculated (n = 4) and epididymal (n = 4) sperm were in vitro incubated with or without UF for 2 and 24 h. In both experiments, sperm were classified as normal, having a cytoplasmic droplet (proximal or distal) or having tail defects. The results of experiment 1 pointed to an increase in morphologically abnormal sperm collected in the backflow (27.70%) and a reduction of the same in the UTJ (2.12%) compared with the insemination dose (17.75%) (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, incubation of ejaculated sperm with UF did not provoke any morphological modifications; however, when epididymal sperm were incubated with UF, a pronounced increase in the percentage of normal sperm was evident after 24 h compared with the initial dose (from 25.77% to 53.58%, P < 0.05), mainly due to distal cytoplasmatic droplet shedding (53.22 vs. 20.20%). In conclusion, almost all the sperm that colonize the UTJ had a normal morphology, with part of the abnormal sperm having been discarded in the backflow and part selected/modified on their way to the oviduct. UF seems to influence cytoplasmic distal droplet removal, as demonstrated previously in seminal plasma. PMID:26119829

Variation in tooth morphology of Gorilla gorilla.

PubMed

Uchida, A

1998-01-01

Gorilla gorilla exemplifies a species that shows considerable variation in habitat, behaviour, genetic structure and morphology. This study examines variation of dental morphology in gorillas. Despite the marked size dimorphism, there are no significant shape differences between the sexes within subspecies. Differences in dental morphology, including tooth cusp proportions between the western G. g. gorilla and the eastern G. g. beringei are considerable. Although more similar to G. g. beringei than to the western G. g. gorilla, G. g. graueri also shows distinct morphological features. This indicates that the morphology of G. g. graueri is not merely intermediate, and genetic isolation between the two eastern subspecies could have had a substantial influence. Such extensive variation in dental morphology in Gorilla gorilla can be considered to be the result of an interesting combination of factors, including local dietary adaptations.

Designing Agent Utilities for Coordinated, Scalable and Robust Multi-Agent Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumer, Kagan

2005-01-01

Coordinating the behavior of a large number of agents to achieve a system level goal poses unique design challenges. In particular, problems of scaling (number of agents in the thousands to tens of thousands), observability (agents have limited sensing capabilities), and robustness (the agents are unreliable) make it impossible to simply apply methods developed for small multi-agent systems composed of reliable agents. To address these problems, we present an approach based on deriving agent goals that are aligned with the overall system goal, and can be computed using information readily available to the agents. Then, each agent uses a simple reinforcement learning algorithm to pursue its own goals. Because of the way in which those goals are derived, there is no need to use difficult to scale external mechanisms to force collaboration or coordination among the agents, or to ensure that agents actively attempt to appropriate the tasks of agents that suffered failures. To present these results in a concrete setting, we focus on the problem of finding the sub-set of a set of imperfect devices that results in the best aggregate device. This is a large distributed agent coordination problem where each agent (e.g., device) needs to determine whether to be part of the aggregate device. Our results show that the approach proposed in this work provides improvements of over an order of magnitude over both traditional search methods and traditional multi-agent methods. Furthermore, the results show that even in extreme cases of agent failures (i.e., half the agents failed midway through the simulation) the system's performance degrades gracefully and still outperforms a failure-free and centralized search algorithm. The results also show that the gains increase as the size of the system (e.g., number of agents) increases. This latter result is particularly encouraging and suggests that this method is ideally suited for domains where the number of agents is currently in the

Endoscopic spectral domain optical coherence tomography of murine colonic morphology to determine effectiveness of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents in colorectal cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeGendre-McGhee, Susan; Rice, Photini F. S.; Wall, R. Andrew; Klein, Justin; Luttman, Amber; Sprute, Kyle; Gerner, Eugene; Barton, Jennifer K.

2012-02-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a minimally-invasive imaging modality capable of tracking the development of individual colonic adenomas. As such, OCT can be used to evaluate the mechanisms and effectiveness of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents in colorectal cancer models. The data presented here represent part of a larger study evaluating α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and Sulindac as chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents using mice treated with the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). 27 A/J mice were included in the chemoprevention study, subdivided into four treatment groups (No Drug, DFMO, Sulindac, DFMO/Sulindac). 30 mm lateral images of each colon at eight different rotations were obtained at five different time points using a 2 mm diameter spectral domain OCT endoscopy system centered at 890 nm with 3.5 μm axial resolution in air and 5 μm lateral resolution. Images were visually analyzed to determine number and size of adenomas. Gross photos of the excised colons and histology provided gold standard confirmation of the final imaging time point. Preliminary results show that 100% of mice in the No Drug group developed adenomas over the course of the chemoprevention study. Incidence was reduced to 71.43% in mice given DFMO, 85.71% for Sulindac and 0% for DFMO/Sulindac. Discrete adenoma size did not vary significantly between experimental groups. Additional experiments are currently under way to verify these results and evaluate DFMO and Sulindac for chemotherapeutic applications.

[Neotropical plant morphology].

PubMed

Pérez-García, Blanca; Mendoza, Aniceto

2002-01-01

An analysis on plant morphology and the sources that are important to the morphologic interpretations is done. An additional analysis is presented on all published papers in this subject by the Revista de Biología Tropical since its foundation, as well as its contribution to the plant morphology development in the neotropics.

Crystal morphology optimization of thiamine hydrochloride in solvent system: Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yang; Han, Dandan; Du, Shichao; Wu, Songgu; Gong, Junbo

2018-01-01

Thiamine hydrochloride (THCL) was produced in methanol accompanied with agglomeration in industry, the plate like morphology of THCL in methanol was not deserve to have a good quality. Selecting a suitable solvent should be considered because solvent could be one of the essential factors to impact morphology. Methanol and methanol/ethyl acetate solvent (0.2 vol fraction of methanol) was selected as the solvent system in reactive crystallization of THCL. The experiment results show the THCL crystal morphology in methanol/ethyl acetate solvent system was granular and more regular than that in methanol. In order to explicate the different crystal morphology in different solvents, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was introduced to simulate crystal morphology in different solvents. The attachment energy (AE) model was employed to investigate the morphology of THCL under vacuum conditions, methanol and methanol/ethyl acetate solvent conditions, respectively. The simulation crystal morphology was in a good agreement with that of experimented. The particle of THCL in methanol/ethyl acetate solvent has less tendency to agglomeration, and then it is favorable to the downstream process, such as filtration, storage and transportation.

Comparison of morphological and genetic analyses reveals cryptic divergence and morphological plasticity in Stylophora (Cnidaria, Scleractinia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefani, Fabrizio; Benzoni, F.; Yang, S.-Y.; Pichon, M.; Galli, P.; Chen, C. A.

2011-12-01

A combined morphological and genetic study of the coral genus Stylophora investigated species boundaries in the Gulf of Aden, Yemen. Two mitochondrial regions, including the hypervariable IGS9 spacer and the control region, and a fragment of rDNA were used for phylogenetic analysis. Results were compared by multivariate analysis on the basis of branch morphology and corallite morphometry. Two species were clearly discriminated by both approaches. The first species was characterised by small corallites and a low morphological variability and was ascribed to a new geographical record of Stylophora madagascarensis on the basis of its phylogenetic distinction and its morphological similarity to the type material. The second species was characterised by larger corallite size and greater morphological variability and was ascribed to Stylophora pistillata. The analysis was extended to the intrageneric level for other S. pistillata populations from the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Strong internal divergence was evident in the genus Sty lophora. S. pistillata populations were split into two highly divergent Red Sea/Gulf of Aden and western Pacific lineages with significant morphological overlap, which suggests they represent two distinct cryptic species. The combined use of morphological and molecular approaches, so far proved to be a powerful tool for the re-delineation of species boundaries in corals, provided novel evidence of cryptic divergence in this group of marine metazoans.

Analysis of Nerve Agent Metabolites from Hair for Long-Term Verification of Nerve Agent Exposure

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-09

Analysis of Nerve Agent Metabolites from Hair for Long-Term Verification of Nerve Agent Exposure Amanda S. Appel,† John H. McDonough,‡ Joseph D...feasible. In this study, hair was evaluated as a long-term repository of nerve agent hydrolysis products. Pinacolyl methylphosphonic acid (PMPA...hydrolysis product of soman) and isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA; hydrolysis product of sarin) were extracted from hair samples with N,N

Effects of electrolytes and surfactants on the morphology and stability of advanced silver nano-materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Obaid, Abdullah Yousif; AL-Thabaiti, Shaeel Ahmed; El-Mossalamy, E.H.

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Stoichiometric ratio of S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−} and Ag{sup +} ions are responsible to the formation of prefect transparent yellow colored silver sol. ► Higher S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−} concentrations has damping effect. ► Head group of the surfactants and nature of the electrolytes have significant effect on the stability of silver nanoparticles. - Abstract: The impact of electrolytes, stabilizing and/or capping agents on morphology of colloidal silver nano-materials (AgNPs) has been studied spectroscopically. Sodium thiosulfate acts as reducing-, stabilizing- and damping-agents. Stoichiometric ratios of S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−} and Ag{sup +} ions were responsible to the formationmore » stable and prefect transparent dark yellow colored AgNPs. The S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−}-stabilized AgNPs were significantly more stable in inorganic electrolytes (NaNO{sub 3}, Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and KBr). S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−} is adsorbed more strongly than the used other anions. The addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) has significant effects on the absorbance of S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−}-stabilized AgNPs which can be rationalized in terms of electrostatic attraction and repulsion between the adsorbed S{sub 2}O{sub 3}{sup 2−} ions on to the surface of AgNPs and cationic and/or anionic head groups of used surfactants, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images suggest that AgNPs are polydispersed, spherical and exhibiting an interesting irregular morphology.« less

Food safety involving ingestion of foods and beverages prepared with phthalate-plasticizer-containing clouding agents.

PubMed

Yen, Tzung-Hai; Lin-Tan, Dan-Tzu; Lin, Ja-Liang

2011-11-01

In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children. Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults. Finally, the number of

Spray-drying nanocapsules in presence of colloidal silica as drying auxiliary agent: formulation and process variables optimization using experimental designs.

PubMed

Tewa-Tagne, Patrice; Degobert, Ghania; Briançon, Stéphanie; Bordes, Claire; Gauvrit, Jean-Yves; Lanteri, Pierre; Fessi, Hatem

2007-04-01

Spray-drying process was used for the development of dried polymeric nanocapsules. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of formulation and process variables on the resulting powder characteristics in order to optimize them. Experimental designs were used in order to estimate the influence of formulation parameters (nanocapsules and silica concentrations) and process variables (inlet temperature, spray-flow air, feed flow rate and drying air flow rate) on spray-dried nanocapsules when using silica as drying auxiliary agent. The interactions among the formulation parameters and process variables were also studied. Responses analyzed for computing these effects and interactions were outlet temperature, moisture content, operation yield, particles size, and particulate density. Additional qualitative responses (particles morphology, powder behavior) were also considered. Nanocapsules and silica concentrations were the main factors influencing the yield, particulate density and particle size. In addition, they were concerned for the only significant interactions occurring among two different variables. None of the studied variables had major effect on the moisture content while the interaction between nanocapsules and silica in the feed was of first interest and determinant for both the qualitative and quantitative responses. The particles morphology depended on the feed formulation but was unaffected by the process conditions. This study demonstrated that drying nanocapsules using silica as auxiliary agent by spray drying process enables the obtaining of dried micronic particle size. The optimization of the process and the formulation variables resulted in a considerable improvement of product yield while minimizing the moisture content.

Electron beam irradiated polymer electrolyte film: Morphology, dielectric and AC conductivity studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yesappa, L.; Niranjana, M.; Ashokkumar, S. P.; Vijeth, H.; Ganesh, S.; Devendrappa, H.

2018-05-01

The polymer (PVdF-co-HFP: LiClO4=90:10, PHL10) electrolyte films prepared by solution casting method and studied morphology, dielectric properties and ac conductivity before and after electron beam (EB) irradiation. The polarized optical micrographs reveals size of spherulite reduced with increasing EB dose represents increase in amorphousity. The dielectric measurements were studied at different temperatures and observed increase with frequency at different temperatures upon EB irradiation. The ac conductivity increases with frequency due to effect of EB dose.

1,10-phenanthroline inhibits the metallopeptidase secreted by Phialophora verrucosa and modulates its growth, morphology and differentiation.

PubMed

Granato, Marcela Queiroz; Massapust, Priscila de Araújo; Rozental, Sonia; Alviano, Celuta Sales; dos Santos, André Luis Souza; Kneipp, Lucimar Ferreira

2015-04-01

Phialophora verrucosa is one of the etiologic agents of chromoblastomycosis, a fungal infection that affects cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues. This disease is chronic, recurrent and difficult to treat. Several studies have shown that secreted peptidases by fungi are associated with important pathophysiological processes. Herein, we have identified and partially characterized the peptidase activity secreted by P. verrucosa conidial cells. Using human serum albumin as substrate, the best hydrolysis profile was detected at extreme acidic pH (3.0) and at 37 °C. The enzymatic activity was completely blocked by classical metallopeptidase inhibitors/chelating agents as 1,10-phenanthroline and EGTA. Zinc ions stimulated the metallo-type peptidase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Several proteinaceous substrates were cleaved, in different extension, by the P. verrucosa metallopeptidase activity, including immunoglobulin G, fibrinogen, collagen types I and IV, fibronectin, laminin and keratin; however, mucin and hemoglobin were not susceptible to proteolysis. As metallopeptidases participate in different cellular metabolic pathways in fungal cells, we also tested the influence of 1,10-phenanthroline and EGTA on P. verrucosa development. Contrarily to EGTA, 1,10-phenanthroline inhibited the fungal viability (MIC 0.8 µg/ml), showing fungistatic effect, and induced profound morphological alterations as visualized by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, 1,10-phenanthroline arrested the filamentation process in P. verrucosa. Our results corroborate the supposition that metallopeptidase inhibitors/chelating agents have potential to control crucial biological events in fungal agents of chromoblastomycosis.

A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Five Loci Influencing Facial Morphology in Europeans

PubMed Central

Liu, Fan; van der Lijn, Fedde; Schurmann, Claudia; Zhu, Gu; Chakravarty, M. Mallar; Hysi, Pirro G.; Wollstein, Andreas; Lao, Oscar; de Bruijne, Marleen; Ikram, M. Arfan; van der Lugt, Aad; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Uitterlinden, André G.; Hofman, Albert; Niessen, Wiro J.; Homuth, Georg; de Zubicaray, Greig; McMahon, Katie L.; Thompson, Paul M.; Daboul, Amro; Puls, Ralf; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Bevan, Liisa; Pausova, Zdenka; Medland, Sarah E.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Wright, Margaret J.; Wicking, Carol; Boehringer, Stefan; Spector, Timothy D.; Paus, Tomáš; Martin, Nicholas G.; Biffar, Reiner; Kayser, Manfred

2012-01-01

Inter-individual variation in facial shape is one of the most noticeable phenotypes in humans, and it is clearly under genetic regulation; however, almost nothing is known about the genetic basis of normal human facial morphology. We therefore conducted a genome-wide association study for facial shape phenotypes in multiple discovery and replication cohorts, considering almost ten thousand individuals of European descent from several countries. Phenotyping of facial shape features was based on landmark data obtained from three-dimensional head magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and two-dimensional portrait images. We identified five independent genetic loci associated with different facial phenotypes, suggesting the involvement of five candidate genes—PRDM16, PAX3, TP63, C5orf50, and COL17A1—in the determination of the human face. Three of them have been implicated previously in vertebrate craniofacial development and disease, and the remaining two genes potentially represent novel players in the molecular networks governing facial development. Our finding at PAX3 influencing the position of the nasion replicates a recent GWAS of facial features. In addition to the reported GWA findings, we established links between common DNA variants previously associated with NSCL/P at 2p21, 8q24, 13q31, and 17q22 and normal facial-shape variations based on a candidate gene approach. Overall our study implies that DNA variants in genes essential for craniofacial development contribute with relatively small effect size to the spectrum of normal variation in human facial morphology. This observation has important consequences for future studies aiming to identify more genes involved in the human facial morphology, as well as for potential applications of DNA prediction of facial shape such as in future forensic applications. PMID:23028347

Toxicity and efficiency study of plant extracts-based bleaching agents.

PubMed

Baldea, Ioana; Olteanu, Diana Elena; Filip, Adriana Gabriela; Cenariu, Mihai; Dudea, Diana; Tofan, Alina; Alb, Camelia; Moldovan, Marioara

2017-05-01

Tooth bleaching is one of the most required dental esthetic treatments. However, it can generate side effects like oral irritation, enamel alteration, tooth sensitivity, especially caused by hydrogen peroxide, the main bleaching component of the commercial products. Therefore, development of new tooth bleaching agents, based on natural products, with comparable esthetic results and lower side effects is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects and bleaching efficacy of four experimental bleaching agents, derived from fruit juices, against the commercially available Opalescence (Ultradent, USA). Organic acid composition of the gels was characterized by HPLC. Bleaching efficiency was tested by spectrophotometry on composite restorative materials. Biological testing was done in vitro, on human fibroblasts. Cells were exposed to dilutions of the bleaching gel-conditioned medium. Viability was measured by MTS, apoptosis by FACS-AnnexinV FITC/Propidium iodide, NF-kB activation by western blot, malondyaldehide, and superoxide dismutase activity by spectrophotometry. All gels exhibited physical stability and dental bleaching capabilities. Experimental gels induced significantly better viability and apoptosis rates, lower lipid peroxidation, and increased antioxidant defense, compared to Opalescence. The studied experimental gel formulations exhibited a good safety profile in vitro, as well as bleaching efficiency on restorative composite materials. These data open new possibilities for the use of new natural products in dental bleaching treatments that can insure significant esthetic results and lower side effects.

Morphological Features in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Matched Case-Control Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozgen, Heval; Hellemann, Gerhard S.; Stellato, Rebecca K.; Lahuis, Bertine; van Daalen, Emma; Staal, Wouter G.; Rozendal, Marije; Hennekam, Raoul C.; Beemer, Frits A.; van Engeland, Herman

2011-01-01

This study was designed to examine morphological features in a large group of children with autism spectrum disorder versus normal controls. Amongst 421 patients and 1,007 controls, 224 matched pairs were created. Prevalence rates and odds ratios were analyzed by conditional regression analysis, McNemar test or paired t-test matched pairs.…

Structural, morphological, and optical study of titania-based nanopowders suitable for photocatalytic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šćepanović, M.; Grujić-Brojčin, M.; Abramović, B.; Golubović, A.

2017-01-01

Systematic investigation of the relationship between structural, morphological, optical and photocatalytic properties of the titania-based nanopowders is presented. A series of pure and doped titania catalysts with various (anatase and brookite) phase compositions have been prepared by sol-gel or hydrothermal route. The crystal structure and composition of the synthesized samples have been extensively characterised by XRD and Raman scattering measurements. The nanopowder morphology has been studied using microscopic methods (SEM, AFM, and STM), whereas the porous structure has been revealed by the analysis of nitrogen sorption data. The optical and electronic properties have been studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry. All investigated properties have been correlated to photocatalytic activity, tested in degradation of the pharmaceutically active substances (such as metoprolol and alprazolam) induced by UVA or visible radiation. Based on this correlation, the physical properties which contribute most to the increase in photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanopowders have been determined, in order to optimize the synthesis conditions which could lead to the maximal efficiency in degradation of particular pollutant.

Modification of the morphology of P(S-b-EO) templated thin TiO2 films by swelling with PS homopolymer.

PubMed

Perlich, J; Schulz, L; Abul Kashem, M M; Cheng, Y-J; Memesa, M; Gutmann, J S; Roth, S V; Müller-Buschbaum, P

2007-09-25

For the controlled modification of sol-gel-templated polymer nanocomposites, which are transferred to a nanostructured, crystalline TiO2 phase by a calcination process, the addition of a single homopolymer was investigated. For the preparation, the homopolymer polystyrene (PS) is added in different amounts to the diblock copolymer P(S-b-EO) acting as a templating agent. The homopolymer/diblock copolymer blend system is combined with sol-gel chemistry to provide and attach the TiO2 nanoparticles to the diblock copolymer. So-called good-poor solvent-pair-induced phase separation leads to the formation of nanostructures by film preparation via spin coating. The fabricated morphologies are studied as a function of added homopolymer before and after calcination with atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. The observed behavior is discussed in the framework of controlling the block copolymer morphologies by the addition of homopolymers. At small homopolymer concentrations, the increase in homopolymer concentration changes the structure size, whereas at high homopolymer concentrations, a change in morphology is triggered. Thus, the behavior of a pure polymer system is transferred to a more complex hybrid system.

Morphological effects of MMPs inhibitors on the dentin bonding

PubMed Central

Li, He; Li, Tianbo; Li, Xiuying; Zhang, Zhimin; Li, Penglian; Li, Zhenling

2015-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been studied extensively, and MMP inhibitors have been used as dental pretreatment agents prior to dentin bonding because they reduce collagen fiber degradation and improve bonding strength. However, morphologic characteristics of the collagen network after etching and of the post-adhesive dentin hybrid layers (DHL) after MMP inhibitors pretreatment have not been evaluated. Thus, we investigated demineralized dentin pretreated with chlorhexidine (CHX) and minocycline (MI) in an etch- and -rinse adhesive system with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and immuno-gold labeling markers to observe the collagen network and DHL. FESEM revealed after CHX and MI, a demineralized dentin surface and improved collagen network formation, reduced collagen degradation, and distinct gold-labeling signals. Applying adhesive after either MMP inhibitor created a better dentin interface as evidenced by immuno-gold staining, better adhesive penetration, and higher DHL quality. With microtensile bond strength tests (µTBS) we estimated bonding strength using µTBS data. Immediate µTBS was enhanced with MMP inhibitor application to the bonding surface, and the CHX group was significantly different than non-treated etched surfaces, but no significant change was detected in the MI group. Surface micromorphology of the fractured dentin resin restoration showed that the CHX group had a better resin and dentin tube combination. Both MMP inhibitors created uniform resin coverage. Thus, morphologic results and µTBS data suggest that CHX and MI can inhibit MMP activity, improve immediate bonding strength, and enhance dentin bonding stability with an etch- and -rinse adhesive system. PMID:26379873

Morphological awareness intervention with kindergartners and first and second grade students from low SES homes: a small efficacy study.

PubMed

Apel, Kenn; Diehm, Emily

2014-01-01

We investigated the efficacy of a morphological awareness intervention on the morphological awareness and reading skills of students from low-socioeconomic-status homes; we also examined whether the intervention was similarly effective for intervention students who differed in their initial morphological awareness abilities. The 8-week intervention was designed to increase awareness of affixes and the relations between base words and their inflected and derived forms for kindergarteners (n = 27) and first- (n = 22) and second-grade (n = 26) students. Students randomly assigned to the small group intervention were provided instruction four times a week, 25 min a day, whereas students assigned to the control group received "business as usual." Kindergarten and first- and second-grade students receiving the intervention showed statistically significant gains in morphological awareness with large effect sizes on most measures. Students in all three grades who received the intervention demonstrated nonsignificant gains in literacy abilities with null to small effect sizes. Further, students with low morphological awareness abilities at the onset of the study demonstrated similar gains from the intervention as their peers with typical morphological awareness abilities. Our results suggest that explicit morphological awareness instruction may produce gains of practical importance to young elementary students at risk for future literacy difficulties.

Integrated Agent-Based and Production Cost Modeling Framework for Renewable Energy Studies: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gallo, Giulia

The agent-based framework for renewable energy studies (ARES) is an integrated approach that adds an agent-based model of industry actors to PLEXOS and combines the strengths of the two to overcome their individual shortcomings. It can examine existing and novel wholesale electricity markets under high penetrations of renewables. ARES is demonstrated by studying how increasing levels of wind will impact the operations and the exercise of market power of generation companies that exploit an economic withholding strategy. The analysis is carried out on a test system that represents the Electric Reliability Council of Texas energy-only market in the year 2020.more » The results more realistically reproduce the operations of an energy market under different and increasing penetrations of wind, and ARES can be extended to address pressing issues in current and future wholesale electricity markets.« less

Synthesis of porous nanocrystalline NiO with hexagonal sheet-like morphology by homogeneous precipitation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Ravi Kant; Ghose, Ranjana

2015-04-01

Porous nanocrystalline NiO has been synthesized by a simple homogeneous precipitation method in short time at low calcination temperature without using any surfactant, chelating or gelating agents. The porous nanocrystalline NiO with a hexagonal sheet-like morphology were obtained by calcination of Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes at 500 °C. The calcination temperature strongly influences the morphology, crystallite size, specific surface area, pore volume and optical band gap of the samples. The samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, surface area measurements, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical activity of the samples was tested by catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol with NaBH4.

22 CFR 51.22 - Passport agents and passport acceptance agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. 51.22 Section 51.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.22 Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. (a) U.S. citizen employees of the...

22 CFR 51.22 - Passport agents and passport acceptance agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. 51.22 Section 51.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.22 Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. (a) U.S. citizen employees of the...

22 CFR 51.22 - Passport agents and passport acceptance agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. 51.22 Section 51.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.22 Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. (a) U.S. citizen employees of the...

22 CFR 51.22 - Passport agents and passport acceptance agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. 51.22 Section 51.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.22 Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. (a) U.S. citizen employees of the...

22 CFR 51.22 - Passport agents and passport acceptance agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. 51.22 Section 51.22 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS PASSPORTS Application § 51.22 Passport agents and passport acceptance agents. (a) U.S. citizen employees of the...

Pedestrian simulation and distribution in urban space based on visibility analysis and agent simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Shen; Li, Lin; Gao, Yurong

2009-10-01

Spatial visibility analysis is the important direction of pedestrian behaviors because our visual conception in space is the straight method to get environment information and navigate your actions. Based on the agent modeling and up-tobottom method, the paper develop the framework about the analysis of the pedestrian flow depended on visibility. We use viewshed in visibility analysis and impose the parameters on agent simulation to direct their motion in urban space. We analyze the pedestrian behaviors in micro-scale and macro-scale of urban open space. The individual agent use visual affordance to determine his direction of motion in micro-scale urban street on district. And we compare the distribution of pedestrian flow with configuration in macro-scale urban environment, and mine the relationship between the pedestrian flow and distribution of urban facilities and urban function. The paper first computes the visibility situations at the vantage point in urban open space, such as street network, quantify the visibility parameters. The multiple agents use visibility parameters to decide their direction of motion, and finally pedestrian flow reach to a stable state in urban environment through the simulation of multiple agent system. The paper compare the morphology of visibility parameters and pedestrian distribution with urban function and facilities layout to confirm the consistence between them, which can be used to make decision support in urban design.

Ice as a Green-Structure-Directing Agent in the Synthesis of Macroporous MWCNTs and Chondroitin Sulphate Composites.

PubMed

Nardecchia, Stefania; Serrano, María Concepción; García-Argüelles, Sara; Maia Da Costa, Marcelo E H; Ferrer, María Luisa; Gutiérrez, María C

2017-03-28

The incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into chondroitin sulphate-based scaffolds and the effect on the structural, mechanical, conductive, and thermal properties of the resulting scaffolds is investigated. Three-dimensional hierarchical materials are prepared upon the application of the ice segregation-induced self-assembly (ISISA) process. The use of ice as structure-directing agents avoids chemicals typically used for this purpose (e.g., surfactants, block copolymers, etc.), hence, emphasising the green features of this soft-templating approach. We determine the critical parameters that control the morphology of the scaffolds formed upon ice-templating (i.e., MWCNTs type, freezing conditions, polymer and MWCNT concentration). MWCNTs are surface functionalized by acidic treatment. MWCNT functionalization is characterized by Raman, Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and porosity studies reveal that MWCNT content modifies the morphology of the macroporous structure, which decreases by increasing MWCNT concentration. Differences in scaffold morphology should be translated into their conductivity and mechanical properties. As a general trend, the Young's modulus and the electrical conductivity of the scaffolds increase with the MWCNT content. Preliminary biocompatibility tests with human osteoblast-like cells also reveal the capability of these structures to support cell growth.

Ice as a Green-Structure-Directing Agent in the Synthesis of Macroporous MWCNTs and Chondroitin Sulphate Composites

PubMed Central

Nardecchia, Stefania; Serrano, María Concepción; García-Argüelles, Sara; Maia Da Costa, Marcelo E. H.; Ferrer, María Luisa; Gutiérrez, María C.

2017-01-01

The incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into chondroitin sulphate-based scaffolds and the effect on the structural, mechanical, conductive, and thermal properties of the resulting scaffolds is investigated. Three-dimensional hierarchical materials are prepared upon the application of the ice segregation-induced self-assembly (ISISA) process. The use of ice as structure-directing agents avoids chemicals typically used for this purpose (e.g., surfactants, block copolymers, etc.), hence, emphasising the green features of this soft-templating approach. We determine the critical parameters that control the morphology of the scaffolds formed upon ice-templating (i.e., MWCNTs type, freezing conditions, polymer and MWCNT concentration). MWCNTs are surface functionalized by acidic treatment. MWCNT functionalization is characterized by Raman, Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and porosity studies reveal that MWCNT content modifies the morphology of the macroporous structure, which decreases by increasing MWCNT concentration. Differences in scaffold morphology should be translated into their conductivity and mechanical properties. As a general trend, the Young’s modulus and the electrical conductivity of the scaffolds increase with the MWCNT content. Preliminary biocompatibility tests with human osteoblast-like cells also reveal the capability of these structures to support cell growth. PMID:28772715

Inhalation reproductive toxicology studies: Sperm morphology study of n-hexane in B6C3F1 mice: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mast, T.J.; Hackett, P.L.; Decker, J.R.

The straight-chain hydrocarbon, n-hexane, is a volatile, ubiquitous solvent routinely used in industrial environments. Although myelinated nerve tissue is the primary target organ of hexane, the testes have also been identified as being sensitive to hexacarbon exposure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the epididymal sperm morphology of male B6D3F1 mice 5 weeks after exposure to 0, 200, 1000, or 5000 ppM n-hexane, 20 h/day for 5 consecutive days. Two concurrent positive control groups of animals were injected intraperitoneally with either 200 or 250 mg/kg ethyl methanesulfonate, a known mutagen, once each day for 5 consecutive days. Themore » mice were weighed just prior to the first day of exposure and at weekly intervals until sacrifice. During the fifth post-exposure week the animals were killed and examined for gross lesions of the reproductive tract and suspensions of the epididymal sperm were prepared for morphological evaluations. The appearance and behavior of the mice were unremarkable throughout the experiment and there were no deaths. No evidence of lesions in any organ was noted at sacrifice. Mean body weights of male mice exposed to n-hexane were not significantly different from those for the 0-ppM animals at any time during the study. Analyses of the sperm morphology data obtained 5 weeks post-exposure (the only time point examined) indicated that exposure of male mice to relatively high concentrations of n-hexane vapor for 5 days produced no significant effects on the morphology of sperm relative to that of the 0-ppM control group. 24 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.« less

Morphological changes of porphine films on graphite by perchloric and phosphoric electrolytes. An electrochemical-AFM study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yivlialin, Rossella; Penconi, Marta; Bussetti, Gianlorenzo; Biroli, Alessio Orbelli; Finazzi, Marco; Duò, Lamberto; Bossi, Alberto

2018-06-01

Organic molecules have been proposed as promising candidates for electrode protection in acidic electrolytes. The use of tetraphenyl-porphines (H2TPP) as graphite surface-protecting agents in sulphuric acid (H2SO4) is one of the newest. With the aim of unveiling the mechanism of such a protective effect, in this paper we test the stability of a H2TPP thin film immersed in perchloric and phosphoric acid solutions that differently interact with porphyrins. The protective role of H2TPP is tested in the electrochemical potential range where the pristine graphite undergoes an oxidation process that erodes the surface and eventually exfoliate the stratified crystal. The electrochemical analysis is performed in a three-electrode cell, while the surface morphology is monitored ex-situ and in-situ by atomic force microscopy. Electrospray mass analysis is also employed to investigate the presence of H2TPP fragments in the solution. We find that the organic film is not stable in perchloric solution, while it is stable and avoids graphite surface corrosion in phosphoric acid solution. These results provide a rationale for the role played by free-base porphines in graphite protection.

Molecular Species Delimitation and Morphology of Aquatic and Sub-Aquatic Bugs (Heteroptera) in Cameroon

PubMed Central

Le Gall, Philippe; Chen, Ping-Ping; Nieser, Nico; Guilbert, Eric; Njiokou, Flobert; Marsollier, Laurent; Guégan, Jean-François; Pluot-Sigwalt, Dominique; Eyangoh, Sara; Harry, Myriam

2016-01-01

Aquatic and semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera) represent a remarkable diversity and a resurging interest has been given to documenting at the species level these insects inhabiting Cameroon in Central Africa due to their potential implication in the transmission of the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causal agent of Buruli ulcer, an emerging human disease. A survey was carried out over two years in Cameroon. Morphological analyses were done in two steps. A first step consisted in separating the specimens based on broadly shared characters into morphotypes. The specimens were then separated into two independent batches containing each the same representation of each morphotype. One batch (309 specimens) was used by taxonomy experts on aquatic bugs for species level identification and/or to reconcile nymph with their corresponding adult species. The second batch (188 specimens) was used to define species based on the COI DNA sequences (standard sequence used for “DNA barcoding”) and using the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) method. The first morphological analysis step separated the specimens into 63 different morphotypes (49 adults and 14 nymphs), which were then found to belong to 54 morphological species in the infra-orders Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha based on the species-level morphological identification, and 41–45 putative molecular species according to the gap value retained in the ABGD. Integrating morphology and “DNA barcoding” reconciled all the specimens into 62 aquatic bug species in Cameroon. Generally, we obtained a good congruence between species a priori identified based on morphology from adult morphotypes and molecular putative species. Moreover, molecular identification has allowed the association of 86% of nymphs with adults. This work illustrates the importance of integrative taxonomy. PMID:27149077

Tailoring vessel morphology in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Daniel Joseph

. Resulting induced vessels did match in morphology to the target vessels. Several other covalently bound signals were then analyzed in the assay and resulting morphology of vessels was compared in several studies which further highlighted the utility of the micropocket assay in conjunction with the image based tool for vessel morphological quantification. Finally, an alternative method to provide rapid vasculature to the constructs, which relied on pre-seeded hydrogels encapsulated endothelial cells was also developed and shown to allow anastamosis between induced host vessels and the implanted construct within 48 hours. These results indicate great promise in the rational design of synthetic, bioactive hydrogels, which can be used as a platform to study microvascular induction for regenerative medicine and angiogenesis research. Future applications of this research may help to develop therapeutic strategies to ameliorate human disease by replacing organs or correcting vessel morphology in the case of ischemic diseases and cancer.

Effects of solution concentration and capping agents on the properties of potassium titanyl phosphate noparticles synthesized using a co-precipitation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharibshahian, E.; Jafar Tafershi, M.; Fazli, M.

2018-05-01

In this study, KTiOPO4 (KTP) nanoparticles were synthesized using a co-precipitation method. The effects of the solution concentration (M) and capping agents, such as PVA, oxalic acid, glycine, triethanolamine, and L-alanine, on the structural, microstructural, and optical properties of the products were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Decreasing the solution concentration decreased the crystallite size from 53.07 nm (for M = 2) to 39.42 nm (for M = 0.5). After applying different capping agents to the sample at the optimum concentration (M = 0.5), the crystallite size decreased again and grains as small as 10.61 nm were obtained. XRD and FTIR analyses indicated the formation of KTP nanoparticles with an orthorhombic structure in all of the samples. The optical band gap increased as the crystallite size decreased. Different morphological patterns such as spherical, needle shaped, polyhedron, and tablet forms were observed in the nanoparticles, which were correlated with the effects of the capping agents employed.

Optimization study of direct morphology observation by cold field emission SEM without gold coating.

PubMed

He, Dan; Fu, Cheng; Xue, Zhigang

2018-06-01

Gold coating is a general operation that is generally applied on non-conductive or low conductive materials, during which the morphology of the materials can be examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, fatal deficiencies in the materials can result in irreversible distortion and damage. The present study directly characterized different low conductive materials such as hydroxyapatite, modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fiber, and zinc oxide nanopillar by cold field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) without a gold coating. According to the characteristics of the low conductive materials, various test conditions, such as different working signal modes, accelerating voltages, electron beam spots, and working distances, were characterized to determine the best morphological observations of each sample. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulation of normal human melanocyte dendricity by growth-promoting agents.

PubMed

Nakazawa, K; Damour, O; Collombel, C

1993-12-01

Dendrite formation and extension, which comprise a characteristic morphology of human normal melanocytes in the skin, represent one of the functional activities of melanocytes, the ability to transfer melanosomes into neighboring keratinocytes. However, the morphology of the melanocyte in vitro is usually quite different from that observed in vivo. it is probably due to the hyperproliferative condition of the melanocytes in culture. No studies have ever compared the effects of a single factor on both dendricity and proliferation at the same time. Therefore, we have compared the effects of six growth-promoting agents commonly used for melanocyte cultures on dendrite formation and proliferation. The addition of agents that increase the intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)--dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db cAMP; 1 mM) or isobutylmethyl xanthine (IBMX; 0.1 mM)--had a strong effect on dendrite formation and a negative effect on proliferation. This was especially true with db cAMP. In the presence of 2% or 5% of heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS), dendrite formation was significantly increased as was proliferation. The number of dendrites was decreased in the culture with 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), but cell growth was slightly increased. With human recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (0.5, 1.0 ng/ml) in the presence of bovine pituitary extract (BPE) (60 micrograms/ml), cell growth was increased. With 2 ng/ml of bFGF, however, a strong inhibitory effect on proliferation was observed. However, dendrite formation was constant at all concentrations of bFGF tested (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 ng/ml) with BPE (30 or 60 micrograms/ml). In this study, we have demonstrated that dendrite formation was suppressed by the reagents that stimulate melanocyte proliferation, and vice versa, with the only exception being heat-inactivated FBS. Both dendrite formation and proliferation were induced by the heat-inactivated FBS

Dynamical systems approach to the study of a sociophysics agent-based model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timpanaro, André M.; Prado, Carmen P. C.

2011-03-01

The Sznajd model is a Potts-like model that has been studied in the context of sociophysics [1,2] (where spins are interpreted as opinions). In a recent work [3], we generalized the Sznajd model to include assymetric interactions between the spins (interpreted as biases towards opinions) and used dynamical systems techniques to tackle its mean-field version, given by the flow: ησ = ∑ σ' = 1Mησησ'(ησρσ'→σ-σ'ρσ→σ'). Where hs is the proportion of agents with opinion (spin) σ', M is the number of opinions and σ'→σ' is the probability weight for an agent with opinion σ being convinced by another agent with opinion σ'. We made Monte Carlo simulations of the model in a complex network (using Barabási-Albert networks [4]) and they displayed the same attractors than the mean-field. Using linear stability analysis, we were able to determine the mean-field attractor structure analytically and to show that it has connections with well known graph theory problems (maximal independent sets and positive fluxes in directed graphs). Our dynamical systems approach is quite simple and can be used also in other models, like the voter model.

Polyethersulfone/polyacrylonitrile blended ultrafiltration membranes: preparation, morphology and filtration properties.

PubMed

Pasaoglu, Mehmet Emin; Guclu, Serkan; Koyuncu, Ismail

Polyethersulfone (PES)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes have been paid attention among membrane research subjects. However, very few studies are included in the literature. In our study, asymmetric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared from blends of PES/PAN with phase inversion method using water as coagulation bath. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with Mw of 10,000 Da was used as pore former agent. N,N-dimethylformamide was used as solvent. The effects of different percentage of PVP and PES/PAN composition on morphology and water filtration properties were investigated. Membrane performances were examined using pure water and lake water filtration studies. Performances of pure water were less with the addition of PAN into the PES polymer casting solutions. However, long-term water filtration tests showed that PES/PAN blend membranes anti-fouling properties were much higher than the neat PES membranes. The contact angles of PES/PAN membranes were lower than neat PES membranes because of PAN addition in PES polymer casting solutions. Furthermore, it was found that PES/PAN blend UF membranes' dynamic mechanical analysis properties in terms of Young's modules were less than neat PES membrane because of decreasing amount of PES polymer.

Petri Nets as Modeling Tool for Emergent Agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergman, Marto

2004-01-01

Emergent agents, those agents whose local interactions can cause unexpected global results, require a method of modeling that is both dynamic and structured Petri Nets, a modeling tool developed for dynamic discrete event system of mainly functional agents, provide this, and have the benefit of being an established tool. We present here the details of the modeling method here and discuss how to implement its use for modeling agent-based systems. Petri Nets have been used extensively in the modeling of functional agents, those agents who have defined purposes and whose actions should result in a know outcome. However, emergent agents, those agents who have a defined structure but whose interaction causes outcomes that are unpredictable, have not yet found a modeling style that suits them. A problem with formally modeling emergent agents that any formal modeling style usually expects to show the results of a problem and the results of problems studied using emergent agents are not apparent from the initial construction. However, the study of emergent agents still requires a method to analyze the agents themselves, and have sensible conversation about the differences and similarities between types of emergent agents. We attempt to correct this problem by applying Petri Nets to the characterization of emergent agents. In doing so, the emergent properties of these agents can be highlighted, and conversation about the nature and compatibility of the differing methods of agent creation can begin.

An Exploratory Study on How Children Interact with Pedagogic Conversational Agents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez-Marín, Diana; Pascual-Nieto, Ismael

2013-01-01

A pedagogic conversational agent (PCA) can be defined as a computer system that interacts with the student in natural language assuming the role of the instructor, a student or a companion. It can have a personality and can generate different sentences according to the agent or the student mood. Empathy with the students' feelings seems to…

Liposomes loaded with hydrophilic magnetite nanoparticles: Preparation and application as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

German, S V; Navolokin, N A; Kuznetsova, N R; Zuev, V V; Inozemtseva, O A; Anis'kov, A A; Volkova, E K; Bucharskaya, A B; Maslyakova, G N; Fakhrullin, R F; Terentyuk, G S; Vodovozova, E L; Gorin, D A

2015-11-01

Magnetic fluid-loaded liposomes (MFLs) were fabricated using magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) and natural phospholipids via the thin film hydration method followed by extrusion. The size distribution and composition of MFLs were studied using dynamic light scattering and spectrophotometry. The effective ranges of magnetite concentration in MNPs hydrosol and MFLs for contrasting at both T2 and T1 relaxation were determined. On T2 weighted images, the MFLs effectively increased the contrast if compared with MNPs hydrosol, while on T1 weighted images, MNPs hydrosol contrasting was more efficient than that of MFLs. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrasting properties of MFLs and their effects on tumor and normal tissues morphology, were investigated in rats with transplanted renal cell carcinoma upon intratumoral administration of MFLs. No significant morphological changes in rat internal organs upon intratumoral injection of MFLs were detected, suggesting that the liposomes are relatively safe and can be used as the potential contrasting agents for MRI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Agents of otomycosis in Manisa region, Turkey, 1995-2011].

PubMed

Değerli, Kenan; Ecemiş, Talat; Günhan, Kıvanç; Başkesen, Tolga; Kal, Elçin

2012-01-01

Otomycosis, which is otitis externa caused by fungi, is common throughout the world especially in tropical and subtropical countries. However, the epidemiologic data about the etiologic agents of otomycosis in Turkey is limited. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the agents of otomycosis in patients living at Manisa region (located at western Anatolia of Turkey). A total of 2279 cases [1465 male, 813 female; age range 1-87 (mean: 41.7) years] who were clinically prediagnosed as otomycosis at Celal Bayar University Hospital, between February 1995 and July 2011, were included in the study. External ear swab samples from patients with suspicion of otomycosis have been evaluated by routine mycological methods. Identification of mold-like fungi was based on colony morphology and microscopic examination of fungal structure, whereas germ tube test, growth characteristics on cornmeal-Tween 80 agar and API 20C AUX (bio-Mérieux, France) system were used for the identification of yeast-like fungi. Of the samples, 28% (638/2279) were found positive by direct microscopy and 24% (544/2279) by culture methods. Among culture-positive cases the isolation rates of mold-like and yeast-like fungi were 66% (359/544) and 34% (185/544), respectively. The number of distribution of the molds were as follows; Aspergillus niger (180), Aspergillus fumigatus (95), Aspergillus terreus (32), Aspergillus flavus (23), Aspergillus spp. (14), Penicillium spp. (13), Trichophyton spp. (T.rubrum 1, T.mentagrophytes 1); while this distribution was as follows for the yeasts; Candida tropicalis (97), Candida albicans (39), Candida parapsilosis (21), Candida glabrata (19), Candida kefyr (4), C.guilliermondii (2), Candida krusei (1), Geotrichum candidum (1) and Trichosporon capitatum (1). It was notable that 96% (344/359) of mold-like fungi were Aspergillus spp., and 99% (183/185) of yeast-like fungi were Candida spp. The results of this study indicated that the most frequent agents of

A Study on the Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Photo-Curable Ceramic/Polymer Composites with Different Silane Coupling Agents for SLA 3D Printing Technology

PubMed Central

Song, Se Yeon; Park, Min Soo; Lee, Jung Woo; Yun, Ji Sun

2018-01-01

Silane coupling agents (SCAs) with different organofunctional groups were coated on the surfaces of Al2O3 ceramic particles through hydrolysis and condensation reactions, and the SCA-coated Al2O3 ceramic particles were dispersed in a commercial photopolymer based on interpenetrating networks (IPNs). The organofunctional groups that have high radical reactivity and are more effective in UV curing systems are usually functional groups based on acryl, such as acryloxy groups, methacrloxy groups, and acrylamide groups, and these silane coupling agents seem to improve interfacial adhesion and dispersion stability. The coating morphology and the coating thickness distribution of SCA-coated Al2O3 ceramic particles according to the different organofunctional groups were observed by FE-TEM. The initial dispersibility and dispersion stability of the SCA-coated Al2O3/High-temp composite solutions were investigated by relaxation NMR and Turbiscan. The rheological properties of the composite solutions were investigated by viscoelastic analysis and the mechanical properties of 3D-printed objects were observed with a nanoindenter. PMID:29414912

Epidemiological and morphological studies of double-chambered right ventricle in dogs.

PubMed

Fukushima, Ryuji; Tanaka, Ryou; Suzuki, Shuji; Hamabe, Rina; Machida, Noboru; Nakao, Shu; Saida, Yuto; Takashima, Kazuaki; Matsumoto, Hirotaka; Koyama, Hidekazu; Hirose, Hisashi; Yamane, Yoshihisa

2011-10-01

The double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a rare congenital cardiac disease in dogs, and its detailed epidemiological and morphological features are not clearly understood. By investigating the profile, clinical signs, and characteristics of examination findings of eleven dogs with DCRV by means of a retrospective study, we attempted to clarify the epidemiology and morphology of the condition. The study group consisted of nine males and two females. Breeds included Pug (n=3), Miniature Dachshund (n=1), French Bull-dog (n=1), Shiba (n=1), and Retrievers (n=5). The attachment site of the anomalous muscular bundle was continuous with the cardiac apex in nine dogs, and it was attached to the right ventricle free wall in the other two dogs. In dogs with DCRV, at least one of the following conditions was present concurrently: congenital or acquired tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR), ventricular septal defect, and atrial septal defect. Also, the pressure difference between the two chambers increased over time, and progressive right-sided heart failure was observed. In summary, DCRV occurs in small breeds of dog as well as in large breeds of dog and it may be more prevalent in males. The existence of two types of DCRV in dogs was established. Dog with DCRVs will have a high incidence of concurrent cardiac abnormalities. Concurrent TR may be either congenital or acquired. DCRV is a congenital disorder, but the clinical condition progresses as the dog develops.

From morphology to clinical pathophysiology: multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging at patients' bedside

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mess, Christian; Zens, Katharina; Gorzelanny, Christian; Metze, Dieter; Luger, Thomas A.; König, Karsten; Schneider, Stefan W.; Huck, Volker

2017-02-01

Application of multiphoton microscopy in the field of biomedical research and advanced diagnostics promises unique insights into the pathophysiology of skin diseases. By means of multiphoton excitation, endogenous biomolecules like NADH, collagen or elastin show autofluorescence or second harmonic generation. Thus, these molecules provide information about the subcellular morphology, epidermal architecture and physiological condition of the skin. To gain a deeper understanding of the linkage between cellular structure and physiological processes, non-invasive multiphotonbased intravital tomography (MPT) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) were combined within the scopes of inflammatory skin, chronic wounds and drug delivery in clinical application. The optical biopsies generated via MPT were morphologically analyzed and aligned with classical skin histology. Because of its subcellular resolution, MPT provided evidence of a redistribution of mitochondria in keratinocytes, indicating an altered cellular metabolism. Independent morphometric algorithms reliably showed a perinuclear accumulation in lesional skin in contrast to an even distribution in healthy skin. Confirmatively, MPT-FLIM showed an obvious metabolic shift in lesions. Moreover, detection of the onset and progression of inflammatory processes could be achieved. The feasibility of primary in vivo tracking of applied therapeutic agents further broadened our scope: We examined the permeation and subsequent distribution of agents directly visualized in patientś skin in short-term repetitive measurements. Furthermore, we performed MPT-FLIM follow-up investigations in the long-term course of therapy. Therefore, clinical MPT-FLIM application offers new insights into the pathophysiology and the individual therapeutic course of skin diseases, facilitating a better understanding of the processes of inflammation and wound healing.

Optical and morphological study of disorder in opals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacios-Lidón, E.; Juárez, B. H.; Castillo-Martínez, E.; López, C.

2005-03-01

An optical and morphological study has been carried out to understand the role of intrinsic defects in the optical properties of opal-based photonic crystals. By doping poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) thin-film opals with larger polystyrene (PS) spheres, structural disorder has being generated perturbing the PMMA matrix periodicity. It is shown that this disorder dramatically affects the optical response of the system worsening its photonic properties. It has been found that the effect of doping is highly dependent not only on the concentration but also on the relative size of the dopant with reference to the matrix. Through a detailed scanning electron microscopy inspection, the sort of structural defects involved, derived from the different particle size used, has been characterized. A direct relationship between the observed optical response with the different perturbations generated in the lattice has been found. In addition, from this study it can be concluded that it is possible to grow high quality alloyed photonic crystals, exhibiting intermediate photonic properties between pure PMMA and pure PS opals by simple sphere size matching and variation of the relative concentration of both components.

Neotrombicula inopinata (Acari: Trombiculidae) – a possible causative agent of trombiculiasis in Europe

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background For over a decade, the presence of trombiculid mites in some mountain areas of La Rioja (Northern Spain) and their association with seasonal human dermatitis have been recognized. This work aimed to establish the species identity of the agent causing trombiculiasis in the study area. Methods Trombiculid larvae (chigger mites) were collected from vegetation in the Sierra Cebollera Natural Park and in Sierra La Hez during an outbreak of human trombiculiasis in 2010. Three specimens collected from a bird were also examined. Identification was made using morphological and morphometric traits based on the most recent taxonomic sources. A comparison of those mites with specimens of the same species collected throughout Europe was performed by means of cluster analysis with multiscale bootstrap resampling and calculation of approximately unbiased p-values. Results All collected mites were identified as Neotrombicula inopinata (Oudemans, 1909). Therefore, this species is the most likely causative agent of trombiculiasis in Spain, not Neotrombicula autumnalis (Shaw, 1790), as it was generally assumed. No chigger was identified as N. autumnalis in the study area. Neotrombicula inopinata clearly differs from N. autumnalis in the presence of eight or more setae in the 1st and 2nd rows of dorsal idiosomal setae vs. six setae in N. autumnalis. Comparison of N. inopinata samples from different locations shows significant geographic variability in morphometric traits. Samples from Western and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus formed three separate clusters. Conclusion Since the taxonomical basis of many studies concerning N. autumnalis as a causative agent of trombiculiasis is insufficient, it is highly possible that N. inopinata may be hiding behind the common name of “harvest bug” in Europe, together with N. autumnalis. PMID:24589214

Synthesis and SAR studies of very potent imidazopyridine antiprotozoal agents.

PubMed

Biftu, Tesfaye; Feng, Dennis; Fisher, Michael; Liang, Gui-Bai; Qian, Xiaoxia; Scribner, Andrew; Dennis, Richard; Lee, Shuliang; Liberator, Paul A; Brown, Chris; Gurnett, Anne; Leavitt, Penny S; Thompson, Donald; Mathew, John; Misura, Andrew; Samaras, Samantha; Tamas, Tamas; Sina, Joseph F; McNulty, Kathleen A; McKnight, Crystal G; Schmatz, Dennis M; Wyvratt, Matthew

2006-05-01

Compounds 10a (IC50 110 pM) and 21 (IC50 40 pM) are the most potent inhibitors of Eimeria tenella cGMP-dependent protein kinase activity reported to date and are efficacious in the in vivo antiparasitic assay when administered to chickens at 12.5 and 6.25 ppm levels in the feed. However, both compounds are positive in the Ames microbial mutagenesis assay which precludes them from further development as antiprotozoal agents in the absence of negative lifetime rodent carcinogenicity studies.

Rates of morphological evolution, asymmetry and morphological integration of shell shape in scallops.

PubMed

Sherratt, Emma; Serb, Jeanne M; Adams, Dean C

2017-12-08

Rates of morphological evolution vary across different taxonomic groups, and this has been proposed as one of the main drivers for the great diversity of organisms on Earth. Of the extrinsic factors pertaining to this variation, ecological hypotheses feature prominently in observed differences in phenotypic evolutionary rates across lineages. But complex organisms are inherently modular, comprising distinct body parts that can be differentially affected by external selective pressures. Thus, the evolution of trait covariation and integration in modular systems may also play a prominent role in shaping patterns of phenotypic diversity. Here we investigate the role ecological diversity plays in morphological integration, and the tempo of shell shape evolution and of directional asymmetry in bivalved scallops. Overall, the shape of both valves and the magnitude of asymmetry of the whole shell (difference in shape between valves) are traits that are evolving fast in ecomorphs under strong selective pressures (gliders, recessers and nestling), compared to low rates observed in other ecomorphs (byssal-attaching, free-living and cementing). Given that different parts of an organism can be under different selective pressures from the environment, we also examined the degree of evolutionary integration between the valves as it relates to ecological shifts. We find that evolutionary morphological integration is consistent and surprisingly high across species, indicating that while the left and right valves of a scallop shell are diversifying in accordance with ecomorphology, they are doing so in a concerted fashion. Our study on scallops adds another strong piece of evidence that ecological shifts play an important role in the tempo and mode of morphological evolution. Strong selective pressures from the environment, inferred from the repeated evolution of distinct ecomorphs, have influenced the rate of morphological evolution in valve shape and the magnitude of asymmetry

Morphology and capacity of a cadmium electrode - Studies on a simulated pore.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Will, F. G.; Hess, H. J.

1973-01-01

Conditions in a single pore of a battery plate were simulated by using a cadmium chip of millimeter dimensions covered with an electrolyte film of micron thickness. In situ microscopy was applied to study changes in the electrode morphology during charge and discharge. Passivation and increases in particle sizes due to precipitation and electrodeposition of dissolved cadmium species were found to cause profound loss in electrode capacity on repeated charge and discharge.

Astragalar Morphology of Selected Giraffidae

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The artiodactyl astragalus has been modified to exhibit two trochleae, creating a double pullied structure allowing for significant dorso-plantar motion, and limited mediolateral motion. The astragalus structure is partly influenced by environmental substrates, and correspondingly, morphometric studies can yield paleohabitat information. The present study establishes terminology and describes detailed morphological features on giraffid astragali. Each giraffid astragalus exhibits a unique combination of anatomical characteristics. The giraffid astragalar morphologies reinforce previously established phylogenetic relationships. We find that the enlargement of the navicular head is a feature shared by all giraffids, and that the primitive giraffids possess exceptionally tall astragalar heads in relation to the total astragalar height. The sivatheres and the okapi share a reduced notch on the lateral edge of the astragalus. We find that Samotherium is more primitive in astragalar morphologies than Palaeotragus, which is reinforced by tooth characteristics and ossicone position. Diagnostic anatomical characters on the astragalus allow for giraffid species identifications and a better understanding of Giraffidae. PMID:27028515

Astragalar Morphology of Selected Giraffidae.

PubMed

Solounias, Nikos; Danowitz, Melinda

2016-01-01

The artiodactyl astragalus has been modified to exhibit two trochleae, creating a double pullied structure allowing for significant dorso-plantar motion, and limited mediolateral motion. The astragalus structure is partly influenced by environmental substrates, and correspondingly, morphometric studies can yield paleohabitat information. The present study establishes terminology and describes detailed morphological features on giraffid astragali. Each giraffid astragalus exhibits a unique combination of anatomical characteristics. The giraffid astragalar morphologies reinforce previously established phylogenetic relationships. We find that the enlargement of the navicular head is a feature shared by all giraffids, and that the primitive giraffids possess exceptionally tall astragalar heads in relation to the total astragalar height. The sivatheres and the okapi share a reduced notch on the lateral edge of the astragalus. We find that Samotherium is more primitive in astragalar morphologies than Palaeotragus, which is reinforced by tooth characteristics and ossicone position. Diagnostic anatomical characters on the astragalus allow for giraffid species identifications and a better understanding of Giraffidae.

Dy uniform film morphologies on graphene studied with SPA-LEED and STM

DOE PAGES

McDougall, D.; Hattab, H.; Hershberger, M. T.; ...

2016-07-01

The use of graphene for microelectronics and spintronic applications requires strategies for metals to wet graphene and to grow layer-by-layer. This is especially important when metals will be used as electrical contacts or as spin filters. Extensive work in the literature so far has shown that this is very challenging, since practically all metals grow 3D, with multi-height islands forming easily. Reasons for the 3D morphology are the much weaker metal carbon bond when compared to the metal cohesive energy and the role of Coulomb repulsion of the poorly screened charges at the metal graphene interface. We employed the complementarymore » techniques of SPA-LEED and STM to study the growth of Dy on graphene. It was found that under kinetic limitations it is possible to fully cover graphene with a bilayer Dy film, by growing well below room temperature in stepwise deposition experiments. Lastly, the Dy film, however, is amorphous but ways to crystallize it within the 2D morphology are possible, since long range order improves at higher growth temperature.« less

Agent-based modeling: case study in cleavage furrow models

PubMed Central

Mogilner, Alex; Manhart, Angelika

2016-01-01

The number of studies in cell biology in which quantitative models accompany experiments has been growing steadily. Roughly, mathematical and computational techniques of these models can be classified as “differential equation based” (DE) or “agent based” (AB). Recently AB models have started to outnumber DE models, but understanding of AB philosophy and methodology is much less widespread than familiarity with DE techniques. Here we use the history of modeling a fundamental biological problem—positioning of the cleavage furrow in dividing cells—to explain how and why DE and AB models are used. We discuss differences, advantages, and shortcomings of these two approaches. PMID:27811328

Morphological and molecular analysis of Fusarium lateritium, the cause of gray necrosis of hazelnut fruit in Italy.

PubMed

Vitale, S; Santori, A; Wajnberg, E; Castagnone-Sereno, P; Luongo, L; Belisario, A

2011-06-01

Fusarium lateritium is a globally distributed plant pathogen. It was recently reported as the causal agent of nut gray necrosis (NGN) on hazelnut. Isolate characterization within F. lateritium was undertaken to investigate how morphological and molecular diversity was associated with host and geographic origin. Morphological studies combined with inter-simple-sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis, and phylogenetic analyses using translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1α), β-tubulin genes, and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences were conducted to resolve relationships among 32 F. lateritium isolates from NGN-affected hazelnut fruit, and 14 from other substrates or 8 from other hosts than hazelnut. Colonies of F. lateritium from hazelnut showed dark grayish-olive differing from the orange-yellow color of all other isolates from other hosts. Generally, isolates from NGN-affected fruit failed to produce sporodochia on carnation leaf agar. The influence of host and substrate on the genetic structure of F. lateritium was supported by ISSR and analyzed with principal coordinates analysis. A relationship between hazelnut and genetic variation was inferred. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS provided limited resolution while TEF-1α and β-tubulin analyses allowed a clear separation between the European and non-European F. lateritium isolates retrieved from GenBank, regardless of host. Though morphological traits of F. lateritium isolates from hazelnut were generally uniform in defining a typical morphogroup, they were not yet phylogenetically defined. In contrast, the typology related to slimy deep orange cultures, due to spore mass, grouped clearly separated from the other F. lateritium isolates and revealed a congruence between morphology and phylogeny.

Morphology and characterization of 3D micro-porous structured chitosan scaffolds for tissue engineering.

PubMed

Hsieh, Wen-Chuan; Chang, Chih-Pong; Lin, Shang-Ming

2007-06-15

This research studies the morphology and characterization of three-dimensional (3D) micro-porous structures produced from biodegradable chitosan for use as scaffolds for cells culture. The chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were produced by a simple liquid hardening method, which includes the processes of foaming by mechanical stirring without any chemical foaming agent added, and hardening by NaOH cross linking. The pore size and porosity were controlled with mechanical stirring strength. This study includes the morphology of chitosan scaffolds, the characterization of mechanical properties, water absorption properties and in vitro enzymatic degradation of the 3D micro-porous structures. The results show that chitosan 3D micro-porous structures were successfully produced. Better formation samples were obtained when chitosan concentration is at 1-3%, and concentration of NaOH is at 5%. Faster stirring rate would produce samples of smaller pore diameter, but when rotation speed reaches 4000 rpm and higher the changes in pore size is minimal. Water absorption would reduce along with the decrease of chitosan scaffolds' pore diameter. From stress-strain analysis, chitosan scaffolds' mechanical properties are improved when it has smaller pore diameter. From in vitro enzymatic degradation results, it shows that the disintegration rate of chitosan scaffolds would increase along with the processing time increase, but approaching equilibrium when the disintegration rate reaches about 20%.

Knowledge of Morphologically Complex Words: A Developmental Study of Older Children and Young Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nippold, Marilyn A.; Sun, Lei

2008-01-01

Purpose: This study examined knowledge of derived nominals (e.g., measurement, prediction) and derived adjectives (e.g., algebraic, molecular) in older children and young adolescents. Little was known about students' comprehension of these morphologically complex words that occur in textbooks that are used in public schools to teach challenging…

TACtic- A Multi Behavioral Agent for Trading Agent Competition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosravi, Hassan; Shiri, Mohammad E.; Khosravi, Hamid; Iranmanesh, Ehsan; Davoodi, Alireza

Software agents are increasingly being used to represent humans in online auctions. Such agents have the advantages of being able to systematically monitor a wide variety of auctions and then make rapid decisions about what bids to place in what auctions. They can do this continuously and repetitively without losing concentration. To provide a means of evaluating and comparing (benchmarking) research methods in this area the trading agent competition (TAC) was established. This paper describes the design, of TACtic. Our agent uses multi behavioral techniques at the heart of its decision making to make bidding decisions in the face of uncertainty, to make predictions about the likely outcomes of auctions, and to alter the agent's bidding strategy in response to the prevailing market conditions.

Contributions of Morphological Skill to Children's Essay Writing

PubMed Central

Northey, Mary; McCutchen, Deborah; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

Morphological skills have previously been found to reliably predict reading skill, including word reading, vocabulary, and comprehension. However, less is known about how morphological skills might contribute to writing skill, aside from its well-documented role in the development of spelling. This correlational study examines whether morphological skill, as measured by a sentence generation task tapping both derivational morphology and meta-syntactic skills, predicts performance on a standardized essay writing task for fifth- and eighth-grade U.S. students (N = 233), after controlling for grade level, comprehension, and writing fluency. Multilevel analyses indicated that morphological skill and writing fluency were each uniquely predictive of essay quality, and this finding was consistent regardless of whether accurate spelling was required in the morphological task. Our results suggest that morphological skills play an important role in writing, as has been previously documented in reading and spelling. PMID:26957783

The Effects of Peer-Like and Expert-Like Pedagogical Agents on Learners' Agent Perceptions, Task-Related Attitudes, and Learning Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liew, Tze Wei; Tan, Su-Mae; Jayothisa, Chandrika

2013-01-01

The present study examined the impact of peer-like and expert-like agent stereotypes, as operationalized by agent's image and voice, on learners' agent perceptions, task-related attitudes, and learning achievement. 56 university freshmen (23 males and 33 females) interacted with either the peer-like agent (female college student) or the…

Multifunctional ultra-high vacuum apparatus for studies of the interactions of chemical warfare agents on complex surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilmsmeyer, Amanda R.; Gordon, Wesley O.; Davis, Erin Durke; Mantooth, Brent A.; Lalain, Teri A.; Morris, John R.

2014-01-01

A fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents is needed to fully predict the interaction of these toxic molecules with militarily relevant materials, catalysts, and environmental surfaces. For example, rules for predicting the surface chemistry of agents can be applied to the creation of next generation decontaminants, reactive coatings, and protective materials for the warfighter. Here, we describe a multifunctional ultra-high vacuum instrument for conducting comprehensive studies of the adsorption, desorption, and surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents on model and militarily relevant surfaces. The system applies reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to study adsorption and surface reactions of chemical warfare agents. Several novel components have been developed to address the unique safety and sample exposure challenges that accompany the research of these toxic, often very low vapor pressure, compounds. While results of vacuum-based surface science techniques may not necessarily translate directly to environmental processes, learning about the fundamental chemistry will begin to inform scientists about the critical aspects that impact real-world applications.

Multifunctional ultra-high vacuum apparatus for studies of the interactions of chemical warfare agents on complex surfaces.

PubMed

Wilmsmeyer, Amanda R; Gordon, Wesley O; Davis, Erin Durke; Mantooth, Brent A; Lalain, Teri A; Morris, John R

2014-01-01

A fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents is needed to fully predict the interaction of these toxic molecules with militarily relevant materials, catalysts, and environmental surfaces. For example, rules for predicting the surface chemistry of agents can be applied to the creation of next generation decontaminants, reactive coatings, and protective materials for the warfighter. Here, we describe a multifunctional ultra-high vacuum instrument for conducting comprehensive studies of the adsorption, desorption, and surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents on model and militarily relevant surfaces. The system applies reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to study adsorption and surface reactions of chemical warfare agents. Several novel components have been developed to address the unique safety and sample exposure challenges that accompany the research of these toxic, often very low vapor pressure, compounds. While results of vacuum-based surface science techniques may not necessarily translate directly to environmental processes, learning about the fundamental chemistry will begin to inform scientists about the critical aspects that impact real-world applications.

Multifunctional ultra-high vacuum apparatus for studies of the interactions of chemical warfare agents on complex surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilmsmeyer, Amanda R.; Morris, John R.; Gordon, Wesley O.

2014-01-15

A fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents is needed to fully predict the interaction of these toxic molecules with militarily relevant materials, catalysts, and environmental surfaces. For example, rules for predicting the surface chemistry of agents can be applied to the creation of next generation decontaminants, reactive coatings, and protective materials for the warfighter. Here, we describe a multifunctional ultra-high vacuum instrument for conducting comprehensive studies of the adsorption, desorption, and surface chemistry of chemical warfare agents on model and militarily relevant surfaces. The system applies reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry tomore » study adsorption and surface reactions of chemical warfare agents. Several novel components have been developed to address the unique safety and sample exposure challenges that accompany the research of these toxic, often very low vapor pressure, compounds. While results of vacuum-based surface science techniques may not necessarily translate directly to environmental processes, learning about the fundamental chemistry will begin to inform scientists about the critical aspects that impact real-world applications.« less

Studies of Opinion Stability for Small Dynamic Networks with Opportunistic Agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobkowicz, Pawel

There are numerous examples of societies with extremely stable mix of contrasting opinions. We argue that this stability is a result of an interplay between society network topology adjustment and opinion changing processes. To support this position we present a computer model of opinion formation based on some novel assumptions, designed to bring the model closer to social reality. In our model, the agents, in addition to changing their opinions due to influence of the rest of society and external propaganda, have the ability to modify their social network, forming links with agents sharing the same opinions and cutting the links with those they disagree with. To improve the model further we divide the agents into "fanatics" and "opportunists," depending on how easy it is to change their opinions. The simulations show significant differences compared to traditional models, where network links are static. In particular, for the dynamical model where inter-agent links are adjustable, the final network structure and opinion distribution is shown to resemble real world observations, such as social structures and persistence of minority groups even when most of the society is against them and the propaganda is strong.

The risk of recrystallization: changes to the toxicity and morphology of pyrimethamine.

PubMed

Perold, Zak; Caira, Mino R; Brits, Marius

2014-01-01

Pyrimethamine, an anti-malarial agent known to exhibit solid state polymorphism, may be purified by means of recrystallization. Recrystallization may alter the solid state chemistry of pharmaceuticals, which may impact the toxicity and/or manufacturability thereof. We evaluated the risks associated with the recrystallization of pyrimethamine. Pyrimethamine was recrystallized using several organic solvents. X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, infra-red spectroscopy, microscopy, flowability -, solubility and dissolution testing as well as computational work were employed to evaluate the recrystallized products. A toxic solvatomorph of pyrimethamine (Pyr-MeOH) was found to be the product from methanol recrystallization. The elucidation of - and the elaboration on the unique characteristics of Pyr-MeOH provides the pharmaceutical industry with several means to identify Pyr-MeOH and to distinguish it from the pharmaceutically preferred anhydrous form (Pyr). Thermal methods of analysis found that the toxicity of Pyr-MeOH may be reversed by overcoming a desolvation activation energy of 148 kJ/mol. In addition it was found that recrystallization altered the morphology of Pyr. Angle of repose and tapped density determinations identified that the different morphologies of Pyr displayed differences in powder flow and compressibility behaviour and In Silico calculations were successful in rendering morphologies resembling that found experimentally. We present a solvatomorph of pyrimethamine and provide several characteristic means to identify this unwanted toxic form and quantified the energy required to overcome its toxicity. In addition we describe that Pyr may present in different morphologies and show how it may impact the manufacturability thereof.

Semantic transparency affects morphological priming . . . eventually.

PubMed

Heyer, Vera; Kornishova, Dana

2018-05-01

Semantic transparency has been in the focus of psycholinguistic research for decades, with the controversy about the time course of the application of morpho-semantic information during the processing of morphologically complex words not yet resolved. This study reports two masked priming studies with English - ness and Russian - ost' nominalisations, investigating how semantic transparency modulates native speakers' morphological priming effects at short and long stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). In both languages, we found increased morphological priming for nominalisations at the transparent end of the scale (e.g. paleness - pale) in comparison to items at the opaque end of the scale (e.g. business - busy) but only at longer prime durations. The present findings are in line with models that posit an initial phase of morpho-orthographic (semantically blind) decomposition.

Persistent agents in Axelrod's social dynamics model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reia, Sandro M.; Neves, Ubiraci P. C.

2016-01-01

Axelrod's model of social dynamics has been studied under the effect of external media. Here we study the formation of cultural domains in the model by introducing persistent agents. These are agents whose cultural traits are not allowed to change but may be spread through local neighborhood. In the absence of persistent agents, the system is known to present a transition from a monocultural to a multicultural regime at some critical Q (number of traits). Our results reveal a dependence of critical Q on the occupation probability p of persistent agents and we obtain the phase diagram of the model in the (p,Q) -plane. The critical locus is explained by the competition of two opposite forces named here barrier and bonding effects. Such forces are verified to be caused by non-persistent agents which adhere (adherent agents) to the set of traits of persistent ones. The adherence (concentration of adherent agents) as a function of p is found to decay for constant Q. Furthermore, adherence as a function of Q is found to decay as a power law with constant p.

Functionality study of santalin as tyrosinase inhibitor: A potential depigmentation agent.

PubMed

Hridya, Hemachandran; Amrita, Anantharaman; Mohan, Sankari; Gopalakrishnan, Mohan; Dakshinamurthy, Thirumal Kumar; Doss, George Priya; Siva, Ramamoorthy

2016-05-01

Excessive melanin production leads to hyperpigmentation disorders which results in distressing aesthetic values. Though there are some synthetic depigmentation agents available it has been reported to possess cytotoxic and mutagenic effects. Hence there is a need for the development of safe and non toxic natural tyrosinase inhibitors. Here we report the role of santalin, the chief constituent of Pterocarpus santalinus in inhibition of tyrosinase and melanin synthesis. Santalin inhibited tyrosinase activity dose dependently. Inhibitory kinetic studies revealed mixed type of inhibition with reversible mechanism. Santalin was found to interact with the fluorophore amino acid residue of tyrosinase. Analysis of circular dichroism spectra showed the binding of santalin to tyrosinase which induced the loss of secondary helical structure. Molecular docking result suggested that santalin interact with the catalytic core of tyrosinase through strong hydrogen and hydrophobic bonding. The results of in vitro studies showed santalin inhibited melanogenesis through down regulation of MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2 without any cytotoxic effects towards B16F0 melanoma cells. Therefore, our results suggested that santalin possesses anti-tyrosinase activity, which could be utilized as a safe depigmentation agent in the cosmetic field for the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Causative Agents of Aspergillosis Including Cryptic Aspergillus Species and A. fumigatus.

PubMed

Toyotome, Takahito

2016-01-01

Aspergillosis is an important deep mycosis. The causative agents are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus, of which A. fumigatus is the most prevalent. Cryptic Aspergillus spp., which morphologically resemble representative species of each Aspergillus section, also cause aspergillosis. Most of the cryptic species reveal different susceptibility patterns and/or different secondary metabolite profiles, also called exometabolome in this manuscript, from those representative species. On the other hand, azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains in clinical specimens and in the environment have been reported. Therefore, it is imperative to precisely identify the species, including cryptic Aspergillus spp., and evaluate the susceptibility of isolates.In this manuscript, some of the causative cryptic Aspergillus spp. are briefly reviewed. In addition, the exometabolome of Aspergillus section Fumigati is described. Finally, azole resistance of A. fumigatus is also discussed, in reference to several studies from Japan.

The influence of polymeric excipients on the process of pharmaceutical availability of therapeutic agents from a model drug form. Part I. In formulations with controlled disintegration and release time.

PubMed

Nachajski, Michal Jakub; Zgoda, Marian Mikołaj

2010-01-01

Pre-formulation research was conducted on the application of Ex. Echinaceae aq. siccum in the production of a quickly disintegrating suspension tablet, a lozenge with kariostatic sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol), and, above all, a solid drug form with controlled release of therapeutic agents included in the extract. Morphological parameters of tablets obtained in the course of experiment were estimated and the profiles of the release (diffusion) ofhydrophilic therapeutic agents into model receptor fluids with varying values of osmolarity (0.1 mol HCl approximately 200 mOsm/l, hypotonic hydrating fluid approximately 143 mOsm/l, and compensatory paediatric fluid approximately 272 mOsm/l) were examined. The study focused on the technological problem of determining the effect of hydrogel Carbopol structure on the ordering of diffusion ofhydrophilic therapeutic agents from a model drug form (a tablet) into model fluids with variable osmolarity.

Examining the Underlying Dimensions of Morphological Awareness and Vocabulary Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Mercedes; Muse, Andrea; Wagner, Richard K.; Foorman, Barbara; Petscher, Yaacov; Schatschneider, Christopher; Tighe, Elizabeth L.; Bishop, M. Denise

2015-01-01

We report results from two studies on the underlying dimensions of morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge in elementary-aged children. In Study 1, 99 fourth-grade students were given multiple measures of morphological awareness and vocabulary. A single factor accounted for individual differences in all morphology and vocabulary…

Potential of Microbispora sp. V2 as biocontrol agent against Sclerotium rolfsii, the causative agent of southern blight of Zea mays L (Baby corn)--in vitro studies.

PubMed

Patil, N N; Waghmode, M S; Gaikwad, P S; Gajbhiye, M H; Gunjal, A B; Nawani, N N; Kapadnis, B P

2014-11-01

The study was undertaken with the aim of exploring novel and beneficial agro activities of rare actinomycetes like Microbispora sp. V2. The antagonistic activity of Microbispora sp. V2 was evaluated as a biocontrol agents against Sclerotium rolfsii, a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen. The methodology performed for evaluation of biocontrol agent was in vitro evaluation assay which comprised of three tests viz., cellophane overlay technique, seed germination test and Thiram (fungicide) tolerance of Microbispora sp. V2. The isolate was found to inhibit the fungal pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii to 91.43% in cellophane assay. In seed germination assay, Microbispora sp. V2 treated seeds resulted in 25.75% increased germination efficiency, as compared to seeds infected by Sclerotium rolfsii. The isolate Microbispora sp. V2 could tolerate 1000 microg mL(-1) of Thiram (fungicide). The in vitro assay studies proved that Microbispora sp. V2 can be used as antifungal antagonist and thus posses' great potential as biocontrol agent against southern blight caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in Zea mays L (Baby corn) which causes large economical losses.

Changes in surface morphology and mineralization level of human enamel following in-office bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and light irradiation.

PubMed

Berger, Sandrine Bittencourt; Cavalli, Vanessa; Ambrosano, Glaucia Maria Bovi; Giannini, Marcelo

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the alterations on surface morphology and mineral loss of human enamel following in-office bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and light irradiation. Dental enamel samples were obtained from human third molars and randomly divided into 10 groups (n = 10). The control group remained untreated. Bleached groups were treated with one of three whitening products. Bleaching was performed in a single session, during which bleaching gel was applied to the enamel surface three times for 10 minutes each time. During treatment, the bleaching agents were either irradiated by a halogen light or an LED/diode laser or were not irradiated at all. Microhardness testing was performed with a Knoop indentor and the surface morphologic observations were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cross-sectional microhardness (CSMH) and polarized light microscopy (PLM) were used to measure the depth of demineralization. The results revealed a significant decrease in surface microhardness values and changes to the enamel morphology after bleaching. CSMH and PLM showed that bleached enamel presented lower volume percentage of mineral up to 40 micrometers from the enamel surface and demineralization areas located in the subsuperficial region of enamel, respectively. It was concluded that 35% hydrogen peroxide can alter the surface morphology and the mineralization level of the dental enamel surface and sub-surface regardless of what type of bleaching light is used.

Epidermal changes in heat and electrically injured pig skin: a light microscopic study of the sequences in morphology.

PubMed

Thomsen, H K; Danielsen, L; Nielsen, O; Aalund, O; Nielsen, K G; Karlsmark, T; Genefke, I K

1982-09-01

Biopsies were obtained from heat and electrically exposed pig skin at different at different times after exposure, in order to describe the morphological sequences in heat and electrically injured skin. The work is part of a series of studies in which it is investigated whether morphological methods can be used in disclosing electrical torture. Epidermal changes in heat lesions differed from those of electrical lesions in all experiments. Heat lesions typically showed a detached epidermis with fibrillar or granular cytoplasm. In older lesions the epidermis appeared concrete. Electrical lesions showed an attached epidermis with small defects, a white, homogeneous cytoplasm, vesicular nuclei and curled, clumped keratin. The electrical lesions were rejected at day 4 or 5. The number of characteristic morphological changes in epidermis decreased with the age of the lesions. It is concluded that epidermal electrical lesions differ in morphology from heat lesions and that it is possible to evaluate the age of the lesions.

Notes on the Morphology and Biology of Syneura cocciphila (Diptera: Phoridae)

PubMed Central

Muñoz, Keily; Manrique, Marilyn B; Gaimari, Stephen D

2018-01-01

Abstract Herein we provide information on the morphology and duration of the different stages of development of Syneura cocciphila (Coquillett; Diptera: Phoridae), a phorid-fly predator of the Colombian fluted scale Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo and Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae). The time from oviposition to adult emergence was 20.04 d. The duration of the different growth stages was as follows: egg 1.38 (±0.18) d; three larval stages combined 4.5 (±0.19) d; prepupa 1.63 (±0.09) d; and pupa 12.53 (±0.12) d. On average, adult females lived 13.23 (±0.77) d and adult males lived 11.13 (±0.61) d under laboratory conditions. S. cocciphila is a common species in the city of Cali, department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, and is an effective biological control agent of the scale insect pest C. multicicatrices. This is the first detailed study on the biology of S. cocciphila.

Confocal Microscopy and Molecular-Specific Optical Contrast Agents for the Detection of Oral Neoplasia

PubMed Central

Carlson, Alicia L.; Gillenwater, Ann M.; Williams, Michelle D.; El-Naggar, Adel K.; Richards-Kortum, R. R.

2009-01-01

Using current clinical diagnostic techniques, it is difficult to visualize tumor morphology and architecture at the cellular level, which is necessary for diagnostic localization of pathologic lesions. Optical imaging techniques have the potential to address this clinical need by providing real-time, sub-cellular resolution images. This paper describes the use of dual mode confocal microscopy and optical molecular-specific contrast agents to image tissue architecture, cellular morphology, and sub-cellular molecular features of normal and neoplastic oral tissues. Fresh tissue slices were prepared from 33 biopsies of clinically normal and abnormal oral mucosa obtained from 14 patients. Reflectance confocal images were acquired after the application of 6% acetic acid, and fluorescence confocal images were acquired after the application of a fluorescence contrast agent targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The dual imaging modes provided images similar to light microscopy of hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry staining, but from thick fresh tissue slices. Reflectance images provided information on the architecture of the tissue and the cellular morphology. The nuclear-to-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio from the reflectance images was at least 7.5 times greater for the carcinoma than the corresponding normal samples, except for one case of highly keratinized carcinoma. Separation of carcinoma from normal and mild dysplasia was achieved using this ratio (p<0.01). Fluorescence images of EGFR expression yielded a mean fluorescence labeling intensity (FLI) that was at least 2.7 times higher for severe dysplasia and carcinoma samples than for the corresponding normal sample, and could be used to distinguish carcinoma from normal and mild dysplasia (p<0.01). Analyzed together, the N/C ratio and the mean FLI may improve the ability to distinguish carcinoma from normal squamous epithelium. PMID:17877424

Morphological and behavioral markers of environmentally induced retardation of brain development: an animal model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altman, J.

1987-10-01

In most neurotoxicological studies morphological assessment focuses on pathological effects, like degenerative changes in neuronal perikarya, axonopathy, demyelination, and glial and endothelial cell reactions. Similarly, the assessment of physiological and behavioral effects center on evident neurological symptoms, like EEG and EMG abnormalities, resting and intention tremor, abnormal gait, and abnormal reflexes. This paper reviews briefly another central nervous system target of harmful environmental agents, which results in behavioral abnormalities without any qualitatively evident neuropathology. This is called microneuronal hypoplasia, a retardation of brain development characterized by a quantitative reduction in the normal population of late-generated, short-axoned neurons in specific brainmore » regions. Correlated descriptive and experimental neurogenetic studies in the rat have established that all the cerebellar granule cells and a very high proportion of hippocampal granule cells are produced postnatally, and that focal, low-dose X-irradiation either of the cerebellum or of the hippocampus after birth selectively interferes with the acquisition of the full complement of granule cells (microneuronal hypoplasia). Subsequent behavioral investigations showed that cerebellar microneuronal hypoplasia results in profound hyperactivity without motor abnormalities, while hippocampal microneuronal hypoplasia results in hyperactivity, as well as attentional and learning deficits. There is much indirect clinical evidence that various harmful environmental agents affecting the pregnant mother and/or the infant lead to such childhood disorders as hyperactivity and attentional and learning disorders. 109 references.« less

Morphologic and Morphometric Studies of Integrated Gully Systems on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulick, V. C.; Glines, N. H.; Freeman, P. M.; Morkner, P.; Narlesky, C.

2016-12-01

We have been conducting detailed morphologic and morphometric studies of gullies formed in various environmental settings on Mars using HiRISE images and DTMs. Several highly integrated gully systems have concave longitudinal profiles similar to those of terrestrial fluvial systems. Importantly, we do not see significant evidence for debris flow lobes or deposits on the floors of the gullies, either in their profiles or in the HiRISE stereo images, as would be expected for debris flows or other dry processes. Instead, deviations in the profile concavity generally correlate with gullies incising through stratigraphic layers. We also note several interesting correlations/associations in our study locations. 1) RSL are often found either in the tributaries of these integrated systems or in adjacent regions. Therefore, this implies that RSL may play a role in initiating gully formation and/or mark the last vestiges of water activity in these locations. 2) The more highly integrated gullies have eroded volumes significantly larger than their deposited apron volumes, suggesting that the missing volumes may reflect the volatile volumes involved in gully formation. In contrast, the Matara dune gully, which is less integrated, has minimal volume discrepancy. 3) THEMIS and TES surface temperatures of these gully sites, many of which contain RSL, approach or exceed 273K seasonally, suggesting that the volatile component is consistent with H2O, although CO2 may also play a role particularly during other seasons. 4) Apron volumes that equal or exceed their gully volumes suggest that dry flows, avalanching, gully infill, or other dry processes may have been more important in these less integrated systems. These associations suggest that although there are various gully morphologies on Mars that reflect the involvement of multiple processes, we find gully systems in Moni, Corozal, Palikir, and Lyot craters to be consistent with a primary formation by fluvial processes.

Pain-relieving agents for infantile colic.

PubMed

Biagioli, Elena; Tarasco, Valentina; Lingua, Carla; Moja, Lorenzo; Savino, Francesco

2016-09-16

Infantile colic is a common disorder in the first months of life, affecting somewhere between 4% and 28% of infants worldwide, depending on geography and definitions used. Although it is self limiting and resolves by four months of age, colic is perceived by parents as a problem that requires action. Pain-relieving agents, such as drugs, sugars and herbal remedies, have been suggested as interventions to reduce crying episodes and severity of symptoms. To assess the effectiveness and safety of pain-relieving agents for reducing colic in infants younger than four months of age. We searched the following databases in March 2015 and again in May 2016: CENTRAL, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO, along with 11 other databases. We also searched two trial registers, four thesis repositories and the reference lists of relevant studies to identify unpublished and ongoing studies. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs evaluating the effects of pain-relieving agents given to infants with colic. We used the standard methodological procedures of The Cochrane Collaboration. We included 18 RCTs involving 1014 infants. All studies were small and at high risk of bias, often presenting major shortcomings across multiple design factors (e.g. selection, performance, attrition, lack of washout period).Three studies compared simethicone with placebo, and one with Mentha piperita; four studies compared herbal agents with placebo; two compared sucrose or glucose with placebo; five compared dicyclomine with placebo; and two compared cimetropium - one against placebo and the other at two different dosages. One multiple-arm study compared sucrose and herbal tea versus no treatment. Simethicone. Comparison with placebo revealed no difference in daily hours of crying reported for simethicone at the end of treatment in one small, low-quality study involving 27 infants. A meta-analysis of data from two cross-over studies comparing simethicone with placebo showed no

A pilot study: the efficacy of virgin coconut oil as ocular rewetting agent on rabbit eyes.

PubMed

Mutalib, Haliza Abdul; Kaur, Sharanjeet; Ghazali, Ahmad Rohi; Chinn Hooi, Ng; Safie, Nor Hasanah

2015-01-01

Purpose. An open-label pilot study of virgin coconut oil (VCO) was conducted to determine the safety of the agent as ocular rewetting eye drops on rabbits. Methods. Efficacy of the VCO was assessed by measuring NIBUT, anterior eye assessment, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value before instillation and at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks after instillation. Friedman test was used to analyse any changes in all the measurable variables over the period of time. Results. Only conjunctival redness with instillation of saline agent showed significant difference over the period of time (P < 0.05). However, further statistical analysis had shown no significant difference at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks compared to initial measurement (P > 0.05). There were no changes in the NIBUT, limbal redness, palpebral conjunctiva redness, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value over the period of time for each agent (P > 0.05). Conclusion. VCO acts as safe rewetting eye drops as it has shown no significant difference in the measurable parameter compared to commercial brand eye drops and saline. These study data suggest that VCO is safe to be used as ocular rewetting agent on human being.

A Pilot Study: The Efficacy of Virgin Coconut Oil as Ocular Rewetting Agent on Rabbit Eyes

PubMed Central

Mutalib, Haliza Abdul; Kaur, Sharanjeet; Ghazali, Ahmad Rohi; Chinn Hooi, Ng; Safie, Nor Hasanah

2015-01-01

Purpose. An open-label pilot study of virgin coconut oil (VCO) was conducted to determine the safety of the agent as ocular rewetting eye drops on rabbits. Methods. Efficacy of the VCO was assessed by measuring NIBUT, anterior eye assessment, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value before instillation and at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks after instillation. Friedman test was used to analyse any changes in all the measurable variables over the period of time. Results. Only conjunctival redness with instillation of saline agent showed significant difference over the period of time (P < 0.05). However, further statistical analysis had shown no significant difference at 30 min, 60 min, and two weeks compared to initial measurement (P > 0.05). There were no changes in the NIBUT, limbal redness, palpebral conjunctiva redness, corneal staining, pH, and Schirmer value over the period of time for each agent (P > 0.05). Conclusion. VCO acts as safe rewetting eye drops as it has shown no significant difference in the measurable parameter compared to commercial brand eye drops and saline. These study data suggest that VCO is safe to be used as ocular rewetting agent on human being. PMID:25802534